by V. L. Dreyer
"Come on, big sis," Skye whispered in my ear. "It's your time to shine."
She led me forward by the hand, and suddenly I found myself excited all over again. Butterflies danced in my stomach and left me feeling light-headed and a little ill, but it was all in a good way.
Getting married. I was getting married. To Michael.
Suddenly, tears blurred my vision, and I was fighting the urge to cry. Thankfully, Skylar understood my moment of weakness, and she was there to keep me steady. She squeezed my hand and guided me down the aisle to stand opposite my beloved, and then she and my other bridesmaids went off to find their seats in the front row.
I could feel the presence of all my friends gathering, and hear the sound of chairs scraping on concrete as they settled down to watch. There were whispers and chuckles, but they were all friendly and kind – and throughout it all, I only had eyes for Michael, and he for me.
"You look beautiful," he said softly. I felt him reach out to take my hands, and the touch sent a thrill right through me.
"T-thank you," I stumbled, my wits half-gone. I tried to say a few things, but none of them quite came out right. It didn't matter, though. Michael understood. He always understood. He just smiled at me, and squeezed my hands reassuringly.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of our friends, Sandy and Michael." Anahera's voice rose as crisp and clear as a cool breeze on a hot summer's afternoon. A hush went over the crowd. We all looked at her. She looked back, smiled, and then continued. "Marriage has been so many things over the centuries of human evolution, but now it falls to us to set its definition. These two before us have become instrumental in guiding us to the new destiny for all humankind, so it seems fitting that their wedding be the one that sets the standard for our new culture.
"It is time for the concept of marriage to evolve once again. The two of you are warriors who would fight back to back to the bitter end to protect one another, and trailblazers who share a vision for a new world for all of us. You have faced so many trials together already, and there will probably be many more in your future, but this marriage symbolizes your desire to face them together. You will always have one another's backs, and always be there to help if one of you falls.
"Michael Chan, do you pledge yourself in love and loyalty to Sandrine for the rest of your days? Do you swear to guide her, help her, and protect her for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," he answered without hesitation, his gaze shifting back to me. I looked up at him, wide-eyed, frozen, uncertain. And then, I heard Anahera speaking to me.
"Sandrine McDermott, do you pledge yourself in love and loyalty to Michael for the rest of your days? Do you swear to guide him, help him, and protect him for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." The words came out of my mouth even though my brain was a chaotic jumble of conflicting emotions, but the moment that they were out I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of me. Skye was right. I did want this, more than anything else in the world. The possibility of having a baby had nothing to do with it; I wanted this for me, and not for anyone else. After all the pain I'd been through, I had finally found the one person that I knew I could trust beyond anyone else, and now… he was going to be part of my family. It just made so much sense.
"Madeline, the rings?" Anahera called. Maddy rushed forward, dressed like a tiny, raven-haired doll in a fluffy party dress. She handed the rings to Anahera, and then rushed back to her seat. Anahera held the rings out to us, one in each hand, and we took them.
Michael's strong, gentle hands took hold of mine, and guided the ring onto my finger with a tenderness that delighted me. I watched, and then I looked up at him again and saw a smile of such happiness on his face that I almost burst into tears right on the spot. My fingers trembled as I reached for his hand, but he understood. He gently guided my hands through the motions, and then he leaned down and kissed me.
Our friends burst into wild applause all around us, cheering so loudly that I could barely make out Anahera pronouncing the marriage complete. It didn't matter, though. None of it mattered. All that mattered was Michael. My friend, my lover, and now my husband. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him back with every ounce of emotion in my body.
Eventually, our lips parted and he pulled back just a little. He started to say something to me, but the cheering, dancing mob overwhelmed us before he could. Suddenly, we were both swept up into the crowd, and carried away with the tide. After that, everything became a blur of voices and friendly, smiling faces.
"You're not going to believe what Zain managed to pull off," Skye commented gleefully, from right behind my ear. I tried to turn and look at her, but she was gone before I could locate her. Then, something happened that distracted me completely: for the first time in ten years, I heard the strains of music floating above the sea of voices.
"No way!" I gasped, stunned. Music hadn't been a part of my existence for so long, and the sound of it made me want to weep with joy. Before I could give in to my emotions, though, Michael caught me around the waist and swept me away onto the makeshift dance floor that our friends had created in our honour.
Another cheer went up from the crowd, but it was promptly hushed by other members of the crowd that wanted to savour the precious notes. The song wasn't familiar to me, but it didn't matter; I remembered the feeling, the way the music could make my imagination soar, and the way it could manipulate my emotions with such skill and subtlety that I didn't realise it was doing it.
"You're crying, Sandy," Michael whispered to me, his arms protectively tight around my waist as he guided me through the unfamiliar steps of a waltz, his footing careful due to the bandaged sprain he'd managed to hide under his uniform. Neither of us really knew how to dance anymore, but that didn't matter, either – the point was being together, and we were. Nothing could separate us now.
"I'm… happy," I whispered back, my voice husky with tears. "I… I forgot how to feel like this. I forgot so much. I j-just wish that my mother and father could be here…"
"I know." He drew me in closer with a gentle hand on the small of my back, and ran his free hand through my hair. "I wish mine could be here, too. But we have to make the best of the hand that life's dealt us, and we are." There was a moment of silence, and then he gave me a thoughtful smile. "I think that you should keep your maiden name, though. Like Anahera said, this is our world now, our choices, our traditions. I don't want the McDermott name to die out when the last two women bearing the name marry. You two are the only ones to keep the name alive, and it deserves to be remembered."
I listened as he spoke, nodding slowly. When he was done, I took a deep breath and nodded again, a bit more firmly this time. "I agree. I was thinking, we could make it a tradition that when we have kids, any daughters we have take the McDermott family name, while any sons we have take the Chan family name. Or, when they're old enough, we let them pick which last name they want to have. That way, both our names have a chance to continue into the next generation."
Michael shot me a curious look. "Oh? You've been thinking about us having kids? I thought you hated the idea?"
"I don't hate it," I said softly, breaking eye-contact. I couldn't lie to him, but it was still too early to tell him everything. "I'm afraid of it. There's a difference. But sometimes, you have to confront your fears in the name of the greater good, right?"
"Very true." Michael smiled at me, and slipped his free arm around my shoulders to draw me fully into his embrace. I snuggled up against him and rested my face on his chest. I felt other bodies around us as more people piled onto the dance floor, but I ignored them. Michael's warmth and scent enveloped me, and for a few minutes my life felt perfect.
Suddenly, a shout from one of the lookouts interrupted our peace, and Wiremu came running in from the courtyard in a panic.
"Riders!" he shouted above the sound of the music. "We have three riders coming this way on horseback!"
&
nbsp; "Three?" I lifted my head and looked at him. He nodded. "Okay, I think I know who that might be. Don't panic, guys. I invited them."
"Who are they?" Michael asked, a look of worry crossing his face.
I shook my head and smiled at him. "There are some locals in the area that we met while we were out dress-shopping. I think they're all that's left of the army. I'm pretty sure that there were three of them. Let's go out and see."
I took Michael's hand, and helped him to limp through the crowd to where Wiremu waited in the doorway. The three of us went out onto the street front, just in time to watch the riders coming to a halt not far away. It was hard to tell in the shadows of dusk, but I was fairly certain that the lead rider was familiar.
"Sergeant Bryce?" I called, cautious but not overly concerned.
The lead rider dismounted from her horse in a single, graceful movement, then turned and saluted me. As she did so, the fractured light from the courtyard struck her face, and I recognised her. She was not a pretty woman, but she was distinctive: short and stocky, with sun-browned skin and eyes that shone with intelligence.
"Ms McDermott," she greeted me. "Or is it Mrs now?"
"I guess so, but I don't really care. I'm keeping my name, so I'll probably stick with 'Ms'," I answered with a smile. "This is my husband. Michael, meet Sergeant Erica Bryce. Sergeant, this is Michael Chan."
"A constable, I see?" Erica smiled and stepped forward, to offer Michael her hand. "Nice to meet a fellow public servant."
"Likewise." Michael took her hand and shook it. "Would you like to come and enjoy the party?"
"We would, actually," she answered. "My men and I decided that there aren't exactly many opportunities to enjoy ourselves anymore, so we may as well make the most of it. We even brought a couple of bottles of liquor out of our stores."
"Well, that'll make Jim happy," I commented with a laugh, then I beckoned for all three of them to follow me. "Come on inside. There are a lot of people that I'd like you to meet."
***
A few hours later, we'd all danced until our feet hurt, laughed more than we had in years, and eaten until our bellies wanted to pop. After dinner, Doctor Cross rounded up the little kids and took them off to bed, leaving the older ones to do what they pleased. Michael and I had both opted out of the alcohol, but we still enjoyed ourselves watching the antics of our friends, particularly when they were starting to get a little tipsy.
We found ourselves a corner of the couch that was cleaner than the rest, and sat down side by side to cuddle, talk, and watch the others from afar. Michael slid his arm around my waist, encouraging me to snuggle in against him, which I was more than happy to do. We sat together like that for ages, just talking quietly, sipping water, and enjoy our first hours of married life together.
Eventually, Gavin wandered over to visit us. He plopped down on the other end of the couch with a glass of whiskey in his hand, and heaved a long, drawn out sigh. Then, he flicked his one good eye over to us, and lifted a brow. "You two look cosy. Getting tired already?"
"A little bit," I admitted. "I'm not used to late nights anymore. Besides, I forgot how much fun people-watching is." Michael laughed, and Gavin grinned.
"True that," he said thoughtfully, sipping his drink. He was silent for almost a minute, then he shot another glance at us again. "I've been meaning to say, thank you. Not just for inviting us along, but for… doing this. All of this. Moving south. Welcoming people in. Helping us to open up and remember what it was like before fear turned us into a bunch of self-interested tortoises with our heads crammed so far up our own arses that we forgot how to have fun at all."
This time, it was my turn to laugh, but it faded into seriousness after a few seconds. I glanced out across the room at all of my companions, studying them from afar.
"I don't think I really had a choice, Gav," I answered. "Look at them. Every single one of them is a refugee from a life that none of them chose. They were okay on their own, sure, but look at the joy that bringing them together has brought. These people don't just need me – they need each other. They need friends. They need a family. They need a tribe."
"They need a name," he commented thoughtfully. "An identity to attach themselves to, along with this ideal that you've been crafting." He took a long sip of his drink, then smiled at us. "Nga Tama o te Tumanako. The Children of Hope." Suddenly, he stood up and headed back towards the festivities, leaving Michael and me to think over what he'd said.
"It's a good name," Michael said softly, his eyes distant. "We could call our city that. Tumanako. Hope."
"And we're the children of Hope." I smiled to myself, absently running my hand over my belly, my thoughts drifting to the tiny baby growing within. "We're all children of hope in a way, aren't we?"
"We are." I felt Michael's fingers on my cheek, and let him tilt my face up until our eyes met. "And that's what you've been saying all along, isn't it? The children are our future, and our hope for a chance to start over."
"Yes." I sighed and lay my head down on his shoulder. "We can do it, Michael. Together, we can save them all, and give all of our people the hope that they deserve."
***
To be concluded in The Survivors Book IV: Spring.
Available on the 1st of February 2015
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THE CAST
THE NARRATOR
Sandrine "Sandy" McDermott
THE OHAUPO GROUP
Michael Chan
Doctor Stewart Cross
Madeline "Maddy" Cross
Ryan Knowles
Skylar "Skye" McDermott
Priyanka
Tigger the Kitten
Alfred the Sheepdog
THE PARATA TRIBE OF LAKE RUATUNA
Anahera Parata
Hemi Parata
Ropata Parata
Iorangi Parata
Tane Parata
Richard Parata
Petera "Peter" Parata
Wiremu "Will" Parata
Nikora "Nick" Parata
THE ARAPUNI GROUP:
Jim Merrit
Rebecca Merrit
THE YOUSEFI FAMILY:
Zain Yousefi
Elira "Elly" Yousefi
Mathias "Matt" Yousefi
Javed Yousefi
Baraz "Barry" Yousefi
Omid "Ommie" Yousefi
THE TOKOROA GROUP:
Gavin Church
Lily & Jasmine
Melody
Solomon
MISCELLANEOUS:
Erica Bryce
Simon Wentworth
DECEASED:
Sophie Chan, niece of Michael.
Dog, member of the Ohaupo group.
Kylie McDermott, mother of Skye & Sandy
Roger McDermott, father of Skye & Sandy
Everyone else in the whole world.
May they rest in peace.
KIWIANA LANGUAGE GUIDE
Aotearoa
Maori, New Zealand. Literally "The Land Of The Long White Cloud".
Arapuni
Location; a town in the central Waikato, home to the Arapuni Power Station.
Bush
Specifically, "native bush". This term refers to an area of native forest, which is characterised by a particularly thick shrub layer dominated by indigenous ferns and bushes – hence the colloquialism. Native bush is often very thick and dark,
and can be very difficult to travel through as a result.
Cark It
Colloquial, to die. Example: "We were half-way to Tauranga when the car carked it."
Central Plateau, The
Colloquial, the Tongariro National Park. It is an area of major cultural significance to the various peoples of New Zealand, and contains numerous Maori sacred sites. Above ground, it is a massive rock desert that covers approximately 795.98 kilometres and is home to the volcanic cones Tongariro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. Below ground, it is the centre of a massive geothermal field that spreads across most of the North Island. It is one of the few areas in the North Island that regularly sees snowfall.
G'day
Colloquial, "Good day".
Hangi
Maori culture, an underground oven used to cook food.
Hongi
Maori culture, the pressing together of the nose and forehead in a greeting. Used in a similar fashion to the handshake in Western culture. Symbolises the mixing of the breath of life integral to Maori folklore.
Kai
Maori, "Food".
Kia Ora
Maori, "Hello".
Kumara
Maori, a sweet potato.
Maori
Relating to the original peoples of New Zealand. May be used to refer to their cultural traits (e.g. "she tried to live by the traditional Maori ways."), language (e.g. "he spoke Maori.") or ethnicity (e.g. "my grandmother was Maori"). The Maori culture evolved from Polynesian migrants who arrived in New Zealand around 1,000 years ago.
Mate
Colloquial, a contextually sensitive word that is usually used in place of the word "friend". Can be used sarcastically or in threat just as readily as being used in a friendly fashion, e.g. "You're going to regret that, mate."
