by T. Rudacille
***
I was not familiar with activities that were enjoyable due to the presence of other people, but that was the case with work in the kitchen. We had a daunting task ahead of us; we were required to utilize the homegrown Pangaean fruits, vegetables and the hunted meat to make a meal large enough to feed the entire population of Don’s commune. Violet, Alice and I shuddered at the task, only to be reassured that it was not only possible, it was much easier than it sounded, given how many hands were contributing.
I engaged in conversation with the other people, interested by each of their stories that were being shared with us freely. There were many different cultures coming together in that kitchen. There was a man from Brazil, a woman from Switzerland, a man from New Zealand… The list was endless. I enjoyed their company, truly.
“My husband is on guard duty, too.” A woman named Rachel told me.
“Do you worry about him? I am very worried about James and Elijah, admittedly.”
“I was at first. But look at what’s happening to all of us. We’re getting stronger every day. We’re becoming more like Adam’s people. Maybe if we were still completely human, I’d have to worry about him. But now, I don’t worry at all. They can handle themselves. We could handle ourselves out there, what with what we’re changing into!”
I laughed before replying.
“We could probably handle it better.”
She laughed raucously and nudged me with her elbow.
“That’s right, girl.” She looked up at Penny, “Your sister is beautiful.”
After watching the man from Japan expertly flip and toss his knives around before chopping the vegetables at record speed, Penny gasped, beamed brightly and clapped her hands in excitement. I covered my mouth as I beamed at the sight of her youthful enthusiasm.
“She is, isn't she?” I responded to Rachel after that moment of observing Penny.
“Is she secretly your little girl?” Rachel asked, and I shook my head before reconsidering.
“Well,” I replied softly, “yes, I suppose if she was not already before, she certainly is now.”
“You look at her the way moms look at their babies, I know that much. It’s very sweet.”
“Thank you.” I replied with a soft chuckle.
I returned to stirring the huge pot in front of me. It had taken six of us to lift it into its holder over the fire pit that was built at the far end of the kitchen, closest to the windows.
“Can I ask you something?” She asked after looking over at me.
I nodded and watched as she dropped some freshly cut spices into the boiling water.
“I suppose so.”
“How do you feel about the fact that she’ll never age?”
I had not thought about it. Given that I was prone to looking at the darker side of any scenario, I was surprised to find that Penny remaining five for all eternity was not something that scared or saddened me in any way.
“Don’t we all wish once we are older that we can go back to seeing things the way we did when we were children? When we are young, we see the magic in everything because we have not seen the darkness of the world yet. Penny will live in that state of mind forever. Yes, she will be my responsibility forever but...” I smiled, “that’s how it would have turned out anyway.”
Rachel smiled, too.
We were going to live forever on Pangaea. Eternity was far too great for us to imagine. We would witness every shift, gradual and sudden, that our new world underwent. We would never grow old, lose our strength and fade away. It was the dream of all living creatures, even those who did not admit it to themselves. Everyone wanted to remain in the common, known realm, sometimes for no other reason than that they were too afraid to face the unknown that came after. I could not help but smile at the thought of spending thousands upon thousands of years with James and my family, free from the worry of illness or the plague of old age. Sure, we could still die, if we were killed by another or by accident. But those were forces far easier to control than the deadly weapons wielded by nature.
And Penny would remain young and innocent forever. It was poetic, in a way; I had lost my own innocence at such a young age and yet Penny would retain hers for as long as she lived. Her childlike wonder would never escape her. It would never be replaced by the same harsh reality that woke me every morning. I was not envious of my little sister. I wanted nothing more than for her to have what I had lost. It was an added bonus that she now had it indefinitely.
Rachel was right; I looked at her the way a mother looked at her child. I wanted the best for her. I would trade my life with no questions, regrets or hesitations if it meant that hers would be lengthened.
When Maura had fallen short, I had done my best to take care of Penny. I had been so young and yet I knew that her precious life depended on my competency and care. I swore I would never fail her. I would never abandon her. I would never allow her to wonder if she was truly wanted. Now, she was officially my child. Our father and Maura were gone. Our mother was gone. Penny's happiness and her longevity depended on me. It had always been scary to be responsible for another life. It still was, but I knew that I could handle it.
Above all things, I knew that I could take care of Penny.
I walked over to her after my work was done and kissed her forehead.
“Are you having fun?” I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“Yeah. Did you see him juggle his knives?! And then he cut the vegetables really, really fast! I want to do that!”
“No!” I exclaimed as I wrapped her up in my arms, “That is far too dangerous, little one!”
“Will James play soccer with me again today?” Her arms were around me and her chin was pressed to my chest as she looked up at me.
“I’m sure he will.” I replied, and I was sure. Whatever problems James and I were experiencing would not deter him from playing the role of Penny's surrogate father. He adored my precious sister almost as much as I did. My smile grew at the thought of their bond. I pulled away from her and kissed her forehead again.
“I love you, Penny.”
She beamed up at me, her blue eyes that matched my own alight with the glow from the mid-afternoon sun.
“I love you too, Brynna.”
