Weathering Storms

by Taborri Walker

  “Wonderful,” Beulah started pushing, Sesha dirtied up her dress. They stopped at a water pump and Beulah ‘helped’ her clean up some. Monitor Gideon was aiming in a group of young men he was supervising, so they made a little ‘scene.’

  “Child, must leave the plants here for now. We shall go back and pick more after lunch.”

  “No wanna,” Sesha’s jaw stretched that with a yawn. “Wan’ luh-eeves, fwowers,”

  “Ff-ll-ow-er-s,” Beulah carefully corrected, trying to take them.

  “No!” Sesha grabbed at them, then snatched at her back.

  “Perchance the child should be abed,” Gideon snapped. “Take her; I shall have plates brought for both of thee as well as the Leech and those therein.”

  “Grammarcy, Lord Gideon,” Beulah inclined her head and pushed Sesha away. A few minutes later she was in bed; really asleep. All this revelation was exhausting! She woke up face down, her back being massaged again, ointment rubbed in.

  “Ummm,” she sighed with the wonderful feeling.

  “You’re hurting your back again with this extra movement,” Florence was doing the rubbing. “Still need to move carefully, child.”

  “Sorry… the desperation is getting to me,” she sighed.

  “Shni and I talked while you slept,” finished, she buttoned the nightgown , set a wrapped hot brick on her back and pulled the blanket back over. “I am so very envious of what is known,” she smiled, then turning her head said “shh,” A moment later Beulah came in so they relaxed.

  “Everyone is asleep, and I have your food, Sesha.” While she slipped pieces of food between Sesha’s lips, Florence told her quietly of the conversation she and Shni had; how just putting her hand on the Wrist Gem let her see a few things.

  “And I’ll never tell,” Florence patted Sesha’s shin. “When you can take off the… underlayer, I wish to see your feet as I noticed you still walk on the sides or your toes.”

  “They often ache,” Sesha’s further words were cut off by a piece of strawberry.

  They finished that day sitting under the shade of a great tree, one the Reverend liked to stand under and preach while being shaded. His congregation wilted in the full sun when the temperatures soared while the favored of his flock got to stay in the shade as well. A blanket had been spread, a legless chair with a pillow put down and Beulah sat on that, This was the first of a variety of ways Beulah or Florence would use to fill her in on everything they knew about the Monitors and Allway, as well as all the day-to-day details of the camp.

  Now she was teaching Sesha how to knit, and to do that, she sat on the special chair and the alien woman nestled in her arms against her. Beulah helped her hold the needles and make the motions slowly, over and over, and murmured in her ear as they performed the task.

  “There are four guard towers, one in each corner of the city. He has twenty-four guards a day total, two men per tower who rotate shifts every six hours. In extreme weather it’s every four. The others circle the camp like the dogs do or stand by areas for whatever reason given. I’m sure you’ve seen the ceremony for the Tower change over?”

  “It’s a very elaborate ceremony. A lot of marching and speeches.”

  “Oh, my yes… and it really sets the mood for the shift. They meditate on my husband’s sermons and what Bible verses he allows, then they come out marching, the women sing and the men recite passages. These men also seem to be the most loyal cadre to the Reverend after the thirteen Monitors. I’ve never heard anything even vaguely questioning from their mouths although Grace has made mention of Elijah’s words to her. They seem fervent and unbending in their quest.”

  “Are any others of them married to discontented women?” Sesha dropped a stitch as Monitor Philip drew near and Beulah stopped whispering to her as they worked at picking up the stitch.

  “Pinch thy work like this, child, good… now reach down with thy needle and catch the stitch – oh, hello lord Monitor Philip,” she greeted the man.

  “I see that thou art learning a skill, Miss Sesha,” he smiled as he crouched to look at what they were doing. “The Lord doth look on thee with favor.”

  “What ees… faa-vour?” she asked innocently. “Thees ees… yenoha, like, um,”

  “Never mind, child,” he patted her shoulder as he rose and they dropped another stitch.

  “Bedan swetla!” Sesha swore, crinkling her brow in a fit of anger, and threw down the needles, piqued, then covered her face with her hands as if humiliated and embarrassed.

  “What?” the Monitor was confused; her sudden anger was a surprise. “Be there a problem, Miss Sesha?”

  “Eet is… laslat…” she whirled her finger near her head.

  “Confusing,” Beulah patted her shoulder in comfort. “We’ll try again later.”

  Day two was similar. The morning was spent touring around; it didn’t make the Reverend happy that his wife and Sesha were ‘missing’ the outdoor meetings. Oh, they were there, but off to the side doing something else with occasional glances at him. And if Sesha wanted to get up and leave, they did. Beulah always made a sign for ‘I’m sorry’ at him so he let it go - for now. Sesha was very clingy to Beulah especially, then Florence and Grace since her back had worsened, and anytime he was around, he approved of the conversation. Words, childhood concepts of good and the first Bible stories told to children. Beulah was unwittingly assisting in his plans to convert Sesha and take her place at his side.

  Before the midday meal though, Sesha was put to bed with several keeping close track of her while she slept. An unexpected problem had come up when taking a small walk while helping to carry fresh picked fruit destined for the press, that of getting stung by one of the smallish insects that made the liquid sweetener they used lavishly.

  The little bugs had landed on her before, never bothering her; Shni said she didn’t smell right to them, and they always flew off. This time Sesha had pushed her sleeves up and was allowed to pass small baskets of fruit over, and then she got to help turn the press handles. Juice splattered of course and some ran down her arm. Unseen and unfelt, a bee landed on her underarm just as she lowered it.

  “Ow!” she yelped and cursed in one of her languages as fingers snatched the now-mashed bug off. Less than a minute later, Sesha began having trouble breathing and her head hurt. Alarmed, Beulah cried help.

  Monitor Amos ran in, closest.

  “Snatch up the lass; run for the Infirmary! Lex, run faster, tell Grace and Florence Sesha hath been stung an’ is in distress!” The boy flew out the door, Amos moving as fast as he could.

  It was a bad several minutes. Amos held her arm while Florence expertly cut out the stinger and sack; they packed it with a mix of hot mud and ocean salt, but it didn’t help, not that much. So Beulah sent Grace to get a certain mix of herbs from the stockroom.

  “Do you have anything that can assist you?” she asked quietly, and Florence added “what about your… computer?” she’d already learned the word.

  “Between the mattress… bottom two layers…” it was gasped, “a shiny, large tube-like object. Get it.”

  “Great God,” Beulah almost dropped the smooth silver cylinder as soon as she saw it, but hurriedly laid it in Sesha’s hand. Each unit was equipped with set-in vials that could be dialed up and used, and in connection with the Wrist Gem, would be genetically altered as much as possible. Sesha tried to grasp it but couldn’t.

  “Help… can’t,” Florence took the device. “Turn this,” and a nod, “put in the venom.” They watched the small platform dot rise. When the poison touched it, it sank back down. “Wait,”

  The women huddled over, staring in awe as the lights ran around, then paused.

  “Touch the top to Sesha’s Wrist Gem,” Shni’s voice, whispering softly still startled them, but they did it. “Wait until the lights stop for more than five seconds, then press it to Sesh’s neck vein and push your thumb on the bottom of the cylinder. Hope it hurries, her heart is out-of-whack! I mean, beating ba
dly… there, it’s done. Do it!”

  Beulah was shaking too hard so Florence took it and jammed it against her neck and pushed the button. There was a hiss, then everything shut off.

  “Hide it now,” Shni whispered, “Sesha is going to sleep a few hours while the anti-toxin takes effect.”

  Sesha managed to open her eyes. “Will… be okay now,”

  “We will stay near… when you wake, we need to talk about something important,” Sesha felt Beulah’s lips, then Florence’s press her cheek and she slid into a healing slumber. The device was hidden again just before Grace rushed back and to look normal, the Doctor and Nurse did what they usually did with patients reacting to a sting. And then came Monitor Amos again, bearing a piece of ice!

  “Did ask the Reverend for permission an’ he said yes. He waits for thee to come speak of the Lakin’s condition.”

  Florence took the ice and applied it to the sting area and wrapped it to her arm where it would melt quickly. The swelling would reduce faster for it. Then they propped Sesha almost sitting up and set a teen girl to fanning her face vigorously. They’d learned this helped the patients with breathing, along with periodically pinching tender areas of skin. While some thought that was cruel, the Physician and Nourish knew that it would force the patient to draw a deeper breath and ensure they were really breathing. Amos went out to assign two more girls to spell the fanning so no one would get too tired.

  Beulah left the Infirmary, exhausted, to find her husband and there he was waiting right outside the door. Seeing her so very weary, he took her arm and they went to the Dining Hall where tea was made – by a woman – and a piece of bread liberally spread with jam was set out for her. Then the woman left to take some to Florence and Grace while Beulah made her report to her husband and a fairly large crowd, mostly Allway’s cronies.

  “Tis bad, Lords, gentlemen. The distress was deep in moments. The Leech did cut out the sack and we hath applied first the usual remedies, then the ice thou so graciously did give. She hath sunk into the sleep as when first arrived but we shall keep a Nourish round the clock, if thou dost agree; the Leech shall sleep in the room too, being there for any change. An’ the Lord is again loving and merciful, Sesha shall recover.”

  “An’ we shall be in prayer. Thou may have more ice, an’ you or the Leech sees fit. A Monitor shall knock after each change of the Guard for reports till the lass awakens. I am of certainment that He shall again raise our visitor up, for the Lord hath great plans for her. Keep up thy gentle teachings, wife… Sesha hath the innocence of a child and it is through Jesus’ love for the children that she shall be saved.”

  “Aye, my lord,” Beulah inclined her head, then dared to ask. “An’ it please thee… mayhap this lowly woman ask what the Lord’s plans are?”

  “Aye,” Peter Allway patted Beulah’s hand lovingly. “When the Missionary Journey doth begin, Miss Sesha shall be aboard. We shall search and find her homeland, returning the child to her people. They shall see the love and mercy of the Lord in how we did save her life an’ will be open to the Word of the Lord. Sesha shall be saved before this time, an’ when they see their own believe, will also be saved. Thus shall the Word of the Lord begin to be spread to the Heathen.” He was beaming, a few of the Monitors in similar vein but the rest of them were slightly contemptuous. Those Beulah had no doubt of their intent; her husband would receive quite a Revelation when they chose to rebel!

  “I thank thee, Most Holy Lord Reverend,” Beulah rose, bent and kissed her husband’s cheek in a daring move and left quickly. They gave the girls a break from fanning Sesha to bathe her face, arms and tummy with cold water as she was a bit flushed. The medical device was again brought out and laid on her legs while they talked.

  “This is so… incredible,” Beulah shook her head “I could… never dream of any such miracles! I mean, before coming here, we had news of people believing they could see invisible things and talk of sending messages far faster than any good horse and rider could… of course, Peter called it Satanic. Yet… they try to make tiny sticks that will burst into flame and Peter has made some too, we now have steam engines and such… why not greater than this?”

  “It will just take time, my darling girl. Even before coming here, you and I have seen advances never thought of. If you do go with the child, an’ her mission is accomplished, you will see this bit and more, as Shni has said.”

  “You will too,” Beulah dipped her cloth in the bucket again.

  “No… much as I would love too, I believe I need to stay. I want to attend the college; I’m sure it is in motion an’ I would receive a full Diploma. I also wish to resume my work uplifting women from their status as slaves to men to free to make their own choices and choose what life they wish to have.”

  “But… you will ne’er see the wonderous miracles,” Beulah started.

  Florence smiled gently at her niece. “I have seen several already; I wish Earth to one day join this… Alliance. What better way to help then, as your husband would say, to spread the word? No, I will not tell of otherworldly peoples, just the advancement of ours.”

  “I will miss you, if this is successful.”

  “And I you. I have raised you as my own child; indeed you are. An’ Shni an’ I have talked; if this works, before leaving he will do for me as his world did for him. I will be with you, my dear, as Shni is with Sesha.”

  Beulah broke down then and cried in her Aunt’s arms. Their world was changing so suddenly and there was simply no way to truly be prepared for the future. The hope Beulah had lost years ago had resurrected but was still tenuous. There was so much that could go wrong, even now…

  19

  Sesha watched worriedly as Grace, Wrist Gem fastened to her arm this time, gasped, shook and panted for the five minutes it took for the computer to fill her in. Right at that moment she regretted giving in to Beulah…

  A day later Sesha had awakened feeling much better after the antitoxin destroyed the poison that damn insect had deposited. When she began stirring, Shni warned her.

  The Rev is sitting quietly beside the bed. He’s reading his book and writing in another. Since your breathing changed, he’s been here waiting for you to wake up.

  Okay then, we’ll have a little game then.

  Sesha gripped the blanket and pulled it closer as she turned on her side, sniffling a little. She heard the chair scrape, the creak of wood’s relief as the large body stopped straining it and a hand touched her shoulder.

  “M… ma-ma,” Sesha whimpered as tears flowed down her face.

  “Beulah!” not too loud but sharp and lighter steps hurried over.

  “Ma-ma,” was wept again and then Beulah sat on the bed and gathered the girl in her arms, face cuddled into her bosom.

  “Tis all right child, you are better. Just relax.”

  “Wan’ Ma-ma, Pa-pa,” she sobbed, shaking some.

  “I am so sorry they are not with you, dear,” Beulah rocked her some.

  “Oo my ma-ma now,” she sobbed. “Wan’ Pa-pa too,”

  “Peter?” Beulah asked but she shook her head no.

  “Say-wah’s man… him yike Pa-pa,” Still weeping, Sesha clung hard to Beulah.

  “Peter, my love… woulds’t be so kind as to fetch Darren? We need to calm our sweet girl; t’was possible when they were family that both did comfort the child in times as this.”

  “Wilt do so,” Allway walked away, his tone and demeanor a bit piqued. When the door shut, Florence bent and mopped Sesha’s face.

  “Real or play?”

  “Half and half,” she really was crying some. “Reaction to the sting and fright has set in. I do need this comfort. Nestram families are large, and whenever the new babies are born, the older children are rejected by the mother for the most part, so the father takes over. Oh, the mother still cares,” she added hastily, seeing the shocked looks on their faces, “It’s just newborns can die so easily that for the first half a year the mother devotes her entire life to
the infants. She still talks to the older ones, gives love and such but the father and grandparents do most of the rearing.”

  “Well, I’ll gladly be Mama and I’m sure Darren will be papa, but you’d better give Peter some kind of kudos that will appease his injured pride in not being named father.” Beulah just kept holding Sesha close.

  “I will, don’t worry,” she sniffled, and then heavy steps were heard; Darren came in ahead of the Reverend, alarm on his face.

  “The lass be in distress again?” He went down on one knee, peering close.

  “Wan’ my Ma-ma, my Pa-pa, no hee-yah. Wan’ ya-oo be my pa-pa,” sobbing, Sesha reached out and the man lifted her as if she were a small child, set her on his knee, cuddled her close and rocked while she ‘cried.’ Florence brought a small bench so Darren sat with Beulah beside him and they comforted the young woman until she got control.

  “Miss my Pa-pa, Ma-ma… hu’t, f’waid, dey dere. Wan’ go home, tan’t,” Sesha rubbed her eyes against Darren’s shirt despite the dirt from his chores.

  “If you need a Papa, little Sesha, I shall be honored to be one for you,” he sat her up and used the cloth Florence handed him to wipe her face clean. “Just send for me an’ I am sure the Reverend will let me do what a father does for his child. God hath adopted us into his family; Sarah, I and our children be pleased to adopt thee as well.”

  “T’ank ya- um, yew-oo,” she was working to ‘improve’ her English. “Yew-oo yike me Papa,”

  Rising, Darren settled Sesha beside Beulah and kissed the top of her head. “Thou art fine now, child. Ever shalt I be here for thee.”

  Sesha reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “No matter what?” she kept her sweet, accented voice, the whisper barely there. He was almost startled, turning only his eyes to look at her, but nodded.

  “No matter anything,” he whispered back, then left.

  Peter now sat down beside Sesha and she leaned against him as soon as he did, with a sigh. Not expecting that he jumped a bit then said “Miss Sesha? What is it, child?”