Infinite Testament

by Greg Ness

  Stephen tried not to show it, but he was disappointed.

  British Bruce relented, “And this is to stop our slaves from coming with us because…?”

  Stephen looked at Lisa. He expected her to be wincing like he was. It was becoming terribly uncomfortable. But she seemed to be enjoying it.

  Lisa spoke up in her attempt at a British accent, “May Lusty Lisa speak?”

  “Permission Granted,” Kristen responded.

  “I would like to join my master on her date with the master and his slave.”

  Stephen lit up as discretely as he could. Yes!

  “Then it’s official,” Bruce said, now accentless, “Double date tomorrow.” Bruce gently took Kristen’s hand and kissed the top of it. She smiled, loving every second of it.

  Stephen turned to Lisa. “You don’t really have to do that tomorrow.” Lisa, now a master on crutches, easily placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay Stephen. I do what my master says.” She peered into his eyes and confidently added, “And I think you’re sweet.”

  Stephen smiled at her and said, “You’re not so bad yourself.” You’re not so bad yourself? Stephen nearly slapped his head.

  Lisa laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You guys are leaving?” Bruce asked Kristen.

  “Yeah, we’re spent. Paramnesia was our last ride.”

  “But we can entertain you.”

  “Tomorrow,” Kristen said. “It will be… glorious!” she added with an accent.

  The two pairs shared a brief goodbye. They would be reunited shortly.

  Stephen looked in the distance and made eye contact with the man who had been following them. “Hey Bruce,” Stephen said. “You see that guy over there with the backpack?”

  “The one dressed like a dope?”

  “Yeah, that guy.”

  “What about him?”

  Stephen kept eye contact with him. The man didn’t break this time. “He has been everywhere we have been today. It’s kind of weird.”

  Bruce chuckled, “It’s not that big of a park. We’ve probably seen a lot of people like that.”

  Guess so, Stephen surmised. He broke eye contact with the man as the two of them prepared to resume their journey.

  Lisa and Kristen walked toward the mystery man. They had enough fun for one day. Tomorrow would bring even more excitement.

  The man looked at them as they walked past. He smiled.

  Kristen smiled back.

  Stephen was right. The man had been following them. Making astute observations, his job today was done.

  The identity of the man would mean nothing to Stephen and Bruce. At least not yet. The man, of course, was Moros.

  15

  “What?” Stephen asked. He heard Bruce perfectly. Every syllable uttered from his mouth was entirely understandable. His ears just refused to believe what they heard.

  “I’m going to live with Kristen this year,” Bruce reiterated.

  They sat in the living room, on the blue couch (the most comfortable spot in the world). Bruce rested his feet on the small table in front of them. The daylight burst through the windows behind them. Stephen sat up, attentively digesting Bruce’s nonsensical idea.

  Stephen declared, “Michigan State is an hour and a half away.”

  “We found a place right smack in the middle of Michigan and MSU,” Bruce replied.

  “You’re going to drive 45 minutes to class every day?”

  “I’ll just have class three days a week, so it’ll be fine.”

  Stephen was stunned. Bruce was abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself in what was supposed to be the most fun-filled year of their lives.

  “But what about senior year? We were going to ‘light it up’. Remember?”

  “We can still light it up. It’s not going to be that big of a difference. I’m just going to live with her instead. I can still spend a couple nights here and there at your place.”

  Stephen knew that wouldn’t happen. He was losing his best friend. Bruce had fallen hard for Kristen. He had lost the ability to manage his relationship and the rest of his life, including Stephen. Bruce simply stopped caring about anything but Kristen.

  “You and Vince will be fine,” Bruce reassured.

  Stephen stared in the distance.

  There she was: Lisa Binsby, crutches in tow, moved effortlessly through the sliding doors of the restaurant with Kristen right behind her. Stephen waited with great anticipation as Lisa approached.

  Lisa and Kristen met Stephen and Bruce the day before at the theme park. Kristen seemed to like Bruce. But why was Lisa doing this? She asked herself that question many times throughout the day. She had a boyfriend. A loving, caring boyfriend. But she came anyway, convincing herself it was for Kristen’s sake.

  Bruce exaggeratingly held out his arm to Kristen.

  Kristen accepted, tucking herself close to him, and the four embraced the restaurant ahead of them.

  The restaurant was elegant. Bruce spared no expense when picking this place. The lights were dim. Fancy paintings and mirrors adorned the walls. The ceiling shot high above them, the restaurant showing off its massive size. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin soothed over the conversations of the people eating and bustling.

  “Can I just say,” Kristen exclaimed, “I love this place!”

  Lisa glanced at Stephen. He was cute and seemed like a nice guy. She didn’t want to hurt him. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” Lisa asked Stephen as she nodded her head in the opposite direction of the dining area.

  “Uh-oh!” Bruce declared.

  “Shut up,” Kristen said as she grabbed Bruce’s arm and led him away from Stephen and Lisa.

  Stephen asked, “What’s up?” His face was bright and he was obviously excited about the dinner. Lisa struggled with what to say. She dug around her mind for words. “Well, I just want you to know that…” She looked at him. He was smiling ear to ear. She didn’t want that to go away. But she had to continue. Her eyes strayed away, far from his, as she continued stumbling along, “… I just want you to know I have a boyfriend. I’m not sure exactly what you’re expecting from this whole thing. I just think it can be fun, ya know? You seem really nice. But I don’t want to... I don’t know. Make you sad I guess? I mean, if that’s you were looking for: to be more than friends. Or something.”

  She looked at Stephen. He was still smiling. In fact, he was borderline laughing. Oh God. What did she just do?

  Her words didn’t bother Stephen in the least. “Don’t worry. I know you have a boyfriend,” he said, reassuring her.

  Huh? This baffled Lisa. He had made it pretty obvious that he liked her. She expected him to be down and upset about what she said. At the same time, she was flattered that he respected the fact she had a boyfriend. Lisa was officially intrigued.

  “Are you ready to join them?” Stephen asked as he offered his arm for Lisa to lock with.

  Lisa stopped. She thought. No. She didn’t want to join them. It would be better if they didn’t.

  “No.” Lisa stated. “I have a better idea.”

  Stephen and Lisa sat in an ice cream parlor dressed like they should be in a nice restaurant. The parlor was small, with high-rise stools holding them up to their table. Clearly into each other, they munched on their ice cream. Stephen went with chocolate while Lisa opted for vanilla.

  Lisa not only wanted to give Kristen and Bruce time to get acquainted with each other, she wanted to get to know the mysterious Stephen.

  She asked, “So what are you majoring in?”

  “Biology. You?”

  “Communications.”

  Stephen nodded. Her idea to get ice cream instead of eat dinner with Bruce and Kristen was genius. He loved getting to spend time with her alone. Boyfriend or not.

  “The bigger question,” Stephen asked, “is what do you want to do with your life?”

  “Umm.” Lisa pondered. She didn’t know. She was a hummingbird: constantly flying, sometimes
stopping, but always on the move. The idea of committing to one job for the rest of her life scared her. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll figure it out somewhere along the way.”

  “I hear you,” Stephen said. “Aren’t we all in that boat?”

  Lisa chuckled a nervous laugh. Not really. Most people she knew had their lives figured out. If she was in a boat, her friends were all in a cruise ship, destination known. “I guess,” she said, “It’s tough though. Sometimes I feel like the only one who doesn’t know what I’m doing.”

  “You’re not,” Stephen reassured.

  There was something about him that felt right. There was a brightness in his eyes, a warmth that filled her soul. Oddly, Lisa felt as if she had met him before. It was like she knew him all her life and was finally reuniting with him. It was strange, like déjà vu, but instead of feeling it in her mind, she felt it in her heart. She never felt that way about someone before.

  Stephen continued, “You’ll figure it out. We all just need a little time. I have no idea what I’m going to do… What about your boyfriend?” He knew he shouldn’t have gone there. But he had to know.

  Lisa was slightly taken aback. He wanted to know about her boyfriend. Okay. “Well, he’s the quarterback for the football team.”

  Stephen jerked back in surprise. “What? The Michigan State football team?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive.”

  “Yeah,” Lisa said begrudgingly. She didn’t want to talk about him. She wanted to talk about Stephen. Granted, she loved her boyfriend Matt. Loved? She used the word but maybe ‘enjoyed being around’ was a more accurate description. Either way, Lisa had a penchant for scrolling through boyfriends. Most didn’t last long. The fact that she was out with Stephen would not come as a surprise to anyone who truly knew her. Nothing was scarier and more foreign to Lisa than commitment. Whether it was jobs, relationships, or anything. “Yeah. He’s a good football player.”

  “That’s good,” Stephen said.

  “But I want to know more about you,” Lisa confessed as she unconsciously leaned forward, itching to get closer to him.

  Oh really? Music to Stephen’s ears. Maybe wooing her wouldn’t be as hard as it initially seemed.

  “Well, I much prefer chocolate to your vanilla.”

  Lisa giggled. “Why is that?”

  “I find it to be much more…” Stephen paused. His mind raced but couldn’t find the word.

  “Delicious?” Lisa offered.

  “No, that’s not it.”

  “Tasty?”

  “Nope.”

  “How about sweet?”

  “No.”

  “Then I have no idea!”

  Stephen’s light bulb switched on. “Endearing! I find it much more… endearing.” Lisa took note as she twirled her brown hair in her fingers.

  Lisa asked, “Do you like Michigan?”

  “The state or the school?” Stephen asked back.

  She chuckled. “The school, goof.”

  “Well to be honest, I love both. So I guess I don’t know why I asked,” Stephen said. He laughed; sometimes he just amused himself. “Do you love Michigan State: the school?”

  “Yeah it’s okay,” Lisa replied

  “Just okay?”

  “No, it’s good. It’s real good… Actually me and Kristen are having a party next week. You should come!”

  “Absolutely. That would be awesome. Can’t say I’ve ever been to an MSU party.”

  “Great,” Lisa said. And it was.

  About an hour later, Stephen and Lisa rejoined Bruce and Kristen. They walked back to the fancy restaurant that Bruce and Kristen dined in. Lisa asked them, “How was your date?”

  “It was great!” Bruce responded. “And how was yours?”

  Stephen smiled at the notion. It wasn’t a date. But it kinda was. “Our outing was fine, thank you.” Lisa smiled at Stephen and squeezed his arm. He laughed, prompting Lisa to do the same. “Well you two hit it off right away, huh?” Kristen asked, puzzled by their instant chemistry.

  “Yes. But we are just friends,” Stephen robotically emphasized, mocking the fact.

  “Right,” Lisa reinforced.

  Lisa pulled Stephen’s arm and leaned on him while he supported her up. The two giggled and poked at each other like there was some kind of hilarious inside joke.

  Bruce and Kristen stared at them, dumbfounded. Bruce thought maybe, just maybe, he should try that ice cream place they went to.

  “Hey Stephen, why don’t you take Lisa home in your car, and then you can come back and pick me up after?”

  Huh? The idea baffled Stephen. “Why?”

  “Well, Kristen and I can go get ice cream. And you and Lisa can keep… hanging out.”

  Oh. Stephen understood: Bruce wanted more alone time with Kristen. Fine. Stephen would take Lisa home; it would give him more alone time with her. Perfectly fine.

  “Sure Bruce, I’ll pick you up after I drop her off. Sounds good.”

  So Stephen drove Lisa home. On the way, they laughed, joked, and talked seriously about their lives. Stephen and Lisa knew the parameters for which their relationship would be allowed to work, and they were slowly becoming best of friends.

  “My apartment is over here,” Lisa said as they reached her home. It was too bad. Stephen drove well below the speed limit to keep this moment from happening. He pulled over next to her apartment building: a tiny, worn down complex. He could barely spot it in the darkness. Stephen parked the car and looked at Lisa.

  “Well, it’s been fun,” Stephen said, regretful that it had to end.

  Lisa pleaded quietly, in almost a whisper, “I hope you come to the party next week.”

  “I will.”

  Lisa nodded and forced a smile. The mood in the car grew somber. A longing between them was formed. It was like they had been thirsty all their lives and now, just now, they found the water to quench it. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow themselves to drink it; they forced their feelings away. And that created the pain that resounded within them. The circumstances of their lives mandated it. The tragic irony of all of this is they would spend most of their lives feeling this exact way.

  “I’ll see you next week then,” Lisa whispered. She unbuckled her seatbelt and gripped the crutches that sat alongside her. Stephen darted out of the car, hustled to her, and offered his hand. She gently grabbed hold and rose to her feet. As she put her weight on the crutches, she smiled back and faced Stephen. “Thank you. For everything,” she whispered.

  She leaned in and softly kissed him on the cheek. It marked the beginning of a great relationship.

  “So that’s it? There’s no changing your mind on this?”

  Stephen and Bruce sat on the couch in their apartment.

  Bruce replied, “No, man. It’s going to happen. I’m moving in with Kristen.”

  And that was that: it marked the end of a great relationship.

  16

  Stephen stood at the front of the University of Michigan classroom. It was a medium-sized room, housing roughly 50 students. Posters of the periodic elements graced the wall and the space oozed of academia. Stephen was no longer a student. Now he was a professor. Many years had gone by since he graduated from this very school, and in the midst of conducting research, he taught classes. Stephen wore a collared shirt and tie and demanded the professionalism of his students.

  “Erasmus Darwin,” Stephen declared, nearly yelling so everyone could hear him. A wall-size chalkboard was sprawled behind him, littered with notes Stephen had scribbled. He paced while fidgeting with a piece of white chalk. “Can anyone tell me the significance of Erasmus Darwin?”

  Stephen looked out into the crowd of students. Hands shot up, waiting to be summoned. The students were diligent, hard working, and taking notes on just about every word that left his mouth. Well, most of them were. Naturally, there were the obligatory kids who just didn’t care. They sat there, arms folded, half asleep, struggling to make
it through his lectures. At least they showed up.

  Stephen noticed a particular student taking notes. He was a young man wearing glasses and sporting perfectly combed hair. He was always scribbling away. That was great but he never spoke up in class and participated. Not once. He was always at the classroom 10 minutes before everyone else and never bothered to talk to anybody.

  “You,” Stephen said, pointing at the student. “What’s your name?”

  A cluster of students in the vicinity of Stephen’s fingerpoint panicked, wondering who he was referring to. A couple of them pointed at themselves and mouthed, “Me?”

  Stephen wasn’t specific enough. “You,” he said again, still pointing, “with the glasses and the tie.”

  The student froze and almost fainted at the notion of getting called on in class. “Yes?” he barely managed to get out.

  “What is your name?” Stephen asked. He wasn’t trying to embarrass the kid, he just wanted to know his name.

  “My name is Jay. Jay Campbell.”

  “Well Campbell, do you know the significance of Erasmus Darwin?”

  Jay fluttered and scrolled through the notes on his desk. “Ummm,” he uttered as his face darkened red.

  “Does anybody know the answer?”

  The usual suspects’ hands again shot up in the air. “Okay Wendy, tell us.”

  A chipper, excitable brunette wearing a blue ‘M’ on her sweater said, “He invented the idea of evolution.”

  Stephen forced a smile. “I’m sorry Wendy, that’s totally wrong. But nice try.” He turned his attention back to the rest of the students and continued pacing while fidgeting his chalk. “The correct answer is simply this: he was Charles Darwin’s grandfather. And Charles Darwin, Wendy, is the one who ‘invented’ the idea of evolution.

  “Erasmus only hinted at the idea. He started the framework for it. And my point to bringing up Erasmus, as many of you are no doubt wondering about, is that there are a lot of ideas in the world, a lot of frameworks. Throughout the rest of your college career, you will learn a lot of facts. If you simply go through these years and just learn the facts, you will have learned nothing but how to be a good Jeopardy contestant. Take these facts, take these things you learn, and apply them. Explore. Discover. The facts are just your frameworks.