“I’m not quite sure where to look,” said Tam. “The place has been so re-organised. I can’t see anything at the moment.”
“Ah, more volunteers!” a middle aged woman approached them. “Come with me. I’ll set you on to toys.”
The three young people followed her down towards the front of the hall beneath the stage.
“Here. See the various tables? They range in age and sex. We begin with babies over this side and go up to teens over there. All you have to do is decide where each of the toys belong. In my experience young people are better at it than us oldies. Grandparents are the worst! No idea when children stop liking things. Probably never grew up themselves, or have entered their second childhood…”
There were cardboard boxes and bags of unsorted toys – some used, some new, and a couple of other young people were already wading into them.
“Oh, good! Help has arrived,” said one.
“I don’t know how good I’ll be at this,” wondered Kakko.
“Oh, don’t worry. Just guess. If it’s not obvious it probably won’t matter.”
Tam took a small box from the pile. He opened it up and saw a variety of pastel shades and a selection of brushes.
“What’s this?” he asked Dah.
“Make up set for someone about eleven I would guess,” she replied.
Tam passed the box to her and headed for some stuffed toys. They would be easier, he reckoned. As they got stuck into the work they kept looking around for a white gate.
“If it’s in here,” said Kakko, “it would be pretty obvious. We can see all the back of the theatre, and both sides too…”
“Clearly not time to go, then,” agreed Tam. “More work still to be done.”
“What about my assignments? I have a submission in three days!”
“When,” smiled Tam, “have you ever worked on an assignment more than twenty-four hours before the deadline?”
“Not often. I’m usually doing it the night before.”
“Usually? You mean always.”
“I did one early. I took a week over it – and got my worse marks for it. It’s always better if it’s fresh.”
“Well, then. You wouldn’t be doing your assignments anyway would you? And besides, there is nothing you can do about it. GWTF.”
“Go with the flow… I wasn’t exactly getting impatient… honestly. I wonder what our Creator has got for us now then?”
“If it’s anything like the last twenty-four hours it’ll be pretty cool.”
A boy with a tray hovered behind them. “Tea?”
“Lovely,” said Dah. “Thanks. I recommend our Atiota tea. I really couldn’t take to that sweet chilled variety they gave us at the hostel in New London.”
“Neither could I,” agreed Kakko, “tea has to be hot. Nan says what we call tea on Joh isn’t the same as on Earth, but she never suggested she ever drank it cold with ice in it! Thanks,” she said to the boy. “Now this is really good,” she acknowledged after taking a sip. “Mum says they drink something they call ‘bru’ on her world. She and Grandma really missed it. Nan said she liked a decent ‘brew’, but she meant her kind of Earthly tea, not the Raikan sort.”
Dah spotted her friend. “Zay!” She waved to a tall girl who had just been set on to sorting a stack of tins. The girl waved back but they were too far away from each other to talk. “Don’t tell her about our adventures,” Dah warned her extra-planetary friends. “Too complicated. She’ll never give up on it. She likes to talk.”
“Got you,” said Tam.
At that moment the organiser called for attention: “Hello everybody. We’ll take a meal break in an hour. We’ll send out for cold food for everybody. If there is anything you can’t eat, let me know.”
“We haven’t got any money,” hissed Tam.
“Don’t worry,” whispered Dah, “it’ll be free to the volunteers.”
“Better earn it, then,” said Kakko putting down her cup and rummaging in another cardboard box. “There are loads of toys here. Some people are very generous.”
Dah texted Zay across the hall. “Tlk meal time. Hv 2 new frnds – Kakko & Tam.” Dah watched as Zay checked her phone. Then, as she looked up, pointed out Kakko and Tam. Zay gave her a thumbs up sign and got back to her tins.
***
At the meal break Dah introduced her new friends to Zaynayi.
“So you did another gig last night?”
“Yeah. It was great.”
“Made many new fans,” put in Tam.
“Is it far from here?” asked Zay.
“You could say so. Near in some ways, but the other end of the universe in another.”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean I can’t go back there.”
“But they liked you?”
“Yeah. But it wouldn’t work.”
“Why?”
“It just wouldn’t. You know me.”
“Dah, at one moment you want to get recognised and the next you want to hide. You can’t have it both ways.”
“I know. An introvert musician is not an easy thing. I think I will keep to writing songs and leave it to others to perform them.”
“But your lovely voice,” said Kakko, “it’s so unique. No-one could sing your songs like you do!”
“I guess not. But you have to be tough to stand up on a stage. The one here proved a disaster,” said Dah nodding towards the stage behind them.
“I told you,” said Kakko, “it was the audience, not you.”
“Yeah. Well, it hurt all the same… but I ain’t giving up. Just not going to try to do gigs where no-one wants to hear me.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” said Tam.
Just then, a woman came across to them.
“Aren’t you the girl who sang here last night? Da’yelni Lugos?”
“Yes,” said Dah.
“I spotted you and thought, where have I seen that girl before? Then it registered. I thought you were very good.”
“Thanks. But I didn’t make much of a hit.”
“Oh, don’t think about that. You were never going to with that turnout. Most of them were here for that boy-band. They were already fans of them. I think they are too shallow though – all sex appeal and no real musical talent. I give them less than a year – if they don’t fall out with each other before that. You were far too deep for their fans.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“I mean it. If I might say so, you shouldn’t have come expecting much here last night. Don’t give up.”
“I ain’t. I am going to carry on writing.”
“Good,” said the woman, “and performing too, I hope…”
“Da’yelni Lugos!” gushed a woman striding over towards the group. It was the organiser. She had just been told they had a musician in their midst. “I have heard all about you, and how you performed so bravely last night.” She took Dah’s hand and shook it vigorously. “You are most welcome. If I might… if… would you condescend to sing for us, here, this evening? I mean at the end of the break. Remind us of why we are here and what we need to do to help those least able to help themselves…” she tailed off nervously.
“Go on Dah,” enthused her roommate. “It’ll be cool.”
Dah looked taken aback, then glanced around the room.
“But they ain’t expecting anyone to sing.”
“Oh. Don’t worry, they’d just love it.”
“You’ve got to get your message across,” said Kakko, “you don’t just write songs to entertain. You have something to say and people need to hear it. You see, it’s here as well as… the last place.”
“It is so encouraging to us more mature people when we have young people around with vision,” explained the organiser.
“Go for it!” said Zay impatiently. Dah looked at the cautious Tam who smiled and nodded.
“OK. But I want Kakko and Tam up with me.”
“By all means,” smiled the organiser looking very
pleased with life. “That would be even better!” She went off with a happy expression on her face to find a microphone, which she began to tap vigorously.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she announced. “If I might break into your meal for a moment. Everyone happy?” There were muffled sounds of assent from full mouths. “Da’yelni Lugos here,” she gestured towards Dah, “has just agreed to sing for us.” There was light applause. “For those of us who have not come across her yet she is a talented young woman from the university who writes her own songs about the injustices in this world. I am sure you will be pleased to hear her. Finish your meal and we will have a couple of songs before we get back to work… you are all doing very well. I doubt we will have any more deliveries this evening so it’s just finishing up what you already have… and, while I am on my feet, I want to thank you all and everyone who has given so much stuff so generously. It is a tribute to our society that, though we still have far too many people on incomes below the poverty line, we also have a lot of people who care. Finally, our thanks to Mr and Mrs Zol and their helpers for organising our refreshments.” There were many hear-hears and hand clapping.
At the end of the meal the organiser came bustling over to Dah again. “Can you be ready in about five minutes?” she asked.
“OK. Where do you want us to do it from?”
“Why, up on the stage. I have organised a microphone for you.”
Dah glanced up to the very same stage she had fled from less than twenty-four hours before. Tam took her hand.
“Forget about anyone listening. Just do your song. Don’t think about them,” he said. “Me and Kakko, do it for us.”
Dah gave him a smile and went to find her guitar.
On the stage, sitting in a chair just like the one she had sung from the previous time and before the same microphone, Dah spoke:
“Hi. These are my friends Kakko and Tam.” She didn’t wait for any response but continued to introduce her song. Needless to say this audience were hugely moved. The song and Dah’s special voice filled the hall with a quality that was not so discernible on the previous evening. The lesson: that no-one can expect to be appreciated or understood by everyone, everywhere, every time, had not just been learnt by Dah but also by Tam and Kakko. The contrasts of the last twenty-four hours had brought that home to them so clearly. And, Kakko contemplated, I suppose that applies to God Herself too. There are times when I get a rush of appreciation for Her greatness, Her love and Her generosity, but so much of the time I just take Her for granted. I don’t give Her a second thought. She must get fed up with me. But God doesn’t give up on me. She just waits so patiently. And it’s not just me but the whole universe! What a patient God we have. She makes such a difference. Yet the irony of it all is that the people of the universe spend most of their time totally ignoring God and trying to do everything without Her. That is the ultimate injustice.
Dah introduced ‘Be Not Afraid’ and the trio wowed the audience again with their harmonies. Tam was thinking how Dah had shown him that he could sing. At the end of the short performance, as they were making their way back to the toy sorting, he told Dah how much he appreciated her drawing out this little gift he hadn’t realised he had. “We could do with you on Joh,” he said, “you’re such a great singing teacher.”
“Thanks,” said Dah, “but I’m not ready for any more interplanetary travel right now. I’m happy that I have found confidence to be me here in Galuga on Atiota.”
“Wouldn’t you like to go back to Planet Earth sometime and meet up with John again? He quite liked you.”
“Yeah, he was sweet wasn’t he? He was attracted to me I think because I was different, but he would soon have found out that I am not that different, not inside… anyway I am not ready for a special relationship with anyone right now. I’m still finding ‘me’.”
“Look!” announced Tam. “A white gate. Our time has come.”
Kakko looked up. At the back of the auditorium there was indeed a shining white gate.
“We must finish our shift!” stated Kakko firmly.
“Agreed,” said Tam.
They worked another hour until all the cardboard boxes were emptied and the toys from each of the tables carefully repacked and labelled. Many children were going to have a happy time in the next few months as they were distributed. Kakko thought about them, and gave thanks to God that she had been useful to someone. To be able to make a difference, even a small one in someone’s life, is a tremendous blessing. She resolved in future not only to help, herself, but to find opportunities for others to contribute too.
“Dah,” said Kakko gently, “we have a white gate at the back of the hall.” Dah looked up.
“I see nothing,” she whispered.
“If you could, it would mean more adventures,” smiled Kakko.
“I ain’t wanting any more of them quite yet. But… but it would have been nice to meet your folks and see where you come from.”
“You never know,” said Tam, “you might one day. But for now we must take our leave. It was really good to meet you… and thank you.” Tam gave her a hug.
“It is I who needs to thank you!” exclaimed Dah.
“Let’s all thank our wonderful Creator,” said Kakko. And they just stood in a circle, the three holding hands, their heads bowed in silent prayer. As they looked up they saw Zay coming over.
“We’re off,” she said, “you coming?”
“Not us,” said Tam quietly, “I’m afraid we’ve got to go home. You two go on and have a great evening.”
“Thanks,” said Dah again, “hope to see you sometime.”
“Sure,” said Kakko. “Bye!” They hugged again and then Zay took Dah’s arm and they made their way through the crowd to the doors where other young people were waiting. Kakko saw Dah retrieve her skateboard and then she was lost from sight.
“Come on,” said Kakko, “let’s get through that white gate.” She took Tam’s hand and they headed through the crowd but before they opened the gate and stepped through, Kakko leaned up and lightly kissed her boyfriend. “I like having adventures with you,” she said.
They emerged in the cottage garden wearing broad smiles.
“Why, hello!” It was Matilda crossing the lawn. “You are home at last. At least this time you seem to be in one piece. And you’ve had a good time – you’re glowing.”
25
Nothing remarkable had happened for more than a week, and Kakko was bored. She had completed her assignment and handed it in days ago and was now looking forward to something to help with the tedium of the long college holidays. But then something did happen. A space shuttle came in to land at the city spacedrome down the coast. This was always an event because Joh was not a space hub with regular flights. This was the first landing in over a year. But it was not just because this was a rare event, but because this one was unscheduled and unexpected.
The shuttle had come from a gigantic inter-sector freight-liner in low orbit and clearly visible as the largest object in the night sky. The pictures of the craft circulating on the news channels were of an impressively sophisticated ship. The pilot of the shuttle parked his vehicle where he was directed and he and one other crew member descended the stairway. They were not of human origin, their large flat faces above tall spindly bodies were rugged and ridged, but they were smartly dressed and almost suave in their demeanour.
The news reader had explained that they were believed to be Sponrons from the Planet Ramal in the neighbouring Medlam System. They had travelled far but their state-of-the-art intrahelical drive had reduced the travelling time from their home-world to Joh to less than ten standard years. The purpose of their visit, they explained, was trade. They had quantities of rare minerals including rare magnetic silicates, only found on two planets in the galaxy, used for antimatter conversion, as well as processed helicates necessary for intrahelical propulsion. They also had diamonds and gold, much prized in the universe not only for their beauty but for their use
in mechanics. (Kakko, for example, was always extolling gold conductors which she rated far higher than copper ones.) Joh was not rich in gold or diamonds – most had to be imported from outside the system.
The potential buyers, however, were suspicious of these pedlars. The traders on Joh were used to doing business with people they had known for years. Supplies were usually ordered – they didn’t just appear from outer-space without notice.
Shaun, Kakko and Tam were, however, among the young people whose interest was not primarily about interstellar trade. They were intrigued by the appearance of these strangers, or to be more precise, their vehicles. They caught a bus which passed close to the spacedrome and joined the crowds watching through the perimeter fence.
The space shuttle was of a design that had not been seen on Joh before. They saw it gleaming in the sunlight. It wasn’t metallic – ‘opalescent’ would be a better word. Its iridescent lustre made it appear luxurious as well as truly other-worldly. The smell that wafted across to where the young people were standing was also from beyond. There was fuel technology here that told of advanced space travel.
“I’d love to get aboard that,” announced Shaun.
“And I bet you, Kakko, are dying to get inside the engine housing,” said Tam.
“What I would really like to do,” said Kakko, “if you really want to know, is to get to see the engines of the mother ship. This shuttle has only a simple antimatter propulsion system for short tripping.”
“Correct,” said a man standing just behind them. He wore an identity tag that indicated he came from the local scientific institute – Prof Rob Nivriks. “The mother ship will have to have at least an interhelical, or even the latest intrahelical drive.”
“What’s the difference between an interhelical and an intrahelical drive?” asked Tam.
“How technical would you like me to get? They’re both dark matter vortex engines, of course. They both draw on the polykatallassic particles in the dark matter clouds as they pass through them, but an intrahelical system recycles the exhaust combining it with alpha particles of standard matter and condensing it, making it nearly twice as efficient. A very powerful engine – it’s state of the art.”
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