Makarovia! Yes, I Know Where That is! Sophomore Year - 60. Chapter 60

Malta

It was fun at Anchor Bay. However, a place that catered to tourists was not a good idea to eat. Prices were usually inflated and...it's just a bad idea. I don't care what country you're in or what country you're from, people are opportunists. Pirates.

I meant what I said about Mercea. He was approaching that time in life between a teenager and an adult. Much of that innocence with the people in Makarovia was due to the isolation. Mercea had chosen to continue his mandatory two years after graduating high school. He had to impress Yuri and Mikell or Mercea wouldn't be here. You know Yuri. I wondered what he did during those awkward teenage rebellion days. Or any teen in Makarovia. How did they rebel? Running away in the late Fall through early Spring would be deadly. No just going to parties and drinking. They needed a way to get there and back.

They were isolated a lot from the world. Cable and satellite media only recently became available widespread across Makarovia. Again, apologies to everyone, but the palace and palace offices had priority. They got it first. Then spread over Stryia and the Skoal and so on. Peter said the cable worked great! In the summer. Oh, and if there was a summer storm it would go out...and pretty much from November to April because of the overcast sky in the winter. Olek the First couldn't work that way. Neither could his son Olek the second. His subjects were counting on him. He had a backup system installed and a backup for the backup. Even a dial up in emergencies. There were some phone lines buried that connected them with the Ukraine, Romania and Hungary.

All that I wrote about is why Mercea was so special. He had the size and strength of a man, He did well when training. This man/boy still had child's wonder. I like unusual things. Like a man big enough to pulverize a room full of men. You would fear him if he got angry but hardly ever did and never yelled. Pano or Mikell. Mercea was becoming a grown man, but a gentle man and yes, some explicit jokes or innuendos made him blush. Peter did, too! That had that spirit and trusting soul I hoped Mercea kept a while. He was a part of the team. Yes, he was. He was like everyone's favorite kid brother. They were to guard Peter and me, but as said before. The Greeks knew about it and used that affection to make better soldiers. They would fight until death for all of us. Including Mercea. Yes, they have a very dangerous job to do. Sticking their necks out was part of that job. I didn't want anyone hurt. Definitely not killed. Peter and I were protective of them! Mostly me. I was the one worrying about fair treatment with long hours and days off. Once Peter saw it, he was just as protective of them. It just how things were. He appreciated what was done and even thanked whoever had done it, but didn't see past that. It was Boris and Yuri that helped him as he saw them as a person with their own life and struggles.

I am also very aware of the portrayal I'm giving of our lives is done without a lot seriousness. We also acted with a lot of jokes and are just plain silly. Why? It was a coping mechanism the very serious things deal with times it had to be. We have been shot at several times, threatened to be kidnapped and don't forget the bombs. The bomb in the truck that wanted to get into the palace, the bomb in the missile sent and thrown under the car in London. Yes, we had fun and were often to remain sane.

Luke who had stepped away to make a phone call came back. “Sorry,” he smiled a little sheepishly. “I needed to check on someone.”

Peter frowned. “You said everybody that was family were elsewhere and you no longer...”

I elbowed Peter in the gut and covered his mouth. “Which is none of our business.” I smiled at Luke. “Sorry, he wasn't exposed as much to very many others and forgets his manners.”

“I called the Duchess.” Luke admitted.

“You called to speak to someone on the Duchess.” Mikell asked to clarify. “Not the ship itself.”

“I did that, too.” Luke grinned..

“You spoke to the ship? I asked “Does she talk back to y9u?”

“She sure does,” he pulled his phone out. “I'll show you.” He tapped on his screen. “Pulling up the app and logging in.” Then showed us the screen. “I can ask anything I need to know like percentage of fuel left, pressures, the generator's power levels...anything and the Duchess tells me.”

I grinned at what Luke told us. “You really do talk to the Duchess!”

“All day long. I use my desktop in my office or any computer on board.” Luke put his phone away. “I rarely leave her.” He smiled and clapped once, “What did I miss?”

“Quite a bit,” I replied. “Nothing important.”

Peter looked at his watch. “It's after two...”

We all turned at a gurgling sound could be heard from Alec. It was pretty loud. I looked at Alec who was looking very embarrassed. “Don't tell me there's a protocol for that, too.”

Peter looked at Luke. “Is there a good place to grab a meal that you know of? It can even be fast food.”

“NapolEat.” Luke said quickly.

Both Peter and looked confused. “Napoli? Like Italy?”

Luke shook his head grinning and said it again but each syllable. “Na-pol-Eat.”

“You did that on purpose.” I stated.

Luke chuckled. “I did. You said fast food. Pizza, hamburgers, fries and all that are served there. He's quick, it's usually very, very good and within walking distance to the Duchess.” He shrugged. “We're going south to Borg In-Nadur and it's on the way.”

Peter nodded. “Sure.” He went over to Alec and threw arm over Alec's shoulder. “This man has got to eat.”

“According to what we heard it's imperative.” I joined Alec and Peter. “He's wasting away to skin and bones right before our very eyes!” I pointed at Mercea. “And that means all of you eat. I know it's been six or seven hours since ate or drank anything.” I growled. “Don't make me use the scepter.”

Peter looked puzzled. “What's that?”

“You know, a scepter,” I explained. “A long stick thingy usually made of gold and can have all those jewels...It's a magic wand used by kings and queens when giving laws and knighting people.”

“They do?” Peter backed his head back an inch. “Oh, you mean skypetr!”

“That's what I said, a scepter.”

“I don't know if I've ever seen one.” Peter thought out loud. “Olek never has until knighted anyone until you became an Earl. Dad I don't think he has. Aren't knights made with a sword?” Peter asked as we went toward the car.

I nodded. “Yes, it's a symbol of power.” I looked at Alec. “I've seen it used in other ways like bonking on the head when someone won't listen.”

“Where?” Peter challenged.

“Bugs Bunny.” I said simply.

Luke was right. It was in walking distance from the Duchess. Then again, what on the main island of Malta wasn't really? It was mid afternoon, the late lunchers had gone and the early dinner people hadn't arrived yet. It was a nice place. Very clean. I know, it's little things I get impressed with. This could have been in several countries, the United States, Canada, Great Britain...it even smelled the same I bet. The smell of fresh garlic, with rich of sauces and cooked meats worked better than any air freshener. If Glade or Fabreze had this scent bottled, I'd buy it. There were only three dinners here. Two, a young man and young woman, were making a connection of romantic nature. (That was a pity, he was cute in his early twenties. I know, that had to happen to keep the species going. He's just a sacrifice I'm willing to make. We were in the billions now. I think we're safe.) The other was eating her lunch alone in no rush.

Luke approached a man in his twenties who was writing something on a clipboard near the register. Luke stooped a little to see more of his face. “Jai?”

Looking up this man smiled, but also confused searching his brain for a man he should know because this man knew him.

“I'm Chris' father.”

And you saw the porch light come on and he recognized Luke now. “Hi, Mr. Agius!”

Words were necessary for clarification. Right now it wasn't needed. They were both speaking in English. It was an official language of Malta. Maltese, too, but...even the menus were in English. I could see one. No small print to translate what you couldn't read. Just English. We were on a small island. If you owned a business here. It was more likely they were natives of Malta. Even more likely would know each other. People you didn't know were tourists. We were introduced again and the usual reaction.

We had burgers and fries! I almost felt like we had gone back to United States. A hamburger is just a hamburger, right? Au contriare! No, Henri did teach it to me. Ms. Dowd in French class used it a lot. I understood why Luke recommended it. Delicious and juicy. The Napoleat Burger was a burger with two slabs of meat that would shame burgers in the United States. Dad told me there was a chain the had the slogan “it takes two hands.” Not anymore. Well, this one was! Fingertips didn't meet around this sucker.

Oh, yeah, the small island part. Luke and Jai's father were in school together. Luke's son Chris went to school with Jai. It's not that unique so not that small. It would be remarkable if they went to separate schools.

“None of these signs are in Maltese.” I said to Luke. “Is Malta changing over to English?”

Luke chuckled, but shook h head. “No. Your markets, repair shops and businesses for the people of Malta will have both. It's spoken, but the same rules you follow applied here. You don't speak Maltese, so English is used.” He waved outside to a large cruise ship was waiting for it's passengers. They had time. “Almost everyone speaks English, especially on those ships. Usually they're from England, Canada and the United States.”

“What about France and Germany?” I asked.

“Who can speak English.” Luke nodded. “It's a common language. Our children can speak it pretty early and taught English from primary school to tertiary school.” He looked at some of the guys. “That's a special high school where they can take college level courses when the student qualifies.”

I muttered. “Yeah, I consider myself lucky. I learned Ukrainian at the same time I learned English. Then in kindergarten I was taught Russian.” I shrugged. “It's a shame we aren't taught others.” I waved at Peter. “He speaks Makarovian, Ukrainian, Russian, German...”

“Not fluently.” Peter said.

“You can get around in Germany!” I said. “You can ask for the bathroom and understand the answer when they tell you. Most United States citizens barely speak English properly. Another language? I read where after an influx of people South of the Border spoke Spanish and many resisted that.” I looked at them. “We're guilty of it, too.”

“Why?” Mikell asked.

I smiled. “Peter's and my wedding was in English. So, everyone could understand it.”

Mercea was having no problem with the new freedom to speak and asked. “Why is Makarovian and Ukrainian the same and yet we have hard time understanding each other?”

“Isolation.” Peter answered.

“I's plumb tuckered out.” I smiled at them and my Southern Drawl turned up to maximum. “It's a mite nippy out. When's vittles?”

Now, Luke, Alec, Mikell, Marcea and Peter were staring at me.

“What language was that?” Peter balked. “That wasn't English.”

I chuckled. “Yes, it was. Those bootleggers on Dad's side spoke that kind of English. If left alone longer it would become another language. Just like Makarovia, they had very little contact with world at large. Makarovia did it longer and became a language in itself.”

Peter nodded with a grin. “What did you say?”

“That I was exhausted and it was cold out and when's dinner”

Peter shook his head. “That didn't even remotely sound like what you said.”

“I know.” I smiled at Luke. “The media is helping. It won't be long for an official world language emerges. English? Maybe. We'll see.”

We let Jai take a few pictures. The other patrons there and two more arrived and got...whatever. Yet no one left. The romantic couple looked and were saying things to each other. They were talking about us. I knew that. I went through a period where I felt everyone was talking about me. Paranoia of many tween years, eleven and twelve years old, when puberty really begins...I just knew people were talking behind my back and saying nasty things.

“Why?” Grandma asked me. “What is it about you that makes you so important that people would nothing better to do than to talk about you?” She asked kindly and not irritated, but her words caused me to see things as they were. This time, it wasn't conceit or paranoid. They were talking about us! Hopefully, not the nasty things part. You'll have to ask them. Peter and I posed with a hamburger about to munch on the and struggling with the size. We told Jai we said “delicious.” We said we were fine with him using our faces to sell more. It was free advertising. Jai wasn't a fool.

We went to Borg In-Nabur. I try to give you a visual reference when I say this. The shows that show ruins of a forgotten past. Science Fiction love that. The explorers find conclusive evidence an intelligence to build something in a place we couldn't possibly have been? This was Earth! It still had that haunting alien feel. To me.

I didn't monopolize the time either. Maja and I had pretty well talked about the people here in the past. Then to the Tarxien Temple. Another structure where slabs of rock were placed. I am talking about tons each! Placed by the people of Malta? How? Those were the questions and men and women worked hard to figure the answers out.

We got back to the Duchess at twilight. Not dark and not lit either.

“You have two beautiful homes.” Peter said to Luke. “This one,” he pointed to the white deck and out the windows at Malta. “And that one.”

“Thank you for taking the day, showing us around,” I said. “And a Maltese eye of what's here.”

Luke nodded with a grin. “I enjoyed that. I had fun!” The sound and tone was having “fun” was not what he expected and was surprised he did.

“We're going out tonight late. You're welcome to join us.” Peter said.

Luke laughed. “That I won't be able to do. I would, but when you get back at two or three in the morning, I have to take the Duchess out. I'll need to be awake for that, but thank you.” He smiled and headed upstairs.

Peter hugged my shoulder against him, leaning toward my ear. “Henri will be difficult, but we know he goes off the ship to go to the market. We can get him doing that. How do we get Luke? He never leaves the Duchess!” He kidding. I think.

I chuckled. “Henri knows where everything is in his galley.” I waved in the direction of the bridge. “I don't think Luke would survive. A landlocked country and nowhere for the Duchess? His chances are slim to none.”

“You're right.” Peter muttered.

“If we're good guests,” I said. “Maybe future Step Aunt Maria will be more ready to let us use it. That proves one thing.”

“What?”

“They are no longer strangers, but our friends.” I said. “Friends that we'll miss. We'll want so see them again and maybe have the family have this and would love them, too.”

Peter nodded. “The whole Ivanov Family, Basso and Sams would fit well on the Duchess.” The he frowned down at me “So, tell me. How the Hell is what you said at lunch English?”

I laughed and spent the next few minutes explaining how it was English to Peter

“This was the last dinner on the Duchess.” He said after my explanation. “I mean, last as in just us.”

“So,” I smiled. “Once more?”

Peter nodded. “There will be other times, I'm sure, but...” he paused.

I nodded, “...not on our honeymoon.”

“Yes,” Peter chuckled softly.”

“I think that would be wonderful.” I smiled. “And another time today. “I am so in love with you, Peter. It just keeps growing.”

Peter put his arms around me. “I know you love me. Not a day goes by where I even doubt that. It does keep growing. You're a part of me. I am in love with you.”

I kissed him gently. “I know.”