Unlike prior disclaimers, recognizable events in this chapter are real, as are most of the dates and the facts.
TAKEN FROM THERE TO HERE
TO WHERE IT CAME FROM
AND TAKEN TO A PLACE AND USED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT
CAN ONLY REMAIN AS A REPRESENTATION OF
WHAT IT WAS
WHERE IT CAME FROM
Conceptual art Wall Text by Lawrence Weiner, recently witnessed by the author in an
exhibit in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, which inspired the concept behind Scintilla.
The official stamped their passports in the Nairobi Airport without incident, which caught Edward by surprise. He expected to be questioned about where they had come from, which would have required Edward to explain that he and Bella had been in Kenya for five days without the proper clearance, but Ben took care of everything. He always did.
The airplane ride to Kampala didn't take long. As Edward and Bella departed the plane, Bella was pulled away from her husband's gentle grip and lifted from the ground, wrapped in Emmett's exuberant arms.
"Bella, I'm sorry I wasn't awake at the time. I wish I'd heard the truck pull up when James came to get you. I wish so many things … "
"Emmett, I wish I would have double checked with you before rushing into a mission just because I wanted to do something to help. It was horrifying yet it all turned out alright. I look at what happened as an adventure that resulted in something more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. I was surprised with a Maasai wedding ceremony that I never expected, the husband I've always wanted and I'm walking away with a new perspective that may help me in the future."
Her pragmatic outlook reflected a continuum of inner growth as Bella felt fuller with life-changing revelations and love.
She patted Emmett on the back as he set her down. Bella pulled away from him so that her new husband could shake his hand.
Edward, Bella and Emmett spent the trip back to Oputi in jovial conversation as the Ugandan landscape flew by.
They spent the first few days becoming acclimated to the hard work that was underway. Bella soon became efficient in installing biomass latrines in the huts they were building, and soon she was helping Edward with the technical aspects of the wind power generators that would supply electricity to the huts they were constructing.
They planted bamboo groves to create corridors directing the wind flow towards the generators and they planted plantain trees to create new food sources for the Oputi residents and surrounding tribes.
Edward reveled in watching Bella's enjoyment of her new purpose and they rejoiced when their goals were met. The Oputi team was efficient, and fifteen huts were built by the end of their first week. Many more were built over the following weeks. Because so much had been completed in such a small span of time, Edward and Bella decided to prolong their stay to help with other projects.
Emmett and the rest of his team welcomed their knowledge and help.
February 2011
Bella and Edward stopped working on the roof of the hut when they noticed Emmett jogging towards them. He was breathless when he reached them.
"Edward, the Egypt uprising is getting more dangerous and Renate said that they would like to send their Cairo people here until order is established. She thinks that Mubarak will resign soon and then she hopes to bring everyone back after the riots have stopped."
"How many volunteers?"
"Twelve are coming here and eight are going to Zambia."
"Will you be bringing in more beds? Bella and I can leave at any time to make more room."
"As much as I've enjoyed your help here, that might be for the best. I'll be able to cram six in your quarters and six into mine. We can jostle everyone else around if need be."
"Emmett, this will work for us because Bella and I planned on traveling to Nigeria next week. We are going to visit a former BP colleague of mine, who now assists the Nigerian branch of the UN Refugee Agency. The Niger Delta had that large oil spill last year and after the news about their recent humanitarian crisis, we thought we could both use our expertise to help there. We can easily leave today instead. Were any of the volunteers injured in the protests in Egypt?"
"No, thank goodness. It's exciting to think about the change, though, isn't it? We're watching history take place."
Edward and Bella nodded in agreement. They all understood that the youth of Egypt were finally finding their voices. The corruption of the Egyptian regime created a festering situation of no real opportunities and spreading poverty.
On January 25, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak announced his resignation. In the days to come, Tunisia, Libya and Jordan were among the many countries that experienced mass protests of their own. The political landscapes of the Middle East and the African continent were transforming voice by voice, joined together by the common desire for change.
Humanity was marching and protesting with the hopes of a better life.
United mass movements for improvement began to occur across the globe, propelling the activist spirit to be heard. Many miles away, tens of thousands of protestors descended on the capital of Wisconsin to fight for their collective bargaining rights. The desire for the rights of labor deluged American and worldwide news as more states and countries followed with protests of their own.
While Egypt and Wisconsin were a half a world apart, the resonance of calls for change reverberated within the intercontinental platform for solidarity, fueling the waves of progression that touched the shores of many.
As Bella watched news reports about the worldwide protests from their hotel room near the airport in Uganda on the night before their flight to Nigeria, she was relieved by the fact that most seemed peaceful and respectful of the law. Bella's own misguided teenage experience had taught her to be more aware of the implications of her actions, and the news footage seemed to show mindful participants gaining a cause with momentum.
Escalating voices were being heard and the progressive spirit in the world was taking shape. Those voices of the inspired were growing louder. They became the impetus for new sparks as more became inspired to consider their own lots in life.
The taste of progression in the world offered a new perspective, causing many to consider the direction of their own moral compass.
The guiding star of some began leading many towards a new horizon that looked brighter than ever before.
Riley Biers drove them down a dirt road towards the area that showed evidence of a new oil spill. He had worked with Edward on the Death Star and felt bile rise in his throat when he saw more oil tainting the once fertile Delta. He performed his work faithfully as an activist because of his love for the environment. Riley's desire to assist refugees who had nothing left but hope for safety and a better life fed his passion to stay despite the unrest in the region.
Edward and Bella arrived in Nigeria only hours before and they wasted no time moving into action.
"We'll have to take our pictures and water samples quickly and assess the damage from that evidence once we get them back to the lab. Shell has armed guards traveling up and down this section of the Delta and I'm not about to risk our lives by hanging around. Bella, you have the containers?"
"Yes."
"Put on your gloves and get that mask on your face. Edward and I will take pictures of the area while you get your samples. You both ready?"
They nodded in response, adrenaline feeding their resolve.
The doors opened and they ran as quickly as they could to the bank of the river, taking pictures of the black coated landscape. Bella opened the cap and dipped the container in the water, thick black globs floating to the top of the tube. She closed it quickly and opened the second, scooping up the dirt from the bank.
"Edward! Bella! Let's move!"
Riley's frantic pleas for speed caused her to move even more quickly. She double-checked that the caps on the containers were secure and they all ran quickly back to the car.
Luckily, they never encountered witnesses or bullets. The water sample that Bella was able to acquire proved that the environmental disaster was far worse than reported. The soil sample showed the same. While Riley used back channels to try to draw attention to the discrepancies, very little was done to fix what had become a nightmare scenario.
As the days went by, Bella and Edward worked on the broken water pumps in the surrounding villages as the scope of the growing Niger Delta environmental crisis grew. The entire Gulf Coast disaster equated to what polluted the land of Nigeria every year … and yet the world did not take the same notice.
Despite promises made by many governments throughout Africa for exacting strategies to reduce corruption and make political and environmental changes, the Nigerian people continued to wait and wonder. They flooded refugee camps as post-election violence grew. Refugees also spilled over from Liberia and Cameroon and soon it was evident that more than environmental problems had affected the region.
The numbers of those displaced and suffering grew.
23rd of February, 2011
The bar at the Nigerian International Airport in Kano was crowded as travelers waited for their flights. Edward and Bella decided to get the first flight out of Nigeria, to begin their long journey to New Zealand. After learning of the terrible destruction following the earthquake that damaged much of Christchurch, Edward had arranged for his team in Nairobi to get the needed water purification supplies to the areas that suffered the most devastation.
As they waited for their departure gate to be announced, they took respite in the bar to grab a drink and a small meal.
Edward became panic-stricken as he watched the familiar man wearing a pretentiously expensive, perfectly pressed striped shirt approach from across the bar. His image had always appeared unmarred, and yet Edward knew that he was a vile human being.
Too bad intuition wasn't infallible, especially when it came to Heidi.
The concern evident in Edward's voice was clear to Bella as he whispered into her ear, the appearance of a romantic gesture masking a frightened one.
"Bella, I'm going to ask you to do something difficult. I'm going to ask you to play along. Do you remember what I told you about the activists killed in Nigeria with the help of the Shell and the Nigerian Government?"
Her slight nod told him that she could hear him over the loud music.
"Just smile, act as unaffected as possible, and go along with everything I say."
He took her hand beneath the table as the imposing looking man approached their seats.
"Edward Cullen, imagine the odds of running into you in the ass-crack of hell."
Edward placed the widest smile he could on his face and stood to shake his hand.
"Hello, Demetri. It's been a long time."
The man's cuff links glistened in the low lighting. Bella wondered if they were blood diamonds while Edward was certain of it. They were large pebbles reflecting off the candle at the center of their table. Everything about him felt tainted.
"I haven't seen you since the Deepwater Project. Shell sent me to this god-awful place to see how quickly we can cover up the mess before the activist parasites catch wind of this latest leak. What are you doing in this part of the world?"
Too late, fucker. Edward noticed that the years had been good to Demetri. His tall figure had remained fit and his moneyed appearance was as impeccably flawless as it always had been. The habitual smug grin remained on his face as well. Edward tried desperately to temper his nervousness by looking at his wife before responding.
"My wife, Bella, and I live in Kenya. We were visiting some friends for the weekend. Bella, this is Demetri Tanner. We worked in the Gulf together."
Bella squeezed Edward's thigh beneath the table before she smiled and took Demetri's hand firmly in her own. She hoped that he would not sense her trembling. She became uncomfortable when Demetri held onto her hand longer than she wanted.
Edward's voice rose over the music as he rubbed his knee against her own.
"So, you're working with Shell now, Demetri? Have you had much luck with the clean up? I had no idea that there was even a spill recently."
Demetri's face grew more smug.
"Which one? You know standards are different here, but we do have rules to obey. We do the bare minimum and the leaders here turn a blind eye. I hope that you kept your BP stock options after you left. I remember we were both awarded those around the same time, after the Deepwater Project was complete. With the recent crude oil issues and the activist uprisings happening in the Middle East now, there's been an 18% jump! I'm taking my wife, Gianna, to Venice when I'm done here."
Edward mentally sighed in relief, happy with the fact that he sold those stocks after resigning. Profiting from the Imperialism of the Death Star was the last thing he wanted on his conscience. It was a merry-go-round of environmental raping, devastation and profit, and he never wanted to get on that ride again, no matter how much his bank account grew.
"Bella and I were just talking about using the windfall to go to New Zealand. We have some good friends that were just affected by the earthquake and we'd like to help them. I also promised to take her to Bora Bora, which is just a hop, skip and a jump from there."
Bella laughed in response.
"Yes, you'd better not upset me either. I've always wanted to stay at the St. Regis. Would you like to join us for a drink, Demetri?"
His feral grin made her very nervous.
"Yes, I think I will."
He sat too close to her. The pressure of Edward's hand under the table increased as Demetri ordered his drink.
"Edward, where did you go after you left BP? I was surprised you went quietly. You were always one of those on the rig. You and Biers used to propagate the crazy with the tenor of your notions of improving things. We all had to work extra long shifts to make the changes you thought would be better for production. I never thought you were meant to be in the oil business."
Edward squeezed Bella's hand under the table once again.
"You could not be more right about that, Demetri. I knew I was not meant to be part of that machine anymore, so I walked away. I've been working in the private sector as a researcher on a game reserve. I've been counting animals for a living."
And billions of those microorganisms are being counted and observed in petri dishes and lab tests as we speak, implicating you morally corrupt cretins with the evidence of your treachery as you annihilate the environment around you. You're like mynocks leeching off of the planet's energy sources. Why can't some of you attach yourselves to the hull of the Death Star instead?
Demetri smirked as he responded.
"Interesting company you keep."
He turned to look at Bella with his leering eyes.
"Present company excluded, of course. How did you two meet?"
Bella looked at Edward lovingly and grinned.
"We bonded over our love for wildlife."
She was pleased with her ability to gloss over the truth. Bella looked at her watch, gasping dramatically as she turned her wrist.
"Edward, our plane! Demetri, it was wonderful to meet you. Good luck with your project here, and I hope that you and your wife enjoy Venice. I hear it's a magical place to visit."
He took her free hand as she stood.
"It was nice to meet you too, Bella."
He reached to shake Edward's hand.
"It was good to see you again, Edward. I hope your research is fulfilling for you."
Edward smiled widely, glancing at Bella before he answered.
"Oh, believe me, it is. Enjoy Italy."
He pulled Bella away from her stool and they exited the bar quickly. They walked through the terminals to find any place far away from Demetri. Luckily, their gate assignment appeared on the departure screen and they moved in the proper direction.
"Will you tell me what that was about?"
"I have to text Riley right away to let them him know that the Imperial Guard has departed the Death Star and landed here. He'll need to do things a little more covertly and watch closely … I … I hated lying."
Bella nodded when she responded.
"Well, I hate the idea of dying even more. Just know that I don't ever need to stay at a hotel like that. I just saw it mentioned on the Travel Channel once and that name stuck in my mind because Regis Philbin gives me the creeps. Now, tell me what just happened."
Edward texted a quick message on his cell phone and then returned it to his pocket, dragging his free hand anxiously through his hair.
"Let's find a quiet place near our gate and I'll tell you everything."
They walked quickly and found seats near the boarding area. Very few passengers had arrived yet and so Edward felt more comfortable about having the discussion there. He placed his arm around Bella's shoulder and brought her nearer to his whispering lips, his hot breath tickling her ear.
"After Alice's wedding, I immediately went to Washington DC to meet with people near the top of the food chain, but they threatened me and the safety of my family. I had Alice print out the information I stored on a flash drive and Jasper mailed the information to Anderson Cooper … "
She nodded in understanding, pride growing on her smile. Bella remembered reading about top secret documents surfacing in the news. Knowing that Edward may have had a hand in the truth coming to light made her feel incredibly proud.
"Demetri was a respected member of BP's inner circle and extremely tight with Tony Hayward. He had to believe that I went quietly. He had to believe that we were here for pleasure only. I just hoped it worked. He … "
Bella interrupted before he could continue.
"He believed you … us."
"You can't be sure of that, Bella. All it would take would be for him to make one phone call. He could track us down so easily and ask for the help of very powerful and blood thirsty people if he knew what we acquired with the help of Riley. Those samples and photographs will eventually implicate Shell in the press, and it's people like Demetri, with his resources and connections, who can silence escalating voices. We took a huge gamble doing what we did with Riley. Until I saw Demetri, I didn't realize how much."
She shook her head.
"I'm glad we did what we did."
He was stunned by her definitive response.
"But it was dangerous, Bella."
"Some of the worthwhile things in life are."
Edward realized that she was using his own words and smiled.
"Changing the world, Edward, one situation at a time. Maybe those pictures and samples will convince the government of Nigeria to act differently. Maybe they won't do a damn thing. But at least we did something. At least we tried."
He leaned in to drag his nose and three day stubble along the nape of her neck.
"God, I love you. I'm going to have to get used to this new you – the less frightened and emotionally breakable one. Right now you are stronger than I am, Bella."
"I disagree. You are being cautious and have the life experiences to know a potentially dangerous situation when you see one. I just happen to no longer care. I like living on the edge with you, Edward Cullen. I like your brand of crazy."
He kissed her neck with a wet kiss.
"Thank God for small graces. I hope you're still singing that same tune in fifty years."
A/N:
"He performs his work faithfully because of his love for Victoria … "
The Twilight Wiki for Riley Biers
"Victoria! Victoria!"
(Riley Biers, Eclipse 2010)
"We do have rules to obey." (Demetri, New Moon, pg. 454)
"Mynocks. Probably chewing on the power cables."
~ Han Solo *GT swoons*, Empire Strikes Back (1980)
"Interesting company you keep." (Demetri, Breaking Dawn, pg. 696)
A very helpful link for this chapter, and a resource to know what's going on in our world:
worldatprotest dot com