Cherine asked, “If I had not met Robert, that would have happened to me?”Any person growing up alone with any of these talents, they would be committed to a mental institution.”
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As I answered in the negative, Alki answered that she might have. I felt I had to speak quickly, before Cherine gets carried away by her empathy, for my gut reaction warned me it could become a catastrophe for all of us; it is too dangerous.
“Alki, do you know what a job that would be? Not to find them, that should be easy. I’m thinking more of what it will take to repair the damage done to their minds. Just the fact of being classified insane, can you imagine what it would do to anyone! I presume most of them will also have been drugged out of their minds to prevent them using their powers, especially any powers which can be considered a nuisance by the staff. How many will have damaged minds from electroshock therapy? How can anyone use the word therapy for something so barbarous? Each person we rescue would be a full-time job - and I can’t help wondering how many of them will still be nice people. Probably only a very few of them. Would they even want to join us or would they use their powers indiscriminately? I would rather leave them for last, for when we are stronger.”
All the girls attacked me. How could I be so callous, can’t I imagine what hell they must be going through, with Cherine suddenly the champion of those unfortunate inmates, as I’d feared would happen. I doubt that Marian and Alki heard, but they recognise the signs of our communicating and waited silently.
“Sorry guys. I’ve just been put through the ringer by the girls. They want me to go save every inmate at every asylum, immediately. Alki, Marian, even you Dommi, surely you realise that we are not equipped for that? How do we get them released. If we do, who looks after them. Where do they live. There are not enough of us to do the job.”
Dommi offered, “Roberto, I will give my money for us to open our own asylum. We can make them better there.”
“And the asylum will be run by staff who are to be told about us? This cannot be solved by money! I cannot tell you what to do with your money, however, I will make this a flat statement - and I will not discuss it any further. I will not have anything to do with this idea. Period.” It was actually hurting me to be taking a stand against what the girls wanted. To ease my pain I stood up and walked around. “Have any of you considered what it will be like for me to have to go into insane mind after insane mind. Do you think any of them will be sane after being locked up? I cannot do it.”
“Girls I think….”
“Sorry to interrupt Alki, I have not finished. Wendy. Your question. You are right and it does make it a bit easier for us to grow, perhaps it may be the only way for us to grow as a group. But how do we find the right people to take to the void? You could say we were forced to take the risk with Tasso and his family because he already knew about us, otherwise, what are the chances we would have trusted them? Apart from you, in each case it was necessary we trust that person first. Look how long it took us to bring Themi in. You were the exception and even then, to bring you in, the only way we could do it was by making you a part of our circle. Love for us would ensure loyalty, but what are the chances of all four of us loving someone simultaneously. I’m happy with our circle, it feels complete to me. With our children and grandchildren we will grow large enough.
This thing about the insane asylums, the only way we, or at least, I, could help them, is by going into their minds. Are we then to take them all into our circle?”
Dommi said, her voice soothing everyone, “Roberto, I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. You had dreams of bringing hundreds of people in one go, think in smaller steps. Why don’t we start by looking for two or three people to help Themi and Pavlo.”
“That seems to be our only choice. You do realise that families will not want strangers in their circle? Take Tasso. He has enough of a problem adjusting without having the extra problem of bringing in someone new. As the circle closes immediately upon forming, they would have to first love each other and then we create their circle. It was so easy with you guys that I became over optimistic. Now I keep on seeing problems cropping up making this a difficult process. I do not care if it is a slow evolution, we must learn to accept facts as facts, even if we don’t like them. But what do we do about the children we have now. I do not want them to grow up alone without friends.”
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Dommi said, “Roberto my love, you are worrying too much. How many friends do you have? When do you feel happiest? Isn’t it when you and I and our two girls are alone?”
“If that is so, which I agree it is, then there is a flaw in our evolution. We are not richer than the rest of mankind. We are poorer. Love is not enough Dommi. We also need friends.”
Cherine came to face me, dragging Wendy with her. I saw that the eyes of Wendy were a pale faded blue. “Robert, I love you very much, but sometimes you can be very tiring. I know that you worry because of your love for us, but it does get tiring. All you have to do is look at Wendy’s eyes.” I could not see what she was getting at. Marian was actually blushing, thinking I suppose, that her daughter was being rude.
“Explain to me my Cherry baby.”
“Can you explain her eyes? Why are they sometimes light blue, sometimes their normal colour, and then sometimes a dark blue. What makes them change to the strange colour, violet?”
“I have wondered too. I guessed they change according to her moods - not that I understand why or how. Remember, you also did it, making yours green.”
“I was just projecting to be sexy and I have never been able to do it again without changing anything else. I want to know how Wendy started doing it without planning to do it. She could not when we first met her. How did this happen? What about her singing? Is it natural?”
I kept glancing at Wendy so that she does not feel we are just talking about her as if she is not present. With Cherine’s last question I gave Wendy a grin. “No, it is not. She projects her emotions with her singing. That is why it affects us so strongly.”
“Okay, you are more clever than I thought. Then tell me, does this mean she has new talents which none of us have?” I felt her personal comment about me was entirely uncalled for and was slightly miffed.
“Yes.”
“Robert!” She flushed in anger. “Can’t you see? We have not stopped growing. You do not know what we will be like next week, so why are you worrying about what we will be like years from now?”
“You want me to stop worrying? And don’t you dare answer me without thinking first about your answer.”
Wendy was smiling at me from behind Cherine and her eyes were a warm blue again. Cherine turned quickly and saw Wendy. She flushed again and was about to pull away in a temper. Wendy did not give her a chance, she put her hand to her face and kissed her, hugging her. Cherine kept her face rigid for a second then she turned to me.
“She sees you trapped me and I do not understand.”
“She knows there has to be a daddy and mummy in each family. She knows it is the job of the parents to worry about their children, to try to foresee the future, to protect their family from whatever the future brings. Cherine my love, I am tiring not because I worry. It is because I am often too stupid to see the answer in front of my own nose. As of this moment I resign the job. You are the clever one, so it is your turn to worry about us. You be the daddy. Maybe you can do a better job of it than I.”
“You can’t do that!” She looked around for support, but everyone was carefully banking their emoting, not wanting to take sides.
“Oh I just did. I am going to expect you to plan for us, for our future. To worry if I do not have work and our money is running out. About what we do when we can no longer hide that we are not ageing. Do we go to another country? What about work then? Money for moving? Our two babies, they are going to grow up with lots of love, but they will never know what it is like to have a real friend, someone they can talk to. Do we push them to leave our circle, to grow their own circle, or do they stay and get pregnant with the child of their own daddy. What about their children, do they also stay and have my children? If we have to push them out, how do we do it without hurting them or ourselves? There are hundreds more things for you to worry about. As the responsibility grows on you, as we obey you, please try to avoid becoming tiring.”
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Though she cried and apologised I would not give in. The girls had to turn to her and I asked for her advice on everything I had to do. Should I do the kind of work I love or that which will make money to provide a cushion for our growing family. She had to worry about Wendy and the need for her education. When I transferred the protector to her, ordering it to accept only her orders from now on, her face turned white.
At her decision, we went to Dafni, close to the government mental asylum. She tried calling to those inside. She did not get a reply. I suggested they might be drugged and unable to respond. Would she like to use me to go into their minds. It did not take her too long to scream for the protector to pull me out and as we returned home she spent the whole trip crying.
She started to sleep apart from us, not touching, trying to keep her mind blanked off from us to hide her fears and worries. Dommi pointed out to her that it is her job to keep us all close to each other, she is breaking up the family by pulling away. She tried, but her face was drawn and tight, not conducive to loving.
Cherine spent a lot of time running over to her mother. Marian told me she is in a panic half the time, asking for advice. When Marian decided Cherine had learnt her lesson, she suggested Cherine apologise and ask me to take back the job of being the daddy. She could not apologise. Her pride was still too strong.
Wendy spoke to her, “Cherrie, I was promised you are going to make me your sister and you were going to marry me. Two weeks have passed!”
“Robert was...”
“That was before love. It is your job to plan. What about Alki and your mother, I suppose they are also waiting to hear from you when they can get married.”
“It’s not fair!!”
Dommi said, “Wendy, you got your reason why you will have to wait - it is not fair. Anyway, I have a much more important problem which cannot wait. It has to do with the birth of our babies. Cherine, this could be extremely important. If we do not plan it correctly, the baby could even suffer damage. When hips are too narrow to open properly, how can the baby get out? Should we plan for a caesarean for you?”
“I...I don’t know. You are supposed to be the mummy, why can’t you decide?”
“She has a point Dommi. That should be your decision.” I felt we were coming down too hard on her. I do not want her to become afraid of taking responsibility.
“Okay. Cherine, you will live with my decision as final?”
“Yes.”
“You must arrange for a doctor or a clinic. You are going to have to have a caesarean. Your bones are too narrow and immature for you to give birth. Please give me the details soon as you can so that I can make my plans.”
She turned to me. “Robert!! That is not fair!”
“Do you know how many times all of you expected me to make decisions - that were not fair on me? My love, if you want your family to feel safe and secure, you have to try and be everything to everybody. The responsibility has to be yours, the blame has to rest on your shoulders alone, even if others give you advice. That is the way you earn our trust.”
“I’m only a child! I can’t make all the decisions.”
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“Would you prefer we do not have a daddy to make the decisions? Should we do it by majority vote? We all talk about it and once most of us decide something, then that becomes the decision of the group?”
“You said it does not work.”
“We can try it. Better you know for a fact whether it works or not, than to just blindly take my word for it.”
“Robbie, I can’t. Please! I’m too small. I want you to...”
“Wendy!” I cut her off.
“Robert. She is right, it will not work.”
“If you say so Cherine. Maybe it would work if the daddy and mummy make all decisions together? Would you like to try that?”
“Maybe.” She looked at me defiantly, certain it is a trick question. As Dommi shifted, her discomfort obvious, her eyes turned to Dommi. She stared at her silently for a while. Tears began to flow. “It would not be fair to Dommi.”
I could not hold out any longer, I opened my arms to her. She shook her head, maybe she was still not ready to cave in. I spoke anyway, hoping what I say will help her.
“Can you understand why I would feel like dying whenever I thought I had failed you my love? Cherine sweetheart, relax. Everyone, including me, has been treating you a little bit unfairly, piling problems on you, one after the other. Actually, you have done quite a good job. Sometimes better than I would have. Don’t let them, or me, get you down. We are all proud of you. I personally never thought you would manage as well as you have.”
“Robert, I’m sorry. I have been very stupid, I kept calling you silly, but I was the one being silly. I did not know how hard it was for you. Please take it back.”
“Whatever for! Why should I want the job.”
“No. The protector. If we need it and I make a mistake, it could be dangerous. I’ll die if anyone gets hurt because I did not know what to tell it to do.”
I pointed out to her, “We started in this together love. Did you think I knew? You were willing to let me live with that fear. Why should I take that responsibility back? We all trust you and are willing to live or die because of our faith in you. I actually feel happier knowing you command it, you are so much smarter than me, you always know the right thing to do. You would not believe how much work I have been able to do knowing that our future is in your hands.”
“You are just saying it to punish me, to force me to carry on with...”
“Cherine, you know me well enough, I should hope. You really think I would risk my family just for the sake of punishing you, or for pampering my ego?”
“Ego means you only think of yourself?” I nodded. “You don’t have any ego.”
I chuckled, “Thanks love, not that you are right. Do you know how many times I’ve been terrified you girls would decide you want another man brought into our group? I love being the center of your love. I have my ego and it really is king-sized, but not when it comes to the safety or wellbeing of my loves. I know that despite your stubborn streak you are exactly the same. I trust you.”
“I also trust you.” Dommi added. Wendy stubbornly stayed silent - we’ll have to teach her how to become a better team player. J
Cherine looked at each of us in turn. She took a deep breath, letting go whatever it was that had driven her to act even against her own better judgement. “Robert, I only trust you. I promised when we married to obey and I have been very stupid and I am sorry. I know I hurt you, do you want to divorce me?” I laughed out loud and sent her my love. Relieved she turned to Dommi. “Do I really have to have a caesarean?”
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“Afraid so love.”
“Cherine. I had already thought about it, trying to find a solution we’d like better. During the night, when you have all been sleeping, I have been experimenting, telling my healer to change my body age. It seems it cannot, it can only project for us. It would be nice to be able to alter our ages at whim. First of all, then I could have made you look older every year until you finished school. Also for the birth. There would be a lot of uses for the ability. I just can’t do it. Dommi is right, we have to arrange it, not that I know how we can do it. No clinic or doctor will stay silent about a nine year old giving birth. Not the kind of doctor I would want for you.”
Wendy asked, “Is Robbie our daddy again?”
“Afraid so my love. Do you want to try it?”
“No. You never stopped being my daddy. I don’t want any other daddy.”
Dommi and I grinned. “Cherine, your little sister is being a traitor to you.”
“No, she is right. None of you really thought of me as being your leader, the daddy. You all only pretended for my sake.”
“Not me love.”
“Then you must be the only one who was silly enough, oh, I’m sorry…”
“Don’t you go thinking that you cannot call me silly anymore. I enjoy having you challenge me. However, I do have one question to ask, before we bury the whole thing.”
“What?”
“For the whole time you were daddy we did not have sex once. Was that your decision as daddy? Did you decide it was bad for us?”
“I forgot! I mean, I did remember, but I was so worried all the time and had to keep my worry secret, so I forgot and wasn’t in the mood for…oh, you’re teasing me.”
“Would you like to give your last order before handing over to me?”
“What for? You would all decide not to listen to me.”
“One day you may need to take over my love, look on this experience as a lesson and learn from it. You made one important mistake. You cut us all off. Maybe you felt that to be a leader you had to stop sharing your mind, body and love. Maybe you thought your worries were more important. That was the biggest mistake you could make. As a leader you should have shared, given even more of yourself. Why do you think none of us wanted any loving, how could we, if even one of us does not. Now, give us your last order - well, I know it will not really be the last time you order us, or me at least, but for tonight anyway.”
“Can we go to the bedroom?”
“If you come and give me a hug and kiss. I have missed holding you so much.” Dommi was sitting next to me. It was such a lovely feeling holding our two girls again. I was feeling quite a bit overwhelmed by their emoting.
“All of you are going to drive me crazy. See Cherine, if only my healer could give me three penises so that I could love all of you at the same time.”
“Just give us your best and we will be satisfied.”
“Dommi! You starting with making puns now?” I carried Cherine and Dommi brought our tiniest love along in her arms.
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It seems to me that over these last two weeks their bellies have suddenly grown much larger. I looked at Cherine and worried about her; I went into her mind, but found only pride and happiness in her new uncomfortable body. I looked at Dommi, she has that radiant look mothers-to-be so often have, I did not have to check on her mind. I was grateful to their healers for preventing them from developing any stretch marks.
“Wendy! Who’s been feeding you! I can’t believe how much weight you’ve put on!” She proudly stood up on the bed so that I can see all of her. Her arms and legs are no longer matchsticks. Even her blonde hair has grown longer. She looks divine.
“I really can’t believe this. How come do I not only get three of the sweetest souls to love me, but also three of the most beautiful girls in the whole world.”
Wendy frowned at me. “You got me when I was ugly. Why did you all love me, I looked so horrible.”
“You remember what you looked like?” Cherine asked.
“Yes, many times, when I was alone, I would go to the bathroom mirror to see myself - especially after he hurt me. Then I gave up and did not want to see anymore, even when it was very bad. I was sure I was dreaming when I saw how Robbie fixed me. Especially my titty. How did you do that?”
“I don’t think any of us understand how our gifts work baby. Do you know how you change the colour of your eyes, or how you float in the air?”
“I want to float when I am very happy. I can’t see my eyes, I don’t know.” Cherine quietly got up and returned with a hand mirror.
“Look.” Wendy looked at her dark violet eyes.
“They look like that whenever you are feeling passionate - sexy. When you feel very happy they go a deep dark blue. And when you are sad they fade away.”
“Do you like them Dommi? I don’t look gross?”
Cherine giggled. “I wish my eyes could do that. I only managed it once, though it did have an interesting effect on Robert.”
“And I wish my tummy could be like yours.”
“Hold on you little minx. Don’t you go making plans to have a baby, you are not much more than one yourself. Cherine cheated, she tricked me, but I’m not falling for the same trick twice. You will wait until you are old enough.”
“If you are asking Robert, he’ll probably say about thirty or forty years. By then you will be only about eleven years old. Don’t worry sis, we can find some new tricks.”
“You do that and I will be very angry.”
Dommi sort of humphed and got up. “Okay, I can see which way things are going. I’d rather read a book.”
I laughed. “Any other night I’d let you go, but tonight I think we all deserve a bit of luxury.”
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PART TEN
Chapter Forty
The Christmas season was approaching which meant that not only could I take it easy, but, more importantly to me, I could see to it that the two little ones have a good time. I had an easy job, since they enjoyed being in the shops which were decorated for Christmas, and what with the music and the chatter of normally almost silent customers, they seemed to be filled by the energy of the season.
Dommi spent more time meeting friends, while I took the girls to every play park or other function organised for children. Since it was school holidays, I took a chance and arranged for Cherine to meet her friend from school. With her belly she was moving awkwardly, so despite the camouflage, we had to stick to the story about her having a back problem. Cherine felt it would not be fair to visit friends when Wendy has none and she felt bad about going. Being a child, she came back enthusing about Maria-Elena having said or done this or that. To be fair though, she did keep a constant monitor on Wendy, as she does on all of us, and passed on her feelings as she had fun.
Dommi and I were reluctant to risk inviting Cherine’s friend with Wendy around as herself. Since Cherine wanted to be able to share her friend with her, she asked Wendy what name would she like to be called in public. She thought about it for a long time and chose Diana. We all teased her about wanting to be a princess, but accepted the name as a nice choice.
“I want to invite Maria-Elena to our house, or to meet her with Diana. I don’t think she will recognise her.”
“I can change her also, just enough to…”
“No. Please don’t. I want her to be herself. She doesn’t look anything like that half-dead skeleton she used to be, she is radiant, a princess now. We should not make her feel she has to hide herself, not if it is not necessary.”
I looked at Cherine thoughtfully, not saying anything. She is showing signs of that remarkable woman I know she will become one day and I cannot begin to describe what it does to my heart. Although time has slowed for her, the difference is pure magic. The knowledge that she is loved so deeply by all of us, the acceptance and admiration of her difference, her gift, everything has conspired to bring out that dream-of-mine beauty of hers. Gone the mouth sometimes tight with anxiety, the eyes wary. She mostly glows with self-confidence and her enthusiasm for life.
Although it was cold and she was heavily dressed, compared to the flimsy scraps of cloth of Summer, I found her all wrapped up in soft warm clothes adorable. I yearned to hold her, to gently cuddle her.
Dommi looked up at me from her reading and smiled, nodding her head. She pulled little Wendy to her. Wendy lay with her head on her lap, her face turned towards me, her over-sized dark blue eyes staring at me with a liquid gaze. I could see she knew how I felt as she turned her gaze to Cherine. The only one who seemed to not know was Cherine herself. She was buried deeply in her comics, busy enjoying her stories. I tried to hide my need so that she can continue to enjoy being a child.
With her large belly she would get uncomfortable and move herself, changing positions often, so I was not surprised when she turned onto her side, lifting her legs and placing her feet over my lap. She had her back towards the room and was deeply engrossed in the cartoons - as far as I could tell from her emoting. About fifteen minutes must have passed. I gently massaged her feet and she looked up for a moment, smiled at me her pleasure and returned to her reading.
As she turned the page, she gasped and gave a giggle. I found it so sweet, endearing, that she is still capable of enjoying her comics so much. She finally looked up at me, a wide grin on her face and passed the comic to me. Dutifully I took it to see what was amusing her so much. I also gave an unbelieving gasp. The cartoon characters had stripped and were having sex. I looked up, instinctively, at Dommi, to show her, when I caught sight of Wendy’s eyes. The violet was so deep they were almost black. There was also a naughty, impish little smile that betrayed her. Only Dommi had not noticed, or was pretending not to, for I saw Cherine had turned and was staring at her eyes.
“Wendy did it?”
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“Yes love.”
“Let me see it again.” I passed the comic back to her. She swung her feet and lifting herself lay down again with her head on my lap. She carried on looking at the naughty cartoons and gave another giggle at what she saw. She finally put the comic down across her chest and shut her eyes. I looked at her dark lashes resting against her cheeks and wondered how is it possible for a face to be so beautiful, so innocent. She opened her eyes and finding my gaze upon her stared back.
“You were never so shy before.” she whispered.
Without me willing it, tears began to fall as I whispered in return, “You have never been so beautiful.”
She just stared at me without replying for a long while. My heart was hammering as my fingertips softly searched her face, feeling the soft fullness of her lips, the rich texture of her lashes and the velvety smoothness of her skin. I felt a strong need to stretch my body, my arms stretched out and up as I shuddered a deep breath.
I carefully picked her up and carried her to the bedroom and then lay down next to her, just looking into her eyes. She, keeping her dark eyes on me, reached with her hand, her beautiful slim fingers, and caressed my face. They reached behind and pulled my face to hers. Before they could turn on any fires we pulled back and lay there looking into each others eyes, locked in our love and adoration of each other. Vaguely I realised my love is not emoting, not using her gift to swirl us deeper into each others hearts. It was not necessary, all I needed was for this moment to last forever. After a long while she turned in my arms and spooned against me. Now I was able to feel the full length of her body along mine.
We lay like that, our bodies feeding off each others warmth, the need to feel her physical presence a drug that made me dizzy with love. Slowly, gently, without realising it, we both drifted into a light sleep.
When we woke up, there was no need for the fire of the phoenix, we both were treasuring each tiny sensation that included the warmth of being held by the one we love. We did not use our gifts to emote or feel the other loved one. We were closed, each within their own body and world and yet our sharing was deeper than any I had ever known before, which proved once again that our imagination truly is the miracle which inspires our love.
“Robert, I love you.”
“I never thought it was possible for two people to love each other so much. Oh yes, I love you Cherine, more and more every day.”
“Mmmm” she drawled, half lost in her feelings, “more and more every day. Rose also.”
I looked at my miracle girl in disbelief. “Rose too? Our little daughter!?”
“She is always with us my love - do you mind?”
“Mind! I’m crazy about the idea. I’m not going to ask how, it is just a miracle I’m going to enjoy imagining.”
As we settled, her in my arms, both of us ready to doze or fall into a deep slumber, the door opened and Dommi and Wendy came in. They leant over and kissed us both and quietly left again, giving us a gift of the night for ourselves alone. I sent some of my warmth out to them in gratitude and faded into a deep slumber alongside my love.
Chapter Forty One
Alki had called, asking me to meet him and Themi without the girls. We smiled, either Alki was forgetting we are linked, which is not likely, or he feels more comfortable speaking about whatever he has to say without having to face them. Knowing that Themi is with gave me enough of a hint as to his reasons, so, with a smile, I asked the girls not to listen in if they have something personal or private they need to discuss, but otherwise left it to them - leaving myself open to make it easy for them if they want to share.
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Soon as I saw the two of them, from their posture and their waving arms as they talked, I knew this is something they consider important, but that it is also good. Pleased that I am not about to be delivered any prophesies of doom, I ordered the bitter sketo Greek coffee I have slowly become addicted to and sat back, relaxed, happy to wait for them. I think Themi only let Alki do the talking because he was enjoying it so much.
“You know how my engonoula (granddaughter) Cherine keeps calling you silly? Maybe now you will also call yourself silly. Themi and I, we been calling ourselves stupid for hours now.”
“From your happy faces, I must presume that either you greatly enjoy thinking of yourselves as stupid, or, I am the one who has been very stupid and you are loving this opportunity to set me right.” I grinned at them.
He grinned back and then sat forward, suddenly very serious. “Roberto mou, both Themi and I, actually, all of us, have been listening to you, treating you as the expert on your gifts and on the changes to all our lives. Even the future you foresee we accept as if you know, a prophet, another Nostradamus, but one that speaks clearly. Themi and I met at a taverna in Piraeus and with some wine and saganaki to help us, we thought and talked about everything, but at last using our common-sense.”
I grinned, wanting to laugh. “And I have now been downgraded to the dunce of the class?”
Themi put his hand on the arm of Alki, stopping him from talking. “No, no dunce. You are an explorer. To chart unknown territory, you have had to make certain assumptions (παραδοχές). You did the right thing; wherever we think you erred, you erred out of concern for your loved ones. It is good to have a leader who does not leap blindly into the unknown, but is conservative.
Of all your presumptions there is only one that could prove dangerous. You know what a self-fulfilling prophecy is? If we are right, Alki and I, you need to think about how our ideas could change your planning and perhaps remove some of the fears we all have.” I remembered the last time he had frightened us with his theory about us overloading Cherine, so I was only slightly concerned because of the participation of Alki. I nodded for him to continue.
“The two main areas of concern are as follows, a) you believe that if any one part of the circle dies, the others will automatically follow that one, creating the Kaleidoscope World; b) you believe the circle is closed, that only the children, grandchildren and so on will become part of the circle.
What disturbed us is, that if the previous facts are both true, your gifts are a curse that should not be allowed to spread any further. The mutation, in the extreme, should you manage to spread your gifts to the total human population, spells the end of mankind.”
“I don’t see that.” I was not being entirely honest, by my need for a cigarette I knew I desperately needed to understand clearly. The fact that Cherine had pulled out of my mind, leaving a trail of dismay was beginning to frighten me. Strangely it was Wendy who spoke up, reassuring me they will understand if I smoke. It helped to rid me of the need.
“Do you believe that all your children, at birth, or even before, will become part of your circle, because of the love you have for them?” I gave the Greek nod for yes. “Do you believe that is true of all the generations that will come thereafter?” Again I nodded. “May we presume, you the originators of this circle, will live a thousand years? Your circle by then could be, what, say anything from three thousand and up to five thousand?”
“I never worked it out.”
“Nor have we, but let us just presume those figures for the meantime. Roberto, the numbers grow in a downward growing pyramid. Do you realise that at the end of the thousand years most of the members of the circle would be, in normal terms, babies and children? Now, tell me honestly, do you believe in all those years, nothing would cause the death of even one person of that circle? You keep saying, if one of you die, you all die - the whole circle.”
340
They both knew me well enough to recognise the signs that I was with the girls. Cherine was back. She and I have the strongest belief in this theory, having lived with it from the beginning. Strangely enough Dommi was totally calm, which knowing her mothering instinct, did not seem right. Wendy was too young and new to this to understand clearly and was just emoting confidence in me.
“Themi, how can we know? This is a dreadful uncertainty to live with. It was bad enough for me when I thought just Cherine would die before her time because of me. To have to face the possibility that all our children, and theirs, could die because of us before their time, you have given me a nightmare I do not think I can face.”
“Roberto, it is our theory that you are completely wrong. How many times have you died? Did both Cherine and Dominique die with you? What we saw was that each time only Cherine was at risk. Even though Dominique was in the circle you did not even fear for her.”
“This is very strange,” I laughed, embarrassed. “I knew that and yet I still thought of us all following, dying if you will, if one of us does. I feel I would, if I lose even one of them.”
“I think not. Maybe yes if it were either Cherine or Wendy. But not if it were Dominique.”
That was the closest I ever came to hitting him. How could he hurt my Dommi by saying that. I saw from Alki that he recognised my reaction, for he sat forward to place himself between us. “Roberto mou, listen...”
Before I could retort, Themi continued. “Dominique, I know you are all listening. Please understand, I am not implying Roberto loves you less than the others. He sees you as an adult; the others are children and his protectiveness, his protector as you call it, would make it necessary for him to follow either of them. It is a slight psychological difference.”
Cherine was anxiously monitoring Dommi for any hurt so I could not believe it when she began to laugh. I was tense and reacted by angrily demanding to know what is so funny. Dommi was about to speak, but then I saw her need to talk to all of us directly. As she hesitated, I sensed Wendy grab the others by the hand and the three of them were suddenly standing in front of us. I do not know who was more shocked, the other two girls or us.
“We are not here. Wendy is just projecting us here for you three only.” Cherine grimaced as she used the word ‘only’, for she also was in shock.
Dommi recovered quickly, probably because of her need to speak. “I needed to be here to speak to everyone. You are both right, but you are also both wrong.”
Alki had recovered first. “What do you mean koukla mou, how can that be?”
“Roberto is right, if any of us die, even me, he and Cherine would both die. Or Wendy. Maybe even Alki or Marian.” Now Alki looked shocked. “We have to, if we do not, we lose the person who dies, forever. That is what we cannot accept. Not someone we love! Once the Kaleidoscope World exists on a permanent basis, it will no longer be necessary for the rest of the circle to die. The Kaleidoscope World will gather that soul in and the rest can wait their turn, since they can visit as often as they want. To do otherwise would show that there are personality problems. Healthy, well-balanced people do not commit suicide.”
Alki had tears in his eyes as he asked, “You mean that even if there were a hundred of us, my Roberto would have to die as soon as the first one of us dies, so that he does not lose that soul?”
Dommi seemed too calm as she answered, “Actually Robert and Cherine. They are both needed to start the Kaleidoscope World with the one who died as the third one. But Alki, why would they have to die if there are a lot of us?” This confused us all. We just looked at her. She sighed.
“Experience has shown that at least three people are needed for the Kaleidoscope World. Nobody has to die to do that, otherwise we would not have ever experienced it. If there are enough of us, all we would have to do is take turns, so as to hold that lonely soul until more of us die. That is, I think, why Robert is so desperate to increase the numbers, whether in our circle or not - and whether he knows his reasons or not.”
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)27th March, 2019
- posted on Steemit: 27th March, 2019
If you wish to have your name added above, I would be honoured.
