The Heart's Content

Chapter 40

When Alastor left for work that evening, and after she and Beth had eaten some dinner, Charlie headed down to her grotto to contact her parents and give them her latest report. 

"Mom, Dad, I really wish you two human beings a chance." She spoke to the small pool of water in her grotto. "They make such wonderful things. The most incredible creations. Devices that can take you anywhere in the world, methods of giving food more flavor, beautiful cloths to cover your body with, boxes that can make music and tell stories, they've even found a way to fly just like the sea gulls. Well it's not just like the sea gulls, they don't have wings but they fly in this sort of ship that the call a plane."

"Dearest we're aware that the humans are a very inventive species." Lucifer replied. "And that's what worries us. They have invented things that can be used for destruction."

"But not everything they've invented is for destructive purposes, and they're not just inventive and intelligent, I've seen proof that there is kinder side to them."

"What proof?"

There are two humans living by the shore, a young man and a younger lady. A child, that's what human young are called. They're brother and sister and they're just lovely. The girl is sweet, playful, high-spirited, inquisitive, clever, why she's just like a young mermaid, personality wise. I think you'd really like her Mom."

"Well Darling I'm not at all surprised by your words." Lilith said. "Human younglings can be very amusing. I have often thought of making one a pet."

"Mother!" Charlie scoffed.

"I'm just teasing, precious." She chuckled.

"Her older brother isn't anything I expected a human man to be. He seems strange and different but honest, gallant, funny, charming, and so very devoted to his sister. He's raised her all by himself and I'm sure that he's sacrificed so much for her. What could be more good than that?"

"You speak as if you know him." Lucifer said suspiciously. 

"Well I have been observing him. He lives close by the shore."

"I mean you speak as if you know him personally."

Charlie panicked. She could never tell her father that she had allowed herself to grow human legs and live with humans. He'd be so angry. He'd lose his temper. Or worse, he'd probably unleash a tsunami.

"Me? Know a human personally? That's ridiculous." She laughed nervously. "How could I possibly know a human on personal level? I'm in the water and he's on land. Not possible."

"Charlotte." Lucifer's tone become stern. "Has this human seen you? Does he know of you?"

"No Dad." She hated to lie but she couldn't risk a flood or ocean storm getting started by his rage. "It's all just harmless observation."

"Still Charlotte, you must be awfully lonely up there." Lilith said. "Far away from other merfolk, not able to converse with anyone."

"Oh no I'm not lonely and I have lots of friends. I have the dolphins and the sea turtles and many other sea creatures who come by."

"And you are being careful?"

"Extremely careful."

She spoke with her parents for a few more minutes then bid them farewell and made her way back up to the house. It had become dark now but not too dark to where she could not see and she saw something that confused her. The machine that she knew to be called 'Alastor's Car' was located at the far edges of the beach. Why Alastor's car there? Was he not at work?

Upon entering the house, she grabbed the device called the telephone and began to dial the number for Rosie's cabaret. Beth had showed her how to use a telephone so Charlie had no trouble. 

"Rosie's Cabaret, this is Niffty speaking!" The chipper voice on the other side answered.

"Hello Niffty, it's Charlie. I would like to speak with Alastor, is he available at the moment?"

"I wouldn't know. He's not here."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him all day."

"But didn't he come into work this evening?"

"No. Rosie chose to give him the day off. Apparently today's date is something very important to him."

"I guess that would explain the beach trip." Charlie thought. "By why would he lie to us about not working?"

"Thank you anyway Niffty. Have a good night."

She hung up and then went to check on Beth. The girl had fallen asleep reading, with a book in one hand and a flashlight in another. Charlie left her to sleep and decided that she would try to figure out where Alastor was and what he was up to. Before leaving the house, she locked all the doors and took the spare key that was hidden in grabble next to the driveway. After that she walked down to where Alastor's car was parked.

Drawing closer, she could hear music in the salty wind, she followed it to the shore. Soon she could make out a woman's voice singing the words,

"I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do.
They're really saying I love you."

But the song wasn't actually coming from a woman. It was coming from a video tape that was being played on a small radio. A small radio that was right next to Alastor. Charlie found him sitting on the beach, in his hands was a small box full of little things. At the moment he was looking over a photo that had come from the box, and he was crying. She had never seen him looking sad before. In fact she had never once seen him without his signature smile and upbeat attitude. But tonight his smile had become a frown and tears were in his eyes. 

She slowly approached him from behind, he didn't notice her, all he could focus on right now was that photo. Charlie looked over his shoulder and she saw that the photo was of two people. A woman and a little boy. She recognized the little boy as Alastor, he was just as she remembered him from all those years ago, and she deduced that woman with him in that picture was his mother.

"I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know."

She was a very beautiful woman, with magnolias in her red hair and twinkling brown eyes. Charlie could see so much of Beth in her but she could also see Alastor as well., especially in her smile. The photographed boy and his mother were sitting on the beach and looking out over the ocean, just like the man staring at the picture was doing now. The only difference was that the photo depicted happiness while this scene depicted sadness. That's when Charlie realized what was so important today and why Alastor had fibbed about working tonight.

He took something else from the box as well. It was a magnolia flower that had been preserved in the picture book. It was like the magnolias in his mother's hair. No wait, those magnolias had a pink tint to them, this one however was all white. All white like the one that the boy in the picture was holding.

Alastor looked down at that aged flower in his hand and grimaced. His tearful eyes were now joined with a great anger and regret. He trembled with a repressed rage and it looked as though he wanted to crush that magnolia. He was going to crush it. His fingers were just starting to make grip when Charlie placed her hand over that flower and into his own hand. He turned his head and watched her slowly sit beside him.

"And I think to myself what a wonderful world."

He now appeared to look very ashamed and embarrassed. As if he didn't want her to see him like this. As if he didn't want anyone to see him like this. He wanted to say something. He wanted to run away. But he could do neither. The ache that he felt in his heart right now was too great. She said nothing also. 

All she did was look up into his eyes and he instantly knew what she was trying to convey to him. Words were not needed, he could tell by her eloquent eyes alone that she only wanted to comfort him and that he could be vulnerable around her. That she would only have a tender heart for him. So he turned from her and continued to gaze at the sea. However he gently squeezed her hand, she gently squeezed his in return, the magnolia was held between their fingers. 

"Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world."

Then they released the magnolia and let the wind carry it away along with the man's woes. The mermaid stayed by his side that night and for the first time ever, he didn't feel alone on this day.