by Jill Wilder
Chapter 11
The personal rooms or pods in which the People would sleep or have alone time are very modest in design. There was a cubby hole in the wall with the mattress, pillows and blankets for resting. A small desk was neatly tucked into the corner with a matching chair. Closet and drawers were cleverly camouflage into the wall. One window allowed the view of the vast stars that littered the black velvet outside. For the Captain, no favoritism was shown. His room was just as simple.
He sat at his lone chair and stared out into the space beyond the window. It has been a long time since he shared his pod with anyone. His late wife was a beauty! Every night he remembers the joy she gave him and he remembers the pain of her loss. Tonight was no different than any other, except he was feeling the loss of two instead of one.
His name was Malcolm Ambrose. When he was given the position of Captain of the Solar Star Base, he chose to lose his name and have all address him as “The Captain”. It wasn’t because he did not like his name. He was very proud of his lineage. He knew what his name meant, “pleasing and fit for the gods”. However, the Captain felt that he fell short of the duties the Creator had for him. He felt that he could not live up to his name.
His wife loved his name. Many times she would say his name just to hear it.
It was many, many seasons ago, his wife entered his life in the most unusual way…
A young and handsome Malcolm entered the Natural Reservatory for his daily meditation. Many of the People of the Solar Star Base, would seek refuge in the Reservatory for moments of quite and self seeking. As Malcolm found his favorite spot near the brook, he settled down on the dirt floor sitting cross legged - or Indian style as it was so classically labeled eons ago.
As always, he began with closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. In deep with his breath, hold, release, pause and repeat. A calm and peace settled over him as he continued to breath. While Malcolm began to descend deeper into his subconscious, his concentration was broken by a giggle that seem to come from a nearby bush.
With one eye open and a little perturbed, Malcolm looked over towards the bush to see what has rudely interrupting his sacred time.
It was the lilac bush that rustled and moved. The giggle came again.
“Hey”, Malcolm shouted, “who goes there? Why are you disturbing my time?”
More giggles, more rustling of lilac branches.
“Show yourself, if you have any courage.”
The lilac bush rustled more, but this time a beautiful woman stepped out from the light purple blossoms. Her hair was dressed with some of the delicate blooms. She was slender and long legged and well endowed that any man’s head would turn. Malcolm was left breathless by her beauty.
“Who are you?”, lightly demanded Malcolm, “I have not seen you here before. I thought I knew everyone upon this Solar Star Base, especially one as beautiful as you. How could I miss meeting the likes of you?”
She giggled again.
Malcolm stood up and gingerly walked over to where she stood. “What is the matter, does the cat have your tongue?” He circled around her and she smiled as her head turned to follow him. Malcolm was captivated by her eyes. Bluest eyes he had ever seen. They seemed to sparkle more than any precious gem. They also seem to look deep into Malcolm’s own eyes and pierce at the privacy of his very soul.
“My name is Eve”.
Her voice was sweetness in his ears. Like a joyful song being sung.
“I am Malcolm”.
“I know”, she replied with a teasing smile.
“How can you know me and I not know you?”
“You are even more handsome than they told me you would be”, Eve giggled again.
“They? And just who might they be? And why are you rudely interrupting me in my time of meditation?” Malcolm’s feelings of perturbness was quickly slipping away. He was beginning to enjoy this little interruption. Not every day does a man come across a beautiful woman stepping out of a flower bush!
“Oh, they?….well that is not important, but what is important is that I like you very much. Oh, and yes, I have a message for you.”
Startled by her response, Malcolm scratched his head and replied, “Message, huh? Well what news do you have for me.” He very much wanted to reply to the part of her liking him, but he deemed that not proper at this point.
Eve began to walk down the path that followed the brook and looked back and said, “We, as in you and I, must first find Keo. I believe he is your spiritual leader?”
“Yours too!”
“Oh, yes, that is right. He is mine too! So please take me to Keo”
Malcolm looked at her a little confused by some of her notions, but she was just too beautiful to brush off so he continued with her game.
“Okay, I will go with you and we will look up Keo, then I want to hear your message.”
No more words were exchanged, just glances and smiles as they made their way to the sanctuary where Keo usually could be found.
Keo was putting away his prayer fan into a medium size cedar box. As he picked up the box to moved to the other side of the room, young Malcolm and Eve came into the room.
Keo smiled.
“I see that Eve has found you, Malcolm!”, began Keo.
“Yes, no wait…how did you know who she is?”
Eve giggled and stepped forward before Keo could answer, “I am very honored to see you once again. I have come with a cause and am seeking your help.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she held out her hand for his.
Keo took her hand and cupped it with his other, “You are so very beautiful, as I remember. Malcolm, you have met one of my daughters.”
Malcolm was quite taken back. “I am very honored and yes I agree she is very beautiful, but I had no idea you had a daughter! I mean, does anyone else know! I mean…forgive me Elder, I have shamed myself.” Malcolm cast his look to the floor.
“Oh, no you haven’t,” laughed Keo. “All of you, are my grandsons and granddaughters. But I must admit, this one is special. Please Malcolm, I believe that Eve has news to share with us both. Would you come and join Eve and myself in feast and while we eat we will talk.”
Young Malcolm’s heart filled with warmth. He cheeks began to blush as his eyes were caught by those sparkling blues…
…The Captain loved his memories of Eve. His wife. Keith’s Mother. He missed her, but he knows that one day he will meet back up with Eve when his body dies. Her Spirit is waiting at the rivers bend for his Spirit’s crossing over. Meanwhile, the Captain knows she comes and checks on him, like now. The air smelled of lilacs.
