Cinderfella 3: Life Continues - 38. Coming Over

I use a lot of life's special moments to get people to understand.  I love to write and will continue as long as I can, but this "new baby" thing is spot on!!  Not an unfair analogy.  This is Bert's first post.  I'll check more later.  Happy Thanksgiving!  

Come Over

Hana proved to be a charming young lady. Her lack of use with English only added to her charm. She used it on purpose and did it well. It was important to see this wasn’t an act. One of the attractive things a person can do is to truly is what they seem. Some women were the worse! And they ARE!! You know it’s going back to the animal kingdom; the males were strength and made the big decisions. Like where to nap. Being leader was tough! Some young punk strolls into town and threatens you and your family, you deal with it! I read many reports from “hunters” that wrote down what they observed. But it was the female lion that hunted. They were dangerous. Yet, the human was dangerous of deception! They observed prey. Learned what the prey wanted and found attractive. I watched out for Christian. Someone had to watch out for him! These predators would circle him and start with the battering of the eyelashes Christian just didn’t have the ability to see beyond that point! And women were ruthless! I was protecting the family! None of them could put on the charade long enough. Their true selves could be seen. There were some who couldn’t hide things well, such as Ella’s stepfamily and three stepsisters. All of them was dead now, except the eating sister in Italia.

I know, I know, not another rabbit! I swear. Hana was what she was. She was not playacting.

As we were breaking up for the evening, Thomas smiled at Seth and me. “Just do me a favor.” He looked at Seth and me. “You don’t know where, can you at least tell me when you go?”

“Sure!” Seth agreed. “You can be there when we leave!”

“Why?” I asked Seth.

“He’ll be a witness!!”

Most of the time was a glass half full person. Wahkooha! He showed he commanded great power, but I did not even for a moment believe he was a god. Not with a big G or small g! He wasn’t even convincing he was a demon or…well, he was sort of a witch, but I was convinced he was the biggest scam artist the world had ever seen! Dad always told Christian and me, “As big as you believe you are, there is always going to be someone bigger! Diplomacy!” I guess up until now, no one proved that to him. That was a trap I wanted to avoid. We were all Human. Except for Arthur, Darius, and Deena…and Wahkooha, Anastasia (Ella’s Ex-Stepsister… I seriously doubted they were Human. There were plenty of rotten people in the world.

What happened to Hana was…there is no excuse for what Wahkooha did. Not one. The Natives philosophy about not owning anything kept theft to where it was practically unknown. The Native view on marriage was one of the things I didn’t agree with. Seth and I entered our marriage swearing before God, (See? The big G?) and hundreds of guests from A’Dore, Blethos, and later I heard from England, France…there were a bunch of people! No one else, ever! I just saw one person! I found that security comforting. I was treasured by someone special who was special to me. I didn’t like the marriages that ended on certain dates. That mask wasn’t important. He was beautiful BEFORE the scars were cured! I’m pleased that in some tribes, such as the Muskogee, didn’t always have that. Chitto had one wife. One. His father Harjo also had one wife. One. Neither wife would approve of that.

“Should I say anything to Thomas about Hana?” I asked Seth as finished his evening rituals.

Seth paused mid-stride and looked at me, “Why are you looking at me?” He straightened a bit. “You know more than I do about that!”

“Says who?” I challenged him.

Seth shrugged and he sat on the side of the bed. “You just do.”

“That one time,” I held a single finger up. “I told you I kissed Yannick. One time,” I moved closer to Seth. “It wasn’t even a kiss of affection! I was tired and he needed…”

Seth reached up and stopped me. “…needed distraction.” Seth said with me. “I’m crystal clear on that point.”

I was nodding as Seth said that last part. “Yes. Now,” I said firmly. “At first you looked ready to tear our house apart!”

“I never threatened you!” Seth defended, but was smiling, “There was Matt! My friend from Blethos, the palace guard that checked on the condition of Royal Valley after the Measles Outbreak…”

“I remember and I didn’t get upset,” I said. “In fact, I encouraged you to spend as much time with him as you could.”

He nodded as he rubbed his hand behind his neck, “Yes, that was a bad example.”

I laughed because he looked disappointed! “You wanted me to be jealous!?”

Seth looked away and was getting up, “What!?” His voice wasn’t remotely convincing as he stood and was about to walk away. “Don’t be silly,” he chuckled as I pulled him back down and straddled him. “Okay, maybe just a little bit wouldn’t have hurt.”

“Oh,” I nodded with a smile. This wasn’t about me, but Seth! “I can’t do anything if you do or don’t cheat, Seth.”

Seth’s eyes rolled. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Okay,” I laughed. “How’s this? If you ever encourage any attention, male or female, they’ll be in big trouble.”

“They?” He asked me. “They will be in trouble?”

“Yes ,” I said proudly. “I have one brother who is King of A’Dore and another who is king of Blethos. Not to mention a Creid king I love as another brother.” I looked Seth closely in the eyes. “Do you think with connections like that, I can’t make their lives a living HELL?”

Most of the time was a glass half full person. I see a half glass of Wahkooha! He showed he commanded power, but I did not even for a moment believe he was a god. Not with a big G or small g! He wasn’t even convincing he was a demon or…well, he was sort of a witch, but I was convinced he was the biggest scam artist the world had ever seen! Dad always told Christian and me, “As big as you believe you are, there is always going to be someone bigger! Diplomacy!” I guess up until now, no one proved that to him. That was a trap I wanted to avoid. We were all Human. Except for Arthur, Darius, and Deena…and Wahkooha, Anastasia (Ella’s Ex-Stepsister. I seriously doubted they were Human. There were plenty of rotten people in the world.

What happened to Hana was…there is no excuse for what Wahkooha did. Not one. The Native view on marriage was one of the things I didn’t agree with. Seth and I entered our marriage swearing before God, (See? The big G?) and hundreds of guests from A’Dore, Blethos, and later I heard from England, France…there were a bunch of people! No one else, ever! I just saw one! That mask wasn’t important. He was beautiful before the scars were cured!

“Should I say anything to Thomas about Hana?” I asked Seth as finished his evening rituals.

Seth paused mid-stride and looked at me, “Why are you looking at me?” He straightened a bit. “You know more than I do about that!”

“Says who?” I challenged him.

Seth shrugged and he sat on the side of the bed. “You just do.”

“That one time,” I held a single finger up. “I told you I kissed Yannick. One time,” I moved closer to Seth. “It wasn’t even a kiss of affection! I was tired and he needed…”

Seth reached up and stopped me. “…needed distraction.” Seth said with me. “I’m crystal clear on that point.”

I was nodding as Seth said that last part. “Yes. Now,” I said firmly. “At first you looked ready to tear our house apart!”

“I never threatened you!” Seth defended, but was smiling, “There was Matt! My friend from Blethos, the palace guard that came to check on the condition of Royal Valley after the Measles Outbreak…”

“I didn’t get upset,” I said. “In fact, I encouraged you to

He nodded as he rubbed his hand behind his neck, “Yes, that was a bad example.”

I laughed, he looked disappointed! “You wanted me to be jealous!?”

Seth looked away and was getting up, “What!?” His voice wasn’t remotely convincing as he stood and was about to walk away. “Don’t be silly,” he chuckled as I pulled him back down and straddled him. “Okay, maybe just a little bit wouldn’t have hurt.”

“Oh,” I nodded with a smile. This wasn’t about me, but Seth! “I can’t do anything if you do or don’t cheat, Seth.”

Seth’s eyes rolled. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Okay,” I laughed. “How’s this? If you ever encourage any attention, male or female, they’ll be in big trouble.”

“They?” He asked me. “They will be in trouble?”

“Yes,” I said proudly. “I have one brother who is King of A’Dore and another who is king of Blethos. Not to mention a Creid king I love as another brother.” I looked Seth closely in the eyes. “Do you think with connections like that, I can’t make their lives a living HELL?”

Seth chuckled as he nodded, “I suppose you could.”

“I would have to consider how to torment you,” I smiled. “I would find it and make you feel so guilty!”

His eyebrows rose. “You’d be mean to me?”

“Not at all,” I smiled, “You’ve heard of killing with kindness. I’ll have you writhing in agony in that day because I will be so nice to you!”

Seth tried to sit up a little and began rapidly, “I just wanted you to feel a little jealous! I have never…”

I press my lips to his quickly, “I know that Seth.” I said. “You never have or will ever cheat on me. And it ripped me apart tell you about kissing Yannick!”

Seth smiled, “I told you, I didn’t need to be told. I know you love me.”

“Yes, I do,” I insisted. “I know you love me. We don’t have secrets. Ever.” How long have we been together? Forever? Just gotten together. We had the comfortable familiarity, but we still have that novelty of a new relationship. We had a good few hours. I was just going to tell Thomas frequently as I knew the feelings would come.

There was an obvious advantage to getting up and simply going downstairs. That advantage was a luxury royal had that I was good with. On the other hand, if you were just hungry and didn’t want to dress and go down, you either planned it or asked someone to go get something. Sneaking down to grab something without being seen wasn’t going to happen.

Never would we go without our comforts. Going without necessities was unheard of. Eabha smiled as coffee was poured. She watched Seth as he took a careful sip. Even Seth’s eyes widened more.

“What is this!?” Seth asked in wonder as he held his mug out but he was smiling as he did it.

Eabha’s eyes sparkled, “I debated whether to share this with you or not.” She sipped her coffee. “Ceto’s done a great job with your meals,” she changed her position as she illustrated with her hands, “and really I’m not by bringing this to you now as it comes from some Southern islands in the Great Gulf. There grows this coffee even the Natives avoid because it’s so strong.” She chuckled, “They even named it Ingozi .”

No one can know everything, but I had no idea what language it could be. There were islands in the base of this Great Gulf that had almost no contact with the world and who’s language was their own.

“That means danger.” Eabha said.

“Danger Coffee?” Seth nodded with a smile. “I’ll let you know.”

I had a mug. A single mug and knew that was my limit then.

After breakfast, I had some training with Max in this new armor. Val and Beau were training, too. Even putting it on took a few minutes preparation for the best coverage. As I did that I was surprised as it came together how much lighter it was. Yes. I heard what Max had said, but putting it on, you mentally get prepared for the feeling it usually has. I was surprised at the “lack” of weight. The cloth undergarment, over the chain-mail and fastened into place…it felt very good! I DID get to spar with Beau again and I promise you. This lack of effort needed helped Beau and he was just as brutal as before…and more! It didn’t make sense. Because something in his mind went after something, he became this…monster? The creature known as Beau was simply not there. In place of that, was this being I’d never seen before. He struck hard, fast, and repeatably over and over pushing you back just to escape his wrath!! He never seemed to run out of energy!

Val poured water over his head and neck. He was comfortable with what he did.

“I’ll trade you,” I said pointed at Seth who sat/stood a little from excreting himself.

“Oh, no,” Val shook his head. “Seth is great for sparring, but Beau!?” He chuckled. “I sort of like it when people talk shit about Beau.” He quickly raised a hand to me. “Sorry, that just sort of came out.”

I nodded at Beau’s happy expression, “What do they say?”

‘The usual,” Val shrugged. “He’s supposed to be this simpleton and doesn’t know what he’s doing, and-”

"We know what we're doing! He's here and they aren't!"

Val squinted an eye at me and nodded, “Yes, we do,” Val chuckled. “I love when Beau force feeds crow to everyone.”

“Can you tell me what happens, Beau?” I asked. “I know you have a fighting face, but…”

Beau ‘s face turned away, “He comes.”

“He comes,” I repeated uncertainly, “Who comes, Beau?” Yes, I was a little worried about that. With so many odd and crazy entities in world I knew about, I think a little caution was warranted. I looked at Val who smiled at us and calmly at Beau. Val knew who came?

“He’s not very nice,” Beau shrug. “At times, I don’t like him either.” Val was encouraging Beau to say it. “I made up this guy to help me become a Royal Warrior. When I was a small boy people would get mean with me or mean with Mom.” He shrugged, “He is…” he thought, “big brother to me? He is called Ben.” He smiled. “Big Ben?”

Val nodded at me even before he began speaking, “No one knows.” He answered my unasked question. “I mean no one. His mother won’t say, and Beau doesn’t ask. There is nothing about an older sibling or even a step-sibling. Beau has a father…” he waved at Beau, “obviously, or he wouldn’t be.” Val chuckled as Beau’s face grew red. “He’s a sweetheart!!" He threw an arm over Beau's shoulder, kissed him noisily on the cheek as Beau gave his red, embarrassed face down to avoid a scene It was too late. "I’ll proudly claim Beau with no hesitation!”

“I think that’s great!” I said honestly and got in front of Beau. “What about him don’t you like?”

Beau couldn’t look me in the eyes, “He’s mean.” Now, Beau did look at me. “He likes to be mean.”

There were enough cases about the world where there were people that did like being mean. I even heard of one recently where a man was brought in based on his children’s testimony that he beat their mother. Since these crimes were new to face prosecution…well…no one was ready for this, but…the wife was pleading with the court not to continue the charges. She was just as guilty has he was! She hurt him as much as he hurt her. On purpose!! They wanted the pain. What!? I knew about sadists. I knew of masochists. Here were two right in our court! I knew that some women protected husbands to save them more punishment later. No, no, this would not do! We swore she’d be free and never have to deal with him again. She and the children would never see him again. No!! She pleaded to let him come back to her. She promised that every bruise he gave her, she’d give him two!! We did caution them to be gentler with the kids home. Yeah, I’m still scratching my head about that one. It never occurred to me that I might like pain. It is pain and we avoid it. Don’t we? Beau’s Big Ben didn’t draw pleasure from pain. Did he?

“Doesn’t he sort have to?” I asked Beau. “The job you do is pretty intense and violent, so you have to enjoy it somewhat.” Then I remembered what had happened just a couple of days ago. Just his worry I might be hurt lead him to tears! Tears! I grinned and wrapped my arms around Beau and hugged him tightly. “I say Big Ben is being watched over carefully. When you stop worrying about Big Ben, I’ll be concerned. Don’t you ever change.”

“Okay,” Demetrius’ voice came out of nowhere. “Is everyone ready?" Then he was suddenly there looking for someone. “Where’s Thomas and Hana?”

“Now?” Seth asked in shock.

“Why not now?” Demetrius asked. “And you invited them.”

I nodded, “Yes, you did.” I chuckled.

“Wait for us!” I heard Thomas say as he came in the room with Hana in tow behind him. “I didn’t want to miss…” he looked around us, “How are we getting to… wherever? No cart, or boat…” He looked at Demetrius.

“Why are you looking at me?” Demetrius asked. “I have no idea. We can’t do this, remember?”

I looked at him, now very cautiously. “How do you know where you’re going? Or know where to go?”

Demetrius chuckled, “It’s less of a where and more of a who.”

“Not where you go, but who you…” Thomas stood up as he thought about what Demetrius said and then shook his head, “What!?”

I circled Demetrius nodding, “Yes, of course!” I turned to Seth, “We could be in any part of the world! Yet, he comes to me! Wherever I am, he feels it!”

Demetrius nodded in triumph. “Yes!! That’s exactly it! All those years ago with Sam…I really didn’t have as solid a fix on him as needed. Now, it would be harder to do.”

“Clever, this magic,” Seth said softly.

“Isn’t it?” Demetrius agreed with a nod. “A person’s…” he thought, “address will be unique. No one else. Later you will learn to use both.” He used his hands as he explained. “You feel where he is by feeling him,” he motioned downward to the right. He did the same with the left side.

“But how do I choose?” I asked.

“After a decade?” Demetrius asked. “That’s sort of decided for you.” He shrugged. “It’s been over two centuries since we’ve had to, but…”

Someone had to teach the Children of Lilith’s Children to get around.

“Should I mess up on purpose to keep you around?” I grinned. “I’ll do that in a heartbeat.”

“You can’t mess up,” Demetrius chuckled. “I love you, too.” He turned, grabbing Seth and kissing his cheek loudly. “You, too, Seth!” He held a finger out. “For now, I’ll say touch for now.” He looked at Seth and me. “You were touching when you went back to your room. The only other instructions, are…you know that feeling you have when you hope I’ll come?”

I nodded, “Sure.”

“The same thing,” Demetrius shrugged. “You wish you went a little faster?” He waved at everyone. “See you in a second.”

“I can’t hurt anybody,” I said.

“In the time we’ve done it,” Demetrius smiled, “Never even once have I even heard of someone being hurt during a transport.”

“But you can’t do this!” And he did the “he was there and just not there’ thing. Even I was tired of hearing the same thing. I was overreacting. I knew it, but… Shouldn’t I have become more daring and confident? I don’t know. I touched Beau next to me and Seth. Everyone was connected and the change was instant! It was cooler and dark, and then sunny and warm. We had been inside and now we were outside. We were not in Northwest of our continent. It was morning here.

"Depending on when you start the day, you’re either ahead five hours or behind nineteen.” Demetrius shrugged.

“Which is where?” I asked.

“Aotearoa,” Demetrius answered as he smiled knowing his answers were making more questions. “The Maori are a beautiful people.”

“Maori!?" Thomas blurted. "South Pacific Maori? New Zealand Maori?!” Thomas balked. “We’ve traveled…eight thousand miles?! In a second!?!?”

“You did it every time you step through the doorway,” Demetrius shrugged. “And really, this isn’t Aotearoa.” He chuckled at the comments and moans given. “Honestly, it isn’t.” He held his hands up. We were on a high bluff of thick grass. No random shrubs or trees. “You took steps over rivers, mountains, farms…”

Thomas nodded, “Yeah, and my head still won’t take it all in!”

“This isn’t Aotearoa?”

He pointed off the rise, across the bay or gulf. “But that is.” The name Aotearoa mean Land of the Long White Cloud, which is the Northern Island.” He wiggled his hands and fingers together without touching. “It’s just opposite here. The farther South you go, the colder it gets. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the end of Fall and beginning Winter. Here, it’s late Spring about to be Summer.”

I reached out and used both hands to pat Seth down, “I assume everything’s here and working.”

Seth threw his arms around me. “You can check more thoroughly later.”

I looked at Thomas. “You know more about these people of this area.”

Thomas looked at Hana. “She does, I’m sure. There were some explorers that came from this way just recently.” He smiled evilly, “As with all Brits and Europeans, who they hear is not always the same thing for what they think.”

I chuckled without humor, “Such as when they came on these people, saying they were Dutch, when the people themselves claimed to be Deutsch! They almost placed a name on people because these was not an understanding!?”

Scratched his head as he tried to work it out. “Given a name to a people, thinking they were the other people from a part of the world those original people never even heard of?”

My mind kept up with it, so I nodded. “Yeah!”

“Oh,” Seth waved that off. “No one’s that stupid.”

I gave Seth my “you think so?” look.

(I’ll leave poor Christopher alone. It really wasn’t his fault. Not all of it. I don’t know about you, but in the late 60’s we had The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Vietnam, the Nightly Casualty Report with Walter Cronkite and it was my first revelation about truth and not all is taught truth and yadda, yadda. Repeat what they say happen or fail a test. I prefer you to say, “we think,” than teaching lies. I’ve got a good joke about Christopher and being a democrat. I’m independent and he was just…confused. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be remembered of an error. Like the invisible bump you and you alone see on the smooth floor everyone can see. We always look for confirmation on someone else’s face. We silently ask, “Did you see that!? It just popped out from nowhere!” Gosh! We need to be careful. It can happen again! Yeah, it’s all connected. A deep cleansing breath. Hold. Be calm. Release.)

“It’s warm here,” Beau said smiling.

Val nodded, “It is!”

“Can we come back?” Beau asked. “I think everybody will like this.”

Seth nodded and jutted his head in a direction, “Perhaps we should ask him.”

Looking in the direction I saw a single man walking. The closest resublime was Hana, but that wasn’t right either. I’d met some from the islands in the Pacific that were Polynesian. This man could be a part of the Polynesian people and something else. He walked on two legs and seemed to know Demetrius! He waved grandly at Demetrius who also swung his arms out to welcome this man! What came out of their mouths…I had not the slightest clue! I would recognize many languages from Europe, even if I didn’t understand. Slavic languages, romance languages, grammatic languages and even Middle Eastern languages I knew when I heard them. Again, I have no clue what said, but… Demetrius brought the man closer and he was clearly telling this man about us and why we were here. Gestures[R3] were universal. Perhaps that was the real reason for the universal sign language among natives.

“We can really use Toby right now,” Seth said casually.

My hands went out helplessly as surrendered to the inevitable conclusion as I nodded at the illusive fate.

Seth looked at me and grinned more, “Which you agree with having just thought the same thing!” He waved at me. “Your whole mannerism changed to say that loud and clear! He will have a better time understanding this than we will!”

Demetrius stopped in front of us, “Ko te Rangatira hoki tenei i tamai Tamati…” He looked his friend, “Ahaka,” he practically explained it all with what he did as he spoke, “He kake a rātau,

who listened and watched the gestures and frowned? I don’t know what he said, but he clearly didn’t like saying so and almost came at Demetrius! Demetrius smiled at Seth and me. “I was telling you were Thomas’ uncles,” his grin grew, “I explained that one of you is uncle because you married the uncle.” Again, he was putting invisible things in an invisible corral. “He gets a little testy when stupidity rears it’s ugly head. He thought that explanation was pointless.”

I loved them! Who I chose to marry was no one’s business except if it’s made to against their will. They didn’t have facial features like Polynesians, or skin color. The hair was black, not dark brown, like others. Ahaka was a handsome man…and I’m sorry for giving you samples of what they aren’t. They aren’t Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Polynesian. They weren’t from Africa, or Europe! I don’t know. However, I have it, too. There are things I’m used to. Such as long hair on guys. It’s my thing. The tattoos were another. I [R4] would find many Maori men and women and these facial tattoos. I found out the significance of that later and the tongue. I liked Ahaka’s name. He who laughs! He was given the name wisely and earned it whenever I saw him.

I also got my first taste of being uncle. I was son of the king and queen, I was brother to the king, I married to the king. Today, it felt different. I was Crowned Prince Thomas’ uncle and Prince Toby’s father. I was passed OVER! Isn’t this what I wanted? Yes, but then it happe

Demetrius insisted we at least see where he and Dara lived. It was a sort of hilltop meadow, hundreds of feet above sea level. There was a nice which beach you could gain access to by marble stairs down the side. Most of the dwelling was done in recessed rooms in the side. There was almost no external structure except to let light or air in. There was plenty of lanterns, urns and windows to welcome light and a steady cool breeze from the sides. Tables, couches and pillows set on stone floors with mosaic designs…It was a very comfortable HOME. It reflected both Demetrius and Dara.

“Wow,” I smiled, “I had no expectations, so…”

“You approve?” Demetrius smiled.

“Who cares?” I asked, “You do. This your home and it is a home. It feels like you!” I smiled. “The feeling for locating you is easy. A comfortable place to reach that special place to unwind and relax.”

“And the first Child of Eve we’ve brought here.”

Ahaka was right there talking with Seth. Or trying. Demetrius nodded. “Yes, I’ve known him, his grandparents and…we protected them. We’ve always been with them, but you,” he nodded, “You know who and what we are and came here on your own. Welcome to my home.”