REBIRTH

Chapter 26

Amelia took the seat next to me and together we faced the group of curious beings before us.

"I am Yilly" said a sweetest voice. I couldn't place who it had come from until a small being raised a tiny hand. It had a small body, but a big head. I couldn't see its face because it was so bright, the being that is. Benevolence radiated from the being like heat from the sun. "I come from a different plane of existence, I apologize I cannot be more specific."

"Hello" I said smiling.

"Welcome, may the light always shine bright with you" he said.

"I would say the same, but it seems the light already shines quite brightly within you" I said teasing. This earned me laughs around the table, and a 'well done' wink from Amelia.

"I would I ask a question if you are ready" Yilly said.

"Shoot" I answered feeling more heartened. I sensed the confusion and tried again, "It will be my pleasure to answer any questions you may have, and truly hope I have the answers you seek."

"I thank you. What does beer taste like?" Yilly asked to my utter surprise. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly had nothing to do with beer.

"Well why don't we bring the gentle... being one and he can see for himself?" I suggested.

"It wouldn't be the same thing Master Sara..." Captain Apollo began.

"Call me Sara, just Sara" I interrupted.

"Very well just Sara" Apollo said with a chuckle "it wouldn't be the same if Yilly drank the beer herself. You see it is not solely the ability to taste the beer that goes with the experience of consuming the beverage. Human beings attach much emotion to it, as they do with everything else. Humankind is one of the few races which feels emotion with their physical bodies."

"Oh, I guess, come to think of it the first swig of beer after a long, hard day of work in the middle of the summer is almost orgasmic" I thought out loud.

"Yes, this is my suspicion. Could I share in the experience dearest one?" Yilly asked.

"Sure, but how?" I asked intrigued.

"You would just had to remember a time when this happen, leaving out as little detail as possible and permit me to share in your thoughts" Yilly explained.

"Oh boy..." I said. "Well I guess I could. Go ahead, but it might take me a bit to recall a detailed memory."

I thought back to this past summer when I was investigating the murder of a teenage boy in the Fifth Ward of my city. The neighborhood was a rough one, where young boys hardly stood a chance of a long life, let alone a good one. After interviewing five eyewitnesses, I'd ended up with no more than a vague description of the assailant. Black, about 5'11", 200 lbs., black hoodie, baggie pants... It could be anyone in that neighborhood, but that hadn't been the worst part of my day. Interviewing the mother had been the most heart-wrenching half hour of my week. I say week because unfortunately I had more moments like these than I cared to remember.

Ms. Smith, the boy's mom, was a single mother of three. D'shaun, her son, was the oldest of three. All three kids from different fathers. Ms. Smith always believed the new Mr. Smith was the one who would make their lives better and care for her and her kids. It hadn't worked out that way, and now she was alone with three boys, working three jobs to barely put food on the table. There were only so many hours in a day she could work, and at minimum wage, she would need a 48 hr day to provide food for all of them and properly raise her children.

Since most of her day was spent at work, the kids were left to their own devices and with no parental guidance in a neighborhood like that, there were very few alternatives for their future. Attending a four-year college was a very farfetched one.