Secrets: The Truth is Slowly Revealed - 23. Chapter 23 S1

Chapter 23 – Another Sendoff

After we had supper with his parents, Devin made a comment to his dad. “I hope you don’t mind, but we want to go to Raskin’s Café so we can check our grades before we leave in the morning. We’ll have to order something because that’s the way we pay for them letting us use their Wi-Fi, so we’ll just have dessert.”

“Ok, but let me give you some money to cover the tab.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Devin said as he took the bills.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. McCaskill. This is really nice of you,”

“Just don’t be too long, because your grandfathers will be here shortly.”

“Ok, we won’t,” Devin agreed.

Now that we had a little extra cash, we headed to the café. After finding a table to sit at, we both ordered dessert and a drink, and then I opened my laptop and signed into my email account.

“It’s here. I got my grades.”

“How did you do?”

“I got straight A’s, but I wasn’t sure I’d do that well.”

“And I know exactly why you weren’t sure you did that well. It’s because you spent so much time worrying about me when I was out looking for the rapist. Pass me your laptop so I can check my grades.”

I handed him the laptop and he quickly opened his account. “I got five A’s and an A minus,” he announced.

“You probably could have earned straight A’s too, if you hadn’t spent so much time looking for the rapist.”

“Nah, I got the A- in one of the core courses I had to take.”

“Which course was that?”

“Personal finance.”

“That means the A minuses you’ve received so far were all in the core courses you’ve had to take.”

“Yeah, I’m not as into those courses as I am the engineering courses I have to take.”

“But it was one course you should have buckled down in, if one day you’re going to have to handle the family fortune. What do you think you’re dad’s going to say, since he’s a CPA?”

“He’ll tell me I did ok, but I should have tried a little harder.”

“I’m just glad you did so well overall. I was really worried about you being gone so much.”

“Yeah, that made it a little harder, but it wasn’t too bad.”

“If you say so.”

As soon as we’d both polished off our dessert and finished our drink, we felt better now that we knew how we’d done last semester. While Devin was paying the bill, I went outside and called my mom and dad. I wanted to let them know the good news before we left on our trip.

“I just called to tell you that I got straight A’s this past semester,” I told my mom when she answered the phone.

“That’s wonderful, dear, but I’m surprised you were able to check your email and make this call if Devin’s family doesn’t have phone or internet service at the cabin.”

“They don’t, so Devin and I drove into town so we could find out how we did before we left on the trip. I wanted to call and tell you and dad while I had the chance before we left with the others.”

“We definitely appreciate that you took the time to let us know. How did Devin do?”

“He got five A’s and an A minus.”

“Then he did well too, so give him our congratulations. You’re both amazing. I’ll let your father know this when he returns, because he ran to the store to pick up a few things. Have a safe trip, dear, and we’ll see you when you get back. We love both of you.”

“And we love both of you as well.”

Devin had been waiting for me once he noticed I was on the phone, so now we got in the SUV and drove back to the cabin.

“You both look like the cat that caught the canary,” his mom said as we entered the cabin. “I take it you’re pleased with your grades.”

Devin glanced at me, so I nodded to let him know that he could tell Ma for both of us. “Yes, Mac got straight A’s and I got five A’s and an A minus.”

“That’s great. I’m proud of both of you.”

“Yes, congratulations,” his dad added. “What class did you receive the A minus in?”

“Personal finance,” Devin replied sheepishly.

“Then I guess you don’t take after your old man,” Mr. McCaskill teased.

“To tell you the truth, it had a lot to do with the fact that I wasn’t very fond of the professor. Most of the other students in the class were business majors and he treated the rest of us like dirt.”

“Hey, you still got a good grade, so don’t worry about it.

“I hope you know that we always try to do our best,” I replied.

“Your father and I both know that, sweetheart, and so do Mac’s parents.”

“Thanks, that means a lot to us,” Devin replied

“Yeah, it does,” I concurred.

“Do you think you boys will be able to stay here for a day or two when you return from New Mexico?” Mr. McCaskill asked.

“It depends on how long the process takes and how much time is left before we have to return to campus,” I replied after glancing at Devin. “I’d really like to spend more time here with both of you, because then I’ll be able to show you what I learned and get your input on how I’m doing. But like I said, it all depends on how much time we have.”

“Ok, then I hope the ceremony doesn’t take too long so we can spend a little more time with you.”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

“By the way, what exactly were you and Devin doing out in the woods when you went out alone earlier?” Devin’s mom asked. “You two have spent an awful lot of time out there the past three days.”

“That’s because Devin was teaching me some things I’ll need to know about a few of the animals the shaman will probably teach me how to transition into. He thought it would make it a little easier for me and maybe I wouldn’t have to stay there as long before I was done. I hope that doesn’t upset you.”

“Maybe a little, because I’m losing the only person I had that wasn’t a skinwalker and I could talk to you about how I feel.”

“Can’t you talk to Faith and Hope about it?”

“Yes, but they have a different perspective than I do. I guess I’m just going to have to accept the fact that all the men in my life are going to be doing things like that from now on.”

“Ok and I promise that Devin and I will try to include you in as much of our lives as we can.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Grandpa Isaac and Grandpa Jacob pulled up in their SUV a little while later, so Devin and I went out to greet them.

“Mac, are you ready to do this?” Grandpa Isaac asked.

“Yes, I can’t wait. In fact, I’ve already started my training. Devin has spent the last three days teaching me about a bunch of stuff that I’ll need to know about the black bear, gray wolf, and mountain lion.”

“I’m glad to hear that and it’s nice to know that Devin has taken the initiative to do that.”

“Yeah, I learned a lot from him.”

When we went into the cabin, they both said hello to Devin’s parents and chatted briefly with them, and then Mrs. McCaskill made a comment.

“Since the gang is all here, I think I’ll go to bed. I’m certain you have some things to talk about that doesn’t concern me.”

“You can stay and listen if you want,” Grandpa Jacob countered. “We don’t have any secrets from you.”

“I know and it’s ok. I’m just tired and can use the extra rest.”

She then headed up to her bedroom and we all watched as she climbed the stairs.

“I take it she’s not happy about this,” Grandpa Jacob observed.

“She just feels bad about losing the only person she could sit with and talk to about her feelings when the rest of you went out for a run,” I responded.

“She seems to have changed a little about this,” Grandpa Isaac continued, “so I hope she doesn’t revert back to the way she acted before.”

“I think she understands why I want to do this and just wishes she’d had the same opportunity,” I responded.

“Are you boys packed?” Grandpa Jacob asked after nodding that he understood.

“Yes, we’re all set.”

“Then why don’t you get your gear and load it into my SUV. I want to get started as early as possible in the morning.”

We happily complied with his request, and when we entered the cabin he had something else to say.

“Maybe we should all turn in now as well. It’s going to be a long drive and we’ll need all the rest we can get.”

“Mac and I can sleep on the way there,” Devin stated.

“Then at least go up to your bedroom, because if you stay down here you’ll keep us awake. We’re both light sleepers. We have to be considering how much time we’re out sleeping with various animals.”

“Ok, we can do that,” I offered.

Devin and I headed upstairs and brushed our teeth and used the toilet before we went to Devin’s room. Once we were inside, I made a suggestion.

“I think we should make love tonight, because we have no idea about when we’ll be able to do it again. Hell, we might not even be able to see each other again once I start going through the rituals.”

“That’s possible, because as far as I know I’ll be spending all of my time with Grandpa Isaac and Grandpa Jacob. We all just want to be close by for moral support while you’re doing this, even if we can’t actually be with you.”

“I know and I appreciate it, so let’s make the most of this opportunity.”

We then took turns making love to each other, but we took our time doing it. We spent a lot of time kissing and paying attention to the other erogenous zones on each other’s body first, before having anal sex. As soon as we’d both enjoyed a release, we got up and went to the bathroom to shower, and then we got back in bed and cuddled until we fell asleep.

My alarm went off at 4:00, just like I knew it would, but it seemed as if we hadn’t been asleep for very long. We still got up and got dressed, and then we headed downstairs to meet up with Grandpa Isaac and Grandpa Jacob. Devin and I knew we’d be able to sleep a little longer during the trip, so it wouldn’t be too bad for us, but Grandpa Isaac and Grandpa Jacob, on the other hand, wouldn’t be so lucky. I suppose they could take turns sleeping and driving, but they both wanted to stay awake and keep each other company so the driver didn’t doze off.

When Devin and I got downstairs, Grandpa Isaac and Grandpa Jacob were in the living area, and we discovered that Devin’s mom and dad were both there as well.

“Why are you guys up so early?” I asked Devin’s parents.

“We wanted to say goodbye to you boys before you took off,” Mr. McCaskill replied.

“And I fixed breakfast so you won’t have to stop so soon on the way there and have to pay for your meals,” Mrs. McCaskill added.

“Thanks. That’s very thoughtful of you and much appreciated.

We all sat down at the dining room table together, and Devin’s parents decided to have breakfast with us as well. The food was both very tasty and extremely filling, and just as we were finishing, Devin’s dad asked a question.

“Do you think there will be any way you’ll be able to let us know that you’ve arrived there safely?”

“Yes, we’re all taking our phones with us and I’m sure we’ll be able to call you before we go on the reservation,” Grandpa Jacob responded.

“Why are all of you taking your phones?” Devin’s mom followed.

“I’ll need my phone to give me the directions about how to get there, and the rest of them will probably want their phones to entertain themselves during the trip.”

“Ok, but what are you going to do with your phones while Mac is in training, so they won’t get stolen?”

“I have a secret compartment in the SUV where we can keep them once they’re no longer needed, and they’ll be safe there.”

“Ok, I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Don’t worry they’ll be fine, just like the rest of us.”

Devin and I then kissed his mom on the cheek and gave both of his parents a hug, and I noticed that Grandpa Jacob and Grandpa Isaac gave each of them a hug as well.

“Drive safely and take it easy getting there,” Mr. McCaskill told his dad. “I’m convinced they won’t start without you.”

“Yes, I’m sure you’re right about that,” Grandpa Jacob agreed, “and we’ll call as soon as we can to let you know we arrived there safely.”

“Ok and we’ll hold you to your word,” Devin’s dad added as we all piled into the SUV, and then Devin and I waved at his parents, and they waved back as we drove away.

As we were starting the trip, Grandpa Isaac turned in his seat so he could speak with us.

“I’m surprised you boys got any sleep last night.”

“Do you mean because we were so excited about doing this?” I asked.

“No, I’m referring to all the noise you were making when you were having sex. I warned you that we were light sleepers.”

I started blushing and was unable to respond, so Devin answered for us. “We just weren’t sure when we’d be able to do it again, so we thought we should take care of things before we left.”

“That was probably a good idea.”

“Uh, I didn’t know we were making a lot of noise and I’m sorry if we kept you awake.”

“Actually, you boys weren’t that loud, and I doubt Devin’s parents even heard what you were up to, but like I said earlier, we’ve learned to be very sensitive to sounds, both when we’re awake and sleeping. We never know when picking up on a little noise like that might help to save our lives.”

“Yeah, I guess we’ll have to learn to be lighter sleepers from now on as well.”

Grandpa Jacob then drove to the Interstate highway and took I-25 south, all the way to Albuquerque. He then caught I-40 going west and we would stay on it until we reached Gallup, New Mexico, and now that we were on the interstate, Grandpa Isaac spoke.

“This will be the start of a fantastic adventure for you, Mac, but it will also require hard work. Unlike a were-creature that are only able to shift into one particular animal shape, or the evil skinwalkers that can only change into a hideous copy of the animals they transition into, your experience will be very different. With the right training, you will be able to transition into many different animal and human forms, so as a good skinwalker you will become a true shape-shifter.”

“Gee, I’d never thought of it like that, but I guess that’s what you guys all are – true shape-shifters.”

“And soon you will be one as well.”

I thought about this for the remainder of the trip, and shortly after he pulled off of the Interstate, Grandpa Jacob stopped to fill up the gas tank.

“If you want to go to the toilet, you’d better do it now, because I’m not sure what the accommodations will be for us once we’re on the reservation,” Grandpa Isaac stated. “If it’s anything like when I was there before, the facilities will be quite rustic.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“I’m just saying that we probably won’t have access to the type of bathroom you’re used to.”

“You can also grab a drink or a snack if you want,” Grandpa Jacob added, “because I doubt we’ll find another place to pick anything up once we’re on the reservation.”

“So what will we do when we want to eat?” Devin asked.

“We’ll either have to rely on Navajo hospitality or we’ll have to drive off the reservation for our meals.”

“So, they don’t have any stores or a trading post on the reservation?” I followed.

“The trading post was never on the reservation, just near it,” Grandpa Isaac explained, “and I doubt there’s been one around here for quite some time.”

“But I did some research on the Navajos before I left home and read about the trading posts.”

“Most of what you read is probably accurate, but I think the trading posts are a little outdated. There may still be places that use the name trading post, but they won’t be anything like the ones you read about.”

“Oh, ok.”

Devin and I chatted while we were using the toilet and picking up a few snacks, so when we got into the SUV again, he asked his grandfathers a question. “Mac and I think it’s going to be strange for us to call both of you grandpa while we’re on the reservation, since Grandpa Isaac is supposed to be older but looks younger than Grandpa Jacob.”

“Yes, that might be a problem if they hold a welcoming ceremony for us,” Grandpa Isaac agreed.

“Then what should we call you?” I asked.

“You can just use our first names then.”

“Uh, I’m sure the Navajo won’t understand us doing that either, since they are taught to respect their elders.”

“Yes, I suppose you are correct, so what do you suggest?”

“What if we just called Grandpa Jacob Gramps?” Devin responded.

“Yes, I suppose you could do that,” they both agreed. “But what will you call me?” Grandpa Isaac continued.

“I know the people used to call their dad and granddad Pop, but I’ve also read that during the 20^th century people used to call older men that they respected Pop as well, even if they weren’t related.”

“Yes, that’s very true, and when referring to them when they were speaking to others they would merely add their surname to make it clear whom they were referring to. I remember using that term for both Pop Reynolds and Pop Angelo.”

“So, you wouldn’t mind if we call you Pop?”

“No, that will be fine.”

“And since we’re calling Grandpa Jacob Gramps, and not just Gramp, what if we call you Pops instead?” Devin followed.

“Either one will be fine with me.”

“Thank you, and it will be easier for us, because we won’t have to explain why we’re calling both of you grandpa.”

We were now ready to continue our trip, but before we entered the reservation, Gramps used his phone to call his son. He felt Devin’s dad would be at the family business and he’d be able to reach him.

“I’m just calling to let you know that we made it here safely. We’ll be entering the reservation before too much longer, and as you know, once we’re on the reservation we’ll no longer have reception.”

There was a lengthy pause while Devin’s dad was speaking, and then Grandpa Jacob spoke again. “I’ll call you again when we’re getting ready to leave here and return home.”

When the call ended, Devin asked Gramps a question. “What did my dad say?”

“He thanked me for calling and said he’d let your mother know we arrived safely when he returns to the cabin. He also said he’d see us again when we get back, no matter how long it takes.”

After Gramps ended the call, he asked for all of our phones so he could store them with his phone in the secret compartment he’d built into the SUV. As soon as that had been taken care of, Pops directed him to take US Route 666 north until we entered the reservation. I’m not sure who assigned this particular number to the US Route that ran through the reservation, but my guess would be that it was done by someone who considered the Navajos to be devils. I say this because the number 666 is supposed to be the mark of the devil, as stated in the Bible.

It wasn’t long before we entered the reservation and we were wide awake now, so we wanted to see everything we could.