Little Cherine Book 04 - BPost049
He left them to it and cheerfully went to address the machines and Inguel. He congratulated them on a wonderful job and told them he is proud of the way they have acted as a team.
2581
“While you are working on the next planets I would like you to consider the role I see for you in the future. One day all the damaged planets will be teeming with life again. By that time you will be the most experienced among all species in terraforming. From our travels throughout this galaxy we have noticed that there are not many planets suitable for life. Many species will need your services when they plan to expand. You could end up earning honour and wealth for your species.”
“For the Old Ones.”
“Yes my friend, for them, but for all machines too. You did not mindlessly follow their orders, you found they had left a spark of their humanity within you and used your abilities to help all life.”
On the next world it was realised that to return the ecology to what it had been was not enough. The sentient species of this planet had an extremely long history. They were soft weak creatures that struggled by the use of intelligence only to survive. The predators had to be re-created also, but we could not leave the sentient species exposed to them as easy prey. The defences they had built up over thousands of years would have to be in place and waiting to provide them comfort. The machines agreed that a number of them would have to stay here when it is time for the rest to leave so that they can maintain the cities.
We jumped forward about eighty thousand years and found they had completed the job early and have been waiting for us a long time. We saw the Inguel have still not grown in numbers.
After the fifth world Robbie decided we have done enough for now. He said he misses our home. If he does, he is the only one. This world feels like home to us. Now that I think of it, perhaps that was what he was afraid of!
We had lived five months within two months of absence from our home, while all other Cherinians of our world had lived the same period within one month. This led to some interesting discussions (by our visitors) when it was pointed out to us that we count our age based on Earth years while most of us have lived many extra years if we add the longer periods we’ve spent in other alternate realities. Alki teased Robbie that soon he will have to call him ‘pappou’.
Chapter One Hundred Thirty Nine
By September the days have cooled and when we sat on the beach, Robbie joined us for once. We had played and run and it would soon be time for us to trundle our weary way to the taverna. Goldi went to Dommi and reverted herself to a toddler. Dommi dressed her and she then went to Robbie. He placed her on his lap and she lay there, dozing against his tummy. I looked at her and felt myself being swept on a tide of tenderness. How lucky we are, I thought. Not only can we feel the way we are loved but we can also feel the love between each of us for the others. It is so close to heaven being able to feel a little child’s feelings of trusting love, the sense of security and comfort of being held in the arms of an adult she loves. I did not need (but enjoyed) the special gift of sweetness of our Goldi to feel blessed that I am a Cherinian. Whatever problems our gifts cause us, they are as nothing compared to such moments of half asleep pure contentment and love. What a Normal might find strange is that even as a child myself (also true of all my loves), I am able to feel this way about the others.
We used to go to the taverna on our spaceship-world to remind ourselves of Earth. Now that we are here, we go to it to remind ourselves of our other home. We have only been back two weeks and we are gradually getting back into our routine. All of us conspired together and kept Robbie at home with us, not letting him even visit his favourite alternate world friends/families. The emptiness he used to sometimes feel when he missed his little Claire is now filled by Goldi. He still loves Claire very much and thinks of himself as her second father, but usually when he meets her now she is closer to our apparent age. She has learnt the trick of ageing herself and enjoys being older. Luckily our lavender eyes enjoys being a toddler and fills that spot for him. If she had not, I am certain we would have vied for the chance to be one and feel him love us so tenderly.
2582
This morning Alki phoned us. He called to let us know that he read in the newspaper that our favourite singer friend is dying. Wendy cried and got all of us going. Cherine caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up sign. He nodded with a grin.
“Wendy, would you like to visit your friend?” She nodded emphatically. “Dommi, we need three frumpy dresses, something chic middle-aged women would wear. Can you borrow some from your mother?”
“What for Roberto?”
“To visit her. I don’t want anyone to identify us.”
She smiled. “Remember the days we would change ourselves to look like other people? We did not need to borrow their clothes.” She began laughing. “I want to see this, Claudia, get the camera.”
Robbie (Robette or Robina?) posed for us as they took photos of him. Cherine called out, “Come on Robert, show us your boobs” and everyone went, “gross!” and then also tried to persuade him to show us. He played at being the modest old lady and refused.
In case it sounds as if we were heartless to be laughing like this when our friend was dying, our laughter and kidding around was a reaction to the knowledge that Cherine has approved her to be a Cherinian and we will be saving her. Within half an hour we were on our way to the clinic.
There were a lot of people there and none were being allowed to visit her; only family and close friends. Using our gifts we walked through and entered her room. She looked so old, how quickly her face had shrunk from the pain of cancer! The family stepped out of our way, not understanding why and Wendy stooped over her and whispered, “It’s Wendy. Ask your family to leave us alone with you.”
She opened her eyes and they were dull as she stared at Wendy. “Vendy?”
“Nai. I’ll sing for you again. Tell them to leave.”
She did so and with some gentle ‘persuasion’ from our minds they left.
“Wendy, let her see you as you really are.” Wendy changed and we thought she was going to have a heart attack. Wendy pitched her voice exactly to the right tone and soothed her.
“Do not be afraid, Marina, you are not going to die.”
“You are going to make me one of you?”
“You knew?”
“I am not stupid Vendy. When you are in the club of Apostoli you do not hide yourselves well. Even my band knew there was something strange about all of you. Can you make this pain go away?”
“It is already going away Marina. We need you to trust us and not be afraid. Can you do that for me?” When she showed her, by the look in her eyes, that she does, we asked her to close her eyes and come to the voice she hears calling her.
She did not move, showing no fear. We introduced ourselves.
*Where am I?*
*This is where you would have come if you had died. Do you see that silver-blue world with the green spot? That is ours and it is where our souls go between lives. Now that you have been here with us, you will not die. Marina, we have to let your body die so that we can bring you back again as a young woman. You are a public figure and there has to be a funeral or else there will be too many questions asked, placing us at risk. Marina the singer will die, but Marina our friend will live forever. Trust my Roberto, he will see to it that your body dies without pain and within minutes you will wake up in our home, young and healthy again.*
We danced and exchange kissed with her, took her to visit our World and though she was curious about everything else she saw, she let us send her back to her body.
She opened her eyes to the sight of Wendy’s eyes upon her and she smiled. “Thank you my magical little friend. Will I die now?”
2583
“No. You have friends and family to say goodbye to. We will wait.”
She wanted her hair combed and her face made up. Pillows were fluffed up for her to raise herself. She wanted to say goodbye with some dignity and we left her on her own to do so.
That night, at about eight, we collected her soul and the protector created her a new body.
She kissed Wendy first and then did the rounds kissing all of us; she hesitated when she got to Goldi and stared at her.
“I have never seen you before! You look as if you have come out of a fairy story, I cannot believe how beautiful you are. What amazing eyes!”
“Thank you. My name is Goldi - because of my hair I suppose. I am glad you will be with us now.”
The only one she had not kissed was Robbie. She stood waiting, not knowing what to do. He kissed her cheek, “Marina, you have a lovely soul. We would have brought you to us long ago, but you were living a good life. You were beautiful, successful and loved, we did not want to take that from you before your time. Thanks to your years of experience, you also produced some of your best work over the last five years and all of mankind has benefited. I hope you will enjoy the new life we have helped make possible for you.”
She sang a short piece from one of her songs and laughed. “I better not sing again or else they might recognise me.”
Robbie smiled. “They would not, you do not look the same, but it would be better you try a different life this time. The next one you can be a singer again if you want. You will be a far better singer in that life for you will have Wendy and Candy to show you how to develop your voice to its full potential.”
She found his eyes disturbing and as an excuse to turn away she looked at herself in the mirror. “I was never this lovely!”
“You are about eighteen. This time our healer saw to it that your body is exactly as you wish it to be. I’m glad you are pleased.”
With that direct way of speaking she has, she replied, making all of us laugh. “I am very pleased.” She turned to Dommi. “What am I supposed to do? I’ve never felt so much lust before. I need to make love.”
Cherine flustered her by asking, “With a man or woman?”
“A man! I need a real man tonight. Is it wrong of me?”
“No, going to the void and having a body young and healthy was bound to have this effect on you. Marina, the choice is yours. Are you going to go and pick up any man? Remember, you are a virgin again.”
Dramatically she sighed. “Oh no! It was such a bother getting rid of it the first time!”
The girls called to other Cherinians, mainly the single men, while Robbie phoned Apostoli. He was having a very quiet night and was glad to hear we are coming. He confided to Robbie that he wants us to meet his (grand) daughters.
Marina asked, “We are going to Apostoli? He is one of you?”
“Yes.”
“I thought so. When I saw how his daughters had changed, I knew it had to be you.”
She kept on indicating she thought Robbie was the gifted one, so he explained to her about Cherine.
“Tomorrow night we will have a storytelling and golden ring of love. You are in for quite an experience Marina.”
“That is an experience? Not what happened tonight!?”
2584
It was so refreshing to have someone new who enjoys everything without any fear. She admitted later that night that having Wendy with, had made her brave.
We did have a moment of difficulty when we arrived at the club. Apostoli came to greet us and we introduced Marina to him. When he realised who she is (he had heard she had died, all the tv stations had reported it and were playing her old songs and interviewing other celebrities about her) he fainted. This caused anxiety amongst his staff and he was very embarrassed when he recovered.
Apostoli announced that Marina has died and told the band to take the night off while we listen to old recordings of hers. We projected a feeling of boredom and made the other patrons feel sleepy. We soon got rid of them and then he told the staff he feels like closing and having a few drinks in memory of his friend. They were grateful to have an early night since they could not expect any large tips.
Wendy and Candy joined Marina on the stage and she sang her heart out for us. Gently, not wanting to spoil the mood of the evening, Wendy unobtrusively led her, showing her new ways to sing. Candy was enjoying herself too much to care one way or the other. We had a great time, but Marina went to bed and woke up a virgin.
The next evening she learnt about us, met the other Cherinians and it was agreed she will keep her first name, but should take a different surname. She told us she has always regretted not having children and for the next twenty years, until her children grow up, she wants to find someone to share her life with and have children. Nobody pointed out to her that her kids will be grown up, if they want to, within weeks. Robbie reminded us that if she wants she can have her children the normal way and wait until they are older to make them Cherinians. We did not bother pointing out to him that nobody has done so, no mother would wait to be able to talk with her child and get to know the new personality she has nurtured for six months within her body.
Marina was clever enough to realise that for us to take anyone in as a Cherinian there has to be something special about them. She thought Manoli is just a typical rough seaman, but, reserving judgement, she took the trouble to talk to him. She was impressed by the mind behind his slightly brutish looks and when she saw from the storytelling how he became a Cherinian, she decided this man has depths worth exploring. Over the next few weeks she went out with him, jumping to his favourites spots in the beginning and then she took him to hers. She soon stopped though, for she realised hers are mostly places of artificial pleasures whereas his are places where nature soothes his heart and opens his soul to the wonders of our planet.
She did insist on going to her funeral and she cried. She has a very strong love of melodrama and she used this moment to say goodbye to Marina the singer and welcome the new life that has begun for her.
Marina spent a lot of time with Wendy and Candy, but she also became close to Anna, Dommi’s mother Claire and strangely enough to Dommi. Natalie spends time with Dommi and as she got to know her better, she became close to her also. I find it interesting that though we are all Cherinians, those who were not born so, still are tied to their upbringing. Those who had grown up as Greeks still understand each other the best and stay closer friends, confiding in each other. Actually I am being a little unfair to the old-timers; even children born-Cherinians have the same proclivity for keeping company with their own nationality. It seems that only our family (and that of Alki) straddle different worlds and have wider horizons. I hope it changes for the others, but without them losing their sense of national identity and their traditions, as they lose out so much by being more narrow-minded. Actually now that I wrote the above, I’ve changed my mind. Television and the multi-national corporations are already forcing these changes on the people and it is not to the good of our world. Anyway, the exceptions within our family are Aganthi and Theresa, but they are slowly changing and I think they would no longer be entirely comfortable back in the environment they grew up in.
Speaking of Aganthi, after we brought in Marina, Aganthi asked Robbie if she can use her gifts to help more street kids. He asked what she wants to do.
“Very few of them, if any, have good food to eat. Their bodies are all suffering from malnutrition or the effects of a bad diet. It does not only affect their bodies, but their minds also. Without talking to them I would like to use my healer. The trouble is that there are so many of them I can only help a few. I need to borrow some healers.”
Robbie had a good laugh and it perplexed her. When he explained she saw the funny side of it.
2585
“If you succeed my love you are going to cause great confusion amongst the medical fraternity. They will come to the conclusion that the life they lead must be very good for them.”
It was Claudia who pointed out the downside. “That would not be good Aganthi. Many people who help them, might decide they no longer need the food they provide. It might also affect the way street children are treated in other countries where we are not helping.”
Aganthi looked worried, but Dommi disagreed. “Claudia, what you say makes sense to a point. Those who study these children will compare them to street children in other parts of the world and they will soon see there is a difference. As for people not helping anymore, I think you are wrong. Those who help provide food for them, will feel that these children are as well as they are because of their help, and they will be encouraged to continue and we can see to it that the newspapers say so. The real problem is that only a very small number of the street kids get any help. I’d like to see a general movement to help all children from poor families.”
Robbie frowned and then explained his point of view. “I disagree Dommi. I’ve seen the results of socialism and I do not think what works in theory does so in practice. Families who saw to it that their children ate as well as they could afford to feed them, now keep their money for alcohol since they expect the government to feed their children.”
“Are you saying Roberto that we should let the children suffer because of their parents?”
“No. I’m just pointing out that the issues are not as simple as they may seem. In first world countries we destroy food because there is too much and yet people go hungry in the rest of the world! It is wrong and yet I can see the sense if I look at what the incentives are for growing food. If the food was not destroyed, prices would collapse and the next year farmers would not plant as much, making their farms uneconomical. I gave up a long time ago trying to find a fair way to solve the problem. However, there is one very important point to people donating what they can to help the poor. It is good for their own hearts. It makes them richer as human beings, bringing them closer to being worth linking as Cherinians. Dommi, now I’m going to step out of this discussion and let you girls make up your own minds about doing what you can.”
Dommi was genuinely upset with him. “You throw a spanner in and then want to walk away? You are part of this family Roberto and you will help us find the right way to do what we need to.”
“Sorry love, I should not have interfered. I am already doing what I can on a number of worlds. You girls must have your own project. I’ll help where you need me, but when it comes to making decisions as to what you will do and how, that I’ll leave to you.”
Cherine said (what we were all thinking), “That is a cop-out Robert.”
“It is Cherine.” He grinned at her and refused to take part again. We took a book with maps of Athens and the surrounding areas, I scanned them into my computer and we started from page one. We would go in groups of two, splitting the areas in that page between us and we would use our healers to help the kids. Some of the reports we got from our healers sickened us while some pleasantly surprised us; it must be an indication of how resilient children are. The ones we found suffering from abuse, Robbie quietly looked into and our prison island population grew. We could not desert those kids and with money from Elia, Alki, Eddie and Hettie we set up small homes for them. What we saw affected us also. We have, whatever our backgrounds, learnt to take for granted the lives of luxury we lead and now, instead of wasting money on clothes we do not need, we buy clothes for the kids.
We were spending about two hours a day on healing street kids; about an hour on our school for them and another two on our own education. Every few days we jump to one of the worlds that needs help in rebuilding. One day a week we will either jump to a tropical beach or to our spaceship-world. Rarely we will jump to another city. A recent favourite is Rome and often Luigi or Sylvestro would join us there.
By my decision, I am handling the prison world again, taking them supplies. I hardly ever ask what they need anymore, as I find them very unpleasant. Having to sense their minds, listen to them argue, it makes me feel sick. Especially when I see how some of the weaker ones are being treated. I am glad Robbie keeps the women on a different island.
2586
You set the cat amongst the pigeons. Cherine is not happy about what you said. They are still smarting and they need time to heal their own wounds. You said I would succeed in getting them back and I kept that in mind, it helped, thank you. As for Allan, he comes to storytellings and we have visited him once. He is busy with his work, but Alki handles that side of it. No, he is not a Cherinian yet. None of us understand why he is so reluctant to join us. We will not look into his mind, but I sense either something frightens him or else he has made other plans - not that I can imagine what they would be. I’d ask you for your insight, but he is probably reading this right now…
I read the above by Sam and was disturbed. She has kept her distaste for her task from me. We took their provisions together and while they only saw her I took a look at their minds. She is right; most of them are extremely unpleasant minds. I wish I could say those who are being abused are nicer people, but they are not. One of them is vicious and he is waiting for the right moment to kill the person who has been raping him. I have to think about this. I cannot police them and however I split them up, there will always be those who are weaker.
Since the protector cannot go with Sam every time, there might be a crisis in the near future, Cherine came up with a solution that worries me, leaving me with a constant tiny ache in my heart, but I’ll write about that another time.
Richard has remained antisocial to a large extend. He’ll come in for provisions and report to Robert and Cherine, perhaps staying for a meal, but otherwise living alone in Scotland. He reluctantly was forced to change thanks to a child. After a while he noticed that whenever he came there, a little boy would follow him around, copying him. Cherine showed him, when he wondered about it, that the boy has a bad case of hero worship and she told him that the boy is one of the many orphans they are caring for. He started to spend time with the little boy and soon found himself with a bunch of them. Five boys and two girls. He now and then takes them to Scotland for a few hours to play. Robert tells me he is coming more often now and stays longer, sometimes even sleeping over. From just talking to them and thinking up little games to play with them he is now beginning to take an active interest in them. It looks to me like he is soon going to find himself with a family.
I learnt to like backgammon at the local coffee shop and recently I played a game with the protector. We now play two or three times a week. The girls tease me that I enjoy playing with him because I always lose and at least with him, even if he wins, I can say I won. He is a better player, I am more likely to depend on a good throw of the dice whereas he plans ahead. I’m not going to play chess with him!
Anna became accustomed to the idea that her little Smaragda is in love and soon as she gave her approval, Smaragda and Angelo linked. They both live with Anna, but she does not drown them with feelings of disapproval anymore. Angelo says they have become friends and if she sees Smaragda acts in a spoilt way, she tells her off. Angelo is grateful for that, but does not enjoy so much the fact that she tells him off also when he acts immaturely. Watching them I realise how lucky I was that my girls would not let me bring Marian to live with us.
A lot of good things are happening and we are growing closer as a family. By helping others in need, by talking and getting to know those less fortunate than us, their empathy is deepening and they do not take our love and circumstances for granted. My Cherine is spending most of her time as an adult and I do not think it bothers me as far as my own preferences go. What does bother me is that she does it because she feels less vulnerable. Sometimes it feels as if he took the real Cherine with him and left me her ‘shadow’. How do I get back my cheeky little cub again?
My days tend to be very long because of me visiting alternate worlds. I also need to visit the spaceship-world on a very regular basis so as to merge with all the parts of myself, as I do not want to allow us to grow apart. My art has become a casualty of my splitting myself like this. The work I try to do lacks the depth and originality I had - I admit it puzzles me, since I was excellent and very creative as Rupert, the artist. Still, I do not feel any different, so I cannot understand why it affects me like this. Themi suggested it could be psychological, but then he would, so I am not interested in exploring that possibility. At least I have the pleasure of seeing my sweet Jade improving. As she becomes technically more proficient she is able to express her creativeness more successfully.
2587
My little Candy still keeps to the age of five and with Goldi being a toddler most of the time I am very happy. Often the other girls will also revert to a much younger age and sit on my lap and I feel myself melt with love, but it is nice having at least two who remain constantly at the age I love. Cassie and Jade are still our little imps and when I hear laughter it is often because of these two. They have taken Gina under their wing, but she has a different sense of humour, less slapstick and more subtle. She makes the two of them laugh though and she enjoys it.
At the time Samantha was born, I was living in fear and lacked a lot of confidence in myself. This caused me to put unfair pressure on her and my darling daughter has matured too fast. I wish I could go back and change things. My baby, when you came back from the future to visit, why didn’t you warn me?
Since I am writing of my girls, Dommi, may I tease you a little? She has been so conscious of us calling her our ‘mother’ that instead of her maturing she has almost permanently turned back into my sweet sixteen girl of the beach - often now even changing to an eight year old at night. Dommi, you know how I delight in you, just p-l-e-a-s-e don’t let your hormones get out of balance again. I’m getting too old to go through that again.
Okay, I’ve had my fun, Sam can take over.
Not so fast! You think you can sit here and say things about us and we must keep quiet? You want to tease me? Let’s see how you enjoy the same medicine!
Shit!!!! I’ve been sitting here for half an hour and I can’t think of anything I would want to put here about you for others to read. You win this time.
Maybe Dommi can’t (she is too nice) but I think I can. You want to see me cheeky, that little girl who wiggled her fingers at you? What was that little girl like Robert? How can I be that innocent child again? You said many times that day-to-day living teaches us about life. As long as I had my crazy Robert to love me, I could keep alive my expectations and dreams - you are the one who allowed time to change you. Robert, do you want what you lost? Find my crazy man for me and I’ll be his Cherine, his little cub. I don’t think you will, because you no longer need a cub or a lioness, the way you are changing, you need a mature woman who can stand beside you and make you feel proud of her. Is that why you dreamt of me as an adult Robert? Were you trying to show me that was what you needed?
When Cherine wrote the above her feelings were broadcasting and Robbie rushed in. He stood reading over her shoulder and jumped. He has been away for three days now and we became worried. Cherine called for the protector and it appeared, his strong calm face this time a comfort.
“Do not fear. He is in the past. Cherine he is watching you as you were when he first met you. He needs this, he will return healed.”
Robbie returned four days before Christmas. With the excuse that he had to rush to get Christmas gifts he left us. Dommi took one look at Cherine and grabbing her arm took her into the bedroom.
“What are you trying to do to him Cherine?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t say to me ‘nothing’!! You are allowing pity for yourself to change our Robert. Why?”
She sat with tears flowing. “He doesn’t love me like he used to anymore.”
“Do you love him like you used to? You are talking rubbish!”
“I do love him.”
“Is that so? Okay, I’ll let you judge yourself, if you dare!”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me into your mind. I’ll go back and find the Cherine of his garden and we let her judge you. I warn you, she is likely to attack you when she sees what you are doing to him.”
2588
Dommi must have only intended planting a suggestion, for she did not wait, she left the room, leaving Cherine alone to think. What I write of now and in the future, I do not know the truth because I peeked. It was agreed by all that I am allowed to watch any of them at any time, even if they put up a ‘privacy’ signal. To keep me out, they have to tell me directly. For some reason they have decided to trust me, wanting me to know and decide what to write in the diary. All of them see this diary as being very important to the family and to all their children in the future. There are times though I see/hear thoughts I do not put here, for that would be pointless invasion of their privacy.
Cherine did not move when Dommi left her. At first she sat thinking Dommi was wrong. She sampled her memories of the way Robbie loves her and said to herself, I am no longer special, now he only loves me the same as the others. This made her want to cry, but only a couple of tears came. She sat for a while, her mind blank with her misery. One thing about Cherine that appeals to my type of personality: she rarely bullshits herself. When she realised she was making herself feel miserable she switched it off. She is more attached to emotions than thought, but she is highly intelligent - says poor me, when I know her I.Q. is higher than mine. We say she is not very imaginative, but that is not strictly speaking true. She is not a dreamer, she’ll use imagination in the way she examines the problem, but does not often take that intuitive leap like Robbie does. Even if she does, she will not often trust it.
Wow! Sorry Cherine to be analysing you, but if they do not understand in the future what makes you tick they will not know you. I think above all else they will want to know the woman/girl they are named after.
She let her mind wander, a corner of her mind watching, but not interfering. The shadow Robert slid across the stage of her mind and slipped away, an unwanted guest. When he appeared again, she wondered why he kept on returning, but she gave him a push and got rid of him, it was her Robert she wanted to think about, not the shadow. More persistent than he is in real life, he came back again. She let him stay and he spoke to her the words he originally had, with the same conviction, and she listened and succumbed. Horrified she realised she has let the parasite get the better of her!
She was affecting the rest of us and my eyes narrowed with dislike when I saw Robbie standing watching us, his mind open, emoting a gentle understanding of what is happening. He did not interfere and I could not help thinking, he dares not because we have seen the truth.
Suddenly, uninvited, Rosie, Aganthi and Theresa appeared in the mind of Cherine. They confronted Shadow Robert and screamed at him that he is a liar! They shone with a light that dazzled and their voices burned with their conviction and anger. Shocked, all of us came to our senses.
Robbie scooped up Candy who was bawling her eyes out and looked around, his eyes bemused. We all needed him. He could not handle all of us at the same time, so he called for us to come into his mind. As we arrived, his soul enfolded us and cradled us like babies, soothing and comforting us while he poured a heart so big with love into us it felt as if it is of infinite size. He called out, “Cherine?” but there was no answer. The protector arrived with the news that Cherine is dead.
He did not let us go, he brought back a part of himself so that he could move his body and he went into the bedroom. We watched through his eyes, felt everything through his body. He placed his arm across her chest and lay down next to her. We felt how his healer opened his skin and veins and the rush of blood as it concentrated on sending healthy blood into her oxygen starved body. Taking us with him he went to the void.
Cherine was waiting for us.
*I’m sorry Robert, that was stupid. I saw what I had done to the girls by giving in to him again and I could not bear to stay.*
*That is alright my love. It was about time we came here to dance. I’ve missed exchanging love with all of you.*
We felt her soul weeping. *Please Robert, you can do it. Please take out of us the memory of him and his words.*
*Do you now believe me that he had a gift you could not fight? Do you all see how irresistible he was? If one of you do not want to make love with me and I use my gifts to force you, even if I make you want me, isn’t it rape? Should you feel guilty that you made love with me and enjoyed it or should you be angry with me? He raped your minds and hearts. Get angry damn it! Fight back by hating him if you have to, but stop blaming yourselves! It would actually be better if you felt pity for him rather than hate. He too was sick and did not understand what he was doing. As for taking the memory away, I will not do that. You all trust me too much, it can be good that there is a memory of doubt hidden within you.
2589
Do something else though. Use me, take all my love until you feel you have enough to be strong and then look deep. See if you can find any blame for you within me. If you have to, search through my memories, even during the time he tortured me and you sat feeling it Cherine. Look and try to find if I felt even for a moment one tiny scrap of blame for any of you. You will find pain at the thought of you being able to watch without caring, but it was because I feared how you would feel later - as you have done. Please stop killing our love.*
His voice was so impassioned, his plea so desperate it tore into us and those sticky webs of guilt crumbled into dust as we saw how we were allowing Rupert to still manipulate and destroy our reason for existing. Only this time it was not Rupert to blame, but us.
He had kept a space for Cherine and when she came to him he drew her as close to his core as he dared. Without thought for her body or ours or the multitude of alien souls that drew nearer to watch, he held us and the pure power of his love filled us without diminishing him at all. When he finally let us go, it was each one at the moment he knew we no longer needed to be held, that we could face him now and send back as much love as he had sent us.
“Is it Christmas already?”
“No, it is in four days!” Cassie innocently replied.
“Then why did all of you give me such a lovely gift today?”
Cherine had left us and she now came out of the bathroom. She had reverted to about eight. His eyes lit up and seeing it she ran into his arms. He picked her up and held her so tightly it felt as if he was crushing her. She could hardly breathe, but even the pain felt like it was the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to her. She wet his neck with her tears, but they were tears of happiness and they pleased him.
Later that evening we sat together, cosily wrapped in love, when Irene asked him, “Did you buy us some presents?”
He laughed. “Not one my love. I was too busy.”
“Too busy to get us presents!?”
“Yes my sweet love. I had some very sick girls I had to take care of.”
Dommi asked, “What do you mean? What did you do?”
He pretended to be afraid and defensive, “I can’t tell you, you’ll punish me.”
Dommi put her hand to her mouth as she exclaimed, “Oh God!!”
It took us, Cherine too, a little longer to guess. Cherine turned and looked into his eyes. “You love me that much?”
“That and more. Forever. Amen.”
The stupid bastard had sneaked into her mind and activated her memories, making them as strong and real as possible. That was why Rupert had been able to affect us again. I felt like hitting him and kissing him. Where does he find the courage to do things like this? It has to be his craziness! Whatever, that became a night of confusing passions and morning found us with the sun in our hearts already.
That was our loveliest Christmas ever and the next day we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with the Sparklers and Anadir in the void. Annavi, Elpida, Ashia and Sol decided to reverse our roles this time and they spoke to their people and all Cherinians of what it means to be of our family, what it is like having us as wives and husband. Robbie could not help it, he grinned at the sight of our cringing with embarrassment, but for him too, the pride we felt in being loved by them so much was much greater.
2590
Robbie’s father has come full circle. The day after the anniversary he asked to speak to his son. We went to his pub and the two of them walked off.
“I have been thinking Robert, it is good that I died. For a man like me, one life is not enough to make me what I am now.” He stopped and as Robbie turned to look at him he took hold of him by his shoulders. “Son, how I wish I could have said this when you were a child and needed it. I love you.”
They both became emotional and his wife Rose watched us with a slight smile, but also love, as we became soppy and cried.
As they walked back Robbie asked, “Would you like to have the chance to tell me as a child? I know you thought I’d forgotten, but the truth is I was afraid to do it unless you did love me. If you had hurt the child in me again it would have caused me a lot of damage. I know now I will be in good hands.”
He nodded and stood for a while without speaking, still having difficulty in showing emotions.
“Dad, I do not return with my present memories. It will not be easy. I will not trust you or believe you love me. You will have to be patient and help show me how to believe in you.”
“Will it help having Rose with?”
“Very much!”
“I’ll be all you could ask of me son.”
“After my birthday then. The girls would be disappointed if I stole their chance to surprise and embarrass me with a party.”
He laughed and they walked back and their bodies were still as distant from each other as when they left us, but their hearts had reached out and touched each other and were now close. It felt as if some part of Robbie has flowered and there is a new warmth and happiness in him. We all kissed and hugged his father and his laughing Rose got pulled in.
As usual, after such intense emotion, he acted silly. When we arrived home he turned to Cherine in a ferocious manner.
“You see what you have done!? You are to blame for everything. It is not enough that you find a stupid young man with a broken heart and bring his love back to him, because of you I now end up with the biggest and most wonderful family in the world. What happened today is a miracle I did not expect to ever feel and it is because of you. If I had never met you I would never have heard him call me son, with love. How do I get even with you!?”
“Oh, you’ll find many ways, we have a lot of time for you to think of something,” she replied cheekily, her eyes laughing, her cheeks blushing. When he sent her his love it was accompanied by love from all of us and she looked as if she was tripping on some drug.
The next day the three of them, Robbie, Cherine and Dommi left us for some time on their own. For us it means we see much more of Alki and Marian and the rest of the Cherinians have taken to dropping in to invite us out for a movie or ice cream. We had told Cherine and Dommi to stay away at least three days as we also want to ‘feel’ they’ve been away by themselves, since they are staying on our world. While we were spoilt rotten, the three of them started off the way Robbie usually begins his honeymoons.
They went to the Seychelles. The first day they walked on the beach, climbed on the rocks to laze in the sun and tan. They mostly talked about the early days, each of them coming up with some memory that meant something special to that person. Robbie soon had enough of the sun and they returned to sit in the shade at a wooden building that is on stilts in the sea. There was a feeling of peaceful happiness and the love between Dommi and Cherine was just as beautiful as the feelings of love they had for their Robert. A number of other guests felt it too and wondered about this strange arrangement even as the emoting made them smile and remember their own hearts.
That night they each reverted in looks to the way they prefer and Robbie grinned.
“It is no longer necessary, we all three love each other just as much or more as we are now, but I cannot help thinking how we would have reacted if we could have seen ourselves during those early days; here I am, soon turning thirty seven, ‘an old man’ I would have thought then, and we are still playing at being kids.”
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)29th October, 2019
- posted on Steemit: 29th October, 2019
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 04, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
If you wish to use image, r/click and copy link
If you agree with my protest, why not make it a habit of upvoting all who have set their post to "Payout Declined"
(if you do not see they plagiarised or are running a scam)
The bigger your vote the better, though even a zero value vote shows you support them