Destiny of my Heart!
By Sharon Holtz
Chapter Six
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Vincent waited at the basement threshold to meet his Catherine,
and graciously he greeted Charles and Peter too.
As Charles brushed the dust from his coat, in wonderment, he
looked up and all around the broken brick entrance before saying
he expressed how fortunate he felt to have been invited to the
event tonight.
Warmly Vincent replied, "Father will be most pleased to see you
were able to come."
After happily greeting Peter, he then turned to welcome
Catherine. Extending his arm to escort her, he asked, "Hello
Catherine, may I?"
With a slight engaging nod, she took his guiding arm, and at
Vincent's side, she helped lead the little entourage.
As they ventured along the route, they could hear some singing
coming from some far off place. Quizzically Catherine asked who it
might be caroling. Vincent replied it was the children rehearsing a
Christmas song they are going to sing tonight right after Father's
recitation.
He also shared of how excited the youngsters were about doing
so, and in an amused tone, he additionally mentioned that, "It is
supposed to be a secret. However as you can hear..."
Catherine giggled at the sweetness of the children's plan and also
for a child's natural naiveté on the logic of life. And they all agreed
with Peter that "Hey, they sound pretty darn good!"
Peter then asked Vincent if Mary had everything ready in the
hospital chamber, for tomorrow's annual physical examinations for
the residents.
To which Vincent affirmatively nodded and said, "Of course."
"Great!" Said Peter, "She knows just how your father and I need
things to be."
Taking note, Charles asked, "Had Mary been a nurse when she
lived above in the city?"
With a sincerity, Peter answered, "No, but she should have been.
She has a servants heart, just the kind of person the nursing
profession needs up there. But hey she does fulfill that role here in
the tunnels, so I guess essentially she is a nurse."
Nodding in concurrence, Vincent says yes she had always been
the one to aid Father and Peter for as long as he could remember.
Then as they walked along, Peter took the liberty of explaining
some of the tunnel history to Charles as they passed by certain
landmarks. One such point of interest was the sentry's covert area,
where they can observe the tunnels unnoticed through some
removable bricks.
Waving hello to Mortimer as they passed by, the sentry on duty
this night, who in turn said hi back, feeling very honored to have
been acknowledged. After all, being a sentry was on the whole, a
lonely boring job, with only rare moments of excitement
(thankfully for that) but like all chosen sentries, Mortimer knew
someone had to do it, and so he gladly takes his turn with the rest.
They then passed by the turn off, leading to Elizabeth's Painted
Tunnels, and Vincent informatively told Charles all about her.
Hopefully, Catherine asked, "Do we have time to take Dad on a
quick tour?"
Tipping his head, Vincent thought maybe they did, and so they
entered Elizabeth's domain in time to observe her finishing up her
newest mural. Happily Elizabeth greeted her guests, and after
putting down her easel, she waved her hand toward her depiction
of this year's Winterfest. Charles was thrilled to see he and his
daughter were gracing the art gallery along with several other
tunnel folk and helpers.
Just then, Mouse came running up to tell Vincent there was a
problem in the dining hall, and he was needed right away.
Hesitantly Vincent asked, "Can you take care of this Mouse. After
all Catherine, her father and Peter just arrived."
Assertively, Mouse exclaimed, "No! Natalie only wants you!"
After grasping it was an issue regarding Natalie, Vincent urgently
asked if she was OK, to which Mouse explained, "Yeah she's fine
now, but she scraped her knee, and just keeps asking for Vincent!
She only wants Vincent! Mary told me I better find you."
Urgently Vincent looked at his guests, and said, "I must go, she
works herself up so when she gets upset, it is hard for her to calm
down."
Peter kindly told him to go, and then offered to bring Catherine and
Charles the rest of the way after Elizabeth's tour. Vincent thanked
him, and then apologetically looked at Catherine before quickly
departing with Mouse.
Questionably Charles asked, "Hmmm, Isn't Natalie the little one
who gave Vincent that friendship charm on Thanksgiving?"
Nodding, Peter astonishingly said,"Yeah, good memory old chap."
To which Charles said, "I only remember because of what a
precious little girl she was. In fact she kinda reminded me of Cathy
when she was that age."
Smiling widely, Catherine asked, "Who me?"
Peter sized her up, and ended up agreeing, saying "Yea, I think I
can see the resemblance too!"
Catherine then giggled a bit, thinking of what a sweet compliment
that was, if she even slightly resembled Natalie when she was little.
Sighing, Catherine then thoughtfully said, "There is something
about Vincent and Natalie's relationship...well you can sure tell she
is very special to him."
Elizabeth too astonishingly added, "And he to her! But you know,
there are times when only Vincent can help...its true for all of us."
Moving on to view the vintage tunnel paintings, Elizabeth stopped
in front of Vincent as a small boy, and tenderly said, "I always
loved this one, but I..."
She then abruptly stopped in mid sentence, which caused Peter to
prod and ask, "But what Elizabeth?"
Hesitantly, she continued, "What I was going to say was, I have to
question if it wasn't because of this painting that triggered Vincent
to become conscious of his differences."
Peter seriously asked, "How do you mean?"
Thoughtfully Elizabeth clarified, "Well it was after this mural was
completed, I recall it so clearly, he came up and looked at his
portrait, and looked at it so intently...it was like he was looking in a
mirror. Maybe it is my imagination, but it seems after that...he
became more introspective, a little more quiet, no longer the
talkative carefree little spark. I would find him here quite often you
know, all by himself, quietly staring at this wall. I think I will
always wonder if my work was responsible for taking away some
of his unassuming casualness he had as a boy."
Sweetly Peter told her, "Ah, I don't disagree there was a defining
moment when Vincent changed as you said, but I believe it was
due to his expanding intelligence and coming of age more than
anything else."
Catherine and Charles listened as two people who have been close
to Vincent all of his life, converse about his character.
Caringly, Catherine seized this information about the man she
loved and held it to her heart; and though she loved hearing about
Vincent as a young boy, she found their conversation made her feel
sad.
And so pensively she stepped closer to better look at the painting
of his young face, and thought of how at times, life must have been
so very difficult for him.
Charles came up behind his daughter sensing what she was
thinking, thinking what a unique being Vincent was, and because of
all he had to overcome, of how all the more commendable it was,
he became the man he now was.
Catherine looked up at her father and sadly smiled, both standing
together, not saying a word.
Light heartedly Peter stepped up and offered, "You know, he was
quite a character at that age. Always smiling and running around
with the rest. Yes yes, quite the character."
Turning to Elizabeth, Peter then asked, "Will you be going to the
big event tonight?"
Incredulously she answered, "No no, but you better get along
hadn't you?"
Raising his brow, Peter agreed saying, "Yes you are right as usual
Elizabeth. Thanks for the tour."
Catherine and Charles said goodnight, and thanked her too before
heading off to the festive tunnel event.
As they entered the Hall, Catherine spanned the crowd looking for
Vincent, and in the far corner she finally spotted her prodigious
liberator, who was still comforting Natalie.
There he was, this muscle bound big hearted man, with a little girl
on his lap, carefully holding a compress to her scratched up knee.
Enthralled with the sight before her, Catherine gingerly stepped
over to a more private area so she could intently watch as wee
Natalie talked nonstop, with her eyes widening and darting around,
as she expressively described what had happened to her.
Sweetly, Vincent periodically nodded as if to say he understood
how the accident happened.
Charles stepped up behind Catherine and astonishingly said, "Well
once again I feel as if I have stepped through the looking glass.
Ahh, I see you're watching Vincent over there with Natalie. I take
it since she is smiling; the crisis has been smoothed over?"
"I would only be guessing, but I think you may be right Dad."
Then Catherine thoughtfully pondered aloud, "Isn't it wonderful of
how a simple hug can make everything better when you are at that
age?"
Thinking there is more to this comment then just a passing thought,
Charles searchingly asked, "Is everything all right kiddo?"
With a soft revealing laugh, Catherine replied, "I was just thinking
of how you would hold me on your lap when I was little, after I had
been crying. I was sure that you could keep any harm at bay, and
right any sorrow of the moment."
Realizing she was being sensitively nostalgic, she explained, "I
guess it must be all the talk of my reminding you of Natalie that has
me reminiscing like this. I mean it wasn't as if I had a lot to cry
about as a child. I had such a wonderful childhood, that was until..."
Catherine stopped herself from elaborating, trying to thwart this
melancholy tone their conversation had taken on.
Looking at his daughter, he asked, "You were going to say until
you lost your Mother..."
Nodding she then leaned her head on her father's shoulder and
said, "I suppose the sorrow of our losing Mom may always sneak
up on us uh Dad? But at least we will always have each other."
With a far away look in his eyes, Charles said, "Yes Cathy,and our
memories."
"Yes..." said Catherine with a look in her eyes mirroring her Dad's.
He gave his daughter a hug and then lightened the conversation by
saying, "What a wonderful place this is for a child who is lost and
alone to grow up. I mean it obviously takes more than blood ties to
make a person a parent. Look at Vincent over there..."
By now several others have gathered around too trying to make
Natalie feel better. There was, Mouse, Jamie and Laura along with
a few others, causing Charles to add, "...any one of those people
from this community are a parent to her in one way or another,
providing what is needed. You know I sure love being privy to all
of this."
In amazement he marveled, right when you think you have seen,
and know it all..."
Catherine giggled as she finished her father's sentence by saying,
"You travel below the city streets, and learn you don't."
Just then Mary came up to Catherine and Charles and said,
"There you are! Jacob wanted me to find you so you can get a
seat."
And so they followed Mary to their front and center seats,
reserved especially for them, right by....Father.
To be continued
Chapter Seven
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