A faint smile graces his lips.
“A happy wife is a happy life, a lesson all should learn early.”
I stick my hand out. “Reginald Kerns, it’s nice to meet another escapee.” When he reaches out to shake my hand, I feel a tingle move up my arm.
“Tyberius Ashton Darverius, it’s a pleasure.” He motions me on toward the next car. “Are you heading toward the dining car?”
“No, thought I would check on Bells, she is not a fan of traveling like this.”
“Oh, you poor male, two discontent women in the same area.”
Male? How odd. “This little lady is easy to please. If you are only passing the time and would like to join me, I wouldn’t mind the company.”
I swear for a moment it’s like his eyes flash yellow, but it must have been a reflection off the gas lamps in the hall. He stepsback as I walk past him toward the other stock cars at the rear of the train. Thankfully, our sleeping car is also toward the back, and we only have to make our way through a few others before getting to Bells. I hear the sound of her familiar whinny the moment I set foot inside the stock railcar.
“Ahh, I now understand, as I have walked past this beauty several times, wondering who she belonged to.”
“I bought her last year and quickly fell in love, but because she is spoiled, I had to pay extra for a side entrance stock car and to have her placed this close to the sleeping cars. She doesn’t do well closed in. At one point on the trip back home last year, I thought I was going to have to sleep in the stall with her. Every time I left her alone, she would practically kick the walls out. Thankfully, this time she doesn’t seem as distressed.”
I reach out, and Bells bumps against me playfully, her soft lips searching my hands for a treat she knows I have somewhere on me. Pulling out a sugar cube I had wrapped in wax paper, I hand it to her.
“What brought you back this way? Are either of these big guys yours?” I motion to the two huge Clydesdales that are sharing the car with my Bells.
“No, but that is a fine-looking pair. Our luggage car is several cars back, and the trip has been a little rough in places, so I was just making sure some of the more expensive things were tied down properly. I have two private cars toward the front of the train, so I had to pass through half the train to get back there.”
“I don’t recognize your accent. You’re not from around here, are you?”
He grins. “No, I am not originally from the Americas. Victoria and I have several homes, but lately we’ve become restless and have decided to travel. I am enjoying the scenery and the people I am meeting along the way. Are you visiting or vacationing?”
“I am moving, uprooting my entire life. Lord knows how it will turn out, but that’s all part of the adventure, I guess.”
“Ahhh, change … the one thing we all dread, yet should rejoice in, because we are usually leaving behind something that is holding us down. It’s not the change itself that frightens you. It’s the unknown, and the unknown is the adventure if you don’t allow it to take your joy. Take my word for it, you will adjust in time, look upon this as a new chapter in your life, with nothing but blank pages waiting to be filled. In a year, you will look back on this and wonder why you were so worried, or you will be packing up, heading back home where things were familiar.”
“Sound advice, thank you for giving me a different perspective.”
“Where is your new adventure taking you?”
“Utah, a place called St. George. My cousin already has a place there, and after many back-and-forth conversations, I decided to leave everything I’ve ever known and start anew. The hardest part was separating from my parents. Being an only child, I am the first to acknowledge I am slightly spoiled, and they have always been my rock.”
Tyberius glances away from me, but not before I see pain cross his face.
“Forgive me if I have said something out of turn.”
He reaches over and pats me on the arm. “Life has a way of reminding you, in the oddest moments of the things you miss themost. If you care for your parents at all, stay in contact and visit them as much as possible. Many times I wish I could reach out and talk to my son, but the distance between us makes it nearly impossible. Life never evolves the way you think; in the blink of an eye, everything can change. Days are short in this world, so don’t keep putting things off until tomorrow because tomorrow is uncertain, and you might miss today’s joys by wishing it away too quickly.”
“Why do I feel like you have experienced this personally?”
“When I was a young man, not much older than yourself, one particular day started out like all others. Then it went out of my control, and a routine trip turned into a complete change of scenery, one I struggled with until I found my Victoria. However, with her by my side, the sunrise is no longer dreaded. The sad part is I had to lose everything in order to find her.”
One of the larger horses’ whinnies, distracting us from our conversation, and Bells bumps my shoulder, wanting another treat. “Behave Bells, you’ve had enough for this morning. I will come back later and check on you.” I hear him sigh as he steps toward the main door.
“It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Reginald, but I need to get back to Victoria. She has a love-hate relationship with traveling.”
“I need to speak to my men and get this day started as well. Hopefully, we will cross paths again before this trip is over.”
“I am sure we will, as the trip across country is several days long.”
I watch him walk out of the car in his tailored suit and perfect hair, and for some reason, I have the feeling that it’s all for show.
