LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 03 - post065
“I don’t want to come.”
“That is a pity, I wanted to do a special trick for you - to show you how you can float on air, your feet not touching the ground.”
Her mother returned and I thanked her and left.
Previous PALNet Post 064
1598
Alki was laughing. “Robert, you do not just go knocking on doors of people like them. They are the crème de la crème of Greek society. Old money. They own three factories and have business interests abroad. She won’t bring her daughter to a house full of adopted kids.”
1598
“You don’t place much value on my charm.” I was enjoying this. Alki is probably five or twenty times as wealthy as them and he has a complex about them. He can pick up a phone and talk to Government Ministers, barge into their homes at midnight, but the class thing affects his self-confidence. Marian being British knew what was amusing me and was feeling very protective of her husband.
I grinned at my idea. “You know who we need to have here to impress them?”
“Who?”
“Socrati.”
He nearly choked on his whisky. “You wouldn’t!” He stared at me. “You would!”
“Come on Alki, all Cherinians were invited, you know that. You don’t expect me to un-invite them just because a high society girl is coming?”
He shrugged, “It will not matter since she will not come. Parents from those families only let their children associate with members of their own class.”
I honestly think Alki had forgotten who I am (as a Cherinian I mean) and my powers. Marian had not.
“They will come my love, if Robert invited them.” I laughed at his expression as he ‘woke up’.
Alki insisted that Claire arrange the buffet and catering in general. I’m certain he told her to splash out for suddenly on the day we found our Claudia is having the most posh bash ever. We had ‘names’ come to entertain and the garden was turned into a magical place of lights and colours. At least Claire has good taste and nothing was overstated.
The girls would have wanted to be adults, but with Smaragda coming they had to keep the ages she knows. I was pleased, I wanted them to have fun like children, I wanted sounds of childish laughter, kids running, fighting squealing, the whole lot. If I am to be a lover of children, then I want to enjoy having them around as children also.
I found an antique fob watch that belonged to a princess from Russia, with her portrait on the lid. I had it cleaned and in good working order and a special box was made for it. A rather ‘grown up’ gift for an adolescent, but I believed it is what will give her the most pleasure.
While all these preparations went on I tended to hide away in my office and did a ‘solar’ series with pictures from my memory of our tour. I was certain a lot of astronomers are going to accuse me of not being true to life and the idea amused me. I will leave it to the future to prove me the visionary I know I am (if this was on the web I would have put a smilie or ‘lol’ here). With twenty eight pieces handed over to Alki I felt good about myself again, for a change.
I’d invited all Cherinians to arrive much earlier than the time of the party so that we could be alone for a while. At the exact time I’d promised I collected Luigi.
As we arrived home, Alki was standing with his arm extended, a glass of whisky in his hand. “After that shock I think you need this.”
Gratefully he took it and had a large gulp before settling down. “That was teleportation?”
“Yes. We tend to do it all the time so we just call it ‘jumping’.”
Luigi said, “It is important to use the correct words Roberto, jumping takes away the magic of it.”
“That is why I prefer it. Luigi, we are able to jump from one place to another, forward or backwards in time and from one dimension to another visiting another probability world. The word jumping has to do or else we will get overwhelmed by the thought of what we do.”
“What other gifts do you have Robert, telekinesis?”
“By ‘you’ I presume you mean the Cherinians? Between us I would say just about everything you can think of - hold on, we have not tried changing lead to gold.”
1599
“Luigi, I am Alki. Let me take you around and introduce you. Roberto loves to tease our guests, he enjoys seeing them in shock.”
“After what he did for my brother and myself Alki, I am quite willing to be his victim.”
After about an hour I put up my hand and mentally called to all. There was immediate silence.
“Wendy, Meli. We have a unique situation. We have one wife and one Jade and a visitor who have never heard our story. Those who have heard it often enough, I suggest you go talk in the other rooms.”
They put in the extra effort, with Lua and Candy joining in because of Cassie and Jade. This is their inheritance, the story of how the Cherinians came to be. Meli had obviously made good use of my set of memories to dredge up extra details (she had asked my permission) and between her telling and the singing and dancing, the story became a rich tapestry of love. Cherine was holding Rosie to her, her eyes warm and dark as she looked across the room at me. I would have sworn the link, shining with the power of our love was visible to all. Somehow Diana, the twins and Jade had surrounded me, sitting on my lap or by me. I looked at Diana and felt the tingle of her closeness and rejoiced that she still holds that magic over me. So do the twins and being so close to all three of them was forcing me to use the healer to dampen my needs. Jade felt their effect on me, but she soon forgot me as the story began, unfolding with a drama I had not realised I’d lived through, the growth of love and our gifts all coloured by the prime force of empathy. They made me realise again how lucky I am to have found my loves. I cannot imagine us being what we are with even one of them missing.
There was a long silence when they ended and I looked around. There was not one Cherinian missing, even Ordinx and Solomon were sitting quietly with Sam and Bernie. Suddenly the room exploded with a buzz as everybody made their comments. Our storytellers were flushed from the feelings of admiration and astonishment at their abilities to tell the story afresh, so I felt they could wait a bit for my hug.
My eyes met those of Alki and I looked away, giving him the opportunity to wipe his first.
Cherine stood up and her bearing brought about a silence again.
“We soon will have a new guest, she has been invited by Robert and must be made to feel loved. Before she comes, I have a question for you Robert. Will you allow us, later, to blank your memory of the last years from the visit to Hydra onwards, for two weeks. Rob will look after our family with your protector.”
“You better explain my love.”
“Most of your powers and gifts will be blocked. All you will remember is that my mother wanted to go off for the Christmas holidays with a man she met and left me, entrusted you with me. We will have two weeks to live those days again. This was my surprise and gift to you. Our flat will be empty as we, of that time, are in Hydra. Would you like to get to know and love me all over again my Robert?” She held up her hand and I saw she still has her copy of the key to the flat.
I was stunned. My joy and love was nothing to keep secret and the whole room shared it with us. I went to her and raised her to my lips. I think I squeezed her so hard her ribs were close to cracking, but she returned my kiss with the same fervour and adoration.
“God, you kids are breaking my heart.” Dimitri whispered it softly to himself, but all heard and agreed with him. Manoli put his arm around the frail looking Dimitri as I turned to them all. “Isn’t she something special?” It made my heart swell when I found that those who agreed with me the strongest were our own wives. Marian sat with her head buried against her husband as she wept, maybe for the past and for the hope and promise of the future.
I took Cherine by the hand and led her to her mother. As she stood there I knelt down in front of her.
“Marian, you are the mother of Cherine, the mother of all Cherinians. I don’t care as much about the last part. All I have ever wanted was to be able to love your Cherine. Do I have your blessing, is our joy your joy?” She stared down at me and I felt how she struggled to understand. “We never had your blessing given with a heart full of love, joy and understanding. We need it.”
Her heart swelled to the point where it could have filled the whole room. That was the blessing I needed and I looked up at her.
“Robert. You and Cherine, you both have my blessing and love.”
1600
“Thank you, I feel our love is purer now. I promise I will never take away another daughter of yours.” The last I whispered to her with a small happy teasing smile.
“And if you break your promise?”
“Then I’ll ask for your blessing again.” I sat back on my haunches. “Marian, I do not need to be a prophet to tell you that you will have children over the years with Alki and that they will fill your heart with love and joy. Everyone feels the love the two of you have for each other and from that love will spring new lives that will fill both your hearts many times over with a joy and love you cannot imagine.”
Her face was radiant and as I stood up so did she and Alki and they both hugged and kissed us.
I had told Smaragda to come at about four, knowing that being Greek they would arrive at five or half past. It was nearly six when she appeared at our front door with her parents. The mother introduced me to her husband. He has that pleasant suave friendliness of the very rich; not having to fight to live tends to shield people from many of the less pleasant aspects of life. Alki and Elia he knew of course, but I was surprised when he greeted Themi with a hug. He also knew Perikli and exchanged some pleasantries with him. I was amused to sense both him and his wife looking at me discretely, trying to work out who I am; I had to be either very wealthy or something, perhaps of the aristocracy in England, how else explain the guests I had? The mixture also puzzled them; what was a choriatis (villager) from Cyprus doing here. The more they looked, the more puzzled they became.
I’ll say this for the father (Konstandinos Foustanos) of Smaragda, he is cultured. When I introduced him to Luigi they talked in Italian and when he realised who Luigi is, he became very excited. It turned out he has read all his published poetry, in Italian, and admires him. As soon as I could arrange for us to be alone, I asked Luigi if he would sign a copy of his book for Konstandino. He promised to send one, but I ‘reminded’ him he has a copy in the guest bedroom. I took him by the arm and we went into a bedroom.
“Please, if you do not mind, I am in his debt and would like to give him this pleasure. I know I am presuming, but would you mind us jumping to your home and getting a copy for him?”
He paled, but was courteous. “It would be my pleasure.”
“Please picture a room in your home, I need to see it in your mind for us to jump there.”
We were back within two minutes and he was able to hand over the book, dedicated and signed. Konstandinos was very pleased as this was a just released book he does not have.
“Mr Teller, I am impressed. You have a strange collection of guests. From the most powerful, the wealthy and even simple people from all walks of life. May I ask, what do you do?”
I laughed. “I am but a simple man trying to become an artist.” I had given the correct answer, many wealthy and snobbish people will hobnob with crude and low class people who are artists, singers, poets and so on. It amused me to catch the thought that he would ask the owner of a gallery to show him examples of my work - if people like these were my visitors it might be a good investment to buy a couple. “My paintings are available on the internet, many of them for free. I work for Alki.”
Alki frowned at me, he was annoyed that I had turned myself from artist to a common employee. “Please do not listen to him, he is too modest. He does work with me, but he is not my employee. He often earns hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single design.”
Konstandinos laughed. “A modest artist, you are the first one I have met Mr Teller.”
“Please call me Roberto. I do not think I am modest, just clever enough to have found Alki who gets these amazing prices for me. Konstandino, I also enjoy, as a hobby, creating magic and illusions. I promised to perform for the children. Will you excuse me?”
The garden was mostly covered by a tent and I had formed an energy shield to keep it warm. A small stage had been set for the singers and clowns, who had already left. I stood on it. I looked at Smaragda (guess why I was not surprised when I saw her with Wendy?) and gestured for her to come forward.
1601
“Ladies and gentlemen. By special request I have come all the way from my home in the forests of the Amazon to perform some of the magic the local tribes taught me. You will see many things that are impossible and I warn you from now, there will be no explanation offered for what you see. I have asked this young lady to assist me.” I turned to Smaragda. “Will you please tell these people that I have just met you, I do not know you and we are not going to trick them?"
Next PALNet Post 066
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)24th September, 2019
* posted on PALNet - Steemit - WEKU - CreativeCoin: 24th September, 2019
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