“They have completed all of the levels. They continually seek new and ingenious ways to use the elemy. I am very proud of them, as you will be, too, when you get to know them.”
“When will I get to meet them?” Amanda asked again.
“You already have,” Jehoban replied cryptically.
“I don’t understand. I’ve only been to Elder Daven’s estate and here. I haven’t seen any girls who are seven anons old. How could I have met them?” Amanda continued to wrack her brain for any chance meetings, but came up completely blank.
“You are seeking for the wrong thing, Amanda.” He turned to the girls who had sat silently across the table from Amanda during this whole discussion. He gestured toward the girls and said, “I have the honor of presenting your daughters, Jena and Juila.”
Amanda smiled and believed Jehoban was playing a joke on her. She looked from Jehoban’s serious expression to the two teenage girls. Her initial reaction that they looked like her twins finally hit her: these were her girls. Both girls smiled at her from across the table. Then reality came crashing in and convinced her otherwise, and she argued, “I don’t understand. My girls are only seven. These girls are clearly older than that.”
She turned to the girls and asked, “How old are you? When is your birthday?”
Juila answered, “We are fifteen. Our birthday is Tebet 28, 3434.”
Amanda turned from the girls back to Jehoban and asked, “What date is that in Earth time? How can you explain this?”
“It is October 28, 1982. You entered Tuala through unusual means. The electrical storm triggered an opening, but it did not have any guidance for time. You were teleported back in time nine anons when Elder Vargen took you hostage. When Copa sent you back to Earth, she did not have the proper means to time your return. She sent you forward in time to Earth, one week, in fact, after you had disappeared in the storm.”
Amanda tried to do the math in her head, but she finally gave it up for now. She looked at her daughters again without any judgment, and she smiled. The girls continued to grin back at her. “I’ve missed so much of your lives. I can’t wait to make up for lost time.”
“Mama,” Juila spoke up, “we saw you often.”
Amanda looked back to Jehoban with a very confused expression.
Jehoban chuckled and answered the unspoken question. “What Juila is trying to tell you is that I arranged something very special for them while they were dreaming at night. They shared your same memories from when you were in the coma. Everything you remember about them is what they remember about you.”
Amanda could feel tears forming in her eyes because Jehoban had thought to give them such a special bond with their absent mother. She was so terribly grateful. “May I give you both a hug?” Amanda asked the girls.
They both nodded and stood up. They came around the table.
Amanda stood up and put her arms out. She openly sobbed when her two daughters each hugged one side of her. She felt complete now. Her family was whole.
After a few minutes, they released each other.
Jehoban cleared His throat and said, “Girls, I’d like a few moments alone with your mother. Please wait outside, and I’ll call you in when I’m ready.”
“Very good,” they replied in unison. They both turned and walked out of the room.
Amanda watched them go and noticed their steps matched with one another. They really were very close. She suddenly had a terrible thought which she kept herself from asking until after the door was shut again.
“You said Elder Vargen impregnated me. Does that mean Elder Vargen is their father?” She was trying to decide whether Elder Vargen or Petre MacVeen was the worse choice of a parent. She decided it was a terrible decision and hoped neither was the biological father.
“I knew this would be your next question. It’s why I sent the girls away. I have the answer to your inquiry, but I need to know if it will make any difference to you in the end.”
Amanda did not want to answer immediately. She wanted to be sure her answer was as truthful as possible. She had already come to terms with Petre MacVeen as the father and realized she loved her children for themselves regardless of their paternity. Finally, she answered, “No, it makes no difference to me. However, I would like to know for my own personal reasons who their real father is.”
Jehoban had watched her inner conflict and knew she was telling Him the truth. He decided her life would be more complete if she had an answer, so He said, “Their real father is Riccan Stel.”
Amanda sat in stunned silence. Finally, hoping her assumption was wrong, she asked, “Do you mean he was in on Elder Vargen’s plan? Is Riccan not who I really think he is?”
“Your husband is exactly who you think he is. He is destined to be the next Elder of Pantano. I have great expectations for him, and you have nothing to fear for his future. He was just as much of a victim to Elder Vargen as you were yourself.”
“Tell me what happened, please,” Amanda asked quietly.
“On one of Riccan’s journey’s to get answers about the samara, he had been drugged. He never knew what happened to him. One moment he was eating dinner in a private dining room in Corpus Christi and the next thing he knew, he woke up in an unknown hotel room. One of the wait staff was actually an employee for Elder Vargen. She was paid to drug Riccan’s food and procure his seed.”
Amanda knew exactly how Riccan would feel if he knew what had happened to him. He would feel sick to his stomach and violated. He would feel rage and then, finally, it would turn to acceptance. She wished he could remain ignorant of the entire event, but that would mean he would never know the truth about his children. She would never want to do that to him. She would want his parents to know their biological grandchildren.
“I can see you understand the dilemma. Should Riccan remain ignorant or should he know he’s a father? I will leave that up to you. Whatever you decide, I offer My assistance to help you through it.”
Amanda was touched by Jehoban’s offer and said, “Thank you. It means a lot to know I have You on our side.”
“You may not thank Me when you hear the rest.”
“The rest of what? What more could there be?” Amanda dreaded the tone of Jehoban’s voice.
“When you first arrived you had concerns about your role in the prophecy which was revealed to you in your dream. I must tell you that you are instrumental in making that prophecy into a reality.”
“What are you saying? What are you expecting from me?” Amanda asked hastily.
“That I cannot tell you. You must do those things which feel right for your life. I will not tell you how to live your life. You do have free will, and I will not take that away from you.”
“But what if I don’t understand what you need from me?” Amanda instantly became concerned with His cryptic message.
“I will tell you this: re-read the prophecy which was revealed to you in the Elder’s ancient text. Keep in mind that you are the key and then follow what your heart tells you. You have all of the people lined up to help you once you begin to take your own personal journey. Call on Me if you have any questions or concerns and I will do My best to guide you.”
“If I’m to be the key to the prophecy, how will I know what to do? I’ve only been active in Tuala in my dreams. None of it was real. How am I supposed to achieve anything?” Amanda was feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility which was being placed on her shoulders.
“Your most developed talent is your intuitive nature. Everything you dreamt of with the people you interacted with on Tuala was accurate except for your personal interaction with them. You were absolutely correct with the emotions and motivations of each person you knew from the Tuala in your dreams.”
Amanda tried to wrap her mind around Jehoban’s revelation. She had never thought of her intuition as a gift: it was just a part of who she was. She realized she had taken the ability for granted her whole life. Now that she knew its real nature, she would explore the possibil
ities it could provide for her future. Amanda had quite a few things to consider for her future. The first concern was for her daughters.
“What will happen with my daughters now that I know about them? Will I be able to visit with them?”
Jehoban laughed out loud at Amanda’s assumption. “No, you will not be visiting with them. They are your children, Amanda. They will be leaving with you. Their education is complete, and they have been expecting you to come and get them. They are ready.”
Amanda could not believe her luck. She burst into tears of happiness. Finally, she would have everything she had always hoped, but never dreamed, she would have. Her family would be complete. She chuckled as she thought about her girls’ ages and said, “The only thing which makes this whole story difficult is that I’m technically only ten years older than my girls. That will be hard to explain to people.”
“I could make you older, if that is your wish,” Jehoban suggested.
“NO! I was just commenting out loud. I’m fine with my age as well as my children’s ages. If anything, we could tell people that the girls are Riccan’s from a previous relationship. I’d hate to have to deny them as mine, but if the situation came up, we could always temporize.”
Jehoban was pleased with Amanda’s ability to roll with the punches. He knew she was the right person to lead the charge for change in Tuala and Earth. Her qualifications were very unique and, so far, she had achieved everything she was meant to achieve. “I have nothing further for you unless you have more questions,” He said into the silence.
Amanda stirred from her thoughts and blushed as she looked up into Jehoban’s face. She replied, “I have nothing more to ask. You have been tremendously generous with Your time, and I thank You wholeheartedly for raising my girls to be so perfect.” She stood up to leave, not wanting to overstay her welcome.
Jehoban also stood but did not move to walk her out. “Remember, I’m only a thought away.”
The door at the end of the room opened, and the girls smiled as they waited for their mother to join them. Amanda swiftly walked toward her children. They shut the door behind her and then linked an arm through at each of her elbows. Amanda smiled first at one girl and then the other. She had never thought she could be as happy as she was at that moment.
“You two will have to tell me what your real lives have been like. I’d like to know more about your cousin, Rasa, as well. Goodness, there isn’t enough time in the world to hear all the things I want to know about you two!” She squeezed her elbows tighter to her waist to feel her daughters’ arms closer to her. She hoped they would have enough time to get to know one another before life began to interrupt her utopia.
They walked back to the room where they had left Riccan. He sat at the edge of the pond and tossed small crumbs for the fish to rise up and eat. He seemed content and relaxed as though it had only been a few minutes instead of the half hour she had spent with Jehoban.
“Riccan,” she spoke across the room to get his attention.
He looked up, grateful to see his wife again. He stood up and brushed his hands together over the water to rid them of the food crumbs. Walking toward Amanda, he could tell there was something different about her. She had a new confidence, even more than she had shown after their wedding. He hoped she would have good news about her interview with Jehoban.
“I’m glad to see you’re looking so happy,” he said as he came close enough to kiss Amanda on the cheek. The girls had not let go of Amanda’s arms, so Riccan commented, “And you appear to have made two new friends.”
“Riccan, the most amazing thing has happened. These two girls are not new friends; they are my daughters!” she announced with a huge grin on her face. She knew precisely what was going on in his head since she had had the exact same ideas only a little while earlier. “I know you’re thinking they’re a little bit old, but Jehoban explained I was teleported through both time and space. They were born nine anons before I’d believed they were. Oh, I have so much to share with you, but I’d like both Nena and Elder Daven to hear it all at the same time. Can we please go back to the Residence?”
Riccan was speechless. He stared at the girl on the left and then the girl on the right and then compared them both to Amanda herself. The girls were the same height as Amanda. They had the same shaped eyes, even though theirs were blue to Amanda’s brown. They had the same smile, even the same shaped teeth. Now that he knew to look for it, he could see the resemblance among the three. Finally, he nodded his head and said with enthusiasm, “Lead the way!”
They began to walk to the golden door when Amanda realized something important. “Girls, don’t you need to gather your belongings before you come away with us?”
They smiled the same smile, and Juila answered, “We gathered it already when Jehoban dismissed us from the room. Our bags are already in the telepod.”
Amanda laughed at their presumption but was glad they had thought ahead. With a light heart, she said, “Let’s get going!”
Chapter Three
THE TRIP TO the Residence lasted three seconds, just as it should have. Amanda could not believe how she had been so scared to meet with Jehoban and yet she had received more blessings in her life because of it. She did not feel she deserved to be so happy, but she was more than willing to accept it. Life had no guarantees, and she was not going to take this time for granted.
The four people exited the telepod with smiles of delight. The women led as Riccan followed, laden with their baggage. He still had a hard time understanding how the girls could be so much older than Amanda had realized. Eventually, he just shook his head and had to trust Jehoban knew what He was talking about when it came to Amanda’s family.
That’s when it hit him; he was slightly jealous of Amanda’s newfound family. He did not feel as important in Amanda’s life because her children now took up her heart. They had only been married for one day, and he was no longer her sole focus. Riccan felt terrible for even stealing any of her joy and tried to lessen his own feelings to be able to focus more on Amanda’s happiness. After all, he had promised her parents to do everything in his power to make her happy.
As they ascended the stairs and came closer to the back patio, Riccan looked up and saw his parents had come out to greet them. He grinned in anticipation of their reaction to the addition of the two girls. His mother had pressured him for anons to get married and have children. Nena wanted to be a grandmother, and now she was, times two.
“Who’re these two beautiful ladies,” Daven asked as he held out a hand for introductions.
Amanda said simply, “These are my daughters.” She turned to the girls and said, “This is your grandfather, Elder Daven, and your grandmother, Nena.”
The girls smiled, and Juila was the first to hold out her hand to greet her grandfather. She was surprised when Daven used his hand to draw her into a hug instead of the more formal handshake. He looked over to Jena and asked, “What are you waiting for? Come hug your grandfather!”
Jena laughed and joined her sister in the embrace.
Amanda had been watching Nena instead of the trio getting to know one another. Now that she knew what to look for, she recognized the analyzing look Nena had used to scrutinize the auras of the girls. Nena tilted her head, and a look of confusion crossed her eyes before she put a smile on her face and said, “Where are your hugs for your grandma?”
Riccan had finally made it up the stairs, and he pretended to pant under the weight of the bags. Amanda laughed and immediately offered to help him. He declined and said, “I’ll take these upstairs and meet you all in Dad’s office.” He kept walking. He knew the way his parents could carry on unless someone brought them back to reality. His mother could keep them on the patio asking question after question without realizing the day had slipped by.
As if taking the hint, Daven suggested, “Why don’t we retire to my office? It seems as though Amanda has more news to share from her visit with Jehoban.”
Ama
nda nodded agreement and said, “You guys have no idea!”
Nena looked over her shoulder as she had taken the lead to go back inside the house and said, “I might have a good idea!”
Amanda wondered if she really did. If so, it would make it easier to explain to Riccan. She was still trying to decide if she were to let Riccan know anything until they were in private. After his mother’s cryptic statement she decided right then and there to tell the whole story after all. If she kept any of it to herself, Riccan could hold it against her for keeping valuable knowledge from him, and she would have to agree with him. She had to be fair and hope he would take the news well.
They had made it to the office and were waiting for Riccan to return from upstairs. Nena kept staring at the twins and smiling broadly. Amanda had saved a seat next to herself so she could be holding Riccan’s hand when she told him he was their father. She recalled her own reaction to the news; she could only imagine Riccan’s. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became.
Her daughters would find out at the same time who their father was. She hoped they would be as excited about the news as Amanda had been.
Finally, Riccan rushed into the room and said, “Sorry it took me so long. Did I miss anything?”
“No, Riccan, we waited until you got back. Please sit here next to me.” Amanda patted the empty chair, and she took Riccan’s hand as he settled into the chair.
Amanda began to talk. She told them about Jehoban’s desire for her to study and figure out the latest prophecy and then to follow her heart.
Daven nodded agreement and saw his wife doing the same. They had known Amanda was the key since she was the one who had revealed the prophecy in the first place. They would help Amanda as much as they were able.
“Jehoban told me my greatest gift is my intuition. Maybe you could tell me how to cultivate that talent to make it more immediately accessible. He seemed to be telling me I was going to be using it a lot during this quest.” Amanda paused to consider the meaning of Jehoban’s words.
Levels of Ascension BoxSet Page 3