“Oh, my,” Amanda said and looked over at Jena and Juila. They were both smiling, on the verge of laughing actually, at the predicament into which she was getting herself.
“Come on, Amanda. You’ve told me this much. I can’t imagine it would be so hard to explain,” Chris complained.
“Okay, fine. We flew in Riccan’s telepod,” she said in a rush.
“Seriously? Is it here? Can I see it?” Chris looked around like it was parked in the yard somewhere.
Now Amanda could not help but laugh at her father’s reaction. Naturally, he would want to see a bona fide spaceship. She sighed and said, “We keep it in the garage.”
Chris stood up and said, “Let’s go check it out!”
Amanda reached up and took hold of his hand, pulling him back down to his seat. “Dad, can’t we take this one step at a time? Think about it. Mom doesn’t know anything about this, and I doubt she’ll take it all as well as you have. Read my journal. After you’re done, we can talk about all of this some more.”
“But I want to see the telepod,” Chris practically begged. “What if Riccan leaves with it and then I’ll never get the chance to see it?”
“We’re not going anywhere, Dad.” Amanda laughed at his sullen expression. Seeing he needed a little more convincing she said, “We just enrolled the girls in school. They want to have the Earth experience. We’re going to be here at least until the end of the school year. You’ll have plenty of time to see the telepod.”
Chris had to be content with her answer. He had to admit if they just up and left the yard then Diane would start to ask questions which Amanda would feel compelled to answer. He was not sure how much of the truth Diane could handle. He would try to ease her into the idea about Amanda’s past. It was going to take some time.
He turned his head to look at the girls and asked, “So what do you think of the Earth experience so far?”
“We think it’s amazing. We have so much to learn!” Juila answered happily for both of the girls.
Chris laughed at her enthusiasm and said, “Yes, I bet you do!”
He was silent for a few minutes while he processed all of the details his daughter had shared and then asked, “You said the children were evaluated for their skills. What does that mean?”
“Shortly after a child of Tuala is born, they have what’s called a birth crystal ceremony. They receive a necklace with colored crystals which they will wear for the rest of their lives. The crystal allows the people of Tuala to access the elemental energy of the earth to do things which would seem magical to us here on Earth.”
“Can that magic also be performed on Earth?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see the necklaces?”
Amanda was not sure if her children wanted to share theirs, so she hastily said, “I received one, too.” She reached into the collar of her shirt and pulled the chain up until the pendant was resting in her hand.
Chris leaned forward and inspected the intricately woven chain which held an equally elaborate pendant from which a quarter-sized tree-shaped design and leaves of clear crystal was suspended. “How did you end up with one, Amanda?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I know how it happened from my dream, but I forgot to ask Jehoban how it happened in reality.” Amanda realized she had yet another question for the Creator of the Universe. She could hardly believe she could contemplate taking His time to answer her silly questions. It should be enough simply having the necklace, but she had inherited her father’s curiosity in knowing all the facts.
“Are you able to use your crystal to access this elemental energy?”
“Yes. The people of Tuala call it elemy for short,” Amanda answered. She looked around swiftly and could see her mother was occupied with Riccan and then concentrated on pulling a sphere of energy out of her crystal. She let it hover for a few seconds before allowing it to melt back into the crystal.
Chris’ eyes got big as he watched the ball come out of the crystal. He was not sure for what use the ball could be used, but it was impressive nonetheless. The fact his daughter had done it with her mind alone was equally remarkable. “What else can be done with the crystal and elemy?”
Juila piped in excitedly, “Anything! Jena and I have been studying for years to find out if there are any limits to what can be accomplished. So far we haven’t found any.”
Chris turned his attention to the girls and asked, “So you two are comfortable using your crystals? Are yours the same as your mother’s?”
The girls shook their heads, and each pulled their chain to show their grandfather their individual crystals.
Chris leaned forward and could see the chains were all the same, but the colors of the crystals were vastly different. Jena’s was so dark as to be almost black, whereas Juila’s was a deep red color. Each stone had a brightness which almost made them appear as though they had been lit from within. He had not noticed it so much with Amanda’s stone since it was perfectly clear and he had believed it was because the sun was shining outside.
Amanda had been watching her father intently and offered, “The stones are actually real gemstones. They are considered commonplace on Tuala so nobody would consider stealing them. Here on Earth, however, they would be very valuable. Jena’s stones are real black diamonds. Juila’s are rubies. Mine,” she looked down on the beautiful crystals and continued, “are flawless diamonds.”
“So what’s to keep them from being stolen?” Chris was suddenly alarmed for the children possessing such wealth.
“The crystals have a power of their own in protecting the wearer from harm. The necklaces cannot be taken off of the children, even the children cannot remove them until they’re eighteen,” Amanda explained.
“That’s a relief,” Chris sighed. “You three are going to have to show me more of what the crystals can do when we have more time.” He looked over at his wife, and added, “And more privacy.”
Jena leaned forward and said, “I think that would be really fun. You’ll be amazed at what we can do. Maybe we can teach Mom a few things, too?” She looked over at Amanda and received a smile and a nod.
“I’d like that, too,” Amanda agreed.
Chris was growing more and more excited. These children had a wealth of information available, and he wanted to know everything they had experienced in Tuala. More than ever, he wanted to see the telepod and anything else related to this other world they had known all of their lives. He had always believed there was more than could be seen and now he had proof.
Amanda imagined she could see the wheels turning in her father’s head. He had always been such a curious person, and this topic presented a whole new area for him to explore. “We’re going to have to take this kind of slow, Dad. I’m still not sure how to let Mom know any of it. She’s always been so skeptical of everything.”
Looking over at his wife, Chris could not help but agree with Amanda’s opinion of her mother. They were polar opposites in their interest in new technology. Diane only cared about it if it had a positive impact on her own life; otherwise, she could care less. Chris did not mind if an idea were simple or complex, he was intrigued by any invention. He wanted to take everything apart to see how it functioned and he would talk to anyone about a new idea.
They had to suspend their conversation as Riccan and Diane started to make their way toward them at the pool. The silence became awkward since they could not come up with an alternate conversation before the pair joined their group.
“This must have been an interesting conversation for it to cease when we came near,” Diane commented as they stopped behind Amanda’s chair.
Chris spoke up and said, “The girls were telling me stories of their childhood. They had just finished with one when you arrived.”
Diane could tell there was more to the story than her husband was sharing, but she decided to let it go. She had not been able to get any information about the girls’ mother from Riccan, and she was feeling rather frustrated.
She said, “I think we should be heading home, Chris, I feel a headache coming on.”
“Oh, Mom! Can I get something for you?” Amanda stood up with concern.
“No, I probably just need to get home and go to bed. I’ll be fine shortly.”
“I really loved having the two of you come over. We’ll have to get together again soon,” Riccan spoke to both of Amanda’s parents.
“It was a fascinating evening,” Chris said as he looked down at his grandchildren. He had stood up to stand by his wife’s side. The only reason he looked forward to going home was because Amanda had said he could read her journal. He was certain there were many fascinating details to be discovered, even if not all of them would necessarily be true.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Riccan replied with a meaningful look toward Amanda. He wondered what had transpired while he had been entertaining Diane. Once they left the house, he was certain to talk with his wife and children about what they had discussed in his absence.
Amanda looked away from Riccan and a small grin formed on her lips. She remembered her promise to her father and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I have something to get upstairs for Dad.”
She turned and rushed back into the house. She practically ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. Amanda walked around to the far side of the bed and knelt down to open the nightstand drawer where she kept her journal. It would raise too many questions for her to simply hand it to her father right in front of her mother, so she had to figure out a way to disguise it.
Suddenly an idea dawned on her. She took the back stairs down to the first floor and rushed into the library. There was a book on twentieth-century inventions she had seen earlier. After rapidly scanning the shelves, she located the book and pulled it off the ledge.
It was not a perfect fit, but the dust jacket from the book fit well enough on her journal as to pass an initial inspection. Besides, her mother would never look twice at a book of inventions. It was the perfect detail to keep her secret until her father could help her devise a way to tell her mom the truth.
Amanda hurried to go back outside but came to an abrupt halt as she found the group had moved into the living room on their way to the front door. She thrust the book forward and said, “Dad, here’s the book on inventions I was telling you I had for you to read. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it immensely.”
Chris automatically took the book from Amanda’s outstretched hand. He looked at her quizzically and then down on the cover of the book. He started to open it to see what she was talking about when she stopped him.
“Dad, you can’t start reading it here! Mom wants to get going home. When you get to your office at home, you can read it in peace and quiet. I know how much you like learning about new things.”
Finally, Chris realized Amanda had disguised the journal so her mother would not get suspicious; he mentally kicked himself for being so dense. He smiled and said, “I’ll look forward to it. When I’m done with it, I’ll bring it back to you. I’m sure such an interesting book would need to be put back into the collection.”
“Dad, you’re so silly! I love you. Enjoy the book.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. She was a fascinating child who had always entertained him. Now she was proposing a new adventure in which he would be included. He could not wait to get home.
Amanda stepped away from her father and put out her arms to hug her mother goodbye. She kissed her cheek and said, “I hope your head feels better soon. Thank you for coming to dinner.”
“Thank you for inviting us. We had a lovely time,” she said. She turned away from her daughter and addressed her newest grandchildren, “I’m happy to have met the two of you. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know one another.” Diane still did not know how to tell the two girls apart.
Part of her headache was trying to figure out the mystery of why the girls looked so similar to her daughter; eventually, she would figure it out. She would see what Chris had managed to ascertain while he had been talking with the girls and Amanda.
They returned to their car with a few more farewell waves, and finally, they were on their way home. The ride was silent. Each person was consumed with their own ideas of how the evening had gone.
After they pulled into their driveway, Chris asked, “Do you need me to get you any medicine for your headache?”
“No, honey. I think I’ll just take a hot shower and then go to bed. Enjoy reading the book Amanda loaned to you,” she said as she looked down at the boring-looking book. She would never understand how such things could continue to be of interest to him. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to head into their bedroom.
Chris walked into his office and shut the door. He normally left it open, but for this reading, he thought a little forewarning of any company would be wise. Once he sat down at the desk, he laid the book down in front of him. After only a moment’s pause, he lifted the cover and held the book flat as he looked down at his daughter’s distinctive print, the all-capital letters she had adopted since studying architecture in high school. This was her story.
After only a few minutes of reading, Chris no longer saw the printing. He was fully engrossed in the story she told. When she had given him the short version at her house he had never imagined so much could have happened to her while she was asleep in her coma. Now he realized she had lived a whole other life during their time of mourning.
He was so thankful Diane had insisted they keep her on life-support. What if he had gotten his way and Amanda had been allowed to slip away into death. At the time, he had believed it would be more merciful than letting her waste away for years; now he knew he had been so wrong. Guilt built up inside him, realizing he could have lost his daughter because of his impatience.
Circumstances could not have worked out any better; Amanda had everything restored to her life. She had the husband, literally of her dreams, and now she had her children back. Granted, her life was considerably more complicated than he had ever dreamt it could be for a child of his, but he was certain she would not change it for anything.
Page after page revealed more details about this new world. The complexity of the society fascinated Chris, making him wish he could meet these people who had influenced and helped his daughter along her journey. He felt a deep hatred for Petre and was thankful that man was beyond his reach.
Chris’ curiosity was being satisfied on so many levels and yet there were still so many questions. Why were Amanda’s memories so different from what Jehoban had told her had happened? What was the purpose of this other world? Were there more worlds yet to be discovered and explored? How did his daughter fit into the whole scheme? Why did the Elder want to impregnate her? Who was the father of the twins? How did Riccan feel about this whole thing? Would I ever be able to visit Tuala?
He turned the page and found the prophecy his daughter had told him about. He was curious to see how Amanda’s theory about herself being involved actually played out as he read each of the lines. By the time he finished, he agreed with his daughter’s assessment. Either she or her daughters were going to be involved further in the changes to come to both Earth and Tuala. He hoped they would all stay safe during the process.
There was not much he could do to try to stop them from their destiny, but he did have the ability to help them wherever he could. The first step would be to convince Diane of Amanda’s past. He knew it was an uphill battle. He was willing to risk everything to help keep his daughter safe. If she weren’t torn between secrecy and honesty, it would free her mind to worry about the bigger problems on her horizon.
As he read the last few entries, Chris had at least one answer to his numerous questions. Riccan was the biological father of the two girls. He was glad to know they were a family in every way. At least one thing had worked out right.
Chris closed the book and took a deep breath. His hand rested on the cover as he sat back in h
is chair and tried to imagine all of the trials his daughter had gone through. She must have been so scared and feeling so alone. He wished he would have insisted she talk to them sooner. He should have been there for her more. He would be there now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Riccan closed the front door and turned around to confront his guilty-looking family. “What happened while I was distracting your mother? Don’t try to deny anything either. I saw all of your heads together as you were having a deep discussion.”
Amanda smiled and said, “I’d never try to deny it, honey. Let’s sit down.” Amanda told Riccan all about what she had discussed with her father. She continued to smile at how well her dad had taken the news.
Riccan patted her knee and said, “One down and one to go. Do you think your dad will work on your mom or is it still up to you?”
“I gave Dad my journal to read so he’d have an idea of what he’s dealing with. He said he’d work on Mom. I know he’s more optimistic about the outcome than I am.”
Amanda grew silent as she recalled her conversation with her dad. Another thought came to mind, and she asked Riccan, “What were you and Mom talking about?”
It was his turn to wickedly smile as he said, “She was trying to get me to tell her about the mother of the children. She’s convinced the woman must look very similar to you, Amanda. She thinks I married you so fast because you look like someone I lost.”
“Did you correct her?” Amanda demanded.
“I tried, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.” Riccan raised his hands in defeat. “Your mom is very stubborn and determined. I’m starting to worry you inherited those traits from her.” He tried to look terrified of the possibility but ended in laughing at Amanda’s expression.
“I showed Dad a sphere of elemy from my necklace,” Amanda suddenly announced.
“Really? What did he think?” Riccan was suddenly interested in Chris’ reaction.
Levels of Ascension BoxSet Page 15
