LiTTLE CHERiNE Book 03 - post077

The imps had put their arms out to Smaragda for her to lift them. Gently she picked up Cassie and then Jade. She stared at them from close now, in wonder.

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1638

“How did you do it?”

“Oh, we just wished it.” Jade answered her.

“It’s easy Smarry.”

“Smarry Cassie? How can you butcher such a lovely name?”

“I like it, only they,” she swivelled her head to include all the girls, “can call me that. It is their secret name.”

“Okay. Anna, want to take a closer look before they change back?”

Smaragda asked in a pleading voice, “Do they have to?”

“We are going out to eat - I think they would be miserable if they have to stay hungry. Smaragda, I think these two can eat a whole horse between them. Never seen two tiny girls with such a huge appetite.”

With Smaragda accepting the imps so matter-of-factly, Anna could not make a scene. She shook her head in disapproval, but kept quiet.

Smaragda took the imps to the bedroom, most of the girls following.

“Anna, imagine our secret gets out and those who fear us try to kill us. We could change ourselves so that we look like other people and get away. This gift came to us before the ability to jump. It has other uses. But of those, we can discuss them later. I’m hungry.”

“All of you can change?”

She found herself surrounded by a rough bunch of sailors, big hairy men. The girls changed back, giggling, and ran into the house.

“Dommi, we have not been to our favourite taverna in Cyprus for a while - shall we go there?”

“Roberto, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to London.”

“Anna, that alright with you? Dommi, can the kids come as they are, or you want to go to one of your posh restaurants?”

“No, we can go as we are.”

1639

Soon as the imps had dressed we all jumped, taking Smaragda and Anna with. Only Marian stayed behind to watch over Lucy and the baby boy.

From the apartment we took cabs (I cheated, we phoned and got five of them). At Leicester Square we walked around, Anna quiet and thoughtful, Smaragda excited, wanting to know why we did not catch an aeroplane to come here. We found a decent steakhouse in a side street and ordered our meals. The kids all chose hamburgers. I felt the girls sending Smaragda to me and turned towards her.

“Roberto, is this also your magic?”

“No love. This is our magic. You want to be able to do this also?”

“Yes please.”

“You certainly brought her up to be polite Anna, not like my girls.”

That earned me a number of scowls and threats. I mind-spoke them. *Did I lie? You are a disgrace, you hardly ever say please or thank you. Dommi and I are to blame and maybe it is time we start to look at improving your manners.*

Dommi spoke out loud, “Roberto is right. From now on you watch yourselves.”

“You did it again! I’m sure I only heard half the conversation.”

I tried. *Anna can you hear me in your mind?*

“I heard that!!!”

“We do a lot of our talking like that, when not amongst strangers. It is unusual that you could hear me Anna.”

We had finished supper when Wendy announced: “Lua invited us for tea.”

“What about her parents?”

“It’s okay Robbie!”

“You too Wendy? Since when do you speak to me like that. I’ve heard the others do it, but not you.”

“I’m sorry.” She was, so I let it go. Dommi looked at me and her look was a promise. Better her than me, I thought wryly. Bringing this bunch of savages back to civilisation is a job for Hercules. Dommi grinned and I knew she was up to it.

“Okay. A vote. Do you all want to go?”

They were not keen to taste Chinese tea again, but all wanted to see Lua. I was pleased to feel their love for her.

“Back to the flat then.”

“Oh Robbie, to find five cabs to take us back!! Can’t we just find a dark street and jump?”

“Where are you taking us Robert?”

“Oh, Anna, I’m sorry, that was rude of me. We have been invited to tea by our fellow Cherinians in Taiwan.”

She looked as if she was about to faint. I realised she was in shell-shock, we were exposing her to too much too fast. I called my healer to help her. Within moments her eyes were bright and alive again. That reminded me and I sent the healer to wipe away any fatigue Smaragda would be feeling.

We had a good time, the girls did not have to drink tea, they had their usual soft drinks while I was offered instant coffee. Afterwards we took a walk for the benefit of our guests, letting them soak up the fact that we really are in Taiwan.

1640

“Roberto, this Lua, she is the daughter of Daniel?”

“Yes. Lua? We saw Daniel yesterday, he was asking after you and sent his love.”

“I had so much to do I have not been for some days. I’ll go see father tonight.”

“Cherine, the golden circle, how about doing it here with Lua and her family?”

She shrugged, “Okay.”

“You getting blasé about it love?”

“No. Sorry, was just tired. I’m okay now.”

“Oh my love, I’m thinking we should do the imp trick with you, then I could carry you next to my heart always.”

As we walked and talked and joked, we were all conscious of Anna watching us intently. She could not believe how we interacted as a family and the oodles of love that flowed between us. The first couple of times I’d kiss a kid she would frown. Soon she was not reacting to it. Smaragda seemed mostly oblivious to the undercurrents, skipping and full of beans, a little girl having fun.

“Thank you Roberto. Being an only child she is not used to being so carefree and having fun. It means a lot to me seeing her like this.”

“Would you believe me if I said I have the same problem. They all play with each other - when I am not around. Soon as I am present they are serious. On rare occasion they forget themselves and they break my heart with the loveliness of their childish voices, their screams and laughter. I wish I could change whatever it is about myself that deprives me of seeing them like this all the time.”

We got back to the flat and cushions had been set out for all of us to sit in a circle. I had to make a decision, risk exposing ourselves. I looked at Cherine, but she only smiled back at me.

“Anna, I am going to take a chance. It is a big decision and it scares me. If you or Smaragda betray us, the knowledge we are about to give you would put my loved ones at risk. The girls are about to tell you the full story of the Cherinians.” I nodded to Wendy and Meli. They drew in Candy and Lua. I was surprised when they also brought in Jade. I was not aware of any talent she has that could contribute to the story telling. Suddenly I was excited about hearing it again.

Three voices, softly bringing my pain back to life. Cherine entered the garden and the story unfolded, all the magic of Meli and our three singers enough by themselves to touch any heart. What Jade brought in completed it, bringing to life the story as it had never been before.

Jade was projecting to all our minds the actual scenes. Not a continuous projection, but edited highly important scenes that would fit the story telling and music. Her projections were like holographic pictures in real-life colour, even able to convey the feel of textures. By the time they ended I was totally drained. I picked up Cherine who was silently weeping, she too was overcome with watching all the good and bad parts. Seeing me die again and again being the worst of it for her. Watching my body waste away. Seeing herself as she held my dying gangrenous body. The magic of the music making every emotion, each nuance come alive - this was too much!

There was no sound, not a voice or cough for over ten minutes, only the silent sound of hearts weeping at having watched something so real - the birth of a people, the costs and the benefits all part of it.

I said silent - not completely true. The violence to Wendy, Claudia and Theresa - even her daughter, it had all been too awful and raw for Smaragda. She had not known there was such evil in this world. Her mother held her until Wendy put out her arms for her and Anna handed her over.

No clapping or shouts of ‘bravo’ could have meant as much as our silence to the performers. They sat humbled by the effect they had on us. I knew that at their next ‘performance’ there would not be one Cherinian missing, the ripples of our feelings had spread out to them all.

1641

I had become sensitised, the feelings of all of them superimposed upon my own consciousness, depending on how I viewed them, they would merge with my energies or I could zoom in on each one separately. This was an amazing new gift that I had acquired and that is the only excuse I can give for my blindness. It took a while for me to see that this gift was given to me, it was not mine.

I did not need to search for the origin - I just could not believe it. It came from Smaragda!!!

She had not been to the void, had not been linked by Cherine and she had woken to her own gifts and passed them on! I then saw from Cherine that she had linked her.

*You are wrong Robert.* Her mind-speak was filled with an excitement. *I did not stretch out to her and link her in to us. She did it! Some need in her made her mind search for me and I could not refuse her.*

“Jesus!! Two miracles…three, all within the same night!!” I stared in amazement at Anna. “How did you do it Anna?”

“Smaragda reached in to me, she did it!”

“Do you know what else she did?” She shook her head, hardly able to trust herself to speak. “For the first time ever Cherine was not able to refuse a link. Your daughter, her mind or soul, it reached for the link and Cherine could not refuse her. As if that were not enough, she bestowed upon us all a new gift.”

The subject of all this was still held in the arms of Wendy, but she was fast asleep. As the new gift flowed around our planet, it was too much for all the Cherinians to hold in their reactions. The flat is not big enough for all of them to fit comfortably, but they all came. Even the babies like Lucy and the others who were adopted and could not become Cherinians yet, they were all brought, for no Cherinian was willing to stay away.

Through her link to Cherine, Smaragda had shared her gift with all Cherinians, wherever they were in the world. They could barely contain their excitement, but were all silent, all staring at her, but not willing to wake her up. The emotional wringer she had been through, the shock of what she had seen, the linking and unfolding of her gift, they had all taken their toll on her. Gently I wrapped her in a cone of silence.

“You can talk, just keep your emoting low key so as not to awaken her.”

Our Chinese family were overcome by the honour this new development had brought to them, that this should happen in their home would be remembered forever. Without getting up I bowed to them, turned and bowed to Lua. They acknowledged my bow with eyes smouldering with a quiet pride and pleasure.

“Lua, you must convey to Daniel your father our pride in you and your family here. If we had not been here, if every single factor had not been exactly as it was, this may not have happened. All Cherinians are in your debt and grateful.”

Having given them what I owed them I allowed myself to become just another Cherinian, heart bursting with love and joy at our next step in becoming someday the ultimate Cherinians. I had not forgotten my Jade though. I put my arms out to her and Cherine made way for our magical imp.

“Yours is a gift that will break many a heart, but it will also serve to keep alive the history of our people. You have done us proud my sweet daughter.”

“Your daughter?”

“Yes. Unless you do not want me as your father.”

She thought about it. “If all men call their God ‘Father’ then it is fitting that I do the same. May I also call you daddy?”

“Do so and every and each time you do so my heart will become heavy with a love I can hardly bear. Jade?”

“Yes?”

“I do not want to be your God. Not even with a small ‘g’. Let me by your daddy, that is enough for me.”

1642

“Not for me. I want you to be my husband when you are ready for me.” I was not the only one who chuckled.

“When I’m ready for you?”

“Yes. You are not ready now. First I have to grow into being your daughter then maybe your heart will see me as your love.”

“You are a wise girl.”

“I have to be with you as my father. Daddy, there has never been a father like you - every cell in me comes from you. Even my soul is part of your soul. The more you learn to love yourself the more you will love me. Or maybe, the more you love me the more you will learn to love yourself.” She and I were speaking earnestly, but the chuckles of the others, their love as they listened made us aware of all the others again. Alki knelt by her side.

“Will you call me pappou?”

“What else could I call you? You are the true father of my father.” He gathered her in his arms, his eyes shining.

Isn’t this the miracle of all children? The do not exist, then suddenly they are there and the heart is filled with love that makes it impossible to imagine a life without them.

Anna told me, “Robert, my husband will be home soon.”

“We better return then. Dommi, wrap Smaragda in your mother love so that she does not awaken and carry her in your arms. We will jump directly to her home. Anna, the four of us will return alone, girls, whenever you are ready come home.”

Cherine refused to stay without me and came with. We made it without awakening Smaragda and she was put to bed.

“Anna, please be careful. She is a child and will wake up excited at the memories she has. Please see to it that you are alone with her when she does.”

“I’ll sleep here with her. I do it every now and then, when she has nightmares. My husband will not question it.”

“Thank you love.”

“Anna, he called you love. That means he will never lie to you again.”

“They gave your secret away, the girls - they were not supposed to let me see how you manipulated me, were they?”

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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)
^{8th October, 2019}

* posted: 8th 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: