Where the Galaxy Collides

By Shirley Smith

When seamstress Olivia Dirkspin leaves Central City for a three-week holiday, shes looking for a quiet, secluded place to get away from it all. She finds the Due North of Zenith Lodge, a place with no radio and no phone, just the solution. In addition, the advertisement boasts that this location in the wilderness forests of northern Saskatchewan hosts spectacular views of the Northern Lights. But rest and relaxation arent exactly what she receives.

Olivia hopes that getting away from the fast pace of the city will help her to re-evaluate her life. Her fifteen-year-old adopted daughter, Lisa, has moved out, leaving Olivia to put her life back together. On her journey to the lodge, she meets the owner, Vincent Randall; she soon discovers they have much in common. And with a host of relatives, friends, and strangers, they become embroiled in an escapade that speaks of both love and heartache.

Played out against the serenity of a northern wilderness tourist camp on the shores of a pristine lake, Olivia is able to salvage the pieces of her relationship with her daughter and summon the courage to venture into new relationships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 9, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440146916

Shirley Smith

Shirley Smith is CEO of My Kota Bear, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and support to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) families. She travels and speaks on issues of Black female mortality and premature births to educate and encourage parents and offer guidance to women who have struggled with postpartum depression. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

Book preview

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Prologue

Finally, Fred sighed. He had just completed the long process of what he hoped would take care of his family’s safety forever. Fred, a very wealthy, renowned psychic, was not immune to life’s troubles. His exhaustive list of details which required careful planning, and tremendous expense, was in place. All of his doubts and concerns had been double checked, and the safety of everyone who was to be involved had been ensured. He flipped through his pile of pages, one at a time. His family and friends had been contacted and had agreed to help him catch the kidnappers, who were after his twin daughters, presumably for the ransom money they hoped to collect.

He paused to reflect. It had taken him over a year to prepare the script of events to be played out to make his family safe. Each step was now completely clear in his mind. It had taken time to explain details on a need to know basis to everyone involved. It was very important that no one revealed any of the planned activities to Olivia. In Fred’s vision, it was of utmost importance that she remain present, in all the activity, but that she be totally unaware of the plan to intercept the kidnappers, while everyone around her had a specific role to play out. There would be a lot of preplanned confusion in what was about to transpire, but if everyone did his part in creating the confusion and distractions, it would be simple; no one would get hurt. He was very thorough with his directions because there would be no time for on the scene explanations. The untangling of the web he had foreseen a few years ago was about to begin.

Chapter 1

Olivia yawned, turning onto Maple Crescent SW, where she had lived all her life in Central city. She was now officially on holidays. She turned into her driveway and stopped the car in front of house number 128. She got out of her car and checked the mail box by the door. There was a letter from her cousin, Mandy Writher, and a sale flyer from the neighborhood corner store. She reached up and adjusted the number two that was loose. She made a mental note to replace the numbers soon. She yawned again as she unlocked the door and went inside.

She busied herself making some coffee and supper. Then, she sorted the laundry and started a load of clothes so she would be ready to head out on her trip up north, if she finally decided to go.

Olivia’s stressful conflict with her adopted daughter, Lisa, had her mind changing back and forth many times in the last week, between staying in the city and going up north. She had to take her holidays now before she began her new job with the promotion she had just received. The timing of her promotion and holidays could not have been better. Olivia was planning on using this time wisely. She hoped Lisa and she could come to a compromise before Lisa went for ear surgery and then went on up north to summer camp. And, if that didn’t happen, Olivia was definitely heading north to her Uncle’s, anyway. She would not be far from Lisa if circumstances changed. Olivia knew if she could get Lisa talking, it would not take long to resolve their problem. She had tried contacting Lisa everyday all month long to at least try and talk about their problems, but to no avail. She simply refused to speak with Olivia. Lisa was now staying with her other adoptive parents, Bea and Bob Setters. Bea wasn’t being very helpful either, but she gave Olivia her word that she and Bob would take Lisa to have her ear surgery, and for her not to worry about anything. They would even see that she was on her way to North Country Wilderness Camp. Bob had suggested that maybe a little space for her and Lisa would really be best since Lisa was so adamant to have her own way. There was no point in getting stressed out or arguing about it anymore. Olivia would just go for her trip up north, and perhaps she would be able to find out first hand about this young man, Bobby Randall, who Lisa had fallen hopelessly in love with. Then, she could tell Bob and Bea everything she had learned when she got back. They certainly could take care of Lisa.

Olivia ate her supper and had a shower. Then she tidied up. It was her regular routine now since Lisa moved away, and she had no one else to tidy after. Then, she even put her laundry away. Finally, Olivia poured herself a cup of coffee and took it to the table. She sat down and opened Mandy’s letter.

Dear Olivia,

Hi! I heard you were coming north this summer. Dad mentioned that a student driver misjudged the distance he needed to parallel park, and his vehicle tore off your car’s back bumper last week. Dad’s going to fix it for you.

Unfortunately, there’s not going to be much time for us to visit with all the construction, and the baby being due at the end of July. Wallace and I are sending you this brochure. We thought that since you have some holidays, you could check out the Due North of Zenith Lodge. It is outlined in this brochure. Wallace and I were there for our anniversary. The Northern Lights were breathtaking, so it’s definitely a must see while you are in the vicinity.

Mom says Lisa is going to have the ear surgery you mentioned. We understand that her boyfriend is pretty worried about it. Word has it that they plan to marry soon. I’m sorry if I’m the one to spring the news on you, but I wonder since you and Lisa have been at odds, if she mentioned anything to you about how serious her relationship with Bobby really is? Now, I’ve got to run to town and place an order for clothes. Take care; we’ll talk when you get here.

The Lodge is usually pretty busy, so it’s best to book ahead. Bring your writing supplies. I can’t see you leaving the beautiful north without getting some fantastic inspiration for a story; I just know it. Till then, take care.

Love,

Cousin Mandy

Olivia sighed, looking over the pamphlet of the ‘Due North of Zenith Lodge’ in Northern Saskatchewan. It really did sound like a wonderful spot. Mandy’s letter had just confirmed what she feared the most; Lisa would probably get married regardless of what anyone would say to dissuade her. Lisa would not be 16 until the end of July, and she seemed far too young for marrying. She had moved out because Olivia didn’t agree to her running off with Bobby. She was now living with her other adoptive parents, Bob Setters, an independent chartered accountant, and Bea, his wife, who worked as a secretary in their office, and who approved of Lisa’s pending marriage.

Olivia frowned. She just could not agree to Lisa running off with this Bobby Randall. She had not even met him, and it did not seem like a rational idea no matter how Olivia thought about it. Closing her eyes, she mentally finalized the details of Lisa’s elective ear surgery that would allow her to hear again. She had the funds already in the bank to cover the cost of the surgery, which would leave her pretty much broke once her holiday funds were exhausted. She would not be able to afford anything that might turn up as an unexpected expense.

Olivia consoled herself with the thought that Lisa would go into the hospital at the end of the week. Maybe she should give Lisa some space like Bob suggested. That would give her time to check out the ‘Due North of Zenith Lodge’, and meet this Bobby Randall first hand, while on her holidays. She could also get Uncle Art to fix her car at the same time. More importantly, she needed to find a sensible solution to resolve the disagreement with Lisa. The last thing Olivia wanted was for Lisa to remain angry and hate her forever. She cared too much about the little girl she had raised for that to happen. The ringing of the phone interrupted her thoughts.

Hello, Olivia answered.

Hello, Bob spoke, sounding very relaxed. So, have you decided if you’re heading north or not? I have a letter and a request for you to deliver it to Bobby, if you do. I’m supposed to ask, since you two are still not speaking. Bob sighed, Guess that means you will, sometime in the future. If you are going, could you drop the envelope off at the Lodge front desk?

Whew, Olivia breathed out slowly. Yes, I’m sure I’m capable of doing so little while I’m there, if I go, Olivia finished, wondering if anyone else were listening.

When will you know? Bob asked, adding, I’ve got an errand and could drop by in about a half an hour or so.

Well, bring it over then, and if I don’t go, I’ll call you to come and take it back to Lisa. Olivia frowned.

I’m on my way, bye. Bob hung up before she could say good bye.

Olivia poured herself another cup of coffee and started thinking about Lisa. She was only a tiny, three month old baby when she lost her mom and dad in a plane crash. Olivia missed Marie, who had worked with Olivia at the Jean Joint as a seamstress. Her husband, Philip, was a great friend of Bob’s; they had gone to school and graduated together. It was decided that Olivia, and Bea and Bob, would get custody of Lisa if anything should happen to Marie and Philip. They had the necessary documents prepared for joint custody as a precaution. There were no living relatives to care for baby Lisa, and Marie couldn’t relax until the legal paper work was completed. Lisa had lived most of her life with Olivia. Olivia smiled, remembering her first walking steps and her happy laughter. The door bell interrupted her happy memories. Olivia walked over to the door to see Bob.

Come in, Olivia offered.

I have a business meeting to attend. Bob spoke, I think your best use of time is to head north and try to relax some. It appears Lisa is still too busy sulking to consider anyone else’s point of view. He paused and handed her Lisa’s letter and a picture of Lisa and Dobby, her husky dog, sitting together.

I’m sure Lisa would appreciate your dropping it off since she lost Bobby’s address. She forgot to take it out of her pants pocket before it went through the washer. So, now she’s having a cry about that, Bob added, feeling sorry for Lisa.

Olivia just nodded, No problem. She reached for her purse still on the kitchen table and placed Lisa’s letter and picture inside. I’m going to pack, and I will be leaving in about an hour. I’ll probably drive all night since there’s always a lot less traffic.

Bob just nodded, You are still a night owl driver kid, just remember to drive safely, he gave Olivia a hug. We’ll see you when you get back, bye. Bob walked away.

Olivia got busy. She only needed to pack her suitcase, toiletries and cooler of food stuffs from the refrigerator. She had already prepared her car ahead of time, so she was ready to head down the road whenever she decided. In no time, she drove to a near by service centre to buy some munchies, coffee and cigarettes. She slightly frowned and decided that she would not be able to quit smoking for a while longer. She had enough stress to keep her awake all night anyway, and she certainly did not need to be fighting with her self, trying to quit smoking tonight. She also had her jerry cans filled with gasoline in case she might run out. It was a long drive up north. It would take her all night of straight driving to Uncle Art’s and Aunt Susan’s garage.

Chapter 2

Olivia turned on her favorite radio station to catch the weather report as she drove through the service area and out of Central City. She headed north to the smaller city of Gateway, and then she would go further north to Timberline which was the last major centre with town facilities such as an RCMP detachment, STC bus depot and a hospital which provided care to all the northern communities. After that, the next stop on her northern trek would be Uncle Art’s road side garage.

Olivia’s thoughts drifted to her last conversation with Lisa. Lisa wanted to run off and elope, or maybe just live with Bobby for a while to make sure they were really compatible. Olivia remembered the shock she felt. She reached carefully for her coffee cup, and took a sip of coffee and lit a cigarette. She kept analyzing their last conversation as the miles sped by. She finally turned off the main route, through the city of Gateway and drove her car up to a 24/7 convenience store with gas pumps. It was pretty busy in the smaller city, but she was soon on her way to Timberline. The lights of Gateway faded in the distance behind her vehicle.

One reason that she liked night driving was the decreased amount of traffic. Yawning, she leaned back, stretched her neck, and took a sip of coffee along with a bite of the caramel rice squares. They were very soft and chewy and not too sweet; a nice treat, not too messy, for driving. Of course, the down side of night driving was not being able to enjoy the scenery. She loved the forest and knew that there were trees and glistening lakes on both sides of the road.

As she drove on for miles, she remembered the many times that she had brought Lisa north to visit at her aunt and uncle’s place. On summer holidays, Olivia would also take Lisa to the North Country Wilderness Camp which was not that far from her uncle’s. Olivia smiled, remembering all the fun and excitement when Lisa was younger and first went to camp. Olivia had even stayed up at the camp the first two summers in cabins provided for parents of the children.

Olivia could now see the glow of the lights of Timberline on the night sky, but she knew that the last gas station was open only until midnight, and it was well past that now. She would need to use some of her own gas that she had had the foresight to bring. The security lights from buildings and street lights provided enough light for her to see as she filled her gas tank. Shortly, she got back into her vehicle and headed north of Timberline. She made a mental note to stop at the campsite bathroom facilities at the bridge that crossed the river, a couple of hours or so away. She always felt more awake after a brief stretch at this rest area.

Olivia drove on into the darkness. In the distance she could see Northern Lights weaving across the sky. Smiling, Olivia drove on, but slowly her smile faded. She really could not be too happy under the circumstances. She thought about how nice it would have been if Lisa were along on this trip, but Olivia accepted the fact that it was not meant to happen this time.

On and on she drove. Dawn was breaking when she finally pulled into the campsite rest area along the road. After using the outside facility, Olivia felt much better. She checked her gas gauge and knew that she had lots of gas to reach her destination.

Starting to drive again, she drank some coffee and ate some candy to help combat her tiredness. She really was on the home stretch now. Olivia smiled, recognizing the surroundings as she drove down the road. She enjoyed the scenery being awakened by the rising sun.

Finally, Olivia sighed, her all night trek into the wilderness of northern Saskatchewan was completed. She turned off the main road to see the familiar sight. Yawning, she drove her little car up to the rear of Uncle Art Dirkspin’s garage. It was still only about 5:30 am and it would be a couple of hours before anyone would be moving around. She decided to lean back and rest for a while. All too soon, she was being awakened by a tall, handsome man who knocked loudly on her window, and pulled out a police officer’s badge.

Your full name please, along with your registration and driver’s license. Please be pleasant, I do not need any argument. Olivia sighed, staring at the RCMP folder which he quickly folded and stuffed into his jacket pocket. He gave her an impatient look while waiting for her to produce the requested ID.

Good morning, Olivia, Uncle Art’s familiar voice interrupted. Come on in! You just missed Auntie Susan. She left a while ago to meet up with Mandy; she’s in labor at the hospital in Timberline.

Olivia smiled at her uncle, but was interrupted by the officer.

You know this woman? The plain-clothes officer asked.

Yep, my brother’s daughter, Miss Olivia Bridget Dirkspin, her Uncle sighed. You’ll have to excuse her; she’s a bit on the slow side without her morning coffee, he grinned, noticing Vincent had taken quite an interest in his niece.

Vincent Randall was owner of the Due North of Zenith Lodge. He also had his own construction company and owned a plane and helicopter which he piloted. He was intuitively clever, still single in his thirties, about the same age as Olivia. Vincent had even used the officer routine, making his intentions clear to her uncle, as Art grinned in return.

Humph, the officer sighed, taking her registration and license. So what do you do for living? he asked, seriously glancing over her identification.

I’m a seamstress. I work at the Jean Joint sewing denim wear, nine to five, she answered quietly.

And what brings you this far north? He continued to look at her car, slightly shaking his head.

Olivia smiled, I bring my old heap out here every chance I get, and Uncle Art always waves his magic wrench over it. It always works great till snow flies the next year. I mean, he gives it a good tune up. She quickly took out a driving permit since her back bumper which needed to be repaired, hung out of the trunk.

Oh, I see, Vincent replied as he glanced at his watch, then back at her. So you won’t be driving it any farther until it is repaired? he questioned and glanced at her uncle wiping his wrench, then back at her puzzled