Little Cherine Book 04 - BPost002
“They are the only ones I think who are not allowed out. I’m not certain, I think that if it was a crime of passion and the danger of it being repeated is not high, they are allowed out for funerals and such.”
2111
“It seems to me that you are doing well Robert, by searching what is good among the Normal people and adapting that for your Cherinians.”
I gave a wry grin. “Don’t you start father. I have the bad habit of calling all Cherinians my Cherinians. I feel very possessive of them. No one else should though. You may all understand that my feelings are a result of me being a protector, but should not encourage me. I would far rather you all object.”
Alki chuckled. “Mr Teller, I think you are beginning to understand what a problem Robert is for us. A leader who does not want to be a leader.”
With a sad look on his face he asked. “Robert, if I had been a good father, how would you have turned out?”
I chuckled, knowing in advance how I’m going to upset everyone. “Be glad you were not. If you had, I would probably be an ambitionless pavement artist, happily scribbling away and would never have met my Cherine. Alki, I had not thought of it that way before!! You keep on throwing at me the Greek saying that when bad things happen, if you look back at them in the future you usually see they brought good with them. This certainly proves it.”
Cherine came over, her face astonished. “You mean I only met you because of your father!?” She turned to him and then impulsively, ignoring the fact that he would not like it, she hugged him. “Thank you father.”
“I cannot believe I am being thanked for being a bad father!!”
Alki and Marian laughed. So did Dommi. She told him. “Robert does this to all of us. If we have done something wrong he will always, and I mean always, find a way to make it look as if either he was to blame or that what we did brought about more good than bad. It is the way he is.” She pulled a face. “It makes it very difficult for me to teach the kids any discipline.”
“That is not strictly true Dominique.” Alki intervened. “Whenever he has dealt with a child that did wrong and taken the blame for himself, you have felt how that child feels. They are very careful not to do it again so that their Robert will not have to blame himself.”
“Cherine, do me a favour love and get the girls to help you carry Solomon to our bedroom. I think he is likely to be gone a long time; I want to have the body close to me so that I can immediately sense if anything goes wrong.”
Taking the cue Rob and his Cherinians left, after Alki promised to go to them soon.
As the bedroom door closed Cherine asked, “Where are you going Robert?”
“Sorry to make you all come here early, but I did not want to have to explain to my father. Can someone contact Lynda please?”
They brought her and it was obvious she had just got home.
“If you need a shower and to change, please do so Lynda, I can wait.”
“You need me to find a world?”
“Yes. It could take long, so please freshen up first and have something to eat before you return.”
“What are you looking for Robbie?” Meli asked.
“A world where my father died before I was conceived. I think my mother still loved him then.”
“You want me to find a world where one person died at a certain time Robert? That could take forever.”
“Take your time love. I’ll let Hettie know to tell your office she needs you.”
Two of the girls jumped with her as she was still not able to carry much. She wanted her own clothes and I guess the girls were all eager for her to bring her makeup. I think I am going to have to change my attitude to makeup as the girls grow up. For some reason I cannot understand, they all love the stuff. I wish they could see how much lovelier they look without it.
2112
It took four days to find the Rose I wanted. Lynda was totally drained, but I kissed her and jumped. Cherine came with me, but stayed away, out of sight, but close by.
“Mrs Rose Teller? Could I speak to you for a moment?”
“Do I know you?”
“I am a relative of Wilfred.”
“He never told me he had family. But then he was so closemouthed about everything. Come in. I’m afraid I can’t stay long as friends are coming to pick me up.”
I chatted, telling her a few things about my father, thanked her and we returned home.
“Lynda love, I am so sorry. That world was useless. She did not love my father.”
Gamely she went back to her search and as she was now looking for worlds closely linked to that one, she came up with one within the hour.
I kissed her, “You’re a star. Thanks love.”
“Mrs Rose Teller? Could I speak to you for a moment?”
“Do I know you?”
“I am a relative of Wilfred.”
“He never told me he had family. But then he was so closemouthed about everything. Come in. I’d love to hear about his side of the family.” She looked so sad as she confided, “We were hoping to have a child. I wish I had not waited so long.”
“Rose, did you really love him?”
“Yes. He was a difficult man, he had a problem in showing his feelings, but once you understood him it was easy to tell. Did you know him well?”
“Yes. If you had a chance to have him back, in a way, would you want to?”
“What are you talking about?” She stared at me, noted my resemblance to him and her lips went thin and white as she thought she understood. She thought I am a relative of his and was offering myself, wanting to prey on her misery and need for her dead husband. Gosh, her disdain and disgust as she stared at me was powerful!.
I quickly spoke to stop her from saying the wrong thing. “I meant, if Wilfred himself could come back to life, would you run screaming or would you love him?”
“You ask very strange questions of a woman who has just lost her husband. It is not very tactful, you are causing me pain.”
“I know mo… Rose. I am not what I seem and if you answer me honestly I will explain.”
“Of course I would not run away screaming.” She paused. “Unless he is now a vampire.” She gave a weak grin to show it was meant as humour.
“Rose, what I have to tell you will first have you convinced that I am crazy and then, if you begin to believe, you will be terrified. I want to take a chance with you and do things the wrong way around. I swear that you will not be harmed and I will return you here should you not want to stay with us.” Before she could answer I warned Cherine, touched Rose and jumped.
She had been sitting and would have fallen if placed on the floor. I’d aimed for our bed. The girls quickly pulled back from her at my warning.
She did not scream, too shocked I think.
2113
“Laura, call your mother over right now please.” Rose did not see her disappear, had no reason to notice her. I turned to Rose. “I promised an explanation. It will take some time. Shall we go to the lounge and have some tea with it? Aganthi koukla mou, would you please?”
“Coffee for you?”
“And an extra cup of tea for my mother please.”
As if on cue she arrived and Rose saw herself suddenly appear with a little girl holding her hand.
“Rose, please do not speak, she does not know yet who we are and why she is here. Wilfred died before she had a child and she still loves him. That was the best I could think of.”
She looked at this version of herself who may not have looked younger, but was in actual fact. She nodded to me. “Your best chance I think.”
“Rose,” I began to explain to our new guest, “I’m certain you have read of people who have paranormal powers. We are a group of such people. Our powers, we prefer to call them gifts, as they are linked to empathy and love, helped bring you here - you have already experienced the first of these gifts, we came here by teleportation.
There are two ways you could view our powers; either become terrified, or become interested by saying to yourself, ‘in my moment of sadness something interesting has happened’, and let yourself become a little excited about it. Won’t you please choose the second option?”
“I cannot believe you brought me to a group of little girls to harm me. What does puzzle me is, who is this woman, she looks just like me.”
“Have you heard of alternate worlds? Let me explain then.” I did so and as an example told her of the previous world I’d just been to and the Rose I had just met, then of the world of Rob. “This is the Rose of our world. I’m going to shock you now. This Rose, she is my mother. The little girl you see with her is Laura, her daughter and my sister.”
“All this seems highly unlikely, but what has it to do with the question you asked me?”
“Please call me Robert. I have a Wilfred who lost his Rose. It was partly, no, to be honest, mostly his fault. He is desperately wishing he had a way to have his Rose back. I thought, why not let the two of you meet. If you see your Wilfred in him, good. If not, I’ll take you back to your world.”
“I am on a different world?”
“Yes.”
She began to laugh hysterically. It was not amusement, but fear. My father must have heard her for the door opened and he came in. His eyes went from my mother to laughing Rose.
“What is going on Robert!? Which Rose is she?”
“Her Wilfred died before she conceived me dad. I was hoping to do a little matchmaking. I hope you are not angry.”
He stood there in shock and the two of them stared at each other. Tears came to her eyes. “This can’t be. I’m dreaming. Oh Wilfred.” she cried.
“All she knows is that we have certain abilities dad. You talk to her, just be careful for now.” I could see from his eyes that he understood what I was referring to.
The girls, Lynda and my Rose followed me back to the bedroom.
“Are you sure it was a good idea son? He’ll botch it up.”
“I did not know what to say mum. It is their chance. Maybe she will not allow him to botch it up.”
We kept our senses ‘tuned’ to them and he talked for a while and then led her to his bedroom. He closed the door and returned to the sofa where he seemed decided to sit for the rest of the night. Rose went home, Lynda took one of the beds and went to sleep and slowly my girls drifted off into slumberland. I sat up against the headboard thinking - and waiting.
2114
An hour later the door opened and Rose came out. “I could not sleep. I was picked up in the morning, I’m not tired. Anyway, too much has happened. I have to understand more.”
“Sit down and I’ll make us some tea. I could not sleep either.”
She followed him to the kitchen. “That young man, he said you are his father and the other Rose is his mother.” He nodded. “But you both look so young!”
“I am fifty four years old Rose. His gifts include the ability to make us young again. He is not as young as he looks. You thought he was about eighteen or younger? He is just over thirty.”
“I keep wanting to pinch myself, it all seems like a crazy dream.”
“Let me tell you what it was like for me.” Dryly he told her and had her laughing as he told of his interview with Savva. “I found out later than he too is a Cherinian. Rose, I have faced my demon and found that he was after all my son. What about you?”
“I don’t know…”
He took her hand. “Please say you will stay. Even if you do not wish to see me again. With his powers you will stay young for a thousand years and you will never get sick. Please Rose, even if it means my leaving here forever. I cannot bear to think of you growing old and dying while I do not.”
*Good start dad* I thought and switched them off and lay down properly to sleep. Cherine put her arm over me and nestling against me she kissed my shoulder and slept on. Comforted by her love and warmth I drifted off.
“You were wrong Robert on two accounts. First, you should have spoken to me. Secondly, you should have told her the truth before giving her such a shock.”
“For the first I suppose you feel you should put me over your lap and spank me. As for Rose, do you know how difficult it is to get her to believe me? I have been through it with another Rose. The one you were speaking to earlier last night. As they say, seeing is believing.”
“I’m not certain she fully believes yet. You are right, perhaps you should make yourself a ten year old so that I can spank you.”
Obligingly I did so and he stared in shock as I struggled to hold up my pants. “Stop that! You know I never spanked you.”
“I think I’m going to be stuck at this age for a while dad. Look at the girls, can’t you see how excited they are to have me like this?”
I turned to the girls, excited. “I’ve had a great idea! My promise to you, why don’t we wait to see if they get together. If they do, I’ll change back to a seven year old, with only the memories of that age. I’ll be able to live a few weeks with my parents back together and in love again.” One of the problems of changing our ages is that we become more the way we will be or were at that age. My lips were trembling as I tried to hold back my tears. Dommi put her arms around me, bathing me with that special love of hers.
“It’s alright Robert. Change yourself back now. We think your idea is wonderful, it will heal so many scars. Won’t it Mr Teller?”
“Call me Wilfred. I think you are all presuming too much.”
Cherine smiled at him, even as she saw the door open behind him. “Father, we are not presuming. She will not be able to bear leaving. You are all she has left of her Wilfred. The problem is, would you love her knowing she feels that way, hoping that some day she will love you because you are this Wilfred?”
The door had stopped opening. My father looked at Cherine, strain showing in his eyes. “Robert has such trust in you. He says your heart always sees true. He is right Cherine, for you are right about me. I would accept her love even if it is as you say. Over a thousand years, surely some day she will love me too. Or, as your Robert said to me, I can’t wait forever, I’ll give her two hundred years.”
The door closed without Rose coming out. It took another forty minutes for her to appear again.
2115
“Tell them you are a relative and they will look after you. Have a nice day dad and don’t be surprised if Socrati puts in an appearance. I think you could get to like him very much.” The girls jumped them to the beach in Cyprus and I relaxed.
“You are really determined not to do anything to convince her to stay!”
“I think that is how it should be. He will be happier knowing she stayed because of him, not because of my gifts.”
Ordinx had gone to the void to check that all is well and he opened his eyes with a huge grin. “You should all go to see it! It is amazing!”
“Are you including me Ordinx?”
“Yes. However you may hate having them show you their love, go see them Robert, this is too special.”
Warily I appeared there with my girls, ready to make a duck if necessary. If we had been in our bodies we would have stopped breathing at the beauty of it. The Sparklers had rearranged themselves so that they are no longer in the shape of a cloud. They have formed a circle, like a green halo of stars, and intermixed, among them, are the Worlds of the Anadir They looked like the gems in a crown. In the center of this ring, obviously the focus of their attention are our Worlds.
Solomon appeared. *We wish to know, are we beautiful to you Robert?*
*You always have been Solomon of the Sparklers. Right now you are almost too beautiful. To see you and the Anadir together like this is a gift I had not expected for a long time to come. Solomon, you know that I am foolish and may do something to anger all of you again. Please swear to me, whatever mistakes I make in the future, you will never allow me to spoil the beauty of this friendship between your people.*
*That oath I gladly give. However you try and anger us Robert, you have called us family and Cherinians. We will never turn away from you again.*
I sent him a smile. *Brave words Solomon, I think you have already forgotten what a pain I can be.*
The girls and I formed a tiny ring as a reflection of them and danced around each other. When I went to the center and they swiftly dove into me and we imploded into our World, I hoped they did not see it as an omen, but rather as a symbol of love.
“The girls and I have decided it is not the same Roberto. If you become seven for your parents, it will please us to see you and to feel your happiness, but you will be there for them.”
“I understand. What age would you all like me to be then? Twelve as we originally said?”
“That I think is when boys start being difficult. Perhaps younger.”
“Candy, the same age as her?”
“You would do it for us?”
“I know you will look after me my loves. I will set the protector though, so that if there is an emergency it brings me back immediately.”
“Can we stay here? I think all the Cherinians will want to see you. I know our Rose will.”
“It would be a bittersweet pain for her Dommi. It will cause her to re-live the time she left me.”
“But you were older!”
“Yes, but it was a time she had me…it does not matter. I’m not so sure I am happy about all the Cherinians though. Alki I feel would be a lovely experience for me, but the rest might frighten me.”
“For him too my love. Make yourself about eight then.”
2116
“I think five or even younger would be better. Tell Rose to stay away until the last days otherwise I will be crying to be with her. Just make certain the new Rose and my father will not be here. As a child I would think she is my mother and we would have the same problem.”
“Dommi, I think it would be better we take him to the Seychelles. Then he will think he is on holiday. Whoever wants to see him can come there.”
They told Alki and he was touched. He quickly made arrangements to be away from work for two weeks and booked for all of us. I changed to an eight year old (the girls convinced me), we bought some clothes that would fit and I would be comfortable in and we jumped. The clerk had the bungalows ready and was happy to accept his usual tip.
We went to a bungalow, only Dommi and Cherine with Alki stayed and I closed my eyes.
Hi, this is Sam again. It seems I have been elected to write about these two weeks. I see why Robbie says it is so difficult to write about happy times. Anyway, before I jump ahead of myself, I’ll start from the beginning.
When we arrived at the hotel we had our three expecting mothers with - luckily they are still too early in their pregnancies for it to show, as they also want to play with Robbie and he is unlikely to want to if they came as late-teenagers with bulging tummies. They were very excited about seeing and experiencing Robbie as a child, though I think Ashiir found it difficult to imagine herself playing with him, as among them girls do not play with boys. Boys, she told us, are boring, all they want to do is read and play silly games. Girls are better; they run and climb trees and so on. We did not explain, just promised her she will enjoy it.
Alki, Marian and their kids were with and the kids had been told that another child, a normal one, is to visit and be our guest. They were asked to be nice to him, but to leave him alone so that he plays mostly with us girls - I think it puzzled them, but they always do whatever their parents ask of them. Elia and Claire have their daughter with, but they are also looking forward to seeing their Dominique as a child again. She had not told Robert, it is meant to be a surprise for him. I think Cherine is a teeny bit envious, but she is also happy for Dommi.
We all waited outside the bungalow, though we were also inside as we were watching through Cherine and Dommi. First he changed his body, got dressed and then the two of them went into his mind. They locked up his memories, with his protector watching, so that it can unlock them if necessary. Then Dommi made temporary changes to some of his memories, keeping the originals to place back afterwards. It has to seem logical to him that he is here.
As we felt they were getting close to waking him, Candy suddenly ran away. We did not want her going off by herself, but none of us could bear to go after her and miss seeing Robbie when he comes out. By the way, he had warned us that he will hate being called Robbie, it has to be Robert. Candy sent a smile back to us, reassuring us she is not running away because of being afraid.
When little Robert opened his eyes it was the strangest thing I’ve ever felt. He looked at Cherine and did not know her. He gave her a little smile.
“Hi. Are you lost? I’m Robert, who are you?”
“I’m Cherine.” Since she looked seven she stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked on it.
“You shouldn’t do that, it makes your teeth grow crooked. Is that your daddy?”
“No. He is a friend of Elia and Claire. Dommi…Dominique is on the other bed, I think she was also sleepy.”
“I wasn’t sleepy!!” He indignantly replied. “They made me lie down.”
“Have you got any Superman comics?”
“No. They made me leave them at home. Do you like him?”
2117
“I’ve got some if you want to read them.” She had jumped back and bought a whole lot of them from the time of his childhood. We teased her that she is going to use them to suck up to him, because she wants to be sure he loves her best.
“That’s cool! Can I?”
“Yes. Why don’t you come outside to play with us. My friends are waiting for you.”
As he walked out, Candy made it back and had all of us instantly jealous of her. She had brought him his favourite, a green coconut. He came out and looked at us and I must say, he looked just like an ordinary little boy. He was shy about being among so many girls. Candy timidly offered him the coconut.
“Thanks. What is it?”
“A green coconut. It has coconut milk inside, it tastes lovely. I got this one for you.”
He took it, smelt it and then took a sip. He pulled a face. “It’s soapy!” He saw Candy and quickly corrected himself. “It’s nice though. Thank you.”
He trailed after us and did not show any initiative in playing any games. We played a few silly games on the beach, but he was acting too grown up and stiff. He always avoided catching the little ones and only chased after the girls he could not catch. He became all sweaty and tired and it irritated him. Still polite though, he followed us.
We came to a coconut tree, one of those that do not grow straight up. It grew at an angle and then curved upwards. Ashiir began to walk on it, aiming for where it sweeps upwards.
“Is she going to climb it?” Robbie asked.
“I think so. She is a bit of a tomboy and loves climbing trees.”
“But she hasn’t got a rope!” We asked what he meant and he told us he had seen pictures of how Indian men climb coconut trees, using a rope tied to their ankles so that it grips the trunk as they climb. He silently watched as Ashiir began to climb and then he also got on the trunk.
“Are you going to climb?” Cassie asked him.
“Yes.”
“Do you know how to?” Jade asked.
He did not answer, balancing himself as he walked a short distance. Then as it rose a few metres he got on his knees and crawled, his face pale but set.
“You don’t have to climb.” Jodine called to him.
He looked up at Ashiir and answered to himself. “I have to.”
“Damn it, he is still trying to be the protector. Didn’t you get rid of it Cherine?” Dommi whispered.
“How could I, it is what he is.”
He tried to climb up after Ashiir, but kept on sliding down. We felt the tears of frustration and his fear of heights, but he watched how she did it and began to rise. He was halfway up when his fear of heights overcame him and he froze to the trunk, gripping it with all he had. We were all in his mind and heard him telling himself with determination, ‘she is a girl’ over and over again. It was not meant as boys would mean it, that if she can he must. It was his way of forcing himself to go after her, to catch her if she falls.
We ‘called’ to Ashiir and she looked down. We told her what was happening and she looked into his mind. She did not move for a while and then she climbed back down.
“You better climb down, I’m coming.” she called to him.
He stayed as he was, still frozen. As she reached him she asked him to go down as he is blocking her.
2118
“Can you climb down over me?”
Without a word she did so. When her feet touched the sand we called to him. “Ashiir is down. Are you coming?”
“No. I like it here. I’ll see you later.”
We went a little way until he could not see us and waited, watching him. He was cursing himself and tried to move so as to climb down. He could not get his arms or legs to move and he was getting tired. We thought he would begin crying, but he actually looked out at the sea. He wished the damn tree was over water so that he could just jump into it, but then his stomach knotted up in fear at the thought. He realised he will not be able to hang on for much longer as his muscles are aching. What do you think the idiot did then? He made himself look around to be sure none of the girls would see him fall.
“Why is he like this?” Ashiir asked.
“Some people have a fear of heights, usually because there is a problem in their ears where the body gets it’s sense of balance. Ashiir, to be so afraid, but to climb anyway so as to try and save you, should you be in danger, that is brave.” Dommi explained. It is strange, but her empathy worked for Robbie, where it lies dormant for Ordinx. Maybe next time she makes him fear she’ll be more aware of how he feels?
“I must go help him.”
“You mustn’t. He’d rather die than have a girl help him. All boys are like that.” Cherine said. Ashiir found it difficult to understand, since her instincts are the opposite, needing to know that the ‘soft’ boys will always be there to protect her.
“But he will fall.”
The little ones felt as Ashiir did and could not understand us. Suddenly Candy jumped. Within minutes she reappeared with Alki. She pointed and he ran off.
“That was good thinking my love. Thank you.” Wendy said to her, but Candy hardly heard, her mind only on Robert.
Alki called to him to jump, promising that he will catch him, but Robert refused. Alki climbed on to the trunk and at the point it swept upwards he called out, “Just let yourself slide slowly. I’m here to catch you, Roberto, you can’t fall. Be brave for me my pallikari.”
He talked until Robbie relaxed enough to be able to slide. As he slid he began to fall away from the trunk, but Alki caught him and held him to his chest. He climbed down holding Robbie.
“What you did, it took great courage. Fear of heights does not mean you are a coward, it is a sickness. For you to even try was very brave, I’m proud of you.” He continued to talk until gradually Robbie reacted to him. He seemed to feel the love in this big man who was still a stranger to him and he calmed down.
“You can put me down now, I can walk.”
“Are you going after the girls?”
“No. I think I’ll go back to my room.”
“Shit!” Cherine said. “Now we’ve lost him. He won’t want to play with us anymore.”
We were a pretty disconsolate group as we walked back. Suddenly Jade became gleeful. “Your comics Cherine, we can take them to him and read them with him.”
With a plan of action again, we cheered up and rushed to get the comics. We passed from the bar at the pool and got a whole lot of cokes and went to him. He was despondent, sitting by himself. We felt him cursing himself for being a coward and he was certain we thought he is a sissy. The eyes of Cherine were like two glowing coals as she looked at Ashiir.
“I don’t care whether you are an Anadir or even that you are pregnant. You do anything like that to my Robert again and I’ll make myself big and give you a spanking.”
2119
He was pleased to see us, though he did not show it, and he enjoyed the sense of companionship of having us flop all over the room as we lay on our tummies reading the silly comics. Ashiir looked up in surprised wonder.
“There is a man who can fly and do all these things like R...like...is it true?”
We all laughed, even Robbie grinning.
“No silly, it’s only pretend. Superman was born on another planet with a red sun and our yellow sun makes him a superman.” Robbie happily explained.
“But why would coming from a red sun make him stronger?”
“That is the story silly. I wish I could be like him and fly.”
Ashiir just looked at him, her eyes huge. He got off his bed and lay alongside her and went through the comic with her. Cherine groaned to herself and put her face in her arms as she lay there. The idiot has decided he really likes Ashiir. He thinks she is silly, but he likes her.
When we got up to go out and play he happily tagged along, always at the side of Ashiir. Thankfully we soon heard the adults calling us to get cleaned up for supper.
It was very strange for us to be sleeping without our Robbie while he sleeps all by himself. Just after midnight we woke up as we heard a noise and realised it was him.
“Shh. I couldn’t sleep. Anyone want to swim?” He came in wearing his bathing trunks already. Unthinking, some of the girls stripped naked and began to put on their bikinis. He was embarrassed and tried to pretend he did not notice and we all felt his tiny penis go rigid, swelling so that he grabbed his towel and put it on his lap. We did notice that he mostly watched Dommi. She is a little girl he knows well and so it feels even stranger for him to see her in the nude. He also watched Ashiir secretly, wishing he could touch her, to feel what it is like. Cherine made sure he could see her and turned so that he can see her sex bump, but it did not seem to mean much to him. She had to grit her teeth and put on her swimwear.
Just like our adult Robbie, he seems to become far more energetic after midnight. He now had all the energy and gusto we’d expected of him as a boy, diving to grab our feet and playing any kind of silly game we suggested. We could sense that he has suddenly grown to accept all of us as his friends. Well, not really all of us. Aganthi and Cherine he is a little dubious about.
Even during his horsing around, he kept an eye out for the little ones, shepherding them back if they drift into deeper waters, but always doing it as part of the game. He has a sense of responsibility for them - and all of us, I think, and is afraid something might happen to us if he does not constantly watch out for us. I could not help thinking what a pity his father did not send him to a mixed-sex school. I’m certain he would have made lots of friends among the girls, though I guess all the boys would tease him, calling him a sissy.
The next morning he appeared early. “They have all these weird fruit and stuff, instead of porridge! I’m not going for breakfast. You want to come with? I’m going on an adventure. I want to explore the jungle. Maybe we will see a tiger.”
“Also monkeys.” Noelle said.
“We’ll find some for you - I’d rather see a tiger though. You have to be careful if we see one, it mustn’t see us or it could eat one of us.”
Suitably impressed we got ready. This morning he was shy and looked out the window as we dressed. Dommi had already reprimanded Cherine for flaunting herself, reminding her that Robert is not meant to be sexually aroused. I think poor Cherine was dreadfully embarrassed that she had allowed her pride to show her pique. She even became nice to Ashiir again.
If it had not been Robbie, if his pleasure had not been ours, that day would have been dreadfully boring. He had us crawling and jumping behind trees as he imagined he heard a tiger coming. Just when he assured us it was very close he would jump out yelling, scaring it away, he said, so that it would not eat Noelle or Candy. He kept us going at such a rate that we were all very grateful we are Cherinians and have healers. How he kept going I don’t know, but the adult males, who were watching through us, assured us that all boys are like this. Perhaps this is why Robbie only wants daughters; we definitely are easier company - though I guess we also have our ways of draining him of energy. 
2120
During play, Robert tripped over a root and falling on his knees, he skinned them. Cherine quickly called out to the protector and then ordered it, *Make certain his healer cannot fix him. He will not understand if he is suddenly healed.*
She was right and we all ordered our healers not to heal any grazes and cuts.
When we finally suggested going for a swim he shrugged and said okay and we trudged back to our bungalows. He did not seem to enjoy swimming during the day and not only was more reserved, but also tended to search for shade when out of the water. Ashiir called to him to lie next to her as she tans (she picked up that habit from us) and he did so, at first more as a part of his being nice. Then he noticed her skin from close up.
“Ashiir, why does your skin have so many colours?”
She grinned at him. “Maybe I’m an alien from another planet.”
He thought about it for all of five minutes, his imagination tripping over itself. “I wish you were. I’d love to meet an alien.”
“Maybe they would be monsters.”
He sat up laughing. “I’d make friends with them. I’d show them who they should eat.”
She looked at him, hiding her dismay. “Who should they eat?”
“Well, some of my teachers. A couple of bullies who torture the small kids at school. I’d find plenty for them,” he finished off with a grin of conspiracy. “Who would you have them eat?”
This conversation was very puzzling to her. Trying to play along she answered, “Maybe all the boys.”
“That is silly.” Then he realised. “You would want them to eat me?”
The conversation had already been difficult for her, with his question she burst into tears. Cherine went to her, putting an arm around her.
“Robert, Ashiir is a vegetarian, that means she does not eat meat. The idea of anyone eating meat upsets her.”
“I know what a vegetarian is! We have some Indian boys at school who are. They say that cows are sacred. Ashiir, I did not mean to upset you, we were only pretending.”
“I’m sorry, I was just being a...baby.”
“Oh no, you’re the greatest. I wish I could climb trees like you do. You must be very brave.”
He could not understand why she began to cry again or why Ordinx and then Solomon were laughing. Just before we went to change for supper Bernie asked him in a whisper. “Can we go swimming again tonight?”
“Okay. But this time all of you must get things to eat. Then we can have a feast.” Thoughtfully he added, “Not any meat though. Just chocolates and things like that.”
When he came to get us we felt his disappointment when he saw we were already wearing our swimming costumes. In his mind he had accepted that at night, when we are going out secretly it is alright for him to look, but not in the daytime. Boy, but were we all sorry we had jumped the gun!
He is a strange boy. Even though we were in the seawater, when he needed to urinate he made his way to the beach and went behind some bushes. His play had been slightly erotic though he did not understand that himself, he just knew he enjoyed it. He would feel an urge to squeeze or pinch, but he controlled himself, not liking the idea of hurting anyone. He was actually slightly upset by his urges. Alki explained to us that most boys feel the need to do this, since they do not understand what it is about girls that they enjoy. It is I suppose a sort of way to get rid of frustration.
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)23rd September, 2019
* posted on Steemit: 23rd September, 2019
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