The Lovers of Life

CHAPTER XX - SIMPLE AND WHOLE

"Cold air is chilling me 

The leaves are so beautiful

You're so beautiful

Please don't take me away from this place

Just leave me here in my

Dreams

Everything's perfect

I don't want to wake up

I just want to lie next to you in this bed

Oh God don't let this end"

Dreams – Being and Becoming - The SmashUp

Pillars flashed by as I hurried out of the hall. The great golden gates opened as I approached and I positively flew down the stairs up which I could see sinners crawling. I stopped as I reached the bottom of the stairway and the old monk lowered his shades to have a better look at me. He smiled.

"Ah, Lusaka, you naughty boy!" said the old monk laughing. I grinned and turned around on the spot like a ballerina. I felt like dancing for some reason.

"How is your brother?" asked the monk. "You were with him, right?"

"He's very well, thank you Brother John!" I said cheerfully and the old monk sniggered as his friend came ambling forward, leaning on his cane.

I glanced at the severe monk and figured I didn't want to be screamed at once more for something I had done wrong. I waved at John before hurrying away. I ran in the sky for the mere fun of it and I watched Heaven growing small in my wake.

One may wonder why I was cheerful? Well, I mean, why not?

I stared at the beauty of the World of the Living. I could see tiny trees green and young, swaying in the fresh breeze. I could see it was raining far in the distance, but the landscape below me was shimmering slightly in the sunshine. I was running in the sky under the red sun and I was not burned. Well, Will didn't want to see his son destroyed, not when he knew I would take a huge menace away from himself and his brother Wail. And I wasn't doing anything one could disapprove of presently.

I felt good, oh, how light I felt now that Mikayil and I were on speaking terms again. Lila was always right, of course, but there's nothing like fighting on the same side to remember who your friends are. Nothing can unite or divide better than a good fight. And things were different now, for I even had my maker back as a friend.

I glared at the sun, trying to provoke it into harming me. The star merely giggled at me from its comfortable place in the sky and turned its attention back to what it had been doing. For the first time in my rather long existence, I realized that the sun was a beautiful star, in his own shiny way. His beauty was nothing compared to the Dioscuri's charms however. And a sudden desire struck me to see my cousins and instead of running aimlessly in the sky, I made for their constellation.

When I dropped by – I literally dropped by because I fell from the sky and landed in their midst as if dropped from a great height – Pollux, Castor, Helena and their sister Clytemnestra were playing a game of cards. Helena and Clytemnestra who were playing against the twins were losing – easy to explain: the twins were skilled cheaters. Helena was glad to see me. I joined the game on the ladies' side and the twins were downcast to see who was winning next. But they held no grudge against me for stealing their victory: cheaters usually get along well.