Little Cherine Book 02 - BPost006

...We do obey the laws that do not allow us to harm another. It is complicated, needing time to explain and we need to return, unlike you, we need to return to our bodies, especially the infants.”

Previous Post 005

751

Solomon gestured to Wendy. I had already realised he does not like to walk. I let her go to him. He touched her unruly golden mop of hair. It felt as if the whole world was holding it’s breath, waiting to see what he would do. A few green drops of light appeared which he gravely offered her. She did not even try to sense for my approval. She accepted them and chose of the golden motes in her and offered them to him. He took them with a show of reverence.

“Each time you translate emotions for us, you enchant us. We hope you will do so again some day.”

“If Robert says I can.”

“Yes. Now come Wendy, we must leave, Sam and Meli grow weary.”

“Grow weary indeed. You lied Robert, it was you who was weary.”

“True my little princess. I know I have to help, but the life of ceremonies and bowing, they depress me.”

“What kind of life does not?”

“The one were I am drained and exhausted by a whole football team of girls - in bed.”

“Not me. Sorry.”

I hardly had time to worry why Cherine had turned me down for the first time, when all the girls echoed her.

“That’s fine with me.” I went to my office quickly to avoid them forcing me to ask why. My sweet babies had let it slip out and I did not want that conversation.

I became deeply engrossed in my work, I found it relaxing after the hectic last days. My chest was burning me, an itch that kept me scratching at it. I almost missed the call. When it finally registered, I sent my healer and then took the biggest risk I have for a long time. I jumped straight for the apartment of Lisa. I made it but collapsed, totally drained. I forced myself to my feet and rushed in.

Charlie was choking, a fish bone lodged in his throat. It was but seconds and he was breathing again, the panting only his fear. I grabbed a sweet dish he loves and ate it even though I hated the stuff.

“I’m sorry, I need the energy. That was a long jump.”

“From Greece!”

“Your panic…never mind. I must return now. Charlie, you have been lazy, you should have had your own healer by now. Please see to it.” I nodded to all of them, changed my mind and picked up Lua and gave her a kiss. “You should have heard Wendy, she made a song for the Sparklers. It was terrible, but they loved it.” I gave her another kiss, tweaked her little button of a nose and returning her I jumped.

Through the rosy glow of daybreak I saw the ocean thousands of metres below me as I fell. I screamed with fear - I hate heights. My protector came to me, within my mind. I begged it to save me. It left and I saw the surface rushing up to me. I stopped a few hundred metres above, floating like a feather. I was about to thank the protector when I heard a voice.

“You told Lua I sounded terrible!”

“I lied baby, you were great.” I twisted over to face her. “You wouldn’t really drop me for that would you?”

She play-acted, pretending to consider it. “Hmm, I don’t know. After all, you did say you wanted to be left alone. You might prefer dropping, to facing Dommi and Cherine. All of us girls are furious with you.”

“Because I don’t want to discuss Laura?”

“For jumping silly. If your protector had not shown me where you are we would have lost you.”

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“Only this body love, I would have had a new one very soon.”

“I love this one!”

“Funny you should say that, so do I.”

“Is it my turn to save you Robbie? You are always saving me.”

“I was sort of hoping you would. Do you feel like it?”

“Only if you promise me one big thing.”

“Not Laura, forget it.”

“No silly. I want you to come into me and hear my song from inside me.”

“You mean you really felt hurt that I did not like it?”

“Lua is going to grow up with a lot of Chinese music. Are you also going to hate her songs?”

“Okay, I promise.”

“Can we also do something else? Will you play with me a little. You never do anymore.” She felt how I even forgot my fear of falling as I hurt at my neglect of her. She came and cuddled me, setting us in a spin.

Her hair was whipping my face, but I put my lips to her ear. “Can you take us to Cyprus, to our flat?”

“You want to make love to me?”

“You can feel it love. I’m sorry, I forgot. We better go home.”

She helped me jump and we landed on the bed. I grabbed hold and tickled her a bit, kissed her and went to face the music. It was not as bad as I had feared, but I had to get back to my work again, as none of them had changed their mind. I worked till dawn, reminding me of the days before Cherine when these had been my usual working hours. I leant back, stretching my back muscles when the door opened and Dommi came in silently. She softly kissed me and sat on my lap.

“You are going about this the wrong way love. While you were with your aliens we had to spend our time listening to the pain in her.”

“It is not the point. You and Cherine should have advised those girls who do not know. I do not like my love or need for you, my joy in holding you, being used as a weapon against me. I have decided that for every hour this is used against me, I will refuse you all for ten. As a matter of fact I feel very angry about it and very hurt.”

“Consider our hours as having ended now.”

“No Dommi. It cannot end unremarked like this. They must all know the consequences of threatening me in any way, but especially this way. I have shouted at you, used other tactics when angry, but I have never shut you out from my loving to force you to give in. It is unethical and makes a mockery of my love for you.”

“They have all heard. We will wait for the time you choose to return to us. I did put clean sheets on the spare bed. If you do not wish to lie with us even in sleep, go there love. Get some sleep. We can talk as a family afterwards.”

She left and I sat until I realised she was right, I was not just tired, I was exhausted, the pain in my chest now bothering me. I called the healer, but it did not respond. I presumed it must be helping one of my loved ones. I switched off and went to our bedroom. They were all sitting on the bed. Inwardly I laughed, there was no space for them to lie down and no space for me. All the wee ones changed back and the others put them in their cribs. A space appeared for me. I ignored it, undressed and lay down next to Dommi, spooning up against her back and went to sleep.

“You all know that I suck at understanding relationships. But I do know that I will not tolerate what you did last night. One night has been stolen out of my life that I wanted to love you. Even if we had not made love, just to feel you close to me, your love a soothing and magic garden of beauty for me. You stole it and I do not forgive you.”

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“It was my fault Robert. Don’t be cross with them.”

“That was sweet of you Claudia. In my eyes you are all equally to blame, except for those who should have known better.” Cherine gave me her impish grin, completely unperturbed by my anger. I realised she had deliberately gone along with them so as to teach them the same lesson she had learnt. That at least soothed my hurt a bit. I could not fault her for loving them so much.

“Today is going to be a day of suggestions and decisions. I have missed or forgotten a whole lot of birthdays. I am not going to miss this one. I want your ideas, what do we do for Wendy. We only have five days to go.”

“I think Wendy should tell us what she wants.”

I let Wendy answer and then taking her by the hand, walked off to the guest bed room. I lay down and placed her on me. I smoothed back the hair stuck to her sweaty brow as she took off her clothes while lying on me.

“Feeling the heat love?”

“Yes.”

“You have a healer. Ask it to cool you down. Shall we go play?”

This must have been the longest I’ve stayed in another’s mind. We played until she’d had enough, then she wanted me to come into her and make a copy of her within my mind, as I had done with Cherine. I explained that she would then have to do the same with me and that this would end up binding us even more closely. I did not like the idea that she would also die if I do. Once I was certain she understood and I saw it was her choice, I did it. I started off looking, then it became a search. I looked down to details and stopped in amazement. Apart from asking me to kill her father, which I found was out of fear, not hate, I could not find one instance of her hating anyone, of her wishing to cause pain. My Wendy has the purest soul, made of love and compassion, that I have ever seen. I let her see my delight in her.

When we walked out to rejoin the others, they all sensed the delight in me and were not surprised to find my anger forgotten from my need to hold them all in my arms. Claudia whispered to Wendy, “Can you do that for me also?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Claudia, that is a good idea. I suggest you all do it. Share with Wendy. Having a copy of her within you is going to be a delight for you. See how a mind can exist without one thought of hate or selfishness. She will be a source of delight for our whole lives.”

I pulled Wendy away from them, “Come back with me.” I took her back to the room and entered her mind again.

*There is evil in me love. There has been great hate. I do not want that colouring your own thoughts. I am going to dampen those parts of my copy in you. You will still be able to see them, but not feel them. I do not want to be the one to teach you to hate.*

When we returned again, I explained what I had done and asked they all censor their copies too, any traits they have that Wendy does not, they must dampen. I showed them how, directly to their minds. I insisted that they limit themselves to one every few days. She must have time to fit us within her, adjust to the copy in her. Wendy promised Claudia she will be first.

When Alki heard about Wendy, he pleaded we help him do the same, he wants to share with his daughters and Marian. Cherine got teary when he made clear he includes her as his daughter. He then looked around the room and his heart spoke for him.

“Roberto, there is not one of them I could say I do not want. Can I have all of you?” he asked the girls. As they began to all agree, Diana walked away from the girls, standing by me.

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“Robert, I will not share with Alki or anyone else outside of our circle.” I was shocked and my face must have paled at the thought of my Alki being hurt. “I did not mean ever Robbie. I meant now! If I do then my babies might link to him. I want them to stay with us.”

“Cherine,” I almost shouted, “is Diana right? Could that happen?”

“I don’t know Robert. I think maybe it could.”

“Diana, we need to think about this. We will speak later.”

We did. I thought that this was a marvellous opportunity for us to give such a gift to Alki and Marian. Diana cried and we all felt her heart breaking. She did not want to, wanted them to be a part of us. She also felt how right this would be and was torn. I soothed her and told her we will not give our babies, to forget about it.

Dommi asked, “Robert, agapi mou. Would you think it terrible of me to get pregnant so as to give the child to them? After all, the child would still be ours, part of us also. It would only be as if the child married someone else. Their World is almost a part of ours.”

Cherine then wanted to also but I squelched that idea immediately.

“None of my girls are going to have any more babies for a few years. Dominique, we would be showing honour and love to two people we love dearly and I would agree, but for one thing. I think we all forgot this in the excitement and joy of giving.” They stared at me, wondering what I meant. “Babies are not ours to give. They are human beings and have the right to choose for themselves. If we decide to have a baby, expressly for the purpose of linking it to Alki, we are then putting unfair pressure on that child to do so. If it loves us and wants to link to us, it becomes afraid of disappointing us. I’m just giving various scenarios to show this might be wrong.”

I might have killed the idea, but the gesture by Dommi filled our hearts. When Alki and Marian heard about it, from their babies, with my reasons for stopping it, they showered her with love.

The sharing with Wendy led to this becoming the new craze. Everybody wanting to share with everyone. The girls helped bring over our Chinese community and when they shared, it helped a lot of us understand a lot more about the way they think. What it showed, more than anything else, is, under all the cultural differences, how similar we all are, while how important it is we also promote the differences so that we can all grow.

Chapter Seventy Four

Giving the Sparklers a few hours each day took a large chunk out of real life - though it varied each time. Sometimes what felt like two hours there was three hours here, and other times it was up to seven hours. I marvel at it and wonder, but am not in a hurry to understand; I enjoy having the universe mystify me.

I refused to give a minute of my time on the day we celebrated Wendy’s birthday. She had asked for a day in London. We were given the flat to use and went there the night before. I had jumped earlier, alone, and had purchased through a concierge, tickets for a show. Afterwards we went to Leicester Square, downstairs to the Swiss restaurant, and had a great time trying a variety of their foods. I also got myself tipsy on trying out a variety of wines.

As we walked back towards Mayfair I pointed out to the girls (who were all adults) that we lack one very important gift; and I asked whether one of them can try to acquire such a gift. Somehow, whenever we need a cab, there are no taxis around. Practical Claudia pointed out that we would need at least two cabs every time.

“Two!? Whatever happened to that thrifty Swedish blood of yours? We only need one. I can change you girls into little mice and Dommi can keep a handbag big enough to carry you in.”

“Robbie, my feet are hurting, can we go into this side road and jump home?”

“Forget it. After the way you ate tonight you need the exercise. I don’t want any fat girls.”

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Claudia objected. “I find that disgusting. Some of the loveliest people I know are fat.”

“Disgusting is when you pick your nose in public and then play with the snot. What you mean is it is insulting or obnoxious of me.”

Claudia laughed. “I like that. Obnoxious Robert. Meli, you can introduce him from now as Prince Obnoxious.”

I wondered how come the girls never talk like this about each other, only about me. Then I thought of how females always seem to find ways to insult each other without the men realising what is going on. None of my girls do that. Come to think of it, not even the other females in any of the other circles. I wondered if this could be a result of the gifts we share.

Dommi took my arm. “You finally noticed? Actually you are wrong, we still get catty, but never against each other, only with other females, ones that do not have the gifts - and only if they first get catty about one of us.”

“Why is that? Is it because you can feel the hurt?”

“No. Maybe if I had been the first there would have been some cattiness. With Cherine being first she influenced us all. She is not a normal girl in that way. Apart from you, she has never said anything nasty to anyone.”

“I’m her safety valve?”

“Don’t be so dumb. She just shows her love and trust in you that way. You also bring out the cheekiness in her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when she bests me again.” I teased, with a smile.

We got home before it was midnight (in the USA) and sang Happy Birthday and brought out some presents. Wendy is so sweet and unspoilt, the tiniest silly gift is a treasure to her. I was so glad I had found out what she really wanted, which we were buying in the morning. From what I have understood, it is a computerised type of synthesiser, though it is not actually a synthesiser. I tried to understand what it does, but when she begins to talk about music I have an ignorance of the subject that is awesome. Apparently this equipment, with the software, will actually help in her composing. I do not know why, since I love computers so much, but I did not like the idea of a computer of any kind helping her to write her music, do the arranging or anything else, limiting her then to its own programmed abilities.

She thought I was being old fashioned and silly. I tried to explain that whoever wrote the software may have a good knowledge of music, but could not have put into the programming what she needs to help her do anything as original as her work is. She then very naively told me I could write that in. Even the idea of an experienced programmer trying to, is a nightmare, and I told her so.

When we found what she wanted and I heard the price, I could have fainted. The salesman explained it is an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment that only the major studios usually can afford. We could have bought a house with that kind of money, but when I saw her little face turned up to me filled with joy at my buying it for her, I paid up.

While we waited for the documentation to be prepared as they have to ship it to Greece, Wendy saw a number of other things she wanted. One was for creating light effects with lasers. This would have cost another fortune, so I had to harden my heart to refuse her. As I crouched by her to explain, I saw Dommi hand over a cheque, ordering the stuff.

“Dommi!”

She took the cheque back and showed it to me, grinning. “You forgot that Marian and Alki adopted Wendy? It is their birthday present.”

“This is ridiculous. Wendy has more equipment than most major studios have.”

“Are you trying to say she does not deserve it?”

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I gave no glib answer. I stared at my little wonder girl. “If she were a stranger to me, with her talent alone she would deserve it. You are right, get all she needs.”

I walked over to Wendy who had drifted away to look at other equipment and picked her up for a hug. “I’m sorry girlie, I have been thoughtless again. This stuff I got you, none of it is your birthday present. Those are tools you need. I want you to have something as a present that you do not need. From here we go to look at toys or anything else you want.”

We jumped home in time for all the friends who wanted to be part of celebrating our little angels’ birthday. She got her presents, blew out her candle and even put up with our awful rendition of Happy Birthday, with me adding a few verses, about ‘happy birthday to you, stick your head in the loo’ etc. Nobody wanted much of a supper and we had a fairly early evening for a change.

As we lay down, Wendy came to thank me and I placed her on me. “Life is very strange my love. If you’d had a normal daddy, we would never have got to know and love you. In a way we were very lucky he turned out to be such a bastard. I’m just so sorry you had to suffer so much for you to find us.”

“It was worth it for me Robbie.” I shook my head in denial, but could not find anything to say.

Softly I kept running my fingers through her long hair. When she lifted her face to kiss me I expected something soft and sweet, the kiss of a little angel ready to go to sleep. Instead I was hit by a storm of needs, of love that needed to be expressed. Her eyes darkened to the darkest black, the storm of passion flashing within the darkness. She had put her little hands to either side of my face and began to kiss my face all over as if she could not get enough of me.

With her daintiness, her slim body, her long golden tresses spread over me, those eyes in a face of purity and innocence, it must have looked as if an angel had come from heaven to love me.

As if she were just such an angel, I loved her back with the reverence and adoration she invoked in me (που επικαλείται σε μένα). We were totally open to each other, sharing our emotions and bodies and as the intensity kept on growing, as every caress sparked another fire to race throughout our veins, we seemed to meld into one incredible creature of love and passion. When she shot up in an explosion that began from deep within her, my own explosion was a part of her too. Even once our desperate needs had subsided and she lay in my arms, our loving of each other continued until she took that steep ascent once more, though this time it was gentler, sweeter and lasted far longer. She lay upon me, her milky breath upon my face and I was filled with an incredible tenderness and gratitude for my lovely Wendy being a part of me.

We fell asleep together, holding to each other, leaving the other poor girls to take care of the fires we had ignited in them, but feeling them cocoon us in their own love and tenderness.

Claudia noted, “I think the people of Athens must be the most unhappy people of any city. I look at them as they walk past and see faces tight with stress and worry. See how many of them have dark patches under their eyes.”

“Many people think the Greeks are a happy-go-lucky people; they are known for the intensity of their music, dancing and enjoying themselves. They are self-opinionated, each one thinking they have the ability to run the country. What few foreigners know is how hard they work. Most of the people you see Claudia, hold two jobs, I have even met some who have three jobs. Sometimes both the husband and wife do. This can lead to a lot of stress and unhappiness, especially for those with children.”

“I wish we could let them feel some of that magic you and Wendy were feeling for each other last night.”

The conversation went off at a tangent, the girls and I enjoying our sweets and coffee, the hustle and bustle of smartly dressed Greeks rushing by. We waited until it was time and climbed the slight hill to the Kifissia movie house and watched a film. Afterwards we stood in a queue at the corner shop for our huge sandwiches. With the heat it seemed everyone was still up trying to cool themselves down with the occasional slight breeze. It was quite late when we got home.

The next morning I found the comment by Claudia was still rolling around in my mind. When life is lived at such a frenetic pace, there is little time for appreciating love. Even most of the young couples who ache to find love, who fill the coffee shops and clubs at night, end up just grabbing a little gratification, since love would have demanded too much time and effort.

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“Cherine, you remember how we tried to use the golden glow of love to find out if anyone in the neighbourhood was gifted?”

“Yes.”

“If we were to do it again, but this time build it up to maybe ten times more powerful, could you control it?”

“Wow!! I don’t know. Why?”

“It bothers me love, that we have so much happiness, so much love and they have hardly any. The comment by Claudia last night, it got me wondering. If we get all our circles, all of the gifted, bring them together and you start to swirl our love until it is powerful enough to cover the whole city, do you think we could affect them all?”

“I don’t know. I do not think I could make it so big.”

“Give me a second.” I called Savva. I asked him to check certain dates, to see if he could give us any statistics for them. I wanted to know whether our previous attempts had any effect on crime, fighting, suicides and so on within the area we had affected then.

He came over to the house that evening and we could see he was excited. “You must tell me what this is about. On the dates you gave me there was zero crime committed locally, no family fights. The only crime over the next few days was by thieves who came from other areas. What did you do, I know it must have been you.”

“Hold on. I want Alki here for this.”

He came over to find out what the excitement was about. I reminded him of our experiments, explaining them at the same time for Savva and his wife. I then asked Savva to repeat the results of his statistics for those days and nights. Alki listened closely and nodded, as if he were not surprised, had expected it. I then repeated our conversation of the previous evening, with the final comment of Claudia. I told them of my question to Cherine and her answer.

“I would like to try it. We do not have to cover all of Athens. We could try to cover a smaller radius. Try it for a week and see what the effect is. If it works as I hope, we could meet once a week and cover a different area each time. Spread the joy, as the hippies used to say.”

“That is fine Roberto. A good idea, except for one thing. Could we stand to feel so much love so often?”

Savva sounded worried, “If it works, as I understand it, the effect will be noticed. Do we want that?”

“Savva, we have to take some risks. I vote we live dangerously and give it a go.” The girls echoed my sentiments, though Dommi remarked that she would have thought I’d had enough of living dangerously.

I warned them, “The key to all this is Cherine. If I see it is having a negative effect on her, in any way, we stop.”

I visited the Kent family. “Jonathan, time has been passing and I have noticed a reluctance in you. I have a feeling that your daughter joining our circle angered you. Not because she did, but because it happened without our asking your permission first.”

“You are damn right that I am angry.”

“Do you truly think of this as something that happens at will? If you and I decided to become a circle of our own, you think our decision could make it happen? Jonathan, what happened has the same inevitability that falling in love has. You cannot choose to fall or not to fall in love. It is the same with the joining of a circle. You cannot be forced to join one and you cannot volunteer to do so either. It just happens because you all love each other, or it does not.”

“I do not like things happening to my family if I have no control over them.”

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“That I can appreciate. You do realise that I have a hundred times more ability to control what happens to my family than you do? Can you prevent them from getting sick? If there is a fatal accident, can you save them? Can you show your wife how much you love her, so plainly that she never has a moment of doubt? The list is endless. Of all those who have danced, even others after you, you have the least control. You worry about little Em-e; for what reason? If she is loved so deeply, how could we bear to do anything at all to harm her, since her pain would be our own pain. Just as her joy is our joy.”

“Please listen to him Jonah, I have felt the joy in our little girl. They have only made her happy. Look at her asthma. Since we first met them she has not suffered one attack. Even though it was Spring.”

“Jonathan, I still do not ask for any decisions to be made. I never will. I have come here today for two reasons. The first was to try and clear the air between us. The second is for something I think you will be very excited about.”

I explained our plan and pointed out to him that he would be part of an experiment that is grandiose (μεγαλειώδης) in scale. I told him that this may put to shame any of those experiments he had read about and, more importantly, he could then say he was part of it. Would he join us?

“Keep in mind that if you come, this will not obligate you (υποχρεώση) in any way. We would be obligated. We need every ounce of love we can gather to ensure success.”

“It sounds like a worthy cause. Yes, I must be honest, it does sound exciting. We shall come.”

We gathered everyone. We had to sit in the garden as there were too many of us. We brought Socrati, who is already looking more than twenty years younger. The girls brought our Chinese family and Andrea and Britta.

I asked Alki to explain to all. He did so and then Savva got up to give them some statistics, showing the results. He told them what his department expect, as an average, over the next three days. I asked if anyone objects. Anyone who had to go to the toilet went, whoever was thirsty had some water and we sat back, relaxing.

I waited for Cherine to call on me to start the love flowing. She called on Alki instead. She sent it to Meli, then to Marian, then Bernie and back to Alki. Having completed the family she began on the rest of us. It grew stronger and stronger and by the time she got to Dommi and I, we were certain it could not be added to. She sent it another time around and I called on the protector to watch her.

I saw she was going to send it around again, which would make it almost impossible for most of us to bear. It was shining like a halo, a gleam of sunlight that raced from heart to heart. I was certain Cherine could not control it, but she surprised me. She took the hand of Claudia and shared the control with her. The band of liquid golden light began to flare as it tore into our hearts, all of us weeping with the unbearable beauty of it - and Wendy had started to add her song to our love when it suddenly exploded, racing out in a blast that must have travelled at least in a radius of a kilometre or two.

There was a lot of crying, hugging and kissing. If we had been seen by a stranger they would have thought us all crazy. It took a long time for us to calm down.

“I saw the love, it was a band of gold!! How can I see love, it is just an emotion!!”

“Take the memory with you to treasure Jonathan. I hope you will come to our next one on Thursday.”

If we had just returned to normal it would have seemed to be an anticlimax. As the effects lingered for a long time we were all able to part in a glow of love.

The next day I got a call from Jonathan. “Robert, I think I owe you an apology. I have been talking to my daughter. Maria-Elena says what we felt last night is what she feels from you since she came into your circle. If you are able to make her feel loved like that, I could not dare to ask for more for my daughter.”

“When you say I make her feel like that I presume you mean all of us, the girls and I.”

“She mentioned that too. No, she says that just from you alone she is able to feel that kind of love. You truly have a magnificent gift Robert. I am humbled.”

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“Please do not be. Instead I would rather have you join us again in a dance. Take your time, experience it again on Thursday before making up your mind.”

He laughed. “No, the time for procrastination (αναβλητικότητα) has ended. I would only be mule-headed to delay any longer.”

We were not surprised to see Em-e appear. As she appeared, her back was to me so I flicked a finger over her ear.

“Ow!” She jumped. “That hurt.”

“You are a naughty girl.”

“What did I do?”

“Your father told me you told him that I make you feel like we all did last night. If he thinks about it he will realise it means we have been having sex.”

“It does not!! You make me feel like that all the time. Except for when you hurt me.”

“It was not such a big hurt, it was just Robbie being playful.” Wendy looked a little angry. I grinned at her.

“Don’t get upset Wendy, she is just trying to pay me back for giving her a fright. Em-e, you still love me?” She came into my arms and I could feel her answer.

We repeated the experiment on Thursday night and now we would have to wait to hear from Savva on the next Monday.

Friday I was away, having gone to Cyprus with Rosie for the weekend. Socrati was at the flat, bored out of his mind. We took him with us, Rosie now a twenty year old, for supper. I asked him how he is passing his time. It turned out he is taking lessons to learn how to read and write. He also wants to learn English.

“Take it slowly Socrati. You now have a lot of time. Why aren’t you going out more?”

“This place is as bad as a village. They are already talking about me. It is better they do not see too much of me. Roberto, this second chance, it has made me thirsty for knowledge. I do not want to die an ignorant old man.”

“Beginning of September the girls and I are moving into the old home of Alki while our house is being re-modelled. It would be nice to have someone stay there to watch over our things. Feel like spending some months there? You would have Alki next door and we could meet more often. You might even learn some English.”

That being arranged, we returned to the flat, I changed him to a man of about twenty five and we jumped to Agia Napa. Andrea was waiting for us at our secluded spot and collecting Britta we went to a disco. Poor Socrati was totally out of his element. Britta forced him onto the dance floor and an hour later they were still dancing.

When she went to dance with Andrea, Rosie and I were also dancing. We saw him sitting alone and felt a bit sorry for him. He went to the bar, got another drink and started talking with a small group there. Rosie saw him put his glass on the bar and he joined us on the dance floor with a young girl of about twenty. He seemed to be making her laugh a lot and they danced through four numbers, when the music slowed down. She did not leave and I saw the look on his face as he held her to him. I kept myself in position to see her face as they turned and saw she had her arms around his neck and her eyes were half closed.

As we left I saw him talk to her and then he joined us.

“Socrati, would you like to stay?”

“No. I will take a taxi in the morning. I arranged to meet her for lunch.”

760

Rosie can be quite a tough little girl, even though she looks so dainty and angelic, with her blond hair and blue-green eyes. She surprised me by offering to bring him back next morning. The next day she did not need to return him home, he phoned to tell us he was staying overnight.

“Rosie love, I am worried. His life has not been good to him till now. He may be older than us, but he is incredibly naïve, especially with women. Would you mind if we go back and check on her?”

“You are not thinking straight Robbie. Cherine should go, she can read the girl and tell us.”

Cherine gave us the thumbs up. She met the girl, who is from Norway. She also reported that Socrati is in love and in despair. The girl thinks he is twenty five and he cannot stay like that all the time. What is he to do?

I arranged with Cherine to meet me there on Monday morning. Rosie got upset, demanding to come with, even if her weekend would be over, claiming it is part of her weekend adventure. I gave in.

“I have told her I am an ignorant villager, that I am only now learning to read. She thinks that shows I am wonderful, she says. This is the first time I have loved, Roberto. Miss Cherine, can you help me?”

“You call me miss again and not only I will not help, I’ll throw this plate of food over your head. I thought we were friends.”

“Socrati, stop looking so abashed. We are here because we realise you need help. We are family now.”

“What will you do?”

“You think I plan ahead Socrati? If I did that, I would end up having to change my plans all the time. I hate changing my plans, so I prefer not to make any. I will meet the girl and decide. It is better we go, knowing what our intention is and let life show us how to achieve it. Okay?”

“It takes a lot of faith in you not to become frightened when you talk like that.”

“That was humour?”

“That and a little fear.”

Britta joined us, but Andrea was at work. It might frighten off the poor Danish girl I thought, when she sees so many beauties with him. It seemed to have the opposite effect. She joined us and she saw that Socrati hardly noticed the girls, that his eyes were on her all the time. His casual friendly way with the girls must have encouraged her to think he is more of an experienced lady’s man than she had thought. We kept the conversation very general for a while. It turned out she often visits Sweden and has been to the town where Britta comes from and they discussed it for a while.

“Sonja, if I may ask a rather personal question of you. We are very interested in the paranormal. Not ghosts and things like that. More in people who have extrasensory abilities. You done any reading on the subject?”

“Not really. I think it is more wishful thinking than fact, so I can’t be bothered with it. I think it is the same need that people have for a god. They want to feel there is someone more powerful who can look after them. Maybe it is the same as all those poor people who think they’ve met aliens.”

We kept a straight face. “A bit of a generalisation I feel. If you took part in an experiment and you saw something impossible happen, how would you react? Scream and run or want to learn more?”

“I do not scream and run! I think I would want to learn more.” We were sitting at one of those tavernas near the beach. I paid and we took a walk - and kept on going until we were alone.

“Sonja, let’s do an experiment.”

“That paranormal thing you were talking about?”

“Yes. Look at my hand.” I held it up for her to see. I projected it into the face of a cat, it opened it’s mouth and hissed. I reverted it back to a hand. She stared, her face suddenly pale. She shook her head and laughed.

Next Book 02 - Post 007

I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.

Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου

(Alexander Zenon Eustace)
^{27th April, 2019}

* posted on Steemit: 27th April, 2019



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