#74 THE LEGEND SPREADS
-Is your family able to see you, when you’re invisible? –Mia asked snoopy when they were sitting in the cots again. She had so many questions and wanted to know everything about him. Julian was simply fascinating.
-No, when I am invisible, nobody can see me. My family can feel that there is possibly someone around, because we can feel the energy. However, they cannot see me, if I don’t want them to. They could even have problems to sense the source of energy. They cannot locate me precisely. I could even block them. On the other hand, it is quite hard to block myself from my family. I never did it. I tried, but I didn't manage it. It is a case of higher concentration, you have to have a strong will to do it, and I guess I would have to practise it more often. You can ban your thoughts and energy for other beings as well as you can absorb energy and thoughts of other beings. I know that your level of energy is not optimal, but it has become better now. I have been sending you energy from the very first day I brought you here and you’re doing better. I can see it. I couldn't send you any energy, if I had banned myself, because when you do it, you can’t make any exception. It is hard to explain, but it works just in one way. You can’t have two things at once, even if you have more skills than others.
-How often do you see your family?
Julian looked at trees, which were still getting wet. He needed a while to continue.
-I am here, in Poland, since 1935, I think. I am not sure. If you have as much time as you need, you don’t really count every year. It is just as if you would say that our date is at 8 pm tonight and I would be there already 5 minutes earlier than agreed. The same is here. I said I will go to Poland and I just did it. I build this house and went here and there every now and then. This country won its independence some years ago and it was proud of it. I could see many people, not only Polish citizens, in the streets. It was a multi-cultural state. Some years later, Germany attacked Poland and World War II started. It was horrible. People died in mass murders. People fought. People killed each other. I saw it all and couldn't believe how it was possible. How are human beings able to repeat their human sins again and again? It is always the same.
-And you couldn't step in? You have so many skills; you could have saved some of them. – She was somehow angry and disappointed. – You didn't do anything.
Mia was visibly disappointed.
-Mia, it is hard to explain, but I already said that we had our pact with the humans and we are obligated not to influence people’s history. Every human being has its own will. Whether it is a good will or bad will, it is still his or her free will. Neither my family nor I were responsible for this massacre. If humans make mistakes, then it is their business. People should finally learn from their own failures. In addition, I went through the country and helped as much as I could. I gave hope to people who were fighting against terror, I warned them while they were sleeping, I told them where they should not go, and I told them not to give up. I accompanied them while they were dying. I wasn't allowed to meddle, because it wasn't my war. I wasn't here for them.
His voice was cold and clinical. There were no emotions when he was talking about war.
-Why did you come to Poland? – Mia was irritated. She hadn't thought it would be so hard to hear that he hardly did anything to help. He could have done so much more!
-I was looking for a specific person. In fact, this person was born in the 1980’s. I didn't know exactly that it would take almost half a century to stay here.
He looked her into the eyes and waited until she was more relaxed again.
-Mia, I think I have to tell you the story from the very beginning. So don’t think about what I just said and listen to me, OK?
She nodded.
-In the ancient times, we were travelling from village to village and from city to city. In my family, there are no children, parents, and grandparents. My family doesn't look like a human family. There are older ones and younger ones, but we are all equal. There are the two wisest of us who know every answer to every question, but they don't speak. They exchange information between them and nobody is able to get into their minds. They were always looking old and according to our legend, they were on earth from its very beginning. They were the ones who made the pact with the humans. They talked with every sovereign on earth and they determined that we wouldn’t barge in the free will of human beings. Moreover, people should not be afraid of us. We didn't want anything in return. We had superior forces, but we wanted to live in peace and to let live others in peace. We didn't want to be seen as monsters. At that time, there wasn't even such a word like “monster” or “behemoth” or anything like that. It came up later. At that time, earth was a paradise and everything was perfect. Everybody was equal. Every one of us took a human name and in this way it was possible to talk to people and they could address their wishes or sorrows to us as a group or individually.
Julian spoke normally, sometimes he became reflective and then, he stopped talking for a moment, starred at a point somewhere between trees and only after a while, he continued.
-One of our family started to doubt this pact. – Julian groaned with regret and continued in a more clinical tone. - We, as you already know, have some powers. In fact, we could use them easily. I exist as what I am and you, born as a human, exist as who you are. So there was this one, he was Philotheos which means "friend of god" in Greek φιλος (philos) "friend" and θεος (theos) "god". He was against this pact and talked to our Wisemen about it. He argued we should enslave people and rule over them. The Wisemen were not happy about this attitude. We already had everything we wanted and we didn't need people to be our slaves.
Mia took her breathe in. It was a scary vision.
-And then Philotheos disappeared. – Julian said. - Some days later, we received bad news. We came to a village and found out that every single inhabitant got killed. It wasn't a natural death. Their energy was sucked until they died. Men, women and children were murdered. Moreover, the news spread and people became scared of us. They started to honour us as real gods in the meaning, which you know already from ancient stories.
His voice became more serious.
-And people don't only have a free will, but their imagination as well. So, it didn't take long until people had their stories about gods, which were living among them. They knew our human names and made up their stories.
Julian was thinking about something, his forehead was wrinkled, his eyes were empty.
-Our Wisemen were the only ones who didn't have a human name and it is impossible to translate their names into any human language, because there are many meanings involved. The first one is “The One Who Is the Light, Enlightenment, Solution” and the second one is “The One Who Is Everywhere”. It is quite hard to explain their names, because there are more meanings there than I already mentioned. In addition, the Wisemen told us there is the third Wiseman who is “The One Who Is Every Time”. They were looking for him, because from the moment on they would meet all the three of them, the world would become a paradise once again.
Our Wisemen said we have to hide and hope that these silly stories will fade away when people remember what we are really like. Unfortunately, Philotheos was among people, and he spread these stories, and refined them so, people started to tell fairy-tales about monsters, mutants, and other things, which are still popular today. There is always a good and a bad guy. There are angels and there is a devil. There are gods you want to meet, you pray to, and gods you wish never to meet. If you ever saw X-Men then you know how we felt about it.
Julian’s face showed sorrows and he went on with resignation.
-We were not able to find Philotheos. Our Wisemen said that we had to extend our deal with humankind even without the participation of the humans. We promised ourselves two things. The first one was to hide our skills from people. We were not allowed to show anything that could make people think we are something else than human. Because people didn't trust us a
nymore, we were not obligated to help them to solve their problems. They had their free will and could decide themselves what to do. The second thing wasn't to influence people’s fates, when they are not related to our fates. Generally, it is not allowed to push people in any way to make a decision we would prefer. The free will of every living being is the golden rule for us. - Julian was sad. - From that time on, we existed without people knowing that we are amongst them. You could ask why we need to live between human beings at all. We are already able to do so many things... –He took a short break. He was still looking at some point over the rainbow that was painted over the sky now.
-The simplest answer is that earth is quite small. We can’t hide between people and all this technological progress made the world smaller for people. For us, the world was a global village already from the very beginning. – He smiled.
Finally, he was smiling again.
-But the more important issue is that we can learn from people as well. Some of us want to learn and therefore, we accompany selected persons and with their experiences, we gain some understanding as well. We want to identify ourselves with the world and therefore we need to understand it better. Some of us stayed unsociable and they occupy themselves with wild animals and live somewhere in a wild nature, far away from people.
Julian looked at her and smiled sadly:
-That’s principally the most sensitive of us who try to forget how they had suffered when people start to doubt us. They try to find acceptance and forgiveness in their own way.
He stood up and clapped his hands.
-In fact, my life would be boring without humans.
Julian smiled and waited whether she would smile back. Mia did.
-That’s the short version of our family history. I think – he started with a very different, more joyful tone – we should go inside. It is cold, and you’re trembling.
Julian was right. It was fresh outside. Even though the sun still there, the long rain made the air damp and cold. Her hair stuck to her face and the blanket was getting wet from the dampness in the air as well.
She stood up and went inside. Julian offered another cup of tea and she was glad that he was so attentive. She stayed in the room with the paintings and watched them with interest once again. When he came back, she pointed at the painting with Venice on it and asked:
-Is it an original painting of Canaletto?
He smiled with satisfaction.
-Yes, indeed. I won it.
-How come?
-Oh, it’s a long story. – He said with a funny fire in his eyes. – It was a bet and I won it. It was the time when I was in Italy and went from city to city and someday I met him at a small Italian market. We started to talk and he mentioned he’s a painter. Therefore, I wanted to see his paintings. He was very pleased that someone is interested in his work and as I saw his art, I said, it won’t work. His paintings were small, but interesting. Rich people at that time didn't appreciate minimalism. They wanted to show their fortune. I advised him to paint the same motive but on a greater scale. He doubted. Therefore, I bet with him that it will be his way to success. I ordered a painting, which should have been large-scale. He accepted it although he wasn't so convinced. But he did it. I dropped in from time to time to see how he was working, sometimes he saw me, sometimes not. It is always so fascinating to watch people with passion. And he had this creative enthusiasm inside. So, one day, I brought a nobleman with me and as he saw Canaletto’s work, he wanted to have such a painting too. He ordered the same motive: vedute of Venice. Canaletto was so grateful that he admitted he lost the bet and he gave me his first large-scale painting. He was a very interesting person. He was lovely. He had such temperament when he was talking about colours and light and it was impressive how much enthusiasm he brought into life.
Mia was flabbergasted. It was one thing to know that Julian was living since centuries, but it was weird to hear him talking about a painter, which she knows from a book only. This painter was dead for many, many years now.
-I like this painting, because it reminds me of the time I spent in Italy. You should really go to Italy one day. It is so absorbing to live there!
-I would like to go there. I would like to see more places in the world. Not only in Europe. – She admitted. – And this painting is splendid, magnificent. - Mia was still visibly impressed by the opus of Canaletto. - These colours and colour combinations are unique...
Then she looked at another painting and asked with a rogue’s smile:
-Did you bet with Monet as well?
-No. I am a guy to bet all the time! However, I got it from Monet personally. I helped him to contact Paul Durand-Ruel, a French art dealer who is associated with the Impressionists. I loved the way they were spending their time en plein air, outside, and they worked with broken colour and rapid brushstrokes. They admired the nature and it was fascinating to spend time with them. It was fresh. I liked it.
-Do you prefer to meet painters? – She laughed cheekily and very cute.
-I never saw it like that. Creative people are fascinating to me though. They have some energy inside and they shine uniquely. They are like stars at night: they glimmer in the masses. I just spent my time with individuals I liked. In addition, I like nature.
-Is everyone in your family spending time with such extraordinary people?
-No, no. – He shook his head. – I spent my time not only with well-known people. By the way: at the time I met them, they were not even famous. They were at the beginning of their way to success. I just accompanied them. So, I helped them a little. If one knows what one wants to achieve and has his own, internal passion, I help, when I can. The same applies for other members of my family. Aoife, from the Gaelic word aoibh, which means "beauty", my so-called sister, helps people in their love matters. It is unimportant to know who you are: a queen, average citizen or a poor soul. Everything depends on how much you love someone. She reads people’s minds and dreams and gives some tiny impulses to encourage them to act. Aoife is responsible for many love stories in Western and South Europe. When she sees that someone loves somebody very deeply, but has no bravery to act, she swaddles the ways of these two persons. Then, by so-called accident, they meet and it depends on them how the story goes on. Sometimes humans need just a little backslapping. Moreover, they have to pay attention to what they are wishing and hoping. Sometimes their dreams become reality.
Mia shook her head with approval. It was important to know what to wish for. Julian was right.
-And did you ever help in such case?
-In which case? – He looked at her with a question in his eyes.
-In love cases, of course. – She smiled shyly and was getting red.
-Oh. Yes, if it came along. But it is not my field of work. I am not good enough at this. – Julian explained shortly.
-But you can see emotions; you can read thoughts and wishes. Why is difficult then? – Mia wondered.
-You’re right. – He admitted, but then he continued very seriously. - At the same time, it is more than just reading wishes and fulfilling them. Every person has his own free will and can act according to it. Sometimes your own wish is not the wish of another person, you are in love with. There’s much more to consider. You have to get a certain feeling about these matters. Otherwise, you can cause more harm and damage than you do in fact help. Primum non nocere. - Julian looked into her eyes and she saw his doubts and sorrows. He was very serious. - First, do no harm. It is always the same question: can you take the responsibility of your acts and live with it? It is the same problem for us as for humans. In the end, we are quite similar. I am not the wisest being in the world. A human life for me is rather short, but still we have the same goal: to live in peace. The more power you have and the more time you have the more difficult the world becomes and the more responsibility you have to take on your shoulder. It is not as easy as it seems to be, Mia. I still wonder whether my last decision was right. Now
I cannot turn back the time. It is impossible to undo it for me. There is just one being who is able to do it. You can turn back time, when you are faster than the time. The third Wiseman is the only living being with such skills. He can run faster than time. I can’t. And that’s why I have to stay on this course which I hope is the right one, but I don’t have any clue where it will bring us. Moreover, the more I think about it, the more doubts I have about it. I am responsible for you. I am responsible for your life. I am responsible for the one I love and I have no certainty about what the future will bring.
Mia was standing in front of him, looking into his eyes. The blue ocean of his pupils was vividly changing its tone. He was deadly serious about it and he was in fact confused. He was struggling with himself and it wasn't an easy fight.
She stretched her arm and stroked his shoulder.
-It will be fine. My only wish is that we can stay together and if your sister can read it, hopefully, she would leave us alone.
-I hope so. Up to now, there was no such case in our family’s history and we usually don’t make any exceptions from our rules. Without these rules, we would have been discovered already a long time ago.
He pulled her into his arms and her head rested on his chest. Mia’s heart was beating fast, but regularly. She was afraid too. There was a lot of new information about him and she had a chaos in her head. She had to sort this out inside and she needed time. She needed time to rework it. Julian felt her discord as well as she felt his conflict. He guessed that she needed some space and stepped back.
-Anyway I have to take care of one thing. Feel free. Mi casa, su casa.
Mia was surprised that he wanted to leave. She was wondering which thing he had to care of right now. She had so many questions, she wanted to ask. At the same time, she was pleased to be able to stay alone here and to think everything through. It was contradictory. She wanted him to stay and she wanted to be alone. It wasn't possible at the same time. In addition, she understood that he probably needed his space as well.
Lovefool (complete 1st part of Lovefool trilogy) Page 76
