The Children of Time (The Children of Time Trilogy Book 1) (15 page)

Zara, Nicolas and Merko vowed to keep their identities in secret and
managed to live like normal people.

Merko opened a company of security values and personal
protection. He worked during the day and at night went to Lorena’s house to
date her. She thought about him as protective man and imagined he had appeared
in her life to complete all her dreams as a woman. He was actually the other
half that would complete her, the one that would protect her for the rest of
her life. A man transformed by the power of love.

***

After all the adventures he lived, it was time for Nicolas to go
back to his studies in physics. When he returned to college, he met Sanchez.

“Where have you been, Nicolas?” Sanchez asked when he saw his
friend. “We missed you. You have a lot to catch up on. During this time you were
absent, a lot of things was thought to us, the students. Coincidentally, Zara
didn’t show up at college. What a strange thing!”

“If I told you everything I’ve been through during this period, you
wouldn’t believe.” Replied the boy with a mysterious air. “But let’s say I made
an important trip to meet new people from other places.”

“I didn’t understand what you mean by that.” Sanchez said confusing.

“Okay. Maybe someday I’ll explain it to you better.”

While they talked in the middle of the courtyard of the college, few
students from the same course, including George and Adam, came closer to him.

“Nicolas, you are here? You disappeared. What happened? Did you have
any psychic outbreak?” Adam asked with a sarcastic tone.

“Let’s say I took a time to relax my mind.” He answered without
getting embarrassed with the mean comment.

That was when the beautiful Zara came walking toward them with her
heavenly blue eyes and a beautiful silhouette, which the pregnancy hasn’t been
able to modify yet. Everyone on the campus stared at her as she walked toward
Nicolas. She kissed him on the lips and said:

“Nick, my dear... Do you want to introduce me to your friends? I
study in this college, but it seems that you’re the only one I know.”

“Of course, my love.” He said, proudly. “This is Zara.” He turned to
those who had mocked him minutes before, to introduce his girlfriend. He had a
smile, and the happiness was stamped in his face. “She is a new student who came
transferred from another university from the East Coast. Do you remember her? She
entered our university little time ago to study physics there. We’re together.”

Everyone was perplexed and amazed by the lucky of the boy they
teased so much in college for being weird and unable to captivate any girl.

“What did you see in him, Zara?” George wanted to know.

“Let’s say I can read his mind, so I know things about him that no
one else is able to know.” Zara replied with half a smile.

“Come on, Nick, we need to have dinner together tonight. You
promised me a romantic dinner, remember?”

And they were all amazed watching the two lovers leaving embraced.

Sanchez looked at the couple and thought:
Now I understand why
Nicolas disappeared during this time with the new student. They know how to
enjoy life!

***

At night, Nicolas and Zara got out for the highly anticipated
romantic dinner and chose an Italian restaurant where she really enjoyed the
food. Her pregnancy made her insatiably hungry, although it was still very
early.

“Zara, what name will we choose for our daughter?” The boy took the
opportunity to talk about the baby.

“I’d like we called her Helen. It is a strong name. What do you
think?”

“I like this name. It’s certainly beautiful like her mother. We’ll
do everything to make her a happy girl.”

She smiled feeling the happiness in the glance of her love, and read
in his mind the desire to take care of the daughter who was in her womb.

“My love, we need to tell your mother about my pregnancy. We can’t
wait too long or she will discover by herself and may be disappointed because
we didn’t reveal the truth.”

“We’ll tell her next weekend. We’ve already scheduled that picnic
and I think it will be the ideal moment to tell about our little Helen. I’m
sure that both my mother and my sister will be happy to hear the news.”

“It will really be a perfect time!”

The rest of the night was really enjoyed by the couple, who now
lived romantic moments, with a lot of passion, involved in total harmony.

***

Zara changed to medical school after making some tests and proving
to be capable. She soon stood out as a student, with great grades, but she
couldn’t go beyond what would seem ordinary to the eyes of other students or
teachers. Her desire was to specialize in Genetics to be able to return to
practice her profession according to the law on the planet Earth.

Those feelings of anxiety that she once felt were now so rare, that
she didn’t mentioned them anymore. Maybe it was the fruit of the passion she
felt for Nicolas and also the joy of being a mother. The boy noticed that Zara
was better from those symptoms of anxiety and avoided talking about it.

Soon she would have to take a leave from college because of
pregnancy. The doctor’s belly was slowly growing but her pregnancy was healthy.
Nicolas noticed that she was eating well when they went out for dinner or for a
snack, but he tried to make her feel comfortable.

***

Merko and Lorena went out a lot and everything was quite new to him,
because the habits of fun and the rides were quite different from what he was
accustomed to do on the planet Vida.

When he saw police cars passing by and heard telepathically the communications
about crimes, he felt an almost irresistible urge to chase criminals. Then, he
calmed himself down and thought he shouldn’t get involved in the problems. He turned
to the woman he loved and they had fun, as a happy couple.

***

On the planet Vida, everything seemed to be normal after the arrest
of the villain Mirov. However, even arrested he stayed walking from one side to
the other in his cell, thinking of a way to escape. His servant, Radof, was
nervous in the next cell and, one day, he asked:

“Master, why are you so anxious?”

“Shut up, Radof. I need to think of a way to get out of here. Where is
Captain Fizard? He cowardly hid himself; when, in fact, he’s our only chance to
escape.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, master. You can’t escape.”

“Be quiet. Let me think.”

Mirov continued his eternal walk in the space where he was
imprisoned, articulating a Machiavellian plan to escape from there and, with
it, be able get revenge from his enemies.

***

Meanwhile, on Earth, Nicolas and Zara were already thinking about
the possibility of living together, because it would be the natural consequence
of their relationship, especially now, with the arrival of the girl who would
change their lives.

Earth – Year 2017

After so many adventures, Nicolas and Zara only wanted to live a
normal life, enjoy their romance and the daughter who would soon be born. They
were living in a house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, not far from Lorena,
because they wanted to keep living near her. Nicolas went back to study Physics
was a bright student, very interested in cosmology and the curvature of
space-time, which would allow time travel in the future. Zara continued to study
medicine until her due date.

Lorena insisted that the two lovers should marry in a church, but
her son didn’t care for it and neither did Zara. Marriage on her old planet was
very simple.

Merko didn’t want to interfere because he didn’t even know what was
like a weeding in a church. But since Nicolas’ mother kept asking them both for
a traditional ceremony and they were already living together they decided to do
it.

***

The boy went to a jewelry store and bought a pair of gold wedding
rings. Since he would marry Zara in a few weeks, according to his mother’s
desire, he would like to give his fiancée a perfect gem.

For the occasion more than special he invited his beloved for a
dinner with candles at a restaurant on Melrose Avenue. The place was
specialized for couple’s celebrations, especially at night, because there was a
dim light over the tables, which provided a romantic atmosphere. A large
chandelier of crystals was positioned in the middle of the hall and a vase with
red flowers was neatly placed on each table. Two violinists played soft songs.

Nicolas wore black pants, white shirt and a dark brown blazer. His
shoes were black and polished. Zara wore an indigo blue dress reaching her
knees with a white shoe.

“Zara, do you want to marry a simple Earthman?” Nicolas asked after
kneeling in front of her with a small velvet box in his hands.

“Of course I do.” She was visibly touched. “I want to marry the most
handsome man on this planet.”

He put a beautiful engagement ring on her finger and she did the
same. Nicolas touched her face and pulled her down for a tender kiss.

Tears began to fall down her face. Tears of joy, representing her
happiness to live and experience the great love she felt for Nicolas.

***

They choose a temple in Salt Lake for the wedding ceremony. The
place was one of the most beautiful chapels in the city with several coconut
trees adorning the side road to the church. This one had been recently
renovated and was painted yellow outside contrasting with the columns painted
in white. The inner walls had light beige coating, alternating with other
colors in a slightly darker beige color. Statues of saints over pedestals were
standing behind the pulpits. White flowers behind the altar provided an air of
peace with the help of the angels.

Lorena was in charge of the preparations and went to the best shops
in Los Angeles to choose the dress with Zara. They spent hours on the search.
Finally, the doctor decided for a white dress with pearls around her collar and
crystals that were shining softly on the light.

Lorena and Sophia didn’t seem able to talk about other thing and
Zara was also so happy, surrounded by the atmosphere. The women prepared the
clothes, the party and enjoyed the good fortune that a wedding brings.

The long-awaited day finally arrived. The guests were anxious to
enter the church and everyone wanted to see the arrival of the bride. Sanchez
was among the guests, along with college students, teachers and all of the
family’s friends. Almost all the men were dressed in suits and the women wore
long dresses, each one more beautiful than the other. White and yellow flowers
were placed around the main hall, and Nicolas could see that some of flowers
were jasmine.

Seven young people were behind the altar of the church with their
violins, cellos and piano. The godparents positioned themselves side by side in
the first three rows of the church where they were standing awaiting the
arrival of the bride. The maestro sang the song “Ave Maria” by Johann Sebastian
Bach and Charles Gounod, which was wonderful in the ears of all people that
attended the ceremony. The groom felt the scent of jasmine and waited for his
lover beside his mother. The bridesmaid and groomsmen started to walk and
everyone was just paying attention to them.

The music stopped for a few seconds and an absolute silence filled
the room. It was the anticipation of the arrival of the bride. Nicolas was anxious
and stared at the doorway of the church waiting for Zara. Lorena was at his
side with a light pink dress with a strap on the left shoulder and white shoes.
Seeing that tears were flowing from her eyes, Nicolas took a handkerchief from
his jacket pocket and gave her.

Sophia entered when the music began to play, sung by a chorus of
voices of the singers who were standing on a mezzanine. She wore a white dress
and a small wreath, and threw petals of red flowers on the way through which
the bride would pass.

The musicians started to play the wedding march by Mendelssohn.
Merko entered the temple arm in arm with Zara, who wore her beautiful white
dress with veil and bouquet of flowers on her hand. She smiled happily at
Nicolas.

Merko wore a black suit with a light blue shirt and gray tie with
black stripes. He would prefer to use military clothing, but the suit made him
feel important in the middle of all these people.

Zara looked and smiled to everyone on the left and the right side of
the hall and realized that at that time she was the center of attention. She
was grinning happily and showing them her joy and fulfillment.

As she walked, she thanked everyone’s presence with a nod, beaming
and saying:

“Thank you.” Her eyes showed all the emotion she was feeling when
walking towards the altar.

Nicolas was holding Lorena arm on the left side of the altar. Lorena’s
smile was incessant and she let her son go when Zara arrived. He hugged Merko,
that after kissing the bride on her cheek he went to stand by Lorena on the
right side of the altar. The groom finally and tenderly kissed Zara’s forehead.

Lorena was thrilled, almost crying with the whole scene. Merko was
nervous not knowing what to do and was just staying close to Lorena. He gave
her his arm and she leaned on him, proud to be with her husband at that moment.

Sophia was standing in the front row and felt that from that moment
on she had gained a sister, whom she considered beautiful and she knew she was
going to be a good friend and a counselor. The girl was very happy to be part
of the first wedding in the family, which looked just like a fairy tale.

Bride and groom were positioned on the altar and stared at each
other lovingly, like there was no one around them. The priest asked everyone to
join him in a prayer and bless the couple when they were confessing their love
for each other.

The altar boy held the Bible while the priest proceeded with
ceremony. He told Nicolas to repeat after him and he was so nervous and anxious
that he had problems to follow the simple instructions.

Zara also repeated the words of love and loyalty that brought hope
and joy to her heart.

The ceremony was very beautiful and everyone was so happy for the
young couple. Everywhere in the church you could see someone wiping some tears.
Unmarried women waited anxious for the moment when the bride would throw the
bouquet, which, according to tradition, would give luck to the one who got it.

It was the time for the rings, and another bridesmaid entered the
hall carrying it on a small white satin pillow embroidered with lace. Step by
step, everyone watched the little girl who was now the center of attention.
Upon reaching the altar, she gently handed to the couple the symbol of their
union. After hearing the words of the priest, the couple exchanged the rings
and shared a passionate kiss.

Now they were married according to the laws of men from the planet
Earth. When they left the church, Zara turned her back, and the women anxiously
waited for the bouquet. She counted until to three and threw it. A college
friend from the university got the flowers and smiled with the luck that the
tradition promised her.

A limousine was waiting for the couple while the guests threw rice
grains on the bride and groom, which represent abundance. Everything had been
planned by Lorena to provide an air of beauty and perfect joy.

***

After the wedding, there was a party at a club in the region. It was
a wonderful place with a lake surrounded by green grass, full of white swans. A
white bridge passed over the lake and made the place even more magical. At
night the light of the garden were accentuated by the beauty of the
arrangements placed throughout the ballroom.

Plenty of food and drinks were served to the while everyone was
dancing to the music that was being played electronically. Then, the stage was
opened and a band playing live songs surprised the guests. Everyone was shocked
with the good news.

The young couple had the privilege to dance the first song on the
dance floor and soon many joined them dancing and celebrating their union.

Sanchez walked toward Nicolas and Zara to greet them:

“Congratulations, Nicolas, for this time of happiness. I could never
imagine you would date a beautiful student who arrived at our college.
Congratulations for you too, Zara. I wish a lot of happiness to the couple! And
I ask you to take good care of my friend. He’s a special guy!”

“Thanks, Sanchez. I’ll wait for your visit and I’d like you to come
to my new home. One of these days, I’ll be at your wedding...” Nicolas replied
smiling.

“Thank you, Sanchez. Friends of my husband are my friends too.”

Lorena asked the music to stop for a moment and got the microphone
from the stage saying:

“Let’s make a toast for the bride and the groom and their happiness!”

Everyone raised their glasses of champagne and shouted aloud:

“Congratulations to the new family!”

Zara and Nicolas stared at each other, happy, and kissed for a few
seconds in the middle of the hall. Then the audience clapped and everyone
smiled happily.

The party was wonderful, and everything worked according to Lorena’s
plan. Now she was very happy because her son was married to a good girl. But
she was wondering:
Why the bride’s family did not attend the ceremony, not
even one person
?

Merko read her mind and approaching said: “Honey, you look worried.
What happened? The party is beautiful, your son is happy, there is no reason to
be concerned today.”

“Oh, my love, I can’t stop thinking about the reasons that prevented
the girl’s family to attend the wedding.”

“Lorena, we’ve already talked about this. She only has her parents.
They came to America when they were both very young and lost contact with the
rest of the family. They are very old and couldn’t make it to the wedding. One
day we’ll go visit them and you will understand what I mean.” Merko said,
hugging and kissing her.

Thought if she knew Zara’s parents, she would faint with the
surprise. He thought smiled.

“Why are you laughing, Merko?”

“It’s nothing, my love. I’m just happy for this moment and was
thinking about your silly concern.” He replied, kissing her tenderly on the
lips. Grabbing her by the arms, he led her to the dance floor, adding: “Come
on, let’s celebrate this special day!”

Merko and Lorena were on the dance floor when he affectionately
touched her face with his, and whispered in her ear:

“I want to enjoy this wonderful moment and ask you to marry me. Will
you agree to be my wife?” He said looking directly into her eyes.

“Of course I agree my love. I want to live with you forever!”

Merko and Lorena decided to get married in a simple ceremony at the
registry office of the city, and that he now moved to her house.