Passionate Admiration 9

Passionate Admiration part 9

June 26 2017

Guy waited three days to let her alone in her thoughts then he called Iris. She did not answer nor return his message. He called and left messages the next ten days again with no communication left for him. This was not Iris because even tho they did not see each other each day at least they called at bedtime to talk a little and say good night.

Worried he decided to go over and see what was wrong or if she was ill. He brought along one of his favorite Petoskey stones to give her because he knew she loved their unique beauty and would treasure the gift. After parking his truck in the condo space provided for visitors he proceeded to the upper floor where she lived.He walked over to where she parked and saw that her car was not there. Looking around to see if it were parked in another space he heard a man say:

" I know you. You are Miss Iris' friend Guy. She has told me what a wonderful friend you are to her. She does not have many friends and I worry about her like she was my own daughter. While we both were in therapy and everyone treated me like a lawst cawse she was the one that got me out of my depression slump without even thinking of herself once. She is a braht star that came into my life and I love her dearly."

A neatly clothed man sitting in a wicker chair, leaning on a cane on the porch of the condo under Iris' home was speaking to Guy with a thick Southern accent.

“Lemme innerduce myself. I am Roger Ray Johnson and you have to be Guy”

. After a bit of chit chat Guy sat in the other chair and listened to Roger talk about Iris. Roger and Iris had both been in the same therapy group sessions for depression and stress. Rogers post traumatic stress disorder was caused from being a survivor in the war while his comrades had been killed.

Iris' stress on the other hand was from being kidnapped at the age of thirteen and being forced into child pornography and prostitution for almost six years.

Roger saw Guy with tears in his eyes and said he was sorry to tell him about this as he thought Iris had already told him.

" I got a good notion to go hunt for her myself because I think she may be in danjuh. If I could still drive I would she may be up at the cave house."

Guy looked at him very puzzled and said he knew nothing about a cave house. Roger told him it was about an hour away in the traverse City state forest area near US-31 N. still being cautious of Roger that he had just met he questioned him further asking if he had ever gone to the cave house with Iris. Roger broke into uncontrollable tears repeating over and over.

"Sum'en is terrible wrong, sum'en is terrible wrong, I loves that girl like she were my own kin, sum'en is terrible wrong we gots ta go find her."

Guy put his arm around Rodger and asked if he could guide him to the cave house to see if Iris was indeed there. Rodger agreed saying he would need some flashlights and a few other things so he invited Guy into his place. Guy saw that Rogers place was neat and tidy but sparse.

"Miss Iris' give me a key to her place but I never climbed the stairs to look in and I am sure she would not mind if you went on up too look for clues."

Guy made an excuse that he was going to go see what he had in his truck in the way of flashlights and ropes and while he was there he called his friend John, a retired search and rescue authority and clued him in on what was going on and asked if he could pick him up. John of course would be at home waiting for him and he would make essential calls for others that would help finding Iris. Guy clued John in on the state of Iris fragile mind saying they must be very quiet in this search. John agreed saying he would be all set up in fifteen minutes and waiting for the two men. Guy saw that Roger was almost ready and asked him for that key Iris had left with him. The condo was just as Guy had seen it when he left last time except on the work table that upsetting birdhouse was smashed to pieces but none of the seed pods were to be seen. This really worried Guy but he did not tell Roger when he returned the key.

©Julia A Knaake