Chapter 4 - Miracles Can Happen.
Marjory:
After sleeping four hours, I got up to see what was happening. It was 9 am. Adam was still asleep. I would let him continue. He wasn't a big, strong boy, but he had carried me for miles. I don't know how he did it.
As I expected, Dad was up. He was having a cup of coffee. I got a mug and a bowl of cereal and joined him at the table. After our morning greeting, I said, "I want to talk to you about Adam, Dad. We need to do something for him."
"I know, darling. I have been thinking about that. What do you have on mind?"
I answered, "First, let me give you some background." I explained how he had been in my classes and always around. I said that I thought he had a crush on me but that I had never responded by returning interest. Then I told him the details of my kidnapping off the street and what I later learned about Adam jumping on the van's ladder and holding on for the ride to the warehouse. I told him I had been tied up on the pole and later on the mattress. I related how Adam had hidden inside until Suit and Thug left. I explained that the Gentrys were poor and Adam had no cell phone. I told him how Adam freed me from the ropes and couldn't get me loose from the zip ties. And I went on in some detail about the impossible carry that he did to get me away from the warehouse.
Then, I told him about Adam's interest in electronics and how much he knew about the subject. And I told him about his poorer grades and how that was holding him back. Dad listened intently, as he always does. I have never been a daughter to ask for a lot. But he knew I wanted something done for Adam. But I continued and told him how I now felt about Adam.
"Marjory, I know you are sincere in what you say and ask. I agree 100% that we must do something to help Adam. He has earned it. You already know enough psychology to know that emotional feelings forged in an intense experience like you just had may be situational. I'm not saying that there are, in this case. But they may be. There is clearly more to Adam than meets the eye at first glance. I ask you to give things enough time to settle before making any long-term commitments. In the meantime, I promise to see what I can do to provide him more immediate assistance. I will start this afternoon by giving him a tour of Nakamura Industries."
I kissed his cheek, smiling, and said, "Thank you, Dad."
Adam:
Mr. Nakamura took me to his company that afternoon and gave me a tour. I knew the Nakamuras owned an electronic company. This was beyond anything that I could imagine. They had contracts with many different government agencies, and some of them were highly classified. They also had contracts with other countries. Mr. Nakamura told me that he suspected the kidnapping may have been espionage related to one of those contracts. The FBI and the Department of Defense Intelligence Agency were involved in finding who was behind the crime.
Time passed swiftly. Mr. Nakamura found me a summer job with his company. Graduation passed. I longed to see Marjory. Every day, either she called me or I called her. I thought that she wanted to see me too. I had to question why. Of course, she appreciated me for saving her. But I was still short, skinny, and poor. There was no way I could take care of Marjory in the way she deserved or had been brought up.
Before I started my summer job, the police and the FBI brought me in for questioning. My parents were amazed at the respectful way that they treated me. There was nothing that I could add to my story. My parents wanted to know why it had not been in the papers. I told them it might have national defense implications that helped keep it quiet. They nodded, but I could see they were skeptical. That wasn't the kind of thing that the Gentrys got involved with.
On Friday night, two weeks after I started my new job, Marjory called and told me she was picking me up in the morning. She said to wear blue jeans and a tee shirt. At 9 am, she pulled up in a sky blue Porche. Everybody came outside to admire the car. I could see that my parents also admired the girl who drove it. As we drove off, they were still standing there talking.
"Okay, where are we going?" I asked Marjory.
"I thought it was time we went over some old ground," she answered. I soon recognized the convenience store where Marjory called her dad and the road we came down by horseback. We pulled into the driveway of Kennison Stables. "I have rented two horses for us and brought a picnic. We walked up to the house, and she knocked. A lovely-looking middle-aged lady came to the door.
"Hello, you must be Miss Nakamura, and this is Mr. Gentry?" asked the lady. "I am Jean Kennison. The police and the FBI came to explain what had happened. They searched the property for any indication the kidnappers were on it. It looks as if they were not. Let me add that we completely understand why you did not alert us that night. And we thank you for your good care of our animals. Normally, I would show a new customer the barn, but I think you already know your way. But do let me know if you need anything or have any questions."
We thanked her and headed to the barn, stopping by the car to get Marjory's backpack. In the barn, we saw our two old friends. In the daylight and with the lights on, we could see their names, Sammy and Patty, on the stall doors. Marjory showed me how to put a bridle and saddle on Sammy. Then, she assisted me as much as needed while I got Patty ready.
Marjory pulled a map from her backpack and pointed out her plan. "We will ride a mile along this long field. We will go through a gate and into this neck of the national forest. You carried me through that after the kidnapping." I noticed she showed no sign of emotional distress talking about it. "Here is a stream that we crossed. I was hoping you wouldn't drop me in it. A waterfall is not far upstream from where we crossed. Jean said that it would be a nice place for us to have lunch."
Marjory:
We started our ride, walking as before. I asked Adam about his new job. He said, "As you know, I am just a gofer at my experience level. But everything that I see and hear is amazing. The people working there are incredible. I will be told to take some parts to someone. When I deliver, I will be asked questions. These are not casual questions but deep questions about the components and how they can be used. A few times, I have known how to answer. But most of the time, I am out of my depth. But no one ever seems disappointed in me. They just offer new information and encouragement. I didn't think jobs like this existed. Thank your dad for making this summer possible for me."