The Historian and the Time Traveler: Grave Wishes

There is something extraordinary about winter at night, with only the soft yellow glow of the dimly lit lamps waiting to die down and submerge the city into darkness. Against this darkness the shutters are drawn, the daily laundry pulled in, and the city all but sound asleep with hearths in every home slowly dying out.

If one was to listen closely the first thing they’d hear would be the ambient silence as the snow fell from an endless void; the sound of horse’s hooves would follow and at closer inspection they’d hear the baker waking to an early dawn morning –a single candle flickering in the window as he went about. A little closer still, and the sound of an entire city waking up could be heard from the baker to the milkman, to the elderly woman selling chicken eggs on the corner, to the little orphan girl bundled in rags selling forget-me-nots. All this could be heard if only one would listen close enough, and like a bees’ hum it would all dissipate until only the ambient silence remained.

It was this silence that met Wesley Parker as he stepped out onto the otherwise empty street, his stride quick and hurried as he headed north. After a few yards Wesley seeming to come to his senses must have realized where he was, for he suddenly stopped right in the middle of the street, the silence of yet another winter’s night engulfing him as he stood there. Wesley was no foreigner to Lake City, but something about this night had him on his toes, left dominant hand inching towards his rapier that he kept by his side, cleverly disguised as a gentleman’s cane of gorgeous cherry tree wood. With a two piece suite tailored in light grey, a well ironed shirt, freshly polished black dress shoes, a long black coat and a bowler hat, Mr. Parker looked as though he was simply headed home from the theater. No one would have guessed otherwise. Not this night though. On the contrary Mr. Parker was headed somewhere very much different, an older Lake City.

Yes, an older Lake City, one very much different than where he stood. Oh how his sweet Katherine would have loved seeing this younger version of her home, what with her fascination of everything long since lost to the world resurfacing only in history books. How he longed to bring her here to this place and time, to steal her away from a world where history was lost, and give her a life of happiness and bliss in a time she would give anything to live in. Katherine Graves was from the future, only one of his many, but Wesley was determined to make it his last. As a time traveler, Wesley had seen many eons, many different eras of time. He’d seen the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, been present during the assassination of Civil Right Leader Martin Luther King Jr. and US President John F Kennedy. He even witnessed life times before his own, the hanging of Christ, and the Salem Massachusetts witch trials. He always returned to America in the end, always returned to Lake City and to Katherine with news of his travels and artifacts that always caused her to cry at the fact she was in the same room as them –something that Wesley adored.

Time traveling had been Wesley’s entire life from the time he was six and had accidentally time skipped, leaving behind a classroom full of children, a rather surprised looking school maid and a dusty chalkboard, and landed in the middle of a grove of trees, strange buildings and even stranger people milling about. When he finally made it back home, with special thanks to his Uncle Alfred, it was then that his mother had told him his own history; a history that had been passed to him by his father. Wesley had wanted nothing more than to learn everything about his heritage, until of course time became irrelevant and nonexistent to him. By the time he was 23, Wesley Parker wanted nothing more than to stay put, live a normal life, and have a wife, and even one or two children. As a time traveler staying put, was not in the job description, and as a Parker man, he had no choice.

Wesley had just arrived from Paris. His four month stay had him wondering about his own future again, but when he received Katherine’s letter it was only another jab to his heart. Wesley realized once again that he had no future save time traveling and it would end one of two ways. Either he would time jump back and forth until he grew old and died, or he would end up like his father, Stephen, lost in the mass that was the Time Realm.

Wesley stopped at the end of the intersection and stood completely still, listening. Yes even after so many years he could still hear that beautiful silence that the world would soon forget existed, only a handful of people with the gift to hear it, Katherine being one of them. Then, he patted himself down gently as though feeling around for something within the fine coat he wore. Suddenly his hand stopped and a small smile slid across Wesley’s face as he pulled forth a silver pocket watch, pressing the little latch and watching the lid flip open. The face of the watch was rather handsome with roman numerals dancing around the edge, a gift from Katherine. He gazed upon the face of the clock, 9:45 pm, and then snapped it shut tucking it back inside his coat. With a heavy breath and a determined face, Wesley waited five more minutes before turning on his heels and raising one foot, vanished leaving the intersection of Lake City 1888 behind him.

In a matter of seconds he’d had safely landed on a sidewalk covered in a smattering of freshly fallen snow. To his left an apartment building whose name he could not make out, to his right row upon row of beaten down houses. As Wesley stood there in his long coat holding his cane, his furrowed brow hidden beneath his hat, he watched as a few cars passed by him, no one stopping to see the spectacle of a man, no one caring as they drove home for the night. Wesley hated 21st century Lake City and what his once beautiful town had become.

Rounding a chain linked fence to one side and a wide expanse of field on the other, Wesley was met with a beautiful sight. The park was called Richmond Park, but Wesley knew that name meant nothing to her. She had said that in the summer time the grass there was a lovely shade of green; at least it was when Lake City got a good rain fall. Currently that green grass was hidden under feet of snow and it made him frown. The park’s plaque stood at the far right entrance of the park next to a bench that he had been told, only ever held the homeless.

Wesley scanned the area further. He saw the gazebo with its many twisted and demented faces, some crying, others laughing, and some so twisted that he couldn’t tell where the nose began and the mouth ended. What a dreary place, Wesley thought as his eyes moved on to what lay beyond. There was a child’s playground and next to it were three stone giants.

“I call them the gate keepers, because they always stand there never moving, always watching, always protecting.” Katherine had once told him so long ago. The stone giants were tortoises, and Wesley could see what his dear old friend had meant. They did indeed seem as though they were standing guard, protecting a gate, letting no one with ill intentions through to the palace that lay beyond.

Finally, after a few more seconds, Wesley found what it was he was searching for. Who he was searching for. With a lamp-post illuminating the area, giving it a slight glow in the otherwise dark and dreary place, there she sat, swinging, red coat and all. Katherine Graves, age 16, in the year 2015. As a citizen of Lake City back in 1758, Wesley could see the park as it was before the land was leveled. Back then all of this was just yards of trees where children ran chasing one another and families held pick nicks. He thought momentarily what it would have been like to have known Katherine in that time, to be a young man in love chasing her through those trees. Wesley needed to stay focused though, needed to remember why he had traveled here to Lake City 2015 at exactly 9:50 pm on December 22. The girl in the red coat, her long legs mere shadows from where he stood. She kept on swinging oblivious to the outside world and the fact that she was being watched.

Katherine was a “troubled teenager.” At 16 years old and less than a month away from her 17th birthday, she had seen her share of sadness. The only place she could escape was here in this strange hauntingly beautiful place, tucked as far away from the passing cars and busy street as the park would allow. Wesley knew of his love’s past, only as much as she would tell him, and it was a past that he’d do anything to change if he cold. Though even as a time traveler it was not in his power. As he stood there, a silent spectacle of a man, a hulking shadow against the night, Wesley recalled the moment that had sent him here.

He’d been sitting in his old childhood home reading a book that wouldn’t yet make it to the shelves for about another fifty years or so. It had been lent to him of course, by Katherine a few months after they had met. He was just getting to the best part, when he heard the shout from downstairs. He placed the bookmark in place and smiling to himself remembering the day she had lent it to him, Wesley made his way down the grand staircase of the Grand Victoria residence of the Parkers. There, standing in the middle of the large entrance, stood a messenger boy not much older than 13 and in his hand he held a yellow envelope with a blood red seal keeping its contents contained. Taking the envelope Wesley sent the boy on his way, a few coins tucked into his palm, made his way back upstairs and discarding his cane by the door he chose the window seat. Sliding a silver embellished letter opener underneath the seal and then across the top. Katherine always licked the envelope even after she had started using wax, a force of habit and he found it adoring. It only added to the sweet, lovable, and charismatic woman that she was. Smiling even more to himself, Wesley set the envelope aside and opened the letter.

My dearest friend,

I hope this finds you well enough. I did exactly as we had arranged so I really doubt that it hasn’t reached you by now. Funny, how if you look hard enough and have an open mind, just what you can find in this world. I placed the letter in the old mail box as you instructed and went on my way. Hopefully your messenger boy or whoever takes you your mail will get this to you safely. I’m just going to get straight to the point: I’m in danger, Wesley. A danger only you as a traveler can pull me from. I won’t say more in case this letter does not reach you. Wesley I need you to come to London. My London. You’ll know where to find me I’m sure.

Best wishes my friend,

Katherine-

Wesley read the letter a second and then a third time just to be sure. In all the years he had known her she had never once asked him for anything, especially his help. And just what danger was she in? He told himself it was probably nothing too reckless.

It wasn’t long after reading Katherine’s letter that he found himself in 21st century London, 2028. After finding the University where she worked, he was led up two flights of stairs by an assistant who never gave her name and was rather rude. Why Katherine would have someone like this working under her was beyond him. As they stopped outside a door with a golden plaque reading Dr. Katherine Graves Ph.D World history, Wesley did as any gentleman would and tipped his hat to the woman, thanking her.

As he turned towards the door reading the plaque once again, he smiled to himself feeling proud, wishing not for the first time that he could share all this with her – wishing he could share this life with her. Katherine had worked so hard to be where she was and he was proud. He knocked three times and waited, hearing the click, click, click of her heels as she came to open the door, needing to step back as it swung outward nearly smacking him in the face. It took him a minute to adjust to the sight of the beautiful woman before him, all grown, long brown hair cascading down her shoulders, neatly pulled back off her collar bone, deep hazel eyes a little more green than brown, tall lean build and slim waist, her long cream colored legs falling from beneath a black skirt a little on the shorter side. Yes, Katherine had grown, and as a man Wesley could not lie and say he did not find her attractive. When they had first met, back in 2019, Katherine had been 20, Wesley much older than he looked, but as a traveler, age seemed to pass him at a slower rate than the rest of the world, and standing in her doorway was a man who looked no older than 35, age seeming to have treated him well. Wesley had dark ebony hair with a few strands of wisdom peppered through, all slicked back rather neatly, all well kept under his hat, a bowler hat to be exact. He was tall, 6 foot, 3 inches, and though he had done away with a few things, Wesley had not once let society take away his impeccable fashion sense. It was something that intrigued the woman he loved and he wouldn’t change it for anything.

“Wesley! Oh my Goodness it is so good to see you. You haven’t changed a bit!”

“You flatter me Kitten, I’m feeling even older than I look, and I found grey hairs as I combed my hair the other day.”

She released him, and Wesley had felt empty again with nothing to hold onto, knowing that come night he would once again be tormented by visions of the woman before him, tucked safely in his arms, sleeping in his bed, her heart beat matching his own, that dark and natural (as he now realized) brown hair spilling out onto his pillow as he ran his fingers through it, pulling her in for a deep passionate kiss. As he followed her into the bright and spacious office he watched as Katherine kicked off her heels, her bare feet padding along the floor as she made her way to an electric kettle and poured two cups of tea, her Angel tattoo peaking out at him as her blouse slid up her back as she walked. Wesley smiled as the room was filled with the fresh smell of flowers and he knew that the historian had poured them each a cup of her favorite tea, Cherry Rose; no doubt imported from her favorite tea shop back home in Lake City. Balancing his cane on his knee Wesley took a small sip of tea and said:

“You said you were in danger Katherine. What type of danger could you possibly be in, you seem rather fine.”

Katherine gently placed a small white kettle with an assortment of cherry blossoms, down upon the desk, a serious look on her face, not meeting his eyes. She was putting off whatever it was she so desperately needed to tell him. Wesley took one more sip of tea before placing it next to the kettle and leaning forward, and against his better judgment grasping her small hand, holding it in his. Her hand was so cold it made him want to blow warmth onto it, but he was too surprised when the woman accepted the gesture and linked her fingers through his.

Her voice was shaky when she spoke, and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she said the words. “I need you to save me Wesley. I need you to go to 2015 and talk a 16 old me out of suicide.”

Wesley could only stare at the woman before him. There was no way he heard her right, but it was all there in her hazel eyes. He knew of her broken family as a child, of the time spent away from her father and the 7 months of hell she had to endure because of it. He knew that she had been forced to grow up and take on the roll of mother for her younger brother and sister, but the woman he had met so long ago was not one who seemed as though to believe that suicide of all things could be a means to an end.

So he had sat and listened as she told him everything; from running out of her house, away from the constant fighting, until she came to the park, taking procession of one of the swings that sat there as though they knew that she was coming. She told him that she had planned one last night in complete and utter freedom before she would end her life, walking straight into oncoming traffic. Then, she had told him of the man who had saved her; the man who had looked as though he came from a completely different era of time. The man, who somehow knew her name, had called her his friend, and told her that what she wanted to do would not make any difference in a world where she did not have a voice or a name yet.

When she was done talking, Katherine returned to her tea leaving Wesley to grasp the entirety of what she had said. There was no questioning who the man had been. After a few minutes he finally spoke filling the dead end silence of the room.

“Katherine, love, how do you expect me to do that? You were a socially dysfunctional person, unable to speak to anyone, let alone strangers who just randomly walk up to you.”

“Wesley, I was a depressed 16 year old who’s father kept leaving over and over again, while my mother slept with his best friend, I’ll be wary at first, questioning, and I might even try to flee. But you have to make me listen. Somehow. It shouldn’t be that hard, as you know that I love history, and you, well you ARE history. Not to mention a British man with an accent I could only ever dream of having.” She finished with a smile.

“You really think that a clinically depressed teenager, socially awkward and paranoid, sitting by herself, mind you, during the darkness of night is just going to sit and listen to some stranger just because he looks from a different time and has a British accent?” Katherine raised a brow smirking as she took another sip of tea. Of course she would, the time traveler thought to himself.

“Of course I will, because I had to have done so or I wouldn’t be here now, talking to you, now would I?”

The Historian and the time traveler fell into yet another silence, both lost to their own thoughts for a moment before Wesley leaned over the desk and said, “tell me what I need to do.”

The Historian looked him straight in the eyes and smiled, looking much younger than she was. That proud feeling he felt as he entered her office was back. Of course he would do this for her. Taking one last sip of her tea Dr. Katherine Graves said, “Tell me everything. Start with my name. I’ll listen.”

Slowly, the memory faded and just like that Wesley was back in 2015, standing under the cover of darkness watching a younger Katherine. Slowly the time traveler began to walk at a steady pace taking rather large steps to avoid getting snow in his favorite pair of oxford shoes. He was standing by the lamp post in no time, 16 year old Katherine still oblivious, listening not to the ambient silence of a winter’s night, but to whatever played through her headphones. Wesley pushed off the lamp post and taking a deep breath walked over to the only other vacant swing. As expected the young girl was taken aback and he could tell she was frightened at his sudden appearance, fight or flight instincts kicking in. Seeing as she was about to bolt, he spoke. He watched as the girl started to calm down, yet still keeping her distance from the strange man who had seemingly appeared out of thin air.

As he waited like any good gentleman would, he watched as she finally took out the red twisted headphones, and watched her take a deep breath. At least she is not still trying to flee. Thank the good lord. Wesley thought as he pondered what he would say next. At this point Katherine was about to kindly, yet nervously, ask him what he wanted. If there was one thing Wesley Parker knew about his Katherine was that she hated when strangers tried to talk to her. She would later tell him, over a cup of tea of course, that she felt obligated to try and be polite, and talk back to the person, no matter who they were, stranger or not.

“Sorry I didn’t hear you. I.. I had my music in. Can I help you?” Is that stuttering I hear? The thought was a fleeting one as in the next moment he had answered.

“I said, how do you do, Katherine?” Her reaction was expected. The girl grew cautious once more and began to stubble over her words.

“How... how... How...”

“How do I know your name?”

She nodded looking at him as though he was a man about to rob her, or worse. Yet he knew that in a matter of five years she would be a completely different woman.

“Because you and I,” the time traveler used his cane to gesture, a black gloved hand wrapped around its hilt. “Are friends. And before you say anything know this Katherine, as your friend I will not allow you to do what it is you are contemplating.” And before he knew what he was doing he said something that the Katherine he knew rarely talked about. “Think about Manny, Kitten, he went down that road and just look how many people he’s left behind to carry the weight of that burden.”

At the sound of her friend’s name, Katherine stopped fidgeting and shaking, sitting entirely still, a look of pure sadness on her young face.

“How… how do you know Manny? Were you also a friend of his?” Wesley didn’t miss the breath she took after speaking the boy’s name. It made him jealous the love she had for the deceased boy. She truly had loved him, believed him to even be her soul mate, and that was nothing Wesley could or would ever try to change. Wesley sat his cane and his hat in the snow beside him and grabbing hold of the chains on both sides pushed off only hard enough to put the swing in motion. Looking to night sky listening to the perfect ambient sound of winter at night, he said “someone once told me that soul mates are not the ones you end up with, but rather the ones sent to show you what true love really is. To make you feel as though despite everything, you could find love. Once their job is done, they leave and we’re lucky if we ever see them again.”

“Why do they have to leave though? Why put that person in such pain, even for a little while?”

Wesley found himself laughing at her question, knowing what he knew about her future. Stopping his swing the man looked over to the young girl, and in that moment he could see Dr. Katherine Graves Ph.D World History. In that moment he could see the woman he so very much loved, and deeply regretted not being able to share a life with. “They leave so that way we can go on to find the person we are truly, truly, meant to love.”

The girl looked puzzled and he could make out a furrowed brow beneath the moonlight. “Things will get better you know. One day you’ll get your wish and you’ll be a family again, but causing your own death,” he paused still baffled she had once thought that her dying would be best for the world.

“If you could see yourself, Kitten, you’d smack her.”

“Causing your own death will only make things worse. Your family will be shattered even more so, and all your dreams of true love, adventure, seeing the world, all those dreams will shatter like glass. You can’t fix glass Kitten dear, only replace it.”

He heard her sigh knowing he had done the only thing she had ever asked of him. Back in 2028 she had told him that while she had been a cautious child, her mind had been a mess and on more than one occasion she’d been urged to see just what certain things would feel like; to see just how far she could get before death realized she was cheating.

“I should have died a long time ago. She had told him in 2021.

“How so?”

She had shrugged her shoulders and sipped her tea, cherry rose freshly brewed.

“It’s just a feeling I have, deep in my bones. And bones don’t lie.”

Clearing his throat, the time traveler stood and grabbing his cane and hat gave the girl one last smile before beginning to depart. Yet at the very last second, she had stopped him with a hand on the sleeve of his black coat.

“Will I see you again, or will this just be another one of my dreams?”

Wesley smiled widely down at her as he placed his hat on his head and touched two fingers to the brim.

“Who says dreams can’t be found?” Then just as he had come, Wesley Parker was gone.

As soon as he left Lake City 2015 and young Katherine, he was back in 2028 staring down at a smiling Dr. Katherine Graves.

“I guess I have the answer to my question. I followed my dreams Wesley, despite all the odds. I stopped living for the future, and started living for the present. And it was thanks to you.”

The time traveler chuckled and shook his head.

“You were a very stubborn child weren’t you?”

“If I had been able to see myself back then, I would have probably smacked her.”

The two shared a laugh and Wesley pointed to the empty tea pot.

“Shall I put on some tea then?”

Katherine smiled and nodded. There was nothing a good cup tea couldn’t solve.