"What's So Great About Normal Anyway?"
Chapter 2
II
Liz placed an Aluzian golden egg omelet on Maya's plate and another on JoLeesa's. Then she quickly scrambled some more for Andya and Alyyx, who were less fond of omelets than the other two. Max liked his "omelet" fixed like a taco, with shebble meat and Tabasco sauce mixed in and all rolled up together in a sort of pita-style Ama leaf. It was a specialty that Liz had "invented" just for him. With it, he usually had a cup of coffee with two tablespoons of Tabasco and one of sugar.
With everyone else taken care of, Liz quickly scrambled up a couple of Antarian blue-hen eggs, which she preferred, and took a small pashita loaf, lightly toasted, out of the oven for herself. Then she sat down to join the family, and everyone dug in. As they began to eat, Kyle walked in.
Kyle was the palace chief of staff. It was the job he had chosen for himself years before when he had first come to Antar. He had long since married an Antarian girl, Jeliya, who seemed to worship the ground he walked on, something that was not lost on Kyle, who adored Jeliya and treated her as though she were a princess herself. Kyle and Jeliya had a home of their own; but as chief of staff, Kyle also had a permanent room in the palace, and often he and Jeliya slept over in the palace. To Jeliya, sleeping in the palace was the stuff of fairy tales. As a child, she had often seen the palace from afar, but before meeting Kyle, she had never been inside it, and she had certainly never dreamed that she would ever sleep there or know the king and the queen personally. Life was strange that way. Kyle and Jeliya had two children, Kyle Rayyn Valenti, called "Rayyn," and Noel Trasves Valenti, called "Taz." Rayyn and Taz were very good friends with Maya, Andya, JoLeesa, and Alyyx, and when Kyle and Jeliya slept over, naturally, Rayyn and Taz did, too. Rayyn was now eight years old. Taz was seven, the same age as Alyyx. The triplets, Maya, Andya, and JoLeesa, were nine.
"Max… Liz… Sorry to bother you during breakfast, but I thought you'd like to know that you have company."
"Who is it," Liz asked, putting down her pashita bread and blotting some small crumbs off her mouth with a napkin.
Kyle turned around and gestured. Maria walked in with Michael right behind her. Liz smiled and hugged Maria.
Max waved a "Welcome" sort of wave and smiled. Michael grinned. "Max and I can skip the hugs, huh, Max?"
"Only if you want to live, Michael," Max mumbled, munching down on his "taco."
"Sit down, guys! Join us!"
"Well…" Michael looked at Max's golden egg-shebble-Tabasco breakfast taco. "That does look good."
"Sit down," Liz said, pointing to a couple of chairs. "I'll fix you one. How about you, Maria?"
"Oh, no. I already had breakfast. I'm stuffed. A cup of coffee would be good, though."
"You got it."
"I'll help you," Maria said, jumping back up and following Liz into the kitchen. The truth is, Liz would not have had to cook at all. There was palace staff for that… as for everything else. But Liz wanted a "normal" life… well, as normal as possible for a Roswell girl living on an alien planet and married to an alien king, with children who had unusual "abilities." Oh well, what was so great about normal anyway, she reminded herself. But she still preferred to cook for her family and at least feel normal… except on certain special occasions when she just felt like "letting go" and being different.
Maria held a plate as Liz placed a couple of her special breakfast "tacos" on it. Then Maria took it to Michael. Liz poured Michael and Maria a cup of coffee then poured another cup for Max and herself.
Max pushed the Tabasco sauce over to Michael, who proceeded to pour Tabasco into his coffee until it reached the rim and would hold no more. Maria and Liz watched as he tasted it.
"Delicious! Great coffee, Liz!"
"Thanks, Michael," Liz said, grinning. "I'm glad you can taste it."
"Oh… that… The Tabasco just adds flavor," Michael replied. "It's like sugar and cream, you know? It just makes it good."
"Okay. I'm glad you like it."
"Yeah. It's great! This taco, too."
Maria grinned. "I'll get Liz to give me the recipe."
"Shebble, Aluzian eggs, and Tabasco in equal portions. Wrap it all in a baked and toasted Ama leaf," Liz whispered to Maria, who nodded and smiled.
"So, Michael… What brings you guys here this morning so early," Max asked, finishing the last bite of his taco.
"Oh, that, yeah! Well, it's weird, Max. We would have waited, but this seemed somehow important. I thought we should get together and see if maybe something… I don't know… unusual is going on."
Liz giggled. "Unusual? What could be unusual, Michael? We're seven galaxies from earth, living in a palace on another planet, we've faced Ghors and a universe of alien beings, including those little gas puffs, the Orstosians, some twenty foot high, rubbery beings that look like giant chewing gum sticks, called Yargishi, and the Dragons of Drago… one of whom, I remind you, thinks you're his Daddy! What's not normal?"
Michael reddened slightly. "Kiraugo was only two years old. He was impressionable… and scared. It was a scary situation he was in. I saved him. He just…"
"…thinks you're his Daddy," Liz finished for him.
"Not his Daddy. He has a Daddy… and a Mama. I guess I'm like a godfather."
Liz and Maria both smiled. "It's okay, Michael. We're all proud of you," Liz said. "You saved all those kids' lives. They all owe you. We all do! Because of you, Antar has a galaxy of new allies and friends."
"Ahem."
"Yeah, you, too, Max," Maria added. "And Kyle and Dan and Varec and all the others… Oh, and don't forget Jim… and especially Kathleen!"
"And the pawgor," Alyyx said, joining in the conversation.
Everyone laughed. "Yeah! And the pawgor," Liz said. "So Michael, tell us what is unusual."
"Flying," Michael said.
Liz and Max both looked suddenly interested.
"Flying?"
"Well… it's a dream Maria and I had… I think it was a dream. The unusual thing is that we both had the same dream… and not just once. We've had it several times… both of us. I don't guess you'd understand."
"We had it, too," Liz said. "Max and I were flying…"
"Over some mountains…" Michael added.
"Then along a river somewhere," Maria said.
"A large, swift flowing river with little islands in it and azury waters…" Liz said.
Maria and Michael nodded.
"Max… what is going on here," Michael asked. "We wake up feeling like we were there, not like it was a dream. We remember everything so vividly."
"Same here," Max said. "We wondered about it, but… what could it be but a dream?"
"Not a dream, Max. I don't think so. No! I know so! Not a dream."
"How can you be so sure, Michael," Max asked.
"I remember things, Max. It's like… a repressed memory. I don't know."
"You know, Michael, that's not the only dream Max has had," Liz said.
"Liz… Don't," Max shook his head.
"Well, he should know, Max. I know it's not him in your dream, but…"
Michael looked ill, as though he were about to be sentenced for a crime that he regretted with all his soul and couldn't live with.
"Are you alright," Maria asked.
Michael shook his head.
tbc