Not
until the end of the day approached and we all knew we had to get back to
reality. The waiter arrived with the check and put it in front of me. I stared
at it for a long time. Not because it was expensive, I would have paid a lot
more for a day like this again. It was such a definitive statement that soon I
had to go back. Back to the world I came from. Back to the house, back to
Heather.
"I hope I haven't caused you any trouble," Aiyana said and put her hand on top of mine across the
table.
I shook my head. "Don't worry about it."
"So what will you tell her?"
"Heather?"
Aiyana nodded while drinking from her glass of cola. "What will you tell her
about where you were today?"
I shrugged. "I don't know," I said and
forced a smile. "I'll come up with something. And you? What will you tell
Michael?"
"He’s been gone all day. He won't notice."
"And Luyu won't
tell?" I emptied my glass of beer.
"God, no. They never talk much anyway."
"Neither do William and his mother."
"That's really sad, Christian."
I smiled. "Yeah. I know. For both of us I
guess."
She laughed. "I guess you're right." Our
eyes locked for a second. Then we both laughed. Not because it was funny, but
because we both realized the absurdity of our situation.
We were all quiet in the
car on our way back towards the city. The kids had fallen asleep in the
backseat. William still had a chocolate moustache from the ice-cream and Luyu's hair was still messed up with loads of sand. They
looked so peaceful as they slept leaning on each other, as if they wanted to
hug even in their sleep. Like they were afraid of letting go or missing even a
second of each other's lives. I watched them through the rear-view mirror and
smiled.
"I don't think I’ve ever seen William as happy as
I did today," I whispered. "I’ve never seen him laugh like
that."
"I haven't seen Luyu like this before either," said Aiyana .
We went quiet again. I wanted to tell her how madly I
loved her, how gravely I needed her in my life, but the words never left my
lips. "I'll call my secretary as soon as I get back and make all the
arrangements for Luyu ," I said instead.
"I'll leave a message at the front desk to have them take care of it. All
you have to do is call the clinic tomorrow or later this week and tell them
when you're able to come. Okay? My secretary will make room in the
calendar."
Aiyana nodded. Then she sighed. "It really is very nice of you to help me. I mean
I would understand if you were mad at me."
"I could never be mad at you. You said it
yourself. You had to marry this guy to carry on the legacy." I looked at Luyu in the mirror. "So is she ... has she ...?"
"We don't know yet. She hasn't showed any signs.
But neither did I until I was sixteen."
"That's right. Does she do other stuff?
Premonitions?"
"Not that I know of," Aiyana said. "I hope it will wait a little though. I want her to be a normal kid
for as long as possible."
"Do you have her in school?"
"Yes."
"Oh, your mom probably isn't too happy about
that."
Aiyana went quiet and stared out the window as we crossed the bridge. "What? Did
I say something wrong?" I asked.
She turned her head and looked at me again. "No.
I just miss them, you know. Miss my family, especially Halona ."
"She must be almost grown up by now?"
"Seventeen," Aiyana said with a small voice. She lowered her eyes. "She is seventeen
now." Aiyana paused and lifted her face. She
stared out the window and pointed. "Just drop us off here at the bus stop.
We will take the bus the rest of the way."
"But ..." I said almost panicking. I wasn't
ready to let her go just yet. I wanted to enjoy the last few minutes we had
together. I really wanted to take her all the way home. "But Luyu is sleeping. Let me drive you all the way. Please.
It's no trouble at all."
She turned her head and snapped at me. "Please
Christian. I need you to stop the car and let us get out. Michael has many
friends in this part of town and if they see me in a car
until the end of the day approached and we all knew we had to get back to
reality. The waiter arrived with the check and put it in front of me. I stared
at it for a long time. Not because it was expensive, I would have paid a lot
more for a day like this again. It was such a definitive statement that soon I
had to go back. Back to the world I came from. Back to the house, back to
Heather.
"I hope I haven't caused you any trouble," Aiyana said and put her hand on top of mine across the
table.
I shook my head. "Don't worry about it."
"So what will you tell her?"
"Heather?"
Aiyana nodded while drinking from her glass of cola. "What will you tell her
about where you were today?"
I shrugged. "I don't know," I said and
forced a smile. "I'll come up with something. And you? What will you tell
Michael?"
"He’s been gone all day. He won't notice."
"And Luyu won't
tell?" I emptied my glass of beer.
"God, no. They never talk much anyway."
"Neither do William and his mother."
"That's really sad, Christian."
I smiled. "Yeah. I know. For both of us I
guess."
She laughed. "I guess you're right." Our
eyes locked for a second. Then we both laughed. Not because it was funny, but
because we both realized the absurdity of our situation.
We were all quiet in the
car on our way back towards the city. The kids had fallen asleep in the
backseat. William still had a chocolate moustache from the ice-cream and Luyu's hair was still messed up with loads of sand. They
looked so peaceful as they slept leaning on each other, as if they wanted to
hug even in their sleep. Like they were afraid of letting go or missing even a
second of each other's lives. I watched them through the rear-view mirror and
smiled.
"I don't think I’ve ever seen William as happy as
I did today," I whispered. "I’ve never seen him laugh like
that."
"I haven't seen Luyu like this before either," said Aiyana .
We went quiet again. I wanted to tell her how madly I
loved her, how gravely I needed her in my life, but the words never left my
lips. "I'll call my secretary as soon as I get back and make all the
arrangements for Luyu ," I said instead.
"I'll leave a message at the front desk to have them take care of it. All
you have to do is call the clinic tomorrow or later this week and tell them
when you're able to come. Okay? My secretary will make room in the
calendar."
Aiyana nodded. Then she sighed. "It really is very nice of you to help me. I mean
I would understand if you were mad at me."
"I could never be mad at you. You said it
yourself. You had to marry this guy to carry on the legacy." I looked at Luyu in the mirror. "So is she ... has she ...?"
"We don't know yet. She hasn't showed any signs.
But neither did I until I was sixteen."
"That's right. Does she do other stuff?
Premonitions?"
"Not that I know of," Aiyana said. "I hope it will wait a little though. I want her to be a normal kid
for as long as possible."
"Do you have her in school?"
"Yes."
"Oh, your mom probably isn't too happy about
that."
Aiyana went quiet and stared out the window as we crossed the bridge. "What? Did
I say something wrong?" I asked.
She turned her head and looked at me again. "No.
I just miss them, you know. Miss my family, especially Halona ."
"She must be almost grown up by now?"
"Seventeen," Aiyana said with a small voice. She lowered her eyes. "She is seventeen
now." Aiyana paused and lifted her face. She
stared out the window and pointed. "Just drop us off here at the bus stop.
We will take the bus the rest of the way."
"But ..." I said almost panicking. I wasn't
ready to let her go just yet. I wanted to enjoy the last few minutes we had
together. I really wanted to take her all the way home. "But Luyu is sleeping. Let me drive you all the way. Please.
It's no trouble at all."
She turned her head and snapped at me. "Please
Christian. I need you to stop the car and let us get out. Michael has many
friends in this part of town and if they see me in a car
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