“Ugh! Why!?” Lily exclaimed, bread crumbs falling out of her mouth as she frowned at her mother.
“We have company coming this afternoon and I'd like for you to look like a proper young lady.” With that, her mother walked to the living to vacuum.
Lily rolled her eyes, shoved the last of the sandwich in her mouth, took her plate to the sink and went to the bathroom to clean up.
It was so rare they had company that Lily was intrigued to see who these mystery guests were and why they were so important.
Getting the mud and leaves out of her hair, however, was easier said than done. It took Lily almost an hour to bathe and then comb through the rat’s nest that ensued after the storm of dirt.
Choosing a white sundress with tiny blue flowers embroidered on it, she then walked to the bathroom to find a matching headband to tame her disobedient locks.
In the hallway, Lily was ambushed by her five year old twin sisters Quinn and Sheridan.
“Lily!!!” They both squealed in delight, rushing to give her a hug. Two miniature versions of Lily, right down to the crazy curly hair, ivory skin and bright green eyes. The only difference from Lily's face was that both twins had an abundance of freckles on their faces. Lily had always thought their freckles looked like sprinklings of cinnamon on milk.
“You look pretty!” Quinn exclaimed admiring her big sister’s dress. Sheridan, ever so shy, just nodded in agreement.
“Thank you.” Lily replied patting her sister on the head. If there was one thing she loved about her life, it was her large family. The hustle and bustle of the household would drive the average kid crazy, but she loved the wild adventures her home held every day. Lily also had three older brothers, but her two little sisters were amongst her favorite people, even though they got into her stuff.
She hoped someday she'd have a bunch of kids of her own. Even at twelve years old, she had a precocious view of the world and what she wanted from it.
The twins ran off to play out in the yard, but not before they were firmly warned by their mother not to get dirty.
Lily finished getting ready and wandered downstairs to see if her mother needed any help.
I’m such a great kid! She thought, patting herself on the back, as she bounded happily down the stairs.
Lily and her mother sufficiently tidied the house just in time for the guests to arrive.
Outside, the sound of tires crunched on the gravel driveway as a vehicle approached the house. Lily ran quickly to the front window to catch a glimpse. She was notoriously nosy, especially when it came to meeting new people.
Peeking through the ivory lace curtain, Lily watched as a woman and two children exited a blue minivan. She could see her mother and twin sisters outside greeting the newcomers. Quinn happily ran up and hugged each guest while Sheridan hid nervously behind her mother’s skirt.
The mystery family’s complexion was darker, as was their hair color. They were obviously of foreign descent. Lily’s imagination flew in many directions, thinking they might be Egyptian royalty or roving Gypsies peddling their mystical wares.
In the midst of her exotic daydream, she heard her mother calling for her, “Lily, child, come out here please!”
Licking her palms quickly, she attempted to smooth back any rebellious curls that may have sprung out of place in protest.
Once at the screen door, she hesitated for a moment. As much as she liked meeting new people, she was always a bit nervous in the beginning.
Walking slowly out the door, Lily smiled warmly to the unfamiliar faces in her driveway. Scanning each face, she nodded to each as her mother did the introductions.
“This is Lily,” her mother began, waving her hand toward Lily. “Lily, this is Mrs. Konstantinos. Her daughter…” Her mother fumbled, embarrassed as she attempted to recall their names.
Mrs. Konstantinos jumped in to assist Maggie.
“Anna, Dimitris and…” Her voice trailed off as she looked back at the van, obviously searching for someone. “Gabriel...who is apparently a little anti-social today.” She smiled apologetically.
The names of her children rolled off her tongue like velvet, her Greek accent adding an exotic flair to every syllable.
Lily inspected the visitors carefully. Mrs. Konstantinos was a tiny wisp of a woman. Her face, though worn by the years, harboured a startling natural beauty. With her greying black hair tied neatly into a traditional bun, she exuded grace and poise. A dark sadness, however, lurked behind her chestnut eyes.
Anna looked to be about Lily’s age, but physically, the mirror opposite. Anna’s long black hair shone like obsidian in the summer sun and her chocolate eyes glowed with patience. It was obvious Anna was to be a beauty with all the grace of her mother.
Dimitris was about ten or eleven years old. His wavy, black hair fell into his brown eyes as he shyly looked at the ground. He appeared painfully timid.
A sound from the far side of the van caught Lily’s attention. Her eyes were suddenly drawn to a tall, muscular boy exiting from the minivan.
He had black, wavy hair and brown skin like his siblings, but it was the color of his eyes that made Lily gasp. His eyes were so icy blue; they appeared crystalline, lighter than the most transparent wave in the ocean.
“Ahh, Gabriel, you finally grace us with your presence.” His mother said with her rich, Greek accent.
“Please, call me Gabe.” The boy said politely, correcting his mother, his voice deep in hormonal transition.
Lily didn’t know what it meant, but when she looked at Gabe; her stomach did flip flops and felt like it was tying into knots.
She frowned as she thought, I feel like I've seen him before, but how could I? I just met him.
The mothers excused themselves for tea, leaving the children to overcome their awkward silence.
The children stood around, mindlessly kicking pebbles in the gravel and waiting for someone to make the first move. Sheridan clung panic-stricken to Lily’s arm and Quinn fidgeted with the hem of her dress, unaware she was lifting it too high and flashing the guests her purple underwear.
Anna was the brave one who stepped up first, leaning in to greet Sheridan.
“Hi there, my name is Anna.” She smiled at the terrified Sheridan, “Which twin are you again?”
Sheridan buried her face into Lily’s waist and made a tiny squeak in response.
“Her name is Sheridan,” Lily volunteered, “and that’s Quinn over there.” she pointed at Quinn, who now had her sandal off and was attempting to pick up rocks with her toes. Upon hearing her name, she turned and grinned.
Anna nodded and smiled at the twins, her eyes sparkled with warmth.
“So,” Lily eyed Gabe ardently, “you guys want to come see our tree house?”
Everyone agreed and the young group followed Lily into the woods behind the house. The tree house was a five minute walk on a narrow, crooked path into the thick forest. Their father had built it in an old oak tree years before.
Arriving at the big oak, an elaborate tree house appeared, tucked away in the branches of the big tree. It had a weathered, but reliable, old ladder that led to a trap door entrance.
Tucking her dress between her legs, forming balloon-type shorts, Lily climbed the ladder first.
"Come on up!" Lily called down from the trap door.
The twins went up, with Anna doting behind them. Dimitris climbed up, still nervous and aloof. Gabe was last, his lean arm muscles flexing as he lifted himself through the trap door.
The little room had two windows, adorned with miniature flowered curtains. A tiny table and chairs, just the right size for the twins, sat in the corner. There were small cabinets for cups and saucers.
The main attraction of the tree house, though, was what lay beyond a garden door; a tiny balcony complete with wrought iron railing. Just big enough for a lawn chair, Lily would spend hours reading out on the little deck. It was a small piece of heaven high up in the trees.
The balcony do
or was padlocked for the twins' safety. Only Lily and her older brothers knew where the key was.
Hunched over, the older kids peeked out of the garden door's window to reveal a beautiful sparkling pond in the distance.
After a few minutes, the kids relaxed, started chatting and got to know one another better. Dimitris rarely added to the conversation, but often nodded politely and smiled at the girls.
Anna kept the conversation flowing beautifully; she was proficient at making everyone feel at ease. Even Sheridan, who normally took a long time to get comfortable with anyone new, climbed into Anna’s lap and began twirling Anna’s long hair around her tiny pointer finger.
Quinn’s incessant chatter lightened the mood and set the tone for the afternoon.
They played several games of Go Fish and War with the decks of cards available in the cabinets.
Lily and Gabe continuously made eye contact throughout the afternoon. Occasionally, they'd both look away and blush, especially when Anna and Dimitris noticed their lack of participation in the card game.
Probing her new friends for information about themselves, she learned the Konstantinos family had recently moved from Athens, Greece. Lily felt giddy as she tried to picture what an exotic location like Greece would look like.
Their father died last year, but when Lily attempted to ask more about the subject, she sensed the topic was not open for discussion. All three of the dark-skinned children would immediately divert their eyes or bow their heads whenever anyone mentioned their father. A deep pain and sadness consumed their eyes.
"Hey, you guys getting hungry?” Lily asked as her stomach snarled at her.
"Yes!" Quinn yelled, startling everyone, making them laugh.
"Let's go back to the house and eat." Lily said, as she started to get up.
Gabriel and Lily tried to stand at the same time. They bumped awkwardly into another, causing both to blush.
“Sorry.” Gabe’s voice cracked as he apologized.
Instead of letting the awkward moment go gracefully, Lily felt inclined to show-off.
“Wanna see something cool?” She grinned mischievously as she felt around the top of the cabinets. Producing a key, she unlocked the balcony door and proceeded out onto the deck.
Even though her father had taken every precaution to protect his children from harm, Lily and her brothers had devised a thrilling secret exit.
“What are you doing?” Anna inquired nervously.
“Oh, you’ll see!” Lily replied as she steadied herself and climbed onto the wrought iron railing. The ground was nearly fifteen feet down, so the kids felt uneasy about this strange new girl scaling the balcony.
Standing precariously on the railing, Lily felt around the side of the tree house. After a few seconds, with pure mischief in her green eyes, she produced a long rope that had been hidden.
High in the canopy of trees, a large cable could barely be seen. One end of the cable had been tethered to the tree house and the other, to a large tree near the pond. The big rope knotted strategically every foot or so, was attached to a metal pulley.
“That’s not a great idea.” Gabe said with a serious voice, his blue eyes focused on Lily.
She smirked at him while she balanced on the railing. The metal railing groaned as Lily shifted her weight, slight as she was. Holding onto the rope with one hand, she looked like a miniature Jane in a Tarzan movie.
“Hmmff.” She responded haughtily, giving Gabe a smug smile. Organizing herself on the railing, she aimed the rope in the direction of the pond.
Quinn and Sheridan both whimpered lightly as they clung to Anna’s sides. Neither twin had seen their sister perform this scary maneuver.
“Please Lily! Don’t!” Anna pleaded, her eyes eclipsed with worry.
“Lily!” Gabe warned her once more, taking a step toward her, but was too late. She had already pushed herself from the railing and was sailing through the air. The cable and pulley made an odd zinging noise as it zipped through the forest.
Lily felt exhilarated as the wind blew her long hair back. Clinging to the rope, her feet propped on the large knots, she closed her eyes and allowed one of her arms to flow free. She pretended she was an angel in flight; wings spread wide, soaring through the heavens.
Opening her eyes and looking up to the canopy of leaves, she watched the sun shimmer through the spaces in the leafy lattice. The rope swung Lily toward the deep, blue pond, its knotted end inches from the ground. She could see the pond and its waters beckoning her. Preparing herself for dismount, her petite body braced for impact. With only a few meters left, Lily felt butterflies in her stomach. She really hadn't done this ride without her brothers, and even then; she'd only attempted it a few times.
Nearing the edge of the pond, the bottom of the rope suddenly caught on a stray branch from a fallen log. The entire rope snapped sharply to a halt and Lily was sent hurtling to the ground.
Landing with an incredible thud, Lily felt excruciating pain shoot through her left arm. With the wind knocked out of her, she struggled to take a breath of air. Her eyes swam with tears and her head spun. Fighting to maintain consciousness, she felt a throbbing sensation on her forehead. She moaned softly, then slowly; her vision faded to black.
~
From the tree house, only horrified gasps could be heard.
“Lily!!” Gabe yelled, panic overwhelming him.
The children scrambled down the ladder as fast as they could, Gabe was the first to the ground. He jumped off ladder, a few feet from the ground. Anna and Dimitris helped the twins get down safely. Both Quinn and Sheridan were near hysterics after they'd watched their sister plummet to the ground.
Gabe bolted towards Lily’s motionless body, “Lily!!” he yelled to her, receiving no response. As Gabe neared her, he slid sideways in the dirt; like a pro baseball player sliding into home base. He immediately flipped her onto her back.
“Lily!” He yelled at her, slapping her cheeks lightly, trying to get any response at all.
“Anna!” Gabe called back toward the tree house. “Go get Lily’s mother!”
Anna, tears streaming down her face, ran frantically to the house to retrieve Maggie. Dimitris followed, leading the crying twins home, their traumatized sobs echoing through the woods.
Gabe sat in silence as he held Lily’s hand, praying for any sign of life within her. He watched helplessly. Her chest didn't rise or fall. A large gash on her forehead oozed blood, trickling into her butterscotch hair, staining it hot red.
Studying her face, he hoped this wouldn't be the last moment with her. That he'd see those beautiful green eyes sparkle again. Stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, he smiled wistfully as he imagined all the adventures they could've gone on together.
A flutter of panic within his chest, he traced his fingers around her lips; now tinged light blue from lack of oxygen. Something inside told him it wasn't meant to be this way, there was more to the story; more to their story.
Turning to his faith, Gabe whispered a prayer; a plea to whatever heavenly creatures might be eavesdropping.
"Please, please save her. Lord, please help me."
Without hesitation, a sudden wind burst through the trees, like an angel had exhaled with relief to be asked for its divine assistance. Only a moment before, the air was still, even the leaves barely fluttered.
Startled, Gabe felt an incredible energy surge around him, an electrified rush of tingles rippled up his back. The tiny hairs on his arms and neck stood on end as though charged with static electricity.
A sense of calm washed over him, the fear for Lily dissipated, replaced with a sense of peace. A presence stood behind him, the energy pulsated with pure love.
The entity communicated to Gabe through his thoughts, whispering angelic words of guidance. It told Gabe what he needed to do to save Lily.
‘Whisper to her soul, Gabriel. Remind her; tell her who she really is.’
Trusting the guidance of the higher power, Ga
be gently brushed Lily’s hair aside and he leaned close to her ear. Like a hushed lullaby, he whispered to Lily's soul. He spoke words only her soul could understand.
Within seconds of his secret whisper, Lily’s body twitched and convulsed as air fought its way into her lungs. She coughed as life re-entered her body. Her blue lips pinked immediately as her pale skin flushed with life.
~
Lily opened her eyes, her head throbbed. Above her, Gabe stared at her, a look of mixed emotions on his face. She looked long and hard at Gabe and realized she’d known him much longer than today. For one precious moment in time, they weren’t children anymore, but immortal souls reunited. She'd known him for centuries, ages…infinity.
His eyes spoke the chapters of their love that embraced a thousand lifetimes. Her soul resonated as she stared, mesmerized, into his ice blue eyes.
“Lily!” Maggie’s voice penetrated their transcendental déjà vu as she approached the scene of her daughter‘s accident. The ethereal aura that had spoken to Gabe suddenly vanished.
The moment they shared shattered into a million fragments, creating a dreamlike rift of amnesia, leaving the two children to grow up innocent each wondering if it had happened at all.
“Lily! What on earth have you done now?!” Her mother fretted as she checked her daughter over from head to toe. Gabe picked Lily up once her mother had decided her daughter's neck wasn't broken, although, she later told Lily she was angry enough that she was tempted to break it for her.
Held closely to Gabe's chest, Lily could think of nothing but the heat of his body next to hers. Her good arm draped around his shoulder, she could feel the downy hairs on the back of his neck.
Once they reached the car, Gabe and Mrs. Konstantinos assisted Maggie getting Lily and her sisters into their seats. Maggie was obviously embarrassed, having to end their visit so abruptly to take Lily to the hospital.
Everyone mumbled their good-byes and well wishes. Quinn had to be told several times to close the window and sit down before they could drive away.
Sitting in the backseat, holding a towel to her wounded head and her broken arm tight to her chest, Lily stared out the window at Gabe.
Dimensions of Genesis Page 3