October 22, 2018:
After almost a whole day of sleeping, Zeta was freshened up and ready to get back to driving on the road with Marlin. She was ready to appear at the shelter at 10:00am...
Marlin: Why, hello, Zeta, I can see you're looking better than ever.
Zeta: Yes, after drinking that cup of coffee, I didn't get to bed until about 3:00 the previous night. But a full day of resting in the lair has given me more energy than I had for a long time.
Marlin: That's wonderful! Let's go to Arizona to see my relatives!
Marlin had spent the previous day getting everything sorted out: He had to call the place of work he was employed at, and informed the manager there he was quitting, because he somehow had gotten the car fixed, so he did need any help, and he was heading off. He had also told the head of the shelter than him and Zeta were going to leave the following day, but thanked the head for their service.
Marlin: (turns on the car radio) Let's listen to some tunes!
He turned the radio up, where the song 'Every Woman in the World' by Air Supply was playing. Throughout the whole day, Marlin and Zeta were riding down the freeway. That afternoon, they drive out of the state
of New Mexico, and into Arizona, where Marlin's closest relatives lived. Before heading to a rest stop to spent the night, they stopped at a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant on the road. Both of them had a Jumbo Jack
hamburger, french fries, a chocolate shake, and a small Coca-Cola. After that they went to a nearby rest stop, Zeta wanted to know more about Marlin's life...
Zeta: Marlin, could you please tell me more about herself, and the relatives we're going to see?
Marlin: Well, I grew up in the town of Brooklyn about 20 years ago. That's in the state of New York. When I was 12, my mother took part in this 'Exchange Group' program. For a whole year, we had a girl, two years younger than I was, live with us. Her name was Calady, a princess from another country, called England. She has two older brothers named Derek and Richard. Her parents, who were a king and queen, had called her 'adventurous'. She would explore the forest, and the city to discover new things in new home country. When she first lived with us, I was annoyed with her, and I couldn't wait for the year to be over. However, after about a month of living with us, she truly wanted to spend time with me, without my mother nearby. She had often told me jokes to make me laugh, we explored our city together, and hung out. We frequently were holding hands every morning walking to the bus stop! My friends occasionally teased me for that. Anyway, by the time the year was over, I was actually sad to say goodbye to Calady, because I had really bonded with her. But before she went back to England, she told me of a great idea: She gave me her address, so I could write letters, and keep in contact with her! This continued throughout our childhood. When she grew up to be a adult, she moved to Paradise Valley, Arizona, she dated and then got married to a commoner, and had a daughter! She send me her phone number by letter when she moved to Arizona, and in return, I mailed her my phone number. Because of that, she called me every so often while I lived in Arizona.
Zeta was in amazement, that a royal princess was considered Marlin's closest relative, despite him being a normal guy.
Marlin: I usually call her my 'adoptive little sister' in this case.
Zeta: She must have been happy to know that her 'adoptive brother' is coming home.
Marlin: (laughs) Yes, when I told her the good news that I would be coming here after all, she squealed the loudest I've ever heard from her. Anyway, we both better get some sleep so we'll see Calady and her family tomorrow.
I have told her that I'm in a relationship, and she'll be excited to see her 'adoptive brother's' girlfriend!
Zeta: I better get back to my lair. Good night, Marlin.
Marlin: Good night, Zeta.
Zeta then went back to Zahramay Falls through the crystal bottle. When she returned, the sorceress thought about her own past...
Zeta: (to Nazboo, with a soft sigh) Nazboo, I'm really happy to see Marlin's closest 'adoptive sister'... but I wonder if I'll ever find out what happened to my own family.
She decided to think more about this another time, and then turned in to get some sleep.