Post by citizenmike on Jun 17, 2009 14:13:10 GMT -5
"So let me get this straight", Johnny began as he let Veronica lead the way to the apartment. "You are the reincarnation of a Priestess who ordained in this city and shortly before she left you in the past, she handed you the keys to her apartment?"
Veronica turned around to face Johnny as she stopped before the door. "Yes."
"And she had a daughter that went by the name of Sara?"
"Yes.", Veronica answered again as she opened the door to the apartment. Veronica stood by the door way for a moment, amazed that the apartment looked no different than the last time she had been there. Veronica turned back to Johnny as she waved her arms up and said, "We're home!"
Johnny motioned through the door way and said, "Not too shaby, Roth... Not too shaby."
Veronica closed the door and locked it as Johnny took a seat on the sofa.
"So, this girl Sara...", Johnny began. "Did you get to see her?"
"Yes, I did.", Veronica replied as she sat on the coffee table before him. "When the Black Goat took her, I pleaded with him to let me go with."
"You saw the Goat?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"Nothing much, really. He kept on taking us from one place to the next, trying to hide her."
"Did the Goat recognize you?"
"No, strangely enough.", Veronica replied as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Then again, I'm on the assumption that we encountered a past version of the Goat, therefor justifying his lack of recollection of who I am."
"Why did he want Sara?"
"Sara saw things. She prophecized our arrival. In the catacombs beneath the church, there are drawings there of me and everyone else."
"Roth," Johnny said as he reached out for her hand. "How was she?"
Veronica took Johnny's hand and sat beside him as she replied, "You're really taken by her, aren't you?"
Johnny looked into Veronica's eyes and replied, "Can you blame me? I saw the tombstone of someone who could be my daughter- our daughter, Roth. I don't know how to take that."
"Take that as what Johnny?"
"I don't know, Roth. Maybe looking at those graves made me realize that we may never leave this place."
"Johnny, I have to say that I'm not keen on leaving soon."
Johnny rose from the couch and replied, "Tell me you're joking, Roth."
"No, I am not."
"Why?"
Veronica rose from the couch and faced Johnny. "Because I feel like I actually have a purpose here."
"Because of what a Priestess said that you were her, reincarnated?"
"Partially, Johnny.", Veronica shot back, a silent strong growing in her tone. "But it isn't just that, Johnny. I feel like I have reason here, a purpose. Maybe I can actually claim this city back, Johnny? Maybe I can make a different for all the new lost souls that find their way here? Maybe I can give them some solace."
Johnny drew himself closer to Veronica and took her hand, "Are you sure you want to do this, Roth?"
Veronica nodded and Johnny took her into his arms."I just needed to be sure, Roth."
Veronica wrapped her arms around him and as she nested her head against his shoulder, she replied, "Thank you."
"I just have one question."
"What is it?"
"How was Sara like?"
"She was a beautiful human being."
"She take after her mother?"
"It appeared so, although she was quite rambunctious."
"That's good to hear."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want her to be anything like me."
<***>
Veronica lay awake for most of the night. She lied curled beneath Johnny's heavy arms as she watched the sunrise from the open window.
She just couldn't understand. She was tired, yet she just couldn't think. Too many things were running though her mind. All the answers she had searched for only bore her more questions. She thought of Sara and The Priestess, images of who and what they were flooded through her mind.
Veronica thought back to the time when she researched early Christian history. Going through the motions of being caught between the notions of the two Christs; Jesus the man, and Christ the God. Veronica swore on the thoughts of her many sleepless nights, as she pondered; torn between the truth between who he was. The notion that he could have possibly been buried in Kashmir was too real for Veronica to take.
God, she was thinking about it again.
The notion of God was easy for Veronica to take, but a divine man was almost maddening.
If he was real, Veronica began, then he was man- he was mortal. Then, how could he be divine? Veronica remembered thinking how the notion that he could have married and procreated took nothing away from his divinity, but the thought that his body lay in India... Was unbearable
After hours of research and soul searching, Veronica came back to where she had stared: He was both man and devine. He was... And is... Everything we say he is.
Veronica was awake; definitely awake!
First, it was the Priestess and Sara... Now, it was Jesus Christ. What was she coming to?!
Veronica motioned off Johnny's arms and left the room.
Was there for her to do? She couldn't watch tv? She couldn't read- most the books, if not all the books, that surrounded her, dealt with religious dogma and theories.
Veronica wanted to scream- She couldn't take it!
Veronica noticed the door to the room she forgot to check when they had first arrived earlier in the afternoon. Veronica switched on the lights and opened the door to find a room left in playful disarray.
This was Sara's room.
The walls were covered with pink and white striped wall paper and an old cast-iron bed stood against the side as dolls and coloring books littered the floor. Veronica sat on the floor with her crossed as she reached for the coloring book and ran her fingers along an unfinished and hastily drawn bunny... It was beautiful!
Veronica took the box of crayons and proceeded to finish off the bunny... Neatly.