The Heart's Content

Chapter 23

"So Beth tells me you don't like the water." Charlie mentioned during their car ride from the restaurant. "That you can't swim."

"That is true." Alastor said.  "Beth on the other hand was probably a fish in another life because as soon as she learned to swim, it was nearly impossible to keep her away from the water. She'd probably choose to live underwater if she could breathe down there."

"How come she loves it so much but you don't?"

"Well my dear let's just say I've never had any good experiences with water. But what about you? Are you as crazy about it as Beth is?"

"Oh yes. Yes I am. In fact you could say that I was born in the water."

"That's great because I really need someone to be with Beth when she goes swimming. If she were to become caught in a current and somebody wasn't able to get her out, I...I just don't want that event to ever come into fruition."

"Beth's a strong swimmer. It probably won't but there is a way that can be prevented without you having to rely on me or anyone else."

"Oh? How?"

"You could learn to swim."

There it was. The suggestion that he had been given for as long as he could remember. "Learn to swim." Now he knew that people who told him that were right and it wasn't unreasonable for that to be expected of him but the problem was his psyche just wouldn't let him learn. Every time he went under water it would trigger terrible flashbacks and visions of terrible moments of his life that had been caused by water. His near drowning experience at the hands of his bastard stepfather and the loss of his beloved biological father who's corpse now lay at the bottom of the Atlantic somewhere. It was like his mind could only focus on that whenever he tried to swim.

"It's best that I don't even bother Charlie. I really don't think me learning to swim is a possibility for me. In fact I'm certain that it's downright impossible."

"I believe that nothing is impossible."

"Oh really?" He chuckled at her belief which he thought to be very naive.

"Yes. Ever since I learned what the people in your world have accomplished, I have no doubt that anything can happen. You create devices that play music and tell stories, ones that produce heat and cooling, even ones that give you the ability to fly. That's something nobody could do where I come from."

"I guess when you put it that way, it can seem that nothing is impossible."

"And I know I've already seen so much today but I wanna see more. I know every wonder that exists here."

"That can be arranged but I'm afraid you'll have to be patient. I have a job to work in the evenings."

"What kind of job?"

"Nothing special. I just perform at a cabaret."

"You perform? Oh I love performances! Especially musical ones!" She was as giddy as a child at all you can eat ice cream buffet. "Is it a musical performance? Music is my favorite but I do enjoy acting and impromptu."

"It's musical but it's not like it's Broadway or anything. It's just me singing a few songs on stage."

"That sounds wonderful. Can I watch you perform? I bet you have a beautiful voice."

The way she looked at him and said those words, it made Alastor blush and feel himself get a little flustered.

"Um...Sure...If you really want to that is. But not tonight. Beth has classes in the morning so bringing her to the cabaret would keep her up too late and I really don't want to leave her alone after dark. Tomorrow perhaps? It's not a school night."