His social friends did not know that he spent many hours every week practising target shooting. He also hired an old man to teach him how to throw a knife.
We finally found Allan living just outside the city. His property is surrounded by a high wall and includes two security systems. Even though he is in his fifties, he is in good physical condition and exercises every day (just wait until our Allan shares that from us, he hates all kinds of exercise). We stayed away because of curiosity; we felt we had to first find out what he is doing and what kind of person he is before contacting him. This Allan has no sense of humour that we’ve noticed and is not forgiving of softness in others. Hearing him talk we realised he has a gigantic chip on his shoulder; he hates all criminals, but especially kidnappers. Every night he studies a map of the city that is covered in markings; he’ll make a notation and then spend most of the next day walking that area. Robbie told the two of us to relax by the beach as he wants to spend some time studying the map while Allan is in the city.
“I found records going back thirty years! He has been noting when and where kidnappers strike. Most children are taken when going or returning from school or when attending extra curricular activities such as sport or music lessons. Allan has marked the addresses of all the expensive schools and the tutors children of the wealthy go to. Those are the areas we saw shaded in light red and it is obvious that the kidnappers are creatures of habit for most of the strikes were within the shaded areas. There is an element of randomness, but Allan has found that kidnappers mostly avoid the areas where children were recently kidnapped. It is amazing but…he has a success ratio of one in five! He is present at one in five kidnappings. He marks those successes on his maps, but then nothing else is noted! I don’t see what the point of it all is - I know he is not sharing his ideas with the police, he openly accuses them of being corrupt.”
Cherine said, “We’ll have to watch him then.”
Robbie looked at me. “You understand our Allan the best of all of us. What do you think he is doing?”
I shook my head. “This one is nothing like any of our Allans. Still, he would not waste thirty years of his life just for tracking them. Robbie, we must make note of which kidnappings he was present at and find out what happened to those children. Are you certain he is not following the kidnappings of adults?”
“Not as far as I could see.”
Once we checked, we were amazed that neither the criminals nor the police had noticed. All the kidnappings Allan was present for, the children escaped or something happened that forced the kidnappers to abandon the children. Sometimes their car would crash as it raced away; other times the kidnappers would all fall asleep and in some mysterious fashion the kids would escape. There were many ways in which it happened and all of them seemed to be natural accidents. We’ve checked and know that he does not have any psychic gifts so he must be very well organised - which is not like any other Allan I know. We’ve decided to watch him every day while he is in the city as we want to see what he does once he has watched a kidnapping. We did feel that his anxiety was very high, too high for it to be normal, but since we are not allowed to monitor his thoughts, we’ll have to wait to find out the reason.
Two days later we were standing in the same street as him when a car was blocked by an ancient van, men from the sidewalk converged upon the vehicle and guns were pointed at those inside. A window was smashed and a door quickly opened. I felt the pain, but did not see the blow. As the boy of about eleven was forced out and made to run with his abductors to a car on the other side of the van we saw blood running down the side of his head.
While all this had been happening and everyone was studiously trying to pretend they saw nothing, Allan walked on towards the van and without hesitating for even a glance, he walked past the vehicle waiting for the abductors. The driver stared at him, but then decided the middle-aged man was no threat to them.
As would be expected, the vehicle with the boy rushed away from the scene of abduction, but once the driver was convinced nobody was following them, he slowed to match the rest of the traffic. At an intersection we saw the traffic light change to red before it should have. The abductors were trapped in heavy traffic so they had to stop. Suddenly men in army uniforms, but with faces masked, encircled the car, guns in their hands. The boy was pulled out and then one of the soldiers ranted about these men dishonouring their country and as a warning they shot each of them in the legs, ordering them to pass on the warning that from now on they will be killing any kidnapper they catch. The boy was left outside the gates to his home, the soldiers speeding away once they saw the gates being opened for the boy. We followed the soldiers.
We were really missing Claudia, but we’d never expected to need to understand another language. If it had been Italian I would not have had a problem, but Spanish is just different enough for me to miss out on some of the important things said - especially when they talk as fast as they do. It did not surprise us when we saw the men pull in to a side street, strip out of their uniforms and then drive over to a coffee shop. They joined friends and celebrated the success of their mission. One of the men left and we followed him to Allan’s home. He drove to the back wall, parked in some trees and Allan opened a small gate for him.
“The boy has been returned?”
“The mission was a success as I promised it would be. El chico está a salvo (the boy is safe). This is the agreed bonus?” His hand reached for the briefcase.
“Once I have confirmation the child is safe. A beer?” Allan brought a six pack and they each opened one. The radio played in the background and they discussed their strategy for the next interception.
“You will not succeed if you insist we do not kill them. These animals only understand strength, mercy is a weakness.”
“I do not wish to become an animal like them. As an officer of the army it may come easier to you, but I am doing this to make it a better world for all of us, not because I have a vendetta to pursue.”
The officer shrugged and opened a second beer. On the hour the news was broadcast, but nothing was said about the boy. Allan pushed the briefcase over towards the officer. “Unless we are lucky enough to intercept another kidnapping before then, I’ll expect your visit for collecting the debit order cards as agreed.”
“The men ask what happens during the months we do not have a mission? They insist the planning is your responsibility and they should either be paid more or else you guarantee at least one bonus.”
“I’ll guarantee at least one mission per month. If they lose the victim, then there is no bonus that month. I only pay for lives saved - as I made clear from the beginning. I trust you have not given my name to them?”
“If you wished to keep it a secret you should have stayed away today. Your face is too well known.”
“As a worthless playboy.” The officer grimaced, shrugged and then smiled. Allan did not smile back, looking into his eyes as he talked. “If they know, then I will have to trust them to act as professionals. If it costs me my life, then so be it - every additional life we save before I lose mine, the loss grows less important. I’m too old to continue on my own.”
“I checked, you have saved over fifty children without the help of others! You approached me because I lost my son and I can only tell you that the more lives saved, the greater the loss should you die, for without you no more children will be saved. With each child we save my own pain is more bearable, so do not think of dying. Los hombres le respetan, no hay necesidad de temer (the men respect you, there is no need to fear).”
I was touched and feeling emotional, as was Cherine, but both of us were surprised by Robbie. We felt he needed a coffee so I suggested we visit the Cypriot beach he favours. We had something to drink, but he did not go for a walk on his own, happy to sit with me on his lap.
“You feel it too?” she asked Robbie, “There is one life he must save?” She nodded as if confirming it to herself, emoting her surprise, and answered herself before he could reply. “Yes. I feel it.” I was upset that the future did not bother with me, giving me no messages, only the two of them.
We took turns sleeping as we did not want to allow Allan one second of not being monitored. When the future, or the soul itself, makes the need felt this way, we know that this will be a life that will make a difference and is too precious for us to risk. Robbie was regretting that we had not brought Sparklers with us for he could hardly bear to wait for Allan to find the child and he wanted to search every home in the country for this child so as to avoid any risk to its life.
For those of other realities, I should explain a few minor points. In most realities, Uruguay is considered the Switzerland of South America. It is not so in this reality. Something went wrong and the population grew much faster and no government lasted for long unless it was a dictatorship. They are not considered a threat to the United States as they do not export drugs, so nobody really cares about the people who suffer extreme poverty, and the high rate of corruption and crime are only of local concern. Historically, they did not experience the flood of Negro slaves brought in for labour as in the neighbouring countries, so the majority of the population are descended from the local South American tribes that previously owned this part of the world, plus a large number of Spanish and German settlers. There has been a considerable amount of interbreeding, but as with most parts of the world, those of lighter skin and blue eyes are considered of a higher class and own most of the land and industry and control the army and government.
Allan thought of himself as being British (despite having Uruguayan citizenship) and though he spoke the local Spanish fluently, he only read books written in English. The internet was only now making itself known and he was considering buying a computer, but his reluctance to learn a new technology was delaying him. If he had seen it as a useful tool in his fight against crime I’m certain he would have had half a dozen of them - which means that if we had not come along, he would have had to learn how to use computers - I wonder whether it would have led to him writing.
It is not likely Allan had any presentiments about the next child to be saved as we did not sense any special anxieties in him. We watched as he planned and adjusted his systems so that he could pinpoint two areas to be watched simultaneously. Now that he had a proven bigger team to help him, he wanted to improve on the success ratio.
We saw the girl being abducted without sensing she was the one we were waiting for. As a matter of fact, she was just on the borderland of qualifying for the help of Allan and he maybe stretched his rules because she was a girl. She was nineteen years old, tall, slim and with a rich head of long dark hair. She was lucky that the hairdresser she came out of was within the area Allan was patrolling that day. She did not scream or make any sudden movements; she froze for a moment as the man behind her stuck a gun into her back and gave her orders. She looked around desperately and the eyes of Allan met hers for a moment. He gave her a slight nod and turned away. She despaired and allowed herself to be manhandled into entering their car. It drove off with the men of Allan monitoring it. Allan had to change his plans. He had wanted to make this intervention different by allowing the abductors to take the child into the slum area and then he’d gas the house and get the child out. He worried that they might decide to rape the girl as soon as they arrive, so he ordered the men to stop the vehicle.
As the girl climbed out of the car, it could be seen that she was in a rage. The masked soldier by the door had taken a gun from one of the men inside the car and without asking she grabbed at it and pointing at someone she shot. She coolly gave the pistol back to the soldier, thanking him. Bemused he watched her walk away. We stuck with her, wanting to know where she lives. Cherine had already decided this is the person we’d waited for and she was so eager that she would have materialised in front of everyone if Robbie hadn’t asked her to wait.
Still looking imperious, the girl flagged down a cab. She gave her address and then collapsed in the back, trembling from shock. We watched as she entered her home, where she rushed to tell her mother what had happened. The mother called her husband and the two of them held each other until the daughter stopped crying and started angrily talking about the reason she’d shot the one man. The father arrived and not long afterwards so did their attorney. We listened to the argument between the father and the attorney. The attorney advised that their daughter, Deifilia, should make a statement to the police, claiming that if she does not do so voluntarily, the judge will deal with her case more harshly. The father felt that there might not be any accusation of injury or murder so she should not jump the gun by confessing to a crime that might not come to light. Deifilia decided to do as the attorney wanted and her father turned red in the face and ordered her not to. The attorney left and Deifilia (her name means ‘daughter of god’) went to her bedroom.
Deifilia was angry, until she understood why we’d come for her. Then she definitely had the look of panic in her eyes. She has never read science fiction, rarely seen a movie and none were of that genre and her parents do not allow a television set in their home. This meant she did not think of us as mutants, but the downside was that she did think of us as servants of Satan, come to steal her soul, and kept crossing herself, asking the Virgin Mary to protect her. That just goes to show how damaging it is bringing up children so strictly J.
Cherine asked us how does she prove to Deifilia that we are not demons and she did not see the funny side when we laughed. She coldly asked that we take her to Freddie so that we have more time (and also have Claudia present for us to understand each other). When Robbie asked whether we should take Allan also, she refused, preferring to concentrate on Deifilia first.
The trip in the platform and the sudden arrival in Freddie were traumatic for Deifilia, but we could not explain in advance. As soon as we arrived we began to understand all she softly muttered to herself. She was praying for deliverance and for the preservation of her soul.
There was little point in Freddie staying in one spot while Cher dealt with her Deifilia. For the first day or so everyone was bombarded by her terror and as that changed into resignation, we wondered how her Cherine will break her out of it. Feeling a human being emoting despair is unpleasant and we looked for ways to reduce her effect on everyone while also helping her. Finally it was suggested by the farmer Robert that we go to his reality and take Deifilia with us to London where nobody will be affected by her emoting.
As Robert said, “Being in a normal environment will help calm her. It also makes it difficult for anyone to think of a way to help her while we are all being bombarded by her emotions.” Seeing this was his first time he was experiencing such emoting, we sympathised and did not comment.
Freddie jumped to their reality as requested, but we had no intention of interfering; Cher will decide when and where her Deifilia stays. I suppose that one way I could put it, is that all the top executives of SOW gathered at the taverna, eager to hear what our plans to help them are.
Robbie exchanged a few thoughts with our pappou and then, sitting back, he lit a cigarette as Maria placed his first cappuccino of the day before him. He looked at the group with a pleased smile. “I have discussed your situation with the species who usually step in to save our alternate Earths. They agree with me that we should not interfere. That does not mean you will not have our support, we’ll stay in the background and you will be welcome to visit us here whenever you like. After the first few times, you’ll all be able to teleport to us without help - who knows, maybe even Tippity and his family will learn how?” There were a few polite chuckles. “What you have achieved in your reality is unique and you are discovering solutions that have not occurred to any other reality or species. Your ideas of encouraging others to find the solutions by rewarding them has borne fruit and is likely to continue doing so. It would be a pity to smother that exuberance of creativity that seems to have set your world on fire. We also think that some of the products you are creating will earn your Earth foreign exchange, enabling you to pay for the technology you want from other species, instead of having to come cap in hand.
If there is an emergency or our scientists realise that our decision could lead to serious damage, we will immediately make our presence known and help. If, however, your world can continue working as one, as they have been doing, the day you can announce that your ecology has been saved, will be a day of pride for all of you.”
What I’ve reported has been greatly simplified for the meeting lasted almost the entire day as everyone had either a suggestion or a question and we wanted them to leave with pride and self confidence. They admitted that they will enjoy doing as we asked since they can now work without the background fear and stress that they might fail. As we prepared for taking them home, the Muyzith emerged from their spaceship with a cart following them. They gave gifts that were mainly works of art and everyone was embarrassed that they had nothing to give in return.
The Muyzith captain stepped closer to their Cherine and glanced at Tippity and his family. “I must warn you that it is likely my people will plead for you to bring Tippity and his family to our world for a visit. We do not know of any species that has formed such a partnership - may we describe your relationship with them as being more along the lines of a family than just friendship?”
Cherine smiled and Tippity looked up at her and took her hand. “In some ways he is a son, in others a brother and in some a stern grandfather.” Fena left the side of Tippity and went to examine the clothing of the captain. He looked down at her with emoted pleasure. She fingered the cloth, felt the jewel-like buckle and returned to her family.
Tonight, Freddie seems emptier with them gone. I’m glad we can share with them while we wait and we look forward to seeing them back with us. I guess we’ll also enjoy visiting their Kefalari and so on. I think the biggest change for them will be their drive to link those they know will be good Cherinians.
The world was shocked to learn that Hettie and Eddie are alive (projecting to appear as they did before). Robert confirmed that the transfer of their wealth is null and void, but whatever taxes had been levied it seems could not be easily recovered. Since the governments had only known about a small part of their wealth, the taxes were not a serious amount and Eddie waived his right to claim them back. The world was amused when a commentator said that this must be the first time ever a billionaire has waived his rights to claim back taxes that were not due. He asked whether this portended a new way of thinking for mankind. We did not think he was funny as his wit was like a razor, ridiculing all that mankind is doing to save their planet.
We remained present for two months and then began skimming forward in time, spending a day every month for visiting and being visited. A year (of theirs) later we stayed to celebrate the birthday of the local Cherine with a party in Freddie.
During this year, Robert and Cherine made a point of meeting over six hundred from the network and they were able to link one hundred and forty six. They found their Aganthi (in Albania - which is not Albania in this reality). Sparklers guided them to their Wendy and the father was sent to the prison planet. It was decided that Allan will not be contacted, but that a local Cherinian will keep an eye on him. This is the first Allan I have ever disliked on first sight. He has allowed himself to grow bitter and though we understand the way he speaks is mostly a self-defence mechanism, it is unpleasant having to listen to him sound so small-minded. He has been an employee all his life and he did go through a period, in his younger years, when he tried very hard to prove himself, but he was never promoted. He had no sense of how to deal with in-office politics and ended up on the outside every time. Even a couple of ideas he offered that made the company money only earned him a small bonus, without the public recognition he yearned for.
I don’t know what got into Arthur; it’s not as if they came to the birthday party in Freddie so as to have sex - they are still too young. Since they would, in the wild, still have been watched over by their mother(s)…hey Arthur, there are no chimp paedophiles
The next morning, after our party in Freddie (we’d jumped realities), I asked Cherine to sit with me for a while. “I am worried about your Allan. As he is, he should never become a Cherinian, but I hate the idea of that happening. Would you mind if I try to change him?”
“I’ve thought of it, but I don’t think I know how I could and with all that is going on right now, I doubt I’d find the time. I’ll be very happy if you succeed Samantha, I really like your Allan and I’d love to have mine with me when you’re all gone.”
“I’ll come with you when you return for your embassy party. I better speak to Alki, I’ll need some cash.”
I asked Freddie to return to her reality about two weeks in her future. They waited while I spent an hour in a library and then Freddie jumped back so that our guests can attend the embassy party. They did not take Wendy and Aganthi with as it is being kept a secret that the two girls are now part of their family - the media would ask too many questions they can’t answer if they tell the truth. I went to London, booked in at an hotel (as an adult) and spent a few days ‘watching’ Allan from a fast food shop near his work. I then settled my account at the hotel, supposedly went to my room for my luggage and changed my appearance. I reverted to a girl of about ten or eleven years old, but I vaguely resembled a Cherine. I had waited for it to be a Friday so that I’d have a full weekend to work on him. I waited to sense him arrive at a corner and I quickly stepped forward - and was knocked off my feet. He stopped to help me up, but without any kind of apology.
Gruffly, sounding impatient, he asked, “Are you hurt?”
“No. Are you?”
He stared at me, took off his glasses and wiping his face, muttered, “The bitch must have been asleep.”
I knew he was not talking about me, but I pretended, “I was not asleep and I’m not a bitch!”
He was amused by me! “Not you little girl, I was talking about Fate - that bitch, if she can turn anything into a disaster for me, she’ll do so.” He watched with a sour look as I came to my feet. “You better be on your way…I’ve probably missed my train by now. Be more careful, you could get hurt rushing about like that.”
Insolently I laughed. “You bumped into me and now I have to be warned about being careful? Okay, I don’t mind, on one condition.”
He looked lost. “What are you talking about?”
“We are going to pretend. My name will be Fate and you have to listen to me and do everything I tell you. By Sunday night you tell me if you still think I’m a bitch. If you say I am, then I’ve lost the game. If I’m not, then you have to do what I say until I say it is time for me to leave.”
“Child, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Haven’t you been warned about being careful around strangers?” He cleared his throat in an angry way. “I have to go, find yourself a copper if you need help."
“You need help, not me. Come with me, I want to show you what I’m talking about. Remember, my name is Fate.” I grabbed his hand and pulled, “Come with me or else I’ll start crying and tell everyone you knocked me down.” When he meekly followed, emoting worry, it was ‘aha’ time for me. I realised that even in this reality the Authorities have gone nuts, turning all adults into vulnerable putty. I was also using my ability to affect the emotions he was feeling so that he had little choice but to follow me, without knowing he was being coerced - I’ll apologise later.
“Don’t be so damn awkward! How can Fate - me - help you if you refuse to do anything to help yourself? Buy the ticket, it won’t leave you without food if it is worthless. I told you, I’m Fate and you have to do as I tell you.” To stop me talking, more than anything else, he paid for it. I refused to budge, insisting he scratches it. He felt I was embarrassing him so he quickly scratched. His eyes opened wide.
“Bloody hell! I’ve won! Five hundred quid! Look!” He waved the ticket at the person who’d sold it to him. Me, Fate, he ignored. I waited just long enough and then walked out. I was still in sight when he realised and shouting for me to stop he ran to me. “I’m sorry, I got overexcited. I can’t remember the last time I won anything and it just happened that I was desperate for a few hundred to see me through and then you…” He ran out of steam as he realised. He blushed as he asked, “Are you really…Fate?”
“No, I’m the Easter Bunny. For god’s sake, what does it matter who or what I am, I kept my word didn’t I?” I saw he was still holding the ticket. “Aren’t you going to cash it?”
“On Monday. Why did you help me?”
“I want to offer you a deal, but you would never listen to me if I didn’t prove myself first. I fancy a chocolate milkshake; think you can afford one now?”
“There’s some kind of catch to this, isn’t there? I blooming knew it.”
“Not all catches are nasty.”
“What is your name?” he asked.
“I’m Samantha.”
“Not Fate anymore?” I sensed his sense of humour had peeked through his cynical fears so I smiled.
I waited for him to take a sip of his tea. “Here’s my problem - I’m a child.”
He waited, watching me as he held his little cup in both hands. He finally nudged me verbally. “Apart from speaking of the obvious…it is important in some way?”
“Yes, very. I am a freak, I have psychic powers and I could win a million pounds in a day if I wanted but…then what? They wouldn’t give it to me, they’d tell me to bring my mother or father. Screw ’em, my winnings are my winnings and I choose who I share with.”
Suspiciously he asked, “And that someone is me?” I could sense he was ready to walk away. He is a firm believer in the dictum that ‘if it is too good to be true, it is’.
“Well, it’s not every day a girl gets knocked off her feet…I guess that makes you sort of special.”
He stared at me without reacting for a moment and then he chuckled. “Before you frighten me and I run away, best you explain all of it.” I did so. I told him that I wanted to win enough cash that we’d each have a million pounds. I wanted him to rent a nice house and pretend he is my father. He was very suspicious of me, but as I pointed out, if he doesn’t get his million, he can tell me to sod off whenever he wants. I also made it clear that if I perform as promised, he is not allowed to abandon me, chase me away or betray me to the authorities - not for any reason. I made him promise and that made him relax. The girls felt my amusement and sent me messages, claiming I’m evil.
“Where are your parents; are they likely to have reported your absence?”
“They know I’m gone and the last thing they want is to have me back again. Allan, they are afraid of me.” I shook my head. “Not because I’m bad, they think I have a demon in me, they don’t understand that mutants are a part of nature - I’m not a monster!” I ended of with such an aggrieved note that he fell for it and actually empathised! Not that he showed it.
“How do you know my name?”
“You don’t sound like a child! What has my being cynical have to do with anything?”
“It means that life has treated you bad and you won’t want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.”
I felt like he was ‘my’ Allan when he responded by playing on my words. “You are a goose?” I don’t know if Americans have the same meanings for the word; by asking whether I was a goose, he was asking whether I’m a fathead.
I grinned. “I really hope, for your sake, that you don’t believe that.” He asked me to stay where I am, as he wanted to walk for a while on his own to think it through. He returned within ten minutes.
“How soon will we make the first million?”
“By tomorrow.”
“That means we should have the money by next Wednesday. Samantha, you cannot stay with me, I rent a room and the landlady would probably call the coppers if you moved in - she knows I don’t have any children. I’ll find you somewhere to stay until we can afford to rent a small cottage.”
“I have no intention of staying in the countryside. We’ll rent a home somewhere in Knightsbridge or Chelsea - maybe overlooking the Thames. The rent can come out of my million, I don’t care, my money only has to last me until I’m old enough to have my own bank accounts. Allan, there is no need for you to work so we can also go off on holidays wherever and whenever we want.”
“Shouldn’t you be going to school?”
Gently I asked, “Do I sound as if I need to?”
I don’t want you, the reader, to get suspicious and have nasty thoughts, so I’m going to confess ahead of time: I was being as nice and sweet as I could be as I wanted him to fall in love with me. The why, I’ll explain at the right time. I will add this fact; my loves also know what I just told you, they sensed it. However, they also don’t know why and it has made them angry. They are threatening to take me to the Council because I’m using my powers/gifts to hurt him. I’ll leave it at that with a ‘no comment’.
I convinced Allan to meet me in London the next morning and, ageing myself, I got myself a room at a hotel. I had a pleasant evening with Gina joining me for supper and a walk through Leicester Square.
On Saturday morning, when Allan arrived, we bought a lottery ticket and filled in the details I had memorised from the newspaper a week ahead. We had a coffee close to the station and then we travelled to the Sandown Park racecourse. We could have placed our bet locally at a bet shop, but I wanted to have the day out with Allan. I was certain that watching the races together would contribute to the feeling that we’d shared an exciting experience as our horses come in first, race after race. We arrived at Esher Station almost three hours before the first race and ambled over to the main entrance. Once inside, we booked for a meal and then went to place our Scoop6 bet. I was aiming for the jackpot and I already knew we would be walking away with about £420,000. Over that day and the next week, we should end up with £2,187,000. I’d take the £1 million and let him have the rest.
Halfway through the races, with three out of six already under our belt, Allan was flying high and convinced I’d been straight with him. For the fifth and sixth win he was gloomy and then gloomier, in deep despair, for he was convinced that it does not matter what psychic powers I have, lady fate will stick out her claw and force our horse to fall, crash into another horse or even knock off the jockey. When we had all six winners, he sat without speaking, barely emoting - he was stunned and still afraid to believe, waiting to hear them announce a cancellation of one of our winners. It made me want to hug him and reassure him that life will be good for him from now on. I’m glad I could control myself.
Luckily we had taken a few smaller bets so we were able to collect a couple of thousand in cash. I showed my joy and excitement just like any adolescent would and even hugged him and walked with my arm around his waist. He grumbled - but very softly so that I would not hear him.
For the first time he worried about leaving me alone in London during the night. He insisted on walking with me to whichever hotel I wanted to stay at; he’d see me with key in hand and on my way to bed before he’d leave - so he said.
As we walked I noticed that he was looking at the cracks in the paving and avoiding them. I giggled and asked him whether he was afraid he’d fall into one of the cracks. He looked at me with a drunken look of annoyance and suddenly he vanished. I didn’t even see him hit the ground, but I did hear his leg bone crack. I was instantly down by his side trying to stop him from getting up. Nobody paid us any attention so I made him feel woozy and then as he fell asleep with me cradling his head, my healer fixed his leg.
As Allan woke up I sensed someone by us. I looked up to see a policeman standing over me. The days when the British Bobby looked friendly are long gone in this reality. He frowned and in a stern but impersonally polite manner he asked whether anyone had been hurt. On hearing that we were both alright, he then picked on Allan for being drunk. I blazed with anger as I told him off for insulting my father just because he slipped off the edge of the pavement. He stuck it out until I and then Allan, confirmed we are close to our hotel. As he walked off, I sensed Allan looking at me, but I refused to turn to look at him.
“The idiot is waiting to see us enter the hotel. Allan, you’ll have to stay here also.” I cheered up. “Why not? We can afford it. Get yourself a suite.” It will take him a while before he feels easy about enjoying any luxuries, but next morning he told me he loved the breakfast they sent to his room - as we ate breakfast in the dining room.
He told me about his childhood. He had been spending the night at the farm of an uncle when the Mau-Mau attacked and killed his parents and brother and sister. “It was only about two months after the killing of the Rucks family. That happened on the 24th of January, 1953. They also killed their six year old son, so the white population had no excuse for letting their children run around freely. Later on I learnt that what had seemed like a nightmare of white people being slaughtered, was mostly due to the press exaggerating the severity of the situation. Friends who were adults at that time have confirmed that only sixty four white people were killed while over two thousand of their own people were butchered by the Mau-Mau. I was sent by the British authorities to South Africa, but the British officials over there insisted I should have been sent to Britain as South Africa was in the process of being granted full independence. That is how you found me here.”
“Do you wish you could have stayed in Africa - despite your family being killed?”
“Mostly I don’t, but it might have been better for me if I had. Growing up here as a ward of the state meant that I was taught to think like an employee. White people in Kenya, especially the non-civil servants, tended to plan to own their own farms or business.”
I smiled. “You would have been a wolf instead of a lamb?”
He laughed, taking advantage of the opening I’d provided him. “Yes, lamb is a good description since I’ve spent a lifetime being fleeced - by business and by the tax man. Damn! Even by the Union who only collected fees but never did anything for me.”
I licked at the side of my slice of toast as the honey tried to drip off it. “I think you are being unfair. The men who run the Unions have important jobs and they must be able to negotiate as equals, so they must appear to be as affluent and powerful as the bosses of industry, so after you deduct the cost of Bentleys, expensive clubs and cigars, the best cognac and houses that are fit for the royal family, how can you expect them to do much with the little that is left?” He chuckled, but I quickly added. “Allan, I’m aware I’m exaggerating but I have to, so as to make you feel that I’m totally on your side.”
“Whatever for?” He frowned. “Are you teasing me young lady?”
“Yes.” He kept quiet, but I sensed I’d outraged his sense of propriety. According to the way he’d grown up, children show respect to their elders. He reminded himself I’d made him wealthy and freed him from a life he hated and forced a smile, changing the subject. “You said we should go on holidays, did you have a destination in mind?”
“I’d like to see Kenya again. Well, mostly just Nairobi. I have memories of scenes that are like postcards in my mind. For instance, somewhere close to a big hotel is a strange domed building that houses a vegetable and fruit market. Sometimes I’ll come across a smell of mangoes or other tropical fruit and pictures flash through my mind. I also seem to recall some kind of big bird that must be the ugliest creature alive, but I don’t know where I saw it.”
“You want to go there for two reasons? Nostalgia and for filling the holes in your memory? I’ll probably enjoy the taste of foods that are different.”
Dismay filled his eyes. “You want to come with? I believe it is too dangerous nowadays for tourists.”
I leant forward earnestly so as to speak softly. “Allan, if it is, all the more reason I come with - you won’t be safe without me. If you want, when we are alone I’ll show you a few potent reasons for what I said.”
He paled and desperately looked around. “We better finish our breakfast, I think they’re waiting for us to go.”
Have you ever walked with a kid and noticed the way they scuff the point of their shoes deliberately? I did so, hoping it would remind Allan that even if I am a mutant, I am in many ways just a normal kid. I don’t think it worked.
“Samantha, you don’t know what Africa is like, it’s…”
“I have been, I went to Dar es Salaam. My parents booked us in at a hotel way out of the city with empty beaches. They wanted me to walk on the beach all day by myself and think about how I should not use my powers because it will make everyone hate me. Since dad does not enjoy being in the sun I knew there was little point in my arguing that he keep me company, so I did take long walks, but I spent most of my time in little villages where I ate some lovely lobsters and prawns bigger than the lobsters in the supermarkets here - I think they call them Tiger prawns. I also enjoyed drinking coconut milk and eating fried green bananas.” I gave him a big grin. “I’m glad you chose Africa, it’s going to be fun.” Robbie blew me a raspberry and the girls laughed.
Allan tried to lecture me on how ninety nine percent of life is not fun. It is misery, pain, diseases, cruelties and a whole list of other things any prudent person should protect themselves from. I finally stopped walking. He turned back and I asked him to bend down a little. He thought I was going to whisper in his ear but instead I kissed his cheek. “See? Life can also spring lovely surprises if you are not afraid and allow them to happen.”
Gracefully he replied, “I admit that life does seem to be trying to make up for the past with your presence.”
“That deserves another kiss, but I don’t want to give it yet, as I don’t want to spoil you.”
An hour later I was silently laughing. We’d walked past a hotel that was advertising a carvery buffet for Sundays; roast beef, roast lamb, gammon, chicken etc and we could eat as much as we want for a low price. I thought I was still full from breakfast but Allan eagerly talked us into entering. He over-filled his plate and talked about returning for thirds as he spread generous coatings of mustard over the meat. I suggested a beer for him and he had two mugs. I enjoyed the dessert which Allan did not even want to look at because he felt so full and swollen. He also felt heavy and sleepy. We paid for two rooms and he went for a snooze, as he called it. I was glad I did not have to share his room as I was certain he would be snoring as loud as a tractor.
Early in the evening he called to tell me he did not feel well enough to go out again and I should order from room service. We agreed to meet in the morning and I jumped to Freddie for a night of being held and loved. First I had to be hugged by Alki and others and then Allan pulled me to him and sat me on his leg as he made jokes about his alternate.
