Chapter 36: Loose Ends

Tak knocked on the wooden door of the small one-story home near Buffalo, New York. She grasped Dib's hand tightly and hoped that the DNA report from Zim's computer was correct, and prayed she would be able to conjure up something to say that would make sense. Of course, who would believe the truth? 'Hi, I knew your ancestor. I fought with him at Gettysburg, in fact. He wanted me to give this to his family, and it's just taken me nearly a century and a half to do it. I hope you like it' She knew better. She had come close to getting killed in the greatest battle in the history of the nation, and Tak didn't feel much like being called a lunatic. There were slow footsteps. Tak looked at Dib and sighed, trying to smile. Just being here, just thinking about why she was here made her remember sergeant Wood, and she felt sad again. The door opened. A woman in her fifties answered.

"Um…yes?" She asked, seeing two kids on her doorstep. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah…" Tak began. "You see…it's hard to explain." She cleared her throat. "I have a watch and an old picture that I think belonged to an ancestor of yours…" The woman looked apprehensive, like she expected Dib and Tak to try to sell her something, or at least rob her. "They belonged to a Sergeant Wood, who was killed in the battle of Gettysburg."

"Well." The woman said with a warm smile. She stepped out onto the small concrete porch. "And how did you manage to find out that it was my ancestor, young lady?"

"Aww," Dib said. "You know you can do all sorts of things with computers these days."

"So I hear." The woman replied. "May I see the picture?" Tak carefully pulled the old photograph from the small bag she carried. She had placed the image in a clear plastic box made for preserving old photographs. The woman took it and looked at it fondly a moment. "You know…" She said, touching a finger lightly to the plastic, as if worried about damaging the picture inside. "That is my great great great grandfather. I've seen a couple more photographs of him before. And that little girl. That's my great great grandmother, Annabelle. My grandmother used to talk about her when I was little."

"Yeah?" Tak asked, feeling comforted by the woman's talk of the family of the man who had been so kind to her during the battle. They sat on the steps as the woman continued her talk.

"Yeah. She said grandma Annabelle was a real pistol. She lived to be over ninety. You know grandma said that she used to ride a horse to town right up into the thirties? Most people had cars by then, but Annabelle would ride right into the city and buy her groceries. She lived where this house is now, actually. And I was told that one time, Annabelle saw a man hitting his wife. Well, she clobbered him!"

"Really?" Tak asked, laughing.

"Yep. Hit him over the head with a brick, and knocked him cold."

"She sounds like she was amazing." Tak said. "Sergeant Wood was amazing too. I mean, he died fighting for his country and his family and everything." The woman beamed a smile.

"I bet he was a great man." The woman said. They sat in silence a few moments. "I tell you what, sweetie, you said you have his watch?" Tak pulled out the pocket watch.

"I have it here. It has his initials on the back, see?" The woman took it and looked it delicately.

"Here." She handed Tak the photograph. "You can keep the picture if you want."

"But I promised…myself that I would give it to his family." Tak protested. The woman smiled again.

"It's okay. Now I have something that belonged to him. Something he probably wore with him everywhere. For going to all the trouble to bring his watch back to his family, I'm sure he would've wanted you to have the photo." Tak looked at the picture and tried to suppress the emotions she was feeling.

"Thank you." She said. "I hate to leave so soon, but Dib and I should be going."

"It's alright." The woman said. "Sure you guys' parents wouldn't mind you staying for dinner though?" Tak smiled as she remembered Sergeant Wood asking her to come to visit his family after the war and have dinner with them. She felt a warmth inside her, and despite the guilt and the sadness she had felt since the battle, it felt as if at least something was put right.

"Sure. We can stay for dinner."