IF EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DIFFERENT - Chapter 5
Thanks to Cris (our translator), and to all people who gave us reviews
"You may give them your love but not your thoughts."
Khalil Gibran – "The Prophet"
Since the last night it was raining in the plateau, and all of them were a little bit sleepy.
Challenger and Malone were working at the lab, while Marguerite was reading by the common room and Roxton was cleaning his guns.
Veronica had spread a mattress by the balcony where both she and Tommy were laying down. He still played a little, but feeling the huntress hand slowly caressing his head, the sleep took the best of them and both fell asleep.
Silence dominated the Treehouse that afternoon, inviting everybody to take a nap. Summerlee seemed to be most active inhabitant. He observed Malone helping Challenger with his journals. Roxton was peeping into Marguerite whenever he thought she was not paying attention. Arthur still planted some seedlings, and organized his notes. Then he walked to the balcony. He smiled seeing Veronica sleeping with Tommy, both covered in an old retail's mattress, since none of them had much to do in that rainy day.
One thing was starting to bother Summerlee: Veronica's super protection towards the baby. It's was right that Tommy needed care and attention all the time, but she insisted in remain with the baby even in areas that were safe and couldn't offer any danger to the boy. Veronica enjoyed waking up early and swimming by the river at dawn. Then she liked to walk or run through the forest and harvest some fruits for breakfast. By sunset or after dinner she dedicated some time for reading or painting. But since she had assumed the baby's responsibility, these little pleasures of her life had been completely forgotten. She used any time while the baby was sleeping during the day to wash some clothes and to finish her other chores in the Treehouse. And by night, when the baby was sleeping again, she organized her things before she herself got some sleep. And Malone wished she could retake some of the activities she loved to do. For that, he offered himself to take care of Tommy, but Veronica always rejected his offering politely. She was not fearing bring work to Malone, but she simply could not control her anxiety about something wrong happening to the boy if she was away from him. Summerlee feared that if the boy had to stay away from Veronica even for a short period of time he would miss her a lot.
Summerlee sat just enjoying that rare peaceful moment in the jungle and in the Treehouse. Suddenly, he noticed the mattress moving and coming to his direction. He smiled, but just waited to see what was going to happen next.
Crawling on all fours, totally covered under the mattress, Tommy was coming to his direction. All of a sudden the boy stopped, trying to free himself from the mattress, but only managed to get even more wrapped up. Summerlee then decided to help him before he started making noises and woke up Veronica
"Hi, little Tommy! Don't you ever get some rest? " he teased, disentangling the mattress from the boy on the floor. As soon as they faced each other, they smiled. Summerlee put the boy sat on his lap and sat again by the bench. And when the baby started to make sounds, Arthur put a finger over his mouth just to sign him silence.
"Psiu..." – the boy observed silently and Summerlee hold himself to prevent laughing when noticed the boy trying to imitate him. After that, the boy distended his arm trying to reach the white beard of the scientist. At the first touch he withdrew, thinking strange the harshness of it, but in a while he got used to it and continued experiencing that strange and new sensation. At the same time that the baby was caressing his beard, Summerlee was softly rocking the boy. And then he finally felt the longing pain that only the missed beloved could cause.
Summerlee then remembered his loved and long dead wife, and his children and grandchildren who he had not seem for so long – and now he really doubted he would ever see them all again.
He recalled the Sundays when everybody was reunited for lunch; he sat by the upper end of the table, feeling proud and blessed for having a so connected family. After lunch, he would sat by his favorite chair having some liqueur and trying to read, but was always interrupted by his grandchildren running around him. And when his children tried to stop the grandchildren, Summerlee would only smile and nod his head authorizing the children to remain.
"Are you sure, dad?" – one of his daughters would say.
"Yes, I am, dearest..." he would answer happily. And the racket continued.
And when his beloved Anna died, everybody doubted he would resist to the solitude that dominated him.
It was only when Challenger's expedition was formed that Summerlee seemed to regain his interest by something in life. His family supported him as good as they could because they knew that the expedition could save his life.
He knew and respected George Challenger's work, although he not always agreed with his purely scientific approach to everything. For Challenger, only pure science mattered, and any other thing that could deviate his attention from science would bother him. Arthur saw science as a complement to explain who we are and to where we go in the world, maybe. George was a genius, but still had a long way to learn about people. And Summerlee knew some lessons would come in a more difficult way than others.
It was only when he joined the expedition that Summerlee knew his other fellow explorers.
First thing he thought about Lord John Roxton after observing him for the first time was the prepotency he transmitted. But soon he would learn that behind the self-confident hunter who never lost a prey was a loyal, kind and noble man. He, as well as any of the others, would trust his life to Roxton.
He saw in Edward D. Malone a scared boy trying to become a man. And what really called his attention was Malone's impulsiveness. Malone never gave a second thought whenever his friends were in danger, and this sometimes would put him in difficult or dangerous situations. Only later he found out his kind character and his dreamful soul.
Marguerite Krux. Ah! The mysterious Marguerite Krux. A woman trying to protect and hide herself behind a shield made of indifference, hardheartedness and sarcasm. But Summerlee soon learned that, after her arrival to the lost world, little by little this shield was being lowered and thinned revealing, very slowly, a wonderful and temperamental woman. A woman who had not hesitated to hold his hand and remain by his side all the time without any complain to provide him all comfort and support while he was ill and in need.
And after arriving to the lost world, they've found that young huntress that initially pretended she could not understand them just to laugh at them later and show them all her kindness, strength and independence after eleven years living practically alone. Veronica was a unique specimen.
Finally he looked to the boy, now sleepy, but still playing with his beard.
"And you, my little friend. So small and already able to awake in this old scientist so wonderful and missed memories. " – he took the tiny hand of the boy who was smiling again, now awake. Summerlee shook his hand, as in a compliment - "Hi, Tommy. My name is Arthur Summerllee. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Arthur observed the boy's attention to deviate to Veronica, who was starting to wake up. Summerlee put the boy on the floor carefully. The boy hesitated between the professor and the huntress.
"Go there, little one. Be a gentleman and be her escort". As fast as he could, the boy crawled again on all fours towards Veronica. She was still awakening, but extended her arms waiting for him to come. The boy tried to play going from one side to the other and shrieking with mirth.
"Come here, Tommy! Come on, sweetheart!" – she asked him. And when both hugged happily they could not even notice they were being discreetly observed by an old pair of eyes now full of tears.
Finally she noticed Summerlee. "Good afternoon... I mean... Good evening, professor..." She smiled with the boy on her lap.
"Good evening, my dear... Have you had a chance to rest for a little while?".
"I think so...".
Summerllee withdrew for the opposite side of the balcony, still touched by his memories. He felt Roxton's strong hand on his shoulder.
"Professor, would you care for some tea?" – the hunter asked, already with a cup on his hand.
"Thanks, John" – he accepted, smiling, while Roxton went back to the common room while Summerlee observed him.
Marguerite quickly glanced over the pages of her book and sighed heavily, turning the next page. John could just notice that.
"Would you also care for some tea, Marguerite?".
She nodded her yes and slowly she pushed the cup for him over the table.
John looked at her quizzically. "It seems you are reading something really interesting, since your eyes hadn't left the book pages for the last two hours...".
John took the teapot and served her. He put the sugar bowl with a small spoon closer to her. Marguerite put the sugar on her cup and mixed the tea with a certain air of impatience.
Roxton was really curious to know what she could possibly be reading.
He could not refrain himself, he needed to know what she was reading, because maybe this could help explaining to him the kind of creative imagination she had. "Marguerite, please forgive me if I'm being bold, but which is the book you are reading so concentrated? ".
She glanced back at him seriously and sighed once more before answering calmly, "May I continue reading in peace?".
"I just wanted to know...".
"... It's about nutrition. Are you satisfied now? So...".
Arthur could not prevent smiling while observing the couple teasing and flirting all the time. It was a funny game between them.
Marguerite stood up quickly, seemed to recall something very important, and ran to her room, leaving the book opened over the table.
John observed and shook his head. He could not resist and pried on the opened book over the table.
"Hum... 'Infantile Nutrition'?".
Making an effort to put a serious expression on his face, he headed to Marguerite's quarter knocking by her doorframe.
"Marguerite" – he called.
"What do you want?".
"May I come in? It's about a serious subject". Roxton was fighting to hold back his laugh.
Marguerite was curious.
"You may" - John entered her bedroom.
"I came to return your book" – he said, handing the closed book back to her.
"Thanks" - Roxton was already leaving her bedroom, but he couldn't resist and turned back.
"Marguerite?".
"What?".
"I need to tell you something else".
"Go ahead...".
"It is...".
"I don't have all day long, Roxton".
"I marked the page for vegetables soup..." - Roxton started laughing. Marguerite was caught by surprise and felt like flying to strangle the hunter.
"Were you prying over my things?".
"Well, Marguerite, as far as I know this book is not yours and, if it is, congratulations for your pregnancy, who is the father?" – And before she could answer anything, he caught her by her slim waist, bringing her closer to him, and kissed her intensely. She corresponded to the kiss, but knowing her he knew that his luck would not last forever. Not with a woman like her. Before they broke the kiss, she bit his lower lip. Roxton jumped when he felt the pain and tasted the blood in his mouth.
"Dammit, Marguerite, it's the second time you do that to me..." – he said recalling a similar situation when they had just arrived to the plateau and the Treehouse.
"Everything has a price, Lord Roxton" – she smiled. He was already leaving, but turned back to answer:
"Ah... and congratulations once again, mother-to-be...".
"You are rascal, rude!..." – she yelled to him. Then she smiled, putting a soft hand over her lips, still recalling his lips against hers some seconds before. Only then Marguerite thought that, despite all her secrets, day by day she was growing more and more able to reduce the shields around her. And she enjoyed that. But at the same time she felt a shiver running through her spine signaling that something was definitely going on.
Summerlee saw John coming back smiling, fixing his shirt, and smiled recalling his very agitated youth around his female neighbors. Roxton looked at him as if questioning him. Arthur turned serious.
"It's nothing, Roxton... nothing really".
John smiled, understanding the underlying message. "Women... Well, you understand that, don't you, professor?".
"I have all my concepts well established about these enchanting creatures".
Still smiling Summerlee met Malone who was leaving the laboratory in a hurry.
"What's is this rush, Ned?".
"I forgot it was my turn to prepare dinner. I'm late".
"Hum. And what we are going to have tonight?".
"I'm thinking about some soup and salad. We can talk later...".
Summerlee went downstairs to find Challenger examining a raptor's egg.
"Arthur. I was going to look for you. I needed to talk to you".
"Is there any problem, George?".
"Indeed I would like to ask you a favor".
"Go ahead".
"Well, you know that I and Veronica are not talking...".
"Yeah, we all know that".
"I would like to ask you to talk to her".
"What about?".
"I want to examine the boy".
"George, I...".
"It wouldn't take long. Weight him, height him, verify his physical constitution, basic examination only. Admit it: you are curious also".
"You know I am. But this is a very sensitive subject".
"Summerlee, please...".
"I promise you I will think about that, George" - Summerlee stood up – "I will help Malone to fix dinner".
Challenger looked around. "That would be an unique opportunity " he told to himself.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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