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Chapter 1:- SEEDS
He’d been gone for decades, but he was her reason for living, for hanging on throughout an unendurable life. She didn’t know why this singer from another era had captured her heart, soul, and imagination, but he had, and she would not analyze the issue any further. Jacques Brideau carried the key to whatever tiny drops of happiness she managed to squeeze from a harsh existence. She loved gazing at his photos: he was tall, about six-one or six-two, she read. Lean, yet well-muscled build, thick, wavy dark brown hair, deep blue eyes which appeared to carry an ocean of sadness. How she longed to ask him what caused that heartache.
She’d discovered him while hanging around the local flea market. Jacques’ face reached out to grab her, and once she glimpsed him, she couldn’t look away. Of course, she bought the 1970’s album for the bargain price of one dollar. Luckily, Daddy’s old portable record player was still in her house – even though most of his other belongings had been tossed out by Mom’s new husband – so she would be able to play it.
She hadn’t expected to like such old music, but to her surprise, Jacques Brideau’s soft, romantic ballads caught on with her. The voice touched places inside her heart that she hadn’t even known existed. She started visiting the flea market regularly, buying more of his albums whenever they turned up. Meanwhile, she went online and researched everything she could about him, printing out articles and photos, even buying the occasional old magazine or newspaper on eBay whenever she could afford it. What an interesting man! Married three times by age thirty-five, he was a huge success in TV, nightclubs, and records. His lush, romantic style grew increasingly passé during the disco era, but he somehow managed to maintain a cult of fans, and kept recording. As he aged, he grew even more handsome – in her opinion. His faint lines and wrinkles enhanced his features, and he even grew a thick mustache which fit his face perfectly.
But then, in 1981, it all ended. Jacques’ private plane crashed in France, killing everyone aboard. Just the very thought of it brought tears to her eyes. Even more haunting was the mystery surrounding his death. No one found the crash site for over a year after the plane went missing; once it was finally discovered, his fellow passengers’ remains were located, but there was no sign of Jacques. Not one tiny bone, no clothes, no ID, nothing; it was as if he’d vanished into midair.
She didn’t think he died in that awful plane crash. She couldn’t believe he simply disappeared … but where had he gone?
