Spoiler alert

you will be learning about Robert, in advance of him learning about himself

Your choice, learn some of his secrets and why they caused me problems, or else, wait to learn about them as you read the story of his life with Cherine. If you choose not to read, I admire you for not giving in to temptation - so, skip all this post, go to the bottom and give me a whale-of-a-vote, something like $100 and then shut this page (I am joking - if anyone did, we all know what would happen, some self-opinionated shark would come to whittle it all the way down to $1...and I'd have a heart attack. So, in the interest of keeping me alive, just skip this post).

Robert - What was Intended

If you have read the short story of Cherine, which is where I first created Robert and Cherine - and Dominique (Dommi), it is fairly easy to work out that I was doing as all first-time writers do - I heavily borrowed from my own life and used Cherine to show me where I had gone wrong in my own life.

I enjoyed writing about her so much (I was a bit in love with her as a father...I've always wished I could have a child), that the very next day I started writing Book 01. It was 700 pages, which means it was over 1,000 pages in soft-cover format. I wrote from 14 to 20 pages a day and I could not keep up with them, which meant they had events happening to them which another writer would have stretched out to fifty pages, but I wrote it in one or two. I finished book 01 within six months.

Robert wrote the story as his diary, and as he concentrated on Cherine and Dominique (and later on, his new loves), I too concentrated on Cherine and did not give Robert and his future with her as much thought as I should have.

In many important ways, Robert is far more mature than I am, but in another (extemely important way) he is far less. When he makes me feel immature, I do not like it, but I accept it, even though I do not understand how I can create someone more mature than I am (and yet I am not surprised when all the girls turn out to be more mature than I am). But, I had many problems in adjusting to his immaturity, because, that is where his true strength grows from.

You see, if you are writing a tale about a super-hero, you lay out in advance a map of his weaknesses and strengths. As with Superman; he can fly, but he cannot kill and Kryptonite leaches him of all his strength - far more effectively than too much sex would.

I did no such planning for Robert. His strengths - I waited to learn from him what they are. His weaknesses? His girls and everyone else he loves. To me, it suggests he is too wishy-washy...and yet, he remains a fascinating character and he earns my respect over the years.

No, it is not intended that Robert be a St George, slaying dragons left, right and center.

He is shy, retiring and hates making a scene - being treated as a hero is, to him, excruciatingly (ανυπόφορος) embarrassing. When he is among those who love him, he can at times be a bit dictatorial, but he tried to prevent it from happening.

Empathy strengthens Cherine; with Robert, it softens him - which means Cherine feels she must always be at his side to protect him from his own kindness and softness.

^Samantha

Luckily it was Samantha who was first to understand what the true power of Robert is, and just how fragile it is, despite it being alomst limitless in strength when anyone he loves is in danger. She knows he is far stronger than the Protector, but sees that it is the small every-day experiences which will mature him and rob him of his abilities.

You see, the power of Robert comes from his ability to believe he can do what he needs to do, for, if he can imagine what he needs, he can have that power.

If he is forced, as leader, to deal with all the small petty problems, or later, the boring life of having to deal with politicians, he'll lose his magical unthinking belief in his power to deal with all situations, however powerful the force or enemy is.

Samantha, awkwardly works her way to taking over from Robert his responsibilities, without taking his leadership from him. She makes a few mistakes, but very soon she is adored by Cherine and by all those who love Robert, for they see that she is his champion, that she is saving him from growing up.

It is a humorous situation in that thousands of species who become Cherinians, accept him as their leader, yet, to their dismay, they have to do all they can to help Samantha, so that he does not mature and realise he cannot do whatever he wants.

All that was an error by me. I did not plan it - maybe I could accuse Samantha of planning it - but I love her too much to say anything that nasty about her.

Later, I compound the error ( χειροτερέυω το λάθος) by telling Robert that my assuming (which is inflexibly in control of their existence and realities - as it is with any Author) has decided that whatever the danger, however powerful or dire, if his girls or other loved ones are in danger, he will have the power to fight and win - in whatever way will be good for those he fights for.

^{Assuming: When a writer creates a story, he does not give all the details (he does not tell you every time the character goes to the toilet, for instance). He assumes the character goes when needed, and so do you, the reader.}

Oh what have I done!

How can I write a story of a person who has limitless powers? How can I create suspense so as to carry my reader along with the story? Heck, how can I make the story interesting for Robert?

I had not a clue how to do so and still do not. This is probably why I feel they wrote their own story, solved their problems in their own way, even when I was stumped and could not see a solution.

Dear Reader

*** As you read, remember that for quite a long time they will not know the truth about Robert and themselves (or about me, as their author) and you will see how they gradually arrive at the truth. I hope my confiding these details have not spoilt it for you. ***

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)

^{12th November, 2018}

• posted on Steemit: 12th November, 2018