Then suddenly, the female stopped, and her face beamed as if she had just had an idea. She asked the male to hurry up and hunch over. The male was a little confused, but the female insisted. He obliged, and as he did, she hopped on his back and perched there. The male staggered a little but steadied himself. When he straightened himself, he realized that the female was trying to use him for support and leverage as she tried to reach for one of the shiny objects. She was still unsuccessful, and she was a little disappointed. The male, in turn, had an idea of his own.
He made her slide of his back, took a knee and interlocked his fingers. She looked at him not understanding what he was trying to do. He asked her to step into his hands and use his shoulders for support. She did as she was told, and the male attempted to lift her up the first time. She bent her knee, and that neutralized his efforts. He asked her not to bend her knee and tried to lift her again. This time she stiffened her left leg and used his shoulders for support as he lifted her from the floor. The shiny object raced closer towards her as she reached out with her right hand to touch it. She shrieked with delight as her fingers touched the smooth surface of the shiny object. It felt warm to the touch. The male gently lowered her back to the ground. He was happy she was happy.
“Teamwork!” the creator said telepathically.
“Did you see this happening so early, oh great one?” teased one of his colleagues telepathically.
“Yes, I did, of course,” he replied with a chuckle, though his expression was one of concern.
“Alright,” his colleague said. “What troubles you?”
“Nothing really…” the creator replied.
But his expression indicated the contrary.
“Come on, now,” his colleague pressed. “Something is obviously bothering you.”
The creator was about to reply when two separate, but neighboring doors opened to two separate chambers. What followed was a shocker even to the creator. Realizing that they were about to be separated, the female turned feral. She screamed, clawed and attacked. When the creator’s colleagues took several steps back to avoid her fury, she returned to the male. She squeezed his torso in a fierce hug, as if her life depended on it, buried her face in his chest and sobbed wildly. She uttered words only the male could hear, but the creator and his team did not need any help in understanding that she was begging her partner not to let them separate the two of them.
The male put his arms gently around her and glared at his creator’s colleagues. He stroked her hair with one hand and her back with the other, kissing the crown of her head as he did. Her sobbing eased with every gentle caress, with every back rub, with every whisper of comfort, and with every kiss to the crown of her head. The creator advanced slowly, and the male glared even more. The creator raised both hands in the air, a gesture the couple had grown accustomed to. He assured the couple that there would be no separation and guided them to a single domicile. They settled onto a new platform that was softer and more comfortable than their previous platforms. The female still clung to the male the entire time until she fell asleep in his arms. When she fell asleep, the male followed suit.
“We have some adjustments to make,” the creator said.
“Agreed,” his colleague replied.
The couple continued to learn and make progress. Sometimes, their creator would bring a flat, rectangular device to them. He would tap on the surface, and the device would light up. The first day he brought the flat surface and tapped it, both the male and female reached out and tried to touch the display that suspended above the surface. It looked like one of the fruits they have been eating, but their hands would go right through the display every time they tried to touch it. This both confused and fascinated them at the same time. Over time, the device became a study tablet and means through which the creator introduced the couple to the world beyond their chamber.
One day, the creator went to visit his children, the male and the female. A few weeks had passed since he last saw them. He had some other affairs in the realm to attend to. When the female saw him, she was so happy that she ran to him and hugged him tightly.
“I have missed you, Father,” she said.
Father was so surprised and moved by her gesture that he almost shed a tear. He pressed a fatherly kiss on the crown of her head.
“I have missed you too, my dear princess,” Father replied.
The male walked up to him, smiling all the way. He clapped Father on the left shoulder with the right hand and Father understood that it was also a similar gesture that the male missed him as much. He nodded at the male and the female finally let him go. Father took a seat, and the couple sat opposite from him. He stared at them with pride.
“Did you two complete your assignments?” he asked them.
“Yes, Father, we did,” the male replied.
“Good!” Father said. “Let us hear it. Would you like to go first, princess?”
But she was too shy to go first. Father and the male laughed lovingly at her cuteness, and the female hid her face behind the male.
“I will go first, then,” the male said.
Three minutes later, he was done.
“Excellent job!” Father said clapping his hands and turned his attention towards the female.
“It is your turn now, princess.”
The female summoned some courage and stood up.
“I am a woman,” she began timidly. “I love to read, I love to write, and I love to draw flowers. I also love to eat fruits. I love to play with him-” she pointed at the male, “-but I do not like it when he makes sounds with his backside. This is because, when he does that, everywhere starts to smell and I have to go out of our domicile to breathe clean air!”
They all burst into hearty laughter! When the laughter subsided, she said some other funny things and they laughed some more.
“That is so funny, princess!” Father said. “Do you have anything else to say?” He asked.
“No, Father,” she replied.
“Are you not forgetting something?” he urged.
She furrowed her eyebrows and concentrated for a few moments. Father could see that she was starting to get frustrated and did not want to spoil the happy mood. So, he tried to help her remember.
“Do you remember everything I asked you to do?” he asked.
“Yes, Father. I do,” she replied almost sadly.
“You remember most, my princess,” he said. “But not everything.”
He leaned forward and took her hand.
“How were you supposed to start your speech?”
“I was supposed to start with who I am,” she replied
Her eyes were still furrowed as she tried to remember.
“And who are you?” Father urged.
“I am a woman…” she began to recite once again.
“Yes and a very beautiful one, my princess,” Father said and stroked her cheek. “You were also supposed to give yourself a name.”
Suddenly, her eyes beamed with childlike joy as she remembered what she had forgotten. Before anything else, she was supposed to say her name; the name she had chosen for herself. She had given it a lot of thought. When she had shared this name with the male, he had said he absolutely loved it. And with joy in her heart and pride in her voice, she spoke four words out loud.
“MY NAME IS LITHILIA!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
PRANKED TO PARANOIA!
“WOW!” WALTER EXCLAIMED. “You do know how to tell a story, Lithilia. Your ability to blend unorthodox innuendoes, bible stories and fiction into one fascinating and detailed compendium is a talent unlike any I’ve ever seen,” he added truthfully with a pinch of intended flattery.
“And your ability to blend many compliments in a single sentence is the biggest form of flattery I’ve ever received,” she replied with a giggle.
“Touché, mademoiselle,” Walter conceded. “Touché!”
“Maybe I should’ve just said ‘thank you,’” Lithilia winked.
“Nonsense!” Walter said. “Your rebuttal honors me.”
“Are you that skilled with words or are you psychic?” she asked, narrowing her eyes in obvious pretentious caution.
“I’m afraid I know not of what you speak, milady,” Walter replied.
It was cheeky, and Walter knew it. Perhaps his nervousness was getting the better of him. Why on God’s green Earth would he refer to Lithilia as ‘milady’? He admitted that the conversation did feel odd, but he was also grateful that she was playing along. Maybe she was going to be the one for him? Walter mentally slapped himself back to reality.
“What I meant was,” Lithilia started saying and then hesitated.
Lithilia looked around guiltily as if she were about to share the launch codes for a nuclear warhead with him and no one had to know. She then leaned forward towards Walter.
“Before I say anything, you must swear your silence,” she demanded playfully.
“I swear, my beautiful dark maiden,” Walter said, “that I will not tell anyone else that I am about to ask you out on a date should you continue to strike my fancy thus.”
“See!” Lithilia exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “I knew you were psychic! How else could you’ve known I have a weakness for genuine, tasteful flattery? Art thou a wizard of sorts, stranger?!” Lithilia asked, inclining her head to her left and raising her left eyebrow.
“Milady,” Walter replied, bowing his head slightly and shaking it from side-to-side in mock disappointment and shame. “Alas, I’m afraid I misjudged you! I was under the impression that a woman is only vulnerable when her nail polish was not yet dry!”
Lithilia erupted in hearty, uncontrollable laughter. But not a single customer at the tea shop reacted to her sudden outburst. Lithilia gripped her sides, slapped the table a few times and dabbed at her teary eyes. As she laughed, Walter smiled to himself. He remembered being told once, years ago, that making a woman laugh is a step closer to making her panties fall off. Score another one for me, Walter thought as he smiled at her.
“Good Lord, Walter!” she managed to say. “I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.”
“I’m glad I made you laugh, Lithilia,” Walter replied honestly.
He noticed the glint in her eye when he said her name. It was there for just a split second and it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. There was a moment of awkward silence between them.
“So, would you like to hear the rest of the story?” Lithilia asked grinning mischievously.
“Absolutely!” Walter replied with a smile.
“Great!” Lithilia said. “If you’re not scared of monsters and bad people, then this segment is for you. Prepare to be afraid!” Lithilia added in the scariest voice she could muster.
Walter laughed at her cuteness and Lithilia laughed because she thought she was funny. And then, she continued her story.
***
One day, Father walked into their domicile.
“Today, I have something to show you,” he said enthusiastically.
“What is it, Father?” the male asked.
“Come with me!” Father said.
They followed Father, walking down a long, winding hallway until they came to a dead-end. Father stopped and turned around to face his children.
“I am about to show you two something behind this door,” he said. “You will experience everything you have been shown on the study tablet. You may be overwhelmed, as is expected. But not for long.”
Lithilia and her companion nodded their understanding.
“Do not be afraid!” Father continued. “I assure you that no harm will come to you whatsoever. Are you ready, my lovely children?”
“Yes, Father,” the male replied and looked towards Lithilia, who nodded her agreement.
And then, Father pressed a button on the wall next to the door with his left index finger. The door slid open on both sides and the rays of a bright, shining cosmic body bathed the three of them in a golden glow. The lovely couple quickly learned that it was a very bad idea to stare directly with their naked eyes into that bright and shiny object. They shut their eyelids quickly and looked away.
“Solara?” asked Lithilia.
“Yes, my princess,” Father said. “Behold Solara!”
The couple slowly opened their eyes to look at what lay in front of them and for the first time since they awoke on the platform, Father saw them completely awestruck. It made him very happy. He gestured for them to step out into the world that lay in front of them. The male extended his hand and Lithilia took it. Together, as they walked into the perfection that surrounded them, they instinctively closed their eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, held it in for a few seconds and exhaled as the warmth of Solara washed over their bodies.
The couple slowly crouched and touched the grass. They looked at their hands. The morning dew from the blades of grass they touched had gathered on the palms of their hands. Lithilia licked it cautiously with the tip of her tongue. The male did the same. They looked at each other and giggled. Then she lunged at him, shouting with glee and they both rolled and played on the grassy ground. Their garments were damp from the dew, but they did not care. Lithilia then straddled her partner and stared lovingly down at him. She brushed some strands of hair from his face and kissed him gently on the lips before scanning the area some more. The male also looked around, but his vision was upside-down. So, he gently peeled her away and sat on his heels. They basked in silence at the visual ecstasy that engulfed their being.
They saw the trees, the flowers, and other vegetation. They saw animals, big and small and of various colors. There were creatures so small that they could be crushed underneath one’s feet without one even realizing. Others buzzed and flew in the air. Some were multi-colored and others, not so much. Some were flying high in the sky; in groups or by themselves! The couple smelled the flowers, chased the little animals as they ran through the vegetation, climbed the trees, plucked and ate some fruits.
Lithilia and her partner recognized some of the creatures that flew high in the sky, or close to the ground, as well as many of the plants and flowers they could see all around them from the study tablet. Other animals of various shapes and sizes either walked or slithered towards the couple. These animals sniffed, licked, nestled and familiarized themselves with the newest additions to their ecosystem. The couple innately knew that these creatures were giving them a warm welcome. There was an aliveness and beauty that came with experiencing these things for themselves, instead of through the study tablet. They explored, and as they went further inward, they came to a stream so clear and beautiful that the rays of the sun bounced on its uneven surface like millions of specks of golden dust.
The male dropped to a knee and ran his fingers in the stream. It felt cold. He scooped some up and put it to his mouth. He drank a gulp and savored the freshness as it ran down his gullet. He drank some more. Suddenly, he stood up and removed his garments exposing his naked flesh to the gentle heat of Solara. He waded cautiously into the water, ignoring the initial shock of its coldness as the stream crept up his immersing body. When he was waist-deep, he felt a splash of cold water strike his back. He yelled and spun around to find a happy, giggly and naked Lithilia preparing to splash him some more. He was too late to react, and her aim made its drenching mark on his face. She went wild with laughter as he staggered backward. The war of wetness was on and lasted for a while.
The couple waded back to the banks of the stream and lay next to each other. They were exhausted, more from laughing so hard than from anything else. Then, by the banks of the gently flowing stream, they bonded. This time around, it was different. The trees gave their blessing, the animals chanted, the little creatures sang, and the birds danced in the sky. They bonded to the symphony of Mother Nature herself. Their bond transcended the physical. Their souls became one and inseparable. A new life would be created, and eleven months later, Lithilia would bring forth the fruit of their union into this new
world of theirs.
“Do you like what you see?” Father asked them later.
“It is beautiful, Father,” the male said. “It is perfect!”
“It is perfect, now that you two are here!” Father said. “Everything you see is yours to do as you deem fit. It is your home! And so, you will give it a name. What do you want to call it?”
The male and Lithilia gave it some thought.
“What if we call it ‘Aiden’?” the male asked Lithilia.
“That is a lovely name,” Lithilia replied. “I like it very much.”
“Aiden!” the male affirmed. “The Garden of Aiden.”
“Is that your final choice, my children?” Father asked.
“Yes, father,” they affirmed together.
“Then so be it!” Father said.
And so it came to pass that Father made a domicile for them in the garden, to maximize their comfort. He visited his children often until he was sure they were independent. And because Lithilia was with child, Father would take her to his domicile for regular checkups. The couple’s parental instincts kicked in naturally. So far, the pregnancy was moving along perfectly, and she was going to have not just one, but two children. The first child was healthy and strong. Sadly, the second child did not live despite the efforts of Father and his team to try to save the baby.
There was great sadness everywhere. Even Father felt the pain of loss. In one birthing process, the lovely couple had experienced the ultimate joy of hearing a child cry for the very first time in their lives, as well as felt the ultimate pain of losing a child. It was a terribly painful oxymoron. For almost an entire moon cycle, their first-born son did not have a name because the lovely couple was too steeped in mourning. Eventually, the couple was bound to experience pain. However, losing a child during the first birthing process was not the best form of introduction to pain for the couple. Father and his team provided as much support as they could during such dire times. He convinced them to at least try to focus more on their newborn son. It was time to name him.
An Archangel's Ache Page 8
