The Realms of Ethair (4 page)

Kristina didn’t know what to answer to
that.

“Besides,” Mindy continued with a warning
tone. “I’ll get to the bottom of this sooner or later.”

“
Like what? Have your uncle make a
background check on him?” she teased.

“
That’s a pretty good idea. I’ll have to
think about it. Having a detective in the family sure has its
benefits.” Mindy giggled.

“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

“Not a chance.”

“There’s nothing really interesting to
say.”

“Try me.”

Kristina gave her friend a shortened version
of how they met, omitting the mysterious occurrences surrounding
him.

“You met after leaving your ex in the bus and
he hugged you saying you’re not alone. And then, he left?” Mindy
said slowly.

“That’s pretty much it.”

“Are you sure you didn’t dream all this? Or,
are you still keeping things from me, trying to throw me off on
purpose?”

“Nope.”

“
Huh. There are two possible reasons. One,
you were so rattled with Peter that when Art saw you, he took pity
on you,” Mindy said lightly.

“Now you’re joking.”

“Two, you looked so serious you almost looked
sad and he felt that you needed a hug. He’s a foreigner so that
might explain the behavior – different culture.”

“I don’t look sad.”

“I said almost. And he doesn’t look like the
stalker-type, if I’m right that you’re thinking that. He doesn’t
have the creepy vibes.”

“
But we don’t know each other. Also, that
was the first time we met. Foreigner or not, why embrace me in the
middle of a street during a storm?”

“
The ques
tion is why did you let him?”

The graduation ceremony finally ended. Excitement
buzzed as the class had arranged to stay at a resort after the
commencement exercises. They had decided to rendezvous at Fred’s
apartment. Kristina and her friends were the last to arrive.
Luggage lay in one corner, the chairs and sofa were occupied with
glum faces in the cramped living room. Ina, who coordinated with
the resort, had been told that the venue was suddenly reserved and
paid for by a TV network for the shooting of a drama series. The
personnel had assured them that their deposit would be returned in
a week.
They waited for
Fred, who was talking on the phone with a friend who might just
help them find another venue.

A whoop rang from the adjoining room. Fred burst in
with a wide grin plastered on his face. His eyes scanned the crowd
and rested on Kristina briefly before telling them the good
news.

The subdivision’s security staff had been
expecting them at the gate. The guard waved to them to enter and
gave directions to the house they’ll be staying at. “A white house
with a hard-to-miss garden,” the security personnel
said.

The description turned out to be accurate.
Unlike the well-manicured lawns in the other houses, plants and
flowers were left to grow wild around the residence. A bench
positioned at the front was the only thing that demonstrated order.
The two-story house they entered was airy, well maintained and
decorated with art pieces. Some of the paintings depicting nature
were signed with initials “A.M.”. Art’s house looked something that
may have been featured in a magazine. It appeared new and untouched
as if he never really lived in it. It was a stark contrast to the
condition of his grounds but seemed to support the idea that the
owner seldom stayed home.

They found a note and a diagram of the
house stuck on the refrigerator with instructions of which rooms
they could use and to enjoy the swimming pool at the back. This
lightened the general mood of the class. After they had settled in,
some swam in the pool, drinks and food circulated, one of the guys
played the guitar while the others sang or listened. It was more of
a relaxing night rather than a party; after all, they didn’t want
to cause Art any trouble by disturbing his neighbors.

Liza and Mindy sat away from the others with
their heads close together. Nica played chess with Jake while
Kristina and another classmate watched the match. Kristina knew the
discussion going on between her two friends. Peter had managed to
throw a wrench in a decade-long friendship.

Kristina stood up from sitting
cross-legged on the floor. Thumping her thigh with a fist to get
the blood in her leg circulating again, she headed for the kitchen.
Their bags of groceries were placed on the counter; while food,
drinks, paper plates, and disposable cups and utensils were left on
the center table. She got herself a glass of water and was about to
return when a glint of an object caught her eye.

It was coming from outside. She opened the
front door and saw a single firefly hovering near the kitchen
window. She sat on the bench and looked at the sky. Street lamps
lit up the neighborhood against the darkness. The cloudless night
sky offered a clear view of the stars. She studied them. Carefully,
she scrutinized one of the stars. After a few moments, she realized
these weren’t stars! They were UFOs. Three of them had made a bee
line across the sky and stopped just as suddenly. At closer
inspection with the physical eye, they moved in minute distances;
thus, the twinkling effect. It was impossible for them to stay in
one place. Kristina had read about it on the internet. UFOs were
being sighted everywhere in the world. She never imagined that she
would witness it firsthand.

She gazed at the sky wonderingly when Art
appeared at her side. He was looking at them as well. Silence
reigned for several minutes.

“
Thank you,” Kristina said
quietly.

She wasn’t entirely sure what she was
thanking him for but he nodded seeming to understand the depth of
her meaning.

“Aren’t you going to show yourself to the
guys?”

“Perhaps I will tomorrow. I don’t see any
reason for me to break up the party with my presence.” He sat on
the ground, arranging himself into a lotus position as if preparing
to go into meditation. “They’ve been dotting the night sky since
the new year.”

“They? You know what they are?”

“Everyone knows about them. They just don’t
see it or fail to understand these beings. You see them perfectly
though.” He paused. “You perceive them as what they really
are.”

“It’s still tricky even if I have 20/20
vision.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Kristina looked at Art then. Half of what
he says always puzzled her. This time, though, she knew what he was
going on about.

“
I’m not a freak,” she said with more
emphasis than she had intended. “I’m a normal person.”

“No one said otherwise.” He smiled.

“You’re not going to ask me about ghosts, are
you?”

“
No. I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone to
see lost souls when they don’t want to,” he replied with gravity.
“From where I come from, we’re warned of the implications of
entertaining them. They can be quite overwhelming when they learn
that you’ve helped one of them.”

“Have you done that before?”

“Someone I know.” He picked a dry leaf from
the ground and twirled it between his fingers. “You still haven’t
answered my question.”

Kristina thought it over. It was rare to find
someone who understood this side of her, even if only for a
fraction. She looked him in the eye. “We’ll only be friends?”

“As long as you wish it.”

“Deal.” Kristina stretched out her hand, a
corner of her mouth lifted.

Art’s hand was warm against hers as he shook
it and produced a smile of his own.

“Are you always this composed?”

“I try to be.” He untangled his legs and
stood stretching his arms upward. “You should go back. Your friends
are looking for you.”

“
How would you know that?”

“You’re not the only one with a secret.” He
grinned. “Good night, Tina.”

“Good night, Arty.”

He cocked his head to the side.

“
Arty,” he echoed, tasting the sound of his
new nickname in his mouth. “No one has called me that since..." He
smiled in remembrance but didn't continue. “See you in the
morning.”

Without looking back, he waved his hand
and disappeared around a corner of the house.

What’s the use of knowing how to heal
when you can’t even save the person you love?
Kristina thought, watching the blue energy
ball hover over her palm. It rotated at an angle like a miniature
Earth. It was Friday; the fortieth day of her mother’s death. Her
sister Aly had flown in from Australia to help with legal documents
during the funeral. Their relatives, friends, and classmates, had
attended and offered condolences and assistance. Their father had
died when Aly was eighteen. Now that their mother had passed on,
the sisters were the only family left of each other. But it was
different. There was nobody like their mother to talk about
theosophy and New Age concepts and to explain to Kristina what she
could see in the ether.

Aly couldn’t stay in the country. She held
a position in her company and loved her work. Kristina, however,
was a struggling writer. She occasionally submitted articles and
short stories to a magazine or a newspaper to earn income. She
couldn’t apply for a full-time job this year because of an unknown
illness.

The doctors who diagnosed her couldn’t
identify her illness and were baffled by her symptoms: fatigue,
relapses of fever, headaches, vertigo. They would finally conclude
that the best solution would be to rest, have a healthy diet, and
take vitamin supplements. Aly learned about this and urged her
younger sister to come with her to Australia and have her receive
medical advice. Kristina was already tired of having herself
treated either like a lab rat or a patient. She refused to seek
help and remained obstinate in staying in her home
country.

Kristina’s friends were also aware of her
recurring illness. They fitfully offered help when they could and
updated her on the goings-on in their lives.

Liza had spurned Peter's attentions. They
had identical mobile phones which she unwittingly swapped. She had
answered a phone call with an unregistered number and discovered
that Peter had been lying to her all along. Mindy was both sorry
and relieved with the situation. It may have broken their friend’s
heart but, at least, Liza was thriving in her career more than
ever.

Meanwhile, Mindy worked at a branch of her
family’s growing number of computer stores and had plans of her own
in expanding the business. And Nica had gone abroad to pursue her
Master’s degree almost at the same time Arty returned to his native
land.

It all happened a year ago but felt to
Kristina like decades with days coping with her illness and tending
to her mother.

Arty turned out to be a good friend. He
visited them from time to time and brought with him trinkets and
souvenirs from his travels. Sometimes, they sent each other email.
It was easier for Kristina to open up through their correspondence.
He probably knew more of her worsening condition than any of the
others. His replies to these were polite and concerned and gave her
advice on how to alleviate a specific problem.

A week ago, Arty wrote stating that he was
back in the country. Still, he hadn’t made his arrival known to
anyone, not even to Fred.

Kristina sat up from bed and tentatively
stood. The world around her shifted for a moment then steadied. She
was feeling better than most days and had the energy to polish the
article due on Monday. She found her sister in the study using the
desktop computer; her glasses reflected the light from the
monitor.

“
I’ll be done in a minute,” Aly said
without taking her eyes off the screen.

Kristina sat on a nearby chair and
waited.

Her sister relaxed on the computer chair as
the printer fed paper.

“
Arty called earlier
,” she began. “He said to remind you that
he’d be visiting you today, in case you’ve forgotten. He’s the
foreigner, right? Arthur Men-something.”

“I haven’t and yes.”

“I saw him with Fred’s mom on your
graduation. He was attracting a lot of attention from the ladies.”
She grinned wryly. “He’s not a playboy like Peter, is he?”

“
He’s not that sort. He’s a good
person.”

“Hey. Don't go all defensive on me.” Aly
raised her hands. “I’ve no right to judge your friends, anyway. I’m
just worried about you.” She retrieved her papers. “I’m going out
for a while. Jackie wants my opinion on a dress. We’ll talk
later.”

Aly wouldn’t close the subject on taking her
to Australia.

“
I’m still not going,” Kristina
called.

She waited on the doorstep with an umbrella
as a makeshift walking stick. Kristina was getting nauseous again
and her surroundings were beginning to tilt violently every time
she moved. She would have called to cancel this meeting if only the
man kept a mobile phone.

At last, the doorbell
rang
. Thankfully, the
front gate was only a few steps away. She welcomed him in with an
effort not to be sick. Arty frowned at her pale face.

“
I’m fine,” she said
automatically.

“No, you aren’t. Can you walk?”

“Yes.” She took a step forward and the world
revolved around her again. She lost her balance and almost fell on
the gravel if not for Arty’s quick reflexes.