Back Home in Provo



As Linc pulled into the yard at home he could see the heat waves rising
om the hood of his Mom's car, so figures she must have just got home
from work. He didn't see his Dad's truck so he was gone somewhere.
He and Lucas got out, and Linc let Angel do her thing. His Mom came
out on the porch just as they walked up to it. She wondered why they
took so long to come in until she saw Angel. She hugged Linc and
Lucas and said, " come on in. Your father took the kids to the mall
to do their Christmas shopping and they should be back soon. Vernon
called, and said to turn on the oven because he was bringing lunch
with him. I made coffee so help yourself, while I get out of this
uniform and into something more comfortable". Lucas went on into the
living room and Linc put the coffee into a thermal pot and started a
new pot. Then he took a tray with caps, creamer, sugar and the coffee
pot into the living room. He poured coffee for Lucas and himself and
sat down to drink it, when his mom came into the room. Linc could see
that she had on an old faded caftan and knew right then what he got
her for Christmas was perfect. She got a cup of coffee and sat next to
Linc, and Angel had to go to her. She reached out and petted her
without thinking about it. She said, " I'm so glad to see you. So
glad you could come home for Christmas. How long are you going to
stay ?" Before Linc could answer, His Dad and the kids came rushing
in. He stood up and greeted them all with hugs. He also noted his Dad
was walking with a limp and used a cane. The kids all noticed Angel,
and she was at the happiest dog, all wiggles and kisses. His Dad
petted her and asked what kind of dog she was. Linc said, her mother
was Sheppard and Collie, and her father a German Sheppard ". Amy
piped up with, "look, she's got an angel on her face. Is that why you
call her Angel?" Linc nodded and said, "That is what the girl who
gave her to me named her. I'll tell you that story some time later.".
A few minutes later Vernon arrived, in a new small motor home. He had
plenty of help bringing in a large number of packages, and told which
ones to put in a warm oven.
After all the greetings and hugs and all, Linc asked him about the new
motor home, and he told him he was getting too old to camp on the
ground any more. Safer for the kids too, and it gives he and Linc a
place to sleep while he was here, instead of on the floor.
The kids wanted to bring their presents in and wrap them, but Mom
vetoed that and said after lunch, which was now quite late.

Later, after lunch and clean-up, the kids got their stiff into their
rooms to wrap them. Linc took this time to sit in the living room
with his folks and tell them all about the time masters and the
retreat.
As he told them, he could see that his Mom had a worried look on her
face, and his Dad looked very skeptical. That's when Lucas and Vernon
stepped in to say how great the retreat was and how it was fun to go
there. Both of his folks were very surprised to find all the rest of
the family had been there except them and the girls.
Linc told them he wanted to take them there for four or five days over
the Christmas holidays. His mom said she couldn't leave for that
long, but Linc had to explain to her about the time. A day at the
retreat was the same as one hour in Provo. They could go for five
days to the retreat and only be gone from Provo five hours. Linc told
them the retreat was a private island, and no other people could go
there unless he took them. They could do what they want, wear what
they want, and there was no one other than family to answer to. He
told them to pack a bag with whatever they would have to have for five
days playing in the sun, and swimming on a tropical island. Shoes or
boots for walking in the sand. Everything else was already on the
island. They could leave for the island the first thing in the
morning. They will have a great time and be back here in Provo in
time for Christmas in a couple of days.

Early the next morning, they gathered on the lawn with their bags.
Linc showed them the broach, touched it and said "Retreat".
As they stood there on the beach, gazing in awe, Linc said, " Welcome
to Hanks Island." Angel took off like a flash, running around like
mad. She was a happy dog to be here.
Linc told them about the cave down the beach, that he would show them
tomorrow, and said for now they would go up to the house.
Linc showed them where to put their bags, so they could all change out
of their cold weather clothes and get into comfortable warm weather
outfits. Linc made coffee in both coffee makers and poured it into
thermal pots. The kids all went down to the beach and went wading
since the tide was out. Angel stayed up in her bed on the patio, while
the rest of them sat out on the patio, drank coffee and talked about
Linc's adventures.
Linc told them about the different members of the Hanks family he had
ran into and had helped. They were fascinated with all of it.
It wasn't long before the kids came running back to the house claiming
the were starving.

Linc and his mom went in the house and got the stuff Linc had got from
the deli in town yesterday and brought out to the retreat before
going to Provo. Linc opened a couple of cans of frozen lemonade and
put them into a couple of pitchers. The grabbed chips and dips, and
took it all out to the patio, where they all had lunch.
After lunch, Vernon said he was going to take his bag down to the cave
and do some figuring on what order to take the exhibits back to Provo.
Todd went with him and the girls colored in their books out on the
patio. Lucas and Tom said they were going to take a nap in the
sunshine, so Linc and his Mom took a walk down the beach where the
little cave was. Angel went with them.
As they walked along, his Mom said she couldn't get over how peaceful
and quiet it was here on the island.. Linc told here all about the
island. How long it was, how different each end was, how it was the
top of a extinct volcano.. He told here about the falls and pool at
the other end, and about the coconut palms and different fruit and nut
trees on that end.
R told her he was going to get an ATV, and wished he had it now so his
Dad with his lame leg could go see it. He promised that by next year
when he came to get them for another trip to the retreat, he would
have it. He told her to figure out a time to take a weeks vacation
when school was out so he could plan on getting them out to the
island. Fall was a good time, as the fruit will be getting ripe, and
before school starts.
Later on, Linc told the kids if they gathered some of the pecans and
cracked them, he would let them make some fudge to put them in.
The rest of them sat on the patio, and Linc brought out the enameled,
metal box and the four little plastic gem boxes he found at the hobby
shop, with the diamonds . Vernon looked the box over very carefully
and said he believed from the markings on the bottom of the box. It
was made in Mongolia. He wanted to know where he got it it and Linc
told about how Angel had found it in the little cave. Then he showed
them what had been in the little box. They were all dumbfounded.
Vernon looked at them and shook his head. He said, ' I can hardly
believe it, but I'm sure they are real, and I'll lay you odd's they
came from Russia. They look to be extremely old from the cut, and
even with the poor cutting job, they must be worth a kings ransom".
Linc said, "the island retreat and everything on it is mine, so these
must be mine to. I've researched every way I can to find something out
about them but have come up empty handed. I found a journal Estelle
had in the night stand in the cave, but it was written in French and I
couldn't read it so I sent it to Fannie to read, and see if anywhere
in it there might be a reference to where they came from. Maybe even
a clue".
Vernon said, " Even though all the stuff on this island may belong to
Linc, he has generously donated all the exhibits in the cave that once
were in a museum in France, to the new museum in Provo. I'm extremely
proud of him for that. It is such an un-selfish act. In fact
everyone should be proud of him for doing it". Linc said, "From the
moment I saw the artifacts, I knew they belonged to the people. I
never dreamed of keeping them. That's why I took Uncle Vernon out
here to see them and ask what we could do with them., I'll take you
all to the cave in the morning to see it all"
Later that day, the kids were off down the beach exploring, the men
all were playing pool, and Linc's Mom said she was going to jump into
your fantastic looking jacuzzi bath tub and soak before going to bed.

To be continued.