Chapter Six~ Nothing But a Crush
1905 A.D.
Milo sighed, closing the cover of his old photo album and gently placing it back on the shelf. How the years had flown by! It seemed like only yesterday that he and Billy had been playing baseball in the field around the corner from Grandpa's house... now here he was, a twenty-three- year- old graduate student at the prestigious Oxford University in Oxford, England, just about ready to present his doctoral dissertation— and still, the only person who would even talk to him was good old Billy. Unfortunately for Milo, Billy was going to college back in the United States, and Milo was stuck here alone with only letters and an occasional phone call from Billy for comfort.
Milo re-read this most recent letter from Billy. It bore good news, but made Milo more homesick than ever. Billy had written:
Dear Milo:
How are things going at the old University? I hope you are well and that you aren't as bored as you were the last time I talked to you. As for me, I have great news to tell you, pal of mine! Samantha and I are engaged! Can you believe it? I am so excited. And guess who I want to be the Best Man? You, of course! The wedding isn't going to be for a few months, July 18. I was hoping that you would manage to catch a boat back here to the states. The wedding is going to be in Fishkill. It would be wonderful if you could make it, maybe you could stay with your grandfather for the summer and then we can see each other more often. Samantha is so excited to see you again. She thinks you are just the greatest person ever. Maybe we could have one last ball game at the old field, for old times sake?
Oh, Milo, I wish that you would stop being so self-conscious and would go out and find yourself a wonderful woman like Samantha. A nice, smart person like yourself would have no problem getting a girl to like him if you would only be a little more outgoing! There's a wonderful woman waiting for you out there; all you have to do is find her! Besides, if Samantha and I start having little ones of our own, they're going to need godparents...
All right, all right, I'll get off your back. I just want you to be as happy as I am. I'm really looking forward to seeing you this summer. I hope that we will be together again soon! Until then.
Your Best Friend Eternally,
Billy McCormick
Milo smiled wistfully and returned the letter to its envelope and shoved it in the drawer of his night table, where all the other letters from Billy were stored. He was happy for Billy and Samantha, he really was. They had been dating almost five years now. Frankly, Milo thought it was about time that Billy had proposed. He knew that they would be happy together. But as thrilled as he was for his best friend, Milo still felt a little bit... jealous. He knew that girls would never have any interest in him. Billy was just saying that to make him feel better. Milo had come to accept that he would always be alone a long time ago. All he ever had in the world was Grandpa, Billy, and the kitties- and they were all he needed... right?
The next morning however, Milo felt just as depressed as he had the day before. Oh, well, he said to himself. You only have one more month of school left, and then you can go home for the summer. You'll see Grandpa again, and Billy and Samantha. It's gonna be great! So why did he feel so low?
Milo wandered dejectedly into his Advanced French class. It was one of the many foreign language classes that he was taking at Oxford in the hopes of fulfilling his goal of being a world-renowned linguist. His only comfort in his lonely world was that someday he and his grandfather would accomplish their dream of being the men who discovered the Shepherd's Journal and the lost empire of Atlantis.
Milo was so proud of his Grandpa. Only recently, Thaddeus Thatch had made headlines worldwide, including making the front page of the newspaper where Milo was living in Oxford, by finding more startling evidence unlocking the secret of the Shepherd's Journal's hidden location. The day that paper had circulated had been Milo's one day in the limelight. The next day, he was alone and forgotten once again.
He silently took his seat and pulled out his pencil and a notebook. Time now to escape real life's problems and enter the world of learning,Milo thought.
"Excuse me."A feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. "Aren't you Milo Thatch?" Milo looked up and saw an attractive, stately woman, with long, wavy blonde hair, a pale complexion, and wide blue eyes. It was Lisa McGrath, another American that attended the University. She had never even glanced sideways at Milo, and he had never expected her to. Why was she talking to him now?
"Um, yeah, I am, actually," Milo stammered. Obviously he had been wrong about the world forgetting his existence...
"Well, my name is Lisa," she said.
"I know that... I mean, um, hi," Milo stuttered. How embarrassing. The first time a pretty girl talks to me and I'm blowing it!
"Well, I've been noticing you for quite a while, Milo. You're the best French speaker in our class," she continued.
"Aww, shucks, er, I mean, merci!" Milo replied, blushing crimson red.
"So, I was wondering, would you find room in your heart to give me a little tutoring before the final exam?" Lisa finished.
"Would I? Sure, no problem, it will be my pleasure. When do you want to start?" Milo grinned. He couldn't believe it! A girl wanted him to help her study French! And not just any girl, it was Lisa McGrath!
"How does Friday sound?" Lisa breathed. "We can meet in the library."
"That sounds great!" Milo exclaimed.
Lisa gave a cutesy little giggle and said, "See you then! Thankies!"
Milo felt like the luckiest man alive.
The feeling continued all the rest of the week, up until he arrived at the library, French notebook in hand. Suddenly, Milo was overcome with the most intense feeling of nervousness he had ever experienced. He anxiously adjusted his bow tie. "Hmm, I hope I didn't overdress," he said to himself. "Well, Milo, it's now or never." With that, he stepped through the doors and entered the library.
Lisa was sitting at a table near the entrance. She waved to Milo when he came in. Milo grinned and waved back. The warm feeling returned, tingling from his head to his toes. He strutted over to the table like a swaggering rooster. Lisa didn't try to stifle her giggle.
"Hee-hee-hee! Oh, Milo, you are just so cute! I could put you in my pocket and take you home with me!" she bubbled at him. Milo's stomach lurched. He couldn't believe his ears. Lisa McGrath was calling him cute? It was too good to be true!
"Bon jour, Mademoiselle," Milo said cooly. "So, where do you want to get started?"
"Well," Lisa breathed, "I'm having trouble mastering the concept of the present conditional. Do you think you can help me with that?"
"Oh, certainly!" Milo exclaimed. "The present conditional can be a rather hard thing to master. When I was first learning how to do it, I made myself this little chart. It really make the memorization of the verb endings much simpler."
Lisa's eyes widened and she took the chart from Milo's hand. "Oh, I see!" she proclaimed. "Yes, this makes things a lot easier to understand. Thank you ever so much, Milo!"
Milo blushed. "Aww, shucks, it was nothing," he said.
He continued with his lesson, but he couldn't help but notice that Lisa's attention seemed to be elsewhere. He frowned and continued talking, somewhat distracted himself now. What is up with her, anyway? Milo thought. She asks me to help her with her French and now she isn't listening to a word I'm saying! Honestly. Women. Go figure.
"Milo," Lisa interrupted. "I have a confession to make."
"What is it?"
"Well, um, actually," she paused, then blurted out, "I never needed help with my French in the first place. I only asked you to tutor me because I wanted to spend time with you. I've, well, I've liked you for quite some time, actually. I just never had the courage to tell you before. I'm sorry."
Milo spluttered; Lisa giggled. "Why on earth are you apologizing?" Milo asked. "I mean, you know, you shouldn't ever be ashamed of your feelings." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "This is new to me myself. I've never... had a relationship before."
"You're kidding, right?" Lisa gasped, fluttering her eyelids. "An intelligent, handsome man like yourself has never had a girlfriend?" Milo shook his head. "I can't believe that," Lisa finished, shaking her own.
Milo cleared his throat again. "Well, um... seeing as you don't need help with your French... would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" We crossed his fingers and wished hard.
"Would I?" Lisa chattered. "Of course I would! That would be wonderful! I know this lovely little restaurant in town. It's got the best food on the entire island! Let's go there, huh?"
"Well, okay!" Milo exclaimed.
"Goodie! Let me just stop off at home real fast to get into something more suitable, and then we'll be off!"
Milo was walking on air.
Milo returned home that night in a daze. The evening he had just spent with Lisa had been the most wonderful in his whole life. They'd had dinner in the restaurant of Lisa's choice, then they went dancing and ended the evening with a romantic stroll through the park. Milo felt different than he ever had before. Life was perfect. Now he knew how Billy and Samantha felt. He was sure he was in love.
Over the next several weeks, Milo spent all his spare time with Lisa. He was captivated by her cute smile, her wide blue eyes; he could spend hours going over the perfection of her face, the soft, wispy curl of her long blonde locks. But as time went on, Milo realized that he would soon be leaving her for the summer to join his friends and family in America. What if they were to grow apart while Milo was away? Or what if Lisa were to find someone better once Milo was no longer around all the time. He simply could not bear that thought, nor the thought of being apart from her for such a prolonged time. He wanted her to meet Billy and Samantha. More importantly, he wanted Lisa to meet his grandfather. Thaddeus had been very excited when Milo wrote him to say that he had found a girlfriend.
A girlfriend... Milo sighed. That term just didn't seem to fit! When he was with Lisa, it was like perfection. Milo was positive that this was more than just a girlfriend, a simple short-lived romance. Lisa was more like a true love, a soul mate. Milo knew that he had found the one. He was ready. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman.
That was when Milo made his final decision. He had contemplated this for a while. On their next date, Milo was going to propose to Lisa.
"You're going to PROPOSE?" Billy shouted over the phone the following day. Milo winced with the intensity his friend was displaying.
"Um, yeah... is that a problem, do you think?" Milo asked insecurely.
"Well, no. I mean, I'm happy for you. I'm glad you found someone who you think is the ONE. But don't you think it's a little soon to say?" Billy reasoned gently.
"What are you talking about?" Milo demanded. "Lisa is a wonderful woman and I love her with all my heart."
"I'm not denying that Lisa's a great girl and all, but it's just that... well, Milo, this is your first relationship, and you've only known her for a few weeks. Think about how long I've been dating Samantha. It took me that long to be absolutely sure," Billy sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You've already been hurt enough. Milo, you're my best friend in the entire universe, and there's nothing I hate more than seeing you in pain."
"Billy, I can't believe this," Milo snapped. "You're my best friend. I was expecting you to be supportive of me. Besides, YOU'RE the one who told me to find a nice girl and settle down!"
"Yeah, but I didn't mean that fast," Billy said softly.
"Billy, my mind is made up. Nothing you can say will change that," Milo said stubbornly.
"All right then, Milo. I just hope you aren't making a mistake. I'll see you in three weeks. Goodbye." There was a click as Billy hung up the phone. Milo frowned, took a deep breath, and shook his head in frustration. Then he slammed down the receiver and headed out of the dorm. He was on his way to pick up Lisa for their big date.
They were back at Lisa's house, sitting on the porch swing in front of her country manor house. The stars were twinkling above and a warm summer breeze made their hair dance. "Oh, Milo," Lisa sighed. "These past few weeks have been the most wonderful of my entire life."
"Yeah? Mine too," Milo dreamily said.
"I'm so happy I found you," Lisa said, leaning over and giving Milo a kiss. He savored the moment. "Milo-kins?" Lisa whispered, reclining in Milo's arms. He mumbled a dazed "hmmm?" and she continued, "Have you ever had a dream? I mean, a dream of the future."
"Of course!" Milo exclaimed. "I've had many. But the biggest dream, and the one I still hope to fulfill, is that I will one day find the legendary lost empire of Atlantis."
Lisa sat upright and arched her eyebrows. "Atlantis?"
"Yes," Milo replied.
"Isn't Atlantis a myth?" Lisa inquired, eyebrow still raised.
"Most people think so, but I don't, and neither does my grandfather. We're convinced that it's real." As he talked, Milo got more and more excited, and Lisa's brow rose higher and higher. "I plan to dedicate my entire life to locating the city. That's why I'm studying to become a linguist. I'm hoping to be able to use my knowledge of dead languages to find more promising evidence leading to its location."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am! Legend tells of a book called the Shepherd's Journal, originally called the Scrolls of Aziz. Aziz was a shepherd who is rumored to have stumbled upon the empire and spent several years there with the Atlanteans. He recorded his findings, and his writings have traveled all over the globe over the centuries. The location of the Journal is currently unknown," Milo paused, beaming with pride, "But my grandfather and I are going to find it."
"But, how on earth do you intend to get this Journal? I mean, even if you do figure out its location, you're going to need money to unearth it! And then you'll need money to head an expedition to Atlantis. And how do you know that the Journal isn't a hoax anyway? Would a museum or something give you funding?" Lisa demanded.
"They would if we had enough strong evidence," Milo explained.
"Well how do you know you're going to get evidence strong enough?"
"Don't worry, Lisa. My grandfather is currently following a lead that could be the key to finding the lost continent of Atlantis!" Milo exclaimed.
"But, Milo, what if it's not? What if you spend your whole life searching for this fairytale kingdom and never do find it? You'll spend your whole life alone as a failure. Could you live with that?" Lisa snapped, raising her voice a notch.
"Lisa... I won't be alone. At least I hope not. I was... hoping... to have a companion on my life's journey," Milo trailed off.
Lisa eyed him carefully. "What are you saying exactly?"
"Well, Lisa," Milo said, lowering his voice and taking her hand into his. "I love you. With all of my heart. And I wanted to know if you would spend the rest of your life with me... as my wife?"
Lisa stared at him in shock. "Milo," she gasped. "I respect the fact that you care about me, and I care about you as well. But you can't ask me to give up all my dreams to join you while you chase around the globe searching for a myth!"
"Your... dreams?" Milo asked gently.
"Yes! Money, power! That's what's important in this world! And you have the potential to obtain that! You could be the finest linguist, archaeologist, professor, museum curator, any of those things!" Lisa exclaimed, rising from the porch swing. "Atlantis is just a story, Milo! It doesn't really exist!"
Milo also stood, face red with fury. "What did you say?"
"Milo, you are living in a fairy tale world! Grow up and face reality! Don't throw away your whole life and career chasing fantasies!" Lisa shouted.
"Lisa... I can't believe that you could be asking me to do this," Milo sullenly said.
"Milo," Lisa warned. "Either forget about Atlantis- or forget about me."
Milo gazed at Lisa coldly. "Goodbye, Lisa." He then turned about and walked away from Lisa's house forever.
As he disappeared, Milo heard Lisa call, "Milo Thatch, you just made the biggest mistake of your life!"
Tears sprung to Milo's eyes as he began to wonder if Lisa was right. But he never turned back.
Before Milo extinguished the lamp that night, he looked hard at the worn sepia photograph that stood, framed, on his night table. It was himself and Billy at the old baseball field. "You were right, Billy," Milo whispered. "You were right." Then Milo cried himself to sleep.
And had a dream that he hadn't had in years...
He was standing in the middle of an ancient city. People were running and shouting. Standing a few feet away was a little girl and a man. "MAH-tihm!" the little girl cried. Milo recognized her to be speaking Atlantean. The word she was shouting meant, "mama." Suddenly, the ground started shaking, and a huge wall of water slammed into the city. But for some reason, not a drop of water touched the citizens. It was if they were encased in a mystic sphere of some sort.
Milo gazed around. Atlanteans were rising to their feet and gaining their bearings as well. Milo's eyes returned once more to the little girl. "MAH-tihm," she sobbed. Milo was curious. Where was the child's mother?
The man approached the little girl. She rose to her feet and hurried away from him. "KEE-duh!" the man called. This was a word Milo did not recognize. Perhaps it was a pet name. "Kwahm, TAHB-toap!" the girl replied over her shoulder as she ran from him. Now Milo was very curious. The girl had called out, "No, father!" So the man was her father. Then why was she fleeing from him?
Milo followed the child. She had run into a jungle of some kind. He pursued her. He could hear the footsteps getting heavier in font of him, but no slower; then they assumed the nimbleness of a warrior's sprint. What was happening to the girl? Milo wondered. He could hear her breathing deepening as if her voice were lowering its tone as well. Still, he could not see her.
Finally, the jungle opened up into a clearing, with waterfalls cascading into a pool. Scattered all around were ruined vehicles of some sort- were they the flying "venimas" that the Atlantean people were rumored to possess? Then out of the shadows came a beautiful woman. As she came closer, Milo recognized her to be the little girl, but now she was all grown up. She had thick. waist-length hair, white in color, and piercing blue eyes, even bluer than Lisa's. She reached her hand out to Milo.
"Kahg WEH-geh-nohs PREE-duss-ess EH-seh-nen," Milo said, which was Atlantean for, "I am a friendly traveler."
"Teeg," the woman said. "SOH-lesh MAH-toh-noat, MY-loh THATCH-toap. Kwahm TEH-red-seh-nen," the translation for which is, "Yes. All will be well, Milo Thatch. Be not afraid." Then the woman said in English, "Do not lose sight of your dream, Milo Thatch. Atlantis is real. We shall be together again soon." Then everything faded into a blue crystal light.
Milo sat upright in bed. The dream... what did it mean? Could it be that this was a sign? Or was it just another delusion?
"Never lose sight of your dream," the woman had said. Milo set his jaw. Fable or no, from that day forward, Milo Thatch was more determined than ever to follow his dream wherever it may lead him.
Then maybe he could find some peace.