Flow was standing watching me sleep when I woke up. At
first I thought it was a dream, and refused to believe it was true. I'd started
to fade back into the comfortable warmth of the bed and sleep, and would have
made it to if she hadn't seen me stirring and began shaking the bed.
I was awake shortly, all too glad to see someone, even if
she couldn't talk or hear. Flow indicated I should get up and follow her, which
I did.
She took me to the gallery where Tina was again firmly
attached to the bed as if the events of the past few days had never happened.
"Well, well. If it isn't the sleepy head."
I grimaced at the reference.
"I hope you were able to keep yourself entertained
yesterday."
Flow, the old lecher, hovered close by.
"No problem, if boredom and worry are
entertaining."
Tina put on petulant look at that remark.
"Poor Geof, he had to spend the day alone."
Her tone was dry, sarcastic but her eyes smiled.
"Yes, and wander around lost, trying to find
something to do."
Tina just smiled a crooked smile.
"And eat dinner in the kitchen."
Tina raised her eyebrows.
"With Naomi for company."
Tina watched me, waiting, as her face couldn't contain
the humor she was feeling at my discomfort.
"Oh, and then what?" Tina asked.
"What do you mean what?"
Tina shook her head at me.
"Cindy." she finally said.
"You know?"
"Geof, I know the people in the kitchen."
"While Cindy served."
Tina looked at me sideways, her eyebrows in a question.
I knew she knew, or thought she knew what had been
happening.
"You witch!"
"Call me any more names, and you won't hear about
Lisa."
Tina might have told me anyway, but this was news I
wanted to hear.
"How is she?"
"Pregnant and happy as far as that goes, but she's
also worried."
"Worried. About what?"
"You."
"Why should she worry about me?"
"She's worried you'll forget her."
I sat on the bed by Tina, thinking of Lisa, wondering if
maybe she wasn't right after all. During the time we'd spent together, here in
the Tower Prison apartment, she had expressed many times her doubts about my
sincerity, or ability, when I told her I'd never forget her.
"Is there any way to send her a message?"
"You can send a message through Flow."
I looked around the gallery for the old woman, but she
was nowhere to be seen. Something told me she wasn't far away, she never was.
*** *** *** *** ***
Lana, Debbie, Toni, and Lavern had all come back to the
tower sometime during the night, after Lisa and Flow had returned. The four of
them had slept in that morning while Tina and I had been having our reunion in
the gallery.
Tina told me what Lisa had said concerning our relationship,
and the pacts we made while we were together. Lisa wanted desperately to be
remembered, but she was certain I would forget her now that we were unable to
see each other.
Then Tina told me what Lisa said about Tina and my
relationship. Lisa had said she was happy Tina and I were together, and then
went on to tell us to be good to each other, and if we could do that then we
were good for each other. Most of all Lisa wants us to be happy and remember
her always.
"Geof, she's terrified you'll forget her. It's the
most important thing to her is to be remembered. It all comes down to this:
Lisa doesn't want to be forgotten, and she feels she will be."
I looked down for a minute while I thought about what
Tina was telling me. In some ways I was becoming emotionally attached to Tina,
but it wasn't quite the same as the way I felt about Lisa.
Tina went on about Lisa, and what was said between them
the day before, and how the Counsel was claiming prior rights to Lisa's child
when it was born. She told all about where Lisa was living with friends, and
how the Counsel was planning, demanding, that she move into a house near the
Counsel buildings. "An honor," was what they had called it! It was
going to be almost like living in a fish bowl, not a home for Lisa. Put on
display so the Counsel could take the credit for the "Miracle of
Salvation." "And Lisa agreed!" I asked, commenting, "I'm
surprised."
"No, she didn't agree, she was ordered."
"By the Counsel, no doubt."
"Yes."
We fell silent, while I thought of what life was turning
into for Lisa. In my mind I imagined what it would be like for her, always
having people she didn't know looking in on her, checking her, watching her. No
privacy from them while she carried her child.
The pictures I conjured up in my mind turned out to be
mild, next to the reality. But I wouldn't know that for a long time. Lisa bore
it all herself, and never let anyone tell me what it was like for her. I
learned that from the people who were intent on destroying the bond between Lisa
and myself, and who used the information for that purpose. But I'm far ahead of
my story.
*** *** *** *** ***
Lisa went on to tell me what had happened after I'd gone
down to the woman's floor the last time. Of her hurry to scour any evidence she
could remove from the apartment. I nearly cried for the joy of it when I
learned it was she who had removed the books from the library.
"You hid the books?"
"Yes, upstairs in the attic. I put them in some of
the drawers, one here, another there; but they were searching for a person, and
never looked in anything a person wouldn't fit into so they never found
them."
"And where did you hide, so they didn't find
you?"
"In the second attic."
The shock of that little bomb left me silently dumb
struck, as I sat and stared at Tina. My eyes must have looked like saucers, my
surprise was complete.
*** *** *** *** ***
I was deep in the realizations of what Tina had just told
me, and didn't notice when Flow came in the room.
"If Tina found the ladder, hidden as it was, she had
to have known it was there. I hadn't told her about it, had I? Maybe, but not
that I could remember. If I didn't tell her, who did?"
"What else does she know?" I thought, and
started to ask, but Flow interrupted just then.
Flow was signing to me, but was going to fast and
confused me. Tina translated.
"She says the women are gathered, and wish to see
you."
"When?"
There was more signing, after which Tina laughed aloud.
"You'll have time to bathe," a pause, "but
only if you hurry."
I was leaving when Tina shouted after me.
"And hurry back too, so you can tell me about
Cindy."
"Witch." I retorted.
"Whip me! Beat me!"
I moved through the door. Tina had shaken me to the core
again!
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Chapter 31 | Chapter 33
Index | Title Page
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