Little Cherine Book 03 - BPost021
I turned to Smaragda. “Will you please tell these people that I have just met you, I do not know you and we are not going to trick them?”
1601
“But you do know me, you invited me!”
“I did? But I’m certain I did not put a pack of cards in your socks. Could I borrow it?”
Startled she looked down and pulled out the pack. She handed it to me and I shuffled. I put my other hand over the hand holding them and opened my hands. There was nothing there. I looked at her with dismay.
“Why are you playing tricks on me? Don’t you want me to do my magic tricks with the cards?”
“I didn’t touch them!”
“Then why did you put them back in your sock?”
She looked down, saw them and giggled.
“Oh well, cards are boring, all magicians use them. How about we try something different?” She nodded.
I picked up a stuffed toy. “Smaragda, do you like dogs? Good, would you hold this one for me and pet it so that it does not get nervous.”
She took it and petted it, giggling. The tail began to wag as she petted it and she looked at me a little scared. “Didn’t you know dogs wag their tails when they are happy? Petting them makes them happy. Sometimes they even try to lick your face.”
The stuffed toy moved in her arms and she dropped it with a squeal. It kept on jumping and I saw she was afraid so I told it to sit. It did so, cocking it’s head to look up at her.
“Smaragda, you are not afraid of a stuffed dog are you?”
“But it is a magic one!”
“Wouldn’t you like to say that you are the only girl who has a magic toy dog? It does not have any teeth so don’t be afraid of it.”
With some gentle coaxing she picked it up and it lifted itself and nuzzled it’s snout against her cheek and then put it’s front paws over her shoulder and rested it’s head.
“I think it is tired and wants to sleep. Shall we put it here and let it sleep? You can take it with you afterwards.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, Smaragda has been playing a trick on you, she wanted you to all think that I am the magician, but the truth is that she is the magician. Watch what she will do for you now.”
I told her to wave a finger in a circle in the air. As she did, a golden glow began to form. It looked like a ring of sunlight and I kept on telling her to concentrate to make it brighter. Soon she was designing all kinds of shapes, excited by what she was doing.
We did a variety of other tricks, got other guests to come to us, write a word and show it to the audience while Smaragda kept her back turned to them, then she would guess the word. Of course I would put the word in her mind - only once was a word given that she did not know (Rosie did it on purpose I’m sure) so she did not get it right, but she did get so many correct that she was flabbergasted. She was almost ready to believe she has magical powers.
It was finally time for the last act and time for me to keep my word.
“Smaragda, remember the circles of light you made before? Can you do it for us again, but this time make the circle pointing down near your feet.” She did so and a small circle began to glow. “Can you make it bigger please, much bigger. That’s right. Make it nice and thick, we want a big solid circle of light.”
Soon as it was big enough I told her to put her one foot on it. I held her hand as she did so, her confidence in herself and me now was such that she did it without any fear. Her foot rested on the circle and I told her to pick up her other foot and put it on the circle too. She did so, wobbled a moment, but found her balance.
1602
“That is a good girl. You are doing very well. Now concentrate your mind and make the circle come as high as my knees.” I watched her mind and made it raise her as she ordered it to. Her excitement was something unbelievable and I sent it to all the Cherinians. It stopped at my knee height and I got her to crouch and slowly sit on the disc of light. She did so and I told her to hold on to the circle. She did with one hand and then gathering her courage let go of my hand and held the circle by both hands. I then told her to make it fly around, wherever she wants. Of course I made it move in accordance with her wishes.
She flew over everyone, going to her parents who were staring at her without being able to believe what their eyes told them. She stopped in front of them, her voice almost a squeak from her excitement. She touched their faces and even bounced herself on the circle. I saw the mother was now becoming terrified so I asked her to return to me. The circle came down to near ground level so that her feet touched the ground and I took her hand to help her stand up.
“Smaragda, that was magical and beautiful. Give a bow to your audience please.” They all clapped enthusiastically for her and she gave them a number of bows, her face flushed with pride and pleasure.
I gave her a hug and whispered, “Does that make up for the fall?” She nodded and then kissed my cheek.
She was soon in the midst of a circle of children, all playing their part perfectly, showering her with admiration and envy. The girls sent me many messages, amused at my going out of my way to make this day so special for her. I called out to Smaragda, “You forgot your doggie!” She turned to look and it ran across to her, jumping at her feet. Then it lay down, tail wagging and head tilted up at her. She picked it up and of course all the kids wanted to see and touch it.
As I expected I had to fend off questions by her parents, refusing to explain. “It is the job of every good magician or illusionist to confound their audience. When they say ‘but that was impossible’, then the show was a success. How it is done is my secret.”
When they left, Smaragda was a very happy girl with a bunch of new friends. They agreed to meet her at the coffee shop next day. Now we could all relax and be Cherinians again.
“Cherine?”
“Go to him my love.”
“I want you with.” She nodded and we walked over to Luigi.
“You have heard why and how I killed, as I promised you would. I felt how you responded during the telling. That was during moments of your emotions being played with, as a poet does, reaching in past the heart and touching the soul. Now that you have had time to look at it more calmly, would you condemn me Luigi?”
“You do not need to be condemned nor absolved by me Roberto. It is within your own heart that you need to find your own peace. If you condemn yourself what purpose my absolving you?”
“And the other way around. Luigi, I still ask the question. I need to know, a man like you, a poet with all the sensitivity of a poet, how do you respond to my deeds and fears?”
“With sorrow for both. Sorrow, for fate decreed that you should be the instrument when you were not suited to the task.”
“Am I forgiven for the trick I played on you?”
“The choice, the blindness?”
“Yes. One night of suffering.”
“I’ve tried to understand. I felt you were trying to give me a message.”
“I thought so too, but I stand accused of giving you one night of meaningless agony.”
“Why did you?”
1603
“Luigi, when people find out I can heal, most will easily ask and beg on behalf of their loved ones, some do so as if they have a right to demand it of me. I wanted to know, how many of them would sacrifice for the one they beg for. The first was a father who hated his son. He agreed to become paralysed in place of his son. The second was you. I had to carry out the terms of the agreement so that I would know, and you, that the offer was made with love and without regret.
Or so I thought. The night I left you I slept under a tree. I had a visitor who accused me of selfishness, of hurting you just for the sake of proving a theory to myself.”
“How did he know? Do you know who he is?”
“No. I only had the feeling of a power far superior to mine and a wisdom I will need a thousand years to equal. To return to you if I may. If you had asked and I had answered yes and done it and moved on. Would it have had the same meaning for you? Would you have viewed your brother as you do now? Did your offer to give your sight in exchange show you also, perhaps to your surprise, how much you truly love him?”
“I see. I never told him, but you are right, in my heart I felt closer to him. I also found I liked what I had done, that it made me like myself.” He wryly chuckled. “When I woke up with my sight regained, I almost felt, for an instant, as if I had been cheated out of something special.”
“The same with the father I mentioned. He too was healed of his hate and it allowed him to see his love. Either way, for the grief of thinking of yourself as blind, I apologise.”
“No. Don’t. Help me to understand.”
“It comes back to the question, are you richer if you receive or if you give?”
“Yes. You gave me an opportunity to give.”
I nodded. “Today must have been quite a traumatic day for you.”
“I was shocked to hear about Jade, that she has come to you since I last met you.”
“You may use the word created, we do. If spoken with love it is not a bad word. She is proud of it. Jade?” She came over and stood by my side. “Do you see her as another aspect of myself?”
He gave a sort of lopsided grin to her and looked back at me. “You would be flattered if I answered yes? I think she has found a soul of her own.” Jade beamed with happiness at his answer and rushed off to repeat it to all the girls. I saw they all showed happiness for her and she radiated such glee and self-confidence that I had to pass on some of it to Luigi.
“Can you see how blind the ordinary person is? All you could see was her face, the movements of her limbs and body and you guessed at how she felt. Feeling it yourself, does it not open another dimension of understanding?”
“The probability of telepathy and other paranormal powers existing have tantalised us with possibilities for centuries. To be in a room full of people who have these powers is an amazing experience. I think even you do not realise how different you have become. I have watched many conversations and it is impossible to understand what they talk about, for they leave half unspoken - knowing the other has picked up the meaning. Your girls, your wives and children give me the impression that they only speak aloud about one tenth of what they are saying to each other.”
“Not as low as that, but you are correct. I have fought against it, I do not want us ignoring the spoken word - just as I would not want to ever lose the written word. The voice is a marvellous instrument, sometimes speaking of emotions clearer than the mind - that is perhaps an exaggeration, but it does supplement the feelings we pick up. Look at Jade just now, despite feeling her emotions, how much nicer it was hearing the excitement and joy in her voice.”
“They complement each other. I suggest it will not help to keep them bound to the old ways by you laying down rules. Time will teach them which are the most effective ways of communicating.”
Keith said, “I disagree, by laying down rules, Robert has often made us stop and think - what he asks often seems crazy or pointless, but then after a while we see why he made the rule. What Robert should have told you is that he fears we may move too far away from the rest of mankind. He is concerned that doing so would not only make it difficult for us to cohabit with them, but also cause some to think of themselves as superior to the normal person. He is right, but it cannot be avoided, as much as he may dislike the fact, we are superior.”
1604
“Luigi, Keith is also a professor so I am a bit out of my league by arguing with the two of you. Keith, one question - how are you superior?”
“You want us to list the ways!? Having a healer alone qualifies us.”
“But Keith, I believe every single human being, perhaps many animals too, have a healer; they just do not know how to access it. Does the ability to read make you superior to an illiterate person or just better educated? I do not see it the way you said, I see that having a healer imposes upon us responsibilities, we have to help those who do not have access to their healers, especially since we refuse to teach them how to contact their own. If we did not have reason to fear, we could, if correctly planned, teach every human within the next five years. Just as with reading, they have the latent ability, they only lack the teaching.”
“As you see Luigi, we see things from different points of view. With Robert you will be reminded of your younger students who live in a world of ideals and believe in the goodness of Man.”
“Keith, you will excuse me if I ask you a question? If Roberto were a man without these graduate ideals, if he were more cynical - what would the Cherinians today be like?”
“I can answer that for you. My name is Jonathan. I am that man you would imagine Robert as. When I first joined I fought him. There were nights I went home after listening to him, seeing how he handled momentous events and cried from frustration and anger. I saw the Cherinians as an important step up the ladder of evolution and feared he was about to waste this opportunity and destroy the dream with his simpleminded ideals. He has an irreverant way of treating important occasions that made me want to hit him. He imposed modes of conduct that I saw would lead to the extinction of all Cherinians. I even tried to take the leadership away from him. Do you know what he did?"
“I can imagine it was something that frustrated you even further.” Luigi answered with a smile.
“He offered to place me as leader in his place. No, he did not offer, he demanded!”
“And? That did not please you, that a level headed practical man who knows the ways of the world would have a chance to guide your people?”
“No. It did not. It made me face myself, look at what I would do to the Cherinians and I did not like what I saw. He still frustrates and angers me, but now I have the sense to bide my time, to wait to see the results.”
“Jonathan, I think you will go home tonight, think of what you said and kick yourself. I never imagined you would stand before me and argue in my defence.”
He laughed. “I probably will. Robert, I am not so small minded that I cannot see when I am wrong. I am able to grow.”
“If you were a girl I think I would hug and kiss you for what you just said. I imagine you must be sleeping a lot easier recently, since I became more sober and cautious.”
“The truth? I think the change in you actually highlighted for me how wrong I was. I do not sleep easier Robert, it is now that I worry. I would prefer that you frustrate and anger me.”
I bowed my head to hide the tears that threatened to spill over. Softly I whispered, “I’m sorry,” and walked away from them.
Even though I stood outside on the pavement in the cold wind, lighting a cigarette, I could hear their conversation clearly within my mind.
“Something has happened to change him and you are all worried?”
“There are two schools of thought. Some believe the test of the Sparklers, his fear that he was the cause of the death of his friend Solomon changed him. Others think it is the sudden growth of his powers that has frightened him. Whichever it is, he has changed.”
Luigi spoke thoughtfully, “Experience turns young men into old men, not time. Power would only make a man like him more gentle and patient.”
1605
“You feel you already understand him that well? I must admit it sounds as if you are right.”
Keith added, “It is strange. When I first met him he leaned on Alki for his strength and love, looked to him for guidance on what is correct morally - he thought of him in a way as a father. I sense from Alki that he has been set aside, that Robert has bottled himself up within himself.”
Luigi changed the subject. “What of this old man he speaks of, the one who met him in Italy under a tree?”
“We all await his coming, if he was not a dream, with fear. Robert says he will be made to leave us on that day.”
“How can there be a person so powerful and yet none of you know he exists? Surely Robert would have sensed such a power?”
Themi had joined them. “You may be wrong. If such a person does exist, if his powers are so far above those of Robert, would he not be able to hide himself from us?”
Suddenly I wanted the warmth of a tropical night, the calming sound of surf. I sensed Dommi about to come to me, but the twins beat her to it. She gave a small rueful smile and sent me a kiss.
I grinned at the two magical creations of my darling Diana. “We better go back in to our bedroom and change clothes. These winter things will soon have us boiling over there.”
The girls chatted as we walked; in deference to my moodiness they used mind-speak, though every now and then they would speak a word or giggle aloud without realising it. They knew I was listening, but also sensed it did not bother me. Perhaps I should have let them see how I loved hearing them, but it may have made them self conscious and less spontaneous.
The moon was shining and the sea glittered as the waves tipped and reflected the pale light to us in tiny stars. As we watched, the girls exclaimed. An Arab dhow was passing by, a romantic sight in these days of engines. I thought of how simple and pleasant life is for those aboard her; hard work, but life simple and easier to understand. I guess I reached out to them with a yearning to be a part of it for a moment.
I shuddered with anger. They were smuggling, taking into Dar drugs for the young who already have no money for food. Without pausing to think I lashed out, loosening planks under the waterline until I sensed the holds flooding.
“Robert, they will drown!!”
“They deserve to.” I felt their dismay at my answer and forced the man at the wheel to steer for the beach. By the time they realised their boat was sinking they were within fifty metres of the shore. Excited at his prescience the man at the wheel bragged about this feeling he’d had that made him come close to the shore. They hefted between them the sealed bags of drugs and jumped into the water, hardly needing to swim it was so shallow. They were all glad they could save their cargo for it would pay for the boat to be repaired and still leave enough money to buy the next consignment. I saw the horror in some of them when they thought of the possibility of losing their cargo and returning home without money to even buy food, never mind repair their boat. It would have meant starvation.
I sank to my knees in agony. I could have burst their bags while still in the water. I thought of their customers, their lives being ruined, then thought of these men, not fat lords of a drug cartel, just fishermen who make a little extra to feed their families. Morally I felt I knew what was the right thing to do, but I did not trust my judgement. I felt my girls hug me as they stood to either side of me, trying to send me their love and understanding.
“Jo, what is happening? It is as if suddenly life is conspiring to destroy whatever confidence I have in myself. Why is every decision I make wrong?”
“You went to the beach for a reason Robert, the moment you took Nicole and Alexis you made a wrong decision. You should have sent them back and taken Dominique - she was the one you needed. What you did in anger was not wrong, it is the result of the way you grew up in an affluent society. What you should have done, if you were that committed to stamp out the drug trade is followed the fishermen back home and found those who provide them with the drugs - the ones who are making the real money. Them you should have ruined.”
1606
I stared out at the dolphin people playing with their young ones and envied their existence.
“You envied the fishermen Robert. What do you know of the lives of the dolphin people? Have you talked to them, learnt of their fears and worries?”
“What do they have to fear? There are no predators here.”
“There are predators everywhere Robert - it is just difficult to see them sometimes.”
“Come on Jo, I would know if there was another life-form here!”
“Think then, what other life-forms are there here and how do they threaten the existence of the dolphin people. Under what threat do they bring their young to this world?”
“You mean us!? We would never harm them!”
“You are so absolute in your certainty Robert? How many times have you placed them in danger of suddenly no longer existing because you wanted total death? If your family had followed you to that non-existence, what would have happened to this world?”
“Jesus!” Whichever direction I turned, it seemed all I found was a mirror throwing reflections of my wrong decisions back at me. Jo smiled.
“Now you want to blame yourself for what you might have done?”
“No, that would be stupid. I blame myself for not thinking of them, of not remembering I have a responsibility to Adam and all life here.”
Jo began to chuckle in amusement. “My dear Robert, you think of Adam as having life?”
“Who am I to judge? He speaks, he fights with me, sometimes he even thinks. Jo, do not try to convince me otherwise, the subject is too close to the arguments about Solomon.”
She sobered. “Yes, I see that. I’ll let time and your insufferable curiosity find your own answer.”
I feel no pressure when with her to keep talking. I sat silent for a long time, clouds on the horizon slowly drifting; the squawk of a bird over my shoulder within the trees; the sea or ocean gently lapping on the shore - how did it do that, what forces made it move since there was no gravity or wind or moon? I must have sunk into a low level of meditation, my awareness simultaneously sinking within myself and expanding to include the World, even Jo. I saw the flow of energy from the void as it became part of the World, joining to every part, from atmosphere to plants, to water and dolphins. Even to my temporary body; the energy was being absorbed and it lent a reality to everything in this World of ours.
I asked Jo, “The bodies are being used well?”
“They are, mostly they send the souls of those who died young or as children. It has made my stay here more interesting. They are so different from us, what seems similar only serves to hide from us the essence of their alieness. I find that what I like in our boys I admire in their females. Their male children are very boring, worse than girls can be.”
“I know. I was also intrigued by that aspect of them. Strange that despite that they are a patriarchal society. I imagine it would be a blow to feminists if they learnt of them.”
“The ones you call feminists, they are not. They are women who have denied their own nature and taken on a distorted viewpoint. They envy men for the wrong reasons.”
I grinned. “You better not get me started. I have met very few real feminists and I have admired each of them. You are one of them.”
“Me?”
1607
“Of course. You are a woman who is happy to be a female, you do not need to justify yourself or prove your equality. You allow the male to be a male. I believe there are three sexes on Earth. The male and female and when they join, becoming one in such a way that they complement each other, they become a third creature, one that transcends the shortcomings of both sexes. I suppose you will say I am being naïve and have an idealistic, simplistic and romantic outlook.”
“If you can make it work for you and your wives then it is valid.”
I dug my fingers into the light green sand, letting the gritty granules slide through my fingers as I sank deep into my thoughts again. They were not specific of anything, it was as if I were a bird drifting with my wings outstretched, letting the currents carry me where they will. Every now and then they would taste of a thought or memory, let it go and soar off again in a dazed sort of peace. Her last words came back to me and I sat up, my thoughts now sharp and homing in.
“Not just my wives - all Cherinians!”
She stared at me puzzled. “What?”
“You just said ‘my wives’.”
“That was nearly two hours ago!”
“Doesn’t matter. What you said does. I think I start to see what is troubling me. Jo, I am returning and tomorrow we are celebrating. Please let Solomon create a body for you and be there with us.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“Freedom! Come and find out.” I gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and left, a last laugh of joy I am certain was left behind as I dissolved back to my soul and danced a moment in the void. I opened my eyes to a roomful of girls watching over me. They sensed the change in my mood and it was like an electric current flashing through them.
“Wendy, call Apostoli and book tables for us for tomorrow night. I want every single Cherinian there.”
She playfully saluted. “Is that an order?”
“Uh huh.” I sent out my power and raised her, bringing her through the air to me and kissing the tip of her nose I gave her bum a playful smack and sent her flying to a phone.
“What did Jo do to you?”
“She let me fly through my thoughts and memories.”
Cherine was not satisfied with my answer, but was too happy to worry about it.
“Girls, be my messengers and let everyone know we are celebrating tomorrow night and I want them there. Meli, get your mum and dad to come over please.”
I picked up my imp. “Jade, I’m going for a shower. Want to join me?”
Soon as we were in the bathroom I reached into her mind and switched off any sexual feelings. I did the same to myself.
“Why Robbie?”
“We are not here for that. I wanted your company, I wanted the pleasure of washing your sweet body, but I need to enjoy this with purity, just to love the softness of you, the sweetness and beauty of a miracle made real.”
“You’ve come back weird!”
“Just you wait!”
We started with giggles and teasing, but I soon was kneeling, soaping her little body with a feeling of awe and adoration. Her eyes became dark as she stared, absorbing my feelings.
1608
“Why do you feel like this about me?”
I countered, “Why do you feel like this about me?”
“That is different! You are everything to me. I cannot help it.”
“You think it should be different for me? You think my love comes from not knowing you as you really are?”
“Robert’ (my full name? She was feeling serious!) “I am not complete yet, too much of me is still an emptiness, there is not much there for you to love.”
“How about we fill that emptiness? Jade, you are a baby, a true baby. That means your mind still has to absorb and learn. I hope to see it grow and I will do all in my power to help it achieve it’s potential. I can tell you though, what there is of you, I love.”
“I feel it. You always make me feel so special!”
“Sometimes I am not as loving as I want to be. I have been spending too much time looking in the wrong places, but now I think you will start to find yourself within the core of my heart and mind. Maybe you will even like it?” I teased, but she only shook her head seriously, her little face earnest.
“This is the first time I see you at peace with yourself since…well, in a long time.”
“Alki, through good and bad times I have always been able to feel your love. It was like a warm blanket trying to keep the cold winds out of my heart. I have not been as good at letting you feel how important you are to me and how much I have grown to love you.”
That was all I had wanted to say and it was all I needed to - the rest of the evening we spent in a warm, happy and pleasant family get-together. We shared a bottle of wine at the neighbourhood taverna and we both spent a good deal of the time watching our family and letting the richness of their love and happiness soak into us. It was good to see his eyes become open windows, no longer trying to hide his concern and worry.
“You have all been walking on eggs while around me. I have made you slaves of my own fears and disturbed your hearts with sorrows and worries for no reason. You all sense a change in me, even I can feel that reckless happy go lucky energy has returned.
I have called you here to celebrate this the first day of freedom for all Cherinians. You are wondering what the hell I am talking about?
Let us start by being a little more general. I will begin by presuming that our unique situation has given you all cause to look at the world, watching for the changes that could affect us.
Let us start with words like ‘freedom’, ‘equality’, ‘human rights’. These are a few words that have grown to be very important. Within the last hundred years we have seen countries go to war, not because they were attacked, not even because an ally was attacked. They went to war because of those words. To help a people somewhere attain those same rights that so many of us take for granted. You may be cynical if you wish and tell yourself that those were not the real reasons the politicians took their countries to war and you may be right, but what does matter is that the public believed them and those were the reasons the men and women offered their lives.
Movies and novels have given us many stirring words, or just repeated words that touch the heart. We all know the saying that I may disagree with you, I may even hate what you are saying, but I will die in defence of your right to say it?
A large percent of us are too young to know what I speak of from experience, so just listen, keep your hearts open and use your minds.
Anybody looked around to see what is happening today?
I think it is a law of nature that even idealists, when they come into power look for ways to eat away at the rights of their citizens. I am not being cynical, nor am I saying politicians do it for sinister reasons. We make jokes about politicians, forgetting that many of them sincerely are devoted to their countries and wish to leave a mark in history they can be proud of.
1609
In most cases, when we are asked to vote for them, they speak about our rights as adults to choose. They speak about our responsibility as adults to vote. They claim we should see past all the flimflam and choose wisely. What is the first change in attitude once they are in power?
They feel we are not capable of thinking and choosing wisely (ironic isn’t it?), and that they need to pass laws to protect us from our own immaturity and foolishness.
Let me give you an example. You are not only advised of the reasons why it is advisable to wear a seatbelt when travelling in your car - you are compelled by law and punished if you do not. That was but one example, but it serves very well. If you do not wear a seatbelt are you placing others in danger? I have not seen any proof that you do. However, in some odd situations, the danger to your own life can be increased. Common sense says so, for example, if your car catches fire and in the panic you cannot release your seatbelt - sorry, it was not just a theoretical example, it has happened. Think of how many other things we do which increase the probability of your dying. Climbing cliffs; jumping out of aeroplanes; exploring caves, you name it - there are hundreds of dangerous sports. Should we ban everything that poses risk to life? How would you like it if the person next to you has sole right of decision, deciding for you what you are permitted to do and when and how you may risk your life? What if your child is in danger and the person next to you does not allow you to risk your life? Do you honestly believe the politicians and social workers are wiser, more like God, all-seeing and knowledgeable? Are they less selfish?
The laws, when they are to be passed are presented in such a way that the ordinary man says, it makes sense, they are only trying to protect those who are too stupid to protect themselves. Very few stand up to call out that the government is taking away a basic human right - the right to decide for ourselves what levels of risk are acceptable to us. Since economics drive us, why didn’t they empower insurance companies to reduce the cover we pay for, if we claim for an accident when we did not use seatbelts, why make it a punishable offence? Even those who fought in wars to protect those rights, sit back complacently accepting the law as being good for us. Those who protest? They are given demeaning names, even the word protester has became tainted.
I am not against all laws, even some that may seem to erode our rights. If statistics prove that driving above certain speeds make me a danger to others, my rights cannot take precedence. Where laws are promulgated only for my own good, they are contrary to what I believe in, for it means that I am not being treated as an adult, equal in rights to the do-gooders who are making decisions on my behalf, without my permission.
I do not only get upset that those in authority try to pass such laws but, even more, I do when I see the people meekly accepting such laws - always because it protects some other idiot, not themselves - after all, they are clever enough to see the need for seatbelts. If statistics were taken, I would not be surprised to find that those caught and punished for not wearing seatbelts are mostly the very same people who believed they were the smart ones.
There are hundreds of laws being passed or in existence that are justified as being there to protect us. All of them erode our basic human rights. Finally they will one day have passed so many of these laws and we will be so accustomed to it that we truly will have less rights than most adults give their own children.
Aren't we repeatedly warned that we must let our teenage children make their own mistakes, that over-protecting them will stop them from becoming emotionally independent entities, preventing them from maturing and becoming responsible adults? Perhaps they should advise us the opposite now, so that they will not chafe under the restrictions and laws that turn them back into children?
Man has an inborn strong need for freedom, to have the right to decide what he does with his life, his money and his family. Within reason it would have been healthier for society if that was respected, for otherwise we only go in circles. Things will reach a point where either people will rebel, sicken or become the immature adults the governments are trying to turn them into. With new technology the governments are finding it easier to control the lives of their citizens and this makes them complacent, thinking nobody will be able to rebel. Why do people put up with it? Too often, logic is the curse that fights our instincts - to our detriment. Logical reasons are given and because people want to feel safe and protected and want to believe in their country, they allow their rights, piece by piece to be eroded.
If I may, I would like to read aloud something I read,” I held up the book with it’s lurid cover, “The Delta” by Colin Wilson. “It is a science fiction story, but this is the paragraph that I liked: It was then, as they entered the slave quarter, that he suddenly knew the answer to the question that had troubled him so much. That was why men craved freedom more than security and comfort: because freedom meant a certain richness of experience, and experiences in turn meant discovery of their own possibilities. Without richness of experience, there could be no discovery of their inner powers. That was why men hated slavery; because it meant inner stagnation…
1610
What has this to do with Cherinians, why did I call you here to celebrate the start of the freedom movement amongst us?
I have felt your love and worry during my recent problems. None of us, myself included could understand why I was behaving the way I was. The reason was very simple; I was at war with myself. I am at heart an anarchist. I resent any encroachment on my rights, where such rights harm no other person. Luckily the very words we often use betray the way we think and in this particular case opened my eyes to what was going wrong.
Would you all look at my wives please? What do you see, a bunch of kids mostly?
The truth is I know that even if they still need the experience of having lived day by day through a number of years to reach true maturity, they are in many ways even more mature than I am. If they choose to age their appearance, they are seen by the world as mature women, not as silly immature women. That would imply that their appearance affects the way we presently see them.
Jo, yesterday you called them my wives, not my girls. That has happened many times, but when an adult calls them my wives I am pleased, see it as a compliment to my girls. However, you are not a normal adult,” (everybody laughed) “you have devoted your lives to children. If you, being who you are, could see them as my wives and not as my girls it had to mean something.”
I paused, taking my time. I wanted them to think about it for a moment, try to guess in which direction I was taking this. I saw Solomon and Ordinx whispering to each other and Jo, who could hear them, looked startled and looked me in the eyes. I only smiled at her and looked away.
“Nine times out of ten I call them my girls. I will continue to do so no doubt - unless they rebel after tonight. I am a very lucky man to have them as my wives, but I love thinking of them as my girls. Even poor Dominique. This will be discussed between us when we are alone.
The realisation of what I was doing, the implications of my attitude, I teased and nagged at it until I was able to see where it led. I love all of you, thank goodness I do not have to prove it as you can all feel it. Being who I am, I also feel the need to protect all those whom I love.
Ahh, I see a few of you have woken to where this is leading. Let me first say this - you all know how hard I fought all of you. I did not want to be your leader. If I had to be your leader, I did not want you to venerate me, think of me as infallible. It scared the hell out of me.
Think of this. Most of you think of me as a leader of the number of people sitting here. Vaguely you know I am also accepted as a leader by other races but, what the heck, they live in the void!
Look at it another way. If I have the numbers correct, I am accepted as leader by billions or trillions of people!”
That shocked the hell out of them. There was a murmur of astonishment and as I waited a whispering grew amongst them. Finally it died away as they came to understand.
“For anyone to be ‘accepted’ as a leader it would be thought that person sought to be a leader. You all know I did not. It has been thrust upon me from all directions - what was I supposed to do?
I will tell you what I did try to do. I tried to lead as little as possible. I wanted to let each of you make your own mistakes, learn and grow. I even took it to extremes, causing you all hardships during the last two conflicts. I could have, from the void, have nullified them, ended the conflicts early on. In my judgement both I and you needed the conflict so as to mature and learn about ourselves. To my mind it was worth the risks I took. When it also became a way for our friends to help and show themselves to be our allies, it was too good an opportunity for bringing us closer. I have been judged, as you know, as being responsible for placing you all in danger, as being responsible for the bomb blast that hurt my little girls. I will wait for his return and accept such responsibility, but I confess that I will have to admit that if I could return and change what happened, I probably would not - even if I still have nightmares from seeing my loved ones hurt.
That I took my decision as being necessary is proven by the fact that I left my home and my loved ones exposing myself to being captured or killed. I gained from that experience and I’m grateful I had the foresight to take the course I did.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)11th August, 2019
* posted on Steemit: 11th August, 2019
@nikosnitza