ENCOUNTERS IN MARCH

March 2003

Leven didn't know what it was about the month of March, but she always hated when it arrived, especially on the 30th day.  She never understood why it hurt so much to think of that day, but she normally spent it in bed.  However, she couldn't force herself to stay in bed today.  The weather had finally taken a turn for the better and the sun was up and shining down.  It felt good to be alive on a day like this.  She hadn't been to the park in ages.  This was another place she avoided like the plague.  Each time she saw a woman with a baby, she grew morose and upset.  Again, it was something she couldn't understand or describe.  She had never wanted to have and/or raise a child.  It wasn't something she had been built for.  Yet, the sight of babies, especially those with dark hair and eyes, nearly killed her.  She would end up going home and hitting the bed again.  There was so much about her life that she didn't understand anymore.  There were some things that changed.  She'd finally enrolled in college and gave up her casino job.  She'd actually gotten a scholarship [imagine that…Leven Medlem, smart] that took care of everything.  She kept the job at the pawnshop.  For some stupid reason, she felt connected to the place.  Her boss grew less and less like an asshole and began to trust her more, leaving the place in her 'capable' hands.  She remembered the first day she had gone to work after she began to rise at dawn.  She walked into the shop and was immediately confronted with the funky looking sword that seemed to beckon her.  The name of it came easily to her:  scimitar.  Leven had no idea how she'd thought of that, but she knew what it was now.  Every day, she would stare at it and almost see the image of a man swinging it menacingly, fighting with it, and protecting.  The image would leave as soon as it entered her mind, but it was there, still the same.  She longed to touch the scimitar, to run her fingers along its shiny surface.  Perhaps one day, the boss would allow her to touch his most prized possession. 

As Leven walked along the green grass [she noticed several sprouts of wild onions… yuck], she remembered a strip of something she'd read in class of a mythical band of guards that protected the pharaohs in ancient times.  She had seen the name, Medjai, and rolled it off her tongue.  It sounded fluid, graceful, and familiar.  She had heard it used once before, but couldn't recall where.  It didn't matter.  She walked on, totally lost in her thoughts.  As always, she noticed dozens of children running here and there, playing happily in the grass, probably driving their parents out of their minds.  Instead of crying, she smiled a little.  Today, the sound comforted her, and she tuned everything out but the noise of the children.  March 30th meant something to her and she would eventually figure it out, even if she had to go about it through alternative methods.  Leven had never been one to believe in the mystical side of the world, but her thoughts tormented her.  She had needed to know the connection with the ring that she wouldn't dare take off her finger.  She allowed Eva to take her to a psychic.  She was less than excited about it, but there were some interesting things she had learned.  Apparently, she had had some wicked past life and left behind a husband and two children.  The thought distressed as well as intrigued her.  A husband?  Children?  Leven Medlem, a mother?  How incredibly funny.  She had even found out part of her name, Hafa.  Hafa, she had asked, what is that?  Some type of cereal or sprout?  Of course, the 'reader' wasn't thrilled with Leven's sense of humor [or lack thereof].  However, after that day, she had begun to take things seriously.  She had learned little bits and pieces of her alleged past life.  Her husband was a dark stranger [Uh huh, aren't they all, she'd thought].  Her children were dark like the husband.  They were twins, but not identical [Twins, she gulped, I had twins?  Jesus Christ].  She had Egypt in her blood [I do?  Perhaps that will help me pass my final].  It went on for quite some time and Leven was clearly acting like an ass, but it was a defense mechanism.  What the woman told her scared the hell out of her.  She'd always felt as if something was missing, but she could never reach out and touch it.  However, the scariest thing, the most eye-opening event occurred when the psychic saw Leven's ring.  She immediately became intrigued with it and asked to see it.  Leven refused to take it off her finger, but she presented her hand to the woman so that she could scrutinize it.  Your husband gave this to you seventy years ago.  If that were true, then how in the hell did she have it now?  It was too much and confusing.  After that day, she became more and more obsessed with the ring and this 'husband.'

*  *  *

He sat in the grass several feet away from her.  He hadn't come alone.  There was a girl and a boy with him, no more than two.  Each of them were busily picking at the grass, probably eating it, while their father was slightly distracted.  She was very beautiful, hauntingly so.  Her hair, which almost touched her waist, was loose and free.  The gentle breeze blew it away from her face, and it resembled a golden veil.  She seemed to be wandering around, as if lost, or perhaps deep in thought.  He noticed that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and was in some type of trance.  It was more than obvious she was lost, but not in the physical sense.  In her heart, she was completely and totally lost, much like he.  He watched her for a bit longer, but soon turned his attention to the children.  If he took his eyes off them for very long, they could destroy the world.  He called out to them and at nearly the same time, they fixed their dark brown eyes on his face.  He smiled a trifle sadly.  Mostly, they looked like him, but they had their mother's smile.  They were good children, loving, but also mischievous.  With a cry of ab [father], they jumped in the big middle of him, knocking him back in the grass.  How could such tiny little ones be so small but so strong?  Giggling crazily, they fought for control of who was going to defeat ab first.  Actually, together, they could do some damage.  To keep flesh wounds to a minimum, he sat up and took swift control of the situation, showering the children with hugs and kisses, which they fought against.  Aha, but they would never win this one.

Leven stopped walking for a moment.  From somewhere close, she heard the unmistakable sound of children's laughter.  Normally, it wouldn't strike a nerve.  After all, this was a park.  However, it sounded familiar to her ears, and it made her hesitate.  She looked all around her, but couldn't discern where the laughter was coming from.  It made her feel sad and empty, as if she had missed something.  She stood and listened for a few more minutes, but didn't linger long.  If she did, her March 30th depression would resume and her pillow was already wet.  She walked on, shutting out the laughter and the pain.  If she didn't, she might run off screaming down the road.  She had no desire to spend the night in a Memphis drunk tank.  She found a vacant bench and stared off into the haze drifting along and over the Mississippi River.  There were times that she had thought of walking across that gigantic 'M' and pitching over the side.*  She would allow the currents of the mighty Mississip to carry her onward and away, dumping her into the Gulf, or wherever the hell it led.  Yet, some little something prevented her from acting on those thoughts.  You have something to live for.  There is someone waiting for you, Leven.  If you go out now, you will never find him.  God.  She was tired of these thoughts, tired of the shit.  Walking, she heard laughter.  Sitting, she heard fucking voices.  Okay, Leven, it's time for you to take your medication.  It was time for her to get moving.  She had tons of studying to do.

She walked along with her head down, staring at her feet, and hoping that the people around were dodging her.  Of course, that hope was short-lived.  She ran into the solid wall of a man's chest.  A noise left her [uh] as she hit him.  Although her contact with him was brief, she smelled the warm natural scent of his body, and was more than tempted to seek more of that smell, more of him.  He gave her a brief cursory glance and said âsif [sorry].  She didn't have time to see the man or the two children he had.  She got a look at the back of his head, but that was it.  The children gawped at her, uttering another word she had never heard.  Umm [mother].  She stood stock-still, shocked, and had the greatest urge to run after them.  The children?  What is it about the children?  March 30th.  Someone was born on March 30th.  The children?  The children with the man ahead of her?  She knew nothing of them.  With a sudden need to know, she ran through the crowd, but the trio was getting further and further away from her.  If they crossed the street, she'd lose sight of them.  Just as she reached the edge of the park, they were completely gone.  Damn it.  Where did they go?  She let out a frustrated cry.  She would never see them again, she knew this, and she would never know who it was. 

He stood still and watched her through the crowd.  She had been in pursuit of him, but she had lost them.  He was tempted to step out in the clear and let her see him, but he had been warned about giving her too much too soon.  The children were the true trigger.  They knew her and she knew them.  He could see it in her eyes.  Ardeth Bay had been sent back for another purpose, a purpose he would fulfill even if it took him until he drew his last breath.  When he bumped into her, he longed to hold her, stroke her hair, and show her their beautiful children.  He had told them all about her, showed them her picture.  They would know their mother; they would love her.  He wouldn't have it any other way.  He heard the curious cries of the children.  They wanted to see their mother as much as he, but they didn't understand that too much would push her over the edge.  He quieted the children down and walked them back toward their quarters.  He hated hearing the upset cries of his son and daughter, but they would know her soon enough. 

Leven went to work the next morning, but she felt zoned out and upset.  She had had strange dreams all night, but she couldn't remember them on waking.  She was tempted to go into the boss' office and put her feet up.  It was a slow day with only a couple of customers here and there.  However, she decided against that and stayed out, leaning against her favorite counter.  She grabbed a magazine and leafed through it, trying to find an interesting article.  She found one and stuck her nose deeply into it and almost didn't hear the annoying wee ahh of the door.  She didn't bother looking up as the customer began walking around.  Ardeth smiled a little.  The place hadn't changed at all.  The scimitar was back on the wall as if it had never left it.  His Leven, his Hafa, was leaned over the counter with her nose stuck in a magazine.  He was so very familiar with that stance.  It was painful and bittersweet.  He ached to reach out and kiss her, but he had to remember to take baby steps.  For a long moment, he wanted to watch her, gaze at her, imprint her face in his mind in case he couldn't convince her.  The goddesses had made no promises, but they had given him one last chance.  So many emotions ran through him at once and he nearly cried at the sheer mix.  He loved her so very much.  Two years hadn't changed that.  Leven didn't look up once as she turned the page.  She heard the customer wandering around, touching things here and there.  Eventually, she would speak to him.  If she didn't, he'd speak to her first. 

Leven released a sigh as she turned yet another page.  "Is there something particular that you're looking for," she asked without taking her eyes off the magazine.

"The scimitar," he said.

She froze behind the magazine.  The voice.  The word he used.  She wasn't sure if she wanted to look at him or continue to ignore him.  She slowly lowered the magazine to take a look at the customer.  His appearance was shocking to her.  He stood tall and proud, with broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist and equally narrow hips.  His hair was past his shoulders and jet black.  It fell in soft waves around his face and down the side of his neck.  The eyes were dark brown and filled with recognition.  His lips were full, but the lower was fuller than the upper.  However, the most striking feature he possessed was strange looking tattoos scattered on his cheeks and forehead.  When she spied his hands, he had tattoos there as well.  Why did she suddenly feel as if she should know who he was?  There was something wrong about his appearance.  He had donned a well fitting pair of black denim jeans and a matching button down shirt.  The clothes were wrong.  He should be in something else, shouldn't he?  He should have worn…robes?  She shook her head.  No.  That couldn't be it.  Her brow furrowed, cutting a cruel line between her eyes.  She wanted to put on her professional façade and continue to offer assistance to this man, but it didn't feel right.  He wasn't a customer.  He was there for something else.  She didn't know what just yet.  She laid the magazine down onto the counter.

"It's…it's not for sale," she muttered.  "It's private property.  I'm sorry."

He nodded.  "I respect that."

"Were you…were you in the park with two children," she asked.  She couldn't tear her eyes off his face.  It had begun to imprint in her mind and to set off sparks. 

He nodded again.  "Yes.  That was I.  The children are mine; their names are Adnan and Azizah.  Yesterday was their second birthday, they are twins."

The confused/furrowed line was carved between her eyes again.  Adnan and Azizah.  Who were they?  She knew them.  She knew the date.  March 30th.  The twins were born on March 30th.  Whose twins?  Hers?  His?  What the hell is happening to me?  Am I dreaming?  "Adnan and Azizah," she said.  "Arabic names."  She stared at the man, her golden eyes seemingly trying to penetrate his brain.  Who was he?  She saw an image of holding an infant to her breast while this man sat behind her.  She shook her head.  No.  This can't be happeningI don't have a child, I have never given birth.  "Who are you?"

He approached carefully, giving her a chance to retreat if she chose.  However, she stood stock-still and kept her eyes fixed on his face.  He didn't stop until he was nearly against the counter.  He kept his hands down at his sides.  If he reached out, he would touch her.  He would let her make that move in her own time.  "Who I am is someone you know, just as you know the children."  He noticed that her eyes were pooling with tears and he hated making her cry, hated it more than listening to the children doing it.  It ripped him up inside.  Again, he wanted to touch her, but he resisted.  "You know me as I know you."

Leven backed away just a few inches.  She came close to calling the police.  This guy was some maniac set to rob the store.  Yet, he was touching her heart, taking hold of her brain, and filling both with scraps of memory, of things long since passed.  Two years.  Her babies were two-years-old.  When the realization hit little by little, she glanced down at the ring on her finger.  The etchings adorning it were the same exact symbols tattooed across his forehead.  Eternity.  Slowly, she approached and leaned toward him.  She laid her hand on his warm cheek and ran her thumb across the tattoo [not tattoo, it's a mark].  He closed his eyes for a moment and leaned into her touch.  It was then that she noticed the other mark inside his left wrist. 

"Ardeth," she whispered.  "My love…my husband."

"My Hafa," he whispered back.

"I don't…don't understand," she said.  "What happened?  Where have I been?  My…my babies are not babies anymore.  I've missed so much…what…"

He reached out and put his finger over her lips.  "Do not worry about time passed, my love.  Come with me.  Make love with me.  When we awake, you will see that everything will be all right.  Will you come with me?"

She nodded.  "Yes.  I want to see the children.  Please, let me see the babies."

"The time will come for that.  Right now, you must come with me."

She couldn't believe he had remembered where her apartment was located.  He went right to it.  It was a shame the pallet was gone.  It mattered little at all.  The moment his lips touched hers, every ounce of emotion, every shred of love inside her came rushing out.  Every memory she had of him came back full force.  All of it.  It was as if he were transferring these memories through his consuming kiss.  Oh God, how could she have forgotten this man?  How could she have forgotten one so important to her?  Before long, their bodies had drifted to her tiny bed, but she broke the kiss and shook her head.  He watched with a smile as she stripped the covers off the bed and tossed them to the floor.  She went back into his embrace and her lips latched onto his again.  Had he ever thought two years ago that he would be here with her at this moment?  How he loved her, even now after so much time had passed.  It was her turn to break the kiss and when she stepped back, she locked eyes with him and began stripping down.  It didn't take long for him to follow her lead.  His heart soared at the sight of her body; she was so achingly beautiful from head to foot.  Leven approached him and he felt the sting of tears in his eyes as her lips placed a gentle kiss on each mark.  He missed this about her most of all.  When her lips found his again, their bodies sank slowly to the makeshift pallet.

Ardeth gazed down at her and ran his hand gently over her cheek.  "I love you just as much today as I did two years ago.  This will be another marriage ceremony for us, a renewal."  Before he gave her a chance to answer him, he kissed her, teasing her with his tongue.

She plunged her hands into his hair.  She had never touched anything so soft in her life and never would again.  Leven missed his body molding with hers.  In one look, time stood still.  When the kiss ended again, she kept her hands in his hair as his lips moved down to her throat.  She closed her eyes and arched her neck.  Near tears now, she whispered, "I love you.  I love you so much."

He said nothing in return.  A sound left him that was like a moan.  His hands came up and began spreading heat along her body, touching her where his hadn't yet covered hers.  There were only a few places.  Her breasts were crushed against the solid muscle of his chest and their legs were entwined.  Her hands traveled down his back and she dug her nails into him as his lips began moving down her throat again.  They progressed lower and then lower still.  The moment his lips encircled one nipple, she cried out.  He hadn't touched her in two years and she hadn't been touched by anyone else.  His lips quickly moved to the other nipple, and he drew it inside his mouth, grazing his teeth against it.  She opened her mouth and cried out.  She couldn't help it, couldn't prevent it no matter how hard she tried.  He moved lower, his lips caressing her abdomen.  She knew what he wanted.

"No," she cried.  "Please.  I want you, I want you now."

He kissed her abdomen again and smiled a little.  He moved back over her and once again claimed her lips.  Her fingers tripped lightly over his abdomen during the kiss, and he hissed against her lips as she touched him.  He felt the same urgency as she, but the task would not be complete until they made love fully, joining as one.  Part of it had been awakening her; the other involved the ageless ritual of love and bonding.  Once sealed, it would be done.

Ardeth took hold of her wrist and drew her hand away.  If he hadn't, he would have failed, and there was no way he wanted to fail.  "No, my love," he said.  "You are ready?"

She placed a gentle kiss on his lips.  "I was ready the moment you touched me."

"I love you," he said as he entered her.

He touched her soul with each thrust, taking her from plateau to plateau.  It didn't seem as if he were merely making love to her, it was more like he wanted to connect with her, to stay connected through life, death, and eternity.  When she looked into his eyes, she saw heaven, touched it, and cried for more.  He gave of himself, transmitting his love with each move.  He felt each release inside her, heard her cries and pleas for more.  He gave as much as he could.  When he met his own release within her, he dropped his head just a little, his hair touching her, brushing against her bare flesh.  His entire body came alive at that moment, and this was no typical release.  Their lovemaking wasn't typical.  It meant more than that.  He was giving her life back to her, getting his own in return.  They weren't just married any longer.  They were bound and connected, forever embraced by the goddess who brought him to her.

The bonding ritual was not complete; there was one more step to fulfill.  He lifted his head and kissed the top of hers.  "We must sleep now."

She felt him trying to move and pull away, but she couldn't stand the thought of him vacating her body.  "No, don't move.  Hold me, just like this, for the rest of the night.  If you move away, I might wake up and never see you again."

"No, my love.  I am here, you are not dreaming.  I will take you in my arms and hold you close, but if I stay as I am, you might have difficulty breathing," he said gently, smiling down at her tenderly. 

She didn't give him any leeway with his hold, but he shifted position and turned to his side.  She immediately molded her body against his.  "If I don't see you in the morning, I might die," she whispered.

"You will see me, I promise.  Close your eyes now.  We must sleep."

"I love you, I missed you, and I can't believe how much time has gone by," she whispered against his neck.  "Will I ever get it back?"

"Malak [angel], nôm [sleep].  When we awake, you will have the answers you seek," he said.  He closed his eyes and held her body against his.  He stroked her naked back gently.  After a very short amount of time, he heard her breathing deeply and evenly.  He relaxed just the slightest bit to surrender to sleep as well.  Before he did, he could not resist one last kiss to her forehead.  "I love you."

*  *  *

Leven came awake slowly, luxuriating in the warmth of her husband's body.  For two years, he had been what she was seeking.  It tortured her to realize that she had forgotten him and her children.  Today, he would have to take her to the babies.  It saddened her to know that she had missed everything about their babyhood, all the firsts that parents often take for granted.  They would never be hers again.  She hadn't opened her eyes yet just to ensure that this was no dream.  As he promised, he held her through the night without breaking away once.  His body would probably be numb from head to foot.  At that thought, she smiled.  Her lips caressed his chest ever so delicately.  He made a sound deep within his throat in response. 

Her surroundings struck her as bizarre.  Oddly, her floor felt somehow softer, fluffier.  She noticed that the coverings seemed to expand, giving them more room.  Her comforter and sheets were child size and wouldn't have created this much space on the floor.  She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to look around.  It was a trick, an evil, horrible trick.  She was not with her beloved Ardeth.  No.  Please, God, no.  For a moment, she was distracted by another sensation.  Her breasts had developed the dull ache she had come to recognize so well.  How could this be?  When she moved, Ardeth opened his eyes.  She was in for quite a shock and he had a lot of explaining to do.  Leven sat up and glanced around the room.  This was not her apartment, not Memphis, not 2003.  Her head jerked up at the sound of chorused wailing.  Her babies?  They were…infants again?

Ardeth sat up next to her.  "Leven?"

"What…what happened?  What's real?  I don't understand," she whispered.

"We shall go to the babies and I will try to explain."

There was no way she could refrain from seeing her babies.  Together, they approached them and each took an upset child.  As Leven began to nurse them, tears poured down her eyes.  She didn't understand, she didn't know what was happening to her, but she was grateful.  She was grateful and happy.  As was typical, Ardeth sat behind her with his arms wrapped her, helping her support each baby.  She cried on and on as he whispered words of endearment into her ear.

When her tears finally dried, and the babies were snuggled in their beds, he said, "All was real, everything.  You were taken from us and sent back by your protector.  You asked Raiyur to take you, but she did not.  Instead, Hathos sent you back to your time to save the children.  We lived without you for two years and in your dreams, I could hear you call to me, but I could not answer you."  At this, she began to cry again.  He kissed the side of her cheek.  "Two years was an eternity to me, to the children, but I made sure they knew you.  Every day, I would tell them something different, and every night, I would pray to be given a second chance to find you again.  My wish was granted, but it came with a price.  I was in your time several months, watching you, loving you, and ensuring that you sensed my presence at every corner.  I could not approach you, not right away.  I had to convince you, to open your eyes and heart to me.  If I failed, I would have lost you."

She took his hand and brought it up to her heart.  "You were here," she whispered, "just below the surface, as were the twins.  The day of their birth, March 30th, was an empty day, a sad day.  I knew, I couldn't see."

"You needed a push.  I gave it to you and you came back.  I had fulfilled part of the bargain.  The other part involved a bonding ritual, bonding as only a couple can.  I touched you, I gave everything back to you, and you gave back to me.  Your protector guided and instructed me, giving us a second chance.  One last part was to come to pass after we awoke."

"What," she asked, "what else?"

"Look inside your left wrist."

She lifted her left arm and glanced at the underside of her wrist.  A mark, identical to the one on Ardeth's wrist, adorned her flesh.  She was marked for life.

*  *  *

A/N:  Epilogue to follow.  THANK YOU ALL for the reviews.  Special thanks to Shelley and Deana!

*I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with Memphis, Tennessee, but they have a 'new bridge' that separates Arkansas from Tennessee.  It's in the shape of a large "M," and a few years ago, the city paid a buttload of money to light it up.