The Lana House

Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes, I realized I didn't end up where I was hoping. It looked like I had been sent manually to the Coordinator's house. I stretched, and yawned, and collected myself. The coordinator, whom we called Lana, lived in a gorgeous three-story Victorian-Era house. The whole outside of her property was a garden. The yard was surrounded by fruit trees-apples, plums, and cherries. There were rose bushes along the house, and lilac trees that sort of made a path toward her vegetable garden.

I could see some foliage from where I was standing in the kitchen.

Just a few feet to my left was the coffee maker with what looked like fresh coffee inside. I walked over and grabbed a cup. I loved to make comparisons to how things have changed throughout the years. Coffee will be my subject this morning. 

I didn't think to ask Theresa how she made her coffee, but I assumed it would be a similar process. I took a sip, and to no surprise, the coffee in my hand tasted better than Theresa's. Although this revelation wasn't by any means insane, I was still infatuated by the fact that I just took part in the same culture people had taken part of close to 150 years ago, validating the important history of the coffee bean. Neat. 

I walked down the corridor to Lana's office hoping to discover why I had been brought back so randomly. I brought along a second cup for Lana.

I should say, I'm not a scientist. I didn't take part in the discovery of time travel, nor did I conduct the research or punch the numbers. I was simply sent out to journal my experiences. From time to time, I will be pulled back home early to be made aware of certain mistakes I may have made while traveling, such as leaving something behind, or by being too influential on a single person.

Since my hands were full, I bent down and tapped her office bell with my nose. The huge door opened.

"Good morning!" Lana expressed rather delightfully. "Come have a seat!"

I sat down in a blue velvet chair across from her at her impressive wooden desk and smiled, pushing her coffee toward her. 

"Good morning, Lana. It's so nice to see you." I said.

"Well first, thank you for the coffee, you're so sweet. Second, I am sorry for pulling you home on such short notice! I just thought it would be imperative to discuss your reports..being you've been gone for so long."

"Yes, I agree." I replied.

"I have made copies of your journal. Might I say? It's so beyond words. We are so fortunate to have you on our team. We appreciate that you share your travels in such detail. It's a shame we cannot make duplicates of you!" She laughed a little. "Maybe we should tell Larry down at the lab to get on that!" She laughed again. "But in all seriousness, we have gained more from your reports than 3 travelers put together. It's amazing, really."

"Thank you. I definitely appreciate the assurance!" I said. I brought the cup of coffee to my lips.

"Because of your seemingly natural talent at this, I would personally like to offer you a sort of promotion." Lana said. I straightened my back, leaned my ear in as if to say I'm listening, and I set my coffee down. "If you accept my offer, it is yours." She paused. "We would like you to join the team of travel trainers."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Um, ya! I mean, absolutely!" I could feel my mouth widen into a smile.

"Good. This is great- but this means a few things." She paused.
"It won't change what you do on your travels, but you will need to have an increased sense of awareness." She took a sip of coffee and returned the cup steadily on the desk.
"You will be responsible for a person who has only had in-class training." She looked at me as if she was reminiscing my days as a younger student, impatiently waiting to travel through history for the first time. "You know how they can be. You were the exception." She winked.

She was right, though. I've found that you never really know yourself until you've journeyed through the dimensions of time. First-time travelers are like little kids so it's important to watch their every move. The teachers are very selective, however, there is a certain fear that has rolled around our minds for some time. What if someone got into the program, only to realize they just didn't have what it takes? Or they make some grave mistake that costs the planet all it has worked for? These people are always filtered out through certain tests, but the chance always lingers.

"I understand all the risks and dangers that this promotion entails, and I know I can handle the responsibility." I smiled, feeling very cheery. 

"You will obviously have a very large pay increase, and we would like to update you from the standard living quarters to the Marine Suite." She opened her drawer and withdrew a blue key. She stretched her hand across the desk.

"Wow Lana! This is so amazing. I don't know what to say!" I looked at the key for a moment, then grabbed it gratefully.

"You don't have to say anything. Clifford said he will help you move your things to the Marine Suite. We want to congratulate you on this new step in your life!"
"Thank you, Lana. I'm very excited for the opportunity." And on that note, I left.