Encompassing Reality (18 page)

Joy grabs Tomorrow by the leg and reaches to Adam with her hand.  She pulls him down and asks him, “Are we special now?”

“If you keep secrets.  You will lose your specialness if you tell anyone who doesn’t already know.”  Adam pointed out.

Joy responds, “I can be responsible, Dad, I promise.”

“You know Joy, I don’t doubt that.  You are very keen for your age.”  Adam responds.

“Mommy is more special, hers has feathers.  You and me don’t.”  Joy notices.

“Those feathers are part of a long story of how you came to be Joy.  One day, I’ll tell it to you while your Mom is busy making her dream come true.”  Renfield puts up both hands palms out, “I know, she’s the teacher, but I have thing or two to say.”

“Wait ‘til my little brother gets here!  He’s going to punch out bad guys with me!”  Joy comments while mocking a punch to the face of whomever is in her imagination.

Tomorrow strokes the feathers and thinks back to a time that seems so long ago to her, but that made her happy, even if it was under bad conditions.  She pauses upon feeling something odd about the feathers and narrows her eyes at Adam.

Adam looks at Tomorrow and grins, “Joy’s perceptive, like her mother.”

Tomorrow responds, “Violent like her father.”  She pats Joy on the head.

Adam furrows his brow at Tomorrow and replies, “Oh?”  Showing a look of innocence on his face. “I’m the only one who uses physical skill to bring about change?”

Tomorrow grins, “Tell me about your physical skills again!”  She looks down at Joy and blushes a bit.  She looks at the outfits gleaming with the accents in the sun.  He runs her hand over them.  “What is this?”  She asks Adam.

“Gold.  Remember you said it’s useless?”  Adam grinned back at her.  Then he added, “Here most trade is based on food and metals.”

“So was that bag a decoy or did I have in my hands something you knew would be valuable one day and I was too impatient?”  Tomorrow asked Adam.

“You, Tomorrow, are always impatient while being the most patient person I know.”  Adam responds.

“I should have gotten away while I had the chance!”  Tomorrow laughs and then reaches for her husband to kiss him.

Joy, looking impatient with her parents banter looks up and asks, “Are we ready?”

Adam replies, “Wait!”  He holds up a finger and looks at each of them.  “There’s so much more to show you!”  He takes a deep bow while gathering his hands in front of him at arms-length, touching at the fingertips, in a wide circle in front of them then releases his arms over their heads to illustrate how much more there is to this journey.

Tomorrow asks, “What is does this symbol mean?  It’s different from Venetia’s.”

“In olden days we measured time in year, as you know.  It was something I came across in the year we called two thousand and sixteen.  It is a knot that cannot be broken symbolizing three.  Or as it was designed, seven hundred years before that, what was called the trinity.”  Adam explained.

Tomorrow smiles at Adam as Joy indicates she is with him.  Joy points to Tomorrow and comments to Adam, “You follow her.”

“I’ve always followed Tomorrow with Joy.”  Renfield replies while smiling at his daughter and then to his wife.

“Why is it that your statement reminds me of when you introduced me to cheese?  Kind of mushy, tastes a bit like ‘ugh’ and a bit like ‘mmm, mmm, good’.  Now, I understand what you mean by cheesy.”  Tomorrow comments and then after thinking for a moment asks, “Did you really not know my name when we first met?”

“I did not.  However since knowing I was not unaware and noted the irony or the choice you made for our daughter’s name.”  Adam replies.

“I see.”  Despite his answer, Tomorrow looks at Adam with her own doubts.  “What is this about a brother?”

Joy cuts in, “I dreamed about him.  He’s pretty cool and we are good friends.  Mostly.”

Tomorrow looks at Adam to respond.

Adam shrugs, “I can’t visit the future, but I suppose she has given us a homework assignment.”

Tomorrow responds, “I’ll do my best to get a great grade from my teacher.”  Tomorrow grins at Renfield.

Adam turns and say to Joy, “Well, I’ve noticed you and Kumadri have become fast friends.  Go on, give her a hug and thank her for making your outfit and helping you get into it.”

Joy flings herself into at Kumadri who catches her and holds her tight and eventually sets her down and looks at Adam.  “You spoke true.  This is a beautiful place.  Thank you.”

Adam spreads his arms and wraps them around Kumadri knowing she wanted recognition from him too.  He was eager to show let her know he appreciated all she had done.  “You’ve done a phenomenal job leading these people.  I believe in you and you have been twice as good to my family.  As I keep telling them you have more to show.”

Kumadri grins and says, “Apparently you do too, I will adjust that area of your uniform so that it is more comfortable to suit you.”

Tomorrow laughs while looking down at her husband’s anatomy.  “It gets worse, so consider that.  I’ve learned tricks when I want to use them.  By worse, between us women, I definitely mean better!”

Adam groans at the lady talk.

Kumadri laughs and gestures for them to follow her.

As they all descend to the village following Kumadri, Renfield turns to Tomorrow and Joy and gestures while he announces, “Prepare to be amazed at what you are about to see!”

Tomorrow thinks, “Show off.”

Joy responds to the thought with her own, “I think he’s cool too, Mom!”

They all begin running down the hill to catch up with Kumadri.  Joy, realizing her legs are too short to keep up, clicks herself in front of her father who swoops her up and carries her while smiling at her.

Tomorrow watches from behind thinking about how excited he looked when she saw the side of his face as he picked up Joy.  Tomorrow clicks in front of him too and purses her lips as she leans towards him.  She thinks to him, “You’re excitement about life has kept you young for longer than I can imagine.  I love you for it!”

Renfield leans in to snatch her kiss, pulls her into him and whispers, “You invigorate me, you’re the heroine!”

Tomorrow reluctantly pulls her lips from his while ending the embrace by sucking on his lower lip, “You’re my hero, but you already knew that.”

Joy rolls her eyes at her parents and moves a hand to cover them.  Renfield laughs and says, “Hey girl, there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to Tomorrow!  Just make sure you bring Joy.”

Joy giggles as they begin their descent noting that Kumadri is standing next to a blacksmith already.  Both smile as the trio makes their way down the hill.  They can’t wait for their arrival.  They are excited to show off what they have in store for them.

The rest of the smiths watch this second presentation, eager to show off their own work.  There was no question Kumadri’s presentation would set the tone.  As the clear leader, they knew she would not fail them as first presenter to the legends they were soon to address.  This was the second presentation.  This was the one, they knew, would determine how their own innovations would be judged.  All eyes were on Tomorrow.

“And then what’s next, Bob?”  Tomorrow asked of the man she married and had a child with.

Renfield_2 turns and responds, “How long have you known?”

“You already know.  It was before I was very good at blocking you.  It’s been a long time.  Adam died too, that day.  He is the one who kept us alive.  But, your explanation wasn’t completely false.”  Tomorrow felt for one of the feathers and held it out. To him as she kneeled.  “I met you.  I married you.  I had a child with you.  It’s ok to be you, Bob.”

Renfield_2 started to respond, but Tomorrow kissed him and said,   “You never got the chance to be, but you gave me the chance to be me and I still chose you.”  She held his face in her hands.  “It would have been interesting to know the man whom you are created from, but I know you and that means more to me.”  She kissed his neck and then said, “You two must have been an interesting team.  He existed yet never got to grow up.  You grew up not existing.  I’m sure somewhere in the middle is how you two met.”  She kissed his hand.  “I won’t pretend to understand.  I don’t.  I don’t really care, for once.  I love you.  You are mine.  I am yours.”

“Talented.  But Adam did exist.  He did give his life, he bought Phillip the time.  Sorry, the Martyr.  I am born from Adam’s existence.  Yes, it’s a lot like you put it.  The best I can explain is that Adam and I did not get along well.  Although, we were the same, once.  Brian started to change that.  Persistence did.  For me, something that happened thousands of years ago, linear time, can be something that I will experience in my own future.  Time is complicated.”

“So are you, Dad, I have to go!”  Joy expressed while crossing her legs.

Bob focused on her heartbeat and her breathing and realized it was not a bluff.  He noted that she was experiencing a moment of embarrassment and had blocked her mind, instinctively, as a result.  Kumadri stepped forward to assist, but Bob waved her off.  Tomorrow looked at him in surprise.  Kumadri bowed, realizing her presence was no longer required.  Bob bowed lower to indicate that he was in debt to her, not the other way around.  Kumadri smiled at the gesture and left as fast as possible, looking at Tomorrow with trepidation as to what she would have to face.

“Wait.”  Bob commented with a hand firmly on Tomorrow’s arm. “Urgency and shame are amazing tutors.  She’ll face one of them and learn.”  He turned and shouted down the hill, “Lawrence, I need tank, water and a piece of acrylic sized to fit inside short ways.  That is if you have begun making it?”  Bob sees the salute back and the rush as he turns to see his wife’s face.

Tomorrow looked shocked at the seeming cruelty of the statement her husband made to her daughter.  She did note that Joy said, “Oh yeah.” And clicked.

Tomorrow looked at Bob.  “You just can’t help being a mean teacher, even to your own daughter!”

Bob smiled wide and held out his arms for a hug from his wife.  “If you still love me and you can do what you do, then maybe it’s not cruel, just a damned good point.”

Tomorrow considered the comment, nodded then said, “You do know where and when she went, right?”

“Nope, it’s time she face her decisions.  Especially while she’s young.  Clearly with her mother’s plans on saving the universe, you won’t always be there.  Face it, she’s going to travel and we can’t stop her.  Let her learn while we are where she knows we are and can help, if she can retreat back to us.”  Bob states then turns away from her.  His face cringes at what he is saying, but he knows there are no other alternatives and he has to stomach the reality, just as his wife does.

“And you?  Weren’t you going to pick up the slack?  Or now that you are outed you consider yourself not responsible.”  Tomorrow asks.

“You heard her.  She promised to be responsible.  I believe she will do her best.  She is armored as much as we can hope for.”  Bob taps the suit he has one and points to hers.

“Meaning you know where she went.  You’re sweating me.”  She asks with growing concern on her face.

“Mmm, I love it when you sweat, but no, I’m not kidding.  Her mother makes good decisions, she will too.  Although I do have the parental instinct to hope she is not as adventurous as her mother.  I also have the wisdom to realize that is foolish of me.”  Bob, puts a hand to his chin as he comments, “You had the audacity to stay above ground in the desert with a stranger.  Don’t you think she has some of your personality?”

“I became a teacher.  Not the most adventurous job.  It was pragmatic.”  Tomorrow points out.

“Oh, so teaching other travelers is normal and keeping Phillip’s dream going is something people do in their day to day life while trying to keep up with two travelers he created?”  Bob looks at Tomorrow with a wry grin as Lawrence delivers the tank and the piece of acrylic.

“You’re considering a concept I am somewhat familiar with, but not on the way you are thinking it.  Spies, undercover, espionage.  These are words I can feel the meaning of, but don’t know the details of.”  Tomorrow doesn’t like where her husband’s mind is going, but she also realizes they are not his concepts, they are realities he has seen.

Lawrence puts down the tank and the acrylic in front of Bob, “I assumed you had a structure in mind.  This will set fast, so don’t get your hand stuck in it.”, Lawrence explains.

Bob motions for a hand from Lawrence as he pushes the acrylic in and uses the bend to create force against the seal.  “So now fill the other side with water, please.  Thank you for your haste, Lawrence.”

“Thank you, sir, for everything.”  Lawrence looks up at Tomorrow with stars in his eyes and then excuses himself.

Renfiled_2 chuckles to his wife, but the things she is thinking are not very merry.

“Are you that foolish with our own daughter’s safety, Bob?”  As she calls him that, she sees from his reaction and feels within herself, how odd it is to refer to him that way.  She realizes he nor her are yet comfortable using his true name.  Even if they’ve both known it for a long time.

“Just as it is foolish of me to wait up all night for Tomorrow.  But I do it anyway because I love her.”  Bob rolled up the tight sleeve as much as he could and said, “Okay, this is politics.”  He pushed his flat palm into the water on one side of the tank and as it began overflowing to the other side he said, “Understand?”  He winked at her as Joy appeared.