Field of Blackbirds - Clayton Jeppsen & Lindsey Jeppsen (me reader txt) 📗

“This is where we had our first date.”
“It was the most spectacular date I have ever had,” admitted Lindsey in a dreamy voice. Then she claimed, “But this isn’t our last date, so I don’t see the irony.” Lindsey winked at him with her head tilted and her shoulder to her chin. “You were quite the catch, though.”
Reed played along. “Yeah, you had me at hello too, babe.”
Lindsey checked the back seat. “We have a blanket in the back,” she hinted.
Reed didn’t waste any more time. He pulled into the parking lot and paid four dollars to the meter. They left their shoes in the car and walked through the sand barefoot. Lindsey grabbed Reed’s arm and pulled herself in as a cool breeze blew in off the ocean. The beach was almost desolate by now. They felt like they were on their own private island. The blanket was large enough for them to lay on half and cover with the other half.
“Bittersweet,” uttered Reed as he stared into the darkness of the sky.
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” assured Lindsey.
“There’s no other place I’d rather be than right here, right now, with you,” professed Reed, as he softly drew his finger down the side of her face.
“Three years is a long time Lindsey.”
Lindsey knew what Reed was wondering; if she possessed the strength to hang on; if the love that he had given her was memorable and worth waiting for and if the plans that they had made together were more than wishful.
“Reed, you’re right, three years is a long time. Logic says it’s too long. But, I’ve never been a fan of logic or a fan of odds and I know you’re not either. I’d rather have a storybook ending; something to tell my grandchildren.” she paused a moment, “This is sounding a little dorky isn’t it?”
Reed smiled, “No, keep going!”
“I guess I’m just trying to assure you, Reed that I can wait for you and I will wait for you. And just to remind you, I’ll see you in eighteen months, not three years.”
This was just the assurance Reed was looking for. He wanted to know that she was at least willing to climb the mountain in front of her, that this challenge wasn’t more than she could handle.
“If we can beat this together, we can beat anything together. I think it’s a rather adventurous way to begin our saga, don’t you?” asked Reed.
“Yeah, I do,” agreed Lindsey.
Reed looked at her as she laid there. He lived for that smile. It was home for him. He could fight through any battle if that smile was his only consolation. Her skin looked pale and soft under the moonlight. Once again, Lindsey batted her green eyes shyly at him as he came within inches from her face.
Reed ran the back of his fingers down Lindsey’s neck and laid them over her heart. “It will always be like this.” he promised softly. “I will always love you. And even though I will be on the other side of the world, the distance between our hearts will never be greater than it is right now.”
“You always say the right things, Reed.” Lindsey said, snuggling closer to him.
“Okay, I admit.” Reed shrugged his shoulders. “I practiced while we were on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’”
Reed could always make Lindsey laugh. As much as she enjoyed his looks, she adored his humor. They held each other for a few priceless moments, soon to fall on the list of extinction.
Lindsey hopped up, “Come with me,” she prompted. “I want to show you something.”
She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around the two of them. Off in the distance was a long row of large rocks that jetted out into the water, breaking the waves as they came in. When they finally reached it, Lindsey rolled up her jeans and walked into the water about knee high and began searching the edge of the rocks.
“What are you looking for?” asked Reed.
“Starfish. Come help me!”
“Starfish?” Reed was curious.
“Yeah, I’m about to get cheesy on you again. Help me find one.”
Just above the water, holding steadfast to the side of a large rock, Reed saw a Starfish.
“There,” gratified, Reed pointed.
“Good eye spy,” said Lindsey. “Now watch it for a while as the waves crash into it.”
Reed watched it, watched the water relentlessly push and tug it. He noticed that it never moved. It never let go, even when the waves were the highest. It didn’t give up.
“It almost makes it seem effortless doesn’t it?” proclaimed Lindsey. “Not everything is as difficult as it first seems. Day in and day out this Starfish hangs on to that rock, and then holds tighter when the waves crash. And believe it or not, it’s comfortable this way. How much do you think that Starfish weighs Reed?” she inquired.
Reed shrugged his shoulders, “A pound maybe.”
“If that,” challenged Lindsey. “Okay, I weigh 135 pounds.”
Reed was astonished to hear her admit her weight.
“I can withstand the weight of the crashing water. I will wait for you Reed, I promise. I will hold steadfast and I will make it seem effortless. And I will pray everyday for your safe return until the Lord brings you back to me”
“Wow.” Reed said out loud. “So Lindsey, who’s the expert with words now?”
“Okay, I have to admit,” she said, “I practiced while we were on Dumbo.” They both burst into a gut laugh.
Somehow, the two were able to turn this, seemingly entirely too short of an evening, into an endless night of memorable bliss, full of promises and small gestures of hope and devotion.


Chapter 6 - Marcielli, Marianna, and the Omerta.


Milan Italy, 1992
Marcielli looked down at his foot. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and fell from the tip of his nose. It splashed on the ball. Everything else around the ball seemed to melt into one color. His blood pumped so hard that he felt each pulse that went through his body. Only eight seconds remained in the game and the score was tied.
Marcielli looked at his opponent; detected his exhaustion. But he also saw his determination. He wanted this title for the University of Palermo just as much as Marcielli wanted it for Bocconi University.
The referee dropped the ball, signaling it into motion. Marcielli burst from his ice-frozen stature, gaining control of the soccer ball. If he could only coax his body to hold up for these last few seconds and cooperate with the play. He took the ball for nineteen yards and then kicked it back to Florentine, who took the ball sharply in the opposite direction, causing the game to shift to the north side of the field. This left Marcielli a few yards back but wide open on the south side of the field. Flo kicked it to Franco at mid-field, who mailed the package right back to Marcielli. Even the Palermo goalie was unsuspecting the play and wasn’t exactly in place when Marcielli sent the ball whizzing right past his head and through the goal posts.
The crowd exploded into hysteria. The exhilaration burst like a rain cloud over the field. Marcielli felt the motion emanating from the stands. The entire Bocconi soccer team bum-rushed him. Marcielli sustained more injuries from the celebration than from the game itself. It was Marcielli’s last college game. He had already been signed to start on the National team next year.
After getting his strains iced down from the therapist, Marcielli went to the locker room where the excitement refused to die down. Some were chanting the Italian National Anthem, some were still dumping Gator-aid on the coach and others were naked, snapping team mates with wet towels. Marcielli opened his locker and began packing his sports bag.
Despite the energy level of his teammates, Marcielli couldn’t redirect his thoughts from the two men he saw on his way to the locker room. For the last two weeks, Marcielli had seen them parked next to the kiosk across from his apartment. That black car with tint so dark you could only see reflections. For hours at a time it would be there. He even noticed strange men at mass on Sunday. He wondered if they would ever approach him. Marcielli actually knew all this was coming, he just didn’t know when. He had tried to prepare himself for it.
Marcielli zipped his bag, threw it over his shoulder and walked outside. The subway was only half a kilometer away. Marcielli decided not to take the usual route. He was sure they had made note of it by now. He was going to take Via Galileo. This street was more heavily traveled and he could blend into the crowd better. The city would be busy due to the game traffic.
The sun had just set and the street lamps were flicking on. Marcielli took a minute to look around before he started off. The two men were nowhere in sight. He hurried across the street and past the bakery. Before he reached Via Galileo, he heard a car moving slowly behind him. Marcielli became nervous and prepared for the worst. Dare he look back, he thought? He felt nauseous. He heard the engine shut off and saw the beam from the headlights disappear. As he heard the car door open and close he stopped walking. He waited a minute . . . . . . and then turned around . . . . . . He saw an older man walk to the trunk of his car, open it and take out a tricycle bike. The man walked over to the domophone parallel to his vehicle. He buzzed the phone.
“Hello,” a voice came over the speaker.
“It’s Jarek,” the man said with an accent. “Can I come up?”
Marcielli was relieved. He even paused for a moment as a memory surfaced. It was his grandpa, teaching him to ride his first bike on Christmas morning. Ironic, thought Marcielli.
Via Galileo was just