“Fine,” Jon said sullenly, and he stopped leaning across the table. He thought about trying to finish eating, but he was too anxious to even make the attempt until after he heard what Mrs. Stel had to say.
“Hey, Mom, it’s me, Juila. Hi, yeah, no there’s nothing wrong. I was wondering if you could arrange for Vinia to come over so Jon could meet her. What? Cool! I’ll let them know. Thanks, Mom. I love you.” She flipped her phone shut and smiled, “Done! You can meet her after school today at our house.”
“Just like that?” Jon asked in disbelief.
“Yep! Oh, this is so exciting, don’t you think, Behn?” Juila asked her boyfriend as she started to eat her lunch with enthusiasm.
Jon started to feel as though he’d been set up. Everything worked out a little too easily for his mind. He picked up his fork and finished eating everything he had picked out even though he tasted none of it.
Luke looked around the table and noticed, for the first time, how everyone was acting strangely. He elbowed Jena in the arm and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Jena mumbled and busily occupied herself with eating her lunch.
Luke frowned and tried to make eye contact with anyone. He realized he was being left out of something, but now was definitely not the right time to find out. He felt certain he could get the truth from Jena the next time they were alone together. It had been a while since they had gone on a date, maybe he would find out after school if she were busy.
Sofia watched Jon and fervently wished she could be present when he got to meet his mother for the first time. She was certain how the meeting would go, and she wanted to witness Jon’s acceptance of who he really was. More than anything, she wished the whole group would allow her to be in on their huge secret.
Chapter Eight
CAPTAIN AHN ARRIVED back to an empty home. He hated it when Barla’s work took her away from the house so often even though he knew it made her so happy and fulfilled. He guarded his time with her jealously because she was his other half, or as Barla liked to put it, his soul-mate.
He had expected her to be home long before now, and he was beginning to worry. He went into the kitchen to check the patil to see if she had left him a message. Sure enough, Barla had been kind enough to let him know she was visiting with her sister. Wait. What? he thought, Her sister lives on Earth. What is she doing there? Was it possible? Had Amanda finally convinced her to overcome her fear and go to Earth with her? Or was this some kind of code from Barla to him letting him know she was somehow in trouble?
Ahn shut down the patil and worried through the possible scenarios. Nothing he came up with made him feel at all happy. Finally, he decided the only way to resolve this would be for him to go to Earth himself to see. He grabbed the remote for his own personal telepod which seldom ever saw flight and then he realized he had no way of getting to Earth without the help of an Elder. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he realized this new plan of action was not going to work since his telepod did not have a portable Gate built into it like Amanda or Riccan’s telepods.
He dropped the remote back onto the table and went back to the patil. Maybe Barla was with Alena. Since Vinia had come to stay with them, Barla had been talking with Alena about their past together. It was a long-shot. However, Ahn was willing to try.
He turned on the patil and decided to activate a video call. He touched the screen, entered Alena’s call sign, and waited for her to answer. Chances were she would not be near the patil in order to hear his call. His hand was almost touching the screen to end the call when Alena’s face filled the display.
“Hello, Ahn. I was expecting to see Barla. How are you doing?”
“Well, I was hoping you might know where Barla is. She’s not home yet, and I expected her to be here before I got here.”
“I’m sorry, she hasn’t talked with me today. If I hear from her, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate that,” Ahn replied in a defeated tone. “Have a nice evening.”
“You too,” she replied as she reached up and disconnected the call.
“Where are you, Barla?” Ahn asked the empty house. “Did you really go to Earth?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alena disconnected the call and wondered what was going on with Barla. Usually, her friend was predictable and stable. Ahn had to be really worried to start calling around to find her. She wished she had been able to assist him, yet she had other worries of her own.
Her children swarmed around her and wanted to know when dinner was going to be ready. They had plans with their friends, but they needed to eat before they could go. Alena wondered where the time had gone for her children to be so grown up to have plans of their own. Justan and his betrothed, Andera, had just turned eleven, whereas Kyelon was close behind them at age ten.
Her own time was taken up more and more with her wise-woman practice. The community had embraced her, and they trusted in her skills and abilities. It felt nice to be needed, and yet sometimes she wished she could have her quiet life back.
She could not concentrate and gave up trying as she went to the kitchen and looked into the icebox to figure out what to make for dinner. Since the children seemed to be in a hurry, she wanted to make them something portable and quick to eat. She decided on foxl sandwiches with a dipping sauce and also a side of fruit. With a few seconds of concentration, she had their meals prepared and ready for them on the dining room table.
The kids did not need to be told to get ready as they were already heading to the bathroom to wash up. Alena was certain the task would be only half-done as they reappeared almost instantly and seated themselves around the table. Just this once Alena did not have the desire to make them do it over.
She really wanted to look into the mystery of where Barla had gone. As she used the few moments of peace while the children ate, Alena went into the living room and sat down. She rested her head in her hands as she reviewed the last few conversations she had had with Barla.
Eventually, the only thing she could come up with was that Barla had seen a lot of Amanda as of late. Maybe they were off on an errand together. She contemplated getting back on the patil and telling Ahn about her theory when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
With a sigh of resignation at the disturbance, she got up and opened the door. There was a woman who was hugely pregnant standing with one hand on the doorframe and the other under her belly. “I need help,” the woman said.
“Obviously, come inside quick,” Alena reached forward to steady the woman as she took her through the house and into the room designated for patients. All thoughts of Barla and her situation were gone from her mind as she began channeling her energy into this woman’s life-line to alleviate her pain and assist in the imminent birth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After Petre had finished his conversation with Rualin, he resumed his post watching Captain Ahn and Barla’s house. Since he knew where Jinya was now staying, he did not have to hang around the market place. Now his only concern was keeping out of sight of the neighbors so they would not call the authorities on him.
He knew Captain Ahn’s opinion of him, yet he did not care. Jinya was staying in his house, and he wanted her back. The next time she left the house alone, he would convince her to come away with him again so they could really get married this time. He would do right by her.
The waiting was the hardest part since he had not seen anyone come or go from the house up until Captain Ahn got home. He had barely gotten into the shadow of the neighbor’s tree before Captain Ahn had walked past him. Luckily, the old man seemed preoccupied with something or else he probably would have seen him.
Petre sat down on the grass and thought about how he had discovered Jinya’s whereabouts. He had grown curious about the increased amount of telepod traffic going to and from the landing field. Usually, people steered clear of the port town, because of the unpredictable winds coming from the water, unless there was a serious m
atter to handle.
Always one to keep his eyes open for an opportunity to discover secrets and exploit them to his advantage, Petre stayed near the landing field for a few days. His patience was rewarded when he watched a woman, who he originally believed to be Jinya, land the telepod and go to Barla’s house. He had followed at a discreet distance, of course.
He had been ecstatic when the woman left the house with Jinya beside her. Thinking it could be a one-time occurrence, Petre remained on watch until they returned. After that day, he had moved closer to the Harbor Master’s house to better assess the situation.
He had learned there were a lot of kids still living in the home. He had also seen one young girl, who appeared to be lost, had come over from the landing field and left with another girl and boy who looked around her own age. The light had been fading or else he would have gotten a better look at all three of them. In any event, the telepod was always the same one; he would know it if he ever saw it in the future.
Chapter Nine
SCHOOL LET OUT, and all of the kids met in the parking lot. Luke pulled Jena off to the side and asked, “Do you want to do something tonight?”
“Sure, what were you thinking?”
“How about a movie? I could come pick you up around seven.”
“Sure, I can’t wait.” She looked over and saw everyone starting to get into Behn’s car and said, “I gotta run. I’ll see you tonight!” She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she turned around and ran to get into the back of the car.
Sofia was there as well, and she wished she were bold enough to invite herself to come over, but she held back and watched as they all piled into Behn’s car and left. She drove herself home and imagined what would be happening at the Stel house.
Jon was missing Sofia’s confidence on the drive. He had missed his opportunity to invite her along, and now he regretted it. He had to keep wiping his palms on his jeans since they were wet from nerves as he thought about meeting a woman who could possibly be his mother. There were a lot of things going through his mind over how he would react, questions he would ask, and memories he would like to regain.
They pulled up to the front door and parked. Jon was the last to get out of the car as if delaying would make any of this meeting any different. As a group, they walked inside the house and through the foyer.
Jon looked up and was surprised to see a group of women in the living room. Somehow he had imagined it would only be his mother at this meeting, so he was at a loss of what to do or say now that the dynamics had changed. He glanced over at Behn and raised his eyebrows in question.
Behn moved forward and greeted Barla with a nod and then bent over and hugged Vinia. When he stepped away, she immediately stood up and turned to meet her other son. The look on her face was wary, both expecting a reaction, and noticing the changes in his appearance. She smiled tentatively and said, “It’s great to finally see you, Jon. I hope you will let me know what your life has been since you’ve been here. I’d love to hear all about it.”
Her voice was exactly as he remembered it. He blinked as the memories came flooding through his mind. Without any hesitation, Jon moved forward with tears in his eyes and gave his mother a long-overdue hug. “Mama!” he cried out as he tucked his face into her hair and took a deep breath.
Vinia had not expected to be accepted so swiftly, so it took her a moment to register what was happening. Her arms wrapped around her son’s torso and she felt tears of her own slipping down her cheeks. Her family was back together again; they would be fine now.
Valentina stood back and watched the scene unfold. She was relieved that Jon had come around so easily because she had made it hard enough on their mom. Now they would be able to move forward and find out everything they had missed over the past year of their mother’s life. She felt bad that their mother had missed out on eight years of their lives, but they would not have experienced what they had if they had grown up in Tuala.
A giggle broke into the silence, and Valentina noticed for the first time that Danika was playing on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. She rushed over and knelt down on the ground as she put her arms out for her little sister to come to her. “Hi, cutie! I didn’t know you were here too. How lucky! You’ll get to meet another of your big brothers.”
Danika threw herself into Valentina’s arms, and she stood up with her. Valentina turned around and walked back to where her mother and brother still held one another. “Jon, you need to meet our little sister, Danika.”
Jon turned his head and raised his eyebrows at the sight of the adorable little toddler. “How old is she?” he asked his mother.
“She’s almost one. I was so blessed to have her with me after the three of you went away; she’s been the brightest spot in my life during your absence.” She reached out and touched Danika’s cheek as she spoke.
“Can I hold her?” Jon asked. He had never really cared too much for babies or small children, yet he felt drawn to this little girl. He held out his arms and waited anxiously for Danika to decide if she wanted to be transferred over to him. When her pudgy arms reached across toward him, he was elated and immediately nestled her against his hip as he smiled down at her. “You were pregnant with her when you sent us away, weren’t you?” He suddenly remembered seeing her belly getting bigger and wondering if she were sick as well. Now he knew it was because she had been pregnant.
“Yes. It’s hard to believe the time difference, isn’t it?” she asked.
“It’s remarkable,” Jon said as he shifted his gaze back to his little sister who was smiling at him and reaching up to touch his birth crystal which was resting against his tee shirt. He sat down on the couch and moved Danika onto his knees where he gently bounced her up and down while she cooed her contentment with the new arrangement.
Vinia sat down next to her son and looked up with an amazed expression at Behn and Valentina. She gestured for them to sit down as well so they could enjoy family time together. This was going to be a moment forever imprinted in her memory as the happiest she had ever been.
Amanda, Barla, Diane, Juila, and Jena all moved into the kitchen to give them some privacy. Amanda could hardly believe all that had been accomplished in just this one day. It felt like a lifetime had passed, and she was already exhausted. She still had to take everyone home to Tuala before it was over and it seemed like a daunting task.
“Is anyone hungry?” Jena asked. “I could make something if you wanted.”
“I think you’re amazing, Jena. That would be wonderful,” Amanda said as she made herself comfortable on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. She was sure she would feel better after she got something into her system.
“Does anyone have any suggestions?” Jena asked.
“How about sandwiches,” Barla suggested.
“Perfect,” Diane agreed and got up to get the supplies from the refrigerator to help out.
Amanda grinned at what she knew was going to happen. Before her mother even made it to the refrigerator, plates of prepared sandwiches appeared on the island. Her mother about jumped out of her skin when she saw them materialize out of thin air.
“Oh, that’s handy,” she exclaimed as she suddenly looked over to Jena. “Did you do that?”
Jena grinned mischievously and reached for one of the plates. She held it out to her grandmother and asked, “Do you want to try one?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” she said cheerfully as she picked one up.
“What was Luke talking to you about before we got into the car?” Juila asked.
“He wants to take me to the movies tonight at seven.”
“That sounds like fun. Are you two getting serious?” Amanda asked.
Barla frowned as she heard their conversation. She knew Jena was betrothed to Willian and wondered what was going on here. While Amanda may not be from Tuala and would not know better, surely Riccan would know this was a bad idea. She was going to have to talk to him
about it before this went too far.
Jena blushed and shrugged. She picked up a sandwich and said, “I think I’m going to eat outside in the sunshine. Do you want to come with me Juila?” She had read Barla’s thought and wanted to talk about it with her sister in private.
Juila grabbed a sandwich of her own and walked beside her sister. Instead of going to the pool to dip their feet, they chose to walk along the garden paths in the shaded part of the yard. She waited for her sister to talk while she nibbled on her sandwich.
“Do you think Barla’s right? Am I doing the wrong thing by going out with Luke?”
“You know exactly how I feel about Willian. I’m glad you’re meeting new people and discovering what a real man is like, if, for no other reason, you’ll have a good comparison.”
Jena nodded and kept her head down as she continued to walk slowly. “I like Luke a lot better than I like Willian,” she admitted.
“I know,” Juila said simply.
“He’s so much nicer to me. He always smiles when I’m around, and I don’t feel as though I have to act stupid to get him to be nice to me.”
“That doesn’t put Willian in a very good light if you asked me.”
“Nobody asked you. Besides, I’ve known exactly how you’ve felt about Willian from day one. Is it me or just him? Do I flaunt my skills when he’s around to make him feel inferior?”
“No, he’s just insecure about his own abilities. He tries to make you feel like you should hold back so he can be better at what comes naturally to you.”
“I suppose. I just wish I could make him happy like I make Luke happy. This would be so much easier if Willian would just let me.”
“After what Willian pulled, I doubt you’ll have to worry about pleasing him anymore. From what Dad said, I think they’re going to push to have the betrothal annulled. Clearly, Willian isn’t the right man for you.”
“But the shame of the whole thing, Juila! I don’t know if I could bear to show my face in Tuala if the betrothal is called off.”
Ascension Vision- The Levels of Ascension Box Set Page 5