¿Habla Español?" He paused. "Português? Français? Deutsches? Svenska?"
Okay, Nancy, how can I
not love this part, when you have Jon ask Rya if she speaks "svenska" (Swedish) -
and you manage to spell it perfectly correctly, too?
Unlike Lara,
I was very relieved that we didn't have to see Clark and Caitlyn's wedding, and there was no wedding night. Not yet.
Well, my feelings about Clark and Caitlyn are what they are. But I loved everything else about this chapter!
He stood in the dark room looking at his beloved piano. He knew he shouldn't play right now, but he was drawn to the instrument in a way he couldn't explain. Maybe just one little Bach fugue. He sat down and turned the light on over the piano. He picked up his book of Bach fugues and flipped through it, quickly picking a piece. He began to softly play.
Jon totally reminds me of the boy musician in "Peanuts" - what's his name, Leonard? You made me feel that Jon may not be quite as obsessed about his music as Leonard is, but he still loves it, possibly as much as Leonard does. And I love Jon for this sweet interest of his!
He finished the piece and closed his eyes, thinking about the song he had just played. He wondered what J.S. Bach would think of a piano. Bach's keyboards had been a harpsichord and a clavichord.
I don't know what a harpsichord or a clavichord is, but I understand that they are instruments somewhat like a piano. And I love your knowledge about these instruments, so that you can give that knowledge to Jon.
He smiled at the thought that Bach might be impressed by a piano, but he certainly wouldn't be impressed by Clark's nine children. He chucked softly. Bach had *twenty-one* children.
Ah, yes, Bach. Quite a few people think he is the greatest composer of all time. Nancy, do you remember the late Carl Sagan, an astronomy and spaceflight popularizer? Sagan was a huge fan of Bach. When NASA was going to launch the first spaceship ever that was going to leave our solar system altogether - I believe that space craft may have been called Pioneer 10 or something - Sagan insisted that this space craft should carry several messages from humankind to the larger universe. Well, because you never knew if some little green men were going to intercept this spaceship one day, and then they needed to know who had sent it. Sagan put a lot of messages and images on a - I think it was an advanced kind of phonograph record. (Problem was, the LGM wouldn't be able to play it unless they managed to build a phonograph.) Sagan went to a lot of trouble to get very many different messages from the Earth, and among other things, he went to the U.N. headquarters in New York and asked representatives from all the different countries there to record their own message for the space aliens. The Turkish representative sent the following message (in Turkish, of course): "Hello, all Turkish-speaking friends...."
Lady Rya likes music, she likes Jon, and she likes Bear and Meowoof. Yes, indeed, she is all right!!!
Caitlyn walked to the door and opened it to go get Los. Her eyes went wide when she saw him standing there.
He smiled a little. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't know how to announce my presence."
Caitlyn said, "You just knock. Like this." She demonstrated for him.
Ah, these Earth customs, they are a bother to learn, aren't they?
He nodded. "Oh. Okay. Father is ill?"
Caitlyn nodded and frowned slightly. "How did you know?"
"I.. umm... kept a tenuous connection to him. Just enough so I would know if he... what do you say?... ummm....again."
Caitlyn smiled. "The word you used, regurgitate, will work, but we usually say throw up or vomit. Actually there is a whole lot of words that could be used - some a little too descriptive, but those will do." She turned as Clark ran to the bathroom. She quickly followed.
Puke... barf... well, that sort of exhausts my knowledge of colorful words for spitting out half-digested food with your stomach.
"Oh," he said in understanding. They heard a knock on the door. "Come in." It was Jama. "Hey, honey."
"Hi," she said quietly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I know you are really tired, but I saw Los coming out of your room." Clark smiled to let her know it was okay. "I just.. wondered if you were going to be able to go to church today."
"No." He sighed. "Caitlyn and Los have both told me I have to stay in bed." He patted the bed. "Come here, sweetie." She sat down. "You've been awfully quiet, lately. What's wrong?"
She shrugged her shoulders and looked down. "Everybody has been worried about you."
He patted her cheek. "Yeah, but I think something else is wrong. Is there?"
"Oh, I don't know. Nothin'." She kissed him on the cheek and stood up. She smiled at Caitlyn, "Morning, Caitlyn." Then she turned to leave.
"I love you, honey," Clark said.
"Love you, Daddy."
This was a long quote, but it was good to see something of Jama.
Clark smiled and nodded. "Yes, she adores me. I imagine this 'accident' has affected her more than anyone. I haven't been able to really get her to talk about it much, though."
Caitlyn pursed her lips. "Maybe that's why she's been complaining of her stomach hurting."
Hmmm... there could easily be other reaons for a stomach-ache.
Jon did not notice the sleeping lady hidden behind his piano. As soon as he started playing, she was startled and let out a blood curdling scream.
Oh, wow!
He jumped up, knocked over the piano bench and ran to where she had been hiding. She was very much trying to fade into the background. He could tell she was terrified. He smiled and said gently, "Who are you?" She just looked at him and her eyes got even wider. She was hugging her knees to herself. "You... don't understand me, do you? Hmmm.... ¿Habla Español?" He paused. "Português? Français? Deutsches? Svenska?" She continued to stare at him blankly. "Italiano?" He sighed and raised his eyebrows. He wondered if his Dad was awake.
Ah, sorry to quote this again, but I love it!
Jon's eyes went wide. She was speaking Kryptonian. "~You... you.. you're Kryptonian?~"
She nodded and said with a touch of fear. "~What do you know of Kryptonians?~"
Jon chewed his lip. "~Well...~" He paused and wondered if he should tell her the truth. He decided that honesty would work best with her. She was so frightened. "~I'm part Kryptonian. My father is Kryptonian.~"
So she's Kryptonian!
"~Your father?~" She stood up. She wore a long dress that flowed loosely around her. It didn't look like what he thought of as typical Kryptonian garb. But what did he really know about that?
Why is she wearing a different dress?
"~And who is your father?~"
"~Hmm... Are you from New Krypton?~" She nodded. "~Then you would know him as Lord Kal-El.~"
She took a deep breath and looked at him pleadingly. "~Lord Kal-El?~" He nodded. "~Can you take me to him? Maybe he can help me find Lords K'al-El and Los-El..~"
Jon reached his hand out to her. "~Come. I know where K'al and Los are. Would you like me to take you to them?~"
She nodded excitedly. "~Yes, please. I would very much like to see Lord K'al-El. I am Lady Rya, and I am his wife.~"
K'al's wife!!! I should have remembered!
Jon's mouth was hanging open. "~Wife. Oh. His birth wife. Oh.~"
"~Was. We have undergone the Ceremony of Union.~"
Interesting. Before the "wedding" she was his birth wife, and after the "wedding" she was his wife.
Jon nodded. He was surprised and wondered if his dad knew about this. He thought that it was probably a really good thing that they were officially married. He led her out of the room and stopped by a bathroom, explaining it's purpose to her. She nodded appreciatively. She entered the room.
Oh, I love this! You think about the small but crucial details, such as a person's need to use the facilities!
(There is an eeny, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty typo here: I try to teach my students the difference between "it's" and "its", and you accidentally put an "it's" where you needed an "its".)
Jon called to K'al but didn't get an answer. Maybe he was asleep. He made a general call to his family. <Anybody seen K'al?>
He got multiple answers. <Out here.> He followed to where 'out here' was. There he found Brook, Lara, Jama, Chloe, Claire, Hannah, and Jenni softly giggling.
young females are giggling in concert?
K'al was swimming in the pool with no concern for any clothing. He seemingly didn't notice his audience.
*Snork!*
Jon rubbed his forehead and blushed lightly, feeling embarrassment for his brother. "I don't suppose any of you have bothered to say anything?"
Jenni giggled, "We didn't want to embarrass him. Besides he has such a nice body."
"Hey, you're married!" Jon said indignantly.
"Doesn't mean I can't notice."
Aaaah, I love Jon. I don't suppose
he will be admiring other females when he has married Hannah.
Lara pulled on Jon's shirt. "Yes, sweetie?" He bent to pick her up.
She pointed at K'al and said softly, "Jon, what is that? I don't have one of those."
Jon closed his eyes tightly and thought about the joys of having little sisters. "That's because your not a boy."
She said questioningly, "Yeah, but..."
Hannah took her from Jon. "I'll rescue you, Jon."
"Thanks," he said. "I was getting to it, but... you go right ahead." He grinned.
Hannah took Lara to a chair and started answering Lara's question.
Adorable!!!!
Lara said loudly, "So that's what that thing is! Daddy's told me about those." Most of those present succumbed to laughter at Lara's honesty and sweetness.
Aaaaawwww!!!!! <loves>
K'al looked at Jon, cocked his head, and said, "Have I done something wrong?"
And in certain ways, K'al is as innocent as Lara.
Jon looked at all the females and snapped, "Go!" He motioned them away.
And Jon takes charge, to minimize the damage. He is such an
incredibly good boy.
"Well, K'al, this pool is for swimming. We bathe in the house."
K'al smiled. "Oh. Okay. I've just... been swimming anyway." He returned to his swimming.
Jon cleared his throat. "K'al, we don't swim in the nude." He heard Hannah giggling and amended, "At least usually." He thought to Hannah, <I thought I told you to go away.>
LOL!!! LOL!!! ROTFLOL!!!
Jon nodded. "~K'al, Rya, Kryptonian pregnancies only last seven months. That means you are close to delivery. Right?~"
Goodness!! She is seven months' pregnant, but that means she' the equivalent of
nine months' pregnant!!! (And that lunkhead of a husband of hers didn't notice! <grumble>)
She blushed. "~Yes, I am. I think one of the reasons Lady Zara sent me here was with the hope that I would deliver here. Then it would be easy to... arrange things.~"
K'al took a deep breath in understanding. Jon was perplexed. "~Arrange things?~"
K'al hung his head. "~If it becomes common knowledge that she was pregnant when we entered into the Ceremony of Union, then it could cause a rift among the houses. That could be really bad."
I hate when people think that other people's love life is a reason to kill somebody, or start a war.
He turned to Rya. "~Rya, which healer have you been seeing? Healer Zor-Te?~"
She bit her lip. "~No. I don't... much care for him. I have been seeing Los-El.~"
K'al nodded then grinned. "~I can't believe you have been seeing Los, and he didn't tell me.~"
Rya responded somewhat chidingly, "~K'al-El, you know that a healer cannot tell what a patient does not want known.~"
Good! Even on Krypton, doctors apparently respect the idea of patient confidentiality (or whatever you call it).
Clark was still floating in the water. He woke up when he felt someone poking him. He stood up. "Hmmm?"
Lara hugged him and giggled. "You shouldn't be sleepin' in the pool. Might be dangers."
"Might be dangers" - oh, I love her four-year-old way of speaking!
Then she whispered conspiratorially in his ear. "K'al was swimming in the pool without nothin' on. I learned somethin' new."
Clark started laughing. "Yes, I guess you did, didn't you?"
"Um-huh. So tell me. You're a boy. Do you have one of those?"
Clark nodded. "That's generally the way it works."
"Oh, yeah. And when I grow up, I'm gonna get breasts, right?"
Clark rolled his eyes. "Yes, Lara. Just don't grow up too fast, munchkin, okay?"
She splashed him and said, "'Kay." She took off and started swimming laps.
Lara is totally, totally irresistible.
"Did I tell you I talked to Caitlyn?"
"About what?" He wondered.
"You know... our appointment."
"Hmmph," he muttered in surprise.
"It's at 11:00 am tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? What if I'm busy tomorrow?" He said warily.
"You're not. Your dad knows about the appointment, too. He says you aren't canceling another one."
"So you still think I'm having kidney problems?" He pouted. "I told you I'm fine!"
"Maybe so, but better safe than sorry. And after I mentioned to your dad that you had been rubbing your back a lot, he noticed it too. I'm worried about you, Jon. I love you!
So Jon and Hannah are both going to have an examination. Good idea.
Clark knew Zared had given up and left, but now he felt like someone was staring at him. He opened his eyes. He smiled. "Hi, Jama. How's my baby girl?"
She shrugged. "Don't know."
"Yes, you do. I know you very well. Talk to me, honey. I know something's wrong," he pleaded.
She leaned forward and whispered, "I started."
Oh, so
that's how you say it in English. (When I was sixteen, I was staying with an American family in the U.S. for a month. My English was pretty crappy back then, and I didn't know how to explain to the kindly mother of the family that I had my period. That was
not a word I had been taught at school in Sweden.)
"Oh." He nodded his head in understanding. "And you aren't too happy about that?"
"No. It hurts." She frowned and a tear slipped down her face.
He sat up and leaned forward touching his forehead to hers. "When?"
"Yesterday." She stuck her lip out and pouted.
"Did you take any ibuprofen?" He asked as he brushed her hair out of her eyes.
She nodded. "Didn't seem to help. I just figured that's because I'm Krypterran."
He nodded. "Could be. Medication still worked for Chloe and Claire at your age, but everybody's different. Did you talk to your sisters?"
"No. I didn't want to tell anyone." She laid her head on his shoulder.
Isn't this so true. When your period has just started, you don't want
anyone to know. At least that's how I remember it. (Unless you were one of those girls who neither had breasts nor your period when everybody else did.)
"No. I didn't want to tell anyone." She laid her head on his shoulder.
"Why honey?"
"Don't wanna grow up. That means I'm growing up." She sniffed.
He rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, honey. You know most kids can't wait to grow up."
She shrugged. "I know. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nothing is wrong with you, honey. You are a beautiful young lady, and you have nothing to fear about growing up. You hear me?" He winked.
She sighed. "Except cramps. And all that *stuff*."
I'm sure Jama is right, she doesn't want to grow up, and I admire her for being able to look at herself so clearly. Personally, I just remember it was embarrassing because it was smelly and disgusting - and
what if it left stains on your clothes????
Clark saw Chloe and motioned to her. She walked over to him. "Chloe, Jama is having some cramps. Do you think you can help her out with some well placed heat vision and show her about heating pads and ice packs and such?"
Chloe smiled and nodded. She took Jama's hand. "Come on, sis. I'll show you the ropes."
I guess Chloe figured out that Jama's period had started. Chloe comes though as a very nice sister.
Clark stood up and yawned. He heard a wolf whistle and turned toward the sound. He just rolled his eyes when he saw who it was.
Jenni giggled and said, "I always did want to do that when Superman was around. I always wanted to pinch that lovely behind, too. First time I see you in the suit, I'm going to fulfill that little fantasy."
I
love that she did that!!!
Clark turned to walk towards the pool. Jenni giggled and pinched his behind.
And I love even more that she did
that!!! K'al was breathing rapidly and he swallowed hard. "She has pain. The pain. ~Oh, you know. She is in labor!~"
Los said, "I'm sure it just a few pre-pains. She's early."
"No, no. She came from later. I mean... To her, we've been gone a fortnight."
Rya is in labor!!!
Fantastic part, Nancy. And I've written a lot of rambly feedback about it, too. Hmmm... to check one's feedback for typos, or not to check one's feedback for typos, that's the question....
Ann
