CHAPTER THREE
Rozia's Ulog
Hi all,
Time has just gone by so quickly since I was last in
touch. I'm afraid, though it's not such good news at the moment.
As you know I've been made so welcome here on Zandra and it
hadn't ever occurred to me to question whether I belonged at all. But that has
all changed in just one day. That routine referendum. Why do so many people
want to leave the One World Community all of a sudden? What does that mean for
Petri and me? Will they not want us anymore? Will they see us a drain on their
resources?
It's all right for Kaleem. At least he looks a bit Zandrian.
He is partly Zandrian.
Petri had been doing so well. But then she became ill quite
suddenly. It was terrifying. She was obviously in so much pain - worse, I
think, than ever before. Although Kaleem was with me when it happened, I really
felt alone. We're away from home.
The wands didn't work. How could the wands not have worked?
Had someone interfered with them? I'm really scared that somebody is trying to
get at us. The doctor admitted that this kind of thing has happened a few times
now.
I was glad Kaleem was there and that he took us to the
medi-centre.
Doctor Joahnsa Brooken was brilliant. I'm not sure that she
believed me, though, when I said that I had applied the wands to Petri. But she
soon sorted her out, anyway. It was really kind of her to give Petri something
to make her calmer before she started applying the meds.
It was all still very worrying, though. The doctor admitted
that this kind of thing had happened a few times now. And she doesn't even
trust all of her colleagues. What is happening here?
I'm really grateful to her, anyway. I'm going to go to her
for the wands in future - not rely on a courier to bring them, just as she
suggested. And I'll only take them from her, not from one of her
colleagues.
It took Petri a while to recover, even after we'd got her
home. Kaleem stayed with me. He was so kind and I was glad he was there. I hope
he hasn't got the wrong impression, though. I do care for him and I know he
cares for me and Petri. But I don't think we can ever be together again the way
we were. Not after the way he left me. Not with me having to care for
Petri.
CHAPTER FOUR
Obek looked up through the leaves. The blue sky
framed them perfectly. Now, the trees were covered in the orange fruit. Their
experiment had been a success. Would the taste be right, though? Other small
oranges were bitter. Was it the sunshine they lacked? The big juicy ones needed
more warmth than they got here. Today was exceptional.
Well, just looking at them wouldn't get him a long way. He
didn't want to go back and fetch a ladder. That might alert people to what he
was doing. He would just have to climb the tree.
It wasn't that easy. The places where he could put his feet
or get something to hold were few and far apart. The branches were thin and
might not take his weight. A gentle breeze had sprung up. It was refreshingly
cool but it made it difficult to balance.
At last though he could touch one of the fruits and even
found a place to perch. The fruit fell easily into his hand. That was a good
sign. It meant that it was ripe. He lifted it to his nose. Oh, yes. It smelt of
oranges and there was something else as well. A hint of spiciness. Just a hint.
He started to peel the clementine. It peeled easily and the
skin was so thin that pith came off with it. That would normally be a good
thing but sometimes the flesh came off with the pith as well. Would they be
able to make the skins a little sturdier?
He took a segment and put it into his mouth.
It was exquisite - sweet, juicy, orangey.
Yes, this is what they'd been aiming for.
He threw a dozen or so more clementines to the floor,
scrambled down the tree, gathered up the fruits and rushed back to the mansion.
His father must know of this as soon as possible.
"Well," said his father. "You have
done extremely well. We'll need to expand the orchards now."
They had just returned from taking the first harvest to the
market. Every single piece of fruit had sold at a good price and they'd secured
orders for the following year.
Obek nodded. "I think we can even stagger the crop. So
that we can produce them most times of the year."
"Good. Good. And you think you can manage that?"
Obek looked into his father's eyes. "I'm sure I
can."
His father nodded. "So, tell me. How will you go about
it?"
"Stagger the planting so that the fruit appears between
early summer and late autumn."
"Will that produce enough?"
"Can we buy more acreage?"
His father stood up and wandered over to the window. He
looked out across his field. "Do you think you can persuade old Tunkin to
sell us some of his land?"
"I'm sure I can. And there's something else as
well."
"Oh?"
"The extra income we'd gain from being able to produce
for more of the year would more than justify buying some
greenhouses."
Obek's father turned back towards him. "Get all of this
done, son, and you will be rewarded."
The year passed quickly. Tunkin had agreed at once
to sell all of his 150 acres. Obek had offered him a good price and a share of
the profits associated with the new land for five years. He had managed to
build the greenhouses in time to use them for a winter crop and despite all of
the money he had had to find and despite having to pay extra workers to help
with the perpetual harvest, they had made three times as much profit this year.
Obek's father had decided to arrange a ball to celebrate.
Obek found himself dancing with one of the most beautiful girls in the
neighbourhood. He was annoyed when his father tapped him on the back. "We
need to talk." He bowed to Penni. "Please excuse us. My son will
rejoin you presently."
"Couldn't this have waited?" demanded Obek once
they were inside his father's study.
"No. Business must always come before pleasure."
He laughed. "Don't look so glum. That's only because then the pleasure is
even greater."
Obek shrugged. Could it really be that important? He'd
worked so hard, hadn't he? Didn't he deserve some relaxation? Besides, he was
really making progress with Penni. He was sure they would become lovers very
soon, and perhaps even more. He sighed. "Well what is it?"
"I want you to take over the clementine business
completely. I wanted to discuss it with you now so that if you agree I can make
an announcement tonight."
"You mean be totally in control? Make all the decisions
on my own?"
His father nodded. "Even how to spend the profits. A
word to the wise, there, though. Yes, you should pay yourself well and in the
future you may have a family to consider as well, but at the rate this is all
going, the clementine orchards will make so much money that you won't know what
to do with it. Some, of course, will be invested back into the enterprise, but
you must think how to use the rest responsibly. We'll discuss this again in a
year's time. Well, are you up for it?"
Obek nodded enthusiastically.
"Good. Now I suggest also you just get on with
it." He grinned at Obek. "And go on. Ask the girl."
Two announcements were made later that evening: that Obek
was to take over completely the running of the clementine orchards and that he
was engaged to the lovely Penni Mendat.
"Why are you looking so worried? I'm fine. The baby's
fine. Do you want to feel him kick?" Penni took Obek's hand and placed it
on her belly.
The baby obliged. Yes, it did seem like a boy. He was
certainly very strong. Obek smiled at his wife and then drew her into an
embrace.
"There that's better," she whispered.
Oh, he wanted her so much. The huge belly did not put him
off at all. If anything he found it arousing. Then he remembered. He pulled
away from her. Yes, he was so lucky to have her in his life and soon there
would be a child as well. Might he soon lose all means of supporting them?
Would his father take the clementine project away if he couldn't find an answer
to that question he'd asked a year ago?
"Oh, come on tell me." She rubbed his arm.
Obek sighed. "I've got to find a good use for all of
the profit we're making."
"I take it we are still making a good profit?"
"Oh yes." It was good. It was unbelievably good.
The project was just growing and growing.
"Well then. Stop worrying. You'll think of something.
Maybe take on a new enterprise. One that is good for everyone." She
stepped forward and kissed him. She stroked his cheek. "You look so tired
sweetheart. You should go and get some rest."
Obek nodded. That wasn't a bad idea.
He found a pleasant spot in one of the orchards that wasn't
being worked today. There was already a hammock strung between two of the
trees. He climbed into it and shut his eyes. The sun was making the almost ripe
clementines release their scent. The bees buzzed and a gentle breeze cooled him
pleasantly. It was all very soothing and gradually his eyes closed.
Something stirred Obek from his nap. There was a crick in
his neck and he couldn't work out where he was at first. Then he gradually
remembered going to the orchard. Some half-formed dreams came back to him.
There were people in fine clothes, grand buildings and more and more
clementines. Everyone was going about their business so purposefully. There was
excellence and perfection here.
He was aware of a voice calling him. "Master Obek,
Master Obek. Come quickly." It was his former nanny, Silvana. They'd
reengaged her to help look after the new child.
He jumped from the hammock and ran towards the old lady.
"What is it?"
"It's the baby. The baby's on its way."
Nothing else mattered now. Please let this baby be all
right. He was arriving three weeks early.
They both hurried back to the house.
"I don't think he is premature, you know,"
said the doctor. "If anything, I think he's a month overdue. Look at his
hair and fingernails."
Penni smiled at Obek. He understood exactly what she meant.
Young Tomik must have been conceived the very first time they'd made love, when
the pressure of the wedding arrangements had become too much and they could
contain themselves no longer. Not during the honeymoon as everyone had assumed.
"Anyway, there is no need for you to be transferred to
the hospital. Everything is fine."
"Just as well," said Silvana, sniffing. "We
always managed without hospitals in my day. Nasty places. Full of germs."
She frowned and stared at Penni. "That was very quick for a first time.
Are you sure you're not hiding anything young lady?"
Penni blushed.
"Silvana!" Obek tried to sound cross but he really
wanted to laugh.
"Now then," said the doctor. "There's no
reason why a healthy young woman shouldn't give birth easily. It's more natural
really." He patted Penni's shoulder. "Well done, you."
Obek gazed at his son and wife. They were perfect. Then it
became clear to him what he must do. He would set up an institution, an order,
perhaps, that would enable others to gain this sort of excellence.
Penni touched his arm lightly. "What are you
thinking?"
"That I know exactly what to do with the clementine
profits."
"Tell me."
So he started to outline his plans whilst she fed the baby.
He realised after a while that his son had stopped sucking and that Penni was
snoring gently. He stroked her hair. Poor love. The birth may have only take
four hours but it must have been exhausting: Tomik was a big boy.
About the Peace Child Series:
Book 1 The Prophecy
Kaleem Malkendy is different – and on Terrestra, different is no way to be.
Everything
about Kaleem marks him out form the rest: the blond hair and dark skin,
the uncomfortable cave where he lives and the fact that he doesn’t know
his father. He’s used to unwelcome attention, but even so he’d feel
better if some strange old man didn’t keep following him around.
That man introduces himself and begins to explain the Babel Prophecy – and everything in Kaleem’s life changes forever.
Book 2 Babel
Babel is the second part of the Peace Child trilogy. Kaleem has found
his father and soon finds the love of his life, Rozia Laurence, but he
is still not comfortable with his role as Peace Child. He also has to
face some of the less palatable truths about his home planet: it is
blighted by the existence of the Z Zone, a place where poorer people
live outside of society, and by switch-off, compulsory euthanasia for a
healthy but aging population, including his mentor, Razjosh. The Babel
Tower still haunts him, but it begins to make sense as he uncovers more
of the truth about his past and how it is connected with the problems in
the Z Zone. Kaleem knows he can and must make a difference, but at what
personal cost?
Book 3 The Tower
Kaleem has given up the love of his life in order to protect her.
He now lives and works on Zandra. A sudden landquake, not known on the
planet for many years, destroys many of the forests his father has
planted to bring life back to the planet. The new relationship Kaleem
has helped to establish between the Terrestrans and the Zandrians is
also under threat. A third party gets involved and Kaleem has to use all
of his diplomatic skills to keep everything on track. Mistakes cost him
dearly and he looks set to lose Rozia for a second time. The Babel
Tower mystery, others mysteries and sadness plague him. Can he find a
way through to fulfil his role as the Peace Child?
Gill James is published by The Red Telephone, Butterfly and
Chapeltown.
She edits CafeLit.
She writes for the online community news magazine: Talking About My Generation
She is a Lecturer in Creative Writing and has an MA in
Writing for Children and PhD in Creative and Critical Writing
http://www.gilljameswriter.com
https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B001KMQRKE
https://twitter.com/GillJames
See other episodes: https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2022/12/sunday-serial-house-of-celmentine.html
