Chapter 25
Chloe reached the gates of the school in Adamas just as the bell rang. Within seconds, a gnarly old man came from the building to unlock the gates, children spilling from the school’s entrance and rushing to the gates half-walking and half-running.
As always, Sotiria was among the first to come out on the street, walking on her own as usual, her lips pressed shut. Every now and then, she reached up with one impatient index finger to slide her spectacles higher up along the bridge of her nose. All the while, she clutched the straps of her school bag slung over her shoulder as if it were a child she was desperate to save from drowning.
Chloe watched her approach and her heart sank. Poor thing! She’s always so edgy.
Lena made a sudden appearance from among the kids coming up from behind Sotiria. Quickening her step, she reached Sotiria and clipped her on the back of the head as she passed her by. ‘Bye, bye, Specky! Give my love to Mummy!’
She was looking over her shoulder to mock Sotiria and not where she was going. Thus, she let out a loud grunt when she landed chest-first on Chloe’s outstretched hand.
‘Hey! What the—? Watch where you’re going!’ Lena immediately responded, shaking a finger at Chloe.
Not missing a beat, Chloe shook her head and said, ‘Me? I was just standing here. You’re the one who wasn’t looking ahead of you.’ She pouted her lips and continued, ‘Serves you right, actually.’ At that exact moment, she caught Sotiria’s eye as the little girl was now passing by. She had one hand before her lips, tittering, but when Lena whipped her head and gave her a thunderous look, Sotiria picked up speed and disappeared among the receding crowd of children in a second.
Lena stood for a few moments, just looking at the kids walking away, a forlorn look in her eyes.
‘So… Are you going to the olive grove again today? Mind if I join you?’ said Chloe with a bright smile.
‘Join me? What the heck for?’
Chloe raised the plastic bag she was carrying. ‘I got food. My treat.’
Lena raised her chin, eyes glued to the bag, but all that was visible was thick white wrapping and napkins. ‘Is that from a bakery? I do love pastries.’
Chloe winked. ‘I got your favourite. Spinach pie.’
‘That’ll do.’ Lena tried to conceal her enthusiasm, it was so palpable, and almost glided, rather than walked, when Chloe gestured to the road ahead and they began to walk together.
A few paces later, Lena halted and turned to Chloe. ‘Wait a minute! How did you know spinach is my favourite?’
Without stopping her progress around the corner to the lane that led to the olive grove, Chloe chuckled and said, ‘Just a lucky guess.’
Chloe’s plan was working like a charm. Judging from herself, she knew a child would do anything for the right kind of food. Lena’s fridge and the pantry back at her house were well-stocked, so there was no practical reason why Lena chose not to eat lunch at home. She was determined to find out why she insisted on eating alone at that olive grove instead. And, the best way to get her to accept her as company would clearly be to offer a better lunch than what she tended to buy for herself.
The two arrived at the olive grove with Lena leading the way and went to the exact same tree where she had eaten last time. They sat on the cool grass under the heavy shade of the ancient olive tree, and Chloe looked up at the strong branches swaying in the cool breeze. The tree emitted a greeting that only she could hear. Her heart filled with gratitude for the benevolent tree that had stood there for centuries offering the treasure of its fruit and its generous shade to the people. She reached out with one hand and caressed the gnarly bark of its trunk, her heart overflowing as she thanked it silently.
Turning to Lena, she found her looking at her with knitted brows, her lips twisted into a knot. ‘What the heck? You’re not going to hug it, are you?’
‘No…’ said Chloe thinking on her feet, ‘I saw a spider near the ants.’ She pointed to a long line of ants marching up the tree trunk, single file. ‘See? I swiped it away.’
‘What for?’
‘In case spiders eat ants…’ Chloe scratched her head. ‘Do they? I don’t even know.’
‘How the heck should I know?’
She raised a shoulder. ‘I just didn’t want to risk the ants getting eaten, that’s all.’
Lena shook her head and screwed up her face. ‘You’re odd.’
‘Yes. But I got pies!’ said Chloe laughing and opening up the bag. ‘Dig in!’ she said, offering Lena a napkin and one of the two pastries inside that were wrapped individually.
Lena snatched it from her hands, muttering a barely audible thanks and began to munch. ‘Mmmm! It’s very good…’ she said after a while. Looking inside the bag that lay between them on the grass, her eyes widened like wagon wheels. ‘What’s in that package then?’
Chloe swallowed her bite and smiled. ‘Doughnuts. For afters.’
Lena looked amazed. ‘Wow,’ it sufficed her to say, and she continued to eat hungrily, her eyes sweeping the grove as she did so. Every now and then, the look in her eyes softened, becoming almost sad.
Chloe wondered why, and kept watching her intently as they both ate in silence. Every now and then, she sent Lena a tiny zap of white light, straight from her own heart centre to hers.
Suddenly, Lena gave a huge sigh, and when she turned to Chloe, her eyes were misted over.
‘You okay?’ asked Chloe.
‘Yes, I am…’ said Lena, looking away.
‘Can I ask you something?’
Lena tilted her head back and lifted the paper bag over her mouth to drop the last bits of pastry into it. Wiping her lips with the napkin as she still chewed, she said, ‘Shoot.’
‘Why did you hit Sotiria earlier? And why do you bother her all the time? What has she done to you?’
Instead of flaring up in anger, Lena twisted her lips and seemed to mull it over.
Satisfied that the zaps of white light had done their job, Chloe waited patiently and hoped Lena would not tell lies. She’d know if she did, that wouldn’t be a problem, but the sooner she’d get her to trust her enough to be truthful, the better it would be for everyone involved.
Finally, Lena heaved a sigh and said, ‘I don’t know… I just want to barf when I see her with her mother. You should see her walking her to school in the morning. Kisses, hugs, and I love yous all over the place. Yeuch! Pukey!’
‘But, why is it pukey? Love is not pukey. Doesn’t your mother love you?’
Lena’s eyes widened, her nostrils flaring with vexation. ‘Of course, she does! What a stupid question!’ she shouted.
Ooo-kay… So the deep connection Sotiria has with her mother triggers Lena one thing rotten. And what hides behind a trigger? Trauma. Every time. Chloe’s initial guess had just been confirmed. Partly, the child’s trauma had something to do with her mother. This was not just about her father’s loss. ‘Okay. Perhaps it was a stupid question. Sorry I asked,’ Chloe finally said.
Swallowing the last morsel of her pastry, Chloe took out the bag of the doughnuts and put one of them on a napkin. Holding it close to her, she said, ‘I’ll tell you what. You can eat the doughnut if you answer me one more stupid question .’
Lena rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, all right. Out with it,’ she said, reaching out to take the doughnut from her hands and Chloe let her take it.
Lena didn’t take a bite but held it close to her lips, waiting for the question and looking intently into Chloe’s eyes.
Chloe laughed. ‘Don’t look at me like that. I am not the police!’
Lena twisted her lips. ‘You may not be the police, but you certainly have your ways to make people talk. I’ll give it to you; doughnuts are excellent interrogation tools,’ she said, giggling.
Chloe saw Lena’s aura change into yellows, then beautiful pinks. She could feel her own vibration rise, too. Wow. The white light has a lasting effect. Or, maybe, it is the doughnuts . Tittering at her own joke, she let out a sigh and said, ‘Okay. Here’s the question. Why do you eat here on your own? Don’t you have food at home?’
Lena scowled, ever so slightly, but it was clearly mock-fashion. ‘That’s two questions. I can count, you know!’ She took one bite from the doughnut and, seeing that Chloe didn’t react, continued as she chewed, ‘I’ll have you know my mother is a cook. The best cook on Milos, if not the whole of Greece! She works in a taverna and everyone loves her cooking! And she cooks divine meals at home, too.’
A shadow passed across her face, then she said, ‘But…’ She lowered her eyes to rest them on the empty bag between them that blew lightly in the breeze. ‘The problem is… the house is empty when I go home from school. My mother works at the taverna daily at this hour. I… I just can’t eat alone at home. I’d rather eat here, in the open air, at least.’
Chloe felt a surge of pain radiating from Lena’s heart, and it blew the air out of her lungs. She cleared her throat and said, ‘Okay. Eat up! I have to go in a minute. But we can do this again tomorrow here, same time. Do you like board games? I have loads!’
‘Oh, I love board games!’ said Lena, bright-eyed. ‘But I’m telling you now. I am unbeatable! I hope you’re not a sore loser.’
Chloe tittered. ‘We’ll see about that.’
‘Yeah. I bet we—’ Lena’s eyes ignited with surprise. ‘You know what? I don’t even know your name!’
‘It’s Chloe,’ she replied, offering her hand.
Lena took it, to give it a firm shake. ‘Pleased to meet you. I am Lena.’
###
After seeing Lena off, Chloe took the coastal road home. She was walking along, enjoying the sunshine, her mind busy with her plans to help the schoolgirls, and Emilia too, with what their hearts desired. New ideas kept entering her mind with a rush when she saw a stranger sitting at the front steps of a residence coming up ahead. She tilted her head, eyes squinting. He doesn’t look like a local. But a tourist? In a shiny long robe? It’s sweltering hot, no way! But, wait… Could it be?
Her question was answered as soon as she approached because the stranger then stood upright to face her with open arms and said in a resounding voice: ‘Finally, we meet! Greetings, Chloe!’
Chloe stood before him, having no choice but to raise her head up high. She knew by then with certainty that this was the angelic teacher she had been told to expect. The angel towered over her, but there was nothing threatening about him. She could feel his benevolent energy radiating toward her. It felt soothing and was falling upon her like a shower of dazzling fairy dust.
‘Wow…’ was all she managed to utter, overwhelmed by his powerful presence.
He emitted a soft chuckle and said, ‘ Wow to you too!’ He brought his hands together before his chest and gave a slight bow, his eyes glued to hers, but it wasn’t unnerving. On the contrary, it felt comforting.
Chloe bowed too and wondered if his response had been a joke or if his grasp of the language wasn’t too good. Perhaps, he had thought that ‘wow’ was a greeting. She didn’t say anything, though. She was too busy taking in his kindly open smile, his square jaw, his strong nose and prominent cheekbones. Wide almond eyes were gazing back at her now with a hint of humour.
His hair was blond, peppered with grey, and cascading over his shoulders. She wondered how old he was and just couldn’t tell. Because of the partly grey hair and the faint wrinkles on his brow she would have thought he was in his mid-sixties or so, and yet, his stance was strong and perfectly upright, his eyes young, immaculate – belonging to the face of a teen.
He wore a sheeny long robe, made with a fabric she’d never seen before. Its colour, steel grey, was dazzling under the strong sunlight. The sleeves reached down to his wrists, and the hem of his robe ended halfway down his calves.
Six buttons, made of what looked like real diamonds of perfect clarity, ran down the middle of the robe, from his throat to his abdomen. Matching long slacks and high boots completed his gleaming attire, and everything was rimmed with grey velvety ribbon. A plain dark grey logo of a sun and the numbers 369 adorned his chest, over his heart.
Suddenly, the angel extended his hand, causing her to snap out of her reverie with a start, and said, ‘My name is Laranon of the Pleiades, and I am the teacher you have been expecting. It is an extreme pleasure to meet you, Chloe.’
She offered her hand to shake, excited. ‘Laranon. That’s a beautiful name.’
‘Thank you. It’s quite common in my world.’
‘The Pleiades?’
‘Yes.’
‘I didn’t know angels dwelled there, I must say.’
‘Angels are all over the universe, Child. Our Father Mother God sprinkled us everywhere like fine dust. Because, during the Big Bang—as you call The Divine Creation here on Earth in scientific terms—our Creator spread all life fine throughout the Universe, just as He did on your planet. Thus, angels are needed wherever God’s divine creatures are, for their protection. I must say, I am very excited to be assigned to serve here on Earth. This is my first journey here.’
Chloe was thrilled to hear that. ‘Really? I can show you around, if you like.’
Laranon nodded profusely with a little titter, then said, ‘Thank you, Beloved, and this will be a pleasure. But, first of all, let us remember the reason why I am here.’
‘Our lessons. Of course.’
‘Yes.’ He raised a finger and added, ‘And here’s lesson number one: Food is a good way to get a bully to soften their defences, but touching them works much faster.’
Chloe couldn’t believe her ears. ‘What? How… how do you know that?’
‘My dear child, I have been watching you ever since the decision was made that I should be your teacher. Before I even arrived at your galaxy. And I think it’s very commendable that you have taken it upon yourself, without even being prompted, to help two little earthlings like that. Both the victim of a bullying and the instigator. And that is something that, I must say, I find very wise of you. To stop the bullying, we mustn’t reprimand or punish. We must heal . Congratulations for your extraordinary insight to choose Lena, first and foremost, as the one who needs assistance.’
‘Thank you!’ she said, beaming with pride. Twisting her lips, she added, ‘Am I getting more points for that, by any chance?’
Laranon put a hand on his abdomen and gave a hearty laugh. ‘Points? No no, no, Child! Forget what you know from your earthly schools. There is no credit system and no grading in the Angelic Training System. Things are simple in our domain. You will be ending your lessons the moment your energy is correct.’
‘And how long will that take?’
Laranon gave a lopsided grin. ‘Surely, Chloe, you should know by now that time is not real, but a mere illusion on this fine Earth. Hence, it matters not.’
‘Uh…’ said Chloe, scuffling a stone with the toe of her sandal, feeling silly. But then, she felt a tug on her chin and looked up.
Laranon held her chin with one long, smooth fingertip when he said, ‘Tomorrow, when you play board games, keep nudging Lena and making sure to touch her palm with your fingertips every time you hand something to her. Get her energy to mix with yours. And, because yours is higher… well, it’s just physics. You’ll raise her vibration soon enough.’
This advice excited Chloe, her mind filling with ideas. ‘Oh! Of course! I’ll do that!’ She thought for a minute, then added, ‘And what about Sotiria? The timid girl? Do I mix my energy with hers too in the same way?’
‘Yes. Mix hers with yours to give her vitality and inner strength. And, more importantly, you must blend her energy with her bully’s… Touch them both at the same time using yourself as the conductor. This is what will really help matters fast.’
‘Oh! Thanks! I’ll start tomorrow. And what about my main assignment? I mean Elise’s and mine? With Emilia? Can you help us with advice too if we need it?’
‘Of course. I’ll be happy to intervene anytime, if you only ask.’
‘That’s great! Elise will be very pleased. But…wait. Where are you staying?’
‘Staying? What do you mean?’
‘Your lodging? Where do you go on the island for sleep and sustenance?’
Laranon laughed out loud, then his form began to blur, until it vanished completely.
“Thanks for reminding me, Child. I am a 9D angel, that is to say, my consciousness can vibrate high enough to reach the ninth dimension. Which means, I don’t sleep, eat, or drink. I am pure energy. I only chose this form for you—one of my favourites from an old incarnation of mine—just so you have something to look at. To honour our first meeting. But I hardly ever take a form. Bringing my vibration down to the 3 rd level to match the human plane is quite exhausting for me.’
‘I see. Thank you for doing that for me, Teacher. I am honoured.’
‘You’re welcome, Chloe. In time, and as you learn, your vibration will be raised too. Soon, you will be able to travel across the universe with me, as pure energy, too.’
‘Amazing! How many vibration levels are there, Teacher?’
‘No one knows, Child. But, last time I heard, they were 12.’
‘Cool!’ she said, impressed.
Laranon came into view again and looked up toward the clear blue sky, where the sun continued to hammer down since early morning. ‘No, actually, it’s anything but cool!’ he said, twisting his lips, then disappeared again. ‘I’d very much rather not have a body in this heat. I don’t know how you earthlings take it.’
Chloe laughed.
Laranon’s voice echoed all business-like next. ‘Child, my teachings start tomorrow at sundown. You know where the windmill is on the hill, just out of Plaka?’
‘Sure. Elise and I meet there at dusk sometimes, whenever Esmera summons us.’
‘That’s where we’ll have our lessons. See you then!’
With that, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a scent of incense Chloe had never smelled before. It was a divine mix of floral and woody tones, sheer heaven in her nostrils. Smiling to herself, she resumed walking to Emilia’s house, a new spring in her step. She couldn’t wait to tell Elise about her delightful Pleiadian teacher.