Forever Young The Beginning (86 page)

A few more days passed, filled with
happiness for the two new arrivals. Ian had been like a proud
father when he had seen Louis and Celeste’s gray-eyed baby girl. He
wondered if the girl would grow up to have the same beautifully
unique eyes as Cosette’s. When he held her, he felt somehow that
she had some indistinguishable quality, and looking into her eyes
he was reminded of Cosette. He idly wondered if she would be gifted
with prescience as Celeste had once been. The dark-haired dark-eyed
little boy born to Mustafa and Liri evoked the same love and he
felt a pang of regret at never being able to father children of his
own during this time, so his joy at the arrival of the two children
was tempered.

Soon it was time to depart
for Barcelona. They said their goodbyes then and stayed at
the
Red Dolphin
that evening. Having a nice visit with Lorn and Corinne, they
told them all about the two new arrivals. They departed for Spain
the next afternoon. It was a wonderful trip and the shipboard magic
returned the very first night the two were in their cabin together.
Alandra seemed to be even more passionate in her lovemaking if that
was possible. She had a twinkle in her eyes as if she had a secret
that she was bursting to tell him, but couldn’t. He puzzled over
the thing, but was so delighted and not to mention busy much of the
night and sometimes at midday that he didn’t concern himself about
it. He hoped that whatever it was, it would never end.

They got to
Barcelona House
and
caught up with Tom and Celita regarding all developments there.
They shared the news about Celeste and Liridona having their babies
born the same day. Celita was pregnant then and told them. She was
not showing yet, but was very happy and eager as was Tom. They
spent the afternoon with the two, leaving only an hour before
dark.

Taking a carriage to their own house
then, they visited the waterfall and took a long swim and bath.
They made love there near the falls and Alandra quietly cried for
joy afterward. She hadn’t done that in a while and Ian puzzled at
it but held her tenderly and stroked her hair and kissed her
forehead.

“
Ian, I’m so very happy.
You’ve made me the happiest woman alive. I thank God that you
didn’t leave that night, but came to see me. It pains me to think
what my life would be had you not come back to me. I love you
so.”

“
Alandra, if I hadn’t come
back, I don’t know what my life today would be but empty. You love
me as I am and I’ll love you forever.” She dozed off after that and
he lay there, pillowing her head on his chest. The sounds of the
waterfall and the afternoon sun poking a few golden fingers of
light through the leafy canopy overhead worked together to make the
place seem magical. He wanted to absorb the whole scene then and
preserve it forever.

***

The thing was aware again of the new
noises. They had returned after an indeterminate time of cycles of
the sound of water trickling through its lair and periods of
silence. The creature thought that the noises were louder or were
nearer somehow. It pondered the thought of near as opposed to far
and wondered where that concept had come from. It thought of louder
as opposed to quieter and also wondered at the source of that
thought, recalling that there had been similar noises before at
some time which had gone away. The scurrying sound of insects had
returned, but that was a normal sound to the thing. The occasional
slippery, raspy sound of a passing serpent was also a sound that
accompanied the scurrying sound. The thing didn’t know what caused
those sounds, but it did know that the two went together. As the
new noise kept coming back at intervals, it began to realize that
it might become a regular thing along with the scurrying and raspy
sounds, although those never ceased once started, but when they
quit, it seemed to be a good while before they returned. It didn’t
really comprehend day or night, or seasons, being that it merely
existed. It was confidant in its lair and was not disturbed or
afraid. It was as timeless as its surroundings and was at peace.
Nonetheless it seemed that the clattering noises were changing
somehow little by little. They were as random as ever, but were
they nearer or just louder?

Ian and Alandra rocked along
in their open top carriage. The azure Mediterranean sparkled in the
morning sunlight. Ian had his sun glasses on and had brought a
broad-brimmed hat for the day, having already gotten back into the
proper dress habits for sunny Spain. They chatted about how good it
was to be home and to see how well
Barcelona House
was doing. Celita had
told her that Esmeralda, the oldest daughter of King Charles III
had sent a personal thank you note about the recovery of her niece
from the Wasting Disease. She and Ian were talking about it when
they rolled up to the kitchen entrance of
Barcelona House
. Celita and Tom were
excited to see them. There had been a late delivery yesterday after
they had gone to their home. King Charles III himself had sent a
proclamation of thanks to Barcelona House and its directors for the
fine job they’d done in the miraculous healing of his grandniece.
They decided to have it framed and to hang it in the front
vestibule.

Tom had a question of where to put
eight new beds and Alandra wanted to go see her parents. She had
that mysterious twinkle in her eyes and told Ian to go and help
Tom. He kissed her tenderly before she drove off, and even turned
once to look at her as she drove out of sight. He remembered that
several years ago that he was wearing a monk’s robe standing in
that very same place when he’d seen her turn and stare at him from
her carriage. She must have remembered too because she stopped at
the exact same spot and turned to wave and flash him a smile as he
waved back at her.

Soon he was helping Tom move beds in
the facility. Within a quarter of an hour, they’d just gotten the
last one moved when Celita came running, crying. She couldn’t be
comforted but sobbed and took both of their hands and pulled on
them to come with her. As they exited the building, Ian could see a
knot of people standing some good distance off at an intersection.
More were running to that place so the three of them hurried
there.

Ian was anxious when he
pushed through the crowd. A wagon load of cobblestone had lost
control on the road intersecting the road from
Barcelona House
. It had crashed into
a carriage and the stones had crushed the driver of that carriage.
It was a terrible scene as a horse with a broken leg screamed in
pain and thrashed on the ground wildly. Its mate was dead with a
broken neck. The single horse pulling the destroyed carriage was
threshing as it foamed at the mouth, moaning and making a terrible
sound through the bloody froth. Its chest was punctured by a piece
of the splintered tongue of the other wagon and blood poured from
its mortal wounds. Suddenly Ian became sick to his stomach as he
recognized the remains of the carriage. With unspeakable horror he
realized that the hem of the dress of the driver who was buried
under the tons of rock was Alandra’s!

“
NOOOOOOOOO!”

Everyone stopped talking at once as
the one who’d cried out so loud sank to his knees and began to tear
stone off of the woman beneath it at an unbelievable rate. The
stones went flying willy-nilly in a blur as he tore his way down to
her. Clearing away the last of them he saw the lifeless body of his
beloved Alandra. Gently he picked her up and turned about and sat
on the stone pile and wept unceasingly. He rocked her lifeless body
back and forth and wept, and couldn’t be comforted.

The crowd was silent at this display
of grief. There was the sound of two horses screaming in agony,
punctuated by two gunshots. Then there was only the sea breeze
sighing through the ancient trees nearby, the hushed murmurs of the
onlookers, and the distant sound of surf on the breakwater
punctuated by the sound of a man weeping.

***

Near Geneva in the grand chalet house
Celeste nursed her baby girl. She hadn’t been in a hurry to name
the child and had thought little of it as they had traveled there
from the chateau in France. Liri was nursing her baby next to her
at the same time. The two were chatting about various things that
new mothers often talk about when Liri said “I wonder when Mustafa
will return from Italy?”

Celeste said in a matter of fact way
“He’s already passed St Moritz, so it can’t be more than seven
days.” Silence ensued then, and there was only the sound of the
wind fluffing the curtains of the open window as Celeste’s baby
began to laugh. She looked in astonishment at her baby “Little one,
do you know where Mustafa is?” Liri looked questioningly at her.
“What did you just say?” Celeste suddenly looked wide-eyed at Liri
and said “Liri, it has returned! My God! It has
returned!”

“
What has returned? And how
can you possibly know where Mustafa is today.”

“
Liri, I used to know things
before they would happen. It left me when I reached the age where I
began to have my monthly cycle. Mustafa is well and will be here in
seven days. She thought
and what about
you, my baby daughter. Do you know too?
The
baby gurgled and laughed as her tiny hands waved about. Celeste
cried out “Everybody; come quickly! Come now!”

***

The thing was aware of the clattering
again. It was louder for sure, and maybe it was closer too. It
noticed a different sound that was very faint, being a new sound to
the thing. As time passed it seemed that the clattering and the
newest sound both were getting louder. The thing grew more than
casually interested at this development. It was supremely confident
of its security in its lair. It knew on some level that it was a
supreme predator and had no need to fear any sounds no matter what
they were. It didn’t know how it knew that, but it knew that for
certain. It had reached a different state than when it had first
noticed the new sounds. It was a state of anticipation, but a
relaxed one. It puzzled over that, but could come to no conclusion
about where that had come from. It just knew.

The sounds got noticeably louder and
there was even some movement around the lair. The thing actually
felt its surroundings move once, and the other newer noise came and
went but was louder by far now, no longer faint. The air in the
lair was suddenly not quite so dank. The creature’s anticipation
was aroused. The noises were now clear and not muffled. The strange
sounds were voices. The thing didn’t know how it knew that, but it
knew. There was definitely activity involving its lair and it had
been aroused to a higher state of awareness. It was poised for the
next level of intrusion, because it now regarded this as an
intrusion into its lair. It might be threatened, so it was aroused
to another plateau of awareness.

The sounds ceased then. An
indeterminate amount of time passed then and the thing sensed that
it was getting darker, but it couldn’t see to know that. It just
knew. The air had become drier. The thing didn’t understand it, but
it felt it. Finally there was only the occasional sound of
skittering of insects, a normal sound of the lair. The lair was
secure for now it knew. But for how long would it remain secure?
The thing sank into a lower state of awareness, but not as low as
usual.

***

The funeral for Alandra had
concluded. Besides Ian, Tom, Celita and the Vasquez family, were
all of the children at
Barcelona
House
who could attend. There were over
three hundred townspeople including the mayor and the three judges
who presided in the Barcelona district as well as several
Barristers.

She’d been laid to rest in
the place reserved for the Vasquez family, which wasn’t far from
Philippe’s grave. Ian had held his peace until the priest was
finished. He waited until many had dispersed and only the family,
Tom, Celita and a few closer friends were still there, along with
some two dozen of the children from
Barcelona House
. Standing and turning
to them all then he spoke.

“
My Alandra was the most
wonderful wife any man could ever want. I’m sure that her parents
would say that she was a perfect daughter. Everyone in this city
knows how she loved her work at
Barcelona
House
and how she loved the children there.
She accepted me as I am with my flaws and loved me truly anyway. I
can’t tell you how much that meant to me.” Here he faltered a bit,
getting control of himself as he continued.

“
In the Bible, King David
said when his son died that no more would his son come to him, but
that one day he would go to his son. No more will Alandra come to
me…” here he stopped to regain control of himself, and his
faltering voice. “But God willing, one day I will go to her. May
you rest in peace in the arms of the angels, my Alandra. May our
Lord gather you to his bosom in His everlasting love.”

He stood silent then, tears
streaming from his eyes. Celita was red-eyed from weeping, as were
the Vasquez family and numerous onlookers who had children that had
been healed or taught at
Barcelona
House
. All of the children present wept
openly, having loved Alandra so greatly.