[Intertwined Souls 05.0] No Good Deed

by Mary D. Brooks

  “So…what happens when an angel turns bad?”

  “They become a demon,” Jana replied as she picked up her cup and took a sip. “Even angels have free will.”

  “I don’t know how you could be patient all these years waiting for God to tell you His plans. You’ve lost so much.”

  “No, I choose to see it as I’ve gained so much. Look at all the people I have loved and who have come into my life, and all the good I have done. I lost my husband Caleb and my children, but I have gained so much as well.” Jana put the cup down and reached out to Zoe. “It’s not what I’ve lost. It’s what I’ve gained that has sustained me all these years.”

  “I don’t think I would go on without Eva. It’s just not going to happen.”

  “I understand. I’ve known such love, I’ve walked down that path, and I’ve done everything you have done or will ever do. I’ve felt a thousand times the way you feel.”

  “Were you in love with a woman?”

  Jana paused for a moment and smiled. “That’s never happened. I’m attracted to men, and being an immortal doesn’t change who I am.”

  “Have you ever loved someone so much that you were willing to die for that person?”

  “Yes.”

  “Caleb?”

  Jana took Zoe’s hand and held it for a long moment. “Jesus Christ. I did die for Him. Problem for me is that I didn’t stay dead.”

  Zoe giggled at the way Jana’s humor manifested itself. “That is just not right.”

  “No, it’s not. Imagine my surprise when, after being crucified, which I have to say is not a very nice way to go, I woke up in a tomb and was very much alive.”

  “What was it like?”

  “Getting crucified? It’s not my favorite way to die. Being crucified is extremely painful, and it takes quite some time to die. It’s meant to be as excruciating as possible. My other deaths were a little gentler. It’s like going to sleep. In my case, I have a severe case of insomnia.”

  “What is it like to be an immortal?”

  “It’s lonely in between times. I have outlived the friends I have made, I have outlived my children and my husbands—”

  “How many times have you been married?”

  “About ten times. I had five children before my first death and then I couldn’t have any more after that.”

  “Did your children know you were alive after you died?” Zoe asked and stopped for a moment. The question sounded a little odd to her.

  “No, they thought I was dead. I couldn’t go back to them because they would ask so many questions that I couldn’t answer.”

  “Oh, your poor babies.”

  “Yes. I had to move away from the district I was in to another part and start my life over. It wasn’t easy, but it helped that I had the Lord’s work to spread the message. God has a purpose and I’m doing His work.”

  “It sounds so cruel to me to have you wandering around…”

  Jana laughed, making Zoe smile. “Oh, goodness, that sounds so dramatic. You make me sound like a wandering ghost unable to find their headless body.”

  “No, I didn’t mean that.”

  “I know what you meant, darling, but it’s not like that. I have met and befriended some extraordinary people in my long life. I have seen extraordinarily beautiful things and also inexplicable cruelty.”

  “Can I ask you something that’s been nagging me ever since you told us who you are? I was so worried about Eva that I just didn’t follow up. Does Della know she isn’t your sister?”

  “Della believes she is my sister.”

  “How does she believe this?”

  “Della was abandoned by her mother when she was weeks old and left at an orphanage. I was working there and cared for her. As she grew, she asked me if I was her sister and I said yes. She is my sister in Christ, so technically that’s true.”

  “Didn’t she question your age?”

  “She did, and I explained to her that I was her oldest sister. When the time comes for me to leave again, I will die and she will mourn the death of her sister.”

  “That’s just so sad. Does Percy know?”

  “He does. All my husbands knew about my immortality and my origins. It’s a little difficult to conceal that to your spouse.” Jana chuckled despite the serious nature of the chat they were having. “You know what I really like about you, Zoe?”

  “My shyness?”

  Jana smiled. “You’re fearless. Most people would have totally avoided those questions, but you just ploughed on. You remind me of myself when I was sixteen. I was fearless and forthright.”

  “I bet that wasn’t thought as a wonderful trait for a woman in Jerusalem.”

  “No, it wasn’t, nor is it today for some,” Jana replied with a little shrug. “It seems like yesterday and not nearly two thousand years ago. After Pentecost, our lives changed forever when we got the gifts.” She looked down at the ring she wore on her finger. “In the end, I got my fondest wish, and that was to see the world. Sometimes God gives you what you desire.”

  “So when is God going to call you home?”

  “When He is ready. When the work I am doing with the gifted comes to an end, and before you ask, I don’t know when that will be.”

  “You have been alive for nearly two thousand years… Have you met all the gifted?”

  “Some of them.”

  “Did you help them to understand what was happening to them?”

  “I tried but most of the time no one believed me because it’s easier to believe someone is insane rather than gifted with God given powers.”

  “You have outlived them all except for Tessa and Eva. Do you have visions like they do?”

  “I don’t. My gifts are languages, seeing the darkness, and of course, my immortality.”

  “Eva sees the future…”

  “No, Eva sees a version of what may be. We don’t know if what they see is the right future. Circumstances change. As I said, all have free will. Our future is not set in stone.” Jana picked up her cup and took a sip. “Any number of things could change the future we see in visions. Had you not stared at Eva on that blood soaked field, had you not listened to Tessa’s voice urging you not to shoot Eva, had you not saved Eva from that Nazi fellow…”

  “So if I had not listened to the voice saying ‘no, don’t,’ my future would have changed?”

  “Yes, it would have changed. We would not be sitting in this room talking to each other.”

  “If Henry had not saved Eva’s life twice, she would be dead.”

  “Yes.”

  Zoe sighed heavily. “This is all so strange and frightening.”

  “It is strange, but I’m not frightened—my life is in God’s hands. No one knows the future, as it will be for certain, except God. Seeing visions is not really that exciting.”

  “It looks exciting from what I can see when Eva is having a vision. She has this goofy grin on her face and just looks so happy.”

  Jana smiled and she took Zoe’s hand. “Eva looks like that because she’s having the best kind of visions, the type she has been wishing her whole life. She is seeing them come true, but there will come a time when those visions will not be pleasant.”

  “Aunty Tessa said that to her when we were in Berlin.”

  “Yes, then those visions can be disturbing and terrifying from what I’ve been told. It’s not something I would want to experience.”

  “Can they turn them off?”

  Jana chuckled and shook her head. “No, darling, it’s not like a radio where she can turn off the switch. They come and go as they please.”

  “What can I do to make it easier on Eva?”

  “You are already doing it. Just be there for her when she has them. Laugh with her when they are good visions and cry with her when they are not so good.”

  “I’m so glad you are in our lives, Aunty Jana.” Zoe put her cup down and embraced her. “Thank you.”

  “Oh, darling, it’s my pleasure.”
/>
  ***

  Zoe opened her eyes and yawned. She was lying on the sofa in the living room. She had been tired when they came home. Even reading a book was a chore. The book she had been reading had fallen to the flokati rug near the sofa. She yawned again and stretched out. She lay there for a few minutes, not wanting to move, and then reluctantly swung her feet around and sat on the edge of the sofa.

  She tried to listen for the tell-tale signs of Eva typing on her typewriter. Eva had found a typewriter in a store and bought it to write her journal. Zoe wasn’t sure why Eva wanted the typewriter, since she could have easily hand written the journal. The very distinctive sounds from the machine were absent. Eva was not a typist and her writing consisted of one tap, then silence, followed by another tap. It was quite tortuous, but Eva was determined to write this journal using that machine. Zoe yawned again. The house was too quiet. She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen, which was also empty. Something caught her eye out the window and she leaned across the kitchen counter and looked outside. The rain had stopped and sunshine was peeking through the clouds.

  Eva was sitting on the grass, her legs pushed up against her chest with her arms around them. A red cap was on her head. She was gazing at the garden with a faraway expression on her face.

  Zoe wondered what Eva was thinking. When Zoe had left earlier, Eva said she was going to read a little and catch up with the paperwork from the office, but this wasn’t paperwork or reading. Zoe shook her head and sighed before pushing the fly screen door open and walking down the steps. She knelt beside Eva and put her arms around her. “How are you?”

  Eva smiled and turned her head a little. “I’m thinking too much,” she said. “I decided to do some gardening after noticing that the weeds were giving me the evil eye.”

  Zoe leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

  Eva chuckled when Zoe pushed her back down to the grass and lay down next to her. “This is nice,” she murmured, watching the clouds slowly pass overhead.

  Zoe smiled, turned on her side, and rested on her elbow. She traced the scar just above Eva’s eyebrow, a visible reminder of the accident now that Eva’s hair had grown a little longer. “Yeah, you are.”

  Eva turned her head with a beaming smile, which melted Zoe’s heart. She could see the love in Eva’s eyes and she started to cry. Eva frowned and turned her body towards Zoe.

  “Hey, hey, what’s the matter?” she asked, gently brushing away the tears with her fingers.

  Zoe sniffed. “Sorry, I’m just a little emotional.”

  Eva let her fingers trace Zoe’s lips, then bent down and gently kissed her. “Is it something I’ve done?”

  Zoe shook her head. “No...yes...”

  “What is it?”

  “You’re going to think it’s silly and…”

  “Zo, what is it, love?”

  “I love you so much. I wouldn’t know what to do if I ever lost you.”

  “You won’t. I’m right here.”

  “Shh.” Zoe put her fingers to Eva’s lips. “I nearly lost you.”

  Eva closed her eyes. “You didn’t, so let’s not talk about that.”

  Eva leaned into Zoe’s caress and closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m going to be here for the rest of our lives.”

  “Can you promise me something?”

  “Anything,” Eva answered.

  “You won’t leave before I do?”

  “So, it’s alright if you leave me behind? I don’t think I like that idea,” Eva gently teased, taking Zoe’s hand and kissing it. “I promise to be with you in this life and the next.” She hugged Zoe tightly and rolled on top of her. She rested her weight on her elbows and smiled. “If it’s possible to love someone even more than before, then I love you more each day.”

  “I love you,” Zoe said. “Want to know what Jana said to me today?”

  “Uh-huh,” Eva replied, tracing her fingers down Zoe’s cheek.

  “She said she was in...um…” Zoe stopped when Eva began to unbutton her shirt. “Uh…um and um...” she stammered when Eva nuzzled her neck, her hands removing the final obstacle to Zoe’s bare skin. “Uh…”

  Eva grinned and looked down into Zoe’s eyes. “What about Jana?” She began her ministrations once again, kissing Zoe passionately.

  “Uh…Jana?” Zoe’s mind couldn’t form a coherent thought, let alone pick up her story. She finally surrendered to Eva’s touch and all thought about Jana evaporated.

  CHAPTER 46

  September 1, 1951

  28 Weeks into Zoe’s pregnancy

  Zoe sat up in bed, her back resting on the multitude of pillows against the bedhead. It was late on Saturday morning and normally she would be up and about, but she was feeling tired. They had moved into their new home in the newly renamed Lambros Estate. Eva had been adamant on sleeping downstairs, which was now their temporary bedroom. Zoe’s heart was set on the bedroom upstairs with two French doors that led to a covered balcony where they could see the sea. It also overlooked the swimming pool and beautiful gardens. With Zoe being twenty-eight weeks into her pregnancy, Eva had gone into super protective mode and vetoed the upstairs bedroom. Zoe wasn’t allowed to go upstairs, which was a rule she thought silly until she saw Henry accidently slip on the second last step and come tumbling down while he was carrying some boxes down.

  Eva had tried to take many of the jobs away from her in regards to the move, and Zoe had also resisted that change. She was now feeling more than a little regretful that she did resist. She smiled down at her stomach as the twins were playing some sort of game within her. She momentarily considered waking Eva, who was sleeping next to her, but chose not to. In addition to the move, Eva had had another session with Dr. Hannah, and when she came home, she had stayed silent for most of the evening. She had received a letter from her uncle in Germany and she had locked herself in her new office and didn’t come out for quite some time.

  Zoe could barely get her to say or do anything other than kiss her and the babies goodnight. She wasn’t going to push Eva into why she wasn’t being communicative; there was a time and place for Zoe to poke, and last night was not one of those times.

  Zoe went back to her reading until she felt Eva stir. She looked down at the sleepy blue eyes that focused on her. Eva’s mussed up dark hair fell across her eyes and she tried to brush it away with her hand, only to have Zoe reach down and do it for her.

  “You have excellent timing—our babies are up as well,” Zoe said as Eva stretched and snuggled up against her. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired,” Eva said. She wrapped herself around Zoe and put her arm around her stomach. “Don’t want to move.”

  “Nicky and Larissa are causing havoc again,” Zoe replied. She touched Eva’s bare back and gently massaged the small of her back. “Is your back alright?”

  “Yes.” Eva pulled up Zoe’s nightshirt and kissed her stomach. “Good morning, my babies, sorry for being so stupid last night. Stupid is not a nice word, so you can’t use it, but Mutti can when she’s describing herself,” she said and nestled her head against Zoe’s shoulder.

  “You weren’t being stupid.”

  Eva looked up and shook her head. “Locking myself away is stupid. I’m sorry.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yes. I should have done that last night,” Eva mumbled, not looking up at Zoe.

  “You wanted to be alone. That’s alright.” Zoe combed through Eva’s short dark hair. “Your sessions with Hannah are taking a lot out of you and I think maybe you shouldn’t push yourself so hard.”

  Eva looked at Zoe with a thoughtful expression on her face. “I want to get everything out of my head so I’m ready for the babies.”

  “Huh? What do you mean you want to be ready for the babies?”

  “I don’t want to scare them. How would they feel if their mutti is screaming her head off in the middle of the night? I just don’t want that.”

  “
You’re putting too much pressure on yourself. We all have things that make us scream at night. Everyone does, and what’s important is that there is someone there to hold you and tell you it’s alright.” Zoe put her arm around Eva and cradled her against her. “Our babies are going to know that it’s alright to have bad dreams, and when they wake up, we will be there.”

  “Ugh, I sometimes think that not remembering would be better.”

  “No, it’s not. Like that stupid block Mama Saint put on you, the gifts have found a way around it. The memories found a way around that mental block as well. It was just taking the slow route out.”

  Eva smiled. “The slow route?”

  “Yes.” Zoe grinned. “They took the scenic, sea drive way. You were exhausted when you came home and then you got that letter from Uncle Wilbur. Did that upset you more?”

  Eva didn’t say anything for a long time, and Zoe wondered if she was going to stay quiet. “Uncle Wilbur didn’t upset me. I decided something last night.”

  “Oh?”

  “You have to read the letter.” Eva rolled away and stood up. Zoe whistled.

  Eva was dressed only in shorts and a singlet. She turned her head to look at Zoe with a smile. “You are so easy to please, Mrs. Lambros. A bit of skin and you whistle.”

  “Go and get the letter so I can uncover what’s under those shorts.”

  “You have a very short memory,” Eva said as she headed out to the office. She returned to the bedroom and joined Zoe in bed a few minutes later.

  “What took you so long?”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, m’lady,” Eva apologized and then stole a quick kiss as she was getting back under the covers.

  Zoe’s face creased into a smile and Eva looked expectantly at her. “What?”

  “I really love that you will be with me in the delivery room.”

  “I won’t miss the birth of our babies for anything. I’ll pay them whatever they want and sit on their hospital board meetings. I am getting what I want.” Eva grinned and pointed to herself. “I’m rich. People expect rich people to be eccentric, and if a woman’s sister-in-law wants to be at the birth, then she’s going to be.”