by Ian Newton
Chapter 11
Now
At sundown, the entire village arrived. Over the next fifty-three hours, Kaya, Andrew, and Jacob welcomed just over two thousand seven hundred new citizens. As the final inaugural citizen walked from the Fountain into the waiting arms of her family, Jacob said, “I was born for this! It’s incredible!”
“We didn’t have a single bounce-back,” Andrew proclaimed. “Now that’s unheard of!”
“You get it, right?” Kaya asked Jacob.
“I totally get it now! This is why we only need two hours a night. And it’s a good thing because this is awesome!!”
Andrew ran toward Jacob and high fived him. “We are the best team ever!” he shouted, passing Kaya for a five down low. Their slap echoed in the giant entryway and across Kaya’s entire family, who were gathered around the Fountain.
Before anyone could speak or even move toward them, Andrew leaped onto the edge of the Fountain, taking center stage.
In former lives, he had stood before every type and size of audience that could be assembled. His experiences, his expertise, and his inspiration took over, as he called out, “Kaya Elbe, will you be kind enough to join me? I have something important to ask.”
Kaya took a running jump at the Fountain, popping up to the lip with just one foot. She walked the long, curving outline of the Fountain until she stood next to Andrew.
“Yes, Andrew?”
“My love, may I have your hand please?” he asked, holding his hand out to her. “I will need strength to get through this.”
“Of course my love,” she said, smoothly interlacing her fingers into his. “All you ever need to do is ask.”
“Thank you,” he said, with a smile, “the tighter, the better.”
Kaya gave him a questioning look as he gripped her hand and took a deep breath.
“Hello Elbe family,” Andrew called out to the small crowd. “Thank you for your Promise Keeper!”
Her family applauded, pouring their words of love and congratulations onto their beautiful, wonderful, little Wanderer.
Locking him in with a death-stare, she thought, “What are you doing?!”
“Surprising you,” he said aloud, smiling wide.
Kaya’s parents and Grandmother stood directly in front of them. Surrounding them were brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their related families. And it is to them that Andrew said, “We have all received the gift of knowledge, and you have all seen how this came to be,” he paused brilliantly, stretching his arms out for effect. “You have also seen into our hearts. You know us.”
Heads nodded, and more than a few people teared up.
“I have but one important question to ask you,” he said to her family, but specifically to Marco, Kaya’s father.
Marco stepped forward, and said, “Please Andrew, what is your question?”
Acknowledging Marco, Andrew turned from him and looked at Kaya. He took her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. “I hope to be right back,” he said, loosening his grip and smiling at her family.
Several people laughed, taking the meaning of his line.
Kaya let go with a smile and offered him a beautifully executed curtsy.
Andrew bowed back, turned to face Marco and hopped down from the Fountain.
“Marco!” Andrew said, in a loud, friendly voice.
The two stepped toward each other and hugged.
Everyone’s newly acquired perspective was getting a thorough work out.
In their embrace, Andrew whispered, “Your daughter is an amazingly special woman, and I love her. Will you honor me by consenting to our marriage?”
Marco squeezed until their cheeks were touching, and he whispered back, “Yes.”
They separated, and Andrew bowed, saying “Thank you.”
He spun around like a military man and leaped back onto the edge of the Fountain.
Kaya held out her hand for Andrew to take, and as he did, he took a knee and looked up at her.
“Are you…?” Kaya asked as their eyes met again.
“Yes I am!” he said.
“What did he ask?” and “What did he say?” was being whispered to and from everyone around the Fountain.
Loud enough to be heard in the back row, Andrew announced, “Kaya Elbe, you are my best friend. You are my soul mate, and I love you.”
Kaya blushed, and making her do that was even harder than surprising her.
“Will you marry me?”
Nobody breathed or dared to speak a word.
Kaya’s mind replayed every scene with Andrew in it, and she smiled even wider.
She threw her arms around his neck and cried out, “Yes!”
A cheer rang out. First through Kaya’s family, then throughout the City.
They jumped down, gathering Jacob in their arms. As the three hugged, Jacob said, “Nicely done, and congratulations to you both. Let me know when you’ve picked a date.”
“I’m thinking now,” Andrew said.
“What?” Jacob replied, sounding shocked. “Didn’t you two just meet,” he teased.
“Now,” Kaya agreed, squeezing them. “Three of these guys can perform the ceremony right here, right now.”
“What’s the rush!?” Jacob asked.
She looked at them, and said, “We’ve got less than five hundred years boys, and every day counts! Now!” she reiterated.
“Best man?” Andrew asked, patting Jacob on the back.
“I’m in,” Jacob said, “Let’s do this!”
As the family washed over them, Kaya hugged her father first, and said, “I love you, Papa. Would you please tell Uncle Walt we need him?”
Then she and Andrew were swept into the arms of everyone at once.
By the end of their first week, Kaya knew she would be the one staying behind. It was long after dinner, Jacob was busy welcoming new citizens, and she and Andrew were resting in two small chairs they had placed outside of their apartment home.
“You and Jacob will need to be heading out soon,” she said, taking Andrew’s hand.
Children played within earshot and old friends occasionally strolled by.
“I thought you would take the Lady Marie, and Jacob could set out on foot,” Andrew said. “You’re the better navigator, and Jacob needs to stretch his legs.”
“I would love that, but in about nine months,” she said, squeezing his hand tightly, “The Lady Marie will arrive.”
Andrew jumped up, pulling Kaya from her chair. They hugged and silently celebrated the unexpected news.
“This is fantastic my love,” he said, kissing her. “I feel like telling the whole City.”
“We can tell my family later tonight,” she said, with a smile. “By noon tomorrow, everyone will know.”
“Jacob,” Kaya thought, “the Lady Marie will be here in about nine months.”
In a frightening blur of motion and color, Jacob appeared in front of them, and said, “Congratulations! You two are moving pretty fast, aren’t you?”
“Look who’s talking,” Andrew said. “You’ve really got this flying thing down, haven’t you?”
“Excellent,” Jacob said, “we’ve got two new visitors at the south entrance, I’ve got to go,” and he moved away in the blink of an eye.
“If Kaya’s not going to take the Lady Marie out of port,” Jacob thought to them, zipping across the sky, “I would really like to make a go of it.”
“She’s all yours Jacob,” Kaya thought back. “I’m about to make our first announcement, anything you want to add?”
“Nope, just good luck, and let’s keep to the plan.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?” Andrew asked.
“I’m sure.”
Kaya thought about it one last time, took a deep breath, and said, “I just hope it works.”
“Just because nobody else has done it before, doesn’t mean it won’t.”
Kaya closed her eyes and changed her perspective, allowing herself to see the entire City from above. “Hello everyone, this is Kaya, can everyone hear me?” she thought.
The City stopped. Every citizen set down whatever they had in their hands, all conversations paused, and everyone listened intently.
“They can hear you!” Jacob thought to Kaya and Andrew. “Unbelievable, oh sorry, keep going.”
“Tomorrow at noon, Andrew, Jacob and I would like everyone to gather in the marketplace for our very first weekly meeting. Please eat before the meeting. We have lots to talk about, we’ll see you all then.”
“That’s much better than sending out a lot of invitations,” joked a couple of Kaya’s friends as they walked by. “We’ll see you in the marketplace tomorrow, have a wonderful evening.”
“Thank you,” she said, “good night.”
“That worked perfectly,” Andrew said. “Nicely done.”
“Did it sound like a loudspeaker or was it in everyone’s head?”
“Come to think of it, I couldn’t tell you. But I heard it just fine. It was just like when we think to each other. Maybe it was just in everyone’s head.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What is important is we can do it. It was going to be difficult to keep everyone focused if that didn’t work.”
“Agreed,” said Andrew, just as Jacob streaked in from above.
“It was awesome,” he said. “Everybody could hear you perfectly.” Jacob shifted his perspective, and said, “We’ve got five more at the east entrance. I’ve gotta go!” and he blurred away faster than they could say goodbye.
“Tonight is my night anyway, why don’t you two go have some fun,” he thought to them in mid-flight.
“Thank you, Jacob, just let us know if you need any help,” Andrew thought back.
“Will do.”
“Let’s go over to my parent’s house,” Kaya said to Andrew. “I’ve been missing them for a couple hundred years.”
Andrew nodded, and she took his hand. They walked the short distance to the home her parents had moved into, and Kaya opened the door, calling out, “Knock, knock, is anybody home?”