Destiny of my Heart!
By Sharon Holtz
Chapter Fourteen
________________________________________________
Peter then stepped out from behind his desk and added, “I
think it would mean so much to them. They speak of you a lot ya
know.”
With a bit of sarcasm, Devin asked, “Speak of me uh? Well it
can’t be about anything good.”
Happy to say it was, Peter went on to inform him, “As a
matter of fact…do you remember the snow globe you gave
Vincent one Christmas?”
Devin did remember, and Father’s insinuating harshness
resonated with him still. And so he replied, “Yeah I
remember…Father was sure I had stolen it.”
With an understanding tone, Peter said, “Well Jacob knows he
handled that situation wrong, and feels very guilty about it, and he
knows there were many other times he fell short as well. He told
me the other day, that as much as he loved you…he just never
knew quite how to talk to you.”
With a sincere neediness in his voice, Devin revealed, “I guess
I knew he loved me, but the funny thing is…I just wanted him to
like me as much as he liked Vincent…that’s all…just like me...”
Devin then reminisced, “You know those two would play
Chess for hours on end…and would you believe one game went
on for 4 straight days? Or, or else they would discuss some ancient
book Shakespeare wrote, or interpret some artists painting...and all
the while…I would be trying to find something to say or add, but it
just all went over my head! I always came up empty.”
In an attempt to explain his unruly behavior, Devin analyzed,
“As I look back now, maybe that’s why I would do things to get
on his nerves…at least then the ole man would HAVE to talk to
me…the son he had nothing in common with except the blood that
was runnin’ through our veins.”
With a smile, Peter nodded and said, “Well you know that’s
the funny thing about families, families are made up of people, and
hey…people don’t always click. I know me and my Dad…well it
was the same situation. My sister was the princess…and I was the
pauper.”
Peter laughed and shared, “But we found our way to each
other eventually. What I am trying to say, you shouldn’t give up
trying. Jacob is a good man, and your brother…he misses you.”
With tears dwelling in his eyes, Devin said, “Well I miss
Vincent too…I even miss the ole’ man.”
Prodding a bit, Peter urged, “Then you should go…”
Thoughtfully, Devin added, “I will think about it. The last
thing I want to do is ruin Christmas for everyone if our reunion
doesn’t pan out.”
To which Peter said, “Should you decide to go home, I really
think you will find Jacob has…well he has softened up a bit…ever
since…Cathy. After Vincent met her…well Jacob had a
metamorphosis of sorts. He had to learn to accept certain things
that are out of his control, and he learned to cut those apron
strings, allowing Vincent to live out his life his own way.”
“Cutting the ole’ apron strings…” Said Devin, “…now that is
a biggie!”
He then added, “This Cathy must be very special if she were
able to accomplish all that.”
Softly Peter replied, “What I can say…she and Vincent
together have touched all our hearts…they give us hope.”
Clearing his throat of emotion, Peter then told Devin, “Our
visit is confidential by the way. No one knows I contacted you, so
there is no pressure on you.”
Devin reached out to shake Peter’s hand, and said,
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve…I don’t know if I am ready…ready
to face them, so I really can’t make any promises, but I want you
to know…that no matter what happens, thank you for contacting
me. It means so much.”
Reaching back, Peter sincerely said, “I understand, and well if
our talk helped you personally in any way…then this meeting
between us was worth it.”
As Devin turned to leave, he looked back once more and said,
“Merry Christmas Peter…”
Warmly, Peter replied, “Merry Christmas to you Devin.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Over the crags and through the tunnels
to Narcissa’s garden we go
Vincent knows the way
To take us today
To wish Merry Christmas to Narcissa”
The children laughed as they sang their version of the old
holiday song, as they returned to the home tunnels.
By now Vincent was holding a tuckered out little Natalie,
which was a task he did not mind in the least. Fiddling with his
hair, she expressed, “Since Narcissa’s eyes don’t work, I hope she
doesn’t fall off the ledge when she goes home.”
Assuredly Vincent explained, “She knows every inch of these
tunnels like the back of her hand. Even though she cannot see
with her eyes…she can with her hands and feet. So you needn’t
worry."
Samantha who was walking next to Vincent then said, “I am
so glad we went to see Narcissa today. I think we should go once a
week!”
In reply, Vincent said, “Every week may be an unrealistic
expectation. Remember Narcissa likes being alone. Too often
would infringe on her privacy.”
“I think your right Vincent…” said Zach, “…she said she
wouldn’t be coming to see us Christmas Eve, because she would
be doing her own thing. What ever that is!”
Natalie hoping Catherine would be coming Christmas Eve,
asked, “What about Catherine? Is she coming?”
To which Vincent told her, “Yes, Catherine, Peter and her
father will all be coming.”
“Oh Goody!” Said Natalie, to which Samantha then offered,
“I think William is gonna sing another song for us. At least I think
so. I heard him practicing this morning.”
Confirming her suspicions, Vincent said, “Father did ask him if
he would sing some Christmas Carols after we dine on Christmas
Eve, and you are right, William happily agreed to do so.”
It was then Mouse came running up to Vincent, saying. “You
are back! Sam told me to give this note to you. It is from Catherine
and she can meet you at Pai’s tonight.”
Vincent looked irritatingly at Mouse as he unfolded the note,
and said, “I guess there is no need for me to read this…since you
already had.”
In defense, Mouse explained, “I had to know if it was an
emergency!”
Holding something which was written by Catherine’s own
hand, soften Vincent’s demeanor a bit, and so he said, “I see your
point Mouse…”
Kipper then butted in and asked, “When you are at Pai’s, do
you think you could get me a fortune cookie?”
In reply, Vincent said, “If Linn or Henry offer, then I shall.”
To which Samantha scolded, “Yeah it would be rude to ask for
stuff…you should know that. Besides they usually give us some
anyway.”
Vincent smiled as he said, “Yes…when they can.”
With a teasing tone, Zach asked, “So Vincent…are you gonna
get all cleaned up and wear something fancy to meet Catherine
there tonight?”
Wanting to get into the act, Kipper asked "And are you gonna
put on some smelly stuff?"
Sensing the time to ready himself was quickly approaching, he
thought that yes…he did need to make a quick trip to the hot
springs chamber. And so he answered the two jokesters, “I
thought I would…and I may even shine up my boots!"
The children all laughed, loving the conversation about
Vincent's big date, and Vincent tolerated all the teasing he could
which was being fired at him, before he calmed the children down,
saying, "Allright now, that's enough questions about my hygiene."
Vincent then remembered to ask Mouse a favor, and so he
kindly asked, "Oh and Mouse...I will need your help finishing
Catherine’s gift in the morning. Will you help?”
Proud to say yes, Mouse puffed up his chest and said, “Glad
to help.”
Patting his friend on the back, Vincent said, “I knew I could
count on you.”
He then set Natalie down, as he turned to instruct the
children, “We shall go directly to the Dining Hall…we are right on
time for supper.”
To which Zach said, “Good! I am starving!”
And the other children chimed in a chorus of, “Me too’s!”, as
he safely delivered them to the dining hall.
A smiling Jacob stepped up, and asked, “Ahh you have
returned safely…tell me Vincent, how was your journey?”
Warmly Vincent greeted his Father and replied, “Wonderful.
We saw Narcissa and she looked well. I believe she was genuinely
moved by the children’s greetings of good will toward her.”
As Vincent looked over the group of children, he added, “You
can be proud of the children Father. They were all so well
behaved.”
“Good…good to hear, and I dare say, I am proud…very proud
of you all.” Jacob then added, “Now go wash your hands, and
ready yourselves to sup.”
The children all hugged and thanked Vincent for the fun
afternoon, and as they ran off, they sang, “over the crags and
through the tunnels, to Narcissa’s garden we go….”
Jacob then happily addressed Mouse and said, “Good, I see
you found Vincent to give him Sam’s note!” He then turned to tell
his son, “So since Catherine can meet you at Pai’s this evening…I
need you to pickup…”
Surprised, yet not surprised that Jacob also knew the contents
of his note from Catherine, Vincent sarcastically asked, “Is
everyone aware Catherine is free to meet me this evening, or shall
I send a message through the pipes informing the entire
community?!”
Matter-of-factly, Jacob replied, “No need, most everyone
knows…however…getting back to what I was saying, I need you
to pick up some more of that Sassafras tea from Lin and Henry for
me. I wish to gift Mary with it for Christmas. She enjoys it so.”
Sensing his discourse about lack of privacy went un-noticed;
Vincent smiled to himself as he mentally threw up his arms,
thinking…oh what’s the use?
He then instead, politely answered, “Of course I will Father.”
With an embrace, Vincent left them to get ready for his date
with Catherine.
As he walked through the vacated home tunnels toward the
hot springs chamber, Vincent noticed how quiet it was! With
everyone in the dining hall, the silence was almost eerie
quiet…almost too quiet…as if he wasn’t alone.
With his emphatic powers kicking in, Vincent stopped in his
tracks, and with a tipping of his head, he calmly said, “What is it
you want Paracelsus?”
To be continued
Chapter Fifteen
: }
By Sharon Holtz
Chapter Fourteen
________________________________________________
Peter then stepped out from behind his desk and added, “I
think it would mean so much to them. They speak of you a lot ya
know.”
With a bit of sarcasm, Devin asked, “Speak of me uh? Well it
can’t be about anything good.”
Happy to say it was, Peter went on to inform him, “As a
matter of fact…do you remember the snow globe you gave
Vincent one Christmas?”
Devin did remember, and Father’s insinuating harshness
resonated with him still. And so he replied, “Yeah I
remember…Father was sure I had stolen it.”
With an understanding tone, Peter said, “Well Jacob knows he
handled that situation wrong, and feels very guilty about it, and he
knows there were many other times he fell short as well. He told
me the other day, that as much as he loved you…he just never
knew quite how to talk to you.”
With a sincere neediness in his voice, Devin revealed, “I guess
I knew he loved me, but the funny thing is…I just wanted him to
like me as much as he liked Vincent…that’s all…just like me...”
Devin then reminisced, “You know those two would play
Chess for hours on end…and would you believe one game went
on for 4 straight days? Or, or else they would discuss some ancient
book Shakespeare wrote, or interpret some artists painting...and all
the while…I would be trying to find something to say or add, but it
just all went over my head! I always came up empty.”
In an attempt to explain his unruly behavior, Devin analyzed,
“As I look back now, maybe that’s why I would do things to get
on his nerves…at least then the ole man would HAVE to talk to
me…the son he had nothing in common with except the blood that
was runnin’ through our veins.”
With a smile, Peter nodded and said, “Well you know that’s
the funny thing about families, families are made up of people, and
hey…people don’t always click. I know me and my Dad…well it
was the same situation. My sister was the princess…and I was the
pauper.”
Peter laughed and shared, “But we found our way to each
other eventually. What I am trying to say, you shouldn’t give up
trying. Jacob is a good man, and your brother…he misses you.”
With tears dwelling in his eyes, Devin said, “Well I miss
Vincent too…I even miss the ole’ man.”
Prodding a bit, Peter urged, “Then you should go…”
Thoughtfully, Devin added, “I will think about it. The last
thing I want to do is ruin Christmas for everyone if our reunion
doesn’t pan out.”
To which Peter said, “Should you decide to go home, I really
think you will find Jacob has…well he has softened up a bit…ever
since…Cathy. After Vincent met her…well Jacob had a
metamorphosis of sorts. He had to learn to accept certain things
that are out of his control, and he learned to cut those apron
strings, allowing Vincent to live out his life his own way.”
“Cutting the ole’ apron strings…” Said Devin, “…now that is
a biggie!”
He then added, “This Cathy must be very special if she were
able to accomplish all that.”
Softly Peter replied, “What I can say…she and Vincent
together have touched all our hearts…they give us hope.”
Clearing his throat of emotion, Peter then told Devin, “Our
visit is confidential by the way. No one knows I contacted you, so
there is no pressure on you.”
Devin reached out to shake Peter’s hand, and said,
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve…I don’t know if I am ready…ready
to face them, so I really can’t make any promises, but I want you
to know…that no matter what happens, thank you for contacting
me. It means so much.”
Reaching back, Peter sincerely said, “I understand, and well if
our talk helped you personally in any way…then this meeting
between us was worth it.”
As Devin turned to leave, he looked back once more and said,
“Merry Christmas Peter…”
Warmly, Peter replied, “Merry Christmas to you Devin.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Over the crags and through the tunnels
to Narcissa’s garden we go
Vincent knows the way
To take us today
To wish Merry Christmas to Narcissa”
The children laughed as they sang their version of the old
holiday song, as they returned to the home tunnels.
By now Vincent was holding a tuckered out little Natalie,
which was a task he did not mind in the least. Fiddling with his
hair, she expressed, “Since Narcissa’s eyes don’t work, I hope she
doesn’t fall off the ledge when she goes home.”
Assuredly Vincent explained, “She knows every inch of these
tunnels like the back of her hand. Even though she cannot see
with her eyes…she can with her hands and feet. So you needn’t
worry."
Samantha who was walking next to Vincent then said, “I am
so glad we went to see Narcissa today. I think we should go once a
week!”
In reply, Vincent said, “Every week may be an unrealistic
expectation. Remember Narcissa likes being alone. Too often
would infringe on her privacy.”
“I think your right Vincent…” said Zach, “…she said she
wouldn’t be coming to see us Christmas Eve, because she would
be doing her own thing. What ever that is!”
Natalie hoping Catherine would be coming Christmas Eve,
asked, “What about Catherine? Is she coming?”
To which Vincent told her, “Yes, Catherine, Peter and her
father will all be coming.”
“Oh Goody!” Said Natalie, to which Samantha then offered,
“I think William is gonna sing another song for us. At least I think
so. I heard him practicing this morning.”
Confirming her suspicions, Vincent said, “Father did ask him if
he would sing some Christmas Carols after we dine on Christmas
Eve, and you are right, William happily agreed to do so.”
It was then Mouse came running up to Vincent, saying. “You
are back! Sam told me to give this note to you. It is from Catherine
and she can meet you at Pai’s tonight.”
Vincent looked irritatingly at Mouse as he unfolded the note,
and said, “I guess there is no need for me to read this…since you
already had.”
In defense, Mouse explained, “I had to know if it was an
emergency!”
Holding something which was written by Catherine’s own
hand, soften Vincent’s demeanor a bit, and so he said, “I see your
point Mouse…”
Kipper then butted in and asked, “When you are at Pai’s, do
you think you could get me a fortune cookie?”
In reply, Vincent said, “If Linn or Henry offer, then I shall.”
To which Samantha scolded, “Yeah it would be rude to ask for
stuff…you should know that. Besides they usually give us some
anyway.”
Vincent smiled as he said, “Yes…when they can.”
With a teasing tone, Zach asked, “So Vincent…are you gonna
get all cleaned up and wear something fancy to meet Catherine
there tonight?”
Wanting to get into the act, Kipper asked "And are you gonna
put on some smelly stuff?"
Sensing the time to ready himself was quickly approaching, he
thought that yes…he did need to make a quick trip to the hot
springs chamber. And so he answered the two jokesters, “I
thought I would…and I may even shine up my boots!"
The children all laughed, loving the conversation about
Vincent's big date, and Vincent tolerated all the teasing he could
which was being fired at him, before he calmed the children down,
saying, "Allright now, that's enough questions about my hygiene."
Vincent then remembered to ask Mouse a favor, and so he
kindly asked, "Oh and Mouse...I will need your help finishing
Catherine’s gift in the morning. Will you help?”
Proud to say yes, Mouse puffed up his chest and said, “Glad
to help.”
Patting his friend on the back, Vincent said, “I knew I could
count on you.”
He then set Natalie down, as he turned to instruct the
children, “We shall go directly to the Dining Hall…we are right on
time for supper.”
To which Zach said, “Good! I am starving!”
And the other children chimed in a chorus of, “Me too’s!”, as
he safely delivered them to the dining hall.
A smiling Jacob stepped up, and asked, “Ahh you have
returned safely…tell me Vincent, how was your journey?”
Warmly Vincent greeted his Father and replied, “Wonderful.
We saw Narcissa and she looked well. I believe she was genuinely
moved by the children’s greetings of good will toward her.”
As Vincent looked over the group of children, he added, “You
can be proud of the children Father. They were all so well
behaved.”
“Good…good to hear, and I dare say, I am proud…very proud
of you all.” Jacob then added, “Now go wash your hands, and
ready yourselves to sup.”
The children all hugged and thanked Vincent for the fun
afternoon, and as they ran off, they sang, “over the crags and
through the tunnels, to Narcissa’s garden we go….”
Jacob then happily addressed Mouse and said, “Good, I see
you found Vincent to give him Sam’s note!” He then turned to tell
his son, “So since Catherine can meet you at Pai’s this evening…I
need you to pickup…”
Surprised, yet not surprised that Jacob also knew the contents
of his note from Catherine, Vincent sarcastically asked, “Is
everyone aware Catherine is free to meet me this evening, or shall
I send a message through the pipes informing the entire
community?!”
Matter-of-factly, Jacob replied, “No need, most everyone
knows…however…getting back to what I was saying, I need you
to pick up some more of that Sassafras tea from Lin and Henry for
me. I wish to gift Mary with it for Christmas. She enjoys it so.”
Sensing his discourse about lack of privacy went un-noticed;
Vincent smiled to himself as he mentally threw up his arms,
thinking…oh what’s the use?
He then instead, politely answered, “Of course I will Father.”
With an embrace, Vincent left them to get ready for his date
with Catherine.
As he walked through the vacated home tunnels toward the
hot springs chamber, Vincent noticed how quiet it was! With
everyone in the dining hall, the silence was almost eerie
quiet…almost too quiet…as if he wasn’t alone.
With his emphatic powers kicking in, Vincent stopped in his
tracks, and with a tipping of his head, he calmly said, “What is it
you want Paracelsus?”
To be continued
Chapter Fifteen
: }
| xxx |
| 11 |
