They talked late into the night, ideas and suggestions flowing as passion for their dream took over - even Claire, Cherine and Marian making suggestions - and Tippity probably would have also if he could have spoken, if his attentive look as they spoke was any indication.
The closeness between Robert and Cherine, the way they would understand each other without words was commented on by many who came to know or work with them. Unfortunately, as ideal as their love was, their commitment to saving the world meant they did not have time to explore each other’s strengths and weaknesses and so they did not evolve or grow their gifts. However, unknown to them, the Mansfield couple had been approached and they now were substantial shareholders in a number of national SOW companies and Robert and Cherine had come to their attention as possibly gifted persons. The week after Cherine had her sixteenth birthday, on 29th of April, 2004, Robert and Cherine were married. On the first day of them being a couple, they applied for Greek citizenship. Alki and Marian had already been married for two years and Marian already had Greek citizenship.
Robert and Cherine both chose to return to their Duluti home for their honeymoon. They planned to take Tippity with as the Tanganyika government had asked them to bring him when they heard of their plans. From Athens they first went to London for a few days, Tippity having to stay behind. They did some shopping, went to see a couple of plays and Cherine indulged Robert, not complaining when he had them spend hours and hours walking through art galleries. At breakfast on their second day in London, they were invited for a meal by Branson. He had invested and backed SOW with far more than his money so both of them looked forward to meeting him.
Robert found Branson disconcerting. He could sense a mind sharp as a razor blade, but he already knew a number of such men, what disconcerted him was the energy he seemed to give off as if he has an infinite source and can afford to be profligate with it. Beneath his urbane manner and charm, they both felt that he was much harder than them and yet, they also felt that he was sincere in his wish to play a part in SOW, he was not doing it just for the free advertising it provided.
“Cherine, I have a request to pass on to you. The producer of our chat show for teenagers on VTV (Virgin TV), has asked for one hour of your time tomorrow afternoon. She feels you could be an inspiration for our teenagers.”
Robert grinned. “In what way? That she could inspire them to marry earlier?”
Branson did not smile. “If that did happen I would rejoice. You may not be aware of it Robert, but Britain and many European countries face a serious problem. The original people of these countries are not replacing themselves, the last statistic I read shows each couple is giving birth to one point three children on average. Immigrants who settled in these countries are multiplying at far above two children per family. I’ve read that once a species or group of people reproduce themselves below the one point five mark, it is almost impossible for them to reverse the trend and they will become extinct.
Despite my rather pedantic answer to your joke, I must tell you that you may not be aware of it, but magazines, web sites and so on have made your wife an idol of many teens. Not only is she pretty and not only has she become famous because of Tippity, she has also earned the admiration of many because of her commitment to SOW. One hour of your time, that is all we ask.”
Nervously, Cherine asked, “They are not going to embarrass me with compliments are they?”
Branson laughed. “I fear they might. I do not have the influence to prevent it.”
Of course the ‘one hour of her time’ became over five hours. They had to travel to the station and return from it. Cherine had to be there early for them to see her on the screen and apply makeup accordingly so as to enhance her appearance. The host, Gladys (she confided to Cherine that she had chosen the name in honour of a singer she’d loved when she was a child), needed a little time to meet with Cherine from before so as to give her an idea of what they would be discussing, though she was careful to point out that a lot of what is said or asked is spontaneous. Cherine liked her so she lost some of her tension. The show went well, the makeup artists pulled their hair as they had not taken into account that Cherine would spend most of her time on camera in a furious blush. However, the highlight of the show came about when Cherine answered a question and her answer was taken up by teenagers around the world.
“My mother went to work for Robert when I was eight years old. I did not like the idea of living on a farm with nothing to do. Walking around I noticed that Robert had five chickens and I realised he kept them for the eggs. I asked him to give me the job of looking after the chickens. He offered to pay me and I refused. He then said something that stuck in my mind. He told me that if he could not pay me then it meant I was not responsible for the chickens and he would not be able to tell me off if I slipped up or did not do the work as I should. I can tell you, I definitely did not want to give him that right…” she paused as many of the kids laughed. “…however, it struck me that what he was asking for was fair. I accepted and he gave me a free hand with money for me to increase the flock. I bought more chickens of various breeds, ducks, geese and so on. I turned it into a business and provided the local hotels with a small kind of chicken they wanted. Robert decided I had to have a share of the profits plus a salary and within a year I was earning at nine years old as much as my mother was.
Why did I tell you that? Because I want to tell all the kids all over the world, age has nothing to do with it. If you believe in something, commit yourself, do what you can without necessarily depriving yourself of time for friends and studying; even a few hours per week can make a big difference. Teenagers, even younger children, you all can make a difference, the same as any adult - all that is needed is that you love the world.” When asked how they could help, she suggested they convince their parents to become involved in growing some of their own produce and undertake to do as much of the work as they can. She explained why it was important they do so.
Branson was waiting for them when they came out of the studio. He had an orchid for Cherine and complimented her on her appearance, telling her he believes she will be inspiring many of the younger generation. He then told her that the show willd be placed on the website of VTV for all those who could not view it originally. As they rode home, happy with the results, neither of them knew the publicity of her tv debut was to affect their future in ways nobody could have foreseen.
“You must meet them Eddie. Now that Cherine is beginning to find the spotlight of public attention focussed on her, she could easily grow her gifts in the wrong direction. The two of us have been lucky, but we must not depend on luck for them.”
He smiled. “Why her? We’ve found others with more dangerous powers and you did not ask me to interfere directly.”
“Not just because of her! Don’t the two of them remind you of us, as we were at that age? If they are guided, they’ll still love each other fifty years from now, as happened with us. Eddie, we had our guide, now you must be their guide.”
“Why not you Hettie? As a woman, it should be easier for you to get to Cherine.”
She laughed. “I still am a German Eddie. She would not find me as ‘sympatico’ as others claim you are. You may be getting old, but you are still charming, so it must be you.”
Robert and Cherine took the flight back to Athens. Tippity was already at the airport and after hugging Cherine and Robert he got into his cage, pulling a face, wrapped himself in blankets and eyed the nuts and bananas, waiting for his cage to stop moving. Alki and Marian hugged them and they went to board their flight.
The plane arrive in Moshi and as the two of them walked off the plane they found a red carpet welcome waiting for them. The president and various ministers had travelled from Dar to meet them. Cherine quickly excused herself and rushed off to check on Tippity as she could sense he was agitated. She found a worker was taunting him, thinking he was just teasing a wild animal. She turned on the man with such fury that the policemen who’d run to the plane with her quickly got the man out of there, reassuring Cherine that he would not be allowed to work at the airport again. That sobered her.
“No, I do not want him deprived of his livelihood. Can’t you make his punishment something more…I don’t know, how about him having to learn to look after animals or something like that?” Tippity by now was clinging to her and being so much stronger, Cherine found it impossible to move. She grinned at him. “Tippy, you are crushing me! Let go and give me your hand.” The policemen were amazed when he did so with an apologetic look.
“Mrs Teller, I would treasure some time alone with you and your husband.”
“Could you come to our home?” She brightened. “Why not stay with us for one night? You can have your guards watch the house if you want, but it is safe - Tippity won’t let anything happen to you.” The others were not amused, but the president laughed.
“Please give me a moment to arrange a change in our plans. Unfortunately I cannot visit for the night but I would enjoy a private dinner at your home. Will you have time to prepare?”
“Of course. I look forward to seeing you, shall we say about six in the evening?”
The first thing Cherine did was phone their neighbours to explain and ask them to help by cooking for her. She allocated what she needed from each of them; from one the entrée, from the other the main course, another to make a rich Greek salad and another to supply a desert and cheese. Robert cleaned out his cappuccino machine and made some coffee just to be certain it still tastes good after being refrigerated for half a year. Luckily the cellar was well stocked. Cherine had the presence to arrange food for themselves plus up to another ten guests as she was certain the president would bring the ministers who’d been at the airport with him plus a few of his staff.
The convey of vehicles were seen while it was still on the other side of the slope so they had plenty of time to prepare and be waiting for their guests outside the house, with cold beers waiting (it is well known that the president is not a drinking man, but does enjoy a beer now and then). Cherine was very surprised when she saw the president only had his guards and an assistant with him. They were guided to a tent where food and drinks waited. From the open-sided tent they would be able to watch their president without hearing what is said.
The president took a long sip. “That was good. May I dispense with formalities and call you by your first names? As you probably know, mine is David. My father imagined me as the biblical David who would slay Goliath.”
Robert asked, with a smile, “The British government?” David chuckled. “You did better than the biblical David, you did not resort to violence.” He noticed the nervous gesture. “David, Tippity would not hurt you, if you stop thinking of him as an animal and accept that he is a creature capable of reasoning and understanding much of what we say, you’ll find it easier to relax around him.” Robert looked out at the tents. “How did you convince your men you would be safe around Tippity?”
“My apologies, I did not mean to make evident my unease. As for convincing my men, they have heard of Cherine; she is famous throughout our country as the little girl who talks to animals and stops men crazed by drink with one word. They told me she would protect me should an assassin find his way here.” Cherine blushed, but Robert laughed.
“Don’t tell her, but I also derive the same comfort from being with her. David, how does it feel to be responsible for sparking off the most ambitious plans man has ever conceived - plans to save himself from himself?”
“I only spoke of knowledge that was commonly available. You are the one responsible for setting it into motion.”
“I hear that from many and it makes me feel guilty. The Greek tycoon, Mr Alki Georgiades, it was his idea and it was mainly his money and influence that set us off. I find it even more amazing that he took your concept and created a full and realisable plan that has set the whole world on fire. For the first time I hear the man in the street arguing against waste and the negative reactions of their own governments. Those that depend on being elected will soon have to change if they wish to remain in power.”
“Most politicians are not evil Robert, they mostly find their hands tied by practical considerations and laws. Sometimes democracy is not efficient and actually promotes dishonesty. Where a politician knows that every comment or deed will be used by the opposition to make it look as if he is abusing his powers or else is acting against the interests of the people, that politician is forced to become ultra conservative and may end up supporting oppressive laws because they make him feel a little bit safer.”
David gave him a serious look, took another sip of his beer and said, “Just as the people talk of Cherine, so is the warning given that you have a strange sense of humour.” For the first time that evening, Cherine gave a real smile - and seeing it, Tippity clapped his hands and happily hooted briefly, startling David.
David queried the statement about Alki and asked for more details. As he listened his face lost some of its good cheer and they sensed he was troubled.
“Robert, I came to ask you whether you and your wife would agree to accept the nationality of our country before I made the offer publicly. I had hoped to influence you to return to Tanganyika. Now I see that I must not make the offer and it saddens me. Robert, you must remain where you are, in the centre of the explosion that is changing all of mankind. I ask that because I trust you to avoid thinking like a politician and that you will hold on to your ideals.”
Robert did not need to see Cherine’s face to know how David had made her feel. “David, should I ever be tempted to think of profits or to think like a politician, I will recall this day, the honour you showed me, and whatever the temptation was to be, I will turn away from it.”
David shook his head. “I feel I am getting too old for the changes that are coming. Perhaps it is time for me to resign as President.”
“Should you do so, it will sadden many - all over the world, not just the people of your country. David, when the day comes that you do resign, I ask that you commit yourself to joining our Ethics Committee. We must have an internal method of policing ourselves and I cannot think of any other man that deserves to be on such a board more than you do.”
David and Robert exchanged a few more comments before David turned to Cherine. “We must be boring you with our talk of politics. May I presume you have wondered why we asked you to bring Tippity with you? We have three very young females and I am told that if he is to have a female of his own, he must meet and be with them long enough to bond with at least one of them.”
“You would give us permission to take her out when we leave?”
He chuckled. “I’m still trying to find out how it is you obtained permission for taking Tippity. You do know that it is not permitted for anybody to export chimpanzees?” He chuckled again at the look on her face. Kindly he added, “Shall we say that the official was impressed by the force of your personality and your charm? I only meant my comment as a compliment, there will be no repercussions my dear.”
Not long after their meal they sensed that he was enjoying the conversation and wished for it to continue for hours but that age and his travels of that day had exhausted him, so they were not upset when he came to his feet and said, “This has been inconsiderate of me. Your first night here on your honeymoon and I impose myself on the two of you. It has been a great pleasure meeting both of you and exchanging ideas that have my mind racing with excitement. You may advise SOW that I will appoint a committee to examine ways we can tempt our citizens to move from the coast up into the areas we grow our food. I hope you will excuse me now and please do visit me in Dar es Salaam whenever you visit our country.”
“Mr President.” Cherine asked, “One more thing please. Would you agree to SOW opening offices here and starting up farming operations? I’ve heard Robert mention that virgin land is being given to farmers while land that used to be farmed is lying fallow. We want those old farms, the rest of the land should not be spoilt just because it is easier to clear and use it.”
“Please make your applications through official channels and I will do my best to see that Parliament approves the working presence of SOW in our country. You will be contacted with regard to the female companions for Tippity. If I may excuse myself now, good evening and thank you for a splendid meal and your wonderful company. It has been a most stimulating evening for me.”
As they watched him being driven away, Cherine leant against Robert. “I like him.” She watched as the lights from the vehicles disappeared into the bush surrounding the house and she then said, wistfully, “I wish we had the power to heal people - I’ve read of so many who claim they can do so. It would be much more useful than just having the gift of empathy.”
Robert put his fingers under her chin and turning her face up to him he softly kissed her. “I’m in the mood to sit with you under the stars and listen to your heart.”
As Cherine settled alongside Robert on the grass, she teased, “If any of those maji moto (red ants) bite me you won’t enjoy listening to my heart.” As she felt his response she thought to herself, ‘that must be the reason I fell in love with him when I was only eight; which girl wouldn’t love a man whose heart swells with love when she teases him’.
Because of the insects, they did not make love on the lawn. Robert had told her, years ago, that their lawn is home to millions of spiders. When she did not believe him he took her to the local hotel next time they were in town and did a search on the web. What she read put her off her habit of lying on the lawn to doze under a tree. Nothing Robert said to her after that could convince her she should stop worrying about it. Not that Robert complained; as she disliked spiders, so did he shudder at seeing cockroaches. Her mother shuddered at both and was terrified she’d wake up to find a snake in her bed.
Cherine had felt the ache throbbing in the background in Robert all day so she had allowed herself to build up her own erotic feelings until she was squirming with need for him. As they went to their bedroom and undressed, she felt his eyes on her and she almost groaned as she sensed that passion had been replaced by the most tender adoration. She knew he is going to be torturing her again tonight, holding her back from her orgasm until she is ready to shred him with her nails.
As she’d foreseen, his loving was at first just an adoration of her body, an inspection of every inch of her so that he could wonder at the perfection of her. Gradually passion grew in him, but when they made love it lasted forever and was not allowed to escalate into a mind searing stormy passion, her intense orgasm rolling on and on. Their second lovemaking again lacked that burning fire that made her feel she was exploding, but it made her entire body glow. He held her to him, breathing in her after-sex scents with a thrill of pleasure that still astounded her when she sensed it in him. They fell asleep and she woke up to a Robert who was caressing her urgently but softly so as not to waken her in a shock. As he sensed her awaken, his movements became more urgent and less tender until both of them were almost scratching and biting in their fiery need. The fierce achy pain of it made her explode in a frenzy that drove Robert out of his mind. By the time he ejaculated she was in the middle of firecracker spasms and without realising it tears were streaming into her hair as she stared upwards, lost within her body, concentrating for all she was worth on the sensations of having him deep inside her.
When she woke up again, she felt smelly and clammy, but she snuggled up against him anyway. He softly kissed her nose, lips, chin and then her throat, keeping his face buried in her neck.
“Do you miss seeing me like a child? Robert, will you still want me as I grow older and get wrinkled?”
“Wanting you, loving you, it will never be a problem. However, I will hate seeing you grow older for it will mean, the wrinkles will tell me, that there has to be an ending to our love and I cannot bear the thought of you dying. If you ever feel pain in my heart, it is that fear you are feeling my love.” She could empathise because of her gift, but she was too young to truly empathise with great depth. Old age and death have no place in her world yet.
The coffee farm conditions are not all the same. On the inner side of the crater, the slopes are permanently a bright exhibition of varying wild growing greens, the air slightly moist and steamy. On the outer side, as the rows of trees reach the level land surrounding the farm, the trees are less lush and the coffee beans tend to have a slightly stronger scent and taste when they are roasted than those of the flat land before them. Cherine wanted to walk among the coffee trees, but at a lower level, so Robert drove them halfway down and then they walked, Robert examining the coffee trees while she searched for whatever it was she was looking for - she’d refused to confide in him. They were close to the bottom and the edge of the farm when Cherine crouched and from her emoting Robert knew she had found what she wanted. Filled with curiosity he stepped closer to look and saw only a stringy plant that was half dead. That kind of weed is prolific and grows all over the farm, so Robert wondered why she was interested in this one. She looked up and asked him to take a walk until she calls for him.
Once he was far enough from her for her to concentrate only on the plant, she did so, trying with all her heart to send to it her wish for it to heal and brighten with green and grow to majestic proportions. An hour later she had a headache from trying too hard and realising any further effort would be self-defeating, she stopped. She marked the area with some small stones and called for Robert. He did not answer, but she felt him so she walked to where he sprawled under a tree, fast asleep, lightly snoring.
The three female chimps were not exactly babies anymore, but they were very young and Tippity acted like a father, more solicitous than friendly. Cherine sensed that he grew to like two of them, but the third one irritated him. She would not listen to him and preferred to do her own thing than be part of the team. Once, as he remonstrated, trying to impose his will on her, she screeched at him and took a threatening pose. Tippity pulled back, not quite certain how to handle the situation. He was about to smack her when Cherine laughed and said to him, “She’s a little bit like me.” That made him pause and he spent the rest of the day watching the naughty one. Again Cherine made him re-think. She called the little one the ‘bright one’. Then Robert told Cherine off for interfering and made her leave them alone. Again it made Tippity think. Why did his Cherine prefer that little one? Did she think it would be a better mate for him? He could not see it, but he no longer could discount her and concentrate on the other two only.
“Robert, are chimpanzees promiscuous?”
“I presume you are asking whether the males are? I seem to recall that the dominant male has sex with many of the females, but I’m not certain.”
“I was getting worried, thinking Tippity is a pervert, he wants all three of them! What do we tell David? They did only offer one and it would not be fair to ask for all of them.”
“We’ll have to tell him the truth and allow him to make the decision.”
Robert phoned David and when he called back, Robert explained their dilemma. He told them he’ll have to let them know what can be done. The next day the government vet drove to their farm to examine all four of the chimps so as to issue a certificate that declared all four of them free of parasites and healthy. Robert took that as a sign that the government were giving all three females and looking like he wanted to tear out his hair at the thought of having four chimps living with them, he phoned Nicko. They had to delay their flight so as to build a bigger cage with facilities for all four and for the permit for the three females to arrive. Cherine would not listen to any other solution when she was told it would be cheaper to make a smaller cage for the three females, telling everyone that the babies would be afraid and would need Tippity to hold them.
During the flight Robert had an idea and chuckled every now and then, refusing to explain to Cherine. Cherine asked, but otherwise ignored him, as she was concentrating on sensing Tippity and the babies - well, not babies and not exactly toddlers either, slightly older, but too young to be called children.
Athens airport was bedlam, reporters from all the media, Greek and foreign. They’d heard about the three females and all wanted photos or video footage and of course, they wanted to interview Cherine. Hidden behind his concern that nothing go wrong, Robert was amused and proud as he watched Cherine handle the reporters, demanding they obey her rules. They fell silent and opening the cage door she entered, shutting it behind her. Within a few minutes a murmur was growing among the reporters when Cherine opened the door, warned them not to use flashes and walked out with Tippity following her, the three females surrounding Tippity. When he sat by Cherine, the three huddled against him, but their faces spoke more of inquisitive little minds than of fear. Tippity continually patted them and it was obvious to all that he was feeling very protective of them. Cherine asked a reporter who was creeping closer to move back and Tippity looked up and into the eyes of the reporter and he quickly moved back. The whirring of a camera caught the interest of little Sparkie, as Cherine had named her, and fearlessly she moved away from Tippity, drawn to investigate the sound. Tippity barked a command, his attitude threatening and she moved back to huddle against him, but it was obvious to all that she would not be obeying him for much longer. Cherine spoke of her with admiration for her bright spirit, and she became the favourite all over the world. Of course such fine sentiments have to be commercialised so that they become trivialised. I can only hope that this mind-set never spreads from the Terrans to our alien friends (it is a cultural thing, a sign of lack of respect for any life outside our own skin and justified by greed, not something built in by instinct).
Robert saw to it that they all remained at the Ekali home, giving the females time to adjust to the changes in their lives. Although they had quickly grown used to Robert and Cherine seemed to have the same ability to communicate with them, they were still nervous of other men and women. A family, friends of Nicko, visited with him and they were all surprised when the three females went to sit with the little girl and allowed her to play with them, seeming to listen to her and do what she asked of them.
Robert left for three days, going to inspect the farms he said. He returned just in time for celebrating Christmas eve with his family. Alki and Marian, Nicko and his parents joined them. Alki brought a friend he told them he wanted them to meet. Themi was introduced to all, even Tippity and the three young ones. The three soon realised he is a soft touch and they played on him and clambered all over and stuck fingers in his nostrils, mouth and ears. His tolerance and quiet amusement endeared him to Cherine and she spent time talking with him. When she learnt of what he does as a hobby, a natural side interest to his main profession he claimed, she asked him to visit again, as soon as possible, as she wants his advice.
Because of the chimps, Robert and Cherine rarely have the opportunity to sleep late. On Christmas day they were all up and about not long after dawn. The little ones still tend to snooze a few hours during the day so they did not suffer from lack of sleep. After they’d all finished eating, Robert brought mugs of coffee for him, Cherine and Tippity. They sat by the tree (it had taken quite a lot of disciplining by Tippity for the young ones to stop trying to play with the ornaments and pull at the flashing lights - not that Tippity himself was not tempted) and Cherine asked Robert to hand out the gifts. The gifts for Marian and Alki and other friends were piled separately so Robert started with the gifts for their chimp family. Tippity got his first and he jumped up and down, clapping his hands with glee (he does not hoot when they are alone, he recognised from early on that his hooting noises discomfort humans and he enjoys it, but he only does so when he knows Cherine will not mind, or, she’ll be amused), his reactions set the little ones scampering all over so Cherine had to call to them to take their places again. They each got their gifts and quickly learnt to tear off the paper. Tippity had to show them what the gifts were for and how to play with them.
Robert gave a gift wrapped packet to Tippity and said to him, “For Cherine, from you and the girls.” He stared at Robert solemnly and then bared his teeth. He handed the gift to Cherine and she made a big thing of thanking Tippity and his girls.
Now it was time for Robert and Cherine to give each other their gifts. Robert raised his hand for quiet and handed Cherine an envelope. “This is from you and me to Tippity and his family. Tippity, this is our big gift to you and the girls. We hope you like it.”
Puzzled, Cherine opened the envelope and saw photos. As she went through them, puzzled by tree trunks and branches inside a building which also had platforms at various heights, she realised what they showed and she hugged Robert. “Tippy love, these are pictures of the house Robert is building for you and your family. Sit by me and I’ll explain them to you.” As Tippity watched they felt both his joy and worry, which changed to sadness. Cherine guessed.
“Tippy, don’t be silly, of course we still love you and want you to be with us. Robert was right, the four of you need to have your own home where you can be free to do what you want - like you did at home, going into the forest at night.” She soothed his doubts and then he forgot the matter as they watched Robert and Cherine give each other their gifts, with lots of hugging and kisses.
Alki was curious, so he saw to it that he brought Themi two days after Christmas. After the social niceties and a refill of wine, Cherine sat by Themi. She told him about her effort to revive a plant that was sick and dying. Themi listened with interest, for he had already decided years ago that she has some psychic gifts. He turned to Alki with an annoyed look.
“You should have introduced me to her years ago! I asked you if she gave any signs of being psychically gifted and you denied it! You’d have to be blind to think so!”
Robert cut in. “Themi, we asked Alki and all our friends to protect us by denying it if they are asked.”
“Still, so much time wasted…I could have helped her grow…you too, you are also gifted?”
“Because of Cherine, not on my own.”
He nodded. “You must have been a latent psychic, no gifts can come out of nothing. Will you both allow me to work with you?”
In a dry and didactic style, he replied, “To prove the existence of psychic gifts in a scientific manner we have devised a number of experiments and those who are subjected to them soon grow bored and fail in the one aspect that is important for their gifts to be declared scientifically proven.”
“Which aspect is that?”
“For a psychic gift to be accepted as being real and not just a statistical anomaly, the effects must be repeated on demand in a set manner, again and again until we’ve killed the most powerful gifts through sheer boredom.”
Robert gave Alki a grin. “He is the kind of person I enjoy having a conversation with.”
Themi explained to Cherine that she made the classic mistake of thinking that she must concentrate very hard. “The opposite is true, you need to relax or else the very effort you are making blocks you. It should be your first lesson, learning how to relax your mind through meditation will enhance your gifts and help you open new paths to the gifts you hope for. Cherine, because you have a certain gift or gifts, it does not mean that you can have any other gift you want. Just as a person who is born with a great talent for playing the piano might not find he has the same talent for all the other musical instruments. The talent who is equally gifted at playing all the instruments he chooses to play is very rare even amongst such talented people. We need to take it step by step so that your own mind shows us what your talents are.”
Cherine frowned. “I think it works the other way around for me. When I wanted Robert to sense me as I sensed him, I concentrated very hard before he was able to sense me. If I want to help stop someone from hurting, I have to concentrate.”
“There is a difference Cherine, you already have that gift, it is a part of your every waking moment? What you are speaking of is focussing a gift you are already comfortable with and know exists. When you tried to heal the plant, most of the concentration had nothing to do with focussing, it was aimed at breaking through, into blossoming a gift you do not know how to access.”
They agreed to meet Themi every morning at six for one hour. They knew that if the hour was early for them, it was much earlier for him as he needed to drive nearly an hour to come to them and then, his return to the university was more likely to take him two hours or more as it would be during the morning rush hour. He told them he would be aiming to teach them some simple rules of meditation and if they show an affinity for it, he will arrange for a yogi instructor to take over.
Robert gave his head a negative shake. “That won’t work with me, his presence would only inhibit me. The flowery language and philosophies they speak of do not appeal to me. I can learn from someone like you because you are a westerner and can explain what is needed in terms that are acceptable to my logic also.” Robert felt that Alki and Cherine agreed with him so his embarrassment at contradicting Themi (the professional) lessened.
The next morning Themi explained about alpha and delta waves. He taught them how to sit so that no part of the body falls asleep and distracts them and gave them a few simple exercises to help them enter the alpha state and hold it, without the awareness of being in alpha breaking them out of it.
“I’m now going to tell you a secret that you’ll think is too simple for it to be as powerful as I claim it is. Everybody knows what hypnosis is, I presume both of you also know?” They nodded in agreement and he smiled. “I very much doubt that you do. You probably know the typical explanations given in magazines and stories. Hypnosis is only a form of suggestion, the hypnotist at no time has power over you. All that is happening is that your mind becomes hyper aware of the suggestions given to you.
Robert, a suggestion made by Cherine would be better accepted by your mind, the conscious and subconscious, as you trust her more than you trust me. However effective I am as a hypnotist, you would be more open to her. However much you trust Cherine, there is one other you will always trust even more. That person is you, yourself. A suggestion made by you is totally acceptable to your mind. that is why auto-suggestion or self-suggestion is the strongest form of hypnotic suggestion possible.
It would be nice if I could say to myself, ‘Themi, you are going to wake up tomorrow with the gift of healing’ and it would happen. It is more likely that my subconscious will totally ignore me. I have to know what my subconscious is and how I can best impress my messages on it so that it believes and tries to make my suggestions become a fact for me. The method of best communicating with your subconscious is through meditation so that you enter the alpha state. The alpha state is the key that opens the door to your subconscious and makes you its partner instead of its slave.”
“Allow me to provide you with a simple example. A young man studying at university had not attended all the lectures he should have, he spent time going to parties when he should have studied and was faced with having to write an exam that would determine his future. He had been warned by his father that if he failed, he would have to find himself a job and he would not be supported anymore.
On the morning of the examination he woke up with his hand in an extreme cramp. His hand jutted out from his wrist at an angle, the fingers like claws. Not only was it agonising, it was also as rigid as if his hand had turned to wood. Doctors looked for medical reasons but found nothing wrong with him. Finally he was psychoanalysed and he was helped to see that his subconscious had done this to him to save him from writing the exam that he would have failed with disastrous consequences. Once he understood and accepted the truth, his hand returned to normal.
The subconscious always looks for a direct solution, it does not reason and weigh the pros and cons before making its decisions. Do you like the idea of being at the mercy of such an infantile way of dealing with life and all its problems? If you don’t then you must learn how to communicate with it and impress upon it your wishes.”
Nicko knew about Themi and his lessons and was amused as he does not believe in extrasensory perceptions. He does believe in people having intuition to a degree (which is what he thought Cherine and Robert have, the story about empathy not making any sense to him as a ‘gift’, only as a sensitivity) but that was almost the sum of it. He made jokes, teasing Robert and Cherine and they took it good-naturedly, knowing that the best answer to his teasing was for them to succeed in opening one more gift.
Robert tried to change the subject. “I read a projection giving us eight years before the price of fuel soars sky high and becomes scarce. Most of the warnings about climate warming are now discarded by scientists, but unsteady weather patterns are still a great threat. Using farms for producing fuel is no longer an option as we need all crops we can grow for feeding people. Nicko, I found it interesting that the projections showed an annual increase in fuel demand. If the increase can be reversed we could buy ourselves time that will be precious to our survival. We need governments to penalise those who buy or use cars that guzzle up our reserves. We need to change many of our habits. Look at how many people go to northern Greece every summer because they have beach apartments there. Why should they use a car to go there? Why not the train and then hire one of those tiny cars that are good enough for local transportation and have a consumption of a quarter or less of the bigger cars? If it were not for the need to transport goods nationally, I’d be tempted to say we should get rid of the highways. We must increase the tolls for private use so that it no longer is an option.”
“I don’t think it would be politically acceptable for any government to act that quickly.”
“We can’t afford not to! Think of how much fuel is used for cars to drive from city to city throughout the world. Public transportation could greatly reduce that consumption while also reducing pollution.”
Cherine spoke, something she rarely does if the conversation was with Alki or Elias. “Maybe those really small cars should be made much cheaper?”
Robert nodded. “If we have to subsidise them then we should. Nicko, show me an E-type Jag or an Italian sports car and I’ll drool; show me a Rolls Royce and I’ll fall in love with its obvious quality and workmanship that makes each one a work of art. Show me how much fuel they’ll consume and I feel like weeping for all of mankind.”
Nicko said, “The EU has made a few efforts to discourage the use of such cars, but it only makes them more popular with those who are wealthy and snobbish. I prefer Cherine’s suggestion that we make the electric cars and the tiny toy cars the common vehicle for people to get from home to work and back again. At least they will buy us some time.”
Robert nodded. “There is another important aspect to them. As the large manufacturers see the market shift they will invest more in developing vehicles that do not pollute and travel on almost a thimble of energy or alternate fuels that can be produced in other ways.”
Nicko smiled. “Anything else you would like us to get done?”
Cherine added, “We must also find ways to make it more economical and socially acceptable to use natural products to replace plastic wherever we can.”
“Whoa! I’m not Father Christmas, don’t give me your wish list, my hands are already full.” He grimaced. “I also find myself drawing up lists that drives me crazy. Sometimes it is very difficult to believe we have any hope of succeeding.”
Robert put his arm around Cherine as he said, “There is only one way we can succeed. Nicko, in one important aspect the world has not changed - money makes it go around. We don’t have to do all the stuff we’re talking about, we need to find ways to provide financial incentives and thousands of brilliant minds will concentrate on solving our problems for us. Let me give you an example. I asked for new kinds of tractors, harvesters and so on, all the equipment needed for farming. How is the problem of fuel different for a tractor than it is for a truck or car? The tractor stays in one area. It does not need to have a string of fuel supplies. Is there a way the natural produce of a farm can be planned to maximise the benefits? We reaped a crop? What is left over? Dead plants, husks? What can be used as animal feed? Can any of it be used to feed humans? Still have something left over? Can we use it to create fuel for the tractors? Different plants have different needs. Some leach certain minerals from the soil, others replace what has been lost. Perhaps a plant that replaces the minerals can also be used to fuel tractors? There must be minds or groups of minds that can solve the problems. What if we told them, design a self sufficient farm for us and we’ll pay you a million Euros - ten million for all I care, it would be cheap if they succeed.”
“I’ll pass that on. Guys, since we can’t go out for a meal, would you mind if I order from my favourite taverna? I’m getting hungry.” They agreed and he looked across at Tippity. “Can I order something for them?”
Because of Sparkie, Miro and Fena, Robert and Cherine rarely go out and even their shopping has to be done with one of them staying at home. The problem is that the females do not obey Cherine as scrupulously as Tippity does. As any parent can confirm, having one child is very different from having two or more. The one provokes the other and they are far noisier and naughtier. People will put up with the worst behaved brats imaginable, but having a naughty chimp child around is not acceptable in ‘human’ societies. The little ones would have been alright if they’d been left at home on their own, for they are not used to being with Robert and Cherine all the time, but leaving Tippity would have upset him and he would not go with them and leave the three behind on their own. This meant that Robert and Cherine hardly have any social life. They use some of those hours practising what Themi teaches them and some of it on their computers, researching ways to ensure the survival of mankind. Everyone, including Robert, think it is amazing that a girl of Cherine’s age feels so dedicated and works so many long hours without complaining.
It also made it very difficult for others who wanted to arrange for ‘coincidence’’ to bring them together with the young couple. Finally Eddie and Hettie realised the only way they can meet them is to go to visit them. Then they learnt that the couple are flying to Moshi to celebrate the seventeenth birthday of Cherine in their Duluti home. The elderly couple decided they prefer to meet them there.
They rented a car at Moshi airport, asked directions, bought a map and despite there not being any major turnoffs, every time they saw even a dirt track leading off from the tarmac road, Eddie would agonise over whether he should have taken it. Hettie had been pleasantly surprised when they’d arrived and she’d discovered that it is cool and nothing like she’d expected so close to the Equator. Her hand lightly touched his as it gripped the steering wheel and he gave her a brief smile. She wondered why fate had brought together the two of them for such an improbable love to be born. She’d always known that she is stronger than him, more practical, but then she blamed that on her German blood or else, on her German upbringing. He on the other hand is stronger than her psychically and, she believed, far wiser, but in an impractical manner.
