Little Cherine Book 01 - BPost011

arthur.grafo4 (60)in #sfandf-fiction • 5 years ago

^{Crazy with love for my Dommi I kissed her closed eyes, murmuring my love. While we were lovingly kissing, Cherine moved down and suddenly Dommi jerked and pulled her face away from me in panic. I knew this was not the time and pulled Cherine to me.}

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121

Later, “Roberto, it doesn’t make me a lesbian does it?” We were almost asleep when she murmured her question. I lifted my head in the dark and placed my cheek next to hers.

“No Dommi, it does not.”

“But I loved her. You know, I haven’t seen many girls or women naked, so I did not know that the shapes can be so different.”

“The bump? I call it the sex bump, as anything else would only sound too clinical - though the Orientals have some nice names. Yes, that little heart-shaped puffy bump, it is beautiful.”

“But.” She hesitated a while. “I loved it, but I also felt so ashamed when I thought of what it must look like to her. You did help Roberto, thank you.”

“I have had the same fears. She is so tiny, so dainty. Her skin so smooth. I was certain she would find my adult skin with the bigger pores and hairs disgusting. We have a little miracle in our baby. Not only she does not find us disgusting, she actually loves us, as we are. She is totally uninhibited. Must come from her spending her whole childhood sensing, maybe second-hand, but still, sensing all the times her parents or the neighbours made love. She told me how different it was when both people doing it really love each other. Did she tell you about the rape experience she shared when she was small and how it frightened her for a long time?”

“No. God Roberto, what it must have been like, to moro mou.”

“Are you two going to talk about me all night, or can I sleep now. I’ve got school tomorrow.” I heard the love in her voice and laughed.

“Cherry baby. I miss feeling you in my mind - and I keep on discovering more reasons why I do. You never would have caught us chatting like this if I still could. But I did learn something tonight that comforts me a little. I do not need it to know, deep inside me, that you and Dommi really do love me. That you are not just saying it.”

Cherine asked, “You still miss me inside you, like I do?”

“There is a huge empty coldness in there baby. I just spend all my time praying and hoping you will be able to fill it again.” I sat up, shocked into a realisation. “Remember how I said I would die, that you would. I didn’t. Oh Cherine, my love, it means you won’t either.” I was finally reprieved of my nightmare, my guilt.

“Maybe you didn’t Robert. I think it would kill me if I could not feel you.” I sank back into my despair. She was right, it, I, am a deeper part of her. If it had been touch and go for me, how can I compare what my baby would go through?

She had not been quick enough. By the time she felt my relief and understood it, she had spoken and she sensed grief and guilt flood me once again. She began to weep, crying ‘don’t Robert, please don’t.’ She fell asleep crying against my shoulder and carried on sighing in her sleep. My heart was aching with my love for her. Dommi, aware in her own sweet way, clung to me, to us, and somehow breathed her own love into us.

122

The next morning we collected extra clothing for Cherine and took her to school. We went to the office, which I had not seen for a long time. I went to the landlord to pay him. He appeared to be confused by my offer to pay outstanding rents. He then told me he could not understand what I was talking about, Mr Georgiades had paid him, as I had arranged, he said.

Dominique asked if we can talk. I nodded. “Can we do it over a cup of coffee at Floka? I rather desperately need one, and I would rather have a cappuccino.”

As we drank our coffee I watched her, trying to work out what could be worrying her. She sighed and, blushing again asked me. “Roberto, I’m sorry but I can’t get it out of my mind. Last night, you explained, I think, but it is worrying me. I have a repulsion for perversions, for unnatural things to do with sex. I am afraid it might be that I enjoyed being anomali. How can that be if I am not a lesbian?”

“Oh my sweet Dommi, you are not a lesbian, as I can testify, any time you need me to. What you did, what you enjoyed was just a natural extension of your love for her.”

“No. I don’t accept that. I love her as a sister, as a daughter.”

“So you think you would get pleasure from watching our little daughter, when we have one, making love at that age to a grown man? Or if she was really your sister you would have accepted it?”

“I can’t say. If she was my baby sister, but she was Cherine, with her gift, I do not know what I would have to accept. If I knew what I do, I may have had to learn to live with it.”

“I’m not asking if you had a sister and you knew she was having this kind of relationship, I am asking if that were the case and she was having sex with me, would you happily participate and enjoy watching me love her?”

Dommi was puzzled, “I don’t understand what your questions has to do with my problem.”

“I am trying to get you to face the facts. Because she is a child, I also went through the process of justifying my love by calling it paternal and so on. Now, I admit I love her as a person. Her body age makes it sweeter in many ways and a problem in others, but is not truly relevant, not with Cherine. If you can admit it is the same for you, it will be easier for you to face the problem honestly.

Dominique, love is not always easy to classify. Many times we love a person and there are a number of different emotions involved. For instance, the example I gave. I love my Cherine as a lover, she excites and terrifies me with my need for her, even if she is partly causing it with her psychic gift. I love her as my best friend. I do have the paternal feelings I mentioned. They are just not the only feelings. Sometimes they are the strongest. I also sometimes have the same paternal feelings towards you. I don’t feel we are committing incest because I feel that way. It is a natural feeling a male in love has when he is feeling protective of his woman.”

“I understand all that. It is not the problem!” Her face was scarlet. She forced herself. “I loved her little sex. I find it so beautiful. That is the problem. Not that I love her.” Her eyes widened slightly and she continued, “Since you can’t seem to understand me, let me put the question in a way that you will understand. What if Cherine was not a girl? Say she had been a little boy and you and I were a couple and then I met him and loved him the way you love Cherine. Would you feel okay about making love to him?”

I felt like a worm on a hook, twisting and turning, for I knew what the ‘right’ answer is and what Dommi needed to hear, but I also felt I had to be absolutely honest with her. I chickened out and avoided answering her - knowing that if Cherine shares this conversation, she will not let me off the hook as easily as my sweet Dommi will. Still, I know the image of Cherine as a little boy is now going to play in my mind at odd moments until I resolve the conflict within me.

“I’ll be honest with you. Remember on Ydra I told you girls you were free to love another man and bring him into our circle of love? I thought I was being very convincing, but the truth is, inside me, I was cringing at the idea. To have another man in our bed, to watch him loving either of you, to have him touch me, or for me to touch him, however sweet and good he is, the idea revolted me. It went entirely against the grain. It sickened me. Do you still wonder whether I truly understand your problem? Thank god you both said it was not possible. But. And it is a big but. What if either of you do find someone? Do I have a choice, loving you as I do? Will I have to face my own devils within me, make my own peace and accept it? Re-evaluate my beliefs? Yes I will. I could never deprive you of happiness because of my own complexes.”

123

“We older ones are making it difficult for her aren’t we?”

“At the moment, thank god, she is happy. She is still on a road of discovery. What she will want and need as she grows up - or even next year, we cannot guess. She is a totally new kind of animal. A step forward in our evolution. I hope we will have enough love and understanding to be able to grow with her and accept the changes, encompass them within our circle. She will sense it if we only pretend. I am certain last night she used your arousal and hers to build you both up to the excruciating ecstasy you experienced; Dommi, she could not have done it with only hers. She also could not have done it if you were holding within you feelings of distaste for anything about her.”

I wondered how honest to be with her. Maybe I was being foolish, but I did not like the taste of keeping my thoughts secret. “I have a different fear. That the two of you grow to love each other so strongly, emotionally and physically, that you no longer enjoy or want me. Please don’t tell her. We have our fears and inhibitions because of the way we grew up. I do not want to influence the direction of her growth in negative ways, ways that come out of our fears and inhibitions.”

She looked at me with a touch of melancholy. “This is going to be difficult for both of us. When I first joined you two, all I could sense was the glorious feeling of love, of being complete and belonging. The only problem I foresaw was my feelings of inadequacy, you both have such wonderful, magical abilities that I cannot share in. Only glory in, enjoy. I never anticipated all this.”

“That is because you see love as a static thing. To you, it just is. That cannot be, it must always be alive, a growing evolving thing, like a plant. That is why true love is so scary.” An idea came to me and I was right, it was scary. “Try this sometime, close your eyes and relax, allowing yourself to sink into memories of those days when we were a couple. Try to recall how you felt about me and then, ignore the feelings and try to see the Robert you knew then. What was he like? Try to see me as a man, as any woman would. How would I be judged, would I be considered just a ‘nice’ man, or interesting, or what? Did being an artist contribute to my glamour or make me less attractive. See him as honestly as you can and then ask yourself whether you could fall in love with him…with me as I was then. Only once you have done so, as honestly as you can, then do the same with the Robert of today. Now try to place them side by side and ask yourself, what changed, why can you love me now? Am I that different, or is it a combination of ways I have changed and ways you have changed?

I suspect you’ll discover that the Dominique of that time could not have loved me - and maybe Cherine, the way you do now. You see, it was necessary that we both suffer a bit so that we can grow to be the people we are today. If you find I am right, then I think the past will not torture you any more and you’ll be glad to accept the Dominique you have become - and the Dominique who is capable of loving Cherine without having to doubt who you are.”

“Roberto, you have, in a way, avoided answering my questions. You have only given me more questions and thoughts to torment me with.”

“Maybe it is the best way for you to find the answer that is truly yours.”

She gave a nervous laugh. “Then I am going to repay you, tit for tat, you say in England? I know almost nothing of the abilities you lost. But there is something that does not make sense to me.” She looked at me, hesitantly, perhaps afraid of my pulling one of my withdrawal tricks and her being blamed by everyone. I shrugged to indicate she should carry on. “Last night, what you did. How did you do it? If you cannot receive her emoting, how did you feel her pain. Gosh but that was loud eh? It scared me. But how did you hear it if you are burnt out as you said. How did you feel my pain, which was not so strong?”

I stared at her as the shock of the possibilities ran through me. She giggled, happy to see her words, her ideas have such an effect on me. “Close your mouth Roberto, you look like a fish” she teased. I struck the palm of my hand to my forehead.

“Out of the mouth of babes and all that.” As she muttered a sarcastic ‘thank you’ I smiled at her. “You are a genius. Thank you love, you have given me hope again.” As I thought about it, I suddenly realised another possibility. “Maybe we are wrong. It could be that my own gift of feeling both of you, as if your body were mine, is returning. I want it back, even if it is going to cause us problems again. But it is not the same as being able to receive her emoting. It does not make us one, as emoting does. It still leaves that emptiness within me. I need that Dominique. I crave it each and every second.” I took a deep breath and shook my head. “We will have to wait and see.”

124

“I don’t think so, I do not see how you can get the one back without the other. Surely the second one evolved from the first one?”

I reached for her. “Give me your dirty paw. I want to kiss you very badly…but, I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied,” I said as I took hold of her hand, “with licking it clean.”

“Roberto, not in public!”

“Why do you think the word public has ‘lick’ in it?” I brought her hand to my lips, kissed it and turning it over kissed within her palm. As my lips kissed, my tongue softly licked her.

“Roberto that tickles.” But she was flushing with happiness, the happiness a woman feels at being loved by the man she loves.

From being the one who fears the opinion of others, especially being made to look stupid, and hates confrontations, now it was me who had to call Alki and tell him exactly how crazy I am - for I did know that my idea of marrying the two, especially Cherine, would be seen as crazy, and I feared we might be asking Alki to take that one step beyond what he can be a part of; I think everything has been evolving too fast for him to adjust.

I could not allow myself to regret the idea, for Cherine would sense me, and I do not have the right to do that to her, but still, my hand trembled as I dialled. I was phoning Alki while Cherine was dressing,. In a rush to get it over with, I told him I have proposed to the girls and that they have accepted. I went on, without stopping for a breath, to describe our plans and to propound the reasoning of Dommi as to why Cherine is old enough. Despite anticipating his reaction, I was totally unprepared for the strength of it, for his sense of outrage. I had fooled myself into believing there is a small hope he will see how different we are and why we must do this, but it was not to be. He blew a gasket!

“Are you crazy! This is insanity. How can you ask a girl of eight to marry you? Trellathikes? Roberto, you stop this right now before you all get hurt. You hear me, stop it now.”

I spoke as earnestly as I could, maybe even with a note of desperation in my voice. “Alki, there is no way I can stop it. Think about it. Can any adults love each other more than the three of us love each other? Can any of them, however mature, be more deeply committed to each other? Are there any other couples who would die if the other left them? If they commit suicide maybe, but we do not have to. We do not have the choice of suicide - I’m not even certain I can call it involuntary suicide; we just cannot exist without each other, just as you cannot without oxygen. Can any other couple be as close to each other as we are? As devoted, to the exclusion of anything and everything else?

Alki, if it were not for you, we three would be an entirely closed circle, needing no-one or anything else. I do not think you can even imagine how important you are to us. You are our only opening to the world that would persecute us if they knew of us.” I took a ragged breath. “If it goes against your religious beliefs to perform the ceremony, we will understand. We can marry each other. We only wanted you to do it because we love you so much. Please at least be with us to celebrate our love. Unless of course you are getting too old to walk up that hill. That we will also understand. Just wait for us at the bottom.”

As I expected, he blew up, swearing at me and when he heard the giggles, at the girls. He told me how he could out-walk, out-climb and anything else us young people can do. After he told us how us youngsters did not have a tenth of the stamina his generation had, he finally calmed down, but without changing his mind.

“Roberto, this is still wrong. You and Dominique, maybe - I would be happy to marry you. But the little one? No. Consider your motives carefully Robert, be certain you are not using this to tie them to you. Cherine’s mind is still forming, she is still an impressionable young child; she cannot agree to something so important, cannot be allowed to agree, her judgement is not a mature one. She also has no choice, she has to agree, you two are the only ones she has. It is not fair and it is incredibly selfish of you. Do you know what an effect such a ceremony will have on her impressionable little brain? I know you, the ceremony will be truly inspiring, beautiful, and the effects will be locked in her mind, a child damn you, manipulated by you!”

125

“Alki, your opinion of me is almost flattering, but let us not pretend. It may be difficult to believe, it may even be difficult for me to acknowledge, and I do try to make it seem otherwise whenever I can, but you are perceptive enough to have seen through the sham, the pretence for the sake of my ego. I am not the one in control. Our little brat manipulates me, she manipulates Dominique and last of all, she manipulates her pappou. Ow, that hurt damn you…of course you are a brat, think I’d marry you if you were not? Ow!…okay! Alki, she wants to talk to you.” I handed the phone over.

“Pappou? I do not manipulate you. Promise. Only him. I have to, he is so bossy all the time. He hardly ever lets me do what I want!” The voice of Alki came through vaguely. “No, I cannot. She is so sweet, so good I can’t. She manipulates me all the time, she makes me want to do what she wants. She doesn’t order me around like Robert does.”

Dommi gave me her sweet smile then lifted her one eyebrow. She whispered, “You just remember, I did warn you that first time, that you were in big trouble.” I realised her smile was not sweet, it was trying to be a little bad-girl smile.

When my attention returned to Cherine she was closing the phone, looking downcast. “He says he will not be party to this.”

I pulled her to me and as I sat, placed her on my lap, holding her tightly for a minute.

“Okay everybody. It is serious pow-wow time. Alki is our father/grandfather, right? If he was my real father, or, an even better example, if he was Cherine’s father and he felt so strongly about our marriage being wrong, I would be giving it serious consideration, trying to honestly examine each point he so forcibly put across. Don’t we owe it to Alki to treat him the same way?”

The girls were not that flexible. They were still determined to go through with it. In this, I suppose, Cherine was just like any adult woman would be. The fact that I saw him as our mentor would not move them from their fixation. I owe it to Dominique that Cherine did not sulk and try to force me to change my opinion. She reminded her that there can be no wedding if I do not want to marry them and that instead of them forcing their wishes on me and Alki, they should be trying to talk us out of our fear of what the world will think of us if they learn of the wedding. Dommi also asked me what would happen if we do not marry for another five years, would we leave Cherine for her to grow up like a normal little girl, with her mother, or would she remain a part of our lives and remain in our bed. If she is to stay our little love, then how could formalising our love be bad for her? As she said, it would not be honest of me to see having sex with her as being permissible, despite her being a child, while marrying her is not. When she argued that our wish to marry Cherine would remove the possibility of Cherine ever believing we took advantage of her sexually - I thought it was kind of her to say ‘we’ instead of ‘you’ and gave her a kiss.

Dominique had hit the problem dead-on the nail and it did not take much more time or argument to convince me that my original idea is not a bad one, that we will not be damaging Cherine, and that even if the idea of us marrying Cherine may sound ridiculous or manipulative to everyone else, what matters is how the three of us feel. I had to admit that I still want to marry them and my admission ended the need for our discussion.

Once I saw that the three of us were truly united in this, I called Alki. He agreed to meet me. I took the girls back home and continued to the office in Piraeus. When I entered his office he actually locked the door so that nobody can come in by accident.

I explained my dilemma, adding in, how our feelings have clarified and that we still want to get married. I dishonestly allowed him to infer that I can see reason, but that I am incapable of changing the minds of my two loves. I was surprised to see him smile. He told me to go for a drink at the plateia while he talks to them and I will return to learn, by example from him, how to deal with females. I wished him luck, but I did not go for a drink, I had a feeling it would all be over soon.

When I got home the girls were all over me. Cherine was teary with happiness as she told me that Alki has agreed to marry us. I could not resist phoning to congratulate him on his successful method of dealing with them. I refuse to type the words he used to describe me, in this diary, even if they were in Greek.

126 Chapter Twenty

We got the rings, plain gold bands with the three names on the inside - my original idea did not work because I worried and I had to get the third one engraved at another shop to avoid getting strange looks. It was perhaps a sign of the paranoid need I permanently have to keep the slightest suspicions from being raised. I am sure that my zeal to protect the girls is sometimes a pain in the neck for them, but they are growing used to what they still consider are my quirks - they teasingly claimed this was just one more. Anyway, they were so happy about the wedding going ahead with Alki, that they would not have been annoyed by anything I say - not that I would want to spoil these days for them.

Instinct? I do not know. Just before we left for our church, the phone rang. It was Nicko. He wanted to know how I was. He refused to talk to or about Dominique. He explained he had not contacted me re the ISP project, which was moving ahead very fast, but the day I make an honest woman of his sister we can talk about it. Well, he did not actually use the hackneyed phase ‘honest woman’, but with all his talk about the disgrace he might as well have. Stupidly, I got the giggles, mostly out of nerves, and had difficulty talking with him, which made him extremely angry. From school days I knew he could get very vindictive if he felt he was being laughed at, I guess we all do, and I got a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach for a moment, nothing as strong as a premonition, but I told myself to keep an eye out for him. There would be no direct attack, it would be something sneaky. To think I used to laugh and admire him for that quality when we were school boys!

I had hardly replaced the receiver when the phone rang again. I gave the girls an exasperated look and answered. It was Marian. She asked for Cherine. She came to the phone and it was all ‘no’, ‘yes’ and ‘maybe’. When she closed, she answered my look with a ‘look’ of her own.

“She wanted to meet me. Today. I told her I can’t. I agreed to see her next weekend.”

I got a shiver down my back. It was as if everyone has had a premonition of what is about to happen and are phoning. Humans can be quite good at that, I thought. Suddenly my one leg was trembling, weakening again. I had to sit down. Cherine and Dommi picked it up immediately and quickly sat by me to hold me.

“Robert what is wrong, your face is ice cold.”

“Nothing. Just the normal wedding jitters I suspect. All grooms get them.”

Cherine was not buying that. “You are not so afraid of us. Are you worried because my mother called?”

“No point in lying to you is there, how am I going to spend my whole life never being able to lie to the two of you? I love lying.”

“You said you never lie to friends and only sometimes to others. So why would you want to lie to us?” I was amazed at her ability to recall things I had said months ago, just like a miniature lawyer. As I stared at her, she gave me her sweet/terrifying mysterious smile. “We must go. After we are married you will have to tell us.”

Her smile perked me up and I hate to miss a good opportunity for a tease. I kept my emoting as serious as I could. “Sit down, we better have a talk now. Alki can wait.”

Dommi asked, “Roberto, it is about what is worrying you?”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t think it is. It is mostly about us getting married.” Now they were suddenly holding their breaths. “By the time we return I will be carrying you over the threshold. You will be my wives. I will be your husband, a man who adores both of you, who belongs to you two exclusively. Maybe the act, the symbolism of our getting married satisfies a deep-rooted need in us, for we all seem to want it. That is only happiness for me. No qualms, no second thoughts in my heart or mind. I am very much aware that I am the one who is blessed.

But there is something important I am worried about. It is often seen that when couples marry, their relationship changes. I do not want that, unless it is for the better, bringing us closer to being all three in one. There is something else though you have to understand could happen after we get married. I’m not sure your mothers warned you about it.” I paused dramatically. “After we are married we will end up having sex. I guess you heard about sex?”

127

Cherine hit me, so Dommi felt obliged to follow suit, or else she just enjoyed doing it. After the giggles I held them back.

“I’m sorry, I really was working my way towards talking about something extremely serious, that even goes against our natures, of each of us and collectively. Both of you and Alki know of my crazy idea about us being a new tribe and that when the others learn of our existence, our lives will be in constant danger. Governments have very sophisticated systems and agents and we are like children compared to them. We must do all we can to reduce the risks and if you want Alki, or one of you, to be in charge, please say so. If not, if you want me to continue as is, my loves, the role I will have to play with regard to our survival and our safety will depend on you always working with me. Sometimes I may be wrong, but it is less important than when I am right.”

I checked their faces to be certain they understood I was now being serious. “We are in a war against most of humanity, or rather, they are against us. It may sound like I’m paranoid, especially to you Cherine, since I have tried so hard to teach you not to live in fear of being found out. I assure you, I am not exaggerating the dangers. If the world learns about us, they will not say, ah, empathy, love, how sweet, how lovely, at least they don’t blow us up like mutants in the movies do. A few eccentrics might, but the majority, especially the governments will not - they will be terrified of us. Cherine, if they would have feared you alone, imagine how they will feel when they hear there are now three of us…and maybe later, more. They will unite against us and we are vulnerable to them. The other possibility is that they hold us separately to force us to use our gifts to do their dirty work. Since our gifts do not work that way, it would kill us.

The dangers are real, but they must not fill us with fear, they must only guide us so that we are always circumspect about who and what we are, so that our existence and abilities remain a secret - at least until there are enough of us that we do not need to fear being ostracised. What I’ve just said, it maybe means I am telling you we must always remain just a little bit paranoid, but it also leads back to our wedding. Okay, I’m just going to say it - you might think I am crazy, but what I said about us being a new tribe? I am beginning to see our marriage as symbolising the creation of a new nation, made up of the three of us, with pappou as an honorary member.”

Dommi had not given it as much thought as Cherine has and found it impossible to believe me. “I like the image you are creating of us, but why do you say we are at war? Nobody has to know about us, Alki would never tell.”

“Things happen love, there is no guarantee. All that needs to happen is that we use our gifts just once at the wrong time, when a government agent is present, for example. What of any children we have? Is it not likely Cherine will link them from early and their minds being more malleable will grow beyond ours? We have to be careful for their sakes also. I’m not the only one who feels this way, ask Alki. Ask Cherine. She has lived with it her whole life. With fear I mean. Her father taught her to fear. He was wrong, we must not live with fear. Fear saps your strength. We have to use commonsense, a little caution and sometimes a lot of courage. At times we will have to take the offence. It is either that or we find a cabin in the mountains and live apart from the world. I will not have that. Not for you, not for our children. Dommi, we are what is called ‘social animals’, we cannot exist on our own, we must remain a part of our society so that we remain mentally and emotionally healthy.

Safety for us can only come through numbers, we must grow into the millions - and even then it could bring about a war, but at least we will then have a chance of surviving. I do not want us to face that kind of future, I would prefer to find a way for us to be welcomed by all of mankind. All our plans must include that goal. I want the gifts Cherine brings us to improve life for all, as I’ve said before and will say again, many times.

I fear that my dreams may be impractical, but we dare not move forward without a dream worth dreaming, or else we will become a scourge to all of mankind and they will be justified in trying to exterminate us and our children. I need to know what your dreams are, also. For as long as I am considered your protector, I promise I will do my best to see that we live for a dream that is ours, not just mine. I can sense you both approve of my dream so I’ll get to the point I was about to make.

128

At the moment, Alki says I am your warrior; he does not just describe me as your protector, he says I am your warrior. An artist for your warrior is not such a suitable option. Perhaps it is only for the present and one of you will become the warrior - it would not surprise me. On the other hand, this is not the usual kind of battle, it could be that a warrior who is an artist is the formula needed. This is where I see a possible conflict between our status as a new nation and the simple needs born out of our marriage and our becoming a family, especially in the century we live.

It is the fashion for woman to want and have total equality in their relationships. When a woman demands equality, she is demanding the rights of the male, not those of a woman, those that make her truly equal or valuable to a relationship. It seems to me, from watching others, that the moment a man gives the equality demanded, he is no longer equal. The woman becomes the dominant party. The woman also loses with this exchange. She is lesser than she was before. Why? The result is that she then just has responsibilities as her right, but little else. Because she no longer is treated as a woman, often does not even feel like a woman anymore. I presume you have noticed that the modern woman seems to resent every gesture or word that a man uses to show that he treasures her womanhood? He is not even allowed to be her protector, for then she claims he is treating her as a child, but if he is not her protector, the protector of their family, she has contempt for him. I’m not saying women should not also be the protector when they can, I’m talking about extremes. As far as I’m concerned, when things are taken to an extreme, either way, the relationship, the family, are no longer healthy and viable.

I’m not about to debate whether I am right or wrong in general; if you want, we can do so some other time. I probably am both, but I think that in all that really will matter to us as a family, I am right.

You both know what my weakness is, what my strengths are we are slowly finding out. Until one of you shows herself to be the rightful warrior of our family and nation, I will demand and expect that in all matters that could affect our future lives, our safety, the existence of our family and nation, you will obey. If the danger is not imminent we can discuss it, but in all cases my decision is final. No battle can be fought where each soldier makes their own decisions. In other matters, I too will obey you, for that is how a true relationship should evolve, each of us have responsibilities and a role to play and those must be respected by all of us.

If others hear of our marriage, to them it will seem a mock marriage. No priest, no licence, no civil servant stamping a piece of paper giving us the right to call ourselves a family. To us, this is deadly serious, a vow of love. A total commitment that runs deeper than any church vow could bind us. The nature of our relationship, our love, makes our marriage unique. We will never have to worry about a multitude of things other people worry about. For this reason we will also have a number of problems unique to us. I look forward to them because I have faith, knowing your magnificent hearts, that they will only serve to bring us closer. Now, before we go up the mountain, do either of you have any last minute reservations, any questions?”

I could sense they were both overcome by the future I was forecasting and my fears, hardly daring to open themselves to my dream yet. Luckily Cherine’s spirit is not easily squashed. “Robert, you are a silly goat, you did not have to tell us you are the boss. We know that. I think you just love talking and telling us what to do. Can we go get married now, at last?” I gave a pretend despairing look at Dommi, whose eyes had cleared and were now laughing at me.

Alki had brought his camera. I felt a pang. I did not have a single photo of my Cherine, only those Marian and Dominique have taken of her. Being an artist I tend to think in terms of paintings and sketches. I extravagantly promised myself to buy a camera and spend half my money on photos of my loves.

Although it was a cold day, we were all perspiring by the time we reached the broken down chapel (parekklision). There is no roof over it, with only parts of some walls still standing, where scratched and faded decorative borders and religious paintings still survive, and the alter itself. Dominique found the setting romantic and was obviously wondering how I had found it. My observations of the surroundings and my loves were more for the purpose of securing in my memory a number of scenes for me to paint. I looked at the glowing faces and love filled eyes of both of the keepers of my heart and knew, whatever else happens, I am to live a life of bliss if their hearts have any say in the matter.

“Alki, you said I would prepare a ceremony that would touch their hearts, impress them. I have not made any preparations, not even as to the words of my vow. I preferred to leave it all to the inspiration of this holy moment. The only piece I have written is the questions I want you to ask us. Whatever else you want to say will only add to the beauty of our union. Alki, if you are still thinking I am nuts marrying a child, I want you to know...”

129

“Forget it. If she had wanted to marry me, I am not certain I would be able to resist - or that I would want to. I was wrong. I keep forgetting Roberto what a special people you are.”

I hugged him. “Not me Alki, the two girls.” He gave me an impatient look, but did not reply.

The girls did not hear us, for they had gone behind a crumbling wall to dress for the ceremony and Cherine was too excited to be monitoring me closely, all she needed was to feel my love and happiness. They had not let me see their new clothes and I was trying to picture what they will have chosen.

I became aware that I was trying to monitor them, scanning for any possible dangers. In a low voice I told Alki about it. When I told him about healing the girls he crossed himself. I did notice though that when the girls came out he took Cherine’s hand and pretending to bend to kiss it he examined it. He could see the bruising was gone and there was no pain.

They were both wearing the exact same dresses. Bridal gowns, but purified to the essence of the symbolism, without any sequins or tiny pearls, and only with an edging of a strip of lace. Classical and pure white they looked like ancient Greek goddesses. It was obvious the choice had been Dommi’s and I was proud to have a wife with such rare taste. I was wearing my evening wear, which I had climbed up in, so I was not looking as fresh and smart as they did. They were and always will be the white orchids of my heart, especially whenever I recall this day.

We stood, a girl to either side of me. Alki faced us and he quickly read my wording. I saw him do a double-take. He frowned a moment then he laughed to himself. He gave me a look of approval. I pulled out the two boxes I was carrying. The rings I put in front of us. The other I opened and placed a sweet smelling gardenia each in their hair. Alki took a few photos, put a small cassette recorder on the stone between us, then clearing his throat told us he was ready. He asked us.

“Are you ready to take your vows of holy matrimony Dominique?”

In a low throaty voice she answered, “Yes I am.”

“And you Cherine.”

“Yes I am.” She was not able to hide the excitement in her voice.

“And you Roberto Teller”

“I am. I mean, yes I am.”

“Very well, we will then proceed. As represented by me, you are being married today in accordance with the traditions of mankind. As represented by this church you are being married today in accordance with the Laws of God. Those Laws are that you marry with love in your hearts for the others, with no reservations. That you will bear witness to His love for mankind by your love for each other and for the rest of mankind. That you will be fruitful and multiply until the earth is filled with the love you three have. Do you so agree to and vow?”

We all three of us gave our answer from our hearts, from our hearts that were this moment as one ecstatic single heart.

“Roberto will you give your vow and promise to your brides?”

“I will. I Robert, do hereby promise and vow to Dominique and Cherine, to Cherine and Dominique to love you with all my heart to the day I die. I vow to never hold one above the other, to equally cherish and adore you. I vow to be a true husband and father to our children that we may be blessed with. I vow to protect and guard you and devote my life to your happiness and growth so that you may both achieve your potential. I vow to never willingly hurt you and should you be in any pain, I vow to take your pain for my own in gladness. I vow to give tribute to your bodies in love and happiness forever. I vow to treasure your love above all else in life or death.” I turned and faced them, looking them each in the eyes, “I vow that my love will always be stronger than it is today for all our tomorrows. I not only take you as my brides, I also give you myself in true humility and gratitude.”

130

Alki read from my note. “Dominique will you give your vow and promise to your husband and your bride?”

She stood, her face pale but her eyes shining, in thought for a moment. “I vow to Robert and Cherine, to Cherine and Robert, to love you both equally to the limits of my heart. I vow to care for, nurture and cherish you both through the good and the bad. I vow to never place myself before either of you. I vow to cherish our children as my own. I vow to live only for both of you.” She turned and faced us. “I vow that you are my life and my love will be yours forever, growing forever.” She pulled a face at us and resumed her position.

I put up my hand to halt Alki. I took the camera and stepping back positioned myself so that I had the backs of my brides with Alki appearing in the center, in my place. When I returned Alki continued.

“Cherine will you give your vow and promise to your husband and your bride?”

“Can I say anything I want? I can’t use all those words they did.”

Gravely Alki answered her. “Speak from your heart and you can use any words you want. God and your loved ones will hear you with gladness.”

“Robert I swear to love you for all my life. I swear you will always be welcome to come back and live in me. Robert when I met you I was empty and sad. You have given me a place of love in you. I promise I will always want to be in that special place. I promise to look after you and listen to you, because I love you. I promise that whenever you want me to have your children I will have them and teach them to love you like I do. I will love you as my husband for all my life and be with you.

Dominique, when I met you, Robert was yours to love. You let me have him, even when you remembered you really do love him. You did not try to hurt me with hate. You became my sister, the mother I always wanted my mother to be. Your heart was so big that you could love me also. You taught me what love really means once I could look in your heart. You are today my bride and forever you will be my wife. I thank you and promise to love you forever and ever.”

She stepped back and stopped. “I forgot to turn.”

“Maybe you want to turn and say something to both of them at the same time?”

She threw Alki a quick smile and stood facing us. I felt her eyes going deep into my heart. “I promise never to make you sorry that you love me. I will be the best person I can just for you. I love you.”

She turned to Alki. “Can I kiss them now?”

“It is your wedding, you can do whatever you want.”

And so it was that the brides and groom kissed each other before placing the rings. For that, those kisses were twice as sweet.

“With these rings as the symbol of my undying love I thee wed.” I placed the rings on the fingers of the two girls, no not girls now, brides. Still, they are and will always be my little girls.

“With this ring as the symbol of our undying love we thee wed.” They then placed the ring on my finger. The gold was not only on my finger, it was in my heart.

“Now you both should give your vows to each other.” Alki said.

They stood undecided how to go about it. Take the rings off and do it all again or just speak the words. We left it to them.

Dominique took Cherine’s little hand and put it to her lips. “With this ring as the symbol of my love I thee wed.”

Cherine elected to do exactly the same. With the hand of Dominique and ring to her lips she loud and clearly, her voice proud, spoke the words. “Dominique, with this ring as symbol of my love I thee wed.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife…and wives.”

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I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love.