My Journal

By

Harriman Nelson

11

“I still feel bad about it,” I told Emmie from my cell phone as I filled her in on this morning’s tiff between Lee and me.

“Well, I think he had no right to get so uppity. You were only trying to help.”

“He’s the president, how else is he supposed to feel? He’s an honest man, Emmie,” I said, though I knew darn well how good he was at lying in the line of duty or on undercover assignments. But this was entirely different.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t have too much of that Mur stuff.”

“Me too. That hangover Lee had was pretty bad. He might not have been so harsh if he hadn’t still been hurting.”

“You’re too lenient with him. Why, if I had my way, I’d give him a smack for how he spoke to you and….”

“Sweetie, he had every right….”

Just then Jiggs knocked on the open door, “Sorry. Want to watch the shopping trip?”

“Ah…”

“I heard,” Emmie said. “Go ahead. I have to admit, I’m interested in watching myself. Bye, honey.”

“Hugs and kisses, dear,” I said, ending the call and joined Jiggs in the living room to watch the various broadcasts, local, and national. Even the BBC had a reporter on call.

I let Jiggs flip the channels…

“….The presidential motorcade has a police escort….”

“…We’ve been informed that the aliens will be visiting Macy’s and T.J. Maxx, which were probably chosen due to their close proximity to the White House. Shoppers and staff already in the stores were subjected to security clearance. However, any chagrin they felt was superseded by the chance to meet President Nelson-Crane and the aliens….”

“…It is unknown just what the aliens are looking for or if this is simply a public relations excursion….”

“….There are no protestors in sight, but barricades have been set up fifty feet from the entrance….”

“…While the president accompanies his guests, he might want to purchase a new tie…it’s doubtful he brought along any others to the White House than his drab Navy issue tie….”

“….The Secret Service and a man in naval uniform are escorting the president and his guests as they get out of the limo to enter Macy’s….”

“…The female, nicknamed ‘Melody’ has taken the president’s arm. The spaceship’s Lt., nicknamed ‘Numbers’, is looking around. Perhaps acting more as a bodyguard for Melody as the alien captain’s liaison….”

“….We can’t take our reporters or cameras inside at the request of the store manager…”

Then all of the newscasters began to discuss the history of Macy’s and T.J. Maxx which was next on the schedule. They also wondered if Lee normally imbibed too much. He was a sailor, after all.

After about thirty minutes, the group emerged, to an appreciative crowd outside. Joe and the Secret Service were ever vigilant, however.

“….The president has moved toward the barricades, and stopping to chat with some of the public, shaking hands, and introducing Melody and Lt. Numbers to them….”

“….The female alien is showing off one of her purchases to some of the women.  Looks like a flowered sundress…”

“…Taking the president’s arm, Miss Melody, followed by the Lt., is returning to the limo and…”

Suddenly there was the sound of a gunshot and a cry of ‘Death to traitors!”

Joe, shielding Lee, aimed his gun toward the crowd while pulling him away. The Secret Service did likewise with the aliens, but Lt. Numbers held up the bullet he’d caught in his unharmed hand.

The crowd gasped.  

“Over here! Over here!” some people were yelling, having grabbed the perpetrator and keeping her fast.

Lee freed himself from Joe’s grasp and asked Numbers, “Are you all right?”

“I believe this was meant for you, but it could easily have harmed Melody.”

“Thanks for protecting us,” then Lee took the few steps toward the perpetrator, a woman, held now and cuffed by police. “Why?”

“Why? You’re a traitor to Earth! You don’t deserve to live. They’ll destroy and enslave us!”

“If they’d wanted to destroy us, they already would have. I don’t know who or what you’ve been listening to, but we’re on the verge of a great new age of discovery.…”

“Say that when they eat you!”

I think I cringed. My dream was still too recent.

“I think you’ve been watching too much sci-fi,” Lee said.

“And I think you’ve let yourself get all ensnared by the female’s wiles. We all saw how you looked at each other a while ago, the way she’s romancing you. The truth is that these aliens are dangerous. Impeach the president! Kill the aliens!” she began to shout, “c’mon, everyone, join me!”

 Nobody did and they cleared a path for her to be taken to the police car and secured in the back seat’s ‘lock up.’

Lee was thanking the group for assisting the police, and returned to his guests. Melody was crying, and leaned against his chest.

“You could have been killed on account of me," she told him.

“Not with Lt. Numbers to protect me,” he said lightly and raised her chin up. “I’m sorry things got carried away. Do you want to go on to the other store? They have that new beauty salon you wanted to visit to get your nails done like Earth women do.”

“It would be cow-ard-ly not to continue.”

He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead.

Now, normally a kiss on the forehead is considered familial, like to a sister, or aunt, or mother. The problem was, she kissed him back. On the lips.

Apparently she’d studied our civilization well.

As the motorcade moved on the short drive to T.J.Maxx, the reporters had a field day.

“Her daddy’s just gonna’ love that,” Jiggs said.

“Which may have been merely a kiss of affection as for a favorite pet,” I said.

“You don’t believe that.”

“No, but it made me feel better saying it.”

They spent longer at T.J. Maxx…I supposed she decided to get her hair done, but I was wrong. But this time Melody didn’t share what she’d bought to the people behind the barricade and she only managed a nervous smile as they left the store and were whisked back to the White House.

Before they got there, my cell rang.

“Harry?” Lee asked. I could hear the traffic in the background. “Just wanted you to know that there was an attempt on our lives today. But we're all fine. Lt. Numbers caught the bullet in his hand and stopped it. Maybe we ought to call him Superman.”

“No, that’s your moniker…but a reward is definitely in order. We saw the incident….do you want to delay our meeting, Lee?”

“No, but hold off for a little. My God, if she’d  been hurt….”

“1800 okay?” I asked, not bringing up the fact that he’d said ‘she’ instead of ‘they’.

“Yeah, fine. I’ll save you some milk and cookies.”

And with that he closed the call.

So I had few hours to spare. And decided to call in a favor from the Chief of Police. I was burning to know if the shooter had had a dream similar to mine or had remembered that same Twilight Zone episode. But the woman’s constitutional right had to allow her the right to be silent and the right to an attorney.

I was just going to have to wait and see.