Entrance to the Song (completed)

Chapter 5 - Children of Bridges

All creatures are connected by the earth on which they tread

I started awake when we hit a bump in the road. "Ugh, Daddy," I moaned. "I'm more than willing to drive if you're not up to the task." We'd been traveling for five hours, and it was close to midnight.

"Hilarious, Pendra," he noted. A smile lit his face. "The roads out here are under-serviced."

I nodded. "Keep telling yourself that, Daddy," I teased, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He chuckled and shook his head.

We'd been driving for five hours, and it was close to midnight.

"So where did you say we were going?" I asked.

"I hadn't said, but we're going to a friend of mine," he replied.

"I didn't know you had any friends." My eyebrows flew up. "Is this friend a man or a woman?" I inquired.

He chuckled. "Lay off Pen." Daddy glanced at me. "What about this Anon boy you're always talking about? Is he a suitor?" His smile grew wide. "You said he's the only boy with any brains."

I rolled my eyes. "First, no one says suitor anymore. In fact, I don't know if they've said suitor in the past hundred years." My arms folded across my chest. Anon's intelligence was unquestionable. I stood second under him in science. He held my admiration, but he belonged to Raya, although my face flushed whenever he came close. I sighed. "Anon is Raya's boyfriend," I grumbled. It came out more defensive than I wanted.

Daddy laughed out loud. He knew me too well.

"So this friend of yours must live in the middle of nowhere. I have seen no civilization in miles." I complained changing the subject. Soft music played on the radio; my head bobbed to the familiar song.

"We'll be there by morning," he responded. "I don't want you going in there asking a lot of questions. Shiah's been through a tough enough time with having to answer a regulators inquisition."

"Ugh, how dare you compare my questioning to that of a regulator?" I lifted my chin.

"You'd make a good one." He mumbled.

I blinked a few times. "You're right, I'd be much better than Cain. I'd stand for justice and the people."

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Now you sound like a political ad."

I shrugged.

The hours passed between moments of sleep and awake.

Just as morning touched the sky, we came to an intersection, hooked a left, and then a quick right into a long driveway. The house became clearer as we drove closer. Strange. How did Daddy meet someone way out here? Trees lined the path, they hovered like guardians.

Sky blue paint peeled off the side of the small house.

"This is different," I said. Most homes had standard specifications, but this house, with the old shutters and peeling paint, broke all the rules. Daddy parked the vehicle next to an old white truck. I hopped out of the car ready to stretch my legs. I rolled my shoulders, releasing the aches of the long drive.

A middle-aged woman greeted us at the door. "Hello, Erben," she said hugging Daddy.

Her robust, open manner and cheerful voice made me smile.

"Hi Shiah, it's good to see you again," Daddy said. They seemed like old friends.

"And this must be Pendra," she ventured, turning her bright green eyes in my direction. "And what a lovely girl you are. Free from the stench of those dreadful Beauty Bars." She took me into a firm embrace. It was strange having a woman hug me. I reveled in her soft touch, closed my eyes, and took in the aroma of lavender on her skin. This was what it felt like to have a mother's hugs. My arms held tighter than I wanted them to, but she seemed content to let me hug her. When I released her, she said, "Well aren't you the affectionate one." Her smile widened. "I miss hugs, especially from another girl."

My face burned with embarrassment. "Sorry," I muttered.

She clucked her tongue, "No need for that. As I said before, I welcome hugs." She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me into the house. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have," I asked looking at Daddy with a question. He had an ever-present smile plastered to his face. Who was this woman, and why had he never mentioned her before?

"By your question, I guess you've never learned of me. Your dad wanted to protect you from the world, no doubt." We settled in the kitchen as she bustled around preparing dinner. I glowered at Daddy. He played with a button on his shirt, like it was the most exciting thing in the world. I frowned and cleared my throat trying to get his attention. Was this the woman whose relative he'd help escape the Keep?

Shiah glanced at us, "It's not his fault, Pendra. I asked him to keep my secret, and apparently, he kept it even from you." She sighed. "It's my story to tell, but we'll get into story telling after our stomachs are full."

For the first time, I studied the room. Pink flowered wallpaper clung to the walls, and the standard paneled walls were missing.

"You don't have a smart interface system," I breathed. Shiah seemed troubled when I mentioned the interface system.

"No, I don't," She replied.

"But... aren't they required by law?"

"They are," she shrugged, "I guess they figure one lonely woman can't do much harm. They don't bother me about it, thanks to your dad."

Daddy smiled at Shiah, obvious admiration in his eyes. It seems they'd under-serviced shared many conversations before.

I heard the squeak of the front door opening and closing followed by footsteps. In walked a tall boy with hair the color of wet sand, and eyes to match. A grim expression seemed fixed on his face.

He scanned the kitchen settling his eyes on me for a long moment. My breath caught with the pain I saw in them. He brought with him an earthy smell and carried a crate full of fresh vegetables. The soil still clung to his hands, and there were a few smudges on his cheek, and streaks of dirt left a trail on his clothes. That's how I must look after I work in my garden. (Linked Comment)

"Here you go Shiah. I hope this is all you need," he said setting the crate on the counter. "I didn't know we had guests." He gestured toward us with a small frown on his face.

"Yes- Yes, that's fine, Benin," she said, shooing him out of the kitchen. "I'll introduce you when you're cleaned up." He gave me another fleeting glance before leaving. Something about him sung. His lithe form and haunted eyes carried a mystery that sparked my interest.

Daddy observed our visitor with rapt attention. I scooted closer to him determined to get answers. I stared at him until he peeked at me and then turned his full gaze on me. "Who was that?" I mouthed.

He shrugged in reply and averted his eyes again. It was out of character for Daddy to be so clandestine, well at least I thought so before this whole new side of his life cropped up.

Dinner took forever for Shiah to prepare, giving me plenty of time to work up a steam. Benin made his way back to the kitchen with fresh clothes, the fragrance of soap and earth melded together. He sat down in the chair by me. He appeared to be around my age, but his eyes seemed older. We stared at each other.

The world faded and the symphonic music, of the earth, whispered in my ear. I reached out to touch Benin; his hand met mine. The earth sang a duet when our hands touched; the chords of her song intertwined and found a balance. I've listened to nothing more beautiful.

"Um, Pendra," a distant voice interrupted pulling us both back to reality. I longed to explore the music deeper. "Penny," the voice said again.

Penny? It felt strange to hear that name.

"Penny," Daddy asserted snapping me back to attention. My eyes found Daddy's, and he gestured to the floor. The kitchen floors sprouted bright green grass, and the leftover vegetables grew to the size of my leg.

"Oh," I gasped putting my hand over my mouth.

Benin jumped out of his chair. "What's happening?" he asked. He searched Shiah's face and then mine.

"Benin, this is Pendra," she gestured toward me. "She's an Earth singer like you."

My heart beat fast with the realization. And all I could think was - I am not alone.