Behn followed his sister’s example with their mother and then went to stand beside Juila in the hallway. He still had a lot of questions about Grobin and where he currently lived, but that would have to wait for another day. He was not going to forget the promise he had made himself.
The three teenagers left the house and talked excitedly on their way back to the landing field. Valentina kept talking about how amazing the day had been. Behn had agreed and also commented about how nice the house had been. They had enjoyed eating foods they had forgotten existed.
By the time they reached the telepod, they were ready to get back home. They were going to have to figure out how to tell Jon about their mother. It was unfair to keep him from knowing, their mother, their little sister, and their heritage. With all of the pieces of the puzzle put together, they felt confident in sharing the truth with him now.
Chapter Thirty-One
SHEMALLA WAS ASTONISHED at receiving yet another message from Tuala. Normally, months would pass without any word at all. Now she had received a message from Elder Vargen, a visit from Lillia, and now this new task. She wondered what all of it could mean as she packed her bag to begin her trip across the country on such short notice.
When she had told Lillia about the assignment, she had seemed unconcerned about it. In fact, Lillia had seemed eager for her to go. Shemalla wondered what Lillia had in mind to do. She never had to worry about entertaining her friend as Lillia was almost as frequent a visitor to Earth as she was.
Shemalla had spent enough time on Earth to be accustomed to the slower travel so the plane ride to New York City seemed like a good time to catch up on her reading. After browsing through all of the magazines offered in the seatback in front of her, she pulled her kindle out of her purse and picked one of the books she had loaded from home. Unfortunately, the story could not hold her attention so she turned it off and put it back into her purse.
She leaned her forehead against the window and stared down at the tops of the clouds. She realized for the first time that these people had the opportunity to enjoy the sights of the journey whereas the people of Tuala only experienced blank nothingness when they teleported between places. She smiled at her idea and yet acknowledged no Tualan would put up with this slow mode of travel for the sake of seeing the sights.
Thinking of Tuala made her wonder again at this new assignment of hers. Granted, she had contacts and friends all over the world of Earth so she could understand why she had been asked. Still, it seemed like odd timing to her.
Hours later the plane landed at JFK where Shemalla rolled her carry-on through the airport and then flagged down a taxi once she got outside. She directed the driver to take her to Central Park and she sat back to enjoy the crazy ride. As they approached the park she kept her eye trained on the park itself. When they got to the area she needed, she said, “Stop the cab!”
The driver complied by immediately stopping, to the accompaniment of many horns honking behind them. Shemalla caught herself on the partition and shoved a wad of bills through the slot. She opened the door, grabbed her bag and purse, and rushed over to the sidewalk to avoid getting hit by the angry drivers behind the cab.
Thankfully she did not need to cross the busy road as she already stood on the park side of the street. She ventured into the park and followed one of the paths into the wooded area. She had only been to this area a few times before, always in a different season, and had to keep her eyes sharp to find the overgrown trail.
After a few failed attempts on the wrong trails, backtracking and starting over, she eventually located the right path and followed along it deeper into the woods. She looked over her shoulder several times to make sure she remained alone. Eventually she found the bench for which she had been searching.
She sat down placing her bags beside her. She dug her cell phone out of her purse and began making the phone calls she had not had time to make before her flight. Within twenty minutes she had concluded her business and she folded her phone with a snap of satisfaction. She dropped her phone back in her purse, folded her hands, and prepared to wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willian stepped down from his mediator’s chair with a sigh of relief. He was glad to know he had done his best and had come to some good solutions for the petitioners. His record for success was still perfect as the two people left the room on good terms again. The day’s session had been different because Rasa had instructed him to proceed without her as she had other matters to handle and she felt confident he would do fine.
He wondered if Rasa’s other plans included making the arrangements for his upcoming trip. Almost as soon as the thought came to his mind, he scoffed at himself for being selfish. Of course, Rasa would have many other things to take care of other than anything to do with him. He was going to have to work on thinking of others before himself if he planned on winning Jena back. There had to be obvious proof of him changing in order for Jena to even want him anymore.
With no other pressing duties, Willian returned to his room and tidied up his belongings so he could make a quick departure should the trip be arranged. He did not go so far as to pack everything so as not to be too assuming. In only a little while, everything was in order and he could not remain still. He decided to go to the library to see if he could find out any more information about Earth which might be helpful.
He entered the corridors and navigated them with ease. When he got to the library he was about to go inside when he was stopped by a conversation being held within. Knowing it was wrong to eavesdrop, he was unable to stop himself when he heard his name being spoken. He leaned closer to make sure he would not miss anything.
“I heard Elder Wilken say Willian was going to turn out to be a fine Elder,” the first woman spoke with a tone of superiority.
“You wouldn’t have guessed it from how that boy was when he first got here. He sure was full of himself!” the second woman said scornfully.
“I wonder what Elder Wilken had to say to him to get him to change so fast?” the first woman asked.
“It must have been pretty dire to make such a quick impression. I’ve heard how difficult Willian had been at home. His poor mother must have been beside herself with worry over him ever growing up!”
“I saw she came here yesterday to speak to Rasa. Do you know what that was all about?”
“No, I was stuck down at the market place most of the day and didn’t get to hear anything at all. I bet her reunion with Willian was pretty shocking! She sent away a child and she’ll be getting back a man!”
“We can only hope. Say, are you serving at dinner tonight?”
“No, I got breakfast duty so I have tonight off.”
The talk turned to mundane work discussions and Willian lost interest. He leaned against the wall for a few more seconds while he digested what he had overheard. The sounds of the women leaving the library through the servant’s entrance allowed Willian to enter the room and take a seat at one of the patils.
It was gratifying to know people had seen improvement in him as much as it was mortifying to believe he had been so insufferable upon arrival. He thought back over the days he had been visiting and the conversations he had participated in. The servants certainly paid more attention to their conversations than he ever believed or even noticed. This, too, was a valuable lesson for his future.
Rasa found Willian while he was deep in thought and smiled to see him being so quiet. She wondered what he could be thinking about, but was too polite to see for herself. “A shill for your thoughts,” she spoke right next to him causing him to jump and look up at her with a guilty expression.
“Sorry. I was thinking about everything I’ve learned since I got here in Manzanit. It’s slightly overwhelming when I really consider everything!” He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled a little.
“Just wait until you find yourself on Earth! You don’t know the meaning of overwhelmed yet!”
“Is that supposed to mean it’s time for
me to go?”
“Almost. You still have a meeting with Elder Wilken before he gives his final approval.”
“Is there a chance he’ll say no?” Willian did not know what he’d do if that were the case.
“I doubt it, unless you say something incredibly stupid to make him decide against it. He was just telling me how pleased he is with you,” Rasa said as she clapped him on the shoulder.
“When is my meeting scheduled?”
“Right now. It’s why I came looking for you. I expected to find you in the mediation room, but the place was empty. You must have really cut to the chase on the final case to get them out of there so fast.”
Willian stood up to walk with her as he replied humbly, “Nah, I just got them talking and they pretty much settled everything themselves.”
“That’s how it usually goes in these kinds of matters.” Rasa was careful not to downplay Willian’s skill so he would not get upset with her. She was relieved they had managed to build some rapport during his visit since her elevation to the Elder’s successor made her Willian’s equal and they would be working together for declans in the future.
Willian was unaccountably nervous when Rasa declined to stay when she had taken him to the meeting. The nerves came more from wanting to please the Elder than for fear of what he might actually say. It felt strange to feel as he did since he had never been especially interested in actively seeking his own father’s approval. He could see now he had done a disservice to his own family for his lack of trying. He smiled inwardly at his own insight since it was Elder Wilken’s own words of ‘knowing is the first step to achieving’ which made him want to do better.
Wilken could see the young man was deep in thought and nodded knowingly. He had hoped to make some impression upon the boy, and yet Willian’s changes had far exceeded his initial assessment. This experience had put another idea into his head of fostering other Elder’s successors to help enrich their learning and improve relationships within the elite group. He firmly believed that the more one knew the better one ruled.
“I have been very pleased with the reports I have received for you, Willian,” Wilken finally spoke.
Willian jumped slightly as the Elder’s words broke into his own personal thoughts. “Thank you, Elder Wilken. I really have tried my best.”
“Your best is quite fine. Even the servants have been speaking favorably of you and that aspect means a great deal more to me than the opinions of the other dignitaries.”
“Why is that?” Willian blurted out and then almost cursed himself for speaking without thinking first.
“I would rather hear your thoughts on why,” Wilken replied.
Willian bit his lower lip as he began to consider the Elder’s challenge. Many ideas came to mind and yet none of them seemed to ring true until he had an inspired moment of clarity. He snapped his fingers and with widened eyes he announced, “I know why!”
“Tell me.”
“The servants are the same as the people we serve in the community. If I were to have been rude or impatient with the servants it would have reflected badly on me since the servants tend to talk with one another and with people outside of the Residence. My ability to arbitrate and eventually to lead would be hampered by the impressions the people had already made about me based on my actions with the people closest to me. Is that what you meant?”
“You really have been learning. Good job, Willian. Now tell me what you have learned about Earth.” Elder Wilken sat back and waited for the lengthy explanation he was certain he would receive.
Willian spent a considerable amount of time explaining all of the different types of things he had researched and how he thought the information might be valuable. Once he started talking about it, he realized he knew quite a bit more than he had originally thought. It became less daunting to think about actually going to Earth and he relaxed.
Just as Wilken had wanted, he noticed the point where Willian ceased to be nervous and he held up his hand for silence. “I can tell you are ready to begin your journey. Thank you for indulging an old man with your knowledge. Now go pack your bag and say goodbye to your mother.”
Willian could hardly believe it had been so easy to gain approval for his journey. He had planned to spend weeks in service and yet not even one week had gone by. “Thank you for taking me in, Elder Wilken. I will forever be grateful for your kind words and your invaluable lessons. I feel as though I’m leaving here a changed person. I only hope Jena can see it as well.” Flustered with the last thing he had spoken he decided he should get moving before Elder Wilken changed his mind. He executed a small bow of respect and hurried out of the room.
He flew down the halls to get to his room and grab his already packed bag. With his sack slung over his shoulder he took one last look around the bedroom to make sure he left nothing behind before he turned and closed the door behind him. One more hurdle had been crossed on his journey. He was on his way! His mind raced with the possibilities and his heart fluttered with nervous excitement.
As he retraced his steps in the hallway, he realized he had not been told where to find his mother. There were really only two choices: the garden, or her guest room. Since the garden was closer he decided to look there first. His instincts proved correct and he found her sitting on a bench in the sunshine.
The closer he got to her, the more he noticed she appeared young and vibrant with the sun glinting in her hair and putting color in her cheeks. She almost seemed to exude a sense of power even though she sat in silent contemplation. His pride in her beauty showed in his smile as he approached her. “Hi, Mom. Elder Wilken said I should tell you I was leaving,” he said as he stopped in front of her.
She had to squint to look up at him since the sun was above his shoulder. She patted the bench beside her and said, “Sit with me a moment.”
Really wishing he did not have to, a protest formed on his lips, until he saw his mother’s expression. She really needed this more than he did. He sat down and waited with his newfound patience for her to say whatever she had on her mind.
Chelesa was surprised at his easy capitulation. She had expected to have to argue with him to hear her out. Pride in her son’s new maturity made her smile as she said, “I wanted to keep you from this journey.” She could see his scowl beginning to form and she held up her hand to forestall any rebuttal and continued, “I can see I was wrong. This experience has changed you. I’m sorry for doubting you before. Please tell me you’ll forgive me.”
Willian stuttered for a moment before he could answer. “There’s nothing to forgive on your part, Mom. If anyone needs forgiving, it’s me! I haven’t given you much reason to trust in my decision-making skills in the past. You’re also right when you said I needed this trip. I’m going to do my best to make you proud of me. Hopefully, I will also win Jena back in the process. I love you, Mom. I’m glad you came here to see me off.”
“Me too, honey. Now give me a hug!” Chelesa held out her arms and held her son close to her. She missed the little boy she had once comforted as she realized he was the one now comforting her and he was no longer her little boy.
Willian remained in his mother’s arms until she let go. He did not want to be the one to end the embrace since he knew she needed to soak him in before he left. He leaned forward and kissed his mother’s sun-warmed cheek and smiled into her eyes. He could see her love for him reflected in her adoring gaze and he knew this moment would forever be imprinted in his mind.
Chelesa put her hand on his stubbly cheek and said, “Promise me you’ll be safe when you’re on Earth!”
“I will. I know what’s at stake.”
“Do you? Do you really?”
Willian nodded solemnly.
Something about his expression convinced her more than any words ever could. She nodded her approval and said, “I’ll walk with you to find Elder Wilken and Rasa.” She stood up and brushed off her pants while she waited for Willian to do likewise.
H
is bag had slipped to the ground and he bent to pick it back up and throw over his shoulder. He held out his hand to his mother and they walked back through the gardens in perfect accord. Elder Wilken was a wise man to have him make peace with his mother before he left. His only regret was that his father had not witnessed his transformation as well. “Tell Dad I said goodbye and thank you.”
“I will, honey. He would have been here too except he had business matters keeping him in his district.”
“I know. I’ve seen first-hand how much time is devoted to helping the district. I have a newfound respect for all of the work the Elders do.”
“I bet you do!” Chelesa smiled up at her son.
Chapter Thirty-Two
SOFIA’S FIRST DAY back at school had been exhausting. She had no idea it would take so much out of her just sitting in her classes. There had been something strange she had noticed throughout the past two days. The classes she shared with Jena or Juila, she seemed to have more energy than the ones where they were separated. It would have made more sense if the classes had all been together except they shared first, third, and fifth periods as well as lunch before fifth. Without fail, the classes without them she felt drained and ready to go home.
She had been in their fifth period College Algebra class when Juila had been called out to take an emergency phone call. Almost as soon as Juila left, Sofia felt a drain on her stamina. She looked over toward Jena to see how she reacted to Juila being called away. Thinking of what could have happened helped take her mind off of her own weariness.
When Juila had returned to class and sat down next to her, Sofia kept looking at her friend. Juila seemed very preoccupied, but not upset so the emergency must not have been bad news. Even as she tried to imagine what had happened, she kept getting an image of Valentina in her mind. She scowled and tried to put the girl out of her mind, but her face kept showing up unbidden.
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