<sup><h6>I forgive you a lot of what you do just because of the way you always instantly know it is me.

You? Who are you?</h6></sup>
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<center><a href="https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur-grafo8/little-cherine-book-08-bpost009">Previous: Book 08 - Post 009 </a></center>
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Chantel is now nearly halfway through her pregnancy. The foetus communicated with her mother and a week later she started verbalising. She greeted all of us and when Robbie said to her that he looks forward to meeting his little angel, she said it would be a nice name and is from now onwards named Angelica. I’m certain she will be called Angel by everyone.

The Wirms invited us to take part in an annual ceremony of theirs, but in the end only a few of us did; Wendy, Candy, Lua, Coral and all their alternates.

On the day, all the Wirms that were carrying eggs gathered to them all the young of under sixty centimetres and faced the sun from outside their habitats. The rest all wished themselves to a small distance from their sun, all of them pointing their heads (one big eye) away from the sun at a distance from each other, forming a ring. They sang a song of greeting to their sun that lasted for over an hour. When the song ended they turned so that they lay head to tail, their sides facing the sun. Slowly they revolved around themselves, singing a song of The Cleansing. When that was over they sang a song of thanks and salutations, praising the sun for being a giver of light and life. They briefly turned to face the sun with their heads and wished themselves back towards their habitats. They then danced among themselves, broadcasting not only their joy and love for each other, but also a feeling akin to religious ecstasy at the cleansing and the lightness they feel in their souls.
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The Wirms advised us, “It is time for us to move our nests to areas where the cloud is more abundant in the energies we need.”

Robbie asked, “How often do you do this?”

“Whenever it is necessary.” 

“We’ll wait for you to call to us and we’ll move Freddie close to your new place.”

“May I ask a question?” A ‘Normal’ guest asked. “Do you worship your sun as a god?”

“Are we not gods when we give birth to a new life? The sun gives life to all and must be respected and thanked for what it does. Later you will share another celebration when we thank the cloud for feeding us and protecting us from the emptiness out there. We have another celebration for thanking our nests.” She sent a strong feeling of joy. “We have a lot of celebrations because it is good for us to thank everything that gives us life and makes us what we are. We hope you will take part in the celebration when we thank each other for existing. Imagine what life would be like for me if I were alone.”

Candy quipped, “The Grateful Wirms” for a laugh, but it ended up sticking, becoming their full title. Only Klo weakly protested, claiming it made them sound like a pop group.
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Once we were alone, we complained that because we do not have a calendar for when we are in Freddie we do not have any celebrations. (Our idea of keeping a record of the periods here did not work, it is too complex as we do not all spend equal time here). Robbie looked bemused.

“What do we do, celebrate each thirty days we spend here?”

“Why not? We could also celebrate other things.” We tried to think up a few reasons for celebrating, but it is difficult to say, this day is for celebrating…since we do not spend fixed amounts of time here and our absences from Freddie are not relative time-wise. Coral came up with the idea that we choose an Earth date on which we come to Freddie to celebrate. She said it should be the birthday of Freddie. Freddie was amused and touched.

“My birthdays would have no pattern to them. If you stay here for a hundred years, I could spend all that time without a birthday, yet, if you stay away a year and I am in a different reality, you could return to celebrate my birthday the day after my previous birthday.”

Agapi scolded, “It would not matter how long we are here, we could celebrate your birthday every three hundred and sixty five days. As for our absences, there is nothing we can do about that. If you have birthdays two days in a row, just be glad we remember and love you.”

“Yes ma’am.” We all laughed as Agapi pulled a face.

Candy said, “I think Freddie should choose his own birthday.”

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“The actual date has no meaning. For me to choose a date that does mean something to me would not be fair to the person who shares that date.”

“You want it to be the sixth of January?”

He let his laugh be heard throughout the world. “No my sweet Cassie. His is not a date that means much to me. Would the 18th of April suit you all?”

“I suggest we call it a birthday celebration but we don’t say what his age is as it will never be real. We just celebrate that he exists.” We unanimously agreed. We also decided to have our first celebration in five days (so that everything could be prepared).

Of course I just had to say, “What about the rest of our friends? We should also celebrate for them.”

“Which friends Sam?”

“Solomon, Ordinx and Ashiir? What about…”

Robbie interrupted me, “No Sam. We cannot go giving everybody a birthday. What we can do - I suggest we do it on Earth for all Cherinians to celebrate - is choose one date to celebrate the coming of all our alien friends into our lives. The Wirms are right, we should have a day for giving thanks that they exist. As she said, think of how lonely we would have been without them.”

“We’ll have to call it Friends Day and celebrate the existence of all friends.”

We liked Dommi’s idea and chose the 30th of August. The Wirms were pleased to hear that we had decided on these two new celebrations because of them.
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Oops! My face is red. It was sweet of Arthur not to remark on my stupidity. I was so happy to have caught him out, making a mistake, that I did not see the obvious. Of course he knows her birth date…just as all of us do, regardless of when she is born. Her birthday is the date we return to our Earth, which we are fairly consistent about nowadays. Okay, maybe we can return a day later or earlier, just to force him to correct his birthday presumption.
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Today was one of the most thrilling days I’ve had for a long time. I went to share with e`i`u and I felt her respond. She was not aware of me, but I felt her. u`uu`e`i  was delighted by my response and sent it on to the other Wirms. Thousands of them surrounded me and filled my heart with their love. I think I’m starting to feel e`i`u is my daughter. 

Everyone pretended to moan, even Cherine, that I am cheating. They said I am the only one who has three daughters and it isn’t fair. Alki spoilt their teasing by saying I deserve all three because my heart is so big. Gina made an attempt to revive the teasing by asking him which of my two hearts, but he answered seriously, ‘both’. Robbie then got into the act, reminding them that I have more than three, that the children of Samuel are mine also. He cracked a joke about me having more wives than him and that I plan to have more husbands than any of the girls - he was alluding to you Arthur.
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Vincent had to make two trips back to our reality. Appearing as Robbie he made the purchases and signed cheques for Robbie (does that make him a criminal under ‘Normal’ law or would the judge rule that Vincent is Robbie also?). Freddie moaned that we are spoiling his world. Hundreds of us are jumping all over and tying balloons and paper streamers to trees.

The six daughters of Dirkie joined us and we all pretended not to notice that a young man was sticking close to Daisy, jumping with her and helping her tie her balloons. We can feel that he is deeply in love with her and Daisy is starting to forget her boyfriend back home and her heart is opening to him also.

“We better do something about them tomorrow.” Robbie said. Silently we agreed. He has waited long enough.

Robbie insisted only he and Dommi be present. The rest of us will have to share from the lounge or garden. He asked the six girls to join him in his study.

“You saw in the telling that your father is a Cherinian, that we blocked him so that he does not remember? What the girls did not show is why you are here.”

“Will we also become full Cherinians?”

“That was our intention the day we came to your house in Sandton. Cherine had approved you, but luckily Sam broke our rules. She took a dip into your minds and discovered you were not ready. I apologise for her violating the ultimate privacy any human can have and she has been punished for it. Girls, if she had not, you would have become Cherinians and after dancing with your father in the void it is most likely you would have also become his lovers and wives.” That shook them and if any of them had been about to protest at my reading their minds, they did not now. Cherine let Robbie know that two of them found the idea of making love with their father exciting, maybe because it was forbidden. The other four disliked the idea intensely.

“Do you feel that your time with us has changed you at all? Does anyone feel more mature, more at peace with themselves than they were when we collected you?” They all nodded in agreement. “I have something to say that you might find objectionable because it trespasses on the personal. Keep in mind I have a good reason for doing so and once you are Cherinians your secrets will not matter anymore.

You rebelled as teenagers and that is entirely natural. What does not make sense is that you have all had it drilled into you that indiscriminate sex is dangerous and yet not one of you took any precautions. I’m not talking about pregnancy, I know you are on the pill. I’m talking about agreeing to sex without using condoms or the Noaids cream. Two of you have Aids.”

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They wanted to know which two, but not one of them dared ask. Lorraine thought it could not be her because she only had sex with her boyfriend. Daisy felt her dream of a life with her new love dying. The others thought of the parties and the strangers they’d made love to and tried to accept their fate philosophically. That meant they still had to learn a lesson and Robbie was determined to teach it to them.

Dommi said to them, “Roberto has decided not to tell you which two are sick. He has his reasons and I agree with him.” She gave a rueful grin. “Not that it will stop you from getting angry and hating us.”

“I’d never hate any of you, not after what you did for me.” Daisy’s eyes were swimming in tears.

“You will sweetheart. You will think us unfair, but we are not. I’ll allow Roberto to explain.”

They saw his face was pale and for the first time felt fear. “You will not be told who has Aids and who does not. Our healers have stopped the sickness from becoming active, not that it means it would have. Girls, do not think I am judging you, it is not my place to do so. What sexual experiences you had are your own business. What you are like today, that is my business. I offer you a choice.

If you wish to become Cherinians, you first all go through the trauma of having Aids. No one of you is any more guilty than the others. Some of you were lucky, that is all.

If you choose not to be Cherinians, we will cure those of you who are sick, but then you will watch all you’ve experienced slip by you. All the people you have met, including your parents, will stay young and probably live forever while you grow old and die. Not all will be lost. When you are reborn we will see to it that you become Cherinians - for the sake of your parents and for your sake. However, the personality that makes you, you, will be gone. You will be the person you are reborn as.”

“Will we suffer a lot?”

“Yes Daisy, you will. At least you will know that you will not die and that at the end of it a wonderful future awaits you.”

Again Daisy was the quickest to understand. “That girl in Cyprus, Britta(?), what happened to her is what you want to do to us?”

“Yes, and for more or less the same reasons. When you become Cherinians you will feel invincible. If you start off with the wrong attitude, you will not be good Cherinians and I may be forced to block all your gifts and cut the link. Let me tell you, if that happens you will offer your eyes to have back the link. I cannot bear the thought of doing that to you.”

“I think I already know that. Robert, could you make only me suffer and let my sisters feel what I am going through? Won’t that teach them?” We were disgusted when the sisters all agreed with her that it would teach them. Her offer and their responses showed they still think of it as a punishment, not as a lesson.

“Child, come to me.” Robbie took her face in his hands. “I am glad you were helped to achieve the beauty you deserve.” He kissed her brow. “Go back to the lounge. I’ll call you later.”

As soon as she was gone, Robbie turned to the others. “Daisy proved to me that she did not need the experience I’m offering you. The word Cherinian is synonymous with the word empathy. All five of you are incapable of putting yourself in the shoes of another. You are always looking out for number one first.” Robbie sighed. “You were brought up that way, it will be difficult to change you without making you suffer. I’ll leave you with Dominique. Discuss it and let me know what you have decided.”

They went through all the expected stages; cold, angry, resentful, bitter. When they started to cry Dommi knew she could now help them.

“You think that what Roberto is doing to you is terrible. I ask you, which is worse? That you all share the experience and then, healthy and Cherinians, you never have to fear death again, or that he had left you to your fates and two of you died from this ugly disease?

I know you do not believe me, but it is true - whatever you suffer, my Roberto will suffer much more. I’ll tell you something even worse - so will our unborn daughter. In a sense we are sacrificing her future happiness for your sake. Robert is only forcing himself to do an evil thing because he believes it will open your eyes and help you grow into beautiful Cherinians.”

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She talked, she comforted and finally, she promised to stay by them during their trials. Comforted by her mother love, they took courage from her promise and agreed to allow Robbie make them go through the symptoms.

Jeskine was the first to sense what is going on. She and Orgg turned up to find out what is happening. We explained and she became very angry with Robbie and all of us for allowing him to make them suffer this way. For a moment it looked as if Orgg would challenge Robbie, but Jeskine took his hand and drew him away. Robbie was already suffering and having her anger and contempt added to it was almost more than he could bear. Vincent had left, not willing to be a party to it and his emotions also leaked through, punishing Robbie.

Robbie lasted not even half the time he’d planned for. First of all he was under constant siege by Daisy, who demanded he allow her to suffer with her sisters. On top of that he had Jeskine and Orgg emoting anger and disgust that he could hurt anyone deliberately and, thanks to being sabotaged by Vincent and Freddie, every single Cherinian felt the suffering of the girls and they emoted their feelings which ranged from unease to anger. Alki demanded Robbie see him and they had the first serious argument we can remember.

Of course we closed ranks and tried to act as buffer between Robbie and the world. If Cherine and Goldi had not been with us we might not have succeeded, for none could believe Cherine would allow Robbie to do this if she did not have her reasons and none would dare hurt Goldi. Robbie had to give in because of Angelica. He had not expected such a strong reaction from everyone and had only protected her from sensing the five girls.

Without warning, Robbie cancelled the projection and the girls went into shock. Even as Dommi tried to soothe them, Cherine entered the room and linked the girls. At least now they could bear their shock easily as they felt the thousands who rejoiced for them. I was more worried about something else, so I asked Robbie to sheathe me and I jumped close to one of the habitats, calling for u`uu`e`i. 

“You have judged us without asking to learn our reasons. That is not the action of a friend.”

“There can be no excuse for what was done. To make other living creatures suffer!”

“The fault lies not with us. They were brought up not to take joy in the joy of others, only in their own. Robert had to allow them to discover for themselves what the end result would be if they do not grow as humans. You told us of Wirms who grow up out of family, think of this as our attempt to bring them back into the family of life.”

I may, on occasion, manipulate, but I do not sweet talk. I explained in terms they would understand and slowly I gained their understanding. They still thought it barbarous of us and worried that we are capable of doing anything like this, but accepted we had the good of the girls in mind.

We argued whether we should take the girls to the void without their parents or not. We wondered why Robbie was taking so long to make up his mind. He told us we should first go to the taverna to celebrate our new Cherinians joining us and we can decide about the void later. The girls did not get much of a chance to enjoy their meal. People kept coming to them and asking to share memories. Dommi went and sat at their table and her attitude warned everybody away. The girls were already overloaded and not making sense of anything.

We were in bed when Vincent returned with Dirkie and his wife. He found them an empty bedroom and promised they will meet their daughters the next morning.
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Everybody cracked up, those on the taverna verandah and those close enough to hear. As it was passed on, laughter could be heard travelling into the distance. Maggie had not started to eat with the rest of us and unable to wait any longer she asked, “Where are my daughters? Why aren’t they here?”

That morning we were not surprised to see that the girls had used their new gifts to change their appearance for the better (apart from Daisy who could not imagine herself more beautiful). The imps immediately came up with the suggestion that we don’t let the girls speak to their parents. They suggested the girls sit with us for breakfast, close to their parents, and we wait to see how long it takes for them to be recognised.

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The joke was explained to Maggie and she looked around trying to identify her children. The girls could not hold out anymore and calling to her went for a hug. Maggie burst into tears and then she could not stop crying. We found out later that she had made Dirkie’s life miserable, blaming him for allowing us to take their daughters - even though she too had given us permission. She had been imagining all kind of dire scenarios and suddenly seeing her daughters looking like goddesses (that is the way it seemed to her) sent her into a crazy emotional spin. With their new-found ability to empathise, the girls pulled back, allowing their father to hold his wife to him as she sobbed, “I want my babies” and pummelled him. Stoically Dirkie held on, almost oblivious to the blows as he stared at his girls. Cherine nudged Daisy and she sat before her mother, not touching her, and spoke softly, her emotions muted.

“I’m your little ugly duckling Daisy. For so many years I have envied my sisters for being beautiful while I was ugly. Everybody said I was nice, that I was clever, but nobody said I was pretty. Except for one time. Do you remember, when I was twelve and we were in Pick n Pay and a woman talked with you and then she said, ‘What lovely eyes she has.’ I bet you never even gave a second thought to her polite comment. I did. I hugged it to myself and many times sat staring into a mirror trying to see why she thought they were pretty.

When we started travelling with the Cherinians, Jeskine changed me, saying this is how I would have looked if I had grown up a Cherinian in perfect health. I don’t believe them, I think they made me too pretty. What do you think mum? Dad?”

Her words penetrated and Maggie threw herself at Daisy, crying all over again as she kissed and hugged Daisy and tried to reassure her. “My baby, my little angel, of course you are not too pretty, you are exactly as you should be…” After that it was easier for her to accept all her daughters.
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I made certain nobody was by the pool and waterfall and Cherine took them there so that they can have some time alone to adjust to each other. Later on Robbie sent a small platform filled with food and beverages and they had a picnic as they talked. When they told their parents about the suffering Robbie made them endure, the parents were furious and Dirkie wanted to hit Robbie. The girls had checked with their healers and knew which ones used to have Aids. Daisy explained.

“When I was fifteen years old you left me in Rosebank to go watch a movie and sit with my two friends and chat. After the movie, as we walked around looking at the other teenagers and gossiping about them, an Indian and a black man spoke to me. At first they were trying to be nice and interesting, but then the Indian guy said to the black guy, ‘We better leave. She is just like all the other white girls. Her parents and her friends would freak out if she went with an Indian or black so she is scared to be seen with us.’ I said I was not and he asked why I kept on looking around, claiming it was because I was trying to make certain there was nobody who knew me to see me with coloureds and tell my parents. I won’t drag out my story.” She girded herself for their contempt and anger. “I let them take me to the back alley where the shops get their stock, and hidden between the boxes I gave them my virginity.” She held herself proudly, refusing to give in to the tears that wanted to overwhelm her. More than anything else she needed her parents to reach out with love and hold her, but they were not Cherinians and did not have the wisdom to give her obvious pain priority and shouted in anger because of their own pain that was sickening them. Lorraine put her arms around Daisy and hugged her, the other girls quickly also trying to.

“I knew what I had done was wrong, but I only blamed them and hated all Indians and blacks after that. I never had sex again, not even with Kotie when he became my boyfriend - thank goodness, it would have been terrible to have that guilt to bear. Now that we are Cherinians and I have my own healer, I know that I was one of the two. It was me who had Aids. Dad, Robert knew it and yet he would not allow me to suffer with my sisters. I think he knew it would make me suffer twice as much if I did not.”

“I was the other one.” Barbara said. “I don’t want to talk about it yet.” She tried to keep her face closed to her emotions, but the girls could feel her. She cried out, “I’m so sorry you had to suffer because of me.”

We waited for them to work their way through their emotions in the hope that they will then examine the matter more logically and understand why Robbie made them all suffer. We soon realised they are incapable of doing so, that it is more likely understanding will come to them gradually; perhaps much later, as they look back and see how they have changed for the better. We did not blame them, for we saw that many of our close Cherinians still do not understand. Alki fought with himself, trying to force himself to forgive Robbie, but we could feel that it still upsets him. Because we take his love for granted we did not concentrate on helping him understand, more interested in helping Jeskine and Orgg.

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Angelica is still too new for her to understand and it upset her to feel how everyone reacts to Robbie. We all concentrate on surrounding her and Chantel with love so that the feelings of others are not experienced in the raw by her. Robbie is able to hide his feelings, but what worries us is that Cherine is beginning to get angry.
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Dirkie and Maggie were angry at first, but as they got to know their daughters all over again, their anger dissipated. They found their girls have matured into adults they can be proud of and they are happy. Robbie decided it is time to unblock Dirkie and he wanted Cherine to link Maggie at the same time.

“I will not link her. They must first…”

“…let us do a telling for them.” Meli sweetly ended for Cherine. Meli giggled at Cherine’s ferocious look. “We keep forgetting that Robert says we must get to know our enemies so that we cannot hate them. When friends are angry with us, we should think of them as enemies, don’t you think?”

This time the telling was done with all the details we’d hidden the previous time. As it reached the part where Dirkie offered to fight for Jesus, Robbie released his memories and unblocked him. The girls were dreadfully embarrassed when everyone saw what I saw in their minds back in South Africa and when everyone saw how their suffering affected them, forcing them to take a more honest and empathic look at life, we felt the anger evaporate and feelings of embarrassment take its place. The telling ended with a silence and nobody moved, as if expecting something to happen now. Robbie stood up.

“I wish this had not happened at a time I have a daughter on her way to us. I was glad she was to be born in Freddie, as it meant that she would not have to feel those emotions a foetus feels back on Earth. Alas my sweet Angelica, you have a foolish father who does not think things through.

I have monitored all of you and felt your anger with me. I also felt the shadows of contempt for me that tried to hide even from you. I am pleased.”

Alki muttered ‘malaka!’ and in the silence he was heard by Robbie. He grinned. “Patera, would you be so kind as to explain to our friends why I am pleased?”

“You know I do not agree with you.” He stood up. “I better do it before you convince them they must hate you.”

When he stood by Robbie, he gripped him by the arms above the elbows, squeezing his biceps as he stared into his eyes. Their minds flicked out at each other and Alki relaxed, his heart full of love again.

“My stupid English son has this law for Cherinians that he has tried to impose on us from the early days when it was only Cherine, Dominique, him and I.  He demands that all of us, however much we love someone, even should we adore them above ourselves, if they do something to hurt others, especially innocents, we must champion those who are hurt or are about to be hurt, even if it costs us the love we treasure.

It is amazing that Robert, now in truth a man in his late middle age, still has the ideals of a teenager. He sets rules or laws and to him, if he sees them as being just, they are rigid, inflexible, to be implemented at whatever cost to him. 

We keep on reminding everyone and ourselves that Roberto is the protector. I think that even Vincent forgets it at times. I know I did. Roberto saw these precious girls needed to be forced to wash away the grime of a society that is sick, so that they can blossom and become fully human, so he went ahead and did what he saw as necessary. What no one realised was that he was, at the same time, carrying out another experiment. He did not explain in ways we would have understood and watched to see who would implement his law. 

I’m ashamed to admit that I was one of those who obeyed his law to an extent. I allowed his actions to make me angry and that in turn made me bitter.

Why am I ashamed? Is Roberts’ law wrong? No, it is not. Even Normals sometimes obey that law. Have we not heard of fathers who have turned in their son because he committed crimes that hurt others?

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The reason I am ashamed is because of the way I implemented it. As Cherinians, not only are we able to see into the heart of our loved one, we are also able to get to know that person better than we can know ourselves. If someone has proven, over and over, that he is a good person, that he is incapable of hurting others, to apply Robert’s law without first asking ourselves why he does what we perceive as wrong, is wrong in itself. Trust has to be earned and once it has been, to betray it is a crime against the person we love.”

Robbie found himself with the shoe on the other foot now. “Alki mou, I deliberately…”

“There is no excuse Roberto. No excuse for any of us who love you. Not when we saw that your own girls stood by you. We have seen them turn against you if you are in the wrong, so we should have guessed you had good reasons for what you were doing.”

“Do our thoughts matter?”

“Of course they do Daisy.”

“More than any of you could have, I hated Robert. I don’t feel guilty about it anymore, not after the telling. He manipulated us on purpose, making us hate him. I think he did the same to all of you so you should be angry with him.” When Robbie saw how many supporters she had he laughed and decided to drop the subject. Privately, later, he will speak with those most strongly affected. Jeskine did not wait for him. She put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. “I am sorry Robert.”

Orgg, emoting guilt, added, “Sorry too.”

“No, neither of you should apologise. When we leave you and return to our world I will be relaxed, knowing that you will not tolerate injustice.” He took Orgg’s big hand in his. “My friend, Cherine and I have had our arguments. She has sometimes taken a stand against me, in private and in public. When it happens to you, remember that your love for each other is more important than anything else, whatever the misunderstanding. Have a clean fight, never say things only for wounding the other because your ego is hurt. You will not believe it at the time, but you will find afterwards that the argument taught both of you something about your love and you will feel closer to each other.”

Orgg gave his big toothy grin. “I would not dare have a fight with her.”

“If you don’t, she could end up hurting you.”

“We Neanderthals bear pain more easily than you weak men.”

Of course Robbie tossed in his smart-Alec question, “What interests me is, can you more easily bear pain in others?”
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Angelica, as is the way of all Cherinian foetuses, is reaching out and grabbing bits of information from anyone she feels is open to her. This means she is also becoming more aware and able to understand a little of what is happening in our lives. Apart from the time we spend with our Wirm friends, we now solely concentrate on her. We do not know how long it will be before we have another daughter among us (well, we do, thanks to Arthur letting us know! I’m teasing, Arthur), so we treasure every second we can have with her. None of our friends or loved ones mind. They know how we feel and even envy us a little.
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“Can you tell me anything about the old ones you mentioned? How did you meet them, did they come here to your system or did you find them elsewhere?”

“They found us. Samantha, we do not know much about them. When they found us we knew our joy and much was as it is now, but we could not easily wish what we wanted. We died more often because we were at the mercy of every rock and energy. They taught us to enter the cloud and which energies to seek out. Before that we only timidly ate from the edge. After they left, we found ourselves understanding more, we made new words and the power of wishing grew in us.”

“They taught you to mutate yourselves! The Inguel will want to learn more about that. Have you understood that we too will be mutating you?"

“You wish to change us?”

<br>
<h3><center>5000</center></h3>
“Yes.”

“Then you are not friends? You do not enjoy us as we are?”

“No. In some ways you fill us with grief.”

“You steal our joy from us Samantha. We thought you loved us.”

“Oh, we do love you. That is why we do not like the way you are.”

“The one is possible with the other?”

I gave up playing with her, she was feeling hurt. “We are unhappy that you have such short lives. You would make good Cherinians and wherever you go, in this reality or any other, you will do much to spread joy to people who have not had much to be joyous about. We would like to feel you are part of our lives for as long as we live.”

Allan just loves throwing a spanner in the works when he can. “If you did not like them you would not want them to be Cherinians?”

I was caught unprepared and stared at him, slightly angry and at a loss for words. isi-mi-Metti piped up, “Robert did not like the Inguel when he first met us, but I am a Cherinian.”

Allan teased her, “You don’t count, you are his daughter.” He loves it when he picks an argument he knows the kid can win. He says their feeling of triumph makes him happy.
<br>

We did delay the party for Freddie because of the telling. Now that feelings have returned to normal and a few ruffled feathers have been smoothed, we decided to go ahead. The girls prepared a nice surprise for many of us - though all the balloons have popped and the paper streamers are no longer pretty.

Jokingly Robbie declared it a national holiday and told the scientists they are not allowed to work. We have over two hundred thousand songs stored on our new computer and we took turns setting up the next twenty songs. We paused our music every now and then so that some of the alien songs we have recordings of can be played.

Buffet tables, bars and dance floors were set out all over Freddie so that we do not become one big mass of people. To stop anyone from wanting to come to one specific area, we girls split up, jumping from area to area. 

Cherine took some food and drinks and jumped up to the ledge Robbie loves sitting on. “Come on Freddie, take on a visible form and join me.”

“If you want me to eat and drink you’ll have to ask Solomon to create me a body.”

“Don’t be stupid! Pretend you are eating and drinking and jump it to the river for the fish to enjoy.”

Cherine had made herself into a six year old. She spread her skirt out as they sat on the ledge and leaning over handed him a tiny doll’s cup. “Here is your tea, drink it.” As Cherine knew would happen, within ten minutes Freddie had almost forgotten she was not really the little girl he saw and he joined in her games with full enjoyment at being with a child. She was bossy and cheeky and soon had him eating out of her hand. Robbie was dancing with us and friends, but every now and then he would chuckle to himself, loving the Cherine he was watching.
<br>

As the sky darkened, Cherine took his hand and they jumped down to us. Most of us were preparing for the show, but we all took time to jump to them and kiss Freddie on the cheek and wish him a happy birthday. Most of our guests were in awe of him, but they did greet him and wish him all the best.

Cherine took him to Jeskine and Orgg. Jeskine automatically reached out, trying to sense Freddie. She had a glazed look to her for a few minutes. She shut her eyes and then looked up at Freddie with a smile. “I can sense that you are Robert, but you feel like a nicer version of him. Gentler.”<br><br>
<center><a href="https://steemit.com/sfandf-fiction/@arthur-grafo8/little-cherine-book-08-bpost011">Next [Book 08] - Post 011</a></center>
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<h5><i><b>I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.</b></i></h5><br>
<br><br>
<h6>Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου<br></h6>(Alexander Zenon Eustace)<br>
<sup>25th January, 2020</sup>
<br>
* posted: 25th January, 2020<br>
<br><br>
<center><h6><i>If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 07, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:</i></h6><br>
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