Chapter 18

In the lull at the Shock Wave before the evening crowd came off the beach Joan could see that Hank was still upset after the argument with Meg. She hoped he would soon see reason and accept Ben. She had tried talking to him but all she got was a cold shoulder. In a way she could understand why he treated Ben with reservation or even harshly. Tim had been his choice for Meg, and had been one of the family since childhood, so they knew and accepted all his faults. She knew Hank expected with maturity, their guidance and Meg's love Tim would settle down and become stronger. So he'd felt Meg had slapped him in the face by walking away from Tim on their wedding for a dream and then finding it, and Tim had always said had been nerves and the chief bridesmaid had been comforting him nothing anything else.

That dream had been Ben; who had suddenly appeared in Sunset Beach, had a murky past regarding a dead wife, was rich, handsome with all the confidence in the world and swept his daughter off her feet taking her away from him. Leaving him feeling he was no longer needed, and then he didn't realise he was wanted as a friend when the skeletons came out of the cupboard hitting the pair of them. She knew she was partly to blame, she had wanted Meg to make her own mind up and kept her guidance to a quiet support, … would her heavier guidance have helped or hindered and broken the family even ...

Carmen's gentle greeting made her jump. "Good Evening Joan, I can see Hank's still upset … I need to tell you both something about Ben and Meg. Can you spare a moment?"

Joan nodded "As obvious as that is it?"

Carmen smiled and answered easily "Only to me." She followed Joan who got Hank's attention and sorted out some drinks and went to a table tucked in the corner out the way.

Carmen came straight to the point as they sat down. "Hank I know you think Ben is threat to Meg but there are a few things I know through my beliefs that you need to understand. You will always protect Meg, as a father and now as a friend, which is good Si? But her destiny is to be with Ben." She held up her hands in mock surrender as she conceded a point. "Si I know I've always said Maria will be with him, so she shall, but only as a friend and mother of Benjy. I did not understand it then I do now. I thought the triangle was the usual wife and lover conflict but it's not. It was a triangle of love not conflict."

She stopped for a second to draw breath but not enough to let Hank butt in and as she spoke again her Spanish accent was strong but soft, she was getting passionate about her subject. "Ben is a giver, unfortunately Derek is a taker if they had stayed as one and not become twins it might have been all right. But then they would never have ended up here, paying back a debit started many many years ago."

Joan's look and her hand on his arm stopped Hank's short sharp remark from being said he closed his mouth feeling totally ganged up on and reluctantly listened to the unfolding story.

"You see something made Ben find his home here, I call it fate and his destiny, he might call it chance. He has collected around him a circle of friends and family by marriage. Ricardo and Gabi enforcers of the law; Casey and Michael helpers being lifeguards with their partners Sara and Vanessa. Antonio keeper of the faith, Tyus is a healer, I'm a teller of the older faith, and you and Joan are very special being Meg's parents who now become the guardians of Ben because his parents are dead." Carmen ignored both their looks of surprise nothing was going to stop her now she was in full swing.

"Ben in return cares for you as he does for many people in Sunset Beach because of the work and the fortune he keeps here. Benjy although the son of Derek is linked with Ben, Maria is a link because she is friend of Meg and Ben as well as the carer of Benjy. Because of the Taker, the chain got broken through Maria's forced disappearance and the death of Mark who might have been Ben's confidant or pupil.

As Derek is still around we will have to look out for Meg and Ben; as well as their children who will also be givers and very special. Ben was linked to someone drowned here in the past who needed to be found and taken to the ones he loved and have been waiting for him all these years. That chain has been closed now and their spirits are..."

Poor Hank could not take any more and exploded in disbelief, "Carmen! that is just fanciful! Trying to justify everything you said in the past! You know damn well Ben will take Meg away from here as soon as he can! He would have taken Maria away if she had not disappeared! He left home on his own free will and he will leave here! All that other stuff. It's just natural for people to gather round rich people, he was just lucky in his fortune." and ran out of breath.

Carmen shook her head, she did not raise her voice, but there was a hint of anger in it. "That has always been your fear Hank Cummings losing Meg to another who would take her away. You thought Tim would keep her near to you on the farm, he didn't, he betrayed her. All her life you have kept her near and controlled her, unlike the freedom you gave Sara, she went off and then returned yes I know the circumstances were unfortunate but you accepted them and her back into the family.

Instead of trusting Meg you insisted you knew best in grooming Tim for her I know Meg accepted, it's not in her nature to rebel unless really pushed up against a wall. That wall was Tim luckily she put her faith in a love she found over the Internet and found Ben … her soulmate. Tim in his turn became a link in the payment of the debit and was helped to find peace.

Now it is paid there should be peace but we still have watch out for Derek. In some ways we are all givers and takers … in some one way is stronger than the other. Derek will draw the takers to him. You can forge a bond between you and Ben that will be strong and he will feel safe even with Derek around."

Carmen could see Hank starting to rebel again against her thinking, she knew she had to convince him tonight or the future was in jeopardy so she carried on sharply.

"Think of it Hank... He always thought his brother was dead after his encounters now he knows he's not! You can help him, become the one he can look too and gain strength from... He already does with Joan, she always stayed neutral. The reason he does not speak of home is because it is too painful, think of what his brother has been like. Sit with him and be patient then he will open up to you and he will never fail you. He saved you life already once and will do so again if necessary."

Hank sort refuge in the coffee and thought while he drank it then said quietly. "Maybe you are right I have been afraid of losing Meg and I always assumed Ben did everything because he wanted to, maybe it's the shield he has around him. Tim I know had his faults I hoped he would grow out of them, as he loved Meg so much." Letting curiosity get the better of him asked. "What is this so-called link of debit you talk about?"

Carmen hide her smile and unconsciously fiddled with her many bracelets that helped give her that fortune-teller look and starting to warm to her story as she said "That's the story they will not tell you in the papers and I don't know if Meg has told you any of it I doubt it. You will have to believe in ghosts to understand it Hank I know Joan understands and I hope you will too. The Sailor..."