Little Cherine Book 10 - BPost041
Within weeks she was able to walk for extended periods. We were puzzled as to his reasons, since it is not customary for riders to expect their females to be as hardy as them.
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When he talked to her, it was to draw her attention to signs of animal spoors, explaining what she should notice and what signs indicate the species. Once he thought she had learnt enough to track an animal, he started placing her on the ground and followed on his horse as she tried to follow the track of a buck. He taught her that whenever she relieved herself she should cover it with soil so that she cannot be tracked. He taught her about fires and soon it was her responsibility to cover the fire with soil. As Pirusi earned the rare word or grunt of approval she began to try harder, eager to please him.
Although the days were hot, the nights grew cooler. When they camped under a cliff it was colder because the land they sat on had not seen the sun since midday. Sebura barely noticed the cold, but children lose their body heat faster, especially when asleep. She had never repeated her need for the comfort of sleeping against him since that first time. This night she fell asleep and curled up tight as she grew cold. She whimpered, half sat up and then moved to lie against Sebura. He sternly told her to move back to her place.
Just above and almost over Pirusi, a large rock jutted out. Samantha warned Robert to protect Pirusi, making it look natural that she is not killed, and then she used her mind to set loose soil and rocks above Pirusi. With an oath Sebura rolled out of the way and then watched as earth and rocks cascaded over Pirusi, burying her.
His first reaction was to dig her out once he was certain no more rocks would fall. As his hands met rocks he had to struggle to raise, he stopped. He stared for a while and then coming to his feet he gathered his things and jumped on to his horse. It was easy to guess he thought she was dead and saw no purpose to digging her out just to bury her again. Apparently he either did not relish the idea of sleeping so close to her body or prudently decided to move out into the open where he would be safer. Wendy mimicked a cry of a four year old child just loud enough for Sebura not to be certain it was real. The moon had risen and he stared for a moment at the mound, then shook his head and urged the horse away without looking back again.
Finding a spot he liked, he prepared to sleep. As he knelt on the ground he froze, as if deep in thought. He shrugged and lay down, lying on his back, staring up at the stars. Like most people in simpler cultures, Sebura falls asleep fast once he is lying down. Twenty minutes later he was still staring at the sky. He turned to his side and a few minutes later he sat up with an angry exclamation. He returned to where Pirusi was buried and started to dig. He arrived at a rock that lay at an angle, the top part resting against the large boulder. Slightly overlapping it was another rock lying at the same angle. He pulled at it and as soil pattered to the ground he saw the darkness of space. Pirusi moaned. Urgently now he pulled away the second rock and reaching in pulled her out from under the boulder.
Holding her to him he took her to his new camp, collected some wood and started a fire to make tea with honey. He made Pirusi drink it. When they lay down to sleep he could see she was still shaking and pulled her to him, his arm protectively holding her. They soon both fell asleep. An hour later Sebura woke up to her cries of fear. He realised she was having a nightmare and whispered to her and gently stroked her until she calmed down.
She was awake before him but did not move, staring up at his face. When she saw his eyes open she spoke in a voice filled with wonder, “Mountain fall.”
He smiled. “You are too strong for even a mountain to kill.” She took him literally and preened at the praise.
We did not want Sebura interacting with others at this time, she alone had to fill his world, so we influenced him with a mental nudge here and there so that he did not come across any villages. Any hunters that might have crossed their paths we lured away with the sight of a beautiful but fleet buck that they would lose once they were safely out of the way.
Haven pleaded. “You must be the wolf Robert - like you did with me.”
Robert laughed. “You’re enjoying manipulating him! A wolf would not work Haven, they do not exist in this area. I’ll have to be a lion.”
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We chose a spot and brought a few dry pieces of wood, old branches that were small enough for Pirusi to wield and left them lying on the ground. Robert waited on a boulder whose surface was above head height of a man on horse. As planned, Sebura rode past. Robert projected and with a roar leapt down onto Sebura. Even as his claws tore into his back, Sebura was knocked off the horse. We gentled the fall of Pirusi and we then entered her mind to prompt with suggestions of the reactions we hoped for.
Sebura lay on his side, a fire in his back and his mind stunned at the sudden calamity as he stared into the eyes of the lion as it prepared to attack him again. He knew there was no way he could get to his feet in time and so he bravely glared at the lion, determined to meet death as an Orati rider. Suddenly a tiny form ran into the space between him and the lion, screaming as she waved a stick at the lion.
Sebura could not believe his eyes, the look of incredulity on his face was almost comical. Pirusi screamed at the lion again and it crouched, ready to pounce. It lifted its head and roared and Pirusi stumbled back a couple of steps, turning to look at Sebura for courage and protection. She saw he was helpless and her little face set as she turned back towards the lion. Screaming she ran at it. For a second it stared as if it could not believe its eyes and then it swiftly stood up, backed away a few steps and then turning, it walked away, moaning a low growl back at her once, before disappearing behind the rocks. Pirusi ran back to Sebura and fell to her knees, shaking violently, needing him to hold her. Despite his pain he saw her need and pulled her to him.
He only gave her a couple of minutes. “Piri, look in my bag, there is a packet of paste. You must spread it into the cuts on my back.” She found the paste, struggled to take off his shirt while he tried to help her and then stared in dismay and was suddenly terrified as she saw how serious his wounds were. His moan of pain forced her to take control of her fear and she spread the paste.
The horse returned to them and Sebura managed to climb on. He could not pick up Pirusi so she walked alongside, holding the reins, leading the horse back the way they had come. She rubbed more paste into his wounds the next morning and now the paste was finished. With grunts of pain he managed to put her on the horse, climbed on and they rode. He soon found himself slipping in and out of dreams so Pirusi took control of the reins and watching for their tracks took them back to the last village they’d visited. They arrived three days later with Sebura feverish and barely able to stay on his horse.
The women lanced the pockets of pus and packed a herbal poultice into his wounds. Within hours his fever dropped and he was conscious by the next day. The women talked about it to the men, how the little girl refused to leave the side of Sebura, her eyes filled with fear as she watched his slack face. Of how life filled her again when he opened his eyes.
Sebura came out of the strangeness of dreams to the strangeness of two little eyes staring into his. “Piri?’
The villages had not believed what they’d managed to piece together from what the little girl said, so they were eager to hear from Sebura the true story. He was feeling light-headed and slightly giddy but he enjoyed having such a marvel of a tale to tell. He told of the cliff collapsing on her and then of the attack. Loudly he called to Pirusi to show them what she did when the lion wanted to eat him and she grabbed a wooden ladle and brandishing it like a weapon she screamed at the lion. Sebura chuckled, but his eyes were dark and troubled.
“If she is not sent to me by Samantha, or if she is not Samantha, then I have found my own Samantha.” The villagers wanted to know what this Samantha was. He asked them to give him a couple of days and promised he would then tell them all about Samantha.
When you live in a tiny remote village and every face, every history from birth onwards is known to you in detail, the promise of a story of wonder by a stranger is a momentous moment to be first celebrated with a feast and then, afterwards, if the story was even half as wondrous as promised, with lots of alcohol. It was a wonder of its own that they were to talk of afterwards, that they almost forgot the alcohol as Sebura talked until the early hours of the morning.
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What turned his tale into a thing of magic was the wonder and awe on his own face and voice as he talked of Samantha in simple terms these people would understand and finally understood a lot he’d balked at understanding before. Afterwards, holding his sleeping little Piri in his arms, he sat up till morning lost in his thoughts.
As an Orati rider he would have challenged his weakness and left the next day. Responsible for the tiny face that shone from her happiness whenever she was close to him, he was forced to wait until he knew he can protect her from any dangers that might come their way. Once he was strong enough he exercised with mock battles, stretching and strengthening his back muscles until he could freely swing his arms.
The women prepared new clothes for Piri, claiming she has to be beautiful for the day he hands her over to an Orati rider. Sebura only smiled and agreed.
Sebura was not and probably never will be the type of man who easily shows love. Piri had bonded to him far more strongly than I think she would have bonded to her real father if he had lived, and she recognised the love his heart beat with in the way his eyes followed her, in the way his mouth tightened angrily if she strayed too far from him. She recognised it in the way he held her now every night and the half remembered soothing feel of his hands and his gentle whispers when she woke out of a nightmare. Slowly her mind healed and the nightmares became a rare occurrence.
Sebura is a subject nobody seems to tire of. That he should be the first to carry the teachings of Sam to a distant people, winning their hearts so that she is welcomed on the day she goes, with love and trust, surely that is a twist of life not only unexpected but also miraculous. Riding back to Isesa, Sebura spoke to his Piri about Samantha, so that she seemed to be a beautiful angel to anyone who heard him. (Lord! She’s trying to embarrass me! I did not expect that from her!)
Back at the city he waited at the centre without speaking until Aganthi went to him. As she knelt to give Piri a piece of chocolate, he asked. “Can I speak to Samantha?”
“Speak and she’ll hear you.”
“I wish to return to my home. Can she turn me back to the way I was slowly so that the little one is not frightened of me?”
Just because a heart learns to love, it does not mean that the personality traits of a lifetime are changed. Sebura is still self-centered in many ways (apart from those to do with his Piri). The outward changes are mostly noticeable in the way he sits quietly, hardly ever speaking. He attends all classes, even struggling to learn to read and write. He was back at Samantha’s centre for nearly a month when he changed again, becoming increasingly moody and troubled. It was therefore not a big surprise when Sam sensed him waiting by her door.
“Come in Sebura.” She smiled. “I’ve been waiting to hear your story and what you learnt from your travels.”
“Perhaps I’ll know how to speak of it the day Samantha says Sebura is wise? I come to you for little Pirusi. May I speak of her?”
“Something is troubling you?”
“It is not right that a child like her grows up with a man like me. Can you choose a man and wife, those with the most love to give her, to be her parents?”
Sam leant forward so that her hair covered her face and Sebura grew worried as time passed without her answering. She raised her face to him and his breath caught. She blinked and the tears in her eyes slowly ran down her cheeks. She called out, “Oh Robbie, dad!” Robert instantly appeared by her side and he pulled her into his arms.
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“I warned you he would cause you a lot of pain.” She burrowed her face into his chest, drying her eyes on his shirt as she giggled.
“You’re a fraud! At that time you did not know this future.”
“Are we already in our future?” He chuckled as he glanced at Sebura. “Do not distress yourself, she is too happy, that is why you saw her tears.” Wisely Sebura kept quiet, waiting for them to explain.
To give Sam time to re-gather her wits, Robert asked, “Your heart calls for you to keep Pirusi while your mind, your logic, sees that it would be better for her to live as a normal child with parents?” He gave a slight nod. Robert leaned forward, no longer smiling. “You are wrong Sebura. It is not your mind, it is your heart that both calls for you to keep her and to send her away.” He smiled at the look on Sebura’s face. “You do not believe me? Ask yourself one question then: The old Sebura who took what he wanted, would he have offered to give away what he treasures?”
“Are you asking I keep her!”
“I’ll leave it to Sam to answer you.”
Samantha spoke, “I have watched Pirusi and I do not see a normal Orati girl. For her age she is wise and she is strong. I do not see her play with little girls as much as I see her play with the boys. Have you noticed how they admire her for her courage, for how she fights, runs and likes the things they do? Did you think to make her a rider?”
“I thought to make her strong so that she never needs anyone.”
“Then why did you make her love you? Does that not weaken her?”
“I did nothing, I do not know why she loves me.”
Gently Sam asked, “When you think of giving her away, does it hurt a little?”
“That is no reason for an Orati rider not to do what is right.”
“It is no reason for anybody not to do what is right. If you can feel pain, how do you think she will feel if she thinks you do not want her? Do you say to yourself, she is a child and she will forget as she finds love with her new family?” He agreed with a nod, his eyes wary again, not trusting Sam once more. “Forget us, Robert and I and what we believe. There are people who have spent their entire lives examining and learning about children, how their minds grow and what damages them. You have made your offer for the right reasons but, if you do it, you will damage her for the rest of her life. She will never trust love again. Do you want to do to her as your father did to you or do you want her to grow up loving and being loved as she has been with you, so that she is able to grow and become the best she can be?”
“You are saying I must keep her!? It is not right for a man alone to bring up a girl.”
Sam answered him, “If she was your daughter and your wife died, you would give her away? Sebura, whether you know it or not, you have made her your daughter.”
“Sebura.” He looked at Robert. “I think the way you are bringing her up is beautiful, but do not turn her into an Orati rider. Teach her to be strong and believe in herself, but see to it that she spends time with a woman you choose to be like a mother to her. She will also need the softness of the way a woman loves when she grows up.”
“Robert is right and he’s given me an idea. Sebura, make peace with your mother and once you are convinced she loves you, bring her to your home and allow her to be grandmother to your little Pirusi.” Sam added, “Go back to your little girl and allow your love for her to fill your heart and then think of all we said and make the decision that is right for both of you. If you insist, I will help you find a family for her, but you better be certain that is what is right for her also - you cannot change your mind afterwards, you will have already damaged her childish heart and mind.”
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“The life I lead, it is for a child?”
“The life Efineh had with me, was that a life for a little girl? Ask any other woman and she will tell you it was not. Ask Efineh and she will tell you it was, because her life was filled with love. It is not only important for a child to be loved, it is just as important that a child learns to love with all her heart - as your Pirusi loves you.”
He sat without moving, emoting a mixture of despair and anger. “You always speak wisely Samantha, but this time you are ignoring something very important, something that will make her hate me when she grows up. This is becoming a world that belongs to Samantha. All will love you, including Pirusi. If she grows up as my daughter they will say, that is the daughter of Sebura, the one who fought our Samantha, and she will be shamed.”
He was shocked when Samantha slid off her seat and kneeling before him took his hands in hers. “What if they say, that is the daughter of Sir Sebura, wise and dear friend of Samantha?”
“I do not grow wiser Samantha, only less certain of everything.”
“That is the first step to true wisdom Sebura.” Robbie said.
Sam suddenly stood up. “I have an idea!” At her call he came. “Sebura, do this for me if you want, but do it. Become friend of Irfan and teach him how an Orati rider thinks, but also listen to him, let him teach you what makes me the Samantha I am.”
Sebura caught Robert’s eye with a hint of a smile as he asked him, “He is that wise?” His sudden humour caught them by surprise and they all laughed. Irfan touched him lightly on the arm.
“Will you join me for some t…for some beer?” We all had a good laugh imagining Sebura drinking Irfan’s buttery tea.
Once they were gone, Robert asked Sam, his voice not hiding his amusement, “Are you certain Irfan is the right choice? Shouldn’t it have been your friend Samuel King? Surely they would understand each other better.” She ‘threw’ a pillow at him and he chased her to the roof garden. Her squeals and laughter soon died out.
We have been here two years. Within that time we have been changed by our changing the people of this world. The changes in us, our new ways of looking at who we are and our teaching methods have been of great help with the ‘bubble’ kids. The older ones, nearly nine years old now, have improved and refined their controls over the tiny worlds within their bubbles. An important improvement is that those who are four years old and older have learnt to control themselves and no longer create their bubbles at random times. They now have specific times allotted to them and they abstain during times they are socialising with others not of their reality. Robert does not believe in ‘reward and punishment’ as a method of teaching, but he does believe in half of it. He insists those who achieve something they had to struggle to learn should be rewarded. After consulting with the parents and Abirov, he has chosen the ten kids who have the best control over their need to create bubbles. We are taking them to Meli’s world. He drummed into them how important it is they do not create a bubble world while within her mind and they have all promised.
Those who did not go were envious when they heard the ten ranting about how wonderful it had been and that they had flown like birds. Robert promised the ten that if they continued to control themselves, only creating a bubble when he tells them to, they will also go on the next trip. He also announced that any who control themselves for a week can go with. All but the youngest went with on the next trip. For those who could not go, a party with lots of ice cream and sweets and little prizes was held.
“Is this not a kinder way Abirov? They learn to control their powers without losing them.”
“This is as it is with us Robert. I do not see how this will control those with the ability to use the bubbles for destroying and killing.”
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“Why control them? Would it not be better to train them all to achieve what you fear?” We felt the instinctive reaction of fear, but he thought about it before replying.
“If all can do it, then no one has an advantage?”
“Something like that. We then have to find ways to use the gift of your people for the good of all.”
Claudia asked, “Are all the explosions the same size and power?”
“No.”
“What if we create a chamber with a paddle wheel inside. The wheel is attached to a generator and that is connected to batteries? If the explosions can be small and placed correctly, they could generate enough electricity to power a town. I only suggested it to show you that Robert is right, there must be many ways to use their power.”
“Another way,” Robert said, “is to place the explosions within a funnel at the rear of a spaceship. Even one explosion every few hours should build up their speed.”
Claudia grinned. “There could be a wheel at the top of the funnel so that it also provides the ship with electricity.”
Alki shook his head. “Energy from nothing, it cannot be, there has to be a cost.”
That led to Robert asking, “Do the explosions harm the person who caused them?”
“Not that we are aware of. It does drain them for a few hours.”
Dommi said, “Nobody has tried causing the explosions on a regular basis. Robert, it could damage their minds.”
“We’ll monitor them Dommi. To use the example given. If the ship has a crew of two hundred, with one explosion a day, they should achieve the speed they need within less than one hundred explosions. The rest of the crew are used to slow down the vessel at the other end. That is less than one explosion per year, at maximum, more likely one every two or three years. We have to find a suitable planet for experimenting, we cannot have them blowing holes into Freddie. We still have five to eight years, so we can take our time.”
Sam was wondering how long we could delay before linking our first locals. Rosie, Bernadine and Irene must have been studying the problem for they immediately objected. “We first have to educate them.”
“Why? What has education got to do with being a Cherinian?”
“Everything! The education should be tailored to suit them, but they must be educated. Sam, you are comparing them to the people of Orgg’s reality. You can’t do that. They tested lower on the aggression scale, these people don’t. They are only less aggressive for cultural reasons.”
The three girls were backed by all our ‘adults’ and the aliens, so Sam agreed to wait for them to be educated. She did object to waiting for all of them to be educated. “We must start by creating more schools and educating the children everywhere. The adults will only become interested once they feel they need to study so that their children respect them. Adults also find it more difficult to learn, we need special teachers who are already involved in adult education.” She paused. “There are a few people I want linked soon. Ashema, for example.”
We saw this was turning into another ten to fifteen year project. Empathia suggested we teach them what being Cherinians would mean for them and then ask for volunteers from among the Normals. We’ve decided to do as Empathia said, though we’ll have to be careful of who we choose to bring here.
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Sorry I haven’t been writing. I felt Sam should and she insisted I should. Because we returned to our reality I felt it no longer involved Sam to the same extent and she should write. Well, whatever! Here goes.
We returned in April, PC33. As is usual now, the governments sent us greetings while the media clamoured for details of our trips. We had discussed whether we should let them know about the bacteriophage created and destroyed by us. We decided the less we keep secret, the closer we feel to them, so we gave them video tapes of all our experiences. David asked Samantha to appear on his show for the purpose of calming the fears of the people. Sam stressed to what extremes we went to ensure not one of those horrible microscopic creatures were left alive, but David did not seem to be that interested in them and led the discussion to the bubble kids.
“I do not understand as clearly as I would like to, how it is those bubbles can cause such a strong reaction. After all, we’ve seen a multitude of bubbles popping without an explosion.”
Sam asked, “Have you still got tapes of a bubble popping? Could you play one at about one hundredth of normal speed?”
“While the technicians prepare such a tape, may I move on to what else worries me? What Robert said makes a lot of sense, if all the people of their planet have the same ability, the threat of local fatal fights are reduced but, if they do have a war, the number of deaths would be far greater.”
Sam shook her head. “War on the scale you fear is unlikely. Most major wars occur as populations explode. Gifts that Terrans of that reality have, seems to have affected their fertility. It is rare to see a family with more than three children, many only having one child or none. They are struggling to grow their population without much success.”
“If they are linked as Cherinians, that would change?”
“We will not link them before we have solved all potential threats.”
David accepted what she said. “One more question and then we can watch the tape. Let us accept what you say about them with regard to their own planet. What about the children and one family you have in Freddie? It does seem to me you intend linking them.”
“That’s true. Again, I can only reiterate, we will link them if they are not a threat.”
David was not satisfied by her answer. “As Cherinians they will be able to teleport to other realities. How do you prevent them from using their powers there? Saying you will only link them if you feel it is safe is not a satisfactory guarantee. The existence of Cherinians who now are Ipohin or members of the Campbell group proves that. They are just as susceptible to changes in their beliefs and needs.”
“Even a group of fifty or a hundred of them would not be a threat. Even without our help you could fight them, if they are not linked. If they have all the gifts of Cherinians, then we should consider other factors that determine how dangerous they are. For instance, if we have studied them telepathically and decided they are suitable to be linked, what are the odds that a majority of them would turn against all we believe in? Those who do not change would remain our allies and by themselves would be too great a threat for the others, who would only represent a minority, to dare start a war.”
They watched the tape in slow motion and once Sam pointed out what was happening, everyone was able to see in the next re-run that she was right. The bubbles were not popping, they were imploding. They grew smaller and disappeared.
“As you see, the children are drawing back into their minds the miniature worlds they’ve created. It makes sense, for it would be a major task creating mental worlds from scratch each time and waste a lot of mental energy. That is one of the reasons those who explode them cannot send out such bubble worlds like machine gun bullets, they can only fire one at a time, in a manner of speaking, as it drains them.”
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They discussed it for a couple of minutes and then David asked, with a grin, “On a more personal note, I’ve been dying to ask whether what we heard is true. I believe an Indian studio offered an amazing fee for Goldi to star in a film of theirs. Is that true?”
Samantha gave that wide infectious grin that everyone loves, her eyes sparkling naughtily. “Can you imagine if she did? Obviously there is no way she would agree to play the role of an adult, so, can you imagine how popular her movie would be with all the paedophiles?” She laughed. “Would it be illegal of them to trade film and photos of her from the movie - since prosecutors determine whether it is child porn from what they claim the intention of the viewer is. Won’t the prosecutors claim they used them for masturbating to? Isn’t it sad how such a natural act indulged by everyone is still viewed by officials as horrifying?” David did not want the discussion to examine that mine field so he changed the subject without having his question answered.
Robert has seen photos of us, even in bikinis, being traded on certain sites. He frowns but accepts it as being part of the cost of being so much in the public eye. I guess he stops himself from imagining all those people masturbating to our pictures while visualising making love to us, even though some of the more able posters have ‘taken off’ our clothing.
By determined demand of all my loves, I (Sam) have had to take over again. She certainly knows which buttons to push to force me to write.
Even though we have the biggie birthday to prepare for, we did have a party to celebrate Freddie’s birthday. For that day we brought nearly half a million kids from our Earth. Freddie took on a body and enjoyed talking and teasing the kids. It was directly broadcasted and many sent messages wishing Freddie their best.
Luckily gifts for any of us are sent to the Cherinian Embassy. If they had still been sent to our home in Athens, we’d have been flooded. Cherine told Robbie what she would like for her birthday party and it was arranged - and it is probably the most expensive birthday party ever! She wanted it to be an excuse for everybody to have a good time and asked for a party in every city. She suggested it be a string of ‘street parties’ as there is no single space big enough to accommodate the crowds. Cherinians set up stalls with food and drink and manned them (some countries had to suspend a law against drinking in public, while others just turned a blind eye). Other Cherinians patrolled the cities to secretly help the police prevent crimes and fights. At her request, the parties started at three in the afternoon local time for the children, adults to only start from eight in the evening. Terrans still find it difficult to think of her as a forty one year old (in local time) when she almost always appears as an eight year old.
It might have been fun for everyone, but not for Cherine and us. We had to try to put in a brief appearance at most of the parties and still manage to spend a few minutes at official functions. Robbie kept a window of fifteen minutes for us and we jumped to another reality to have a real party of our own with just our closest friends.
Dimitri is hardly ever seen as a child when he is not at home with his parents. He mostly keeps company with Michael when he can or visits Gregory. When in Freddie, his favourite is still Robyn and she even let him take her for a meal to a posh restaurant in Singapore, going as an adult. She asked him whether he has found a girl to love yet and he sighed.
“In real years I’m still a child. I don’t see any reason for me to hurry to adulthood. It’s not exactly as if my parents are struggling and need my wage to survive.”
“With us spending their money so fast, maybe they soon will.”
“Did you know that I’ve shared with my parents? They did not hold back from me the years my mother fought your family.”
“How did you feel about that?”
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“My mother was arrogant and made a lot of mistakes. I think she could have beaten Robert if she’d known how to.”
“I wasn’t around then, I’ve only shared. I had the impression that even then Robert could not be beaten.”
“Oh, it was easy. Why did she have to tip her hand with so many stupid attacks? All she had to do is send that guy with his mental net to Athens and have him use it to trap Robert while he was sitting relaxed in Kefalari. That’s what I mean, she had some powerful people working for her, but she didn’t have a strategy.”
“Did you let your mother see what you think?”
“Oh yes, she said he would have won anyway because Arthur would have found a way to change her victory to a defeat.”
“I don’t think so. At that time Arthur did not know we are real. I don’t think your mother had a choice, Arthur wrote as he wanted, making your mother do what she did so that Robert would win.”
He laughed. “I don’t think she’s thought of that, wait until I tell her.”
Robyn was uneasy and tried to be humorous. “As long as it doesn’t tempt her to try again. You’re quite the monster and are just as likely to try to talk her into trying.”
“Some more wine? Robyn, when their fight ended, my mother was suspicious for a long time. She wanted to believe, but she could not believe anyone is such a good guy. My father, he totally believed from the first days. Now, it is my mother who is devoted to Robert. Cherine she is still ambivalent about, she knows how important she is, but she also knows how easily she can turn against anyone if she thinks they hurt Robert. The one she really loves, even wishes was her daughter, is Samantha.”
“I don’t think you should be telling me this, Robert will be angry with me for letting you. What is shared is private Dimitri.”
He shrugged with a boyish smile. “My mother knows what a gossip I am, she must have known I’d tell you.” He stared into her eyes and then, with that little boy charm she adores, “Robyn, I’m sorry, I’m talking too much because I’m nervous.”
“Of me! Is it because I came as an adult?”
“No, not you.” He did not elaborate and she did not ask.
Robyn should not have shared with us because of his indiscretions, but she has a nagging feeling that something is wrong with Dimitri. Robbie told her not to worry, he is just suffering growing pains, trying to adjust to being an adult before his time.
The United Nations passed on a suggestion by its member states. They liked the idea of the Eqkee and have decided to tear down the buildings in one city block in each major city for Robbie to land his platform(s) in when we collect Normals or go to visit. They want to cover them with lawns but wanted to know if it is safe to do so as it would be a disaster if they are trimming the lawn and we land. They were reassured and told that Robbie, even if it is an emergency, can hold the platform in the air until the area is cleared.
The other surprise should not have been a surprise. We were approached for permission by a Chinese corporation to build an ‘amusement’ park that would be an exact replica of the inhabited part of Freddie in miniature - even to having the boat and the fairies. They would be using laser holographic images of course. They offered twenty percent of the nett profits. Robbie passed it on for Hettie to deal with, but agreed that in principle he did not object. Since the income will go for our charities, we really don’t mind, it’s not as if a large percentage of the world doesn’t already know what Freddie looks like. He only refused to allow them to make exact copies of the interiors of all homes occupied by the aliens (unless they give permission) and ours. Their announcement in the Chinese press also stressed the enormous foreign exchange they expect to earn from tourists coming with their families to the park.
6710
Robbie regularly visits, with us or alone, his fathers’ bar in Cyprus. He enjoys seeing the way his father loves his son Gregory and in general the relationship of all three of them as a family. Robbie has slowly-slowly grown more confident and teases his father and Rose and when they laugh or tease him back he is happy. When Michael joins him there, that is when he is happiest. I can understand how he feels. If he stopped loving me as a lover, I’d be inconsolable, but if he stopped loving me as his daughter, I think I’d die.
Cherine spent a week on the wine farm, with Robbie visiting them whenever he was free. We buy six cases of wine from them every year and keep the bottles for when we are only the family with Alki and his family visiting us for a meal. Robbie has set aside the very first case of wine produced under the Chara label. In Freddie terms it is over one hundred years old, even though the labels do not say so. He has been toying with the idea of going back for the first case he and Cherine produced in their previous lives. He has not done so yet because he worries about giving a bad example, opening the way for others to feel they can ignore his ban on visiting the past. Hmm, maybe it is time he re-visits the reality he jumped to by mistake…so as to get Chara?
We kept the family Cherinian anniversary low key as we have some special days towards the end of this month. Empathia turns seventeen, then Latreia celebrates her thirty fourth wedding anniversary (she still loves the fact that we married so fast in the past, making her seem to the uninitiated a wife of so many years) and then Cherine and Robbie have their anniversary (not wedding, if you’ve forgotten) and last, but not least, our Goldi turns twenty two. I’ve only mentioned all the ages so as to irritate Arthur (he feels it spoils the impression of his story being for paedophiles), because he refuses to allow any of our chats to stay in the diary. J
According to the girls (I think they were teasing me), Empathia is a favourite because she has great ideas without being a pain in the ass like me. I can’t fault them, for I also feel close to her more often than I do with most of my loves. If I need help to carry out some nefarious scheme of mine, I always know I can depend on her, even if she objects. She asked that we turn her birthday into a party for the bubble and Akiard kids. They all received gifts from us and thanks to Empathia we chose dates for the bubble kids to celebrate their birthdays. Their parents are pleased as it gives them an excuse to have parties for them and their friends. That means we are going to be celebrating an awful lot of birthdays in Freddie.
Latreia had her party and then Robbie took her to another reality for some time on their own. For Cherine and Robbie we did not have a party because their anniversary is more a lovers anniversary and they should be alone. They had their time alone and both returned with minds and hearts glowing. Robbie announced we were going on a short trip immediately. Of course they wanted everyone who is part of their early years to be with, so Keith had to prepare for some experiment he was conducting to be watched by others just in case we delayed returning and he arrived with his two loves. Dimitri of Dar surprised us by not only bringing his love, but also her mother. Socrati, Andrea, Themis, Henry, Sylvestro, Luigi, Eddie and their families also came. When we clamoured for Michael, Robbie refused, saying it is important he stay to keep an eye on troublemakers. His father asked Gregory to keep the bar open and only he and Rose came with.
Only once we were on our way, did Robbie tell us where he is taking us. We are on our way to visit Andrea of ancient Cyprus! It seems Freddie has been asked to take a week getting there, for Robbie announced he is going for a walk-around and asked young Dimitri to go with.
Robbie has been worried about Dimitri. He has been withdrawn and quiet since he took Robyn out for supper. He is a sensitive young man, but he has always been a joyful presence and we miss the Dimitri we love. During the first day they hardly talked, only discussing what they saw. Robbie collected dry wood, asked Maria to send a couple of raw steaks, some salad and beers. They made a fire and charred their meat.
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)- posted: 10th May, 2020
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