“Once you move to a world of Meli’s we will find a way to bring it there to you.”“It is good then. I will keep this portrait in my mind and treasure it there.”
1211
“I would prefer it stay here Robert. In my own body I would not see it as you intended it. This colour is broken up into reds with green and yellow in it. My people will marvel at her in this impossible colour when they share her portrait from within my mind.”
“Solomon I have no gift for you yet. I hope you are not slighted. To create something of any value I cannot demand it of my imagination. At it’s own time your gift will come to my inner eye and I will paint it.”
“You have another eye inside you!?”
“It was an idiom Solomon. It means I see a picture within my imagination, my mind.”
“I shall wait for your inner eye to see without any slight being taken.”
That got all of us grinning and he thought we were happy he was not slighted.
Chapter Ninety Six
In the morning we got our next call from Petsas.
Without a greeting in return, I demanded, “I presume you have a message.”
“A warning. I will read it out to you.
‘We are aware of everything about you. We know of the void, your World and of your protector. We have taken the necessary steps to keep informed. The person writing your story has been found by us and we are able to monitor his computer. It was discovered that he was becoming too busy with his work and not writing as often as he used to. He had created a company which was to provide him with the comfort and security he needs for his retirement.
To make certain he has more time to write on a daily basis, we have taken the necessary steps and destroyed his business. He is now penniless and dependant on others. Being too old to find employment he sits alone and does nothing else but write his story.
We now know how to fight you and win.’
That is all Mr Teller. They have passed on to me the parts of the story that refer to myself. I see now that I was used and will take great pleasure in seeing you and your friend Mr Georgiades destroyed.”
“Would you fax a copy of it to me?”
“With pleasure. The more often you read it the better.”
I relayed the message verbally to Alki and Cherine, though Cherine had been listening through my mind. We sat staring at each other with dismay.
“I cannot believe I was that stupid Alki, even Cherine asked me to find this man, but I saw no threat in him, more of a kindred spirit for us to bring in as a Cherinian someday. I should have thought of him when this attack began. God the man must be in despair!”
“Then perhaps you should find him now.”
“I think we better not. I will just make sure I only write the things I want him to write about, he could be of help in misleading the others. At least they will never know now, if what he writes is true or not.”
“That is not the point Robert. We cannot leave him to suffer.”
“I know my love. If we try to help him, we would have to bring him here and protect him. Strange as it may seem to you, I believe he would not want to come. If he understands at any point that he is not making up a story but is writing of actual people, he would, I am certain, volunteer to carry on, helping us in his own way. Since he does not know the truth I think he is safe for the time being.”
“If he has been destroyed he might commit suicide.”
1212
“No Alki, not him! I can feel that he is one of those people who never give up. I bet you he will be scheming on how to start anew. To tell you the truth, once we meet him, I will not be surprised to learn that writing his story about us has helped keep him alive.”
They both looked at me and I felt within them a disappointment that I was prepared to use you this way. Mr ‘A’ I promise we will find you and make things right for you one day. As you type this, even though you think we are figments of your imagination, please take heart, for we will set you back on your feet - if you do not manage it on your own. I have a feeling about you, you will!
The disabled operatives of the spider are now over three hundred. He has to notice soon.
Two days have passed, no word from the spider (or Petsas), even though we have now disabled over seven hundred. Cherine and Alki are living on their nerves and find my relaxed attitude irritating. That last message has really upset them. As for me, I look forward to seeing how they intend attacking me. Knowing of my protector does not give away any secret weaknesses. They should by now, if they believe what they read, know that they cannot attack us safely.
Another five days have passed and still nothing, not even a call from Petsas. We have disabled over one thousand three hundred, more than a hundred per day. They must be rattled by now. I wish there was another Mr ‘A’ writing their story so that I could get an idea of what is going on.
At about eleven last night, I was warned by the protector that a large number of people had quietly surrounded the house. I could not believe their stupidity, to attack this way was totally pointless. A premonition made me take the decision I did. I woke up Cherine and explained, told her to go and stay by Alki.
“Can you project the three of us into the lounge? The protector will get rid of any bullets or other weapons, but they must report us as being here. I’m going to the alternate world.”
“Why?”
“This is not the real attack. They must have found a way to go there since reading our diary. I have to bring everybody back.” She kissed me softly and ran off to Alki. I jumped.
I timed it so that I would arrive one day earlier. I did not need to find everybody. They sensed my arrival and my crowd were soon at the farm. Rob jumped and quickly brought his Cherine and her parents. Their Wendy and her mother were still at the farm so we soon had everyone. We jumped back home, timing it so that we arrived within minutes of my leaving. We arrived in the main bedroom, where everyone waited as I went to get Alki and my Cherine.
There was not even a sound from outside. The protector had not waited for them to use their weapons, taking them from their hands, including some serious stuff that could have demolished the house within a minute. It placed all the weapons on our lawn.
I phoned Petsas. “Tell your master to order his men to go home. I have taken their weapons and it would be pointless having them arrested.”
“I do not know what you are talking about.”
“I was not aware that you had to know everything, I thought you were just a messenger. I’ve given you a message, deliver it now or else you bear the responsibility if I am forced to handle the men.”
“I’ll call you back…”
“Do not. I’m going to sleep now. Just pass on the message. If the men are not gone within ten minutes I’ll take action.” I closed the phone.
Within ten minutes the phone rang. “I’m sorry Mr Teller, I did not know. I passed the message and they told me to tell you the men are leaving. I did not know what I was letting myself in for, I would like to resign from being the intermediary.”
“Have you told them of your wish?”
“Not yet.”
1213
“Do not. If you do you will be dead before morning. I am not prepared to waste my energy protecting you, you chose to back the wrong side Petsas, do not compound your error. Carry on as if all is well with you and just pass on all messages exactly as given to you. When this is over I will not take punitive action against you.”
“He must be badly rattled.”
“He is. He underestimated us, thought he would have the chance to gloat as we were destroyed. Seeing them lose a battle has unnerved him.”
“What do you think you are doing now Robert?”
“I’m going back to the alternate world. I’ll arrive there a few days in the future, I want to check if they did attack there. I need to know Keith.”
“You must not go! If you go without the protector they will kill you. Or were you going to take the protector?”
“No. Don’t forget I have the healer with me. Even if they attack, the healer can keep me going long enough to jump back here.”
Cherine listened, her eyes dark as she stared at me. She could feel how everyone wanted to stop me, so I was surprised when she came to my side - and the others all fell silent. “Go my love. Only stay a second or two, but make sure of what they have done. We’ll be waiting for you.”
“You’re not demanding I take you with?”
“No. It would only make you more vulnerable. If you are not back soon, I’ll find you in the void and bring you back.”
“My warrior wife, I am proud of you. How about a kiss to send me off?”
Her chin rose at least an inch. “You get the kiss when you come back.” I laughed and the roomful of loved ones laughed too and the tension dissolved. I jumped and immediately jumped back.
“The farmhouse is gone. Nothing but rubble left.”
“The bastards!”
I stumbled as it all caught up with me. Jonathan put his arm around my shoulders to steady me till I sat down.
“I’m sorry, jumping twice has left me weak. Dommi my love, can I have some coffee? While I’m waiting send me some honey with a teaspoon.”
“I’ll bring the honey.” Candy ran off and returned, her pert little face delighted that she had beaten the others to it. I smiled and made her sit on my lap. She fed me, dripping honey on to my shirt.
“I can feel you are very upset Robert. What do we care about a house, it can be replaced.”
“It is not the house Rob. If I had not paid attention to my feelings you would have all been dead. That scares me.”
“I suppose our house is also gone.”
“I don’t know, I did not take the risk of jumping there too. If it is, you need not worry, we will replace it. Can’t have our Cherine homeless.” I smiled at her father and mother. There was no answering smile on their faces, just a grim fear.
“What have you involved us and our little girl in?”
Cherine, my Cherine took umbrage.
“How dare you! He saved your little girl. You would not have her if he had not brought her back! If it was not for me he would only be a normal artist, there would be no Cherinians. So you want to blame anyone you blame me and that means you also blame your own daughter.” Marian came to her, putting an arm around her, to soothe her. Instead Cherine turned to her mother, her eyes still glittering with her anger. “I can see it now. My father was a weak man, I will not get Robert to bring him back.”
1214
“Do not say that my love. He was a good father and husband.”
“Still, he ran away. He left both of us, even though he knew how badly I needed him. Mother, I have my own Robert who is not only my love and husband, he is also everything my father should have been.”
“You also have your own wives and daughters.” She chided her. “That does not mean you do not need your father.”
“He would come back as a baby. I do not need him as a baby. When he grows up he would still be the weak man he was.” As is her way, her decisions were absolute, everything to her either white or black. I let her alone, I can speak to her later, when she has calmed down.
“My daddy is not weak! He is afraid but then everyone is.”
“I know my little sister, but none of the others are attacking or blaming my Robert. Feel them, they are all grateful he saved them. Only your daddy blames him. He does not like being taken away from his boring life and blames us. You have the same gifts I have. If you had lived, if you had not died in that hospital, you would have brought the same problems to your parents. Everything starts from the two of us.”
The little one forgot her feelings of being insulted. “You think so? We are the same? I thought you were stronger.”
“Only because I am older. When you are my age you might even be stronger - if you really love your Robert.”
“I do.”
“Come into my mind, see for yourself.” They walked off to the bedroom, hand in hand.
Dommi brought cigarettes with my coffee. By the time I’d finished, the two Cherines walked back in. Even before I saw their radiant faces I knew.
“We exchanged slivers!!”
I smiled at them, happy to see their love for each other.
“I’m glad. Cherry, did you learn anything about me from my Cherine?”
“Yes!! You are much more crazy than my Robbie.”
“Thank goodness, I do not think I could handle two as crazy as our Roberto!” Everyone laughingly agreed with Alki.
“Perikli, why don’t you call in? I can feel you itching to do so.”
“How do I explain my long absence?”
“You think they may have replaced you?”
“If they have, would you mind?”
“If you mean, do I care, yes. If you mean do I mind because you could be of use to us, no, I do not.”
“Thank you. Then I need not explain. If they want my resignation they get it.”
Petsas called again, his voice terrified. “They told me to tell you they have ‘cancelled’ all your family. That there are only the three of you now and they will get the other two first, leaving you for last so that you suffer.”
1215
“Tell them I thank them for being so considerate. One moment Mr Petsas.” I turned to the room, speaking loudly. “A message has just been given to me that all of you are dead. Any of you dead people have anything to say about that?”
They all cheered and booed. I turned back to the phone again. “Please pass on that message. Tell them my family were very amused to find out they were dead. Next time they should check for bodies first.”
His voice trembled. “You want me to say that! You want to provoke them to attack again?”
“They will not Mr Petsas, every time they attack I hurt them. They are going to go into hiding now. Tell them to check how many of their operatives are still available.”
“You have killed their people?”
“I do not kill! I have closed their minds - taken their powers away.”
“Ωχ, Θεέ μου! (Oh my God!)”
“Tell them to pass on a message to their master. He will soon be alone.”
“I cannot say that!”
“Yes, you are wise not to, they are the kind that kill the messenger. Mr Petsas, do not try to hide, they will find you. Finish your job as I told you last time. You will come to no harm from me.”
“I have been thinking to suggest I come to Greece, stay close to you, in case I can be of some service to them. That way I could be with you should they want to kill me.”
“A good idea. If you are in my home I can protect you.”
So spider-man, did he really say that, does he intend betraying you or did I just write it because you will read it? Of course, as I write this, he is already in Greece, hiding close by. You really will soon be totally alone and then you will either have to hide for the rest of your life or face me. By the way, you did not realise that I now only write of what happened days after the events? Not that it matters, you do not dare to attack me. It would cost you too much.
It was Socrati who came up with the idea of using Anadir and Sparkler volunteers to accompany each Cherinian, protecting them from attack. This meant that most of them could now leave. The only guests we had were Wendy and her mother, Rob and his Cherine and their families.
I decided it would be good for Rob to face the responsibility and shared the protector with him. This also meant that I could relax knowing he is handling the situation. Last thing I want is to be in the middle of loving my girls and be called for instructions.
“You worry me Robert. If we are basically the same person, it means that I must be as crazy as you. If that is so, then it means I really am crazy, my father was right. How can you hand over the protector to me at such a time of danger?”
“I know what your abilities are, I have faith in you.”
“I know! That is what scares me, you must be bonkers!”
“My father handed his protector over to me while we were in the middle of a war and I was still just a baby. I know how you feel Rob.”
“What do you mean ‘you were a baby’ Sam, you still are!”
She gave me that delightful grin of hers. “I’m a wiser baby now.”
“If you really were, you would have kept yourself a baby and saved yourself a lot of worries.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Might try it for a while.” She was giving me an impudent grin so I mentally sent her a challenge, daring her to try it for a week. She has enough of me in her to make her feel compelled to take up the challenge. She lay tangled up in her clothes and Dommi got to her very quickly. She picked her up and went to the bedroom to put on a nappy.
1216
“Anybody else want to join her?”
“That was nasty Robert. Sam did not really want to, but you made her do it.”
I grinned. “Quite right Cherine. I challenged her to last a week.”
“I bet you were banking on her having your genes.” My ‘mother’ was grinning.
“Do you want me to be a baby for you Robbie?”
“No Candy, you are sweet enough as you are.”
She pulled a face. “The rest of you are lucky, he can’t use your names to make silly puns.”
“You are wrong. What about Aganthi - anthi is Greek for flowers, who better to sell me flowers?”
“I would be careful if I were you Robert. They could start making jokes about how only a Robert would rob little girls of their virginity.”
“You think they don’t dad?”
I know that many people would find this kind of teasing annoying - Jonathan springs to mind. I do not know why, but it comforts me and fills my heart, making me feel loved and accepted as I am, not as the other Cherinians see me. It gives me a feeling of family.
I still find it sort of unnatural (I think my mother does too) to see my ‘mother’ so young and so happy with a husband so much older than her - the fact that he also represents the only person I sort of hate does not contribute to my understanding her. This copy of my father does not seem so cold and has shown a sense of humour I’ve never seen in my own father, but still, he looks and sounds like him.
They joke about my taking the virginity of little girls, but in truth, those still left are becoming more aggressive when in bed with me, trying to tempt me to make love to them. It is not that I am determined not to, I’ve given up on that front; it is my wish to make the occasion special for them that holds me back. I cannot very well, under present circumstance, take them away for a weekend of loving.
Luckily my little Candy has shown no interest. She comes to my arms to be held and loved in my gentle way, her tiny body kissed and caressed. She has not evidenced any need or even understanding that she could also want or expect anything more. I am glad. There is something special about this little girl and I treasure her just as she is. The only thing she wants of me fairly often is that I go play puppy or other games with her in her mind. She is also the only one who plays games with me in real life, bringing her dolls and making me take part in her games. At last I am getting to feel some of the sweetness of being a father.
She also seems to have become a favourite of the others, even the babies treating her as their little sister, and it needs no special gift to sense the pleasure they get out of looking after her. Her eyes are never hooded, deep in thoughts like Wendy’s sometimes are, I would even venture that the saying ‘bright as a button’ must have been coined for her and she delights us all with the odd little things she will think up. I shared with her, from when she first joined us, the same gift I did with Wendy and her own talents as a musician are growing. I have also shared with the other Wendy, hoping she too will fill her own world with beauty someday.
Why do I mention all this?
Because it is too easy to forget at times how special all my girls are and to begin to take them for granted. What brought all these thoughts to my mind was a conversation between Rob and Niko.
“How are you going to get your own Cherinians to grow as a group Rob? I know you have your Cherine and Wendy. I’m asking because I would like to know if you are going to get my sister and myself too. I’d like to think of them as being part of us.”
“I do not think your sister would love me. Maybe she is already in love or married to someone else.”
“It might help if I am present when you meet them.”
1217
“Thanks Niko. You know what worries me a little? That I will never have a Sam or Em-e or any of the other girls who do not already exist in my world. I see how special they are and know I will miss not having them as part of my family too.”
“You will have your own daughters and meet other little girls to love.”
“I can love adult girls too Niko.”
“So can our Robert. There is though a special sweetness in being loved by these miniature femme fatales.”
“I hear you no longer tease Robert about it.”
“How can I? I could not bear to be without my two girls, I never thought I could be so happy being enslaved by two little girls.”
I was listening to them as they talked, my door ajar and my preoccupation with their conversation not readily apparent to them. I sat back and thought about it for a while. Later on I called all my girls into our bedroom and gave them the gist of what I’d heard.
“Dommi, would you also try to help with the Dominique of that world?”
“I could, but I do not think she will love him. Our love grew out of the friendship we had.”
“I understand that. We should still try though.”
“I agree, maybe I can help.”
“You want to manipulate her Cherine?’
She grinned back at me. “Any Dommi would be easy to manipulate in that way.” That started a pillow fight which Dommi won.
“I have an idea, but it would have to be the decision of each of you, specifically those it concerns. For example Sam, how would you feel about creating another Sam? We would have to take part of your soul, same as I gave part of mine to the twins. Of course in your case you would not wipe out the personality. We want her to be the same as you. She could then become part of Rob’s family, his daughter and wife. If we did that with those of you he could never have on his world, I think we would make him a very happy man.”
“You want my honest opinion Robert?”
“Yours Cherine? Is it pertinent, since you would not be part of this?”
“I think so. Robert, I have shared, as you all know with little Cherine. I have also seen her Rob as he is, from in her. Robert, he is not like you. There is enough of you in him for little Cherine to love him, but there is a lot missing. That gift you have, the way you love, he has it, but he does not have much of that which we call your craziness. I think it is that which makes us love you so much. It is that which makes little Cherine still feel drawn to you. It is as if she feels something is missing.”
“Cherine, is it the craziness or the protector?”
“Maybe both. It is a nice feeling knowing my man is so powerful. I feel safe and protected and proud. But the craziness part is what makes me go gaga over you.”
“I always knew there is something weird about you. Sam, what do you say?”
“I’d do it for you Robert. I would like to feel there is another Samantha. I will also feel a little sorry for her. She will know you are her true father. She also will not have her Ordinx.”
“She will my love. He will be different though, especially after having been ‘saved’ by the Sparklers.”
“Maybe he needs a different Sam then, one like she will be.”
1218
“How about the rest of you?” It turned out that they all had their reservations, but none of them objected. Meli was the only one who saw it as a solution to her problem. Having to create worlds for all the races or species of our own dimension and then also the other reality was daunting.
“Do we tell them or do we just turn up with their new family?”
“We should not do it all at once Robert. It will be unfair to the babies and to them. One at a time. Give each baby the chance to bond with them first. We also have to be certain little Cherine wants this, so you will have to discuss it with her first.”
“Cherine, would you?”
“No, you must do it.”
“Shit! If I ask her and she wants to say ‘no’ she cannot. Rob will see her decision in her mind.”
Cherine was all sweetness so I knew she was about to do a bit of manipulating. “You should offer to let them have their own Meli. Explain how it would help ours, that we need it. That way you do not overwhelm them with a large family. If they want her and are willing to love her, we do it. Give them time to bond and then maybe Sam can offer. Diana, I think you should be last. Little Cherine will be afraid of you, that you might take her Rob away from her.”
Everyone liked her suggestion and Dommi approved it, so I had to go along. Her idea made a lot of sense, even if we were manipulating little Cherine. I wonder if I went along with it because it was Cherine manipulating ‘herself’?
They were both overjoyed at our offer and agreed.
“Cher, do you want to wait a while? Having Meli means you will no longer have Rob to yourself and you then also have a baby to bring up. Do not think that because she is a Cherinian and can become an adult when she wants to, that she is mature. You and Rob will have to see to it that she does grow as she should, as a little child.”
“I will Robert, I promise. I want her now.”
“We need to first concentrate on ‘feeding’ our Meli’s soul, it must be as large as possible before we split it. She will not be giving of the slivers she holds. Your Meli will have to decide later on which slivers she wants.”
“Robert, how can we thank you.” There were tears in his eyes and he was broadcasting his happiness so strongly I am certain that even our non-Cherinian neighbours must have felt it.
Meli herself was the one to point out the danger. “I must not see her. If we meet we will bond and then she cannot become theirs.”
“You are right. I think none of us should see her. We must give them time to bond first. She needs to acquire her own experiences so that her mind starts to take new channels that make her different from you. I think they need at least a couple of weeks, maybe even a month. They will have to concentrate on filling her mind and heart with their love and ideas - give her as many experiences as possible.”
“Robert, you still have the ‘painter’ in you. It must use the ‘eraser’ part of itself. The new Meli will be an exact copy of our Meli, with her memories and her love for us. The eraser must get rid of it before the soul goes into the new body and becomes aware of itself.”
“I think we better ask the Sparklers for their help and advice. If we take all her memories away, then she will no longer be our Meli at all. I’m not sure I want that.”
“Part of her memories of us is made up of her love of us. What of sex Robert. When she goes to her Rob do you want her comparing him with you?”
“I think I should never have dreamt up this scheme in the first place. I had not expected to feel as if I am losing part of my Melina and hurt so much.”
“It will hurt us all Robert, but if her going is a sacrifice on our part, she becomes an even greater gesture of love.”
“You are right Aganthi.”
1219
We spent a lot more time dancing, all of us filling Meli with our love-motes. I went to her mind and played with her, giving of those parts of myself that hopefully will help her become even more creative. I took from Meli all those attributes that make us love her so much and fed them back reinforced from my own soul. The others had their times with her too and for the first time little Cherine and her Rob took part.
Solomon has been made aware of our plans and I am certain he saw them as serving the needs of his own people and those of Ordinx for he took great pains to study Meli. He had her do as I did originally, when they had plumbed the depths of my mind in an effort to understand me. They helped me call forth that part of myself that I’d hoped to never use again, the eraser. They were endlessly patient and delicate in their manipulations of the energies it was made up of, altering it so that it would be able to recognise the parts in Meli that had to be removed. I told them that the memories, the actual memories of our love and loving, those I would remove with the help of Cherine and Dommi.
Finally the day arrived for splitting the soul. I arranged with Rob that he be in charge and I cautioned him that we must not be disturbed in any way until we have transferred the soul to their Melina. Gravely he acknowledged he understood and with a pale, drawn face he watched us leave. I do not know whether the eraser is of my subconscious, or partly of that and partly of my conscious mind, all I know is that I do not understand it, how it works, how it can fine tune the erasing it does.
First Dommi, Cherine and I went into the memories of the split off soul, little Cherine tenderly cradling it, and we began to excise those memories that would bind her to us. I made certain that I took all of them and placed them within myself, to hold and treasure and even perhaps at times bring out to experience. I saw the girls were doing the same, but none of us spoke about it. There was too much sadness in us for us to wish to speak, we felt as if we were amputating our darling Meli.
Soon as we had concluded our operation we took her to Solomon, who with his assistants, the yellowish Sparklers, came to oversee my eraser. I asked them to err on the side of leaving too much rather than too little.
I wish I could have taken that which the eraser erased but I do not understand or know what it did with all it erased. I hoped within my heart that the eraser took them within itself, but somehow I do not think so. The soul was becoming very small and faint and I was becoming afraid when Solomon indicated they were at the end, closing off the operation. I called to the healer to be ready.
Little Cherine took the soul of her Meli and brought her back to Earth, to the new body waiting for it. We all stayed in the void, giving them those precious minutes they needed.
We agreed they would go to live in the house of Alki next door. Only when they feel a rapport has been established, that she has bonded to them and is one within their circle, only then can they return to our home. The distance is not great and the protector can watch over them too.
Once they were gone we returned. Instead of a rejoicing, there was a sense of sadness, as if we have lost something precious to our hearts. Only Meli did not feel that way. We have left the love Meli has for her parents and siblings so at least Alki and Marian can rejoice. For them it is as if Meli has become twins.
I forgot to mention that little Cherine decided they would call their Meli, Honey - perhaps not very imaginative, but I have a feeling the name will soon feel apt. We had expected to wait a week or two for Honey to bond and join their circle. It was with astonishment that we felt their circle expand to include her by the second day. I called to Rob to take her dancing soon as she can
On the fifth day Meli suddenly cried out and ran for the bedroom. Rob, little Cherine and Honey walked in. Honey had assumed the age of five, obviously keeping herself at a younger age than our Meli, but also I think wanting to appear younger than her Cherine. The glow on all their faces spoke for them. From the door she dashed over to Alki and Marian. She hesitated a few seconds, but Marian had fallen to her knees with arms outstretched, her face filled with joy. Honey stepped into the arms that tried not to crush her with the love that exploded within Marian. Alki watched and tears streamed down his cheeks. When she turned to him, he too went down onto his knees and she seemed to disappear within his huge arms. We all heard her giggle of joy smothered against his chest.
My girls and I stood apart from them, watching with tears in our own eyes. I left the girls and went to the bedroom. I sat by Meli who was lying face down on the bed.
“Are you scared my love?”
1220
“Yes. It hurts Robbie!”
“I know, I went through it with the twins. It will pass, I promise.” She came into my arms and sobbed her little heart out.
“I should be happy, not crying.”
“First cry. There is a part of you that is no longer you, you must cry, grieve for that - then afterwards you will be able to feel the joy. Do not try to force it upon yourself my baby. It will come by itself.”
She would not go out to meet her(self) that day and I stayed with her. I would not say so, but I too was afraid. I’d seen her and felt how easy it would be for me to be overcome with love. I had to strengthen myself against that. The next morning, long after my loves had gone out, Meli holding herself tightly against me, I still struggled to find the courage to meet Honey.
The door opened. “I have to meet you. I’ve only been feeling sadness and fear from you since I came.”
I sat up. “Honey, that was brave of you.”
She giggled. “Cher told me. She told me about the monster in the void, how you pretended to be bad to make her love Rob. She said you are afraid of that again. You don’t have to be a monster Robert, I love my Rob. It is more scary to meet Meli though. Will she look at me?”
Meli rubbed her face against my shirt and sat up. I felt the electricity as they both looked at each other. Honey smiled, a huge broad smile of delight. “You are beautiful!! Will I be like you?”
“You will be lovelier. Only the best of me was given to you. Robert, can I touch her?”
“Of course.” They came together and Honey was embraced.
I sat by as they talked to each other, their hands straying to touch a cheek or an arm or leg. They seemed to feel the need to touch each other and thus reaffirm their own existence. Sometimes they were funny, the way two little girls can be when in earnest conversation. At other times they sounded adult in the questions and thoughts that crossed their minds. An idea came to me.
“Honey, both you and Meli are very lucky. Someday, I hope it will not be soon, you will have children. Honey, to me, yours will be as if they are my children also. For Meli however they will not be ‘as if’, they will be her children. Her children will be yours too. That means the two of you are likely to have twice as many children as any of the other girls.”
“Why ‘as if’ for you?”
“You and Meli are exactly the same, genetically and soul; Rob and I are not. We almost are, but we are not completely. Coming from separate alternate worlds has made us slightly different.”
Meli turned to me. “Would that not depend on when his world split off from ours?”
“You mean if it split off after we were born he would be exactly the same?”
“Yes. Is there any way to know when it happened?”
“I think not. No, I would say there is definitely no way we could.”
“You realise that Honey will exist on her world long before I existed on mine? How can our worlds have different times? Even Rob and Cherine are younger.”
“Theoretically our dates should be exactly the same if we split off from each other. Maybe the scientists will be able to explain it someday.”
“The scientists will have to be Cherinians!”
I chuckled. “Are you becoming a Cherinian partisan, Meli?”
“No my silly Robbie, I was speaking of facts. To jump between our worlds and make their tests, they will have to be Cherinians.”
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)24th June, 2019
- posted on Steemit: 24th June, 2019