I put my arms around her and she settled down, snoozing for a few minutes. She woke up with a start and pulled away with a quick kiss and polite thank you.
3841
“We will deal with Sera another time Aleka, now is not the time. You are next.”
Her eyes stared into mine, not believing she is truly wanted. “No.”
“Aleka, do what Cherine taught you.”
“I’d look silly.”
“Do it and then feel him.”
Aleka let Petra take her to the bathroom. When the door opened I turned to look and my jaw must have dropped in surprise. Jasmine was pushing ahead of her a girl of about fourteen. Small just formed breasts, a narrow waist and hips still not those of a grown woman. I did not recall her having such long slim arms and legs and her hair hung down her back almost to her buttocks. The child looked frightened until she sensed my reaction to her and then her confidence increased. Petra gave a delighted giggle.
I got up quickly and taking her by the shoulders turned her around so that she faced the mirror, her image with mine looming over hers staring back at us. “This has to be your idealised version of you Aleka. You are gorgeous and I can already see you are going to be one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met.”
With her I was gentle, first adoring her young body, teaching her about her own body as my lips and fingers searched out every pleasure I could give her. I decided I will not make love by penetrating her. First I will show her how wonderful it feels and only once she wants me in her will I complete our sexual act. I was careful to keep my penis away from her face and pleasured her with my lips and tongue until she had her first orgasm. Soon as it was over she clung to me and wept. I held her tenderly, caressing and kissing her.
I felt my two loves climb on the bed, lying down to either side of us. They kept me busy for the next hour or so and I was so engrossed in them I did not notice until they clambered all over me that Sera and Aleka were fully aroused again and needed me. The girls seemed to be sensing each other and as the need in one became overpowering, she would be pushed to me. Even with my healer I was exhausted by morning, while they seemed to be ready to last the day too.
Petra pulled them away from me. “Let him sleep. We can carry on afterwards.” She gave me a grin that suggested I better sleep as long as possible, for there will be no mercy shown later. I gave a tired smile and pulling Aleka to me I curled around her and fell asleep.
When I woke up, they had prepared a large breakfast with steak and chips, toast and lots of coffee.
“Samuel, you could not feel it last night, but we were sharing, just like when Cherine did it for us. You do not have to have so many climaxes or else you will not last for long. Every orgasm each of us had, the others had also.”
“You mean I could satisfy just one of you and the rest would not need me to make love to them?” That brought a number of fervent protests and they explained that though they love sharing each others orgasms, being touched directly by me and having their own orgasm is different and necessary.
“Aleka, what of your healing?”
“I let them know I can’t see anyone this morning. I’ll go home to take care of them this afternoon.”
“Not looking like that I presume?”
She giggled. “You really like the way I look?”
“Mmm, perhaps the girls should serve you up for breakfast next time?”
While Aleka was busy healing, the girls told me to get out. They said I have to go to the coffee shop. Wondering why, I obeyed them. A middle aged man joined me.
“Samuel, I am Themi. I’ve been asked to come and talk to you about Sera.”
“Professor Themi? I’m glad they did, I have been worried about her.”
3842
“She has allowed me to look through her memories and there is much you need to know to understand her.”
What he told me broke my heart. This is a brief history of my little girl.
Sera was born to a poor family that lived in a foreign city, north of Greece. She had four brothers, all older than her. Both parents worked long hours. From a baby, Sera was cared for by her brothers who were, at the time of her birth, four, seven, nine and eleven.
It is perhaps natural that the older boys were curious about the differences of her body and not having to worry about the parents knowing what they were doing, they poked and prodded, tearing open her vagina by the age of one. The eldest thought of giving her his penis to suckle and soon the other boys were emulating him. By the time she was eighteen months old the second eldest son had penetrated her, causing damage to her tiny womb. By two years old she was used to having sex with all of them. She learnt that if she pleased them, they treated her well.
By the time she was six her eldest brother was seventeen and had a girlfriend, rarely bothering to use her now. When he did, it was with far more force than he had used earlier and she realised that if he hurt her he enjoyed it more, so she found ways to make him hurt her so that he would love her.
The parents were killed in fighting that took place in the city and the brothers hid with their sister. Not long after peace came, a man approached the older brothers and offered to take Sera from them. He said he employs children in Greece. Their job is to stand at street corners and beg. He told them they will make fifty dollars per month and Sera will have a good life. Struggling to feed themselves and their younger brothers, the two older ones agreed and sent away a desolate Sera who thought her brothers no longer loved her.
The man, as was his habit, decided to rape her a few times so that she would become accustomed to sex and doing the job he wanted her to do. He was surprised when she reacted with pleasure and was happy afterwards, thinking this meant he loved her. She admitted she had been doing it with her brothers for as long as she could remember and he realised she thought this is how things are meant to be. He also found out that if he hurt her, she thought he loves her even more and she soon became a habit for him, sex with her a necessary thing. His customers reacted to her pleasure by wanting her again and he realised he has a little treasure in her, so in many ways he treated her better than he did the other kids.
Themi described in simple terms what psychological damage this had caused her, colouring the way she sees love, sex and men.
“My experience is that Cherinians are impatient of normal healing processes, so I would suggest you remain loving, talk to the other girls about love and sex in ways that might get her thinking about how different the meaning of love is to you. Soon as you become a Cherinian we can get Cherine, Robert and Dominique to enter her mind and try to correct some of the damage.”
“We should not tell her that what her brothers and the man, Pavlos, did was wrong?”
“No. Not directly. Talk of other cases, without making it at all obvious your comments are targeted at her. She is a bright girl and will see the contrasts in your ways of thinking. Samuel, even should she realise what was done to her and that your love is different, she cannot change through willpower and understanding. What a child accepts as normal before the age of three is deeply imprinted and requires extended therapy. Even then, we are usually not successful in undoing all the damage. Her only real hope is that she is now a Cherinian. When a breakthrough is made, be prepared for anger, hatred and abusive reactions to you and your love for her. She will say much that is hurtful to you.”
“I understand. Themi, if that is a sign that she is healing, I will gladly bear it.” Soon after, he left. I remained seated, on my own, needing some time to get over the worst of my emotions and to think about all I had learnt.
It was obvious the ladies knew why I had met with Themi and it was just as obvious that Sera did not. Blithely unaware, she came for a cuddle. Jasmine asked her to go with her to buy bread, milk and whatever groceries it is we need.
“You are not angry with them Samuel, why?”
“I'm too busy trying to understand Aleka. I have never known real poverty, the struggle to find money to buy a slice of bread. I am trying to imagine what it would be like and all I can think is it would make me very afraid. This world would not care if I died of hunger.”
3843
“Surely it is the same on all worlds?”
“Not on the world of Lady Meli. Aleka, I think you are more worried about the sex she had with her brothers and how learning about it has affected me.” I paused to make my own thoughts clear to me first. “I read that in America a lot of children are punished because they had sex with other children, they say that more and more cases of child to child rape or sex at parties are happening, especially by school friends. Even the way they describe it sounds wrong to me. If children do things that are instinctive, natural in a state where there is no civilisation to curb those instincts, surely the fault does not lie with the children? Children are not born civilised, that is the role of the parents, they should be there for their children to teach them. It seems to have become a common problem that both parents work, diluting the family bond, so the children depend on influences from others outside of their family. The children should not be accused of statutory rape and labelled as criminals, society should.”
“Many have made the same statement Samuel, but life has become too competitive for just the father to support his family. Most families need both incomes.”
“I do not understand. A hundred years ago, mainly only men worked and families survived. With all your discoveries and development, it seems to me life is becoming worse for Mankind. Now children have to be forgotten in the drive to acquire a way of life that does not bring happiness. What of those children Aleka, when they grow up, how can we expect them to improve this world when they are becoming savages?”
She smiled. “It is not necessary to exaggerate Samuel, in the developed countries, where it is that most women work out of choice, the children get an education and grow up to become sophisticated adults compared to previous generations.”
“No, you are making the mistake of equating education or knowledge with creation of civilised human beings. Knowledge by itself is not everything. Of what use is knowledge if they have not learnt the self discipline required of all civilised beings? What use knowledge if they have not learnt compassion and empathy? I read your literature where they talk of romantic love to describe the love between man and woman and the love that draws them to marriage and having children. Romantic is the right word. It does not include loyalty, patience, sacrifice and sharing. All they look for is to be loved and the excitement of their love. Soon as things are no longer as exciting and comfortable they divorce, guaranteeing the destruction of the next generation also.”
Petra looked bemused. “All this from her brothers using her for sex?”
“Petra, their curiosity was natural, it is in the nature of the young to experiment and learn and in their case they learnt what pleasures her little body could give them. Without having learnt empathy, not knowing how they would damage her, how can we blame them? Do we blame the parents? They lived to work long hours to provide a miserable-just-at-the-edge-of-survival home, only able to provide the cheapest food for their family. They lived in fear of not having enough money to buy food, not having heating in winter. They had either forgotten or not been taught that they have other responsibilities just as important.”
“I understand what troubles you Samuel, but I cannot feel the same way. I see a little girl who has lived through hell, her heart and mind destroyed by the selfishness of others and cannot extend my sympathies beyond her.”
“Aleka, if a man has a sick child and he needs money to save the life of his child, would you condemn him for robbing someone who is wealthy? You do not need to answer, what I am saying is that it would be wrong of him to steal what belongs to another, but it is also right of him to do anything he can to save his child. It is the same with her brothers, what they did was wrong, very wrong, but not in accordance with the way they lived and what they knew about life. Children are born without morals and they have to learn of the finer emotions we consider important to us as human beings. If there is no family to teach by example, then we must not hate those children and wish for revenge. They too are victims of the way of life our society demands of us. It is society we must change, not take the easier path and look to punish those we let down.”
Aleka looked dreamy. “Cherine is going to change all that.”
I spoke more angrily than I should have. “That is fine for you and all the Cherinians. What of the brothers of Sera, would she link them, make them Cherinians? Your precious Cherine only offers hope to future generations, not to those who need her most, right now.”
3844
“It is more than anyone else has offered us, Samuel. We should be grateful that at least we can now foresee a day when there will be no men like Pavlos, or generals to send young men to die for stupid reasons. She is our hope.”
“I am not belittling that Aleka, it is like a miracle, but I’m not satisfied that we look to the future only and ignore the present. Surely there is much we can do to gentle the hearts and minds of those who live today?”
Petra said, “Samuel you did it for me without being a Cherinian. The only gift you had was of caring for me and it was enough.”
I stared at her and I admitted how she affected me. “Petra, I almost fear the day I become a Cherinian. We will share and I will see the pain in you and Sera and the way that pain affected you, and it will hurt me.”
“When you do that Samuel, also look at how you touched our lives and how you made life good for us again.”
Chapter One Hundred Seventy Five
When Jasmine returned I realised what a big adjustment I have to make. From comments she made I realised she had heard our conversation, had shared, as they call it. Luckily they did block Sera and in her usual way she did not complain.
As we lay in bed (Jasmine's bed is not big enough for us, we have to get a bigger one, but in the meantime they solve the problem by making themselves into five year olds, with only one at a time reverting to the age they want for sex), Jasmine said, “Samuel, ask for your princess, we would all love her.”
“They must offer Jas, I will not ask. It is up to them to realise what they did and give back all the lives they created and took away.” Even I was shocked at how stern my voice sounded.
Aleka's childish voice sounded worried. “You are going to be a troublemaker Samuel, aren't you?” I did not reply.
With less than half a year left before losing my two friends I tried to spend as much time as possible with them. Both of them acted as if nothing is wrong and argued just as passionately their beliefs, joked and drank too much when with me. The court case hardly made the news, but we were pleased when the court took a serious view and imposed a heavy prison sentence on Pavlos. We were not pleased that the policemen got off with a lighter sentence, but at least they were thrown out of the force. We were shocked when we heard that certain labour organisations were fighting on their behalf, claiming that their rights were being violated and they had to be compensated for losing their jobs, as their families will suffer. Alki told us that Perikli is determined not to allow one cent to be paid to them.
When communication started between Jas and her unborn child, she tried to put in words what was happening. Their communications are in vague dreamlike emotions she said, and as the days went by they began to include amorphous imagery. As Jas sent her images of ourselves, of little things of our world, the child began to use them. During the third month Jas, had her first words and from then onwards all my ladies communicated and delighted in the new life. Of all it was Sera who reacted more strongly, ecstatic about speaking to her new ‘daughter’. This caused me a few problems as for the first time ever, she tried to demand something. She wants her own baby. I did not have to argue the case as my ladies refused to even consider it and Sera did not fight her case with them. I wished she had, even if I would not have let her have her way.
During the fifth month, one evening when I had been out late with my friends I lay down carefully on our new and large bed so as not to wake my ladies, feeling sad at the thought that I only have a few months left before my friends ‘die’.
*Don't be sad daddy.*
“Who said that?”
3845
*Shh, you'll wake them up.*
I was so excited I did not really care if I did wake them up, I was perfectly willing to wake them with a shout of joy.
*How did you manage it? I was told you cannot speak to me because I'm not linked to Cherine.*
I heard a giggle in my mind. *They told me the first thing you would say to me would be a question. I had to find a way to talk to you. I keep feeling you being sad because you think I will not love you and because of your friends. You should not worry daddy, you are wrong about both of them.*
*They will not die?*
*They never did daddy. When you came back from Meli's world you did not die. How do you think Samantha sent you here if you had? You will understand when Samantha comes back.*
*And you think you will love me my sweet baby?*
*I see you through my mothers, Samuel. I feel how you make them feel. I know you will make me feel the same way.*
Her voice was fading away and I realised I was tiring her. *Sleep my precious baby, knowing that the day you are born will be the happiest day of my life.* She sent me a happy feeling and faded away. I held my joy to me so fiercely that I did not sleep that night.
“It has never happened before that I know of for an unborn child to speak to a Normal. Samuel, you already bring changes to our lives.”
“How was it possible for her voice to hold such sweetness Alki? I could feel the perfect loveliness of her within me.”
“What you heard was directly from her mind Samuel, it is normal for us to feel the person with the words. That is what makes mindspeak so popular.”
“You know what else she told me? Is it possible?”
“I cannot answer that, I do not know what prompted her to say so either. If she is right Samuel, then it means your daughter is bringing us a new gift.”
“Having her in my life is gift enough.” He laughed, agreeing it is true of every child born. I decided I will not tell Harvey and Shida of what my daughter said about them, but I did tell them she had spoken to me and even I could sense their yearning to hear her. I tried asking her, but she did not respond.
Every now and then I sent her my thoughts of love, my happy anticipation of seeing her, but days went by without her responding or indicating she hears me. I continued in the hope she can.
About two weeks before she was due to be born we had Shida, Harvey, Angelo and his family for supper. Because of Aleka working until ten our suppers are late, but then people in this country often eat at this hour.
I sat on the sofa, lounging in a relaxed way with Anna and Sera sitting to either side of me. I grinned and put my arms around them. “This is as close as it gets to being in heaven.”
Harvey ginned. “You believe in a heaven?”
“To me the world of Meli is as close to heaven as I need to be.” Shida said. He reached into his pocket and handed a colourful slip to me. “I was walking past a shop when I felt I had to go in and buy a lottery ticket. I hope it wins a lot of money for you Samuel.”
*I wanted you to buy it for yourselves Shida, you and Harvey.* From the expressions we all realised we had all heard our sweet baby. Anna showed the delight we adults often conceal.
“You made me buy it? Child, what do we call you? What a lovely voice you have.” She giggled and we waited. I handed the ticket back to Shida.
*Sera, you name me. Would you like to give me the name of your mother?*
3846
“No! Please, no!” Sera began to sob and I pulled her to me.
“Choose another name Sera. She did say it was your choice.”
“No, not me, please.”
I pulled her chin up so that I could look into her eyes. “Sera, she must have a name that sounds lovely to you so that every time we speak her name with love some of that love comes to you.”
“I can't!”
“Why not?” Petra ask. She did not speak in her usual gentle way, her voice demanding an answer and Sera stared back at her.
“I don't want her to be like me. Please, I want her to be happy.”
Anna leant across me. “You are not happy Sera?”
For the first time we saw fear on her face as she looked up at me. “You can tell us the truth my love, I will not be angry or stop loving you.”
“You will.”
*Thank you my darling daughter.* I sent as I bent to reach her face and kiss her cheek. “You are the Cherinian, not I. Come into my mind and feel how much I love you, my sweet little love.”
“Dominique and her daughter ask if they can join us Samuel.”
“I'd love to meet them. What is the daughters' name?”
“My name is Claire.”
“Thank you Samuel. I needed to talk to Sera.” I let her take my place and she took the hands of my love in hers. “Sera, what Samuel sees and knows is only the part of you that you allow him to see. That part is the good part, you think, and if he sees the rest he will stop loving you. Samuel just reminded you that you are a Cherinian and the truth is, he does not truly understand what that means. Do you sweetheart? Have you realised that every Cherinian on this planet has seen into your heart and knows all of you? Have either Petra, Aleka or Jasmine stopped loving you? Has the baby? Jesus!” She grabbed Sera as she folded over, unconscious.
“Mother, she had not realised, you've frightened her.”
I lifted Sera and held her tightly to me. “I think you better explain.”
“Part of Sera is eleven years old, but another part of her is a child of five or even younger that never came to terms with the loss of her parents and the treatment her brothers subjected her to. She is in denial, trying to pretend that as long as she is loved, nothing else matters. When I told her everyone knows the truth about her, it forced the hidden part of her to react and she thought it means now no one will ever love her again. She is in withdrawal and shock. Cherine and I will have to go into her mind to help but...Samuel, we've never done this before, only the prime Cherine and Dominique of Samantha's world have and we dare not bring them here to help. Sera knows all that has happened to us, but also to the prime family over the last ten years. They must not learn any of it.”
“What about Samantha, can she help?”
“Help the two of us you mean? Yes, I think she could, but the same is true of her Samuel, she must not learn of her future. Some parts of it affect her directly.”
“Unblock her then. Let her help you and then block the memories of whatever she learnt and send her back.” My voice was anguished, but also angry. “Nothing is more important Dominique. Not what Samantha could learn, not my life here, nothing. This is a child who has suffered and had her world torn to pieces. You put them back together and help her now!” I looked at my little girl curled up with thumb in her mouth and I pleaded with my eyes as I stared back at Dominique. I felt myself swirl into darkness at the same moment I realised Cherine had appeared.
3847
As I awoke again I did so with the same fear I'd felt as I was passing out, that I would fall over my Sera and hurt her. I immediately searched for her as my eyes opened, and I saw a baby in the arms of Anna.
“Don't worry, she is fine. We have retrogressed her back to her infancy Samuel. You must give her at least a year at this age, more if you can. She is more aware than normal babies are and will understand a lot of what you say to her. Let her grow in a loving environment, without pain or fear, it will help her find the balance she needs to heal.”
Anna passed her over to me and I cradled her tenderly. “Thank you.”
Cherine told me, “I have a message from Samantha for you. ‘Samuel, please do not worry about me and thank you for making a sacrifice for my sake. I did see the future, but I will not tell you how I felt when I saw it. I have shown them how to block those memories, lock them away until the day I arrive to visit you ten years in my future. They were wrong to tell you it was safe to make love to Sera, that she needs it. She felt the need for you to make love to her, but that is because she felt it would make you love her. She has to relearn everything she knows about love. I know you will make a good teacher. Sera is still a Cherinian and her soul is safe, but you must not take her to the void until she has healed and can make love for the right reasons, so we have blocked the parts of her mind that give her the ability to use her Cherinian gifts. Her healer has been made dormant, it will not protect and heal her so you have to guard her with yours. Only in the case her life should be threatened will her healer be free to save her and even then it will try to do so without her sensing it.
Samuel my love, stop thinking of us as two separate people, we are two in one and even when we separate, you will have a part of me within you, as I will, and you will see that we complement each other, making a whole that is greater than the two of us individually. I will see you soon.’ Open your heart to her Samuel and feel the love she asked me to pass on to you.” I felt her blasting me with love and I bent over Sera, tears threatening to fall. The love I was being sent was exactly the same as the love I'd been feeling for my Sera.
Harvey knelt by me and his arm went around me. “She is lovely Samuel. I think Shida and I are both a little bit in love with her. She has explained to us what it is you demand on our behalf and says that she cannot promise on the behalf of others so we must not build up our hopes yet. Your daughter asked that we tell you she danced in the void with Samantha and they have exchange kissed.”
“Cherine, may I ask you a question? What would happen if you linked Harvey and Shida, making them Cherinians?”
She gave me that cheeky grin of hers. “That is cunning of you Samuel and naughty too. It would not work Samuel, soon as I do so, it will reawaken their original personalities. It would be as if I am trying to hijack their souls and they would feel it as an attack on them. Their fierce rejection of my link could end up hurting me, perhaps all other Cherinians too.”
“I'm sorry.”
“What for, for loving your friends? Samuel, you are like a child in some ways and that is why your love is so pure. When you get ideas you suspect may not be morally right, reject them and get on with your life. What is troubling you now?”
“When you smile at me like that, when Dominique makes me feel her love, it makes me feel as if we should be family, as if a part of me is being kept away from me.”
“That is from Samantha.”
“Cherine, we might have that problem with all of them. We might have to link them as an associated family to us.”
Cherine was delighted by the idea and left us with a huge grin, her eyes warmly glowing. Dominique and Claire laughed. “Poor Robert, he is going to have to handle her. We want to be part of it, so we'll also leave you now.” With quick kisses they left.
Sera got passed on from loving hands to loving hands and when Angelo cradled her she gave him a smile and touched his heart. He passed her back to Aleka. “She is a lovely baby.”
Jasmine decided to entertain us by telling us the story of how the prime Robert found this world and his love for little Claire. Fascinated we listened as she told us of our Robert drowning, his return and the struggle by the prime family to get Dominique and him to love Cherine. Jasmine kept on being interrupted by Petra and Aleka and she laughingly gave up, letting them tell the story. Petra told it with such enthusiasm and awe that Aleka also left the storytelling to her, all of us enjoying the look on her face.
3848
“Samuel, when I think of what I was and what I am now, I feel...it is not right that I am a Cherinian and you are not. To me you were like a god! You still are and it is not right that I am a Cherinian while you are not.”
“Then it was wise of us to make you a Cherinian before me Petra. Maybe this way you will learn to love me as a normal man with all my faults.”
“Of which he has many.” Harvey added, provoking laughter in the others. Only Petra stared back at me solemnly, not agreeing with him.
The day draws close and I am afraid. So much happening, the birth of my daughter, the coming of Samantha with all the changes that will bring. I will no longer be the Samuel I am today. My worst fear though is the loss of my friends. As if that is not enough, our dearest friends, Angelo, Smaragda and Anna will also be leaving us. If it were not for the arrival of my daughter, I would be wishing for things to stay as they are. Aleka says my fears are normal, all humans fear change, even when such change is for the good. I am not consoled by such platitudes and I make it obvious. I cling to my friends desperately, not wanting to lose them. I wonder what thoughts go through their minds and my imagination lends me an unwelcome empathy so that I share in fears I am certain they share between them. On the last night I sat in the bathroom and wept. It would have been better Samantha had not left me a message, for now I fear the others will not agree, why else would she say she cannot guarantee the others will agree. She must have said it because she doubts they will.
I had locked the bathroom door, but it opened silently and Jasmine came to me, her arms awkwardly around me as I huddled miserably. “Is this the way you will greet the coming of our daughter Samuel?”
“If she can feel me Jas, she must know how happy I am that I will soon be able to hold her in my arms. I cannot stop grieving for the loss of our friends though, I would be trying to lie to myself if I did.”
“She does understand, we all do, but this coming day must be one of joy only. What are we going to do?”
“I don't know.”
Tenderly she held me while I tried to convince myself I should stop grieving for the sake of our daughter. I could not and it broke my heart. I sensed a light forming before us and we both looked in awe as the shape of a young girl appeared.
“Mother, there is no reason for you to worry, I am strong enough now to feel the love in his heart. I would not have him not grieve while he fears the loss of his friends. Do you think I would love him as much if he did not, would I want him as my husband, father of my children? Be his courage mother, all my mothers, give him your love until I am born and then I will be with to help you. It is too difficult at this time for me to communicate directly with his heart. I will be stronger in a few days.”
Before either of us could respond with words, she disappeared. She must have sensed our joy and wonder at her beauty.
In the morning we all gathered and Alki, Cherine, Dominique and Claire arrived. Cherine cocked her head to one side as if listening and then smiled.
“It seems your daughter is able to tap through to the gifts of Samantha and is stronger than any child born to us till now.”
I blurted out, “Why does your Robert stay away from us?”
“The child must bond with you first Samuel. He fears he could cause problems if he comes before you bond.”
“I thought that was only the prime Robert.” Claire said, grinning.
“All Roberts my love.” Cherine said. “They are all intensely protective of children and babies and they open their hearts without holding anything back.”
3849
“Alki, Cherine, we wanted you here as witnesses.” Harvey placed a small bag on the table. “This is a gift from Shida and I for Samuel and his family. Samuel, you will now have two infants to care for and your women. You are useless at earning a wage, so please accept this money from the lottery to help you until you are able to hold a job. The money was won because of your daughter anyway, so it belongs to you.”
“My little goddess has already told you she helped because she wants you to have the money, I will not accept it Harvey. My thanks to both of you for the thought.”
Shida gave a certain sly smile I recognised, one he uses when he thinks he has got the better of us. “But Samuel, you have been grieving for our deaths so strongly, what would dead men need money for? Take it before it turns out we are to live and no longer wish to part with it.”
“I have been a bit of a weight around your necks, I'm sorry.”
Harvey pretended to be choking and staggered about as he tried to pull up the rope choking him and the girls laughed. “Don't overdo it Harvey, or else I just might decide to choke you for real.” As I laughed I saw the two of them had helped break me out of my moodiness. Gently I pulled Jasmine to me. “I'm ready now my love, whenever the two of you are.”
Our daughter was born and as I took her bloody little body in my hands to hand over to Petra to be cleaned, my heart swelled so that I could hardly breathe from the love exploding in me. I recall facing dangers and yet never have I been as proud of myself as I was at this moment, even though I had done nothing much to deserve it. How ironic, what a miracle that I, Samuel, the ephemeral man who only exists as a character in a play is a real father, father of a magical little creature with a real life and future.
Hoping I was guessing right, I took my daughter after all had held her for a moment and telling Anna to sit down I gave her my baby girl to hold. Her face rapt with joy and love she held her, afraid she might hurt her. As she looked down, the huge eyes of my daughter stared into hers and something Cherinian happened and Anna was lost to us for a long time.
We have a crib, but that first night, none of us could bear to be apart from her. Jasmine placed her on my chest where she fell asleep. I did not dare sleep, my hands to either side of her; I passed the night in a radiant joy. Petra held little Sera and when she fell asleep Aleka took the baby and held her to herself, the look on her face speaking of her yearning to have her own child also. If I am not careful our family will grow too fast.
I spent the next three days bonding with my babies, bonding with my loves and enjoying the calm companionship of my friends. My baby named herself Atassia, pronouncing it the way a Greek would (‘Atasseéa’ the second 'a' the same as the first and the 'i' as an 'e' in the word ‘see’).
The Cherinians waited until the last person Aleka was healing left and then they joined us. Despite them reassuring me for weeks, my loves now stood close to me, as if trying to protect me. I was surprised to see that Cherine has chosen a younger age.
“Are you ready Samuel?”
“No. Cherine, I've been hearing about the way you Cherinians give each other a full set of your memories. Can you do that with a non-Cherinian?”
“What for?”
“Just in case I do not wake up the man I am now, not the man they love. I want them to have my memories, I want them to be able to feel how much I love every one of them.”
“I don't know if it can be done Samuel. To do what you are asking takes the knowing cooperation of your mind and you are not able to do so. If we enter your mind and try to make a copy of your memories, your instincts will be to stop us, your mind will see us as attacking you.”
“Do I have the same instincts Cherine? Did Meli think of creating them?”
She looked at Dominique, biting her lip. “Do you agree to try?”
“Not with you Cherine.”
3850
“It has to be me, no one else can help you.”
“I'm not willing to risk it Cherine, either I do it on my own or we don't try.”
I saw the stance, fists at her side as she faced Dominique, so I stepped in. “Why not ask Samantha to help? She is going to make a copy of my memories for herself, ask her to give you a copy.”
Cherine grabbed my shirt in her hand and tugged at me. I leant down to her and she kissed me. “You are special Samuel. I promise to do as you asked. They will have all they need to know that you love them, but just as important, they will feel your mind and what it is about you that makes you so special. They will learn why it is that prime Robert loved you instead of his Cherine as the Princess Thina.” She gave me a sweet smile. “I think I would like to have a copy for me, do you mind?”
I smiled back. “Tell me, does anyone ever refuse any Cherine?”
Her smile became cheeky. “Not often.”
“Cherine, how will it work with the others?”
“The same as when Samantha took over from you. They will change and revert to their original selves. Smaragda and her family will have their minds unblocked and they will return to their own reality and time.”
“When will this happen?”
“Today, directly after we have finished with you.”
“Can you do them first please? If I am to lose people I love I want to be here and see what happens. We were born together, on the same beach. If their originals refuse to give them life, then I must bear witness to their death.”
The two tried to argue with me, maybe hoping to change my mind, but my ladies and the Cherinians told them I have the right to ask and that I need it. I held them both to me as they wished me a good life and then collapsed, their minds reflecting changes within them. As I watched and held them, they changed form and two young female bodies lay within my arms.
They both opened their eyes, looked at me and shut their eyes again. Hardly daring to breathe I waited for their decision.
“Hello Samuel, I am Haven. Samantha is deeply loved by me, so I would not wish to hurt you, but I cannot answer you yet. I need to talk to Samantha and my Cherine.”
“I'll get her.” Dominique disappeared. Twenty minutes later she returned, troubled. “They are not on their world. They left for a trip on Freddie and have not been back for longer than is normal.”
“I thought they travel for years?” Petra said.
“Years in Freddie, but not much longer than days or a few weeks from Earth.”
“Did you find out where they were going?”
“To...I'm sorry Haven, I'm not allowed to tell you.”
“It affects my future? Then I will have to wait. Samuel, I am willing under the circumstances to make a decision after talking with Sam.”
“Thank you.” I looked at Shiyra.
“If they are to come back, it would be better they do so together Samuel. My Shida truly loves you both.”
“He still is loved Shiyra, by all of us. Did he get his sweet gentle nature from you?”
She blushed. “I need time to learn more about him. It might help teach me a few things about myself.” She stuck out her hand. “Haven, friends?”
We watched them embrace.
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)15th December, 2019
- posted: 15th December, 2019
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