Chapter 33 – Tough Love.
The house was empty and cold when we returned. I turned the heat on and we went into the kitchen to discover a note on the counter from Louise.
‘Last minute invite to my parents until Sunday, Hope you had fun. A young guy came and dropped these off on Monday. Said he was passing.
See you soon,
Love Louise.
XXX’
Beside the note was a box containing my business cards. On the top of the box was an envelope. I opened it. It contained my invoice for the print services and web design. On the back of the envelope was a telephone number and a name: Barney.
We needed to go shopping since the fridge was empty. We took my truck to the supermarket to stock up. On the way there, we saw a gun range and decided to call in and take a look.
The guy behind the counter, was stunned to see three beautiful women walk into his range. He didn’t seem to notice me.
“Can I help you?” he asked the girls. They all looked at me, at which point he finally seemed to realize that I was there.
“Hi,” I said. “We would like to learn to shoot. We’re not yet old enough to buy a handgun. Do you have club weapons that we can use for instruction?”
“We certainly do,” he said.
“Might I see one please?” I asked.
He looked at me, puzzled. “You want to see one?” he queried.
“Yes,” I said. “I want to see one.”
“Wait here,” he said and went through a door behind the counter. He returned a moment later with a handgun. When he placed it on the counter, I immediately identified it as a Glock 19 thanks to Dean’s memories. It had no magazine in, but the slide was closed.
“May I?” I asked, and he nodded.
I picked up the gun and checked the chamber. Then I broke the gun down. It was in a poor state. Everything was dirty, and it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in some time.
I left the gun in pieces on the counter.
“I’ll leave it apart for you,” I said. “It needs a good cleaning. Thanks for your time.”
The guy just stared at us as we left, probably getting an eyeful of the three girls’ rather spectacular asses as they walked out of the door. When I got back to my truck, I wiped my hands on a cloth I kept in the door pocket.
“There’s anotherrange five blocks up,” said Amanda, looking at her phone. “Shall we go check that one out?”
I drove to the other range. It was quite a bit smaller, but the parking lot was almost full. The other place had been less than a quarter full. I hoped that meant we’d found the better one.
There was an older man manning the desk as we walked in. He looked at us and waited patiently for one of us to speak. I gave him my spiel and he nodded.
“Why?” he asked.
“Why what?” I asked.
“Why do you want to learn to shoot?”
I grinned. “My father-in-law told us we had to,” I said. “I’m also looking to become a law enforcement officer when I graduate.” He didn’t look overly impressed.
“Listen, son,” he said, “you’re not the first college kid to come in here with some honeys on your arm looking to impress. This is a serious range, and we expect our members to act accordingly. Guns are not toys, and people who think they are end up killing people.”
“These are not ‘honeys,’” I said coldly. “They are my fiancées, and I am not here to impress anyone. I have had a little instruction from an ex-marine on handling a weapon, and he has advised I join a club and practice.”
“You’ve had some instruction?” he asked.
“Yes, but since I am not yet old enough to purchase a gun of my own, nor are my ladies, we would need to rent guns in order to learn and practice. May I see a club pistol?” I said.
He gave me a hard look. “Wait here,” he said.
He, too, went through the door behind the counter and returned with another Glock 19, again with no magazine. He placed it on the counter. “Show me what you learned,” he said.
I picked up the gun, being careful to point it at the floor, and opened the chamber to find that it was empty. I then dismantled the gun onto the counter. It came apart easily, and all the parts were well maintained, oiled and in very good condition. I reassembled the gun and placed it back on the counter.
“What branch of law enforcement?” he asked.
“FBI,” I said. “I already consult with them.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You got ID?” he asked, and I showed him.
“Hell, boy, why didn’t you lead with that?” he asked. “We already have several agents as members, and you get discounted rates.”
“I’m not actually an agent,” I said.
“Close enough,” he said. “And your…” he stopped, suddenly realizing that I had introduced all three girls as my fiancées. “Did you say fiancées?”
“These ladies are my fiancées,” I repeated.
“That’s going to really screw with Clive,” he said, and grinned. “There’s only one place on the membership form for ‘partner.’ Family membership is two hundred and forty dollars for the year. That is for two adults and their dependents. You can add extra adults living at the same address for fifty dollars per person per year. Lanes cost ten dollars an hour, plus weapon rental, plus ammunition. You get a fifteen percent discount on all costs with your ID. We provide ear protection and safety glasses, or you can buy them from us. Most don’t like to use the communal ones; they are all cleaned between use, but still.
“There is a mandatory range safety session which costs forty-five dollars per person, which you must attend before you can go on the range unaccompanied by an instructor. Once you have done that, you can book a lane on our website, call up, or just walk in first come-first served. I would advise booking though. We are a busy range, and you might not get a lane if you don’t.”
I paid the membership, and we each bought a set of safety equipment, which we could keep in a locker on the premises for the princely fee of just one dollar per week. The locker was big enough to keep all five sets in. I had bought a set for Ness too. The locker also had a separate inner locked compartment where, had I had my own weapon, I could have stored it.
“Let me give you the tour,” he said, “and then Clive can fill out the paperwork with you. CLIVE!!” Another man, about the same age came out of another door. “I’m taking these folks around. Get some membership papers together and watch the counter.”
Clive nodded, and I saw a glance between the pair that said that they were more than business partners.
“My name is Dan Cartwright,” he said, holding his hand out. “But most here call me ‘Hoss.’”
“Really?” asked Amanda, grinning as she glanced down theatrically at the front of his trousers.
He laughed, “If only,” he said. “You’re probably too young to remember Bonanza?” We all nodded. “Well, Google it. You’ll see why.”
“I’m Caleb,” I said, and he shook my hand. The girls introduced themselves and he shook each hand.
“I’m telling you now,” he said. “I can’t remember names, and since you gals are twins, I have no hope of getting it right, so forgive me.
“You’re in luck. We have a lane free, so what I suggest is that I give you a quick safety briefing, then I’ll get one of our weapons and give you each some complimentary ammunition. Then we can see what level I think you should start your training at.”
He explained the range rules, and gave us each a printed copy, before going to a gun safe and pulling out a weapon in a carrying bag.
After we donned our safety gear, he took us through a door onto the range itself and we walked behind several people who were shooting. Then we got to the empty lane.
Once there, he took the weapon out of the bag, making sure to keep it pointed downrange, and laid it on the table, with the slide locked back and the ejection port on the top. He pulled four magazines
out of the bag, loaded them with ammunition, and laid them alongside the gun. He pointed at me, held up one finger and pointed to a magazine, and then stepped back, inviting me to shoot.
I moved into the space and picked up the weapon. Picking up a magazine and making sure to keep my finger off the trigger, I inserted it and unlocked the slide. I then sighted downrange at the target, which looked about ten yards away.
I fired twice, then paused to see where my shots had landed. They were high and to the left of centre mass. I corrected and fired twice more. They were better, but still not spot on. The next two shots were dead center, as were the final two sets. Once I was out of bullets, I ejected the magazine, checked the chamber and laid the gun down, as he had. I stepped back. He nodded at me approvingly. Then he pointed at Mary. She stepped up.
Mary had paid attention, and she too handled the gun safely, although she struggled with the recoil and her shots were all high and scattered. Amanda was also safe, and surprisingly she was better than Mary, but she struggled with the recoil too.
Jules handled the weapon like a professional. Like me, she fired in two-shot bursts, and, like me, her first set was high and slightly wide. Her correction was better than mine, though, and the rest of her shots were center mass. She cleared the weapon and placed it on the table.
Hoss picked it up and put it back in the bag, along with the empty magazines. We followed him out of the range and back to the front desk.
“You said your father-in-law was the marine?” he said to me, and I nodded.
“I’m guessing your daddy?” he asked Jules. She smiled. “For you and Caleb here, I’m going to say that once you have done the range safety course, you can just come and practice. That’s all you need. Book online, rent a weapon and buy ammunition. You will be fine with the Glock or a Sig. I would suggest for you ladies,” he turned to the twins, “that we start you out with something a little smaller, and you take a few lessons with either myself or Clive. You will get the hang of it soon enough, and then, like your fiancé, you will be okay with the Glock. It just takes experience.
“Come into the office, sit with Clive and fill out your paperwork. He can book you in for your safety course too.”
He ushered us into the office where Clive was seated at a computer, and we each pulled up chairs. Hoss had to bring another in from behind the desk so we could all sit.
“So,” asked Clive, “who is going to be the primary member?”
“That would be me,” I said. He took my details. I was curious – and a bit apprehensive – to see how the pair would navigate our relationship.
“And who is the partner?” He looked at the girls expectantly.
“We are,” said all the girls in unison.
“You… all three of you?” he asked.
“There are four of us, actually,” said Jules, “But my sister is not here today.”
“Sister?” asked Clive, looking a little shocked.
“We are all engaged to Caleb,” said Mary, showing him her engagement ring. Jules and Amanda each held their hands out to display theirs.
Clive smiled wryly. “He loves doing this kind of thing to me. I’ll bet he told you that would screw with me, didn’t he?”
I laughed. “How long have you two been together?” I asked. Clive paled and glanced at the door to make sure it was closed.
“Please don’t say that too loud,” he said. “There are still a lot of people who are, shall we say, uncomfortable with our choices. We don’t hide it per se, but we don’t broadcast it either. People choose to ignore it, but if they are forced to confront it, they might react badly.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I understand. We won’t say anything.”
He smiled at me. “Dan and I grew up together. We joined the military together, and spent our lives hiding. When we mustered out, we started this place. We’ve been together over thirty years.
“How about you?” he asked, looking at Mary.
“Just under a year,” she replied. “It’s been a very exciting time.”
“Enjoy it,” he said, “and don’t let anyone spoil it for you.
“Right, that’s all the paperwork done. We run a range safety course every Sunday morning. That is usually the quietest time. I wasn’t going to run one tomorrow since there was only one person needing it, and I usually like a group, but if you guys are up for it, we can do it at ten a.m. tomorrow. It takes an hour, and there’s twenty minutes lane time with gun rental and a box of ammunition included just to get you started. You can buy more ammunition if you want. Most people will burn through a box of ammo in less than twenty minutes.”
We booked in the class, went and stowed our safety gear, and bade goodbye to Clive and Hoss. Then we went shopping.
Dinner was a quiet affair, all of us a little subdued. I was missing Ness, but I also missed Dean and Cheryl. Obviously, Jules missed her parents and her sister. Mary and Amanda hadn’t said anything, but I could feel through the connection that they missed them too.
“Cheer up! It’s only another one month and twenty-seven days.” The upbeat thought blasted through the bond to us all: Ness.
“Ness!” we all sent simultaneously, and we caught her mirth.
“One at a time, guys. I take it you got back okay?”
This time nobody answered, thinking someone else would. Eventually Mary pointed at me.
“Yes we did. Are you okay?” I sent it to everyone so they could all hear the conversation.
“I miss you guys, but I’m good. Fiona’s mother told me what you did. She hasn’t told Fi yet. I can’t wait until her birthday to see how much she has lost.”
“Don’t tell her about the incentive beforehand, please,” I sent.
“I won’t. Clarissa already asked me. I don’t think she believes it anyway.”
“She’ll find out on Sunday night.”
“How?” asked Ness.
“I stopped her smoking. If she doesn’t have a cigarette before ten p.m. on Sunday, she will have an orgasm, and another each week for a year if she stays off them.”
“That’s awesome! Clarissa is a really nice lady. Her husband abandoned them both four years ago. She deserves something good. A few good orgasms will cheer her up.”
“They seem to have done the trick for you,” Jules sent.
“Mom too,” replied Ness. “I think she finally settled down, but you would think she had won the lottery. She keeps walking around grinning like an idiot. Daddy says we both are.”
“We miss you, squirt,” I sent, and I felt a spike of love through the connection.
“I miss you guys too,” she sent back. “But not long now. Anyway, finish your dinner and be happy. I don’t like feeling you guys so down. I love you.”
“I love you,” we all sent simultaneously.
Our mood was considerably lighter for the rest of the evening, and we sat enjoying each other's company until I decided I was ready for bed.
Jules was waiting for me again when I got out of the shower.
“Last time for this month,” she said looking at me. “I spoke with Ness, and I want to save my actual first time for when she is here. But tonight, I want to do something I haven’t done before.”
I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Lie down,” she said. I obliged. She got naked in no time flat and then came and kissed me.
We made out for a few minutes, and then she sat up.
“I want us to cum together,” she said, and then promptly swung her leg over my head, firmly planting her pussy on my face. I felt her hand and then her mouth engulfing my cock.
She had finished her period two days ago, and so I had free rein to do with her as I pleased. My concentration was a little fractured, though, because, as I was quickly learning, her tongue had more than one special talent.
I suckled her clit into my mouth and began to massage it with my tongue. I felt her shiver. Her lingual ministrations paused for a second as she acclimatized to the new sensations, but then she continued.
For a second, I worried that I would make her cum too soon, but it became apparent that it was me who would be in danger of that. She was doing things to me with her mouth that were lighting me up like a Christmas tree.
I went to work on her, trying to catch up.
I slid a finger into her pussy, collecting her juices before moving it up and rubbing around her little star. She moaned at the contact. I shoved another finger into her pussy, and pumped it in and out of her as I continued to suckle at her clit.
In response, she flattened her tongue along the top of my cock and pushed forward. I couldn’t believe it when my cock, which had a slight natural upward curve, slid effortlessly into her throat. I
felt her lips wrapped tightly around my base, her chin against my pelvis and her nose pressing into my balls. She held me there and swallowed a couple of times.
I stepped up the pace, increasing the pressure on her asshole. I eased the tip of my finger through her brown star as I began to massage her G-spot with my other hand. Her juices were running from her, and dripping onto my tongue as I lapped and lathered at her clit, racing her to the finish.
She began to move her head back and forth. She pulled back until just the head of my cock was in her mouth, and then swirled her tongue around it before she pushed all the way back down again, swallowing as I entered her throat.
Her hips started to move as I increased the pressure on her clit, writing everyone’s name at once on it with my tongue, while I slid an extra finger into her pussy and pumped harder, working up a froth. With each pump I would curl my fingers and rub across the special spot, and I could feel her starting to build. I hoped I could hold on for long enough. I didn’t want to resort to using my powers. That would have been cheating.
Her pace had increased too, and she was literally face fucking herself on my cock. She repeatedly slammed her mouth down on me before pulling back and sucking. She was pulling and teasing at my balls and then began to massage behind them, which hastened my demise. I knew that I was only going to last a few more seconds, so I decided to play dirty.
I rammed my fingers into her pussy, and, as she ground her clit into my mouth, I slid my finger, lubricated with her pussy juices, straight up her ass up to the second knuckle.
I was not the only one who decided to play dirty however, and at almost the exact same time, Jules shoved two fingers up my ass.
We both tried to cry out our orgasms. She couldn’t, because she had my cock spewing its cum down her throat. She didn’t even need to swallow; she had me so deep I was pumping it directly into her stomach. I couldn’t either, because my mouth was full of her juices. I was almost drowning in her cum as she squirted all over me, still writhing and twitching as she continued to cum. I felt her pull back and take a breath as I delivered the final spurts of my orgasm into her mouth.
I still had a mouthful of her cum, and it seemed that once again, even outside of the connection, we were aligned. She quickly turned around and kissed me, mixing our cum together with our tongues as we did. Finally, each of us swallowed our share.
I was breathless when the kiss finally ended, as was she.
“That was so fucking hot!” Amanda and Mary were standing just inside the door watching us. Jules smiled at them.
“Of course it was,” she said. “It was your idea.”
Amanda crossed the room. “I told you all that practice would pay off. Is there any left?” She pulled Jules into a kiss, making it obvious what she sought. I doubted she got much more than a taste though. I would have offered too, but Mary claimed my mouth before I could.
“I think I need another shower,” I said. My face and chest were sticky with the residue of Jules’ cum.
Jules, who had curled up beside me, held me in place. “You’ll keep until the morning,” she said sleepily. “I don’t want to move.”
I chuckled, but relaxed into her arms as Amanda and Mary joined us on the bed. I drifted off, still enjoying my post orgasmic haze.
Four a.m. saw me awake and raring to go. Jules, Mary and Amanda, less so. I decided to let them sleep, and I went for a run. It had been some time since I had done that. When I got back, I showered and made breakfast. The girls - even Jules - had also gone out for a run, and returned about ten minutes after I did. I sent them to shower and then they came to breakfast. I got a kiss from each. Jules gave me her closed mouth, tender kiss, and I knew that she was done with sex for roughly another month.
After eating and clearing breakfast, we decided to kill some time washing the cars. It was about eight in the morning when we started, but apparently that was too early for the neighbors.
A small man wearing what looked to be plaid pajamas came storming across the road, shouting.
“You can’t do that,” he yelled at Amanda, who was closest. That really didn’t enamor him to me at all, although Amanda wasn’t fazed in the slightest.
“Excuse me?” I said. “Please don’t yell at my fiancée. We’re not doing anything other than washing our vehicles on our own property. What’s the problem?”
“It’s too early,” he said. “HOA rules prohibit any outside work on your property on the weekend before ten - and twelve if you are going to use power tools.”
“Is that right?” I asked, amused. I wasn’t aware that we were even in a homeowner’s association, and made a note to check if we were or not. I decided to play along for the moment.
“My apologies,” I said. “I wasn’t aware that there was even a HOA here. Would you have a copy of the rules by any chance?”
“I can bring the paperwork over,” he said, mollified. “You need to pay your HOA dues in any case. I think the realtors will have paid a quarter for you, so you are probably behind on that too.”
“That would be good,” I said. “If you drop them off, we’ll take a look.”
He bustled off, looking pleased with himself. I telephoned Dean.
“Hey son, what’s up?” he answered.
“Hi Pops, quick question. When you bought the house, was there any mention of a HOA?”
“My lawyer didn’t say anything about it, and it’s something that should be declared. Let me give him a call and I'll get back to you.”
“On a Sunday?” I asked. “Will he even answer?”
I could hear his grin. “Son, with the money I’m paying him, he better answer.”
I laughed.
“I’ll call you back,” he said and disconnected the phone.
True to his word, he called back about fifteen minutes later.
“Hey Pops,” I answered my phone.
“Have you signed anything?” he asked without preamble.
“No,” I said. “The guy from across the street came over this morning and said we couldn’t wash our cars because of HOA rules. Then he said he would drop in the paperwork and collect our dues, which were overdue.”
“Tell him to take a hike. The house is not in the HOA. There are seven of the nine houses on the street that decided to start a HOA about five years ago. Obviously, they dared not ask the previous owner, so he wasn’t involved. There is another resident who refused to join. He is trying to con you into joining. Once you are in it’s near impossible to get out. They have no jurisdiction over the street or you. You can safely ignore the rules, and if they dare try and take you to court, then my lawyer will make even more money.”
“Do you know which other property refused?” I asked.
“Number five,” he said.
“That’s perfect, thanks,” I said. “I might touch base with them too. Safety in numbers and all that.”
“Good idea,” he said. “It looks like they think that they can either intimidate or fool a young innocent into going along with their rules. Don’t let them. I hate HOAs. Bunch of busybodies trying to tell everyone else how to live their lives. Give ‘em hell, son.”
“I will, thanks,” I said. “Love to Cheryl and Ness. Love ya Pops.” I hung up. It was only after that I realized what I had said. Jules was looking at me with a small smile on her face.
“What did you say to daddy?” asked Ness a minute later.
“Why?” I returned.
“He looks about ready to cry,” sent Ness.
I sent her my memory of the end of the call.
“AWWWWW!” sent Ness. Feelings of amusement and love flowed through the connection.
I checked my watch. It was after nine. I looked across at the house next door; the curtains were open, so I decided it might be safe to call on them.
I knocked on the door. A lady who looked to be in her late thirties answered. She looked me up and down. “Yes?”
“Hi,” I said. “I’m sorry to bother you so early on a Sunday. My name is Caleb. I am your new-ish neighbor. I’m really sorry not to have come by sooner to introduce myself. I wonder if you have a few minutes?”
She opened the door and stepped back. “Come on in.”
I noted that she wore carpet slippers, and that the floor was fully carpeted. I stepped out of my shoes and left them on the porch.
The floorplan of her house was a mirror image of ours. She took me into the living room where a man was seated on a sofa, reading a newspaper. He looked up as we entered.
“Alan,” she said. “We have company.”
The man stood up and stepped toward me. He held out his hand.
“Hi,” he said. “Alan Kelly. And this is my wife, Anne.”
I shook his hand “Caleb Stott.”
“You moved into the drug dealer's house,” he said.
“We did.”
“So, to what do we owe the honor?”
“I wanted to ask you about the HOA,” I said. “I understand that you and I are the only two on the road that are not members.”
He laughed. “It’s taken him long enough,” he said. “Normally he would have been at you in the first few days you were here. I guess the previous owner scared him a little. When we bought the houses here, ten years ago, there was no HOA. That is one of the primary reasons we moved here. We had a bad experience with the HOA at my parents’ house. I couldn’t take a shit without getting a HOA infraction notice. I wasn’t going to pay a fortune for a house for someone else to tell me how long my grass should be, or what color I could paint my front door. When we moved here, I made sure that there wasn’t one.
“About five years ago, Tom Pritchard, from across the street, came around with the great idea of starting one. He had been chairman of the HOA in his previous community, and he managed to convince everyone to sign up. Once a HOA is up and running, it is almost impossible to get out of it. I refused, as did the previous owner of your place.
“Tom still comes and bugs me about stuff, like when I put my trash cans out, or if I miss cutting my lawn for a while, but I can tell him to go away. He even tried giving me an infraction notice once or twice, and then took me to court when I wouldn’t pay. He tried to convince the judge that since the majority of the residents had signed up, everyone in the street should be bound by the rules. The judge threw the case out and told him that if he continued to harass me, I would be within my rights to sue. He’s largely left me alone since then.
“I’ll bet he thinks that he can con you into signing up since you are young and naive. Like I said, once your property is signed up, it’s almost impossible to get out. My advice is don’t sign anything he gives you. Just either give it straight back or shred it and throw it in the trash.”
“I will,” I said. “Listen, I know we have been around for a while and we haven’t really been introduced, but can I invite you guys over for lunch? You can meet the rest of our household, and then we can see whether we are going to be the good friend type of neighbor or the sworn enemy type.”
He laughed. “Sure,” he said. “What time?”
“Is one too late?” I asked. “We have a thing at ten and won't be back until after twelve.”
“One would be perfect.”
“Any dietary needs I need to worry about?” I asked. “Allergies, veganism, that sort of thing?”
“Nope,” he said. “I hate celery, but other than that, I’m pretty easy to please.”
Anne snorted at that, and I looked at her, but saw she had the hint of a smile on her face.
“Any particular preferences?” I asked her, and she shook her head.
“We’re plain folk,” she said. “I normally do meat and veg on a Sunday lunch.”
“Okay then,” I said. “I look forward to seeing you at one.”
Anne showed me out, and watched as I slipped my shoes on at the door.
When I got back to our house, I decided I needed to do some prep work for lunch. I went into the kitchen and took out the beef from the fridge. I left it on the side while I prepared vegetables. Half an hour later, the beef had warmed to room temperature. I seared it and then put it on to roast. It would be ready by the time we came back from the range and would just about have enough time to rest. I was going to surprise my neighbors with something I had tried and loved when I was a child. It wasn’t a U.S. staple, but I knew how to make it.
I was almost finished with my prep when there was a knock on the door, and the little man was back, beaming, with a fistful of papers.
I opened the door, and he invited himself in.
“Here are all the papers,” he said. “You just need to sign here and here, and then we need a check for your first month. I’ll waive the fees to date, since you didn’t know. Here is a copy of the charter, and a copy of the rules.” He proffered a pen.
“No thank you,” I said. “I’ve been in touch with my lawyer, and he has told me that the house is not part of your HOA, and that, unless I want to join - which I most certainly do not - there is no requirement for me to do so. He told me to tell you that since we are not part of your HOA, we are not subject to your rules and regulations, and should there be any harassment from you or any member of the HOA about us breaching those rules, we will be taking legal action. Otherwise, we ask that you leave us in peace to enjoy our home. Now if you would excuse me, I still have prep to finish for lunch.”
“But…” he said as I ushered him out of the door.
“Oh,” I said, “and you should know that we know exactly what judge to get in front of if, tragically, this situation escalates. I can’t imagine they’ll be happy that you were up to your old tricks again after having already been warned.”
He turned on his heel and stomped off my porch, and then across the street to his own home. I heard the door slam. I looked up at the security cameras on my porch. Our friendly neighborhood drug dealer had had a full CCTV system installed. The FBI confiscated the server, but the cameras were all still in place.
“Jules,” I said, walking back into the house, “what do you think it would take to get the cameras around the house operational again?”
“I’d have to look at them,” she said. “If they are all okay, then we would need a server. I suspect the cabling all comes out in the attic space. We could take a look this afternoon. Are we having guests for lunch?
“I invited the neighbors from number five,” I said. “They are going to be our allies in the war against the HOA which I am certain is about to begin.”
She laughed. “We need to get to the range, or we’ll be late.”
When we got to the gun range, there was another woman - probably in her mid-thirties - taking the course with us. We spent an hour going through all the rules and the safety measures in place on the range, and we got another printed copy of the range rules.
Then we were each allowed one box of ammunition to discharge. We were split into two groups, with the woman, Mary and Amanda in one, and Jules and me in the other. We took up two lanes.
They had a smaller weapon for the twins and their partner. Jules and I had the Glock again.
We shot through our ammunition in about fifteen minutes. Since it was a different weapon than yesterday, my first two were high and right, but my correction was much better. All the rest of my shots were on target.
Jules, who had seen my first two, had corrected even before she shot, so all her shots were on target.
We left the range, leaving the girls to finish up, and waited in the front with Hoss. I saw a notice board, on which were pinned several cards advertising local businesses.
“Is there a charge for putting your business card up here?” I asked.
Hoss shook his head. “It’s a freebie for members,” he said. “I thought you were students?”
“We are, but I am also a licensed hypnotherapist,” I said. “It helps me pay my range fees.”
I smirked. He laughed. “Sure, go ahead,” he said.
I pinned up one of my business cards.
“Throw me one of those too,” he said. I handed him one and he examined it. “So, what kinds of things do you deal with?”
“So far it’s been mostly folks who want to stop smoking or lose weight,” I said. “But I’ll speak to anyone, and if I think I can help, I will.”
He pulled out his wallet and slipped my card into it before pocketing it again.
Mary and Amanda emerged from the range. All of us were certified, so we’d be able to book a lane and a weapon at any time.
We returned home and I started lunch. At exactly one o’clock there was a knock on the door. Mary answered it and led our neighbors into the living room.
“Hi,” I said when they entered. “Let me do the introductions. These are Mary, Amanda and Jules. Girls, this is Alan and Anne, our next-door neighbors.”
They each shook hands. I noticed Anne noticing the girls’ rings.
“Can I offer you guys a drink?” I asked. “We only have beer, I’m afraid, or soda or coffee.”
“I’ll take a beer,” said Alan. Anne opted for a soda.
By the time I had gotten everyone’s drinks, lunch was ready, so I invited them all to move to the kitchen and sit.
I’d made roast beef, with roasted and mashed potatoes, plus roasted parsnips, carrots, and peas. I had also made something called Yorkshire pudding which was a British dish I had had once and liked. They were crisp, muffin-sized savory puddings that were great for soaking up gravy.
“You made this?” asked Anne, looking at the food on the table.
“Caleb does all the cooking,” said Mary. “He is by far the best chef of us all.”
I passed the pre-carved beef to Anne, and she took some before handing it off to Alan. The other dishes made the rounds too.
“What are these?” asked Anne when I handed her the Yorkshire puddings.
“They are a British delicacy,” I said, grinning at her. “Try one. Fill the dip with gravy and see what you think.”
They each took one apiece. When the gravy did the rounds, they filled the dimple with gravy.
“So how long have you guys been together?” asked Anne. Her gaze was a little challenging. I smiled at her, but Amanda answered.
“Just under a year,” she said. “Mary and I got together with Caleb just after his birthday. Jules joined us about a week after. We have been engaged maybe three months now.”
“Wow,” said Alan. “Good for you. I hope you are all very happy together.” Then he looked at me. “I’m not sure I envy you. One nagging wife is enough for me, let alone three.”
He grinned at Anne as he said it. It seemed like it was a running joke between them.
“Four, actually,” I said. “My other fiancée is just finishing up school. She will be joining us in the summer.”
“Now I understand why you are in your yard at four every morning,” he said with a bigger grin.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Do I disturb you?”
“Not at all. I’m a bit of a night owl. Sometimes I’m just going to bed then. I’ve seen you out there, is all.”
“I’m hoping to join law enforcement when I graduate,” I said. “I’m learning a martial art. Let me know if I’m disturbing you. I’ll stop.”
“Nah,” he said. “Besides, Anne likes to watch.”
Anne, who had a mouth full of food, spluttered and blushed. Alan grinned. He had definitely scored a point there.
“How long have you guys been together?” I asked, trying to change the subject. I caught the thought as it flashed across his mind, and it explained why they had been so cool with our relationship. They were actually brother and sister.
“A while,” he said evasively. Anne looked at him. I knew she longed, just once, to be open about their relationship. She was so tired of hiding. Alan, however, was terrified of people finding out. He was convinced that they’d be forced to move – at best. He loved the house, and loved the area. Apart from the HOA idiot across the street - his thoughts and mine - he was settled, and didn’t want to leave.
I chose not to comment, but then saw Mary’s small smile. I don’t know if she figured it out herself or just heard my surprise through the connection. I felt her power steal across the table: relaxation, comfort, acceptance.
“Would you like another?” She offered Anne the puddings.
Anne accepted. “These are really nice,” she said, reaching for more gravy. “You have to give me the recipe.”
“You’ll be surprised how simple it is,” I said.
After we finished lunch, I cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher while the girls took our neighbors into the living room. Alan accepted another beer, and Anne asked for coffee.
We sat and chatted for a while. They told us about how it had been having a drug dealer for a neighbor. Apparently, he hadn’t been much of a bother. He wasn’t cooking or selling in the house, just living. There were a moderate number of comings and goings at odd hours, but he mostly kept it quiet.
“How did you catch them all?” asked Anne. “I saw all the cars, and them being led off in cuffs.”
“We surprised them,” I said. “By the time they knew we were there, the FBI had them in custody.”
I saw Anne bracing herself to ask a question. I could see Alan looking at her, knowing what she was going to ask and not wanting her to. She couldn’t resist.
“What happened the other night?” she asked. “I saw you drive off in a police car.”
Alan winced.
I wondered what tale I should spin, but Mary beat me to it.
“Caleb consults with the FBI,” she said. “They needed his help in a hurry, so they sent a cruiser to get him.”
Alan and Anne both looked at me. I could see that neither believed the story, and there was a sense of disappointment in them both that we had lied.
I fished out my ID and showed them. “It’s true,” I said. “They sent a cruiser to pick me up.”
“But I thought you were at PSU?” asked Alan.
“I am,” I said, “but I’m also a licensed hypnotherapist and they sometimes use me to help victims remember things, or sometimes to forget them.”
“Oh,” said Anne. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.
Alan decided to break it by changing the subject entirely. “You don’t happen to know anything about cable, do you? Ours keeps crapping out and the company says there’s nothing wrong. They won’t even come out.”
“I don’t,” I said.
“Jules, is that something you could help with?” I asked her, not wanting to commit her to something without her permission.
“Sure,” she sent.
“But my beautiful fiancée there is an electronics major,” I said, indicating Jules. “She might be able to help.”
"We would be very grateful," said Anne. "It’s so frustrating. It works for a while and then switches itself off.”
“Sounds like it’s overheating,” she said. “I would need to get it into my workshop. Do you want me to come and get it, or will you bring it over?”
“I’ll drop it by,” Alan said. “I know how to disconnect it and all that.” After a few more minutes, Alan stood. “Thank you so much for lunch; it was delicious. Those yorky things were really nice. We’ll get out of your hair. I’m sure you have better things to do with your Sunday afternoon than hang with a couple of old fogeys.”
I stood too. “It was a pleasure, and you are welcome,” I said.
Anne and the girls stood, and our neighbors made their way to the door.
“I'll drop the box over when I’ve managed to untangle all the cables,” he said to Jules, and she smiled at him.
They left.
“Nice people,” said Amanda.
“Isn’t it amazing what you find behind the curtains,” I said with a grin. “An incestuous brother and sister living as husband and wife. Who’d have thought it?”
“Who indeed,” said Mary, her eyebrow cocked.
“Are we going to look in the attic space now?” asked Jules, apparently excited about doing so.
“Let’s,” I said, and we went and opened the access hatch. There was a ladder attached, and we climbed up into the roof space to look around.
There was lighting up there, and the whole of the space had been boarded, so we could walk around easily. There was what looked like a server cabinet mounted on the end wall. When we went to it, there was a server still in it, but all the drives had been removed.
“This is a professional-grade setup,” said Jules. “There’s probably a control somewhere to route the feed to the television. Perhaps in the den. All we need are some hard drives, and I should be able to rebuild this to a working system.”
“Tell me what to order,” I said. “Can I get them from Amazon?”
“I’ll take care of it,” she said. “It should take no more than a couple of days.”
We hunted around the den and eventually found a control, which Jules said was the one. It was stashed in the back of a drawer that I had had no occasion to go into. I then decided to call Jeevan and tell him the good news.
“Hey Jeevan,” I said when he answered the phone. “It’s Caleb. Just to let you know, I got rid of the bond, and I’m ready to start training with you whenever you are available.”
“That’s great news,” he enthused. “Are you guys free this evening? Meena’s been dying to meet you all. Perhaps you might come for dinner?”
“It’s a bit short notice, isn’t it?” I asked. “That’s a little unfair to Meena, having to cook for an extra four people with a couple of hours’ warning.”
He laughed. “Honestly, it will not be a problem. Are you free, shall we say seven thirty?”
I checked in with the girls and they all agreed. “If you are sure it is not too much trouble,” I said, “then thank you. We’ll see you then.”
He hung up the phone, and I was about to ring him back to ask for his address, when I realized I already knew where he lived - a side effect of reading his mind, I supposed, although I didn’t specifically remember looking for that piece of information.
The girls were excited - Mary and Amanda especially. “I love Indian food,” said Mary. “I have always wanted to taste it cooked authentically and not from an Americanized take-out. I want to go to India one day.”
Jules, while excited, was a little less so. “I’m not a huge fan of overly spicy food, so I’m hoping it’s not too hot,” she said.
We stopped at the store on the way. I knew, from Jeevan’s memories, that it was traditional to bring a gift when visiting an Indian household, and I also knew that Meena liked white roses. Fortunately the hypermarket had a flower section, and although the selection wasn’t great, there was a nice bunch of white roses which probably cost more than they should have.
I handed them to Mary. “You give them to her.”
Jeevan’s home was a four-story townhouse. There was no driveway, but the street was quiet, and we found parking with no trouble. Jeevan and his wife met us at the door. Mary presented Meena with the roses, and she seemed overjoyed to receive them.
“They are beautiful, thank you,” she said. “How did you know they were my favorite?” Her sly tone told us that she knew exactly how we’d known.
We all took off our shoes at the door. The house smelled of cooking - of meat and spices. It made my mouth water. We went into what appeared to be the living room, where there was a young woman seated. She looked in her early twenties. She was the spitting image of her mother.
Meena was about five-four, very petite, with waist-length black hair and golden-brown eyes. Her daughter, Yasmin, was about the same height, maybe an inch shorter. Her hair, however, was cut short and only just reached her collar. Meena wore a sari, Yasmin, jeans and a T-shirt. I got the feeling that Yasmin was trying to adopt a more American culture, whereas her mother loved her Indian heritage.
“This is Yasmin,” said Jeevan, “my daughter.”
She looked up, boredom in her eyes, until she saw us. Her eyes lit up at seeing someone her own age. She stood. I guessed that Jeevan had a lot of older visitors, and she’d been expecting more of the same.
“Hi,” she said, holding her hand out to me. I shook it gently and introduced my girls to Meena and Yasmin. Meena obviously knew about us, having been told by Jeevan, but Yasmin’s eyes widened when I introduced them all as my fiancées.
We had been there about half an hour when the doorbell rang and a young man arrived. It was, Yasmin’s boyfriend. His name was Callum. He had red hair and freckles. I wondered at the offspring they might produce.
He had a remarkable accent, which I found out came from Southern Ireland. All of us listened raptly – mostly because of that accent – as he recounted his tale. He’d obviously told it many times, but seemed happy enough to tell it again.
He had moved to the U.S. only a few years ago, and as yet had not lost what he called his “Irish brogue.” He and Yasmin had met when he had stopped to assist her with a flat tire on the freeway. I smiled as I heard the clarions of love from his mind. He was shouting it from the rooftops every time he looked in her direction. He was besotted by and with her.
Yasmin liked him well enough, but she was not sure. I saw some heartache for him in his future.
“I think she will settle down with him,” sent Jeevan to me.
I jumped. I was not used to anyone but my girls being able to communicate with me Telepathically without my intervention. I grinned wryly as I remembered he had similar powers to mine.
“I hope so, for his sake,” I returned, “or he is in for a lot of pain.”
“He is a good boy,” said Jeevan, “and their culture is not so different from ours. They believe in looking after their families. His religion may be an issue, but we’ll worry about that if, and when, they get serious.”
“Caleb,” said Meena, “Jeevan says you like to cook. Perhaps you would like to see what I’m preparing for dinner?”
I caught a look from Jeevan that made me feel a little uncomfortable.
“Is that okay?” I asked him, and he looked at me with a small smile.
“Yes, bhaiya, go,” he returned. “Meena has something she wants to discuss with you. She does it with all the power users. She thinks I don’t know. It’s as if she forgets I have power too.”
Meena led me into the kitchen, where the smells intensified. My stomach rumbled.
Meena smiled. “It will not be too long,” she said, and then she closed the door to the kitchen.
“I wanted to talk to you,” she said. “You seem to have Jeevan’s ear, and if I am right you are going to be working with him fairly closely for a while.”
“He is going to be teaching me,” I said.
“Jeevan has a problem,” she said. “When we got married, his uncle came from India to the wedding. He sat me down and we talked. He told me about Jeevan, his power, and what it meant - specifically about his need to ‘share.’”
“But Jeevan hasn’t…” I began, but she held her hand up.
“I know,” she said. “And that is what I want to talk to you about. I want you to convince him to do so. His abstinence is hurting him. Look at him. He is fifty years old, and he looks fifty years old. As a power user, he should, at worst, look in his early thirties. His refusal to meet his own body’s needs is hurting him badly. At this rate, he may very well grow old and die before I do. I can’t have that.”
“He loves you,” I said. “I saw that when I shared his mind. He thinks that sharing will hurt you, and he could never bring himself to do that.”
“What he is doing to himself right now is hurting me,” she snapped. “And he refuses to see that. I would be happy to stand and proffer condoms and wet wipes while he bedded all the girls in the neighborhood if it made him whole again.”
I was stunned by the change in her. Her demeanor had gone from that of a meek, almost subservient wife to a strong, determined, angry woman.
“I know he loves me,” she said, softening once more, “and the thought of him with another is not exactly exciting to me. But I look on it as a treatment. If he needed surgery to remove a tumor, I wouldn’t like the fact he needed surgery, but I would want him to have it, because the tumor is much worse.
“Him not sharing is much worse for me than him sharing. I know he is never going to leave me for anyone else. I am secure in his love. I am worried that he is going to leave me before his time, because he is denying his nature and hurting himself. He is aging almost before my eyes. I couldn’t stand it if he died because of me - because he refused to share, because of his love for me.”
“You realize he knows what we are talking about in here,” I said, and she nodded, smiling wryly.
“He thinks I forget he has power,” she said, “but I have learned, over the years, how to control my thoughts and not broadcast everything that goes through my mind. He does not read my mind, but you know that we Norms tend to shout our every thought to the world. You might have noticed that I do not.”
I had to admit that I had noticed that she was particularly quiet. If I had wanted to know what she was thinking I would have had to have actively investigated her mind.
“Please, Caleb. Will you help me? None of the other power users I have asked would agree. They all said that it is between him and me, and that I needed to talk to him. I have talked to him until I am green in the face, and he just smiles, and tells me he loves me. That ends the conversation.”
“I will think about it,” I said. “I am making no promises, but I can see how much this means to you, and I saw in his memories how much he’s hurting himself. I will speak to him. But unless I miss my guess, dinner is about ready?”
She turned and looked at the stove. “Oh my,” she said. “Yes, it is. Please go and rejoin the others. I’ll call you through when it’s served. Would you ask Jeevan to come through please?”
I went back into the living room, and interrupted a lively conversation between the girls, Yasmin and her boyfriend. Jeevan looked up as I entered. He smiled a little.
“Meena’s asking for you, Jeevan,” I said. He nodded before standing and leaving the room. I sat down beside Jules on one of the two-seater sofas.
I sent the memory of my conversation with Meena to all my girls and saw their eyes glaze for a second as they assimilated it. Amanda continued the conversation with Yasmin and Callum.
“What are you going to do?” asked Mary.
“I don’t know,” I returned. “I see her point. If he really is only fifty years old, he looks terrible for a power user of that age. I didn’t realize the harm it could do - and before you say ‘I told you so,’ I didn’t think the harm would be physical - just psychological.”
Jules made a suggestion that, although I didn’t like it, seemed like it might work. Unfortunately, I suspected, it could just as easily destroy my relationship with him altogether.
“We also would have to find him someone to share with,” I said.
“We would be happy to start him off,” said Amanda.
I looked at Mary and she smiled. Amanda loved to love. I realized yet again just how much I had been crippling my girls by not ‘allowing’ them free rein to share. Mary shook her head gently at me. “Don’t start that again,” she sent to me with a hint of amusement. “We are fine.”
At that moment, the door opened, and Jeevan poked his head in.
“Dinner is ready,” he said, smiling. “Come on through.”
The food was delicious. There were small pastries called Samosa, which were filled with either delicately-spiced meat or vegetables; there were crispy poppadoms with various dips, along with floury chapati; the range of dishes on the table was unreal.
We were encouraged to just help ourselves to whatever we took a fancy to. At one stage, Jules reached for a dish she thought looked appealing, and Jeevan placed his hand on hers.
“That is quite spicy,” he warned. “I suspect you wouldn’t like it. Please try a little if you want, but with care.”
Jules withdrew her hand with a smile. “I think I’ll pass,” she said. “I am enjoying this so much; I don’t want to spoil it.”
We all ate far too much. I didn’t know how Meena had managed to put it all together in such a short time, but it was an absolute feast.
Callum, who seemed to have fallen into the trap of trying to prove his masculinity by eating the hottest dishes, was florid and sweating profusely.
“Are you okay there, Callum?” I asked. I could sense his mouth was on fire, and he was desperately trying not to let it show. Yasmin seemed to find it amusing. She, used to eating spicy food, was subtly egging him on. I pitied him, because as hot as it was going in, I knew it would be just as painful coming out.
I, personally, steered clear of the really spicy dishes. I liked the flavors of Indian spices, but not too much heat. I had never understood why someone would want to eat something that caused them physical pain.
At the end, Meena served up some Cardamom Saffron ice cream, which Callum wolfed down appreciatively. It was a wonderful way to end the meal, as it settled the residual heat that had started to build in my mouth. Jules, too, was especially glad of it, finding that although she had chosen only mildly spiced dishes, the heat had nevertheless built.
“That was amazing,” I said to Meena, lagging behind as the others left the dining room. “Thank you so much. Can we help you to tidy up?”
She looked horrified. “No, thank you,” she said. “You are guests in my home. I couldn’t ask you to do such a thing.”
“Jeevan calls me bhaiya,” I argued. “Surely family helps out?”
She smiled at me. “You are a smooth one,” she said, “but no, I have my own routine, and it is no trouble to me. Besides I think that Jeevan wants to talk to you. Yasmin and Callum can entertain the girls, although I suspect Callum is not going to be the best of conversationalist just at the moment. Why do you boys do that?”
“Don’t ask me,” I said. “I have no idea. Even if I had something to prove, I’m not sure how eating food that is too spicy for me achieves that.”
She laughed. “Go, talk to Jeevan.”
I went into the living room, where the girls and Yasmin were already chatting away again. Callum looked uncomfortable. I gently reached in and soothed away some of his pain. His face cleared and he sighed in relief.
“Healing without consent?” asked Jeevan quietly in my ear.
“Not healing,” I said, “just soothing. There was no need for him to be in so much discomfort. He will have all of that and more tomorrow, I’m guessing.”
Jeevan grinned. “That he will,” he said. “Come.”
We left the living room and went into another room, which looked like a study. There was a desk with a computer on it, and a couple of easy chairs. Jeevan indicated one chair, and took the other.
“So,” he said. “You got rid of the bond?”
“Yes,” I said. “It went very smoothly. We now have a different type of connection, and it’s much better. I can disconnect from it at any time with no ill effects.”
“May I see?” he asked, but I shook my head. He looked surprised.
“I’m sorry, Jeevan,” I said, “but I don’t think that you training me is a good idea. I would like, if you would, for you to show me what you did to me, Jules and the girls, so I can undo it when required, but that is all.”
He looked at me, shocked, for a moment, and then his face cleared.
“Meena,” he said. “She convinced you to help her.”
“She did,” I said. “What she says is perfectly true. Look at yourself. You are a fifty-year-old power user that looks like a fifty-year-old Norm. Maggie looks younger than you do, and yet you persist in hurting yourself. I can’t come to rely on you as a mentor if, in less than twenty or thirty years, you will be gone.
“I let my guard down with you because I was hoping that you could be someone I could rely on. I feel it when you enter my mind; I trust you. But I cannot become reliant on someone who is only going to be there for a short while. Not to mention that every time we work together, I will be watching you slowly self-destruct. Are you that cruel that you would put me - put her - through that?
“Meena knows what you need. She is not happy about it, but she loves you, and would rather you share and lived a long life. She is terrified that you will die before her, and the way you are going, that is eminently possible. She looks on you sharing as a medical treatment. It’s unpleasant medicine, but the rewards are worth it.
“She has no fear of you leaving her - of you falling for those you share with and abandoning her. Her fear is that you will abandon her in death.
“I’m sorry, bhaiya, if my words are brutal and hurt. But as much as it hurts me to hurt you, it is what I must do to make you see that what you are doing is wrong. Your motives are pure; your love for your wife unquestioned, but you are misguided in your thinking. I beg you to reconsider. If you do, then I would be pleased to consider you my teacher, my friend, and my brother. Mary and Amanda would also be pleased to help you to ease you into sharing, if you choose.”
“But they are…” he said, surprised.
“They are Empaths,” I interrupted, “and will gain as much from the sharing as you do. But you can always choose your own sharing partner. What do you think: the twins, or someone else?”
He laughed then. “I have been selling long enough to spot an alternate close,” he said. “The issue is not with the who; it is with the act itself. I just can’t bear the thought of hurting Meena in such a way.”
“But don’t you see that you are hurting her far worse by not sharing?” I asked. “She literally begged me to convince you to share. Watching you suffering is tearing her apart. She needs you to be healthy and happy, and then she can be too. The act itself is something that she can live with. You being damaged by not sharing is something she cannot.”
He stared at me for some time.
“Why would you give up being a Healer for this?” he asked.
“I am not,” I said. “I am betting on you coming to your senses. I am blackmailing you shamelessly. Not only do you know I am right, and that Meena needs this as much as you do, but I saw how many people you are looking forward to being able to help with my power. I am betting that the thought of not being able to help those people, because you won’t have access to my power, will tip the scales.”
“You would allow others to suffer in such a way?” he asked incredulously.
“Would you?” I asked. “I haven’t seen their suffering. You have. But the one person’s suffering that you seem blind to is your wife’s. The one person whose suffering you should not be able to endure, you are ignoring completely. Your first duty, Jeevan, is to her and to your family. Are you enough of a man to step up to that?
“Talk to your wife - really talk, and listen. Listen to how she really feels. You say that she has asked every power user that comes by to help her with this, and yet you haven’t understood why. She is desperate for someone to help her - for someone to help you - because she loves you, and she is terrified she is going to lose you - not to some random ‘share,’ but to something far worse. You are ignoring that fear. Maybe it’s because you think she might decide that if it’s okay for you to share then it’s okay for her too, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She just wants you to be okay.
“Call me if, and when, you come to your senses.” I stood.
He looked up at me, his eyes wet with unshed tears.
“Bhaiya,” he said. “Please, don’t do this.”
“Would you rather me Compel you to share?” I asked. “You know I could.”
“You wouldn’t,” he said. “I know that much about you.”
“No,” I said. “You need to do it willingly. For love. For the love of your wife, who loves you so much she is willing – no not willing, desperate for you to share. I couldn’t look her in the eye and refuse to help her.”
I opened the study door. He didn’t move. I poked my head into the living room, where the girls, Yasmin, Callum, and Meena were sitting, talking.
“It is time for us to be going,” I said. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”
The girls all stood. Yasmin and her boyfriend stayed where they were, but Meena came to me.
“You spoke to him?”
“I did,” I said. “He is thinking. If we don’t see each other again, then it was a pleasure meeting you.”
Her eyes widened. “What did you do?” she asked.
“Go talk to your husband,” I said. “Make him listen; make him understand. I have done all I can.”
She looked up at me, worry in her eyes, and then she nodded. She led us to the door, and we were just about to leave when Jeevan emerged from the study.
“Bhaiya,” he said. “I need your help.”
I turned to face him.
“With?” I asked.
“There is a young girl…”
I held up my hand. “I do not wish to hear it,” I said. “If you want me to help you, then you know what you have to do.”
“But the girl…”
“Is in your hands,” I said. “You might have the means to help her. Will you pay the price?”
Meena looked at me “Caleb I didn’t mean…”
I interrupted her too. “No Bhabhi,” I said. “He is being stupid and stubborn. He is thinking of only one young girl – of today. What is going to happen to all the young girls and boys who suffer when he is no longer around to help, because of his stubbornness?”
“I understand,” I said to him gently. “I really do. I had the same thought, and fears. I know my girls being Empaths helps me, but two of them aren’t. Do you think I love my girls any less than you love your wife? You grew up with your powers. You knew about this. I was brought up as a Norm. I, too, had to learn about it. At least you know that Meena isn’t going to be sharing. I had to come to terms with the fact that some of my girls needed to share just as much as I do.”
He looked down, and then at Meena.
“I am so sorry,” he said. “I failed you.”
“How is it that you failed me?” she asked.
“I tried to be a good husband,” he replied, “to be faithful and kind. But all I am doing is hurting you.”
“You are hurting yourself,” she said, “and that is what hurts. Knowing that I am the cause of it hurts me more.”
“But…” he started, but she interrupted.
“I know that you love me. I know that for twenty-five years you have suffered - feeling the pain of not doing what you need to do. Look at what it is doing to you. How much longer do you think you have to suffer to prove your love? Do you think I want you to literally sacrifice your life for me? Caleb has shown me the way. I know now what must be done. Tomorrow morning, I will be going to see a lawyer. I cannot bear to see you slowly kill yourself on my behalf. I want a divorce.”
I rocked back on my heels.
“Now wait a minute…” I said. I expected Jeevan to blow up - to attack me. I had come over for dinner and ruined his marriage.
“Has it come to that?” asked Jeevan softly. “Does it mean that much to you, that you would end our marriage?” He smiled a little. “It would be interesting to see the divorce petition. I am divorcing him because he won’t sleep with other people.”
“Jeevan, please,” she said. “I don’t want to lose you. Please!”
Sighing, he looked at his wife, and then at me. “You are giving me nowhere to turn. Either I agree, or I lose everything that is precious to me. Not only that, but an innocent suffers.”
“Then you will do it?” his wife asked, hope in her tone and in her face.
He nodded sadly. “If I must do so to keep my wife - my family - then I will.”
Meena threw her arms around him, “Thank you,” she sobbed into his chest. “Thank you, thank you.”
He looked up and his eyes met mine. “I think you have just had your first lesson in Healing,” he said. “Persuading a reluctant patient to accept treatment. I am not sure it’s a technique I would advocate for everyone, but it was effective in this case.”
“I would say I am sorry,” I said to him, “but I don’t want to lie to my mentor. That is, if you still want me as a student.”
“Bhaiya,” he said, smiling, “there is nothing I would like more than to have you as my student, as my friend, and as my brother.
“Tonight, you - both of you,” he said, indicating myself and Meena, “have shown me what true love is.”
Still holding Meena against him with one arm, he reached out with the other and pulled me to him. I felt Meena’s arm move, and soon we were in a three-way hug. I looked down and saw her looking up at me.
“Thank you,” she said, tears still running down her cheeks. I smiled at her.
“Can I come by yours tomorrow night?” he asked me as we separated. “I would like to see what is happening with you four now that the bond is gone.”
“You should both come for dinner,” I said. “I am nowhere near as good a cook as Meena, but I make do.”
“Perhaps I could teach you?” she said.
“That would be wonderful,” I said. “Send me a list of ingredients, and I’ll make sure I have everything we need. If there’s any special equipment, then that too.”
She smiled. “We’ll make do with what you have,” she said.
“Oh, so you can do it all in a microwave?” I said, looking innocent. Meena, startled, looked at Jeevan.
“I thought you said…”
Jeevan laughed.
“He is teasing,” he said. “You will have to get used to his sense of humor.”
Meena turned to me and flapped at my arm gently. “Bad boy,” she said.
I smiled at her. “Do you like other cuisine than Indian?” I asked. “Maybe I could show you what I can do first, and then you can see what you have to work with.”
“I like all kinds of things,” she said. “I don’t like Mexican. The spices are too harsh for my palate. I like Italian, and good old American food. I don’t eat curry every day.” She smiled at me.
“Then let’s go Italian,” I said. “I can do that. Then maybe another day we can collaborate on something. I am thinking that our two families are going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
“Not two families, Bhaiya,” said Jeevan. “Just one.”
“I think it’s time we left,” I said, “unless you wanted to take the twins up on their offer posthaste?”
Jeevan smiled. “That is so tempting,” he said, “and I thank you for it.” He bowed slightly to the twins. “I will make other arrangements. I promise it will be done, as often as is required. I have learned my lesson.”
“Then we’ll get out of your way,” I said, “and let you finish apologizing to your wife.” He smiled at me again.
“Tomorrow about seven?” I asked as we walked down the steps. “Will Yasmin and Callum be with you?”
Jeevan shook his head. “They will be ‘doing their own thing,’” he said. “That is apparently very important to young people these days.”
I laughed. “It is,” I said. “We will see you both tomorrow at seven.”