This chapter is Eric centric
The next three chapters are Eric centric. They are crucial and if you've been paying attention, you'll know why. They cover a long stretch of time, from Eric's arrival in Africa, his coming home during the events of Into the Woods and finally his return home for good. Most of all, there's a big chunk of plot in this that will hopefully answer some questions as far as to where the story is going. It doesn't explain everything though, because that would be lame.
This chapter is dedicated to a man named John Milton. Yes, the very one.
Disclaimer: I own Jasmine, Umi and anyone else not recognizable. I don't own anything else though, apart from the plot and even that was stolen by other people, hence the dedication. I freely admit that this story is an ode to Paradise Lost and various other stories twisted by my own wrapped brain. Hopefully I've been able to keep what was left of the character integrity of the show, or even better, repair it while allowing them to grow and evolve, something the show never let them do.
I like hearing what you guys think, so please review. I hope I haven't lost any readers, life just got out of control and I wasn't able to write. But I'm back now and hopefully will be able to update much sooner.
My Wayward Son.
The first night in Africa, Eric didn't sleep at all. The combination of nerves, excitement and the sounds of the nightlife that surrounded him made it impossible for Eric to close his eyes for more than twenty seconds at a time. Instead of sleeping, he lay awake on his cot in the small hut that was to be his home for the next year and stared up at the grass and mud ceiling. He let his mind race as he wondered what the next day would be like, if the children would like him, if he'd actually be able to teach them, or if he'd fuck that up just like he fucked up everything else in his life. He wondered what Donna was doing, if she missed him like he missed her. He thought about his parents and hoped his mom was doing alright without her baby boy, if Red was as proud of him as he said he was. He thought about his friends, he wondered if Hyde had gone to Chicago to get Jackie back, and silently wished his best friend good luck. He wondered how Kelso and Fez were doing, but quickly let that thought go, knowing it would only lead to disturbing images of candy, porn and firecrackers. He laughed silently at the mental picture and tried to close his eyes again.
The sound of something outside screeching made Eric shoot up in his bed. He looked around frantically and listened as the screeching grew louder and more persistent. It seemed to be coming closer. Then, without warning, it stopped screeching and instead, the sound became something else, something much more terrifying in Eric's opinion. If he had to describe it, he have to describe it as damn right gleeful. Whatever it was, it was happy.
Eric knew from watching Animal Kingdom that could only mean one thing.
It meant he was going to die.
The first night in Africa, Eric Forman didn't sleep at all.
The next day Eric met his students for the first time. Twenty in all, ranging in age from five to thirteen, all stunningly beautiful with their dark complexions, wide eyes and brilliant white smiles. Eric took one look at his new charges and loved them. These kids were his family now, and he was going to do his best to teach them everything he could. There were no desks in the hut that was the school, so he had the kids sit in a circle on the floor. He sat down next to them and made them go around and tell him their names. Then, realizing that he hadn't made any lesson plans yet, and no one had bothered to tell him what he was supposed to be teaching these kids exactly, he panicked as the kids looked at him with curiosity and apprehension. He could see the looks on the older kid's faces, the one that said, 'great, another idiot.'
Somehow that gave Eric the strength and confidence he needed. He hadn't just come to Africa to gain money for college. He had come to learn how to be a man. So with a small grin, he leaned forward.
"Uh, I'm Eric." He introduced himself, allowing the kids the chance to say "hi Eric" before he carried on. He looked around at them, leaned forward and said, "Once, in a galaxy far, far way…"
A few hours later, he had the kids partnered up in twos as he walked around, instructing them on how to use the Jedi mind trick.
"Remember, it's all in the eyes." He instructed the kids. He heard laughing from the doorway and quickly turned to the giggling woman.
"Uh, hello." He said, suddenly nervous.
"The Jedi Mind trick huh?" The woman asked with a smile.
"Uh yeah, is that a problem?" He asked. The woman quickly shook her head and waved her hands, "Oh no, continue on."
Eric suddenly felt very defiant. "I'll have you know that the Jedi Mind trick is a very important skill to have."
The woman nodded, "I agree, I think it's an important skill, up there with knowing CPR and how to make a radio out of a coconut, but I suppose you are going to teach them things such as English and math right?"
Eric grinned and let a small chuckle out, "Radio out of a coconut?"
"What can I say, I like Gilligan's island."
Eric nodded understandingly. "Well, you never know when you might be stuck on some deserted island right?"
"Exactly." The woman agreed.
Eric smiled again and turned back to the kids. "Okay, that's enough for today."
The kids all groaned, they were having too much fun playing Jedis.
"Now, now kids," the woman spoke, "You'll see Mr…" she looked over at Eric for his name.
"Eric," he offered.
"Mr. Eric," she continued, "Tomorrow, bright and early."
Reluctantly the kids nodded and began to leave the room.
"They like you." She said as the last child left. She walked up to him and held out her hand. "I'm Jasmine." Eric took the time to look at the woman. She was wearing only khakis and a black tank top with an open jacket. Her black hair was long and done in small braids that made Eric want to reach out and touch them. Instead he shook her hand, "Eric, so you really think they like me?"
Jasmine smiled, "Yes."
Eric let out a sigh of relief, "Well I'm glad then." He and Jasmine walked out of the hut together.
"So um, what do you do?"
"I run the supplies." The woman answered, "I bring them from the city once a week."
"Oh, so uh, you don't live here?" Eric found himself slightly disappointed. Even though she wasn't Donna, she was hot and liked Star Wars. Most of all, she was a potential friend, and God knew that aside from the kids, Eric didn't have any friends in Africa. Unless one counted the Hyenas, which Eric did not.
They walked through the village. Jasmine introduced him to everyone he hadn't met the day before, and he found himself relaxing just a bit.
"So uh, you're French?" Eric asked, trying to make conversation. "My dad hates the French."
Jasmine shook her head, "My father is French, but I consider myself Libyan."
"Oh." Eric replied, not knowing what else to say. "So um, is it always scary at night, because I gotta tell you, I don't think I've ever been more freaked out in my life, and that's saying a lot."
"You get used to it." Jasmine told him, "I bet you that after awhile it'll be comforting."
Eric looked over at the tall woman skeptically, "Comforting? How can Hyena's laughing in the middle of the night be comforting?"
Jasmine laughed, "At least with the Hyena's you know they're coming. It's the ones who make no sound at all that you need to be wary of." She continued walking but Eric, shocked to the core stood still until she turned around. "You coming?" Eric composed himself and hurried up to Jasmine, "The silent ones?"
Jasmine put a hand on Eric's shoulder, "I'm teasing." Eric could tell though that her words had a truth to them.
"Uh, right." Eric agreed. "You got me."
When he had arrived, it had been getting dark already and there hadn't been enough time to look around. Now, in the day time, accompanied by Jasmine, he allowed himself the time to take in the landscape. The village was situated near the banks of a running river. Women and the older children carried water from the river to the village, while some of the men attended cattle and other farm animals. He noticed a group of men go into the jungle nearby with spears, hunters, he guessed. There were people everywhere, each doing something. No one, not even his new students were dilly dallying. There were quite few guys from the army, standing silent around the perimeter of the village, but none of them seemed to be interfering with the natives, unless it was to help. What got Eric the most though was that everyone he passed by smiled at him. True, genuine, happy to see you smiles.
Smiles that reminded him of his mother.
Smiles that reminded him of Donna.
A week later he received his first care package from his mom. In it he found a tape, stacks of letters written by Donna, Hyde, Kelso and Fez, a dozen or so packages of Twonkies and other snack foods, and a stack of playboys. He could only assume that Kelso had snuck the lewd magazines into the box while his mom wasn't looking. He laughed and stuck the magazines underneath his cot for future use.
He missed his phone call with Donna the next day due to some of the guys insisting he play poker with them. Not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with guys who could kill him with their bare hands, he eagerly agreed to play. It wasn't until he looked at his watch that he realized he had missed calling her.
"Let me guess, you forgot to call your girl." One of the guys, Wilkes, said casually as he dealt the cards around the table.
Eric looked at him, "How'd you know?"
One of the other guys laughed, "Happens all the time. Life here has a way of making you forget." Eric looked at the name tag on his jacket, Captain Bronte. Eric wanted to make a joke about Wuthering Heights, but refrained. The guy next to him, a bald guy with a tattoo on his arm of a panther named Roberts patted Eric on the back, "Don't listen to them just call your girl tomorrow."
Eric nodded, "Yeah, I'll call her tomorrow."
He didn't call Donna the next day, or the day after that. Instead, he found himself hanging out with Jasmine whenever she was there, with his new poker buddies and helping out in the village when he wasn't teaching. He could feel that being in Africa was changing him, and slowly but surely, he stopped thinking about Donna and home all together.
It was for her own good. At least, that's what Eric told himself after sending Donna a Dear John letter. Donna deserved to live her life, to go to college, to get out of Point Place. She didn't need to sit at home and wait for him. The truth though is ever since he disappeared before their wedding, he hasn't felt like he's known Donna. She was so quick to just forgive him, and at the time he let her but he knew deep down that had been her biggest mistake. And he wasn't about to let her make it again.
The night life still scared him. Lions roar through out the night, the Hyena's call to each other, and the jungle, sounds come from there at all times of the day and they only serve to freak him out, but now he could sleep through it. Maybe it was because he worked hard through the day, maybe it was because he knew the army guys would shoot anything that came near, but whatever the reason, Eric could sleep.
Eric was there for three months, fifteen days and thirty six hours when everything changed. He had been sleeping when the sound of voices woke him up. Jasmine's voice was unmistakable outside his window. Curious, he looked at his watch and saw that it was only four thirty in the morning. He could hear two voices, hers and a male voice that sounded oddly familiar. The words were muffled, but it was clear that she was unhappy. Quietly, Eric snuck out the back door to his hut and peeked around the corner only to see that Jasmine was alone. However, she was throwing her hands in the air, gesturing wildly with them. Suddenly though, she turned around. He quickly ducked behind the corner of his hut but it was too late.
"Eric?" She asked.
Eric knew he should pretend that he hadn't heard her, but decided to let his curiosity lead him. He blushed as he stepped away from the hut.
"I thought I heard voices." He admitted. "Um, was someone here?"
Jasmine looked down, "Oh, uh, no…"
"I could have sworn I heard a male voice." Eric commented lightly.
"You must have been dreaming." Jasmine stated, "It happens to me all the time."
There was something in the tone of Jasmine's voice that made Eric doubt what she was saying. "I don't think so." Eric replied, "I'm pretty sure I heard you and some guy talking, but I come out here, and there's no guy."
"Eric, please, stop." Jasmine begged.
Eric shook his head, "No, I deserve to know what's going on, who are you talking to?"
"You're going to have to tell him eventually." Eric heard the male voice as clear as day, and it sounded like it was coming from behind Jasmine, but the only thing behind Jasmine was a tree. Eric walked passed Jasmine and looked around the tree to see who was hiding behind it, but there was no one.
"Okay, either this tree can talk, or…I've got nothing." Eric gulped.
Jasmine sighed, "We should go inside, please Eric, I promise I will tell you everything I can."
Eric narrowed his gaze on Jasmine and let out a deep breath, "Fine, you first." He gestured towards his hut.
He followed Jasmine inside and crossed his arms impatiently as he waited for her to begin. Jasmine sat on his cot and motioned for him to sit next to her.
"I'll stand, thank you."
Jasmine sighed but didn't push. "Fine, I…I'm not sure where to begin."
"Try the beginning." Eric was in no mood for games.
"The beginning, right." Jasmine said with a frown, "That's a relative term."
"Jasmine, it's a quarter till five, I have to teach tomorrow and I'm really not in the mood for this, so just get on with the explanation, please." Eric snapped.
Jasmine nodded, "What do you know of the war between God and the Angels?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Eric asked.
"Just answer the question." Jasmine snapped.
"Uh, just what I learned in church. God made the angels and then he made man and some of the angels were jealous of man and they revolted and God cast them out of heaven."
"And some of them coupled with humans and from them the Nephilim were born." Jasmine carried on, "And God sent his most trusted angels to earth to rid it of the plague of bastard children, and the war between heaven and hell began. It's been going on for millennia, before your very eyes and yet you do not see."
"What do you mean, your very eyes?" Eric asked.
"I am not like you." Jasmine said with a sigh.
"Right, you're a beautiful African girl and I'm a scrawny nerd from Wisconsin." Eric shook his head.
"No, I mean, I'm not… human."
"I have the sudden need to sit down." Eric said as he quickly sat next to her on the cot.
"The…wait, you're a Nephilim? I thought they were giants, or something." Eric admitted he hadn't paid much attention in church but he always thought giants were pretty cool.
"No," Jasmine answered quickly, "But the blood line still exists; I'm… one of the warriors sent to destroy them."
"So you're…"
"An angel, yes."
Eric nodded as though it made sense, even though it didn't, "Great, I meet a girl and she's crazy. Fine, prove it." he demanded. "Show me your wings."
"I don't have wings, so I can't show them to you, but uh, okay hold on." Jasmine stood up and removed her jacket and tank top. Eric gulped at the sight of a very beautiful half naked woman in front of him, but stopped when he saw the golden tattoo in the middle of her chest. Eric stood up and walked towards her to get a better look. It was a round circle with lettering inside it. Unfortunately, he couldn't read it.
"A tattoo is supposed to prove to me that you're an angel?" Eric asked in disbelief.
"Touch it." Jasmine said, grasping Eric's hand. She brought it to her chest and instantly Eric was filled with a sense of euphoria and joy. More than that, he could feel strength and a sense of duty coming from the mark.
"You sure you don't have wings?" Eric asked as he stepped back from her. He looked down at his fingers and saw they were red. "Damn, it burned me." It was only slight, as though he had just touched a hot pan, but it was still shocking none the less. He went to his duffle bag and pulled out a small container of burn cream. He put some on as he waited for Jasmine to continue her story.
"When he sent us, he made sure we would blend in. Our wings were cut out of us, we were made to look more human, but he marked us, so that we would be able to spot each other, and so he could reach us."
"That sounds awful, I can't believe…well I can't believe any of this really."
"It was painless," She replied, "I figured you would be freaked out about God really existing."
"Oh, I am." Eric nodded, "What does he look like?"
"Like Eric Clapton." Jasmine smiled.
"I knew it!" Eric exclaimed before realizing that Jasmine was teasing him. "So you can read my mind?"
"No, we talked about it remember?" Jasmine said, "Which brings me to the next part of my story."
Eric nodded.
"God sent ten of us, but now only three remain. Unfortunately I don't know where the other two are."
"The fallen angels?" Eric guessed as to who had killed Jasmine's brethren.
"Them, their followers, the Nephilim, yes." Jasmine said with a sigh, "We were scattered amongst the earth, I was sent here. I don't know how I know the others died, I just did. I've never told anyone what I am until you."
"Why tell me?" Eric asked.
"Because you need to know." Jasmine said with a grimace, "Your friend Jackie is in trouble."
Eric wanted to scoff and say that Jackie wasn't his friend, but he stopped himself when he saw the look on Jasmine's face. "Why, what happened?"
"I'm sure your friends will call you soon to tell you, but she's in great danger and well, you're the only person who can help her."
"I don't understand." Eric said, shaking his head. "Why can't someone else help her? Hyde or my mom or Donna… anyone. Jackie and I aren't the best of friends."
Jasmine sighed and sat down next to Eric. "Let me show you."
Suddenly, Eric was in the woods of Wisconsin, watching Jackie follow Hyde.
"This is just a memory." Jasmine quickly explained, "You can't change anything, nor can they hear you."
Eric nodded, but he walked closer to his friends none the less. It was clear that Hyde was drunk from the way he was walking and slurring his words. He and Jackie were arguing and Jackie was complaining. Eric shook his head, typical Jackie.
Then he saw the creek and the log they were about to cross. "Oh no." He watched Hyde cross it without any trouble.
"I can't cross that." Jackie whined.
"Jackie, come on!" Hyde said tiredly. "Just cross it like you do everything else, real bitchy like."
Eric watched as Jackie decided to ignore the insult. "Steven, I'm not wearing the right shoes, I'll slip."
Hyde sighed and walked back onto the log. "Take my hand."
Jackie slowly stepped onto the fallen tree. "I'm not touching your disgusting hand."
"Jackie, just take my freaking hand!" Hyde yelled. He reached over to grab her….
Eric watched in horror as Jackie slipped off the tree. Then, he watched as his best friend shrugged and walked away.
"No… that can't… no." Eric shook his head, "That couldn't have happened!"
Jasmine only shook her head sadly, "I'm afraid…" Eric didn't listen though, he just followed Jackie down the creek.
"You can't help her!" Jasmine yelled. Eric knew that, but he needed to know what happened. He watched as her body was beaten across the rocks, as the water turned red from her blood. She washed up face first into a muddy bank.
"Angels are supposed to help people right?" Eric asked Jasmine frantically, "So why didn't one of you come help her!"
"It's not that simple." Jasmine sighed as the two of them leaned over Jackie's unconscious body.
"I just watched my best friend kill the girl he loves and you're telling me it's not that simple?" Eric asked, enraged.
"He didn't kill her." Jasmine argued.
"Really? Because that's not how it looked to me!" Eric yelled. "I don't give a damn if he's drunk, you don't just shrug when someone falls into a rushing creek, even if that person is Jackie." Eric wanted to cry. "I heard him laugh."
Jasmine shook her head, "He didn't know."
Eric glared, "No, he knew." Deep down, Eric knew it to be true in his heart. "Some how, he knew. I knew they broke up, but fuck, this…" Eric felt more lost than he ever had before. Then he heard Donna and some guy yelling for Jackie. Jasmine put her hand on Eric's shoulder.
"We have to go." She said softly.
Eric wanted to watch, to know what was going to happen, but he let Jasmine take him back to the hut.
"Tell me." Eric demanded once they were back.
"They found her; she's in a coma right now." Jasmine explained. "Her body is in a coma her soul though is in purgatory… which brings me to who I was talking to."
"So you were talking to someone." Eric sighed. "Who?"
Jasmine shrugged, "He doesn't have a name."
"He doesn't have a name?" Eric shook his head, "Why wouldn't he have a name?"
Jasmine sighed, "He had one, once, but it's been forgotten. He's the guide."
"The guide?"
Jasmine nodded, "When souls are in transition, they go to him. He helps them find their way. Right now, he's helping Jackie. He just came to tell me."
Eric looked down at a bug crawling on the floor. "Why did you tell me?"
Jasmine closed her eyes. "Because Eric, you're him."
There were so many things wrong with this scenario that Eric didn't know where to begin. He had come to Africa to learn how to teach and to become a man, not to become an invisible, nameless entity known as 'the guide.' It was preposterous.
"Would you like me explain?" Jasmine asked quietly.
Eric just nodded. "How the hell can I be him when I'm me?"
"The Guide doesn't exist in the context of your time. He's ageless. You're going to be him, if that makes any sense."
"It doesn't." Eric stated.
"Okay, it's like this. Earth has about time. You think you made them up but they were always there. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, years…even I can't mess with these rules, but the Guide can, because he doesn't exist on this plane."
"So…"
"So Jackie can be two places at once." Jasmine finished for him. "He knows everything, past, present, future. Or rather, futures."
"So let me get this straight," Eric said, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, "All the stuff I learned in church was true, there's a battle of good versus evil going on, my friend is in purgatory, you're some warrior angel and I'm going to be someone who helps dead people?"
"Something like that." Jasmine said with a small smile.
Eric shook his head, "This is unbelievable, I'm going to pretend I'm dreaming and you're going to leave so I can get some sleep."
Jasmine nodded, "I'll go, but you can't pretend this never happened, not now. And you can't tell anyone."
Eric looked at Jasmine who was now standing by the door. "Believe me, I'm not going to tell anyone."
Eric didn't see Jasmine for another week. He was glad that she was gone though, because the more he thought about it, the more he freaked out. There were so many questions though that he needed to be answered, so as the week dredged on, the more he anticipated her arrival. In the meantime he occupied himself with the kids. For the first time in his life, he was respected. It actually kind of freaked him out.
The next time he saw Jasmine, she was helping unload her jeep. He walked up to her the moment she was alone.
"Tell me everything." He demanded.
Jasmine shot Eric a glance and nodded. "Let me finish unloading and I'm all yours."
Eric helped Jasmine unload the truck and when they were finally done passing out the supplies, Jasmine gave him a nod indicating that he should follow her. They walked towards the jungle.
"Hell no, I'm not going in there." Eric stated.
"It's safe." Jasmine said, grabbing onto Eric's hand, "I'll protect you from the nasty crickets." She grinned.
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Eric complained as Jasmine dragged Eric into the canopy.
If Eric thought the sounds of the jungle were unnerving before, nothing compared to actually being inside it. all of his senses were being invaded. The sounds of the animals and the wind against the leaves of the trees, the smell of the jungle perfume, the sight of things rustling about, the touch of the plant life against his skin. If it weren't for the fact that he was freaking out, he would have thought it was kind of cool.
"We're here." Jasmine stopped.
Eric walked up beside her and looked at the small hut that resided in a small clearing.
"What the hell?" Eric asked.
"I'm taking you to see the Shaman." Jasmine said, "She will help you understand."
"I thought you were going to help me understand." Eric glared.
"I am." Jasmine said, "By bringing you here. Look, I only know my part in this, and that's to protect you."
"I feel so special." Eric said sarcastically.
Jasmine threw up her arms, "You don't get it, do you? I'm fighting a war that can't be won, I have no idea where my brothers are, I've been stuck on this stupid planet for so long that I'm really beginning to think Satan had the right idea all along about the lot of you, especially after watching what happened to your friend Jackie, so I need you to prove to me that all hope is not lost!"
Eric felt ashamed. "I'm sorry."
Jasmine shook her head and wiped the tears from her face, "Look, if it helps, you don't have to become The Guide today, or even next year. It's who you're going to be though, and you can't run away from it."
"Oddly enough I'm not really freaked out about that part so much." Eric said. Truth was it freaked him out to know what was going to happen to him.
"So you'll go in?" Jasmine asked, gesturing to the hut.
Eric sighed. "Yeah, I'll go." He gathered his courage and before he could knock on the door, it opened.
The shaman was a short frail woman with long grey hair done in the same braids as Jasmine. She was tapping her foot impatiently. "I've been listening to you two bicker like an old married couple for an hour now. I'm too old to be kept waiting." She said it in perfect English.
"You're the shaman?" Eric asked, shocked.
The woman rolled her eyes and looked behind Eric to Jasmine. "This? This is the best you can do?"
Eric didn't see Jasmine shrug.
The woman shook her head, "We've got our work cut out for us, don't we boy?" She grabbed Eric's arm and pulled him inside, shutting the door quickly behind her.
"Sit." She ordered, gesturing to the floor.
Eric quickly sat down Indian style on the floor. He looked around the room. There was a small bed in the corner, a fire place and a desk with a notebook and a copy of James Joyce's Ulysses on top. In the corner was a guitar.
"You play?" Eric asked, gesturing to the instrument.
"Why, want to hear Free Bird?" The old woman asked, "Yes, I play. Not much else to do around here."
"Uh, so um, why haven't I seen you around in the village, are you uh, banned or something?"
The woman laughed as she sat down across from Eric, "No, I just prefer to keep to myself. My family knows where I am."
Eric nodded, but didn't know what to say.
"You think you're crazy." The woman stated after a minute.
Eric nodded, "I think I'm probably in the sickbed, dying of fever or something."
"It's easier for you, to think that then it is to accept that you're really special." She said.
"That's because I'm not special, ask my dad."
"Your father does not know all there is to know about you." She argued.
Eric shook his head and said nothing. He could tell it was no use arguing with her.
"Why did you come here?" she asked.
"To be a teacher." Eric answered, knowing that the shaman was asking why Eric had come to Africa.
"That's not why you came." She disagreed.
Eric sighed, "I came because I wanted out of Point Place, and I wanted to get away from my mom and my dad and my life… I wanted to be able to grow up and make my own decisions. I wanted to; I guess I came here to become a man."
"And now you've learned what kind of man you're going to be." The shaman said with a nod.
"Actually, all I've learned is that somehow I'm going to be an invisible guide who works in Purgatory and something about messing with time. I'm not sure I really followed Jasmine when she explained that part."
The shaman laughed and shook her head, "Is that what the Malaika told you?"
"Yeah." Eric frowned. What was a Malaika, he wondered, but didn't ask. He just assumed she meant Jasmine.
"You'll become him when you are ready to become him, and not a second before or after." The woman said. For some reason, it quickly dissuaded some of Eric's fears. She put one of her frail hands on top of Eric's. "Chinelo, you are the protector."
Eric shook his head, "I am no protector. Look at me."
The woman smiled kindly and squeezed Eric's hand, "Chinelo, listen to me. You might not be the strongest or the bravest, but there's going to be a time when you're needed and you will do what needs to be done, because that is who you are. You are Chinelo."
"I don't know what that means."
"It means thought of God." The woman said as though that explained everything.
"I don't even know if I believe in God." Eric replied. "I mean, only go to church because my mom makes me, and even then I rarely listen."
"That is irrelevant." The woman said with a flick of her wrist. "Church has nothing to do with the spirit, and you have it. You are it."
"Uh, I'm pretty sure I'm not." Eric argued.
She slapped his hand.
"Ow!" Eric yelled. He rubbed his throbbing hand.
"That was for your insolence." The woman explained.
Eric nodded and continued to rub his sore hand. "You hit hard for an old woman."
She laughed, "You're only saying that because you're a wimp."
Eric laughed too, "Yeah a wimp."
"And yet, you're here." She smiled.
Eric nodded and then frowned, "Uh, it just occurred to me that I don't know your name or anything about you."
She rolled her eyes. "I am Umi, I studied literature at Oxford, I have two grandchildren, I am widowed and I have two grandchildren who are in your class."
"Nice to meet you, Umi." Eric repeated, "I'm Eric, I have a sister and an adopted brother, I recently broke up with my girlfriend and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with a Millennium old year old angel who would probably beat me to death if she knew." It felt good to get that off his chest.
"You are Chinelo." The woman said with a nod that said not to argue with her.
Eric sighed, "Fine, Chinelo it is." He was just glad she didn't press the issue about his feelings for Jasmine.
Umi smiled, "Are we done with the idle pleasantries?"
Eric gulped, "I guess."
Umi narrowed her eyes at Eric, "What worries you?"
Eric didn't have to think about it. He quickly answered Umi's question. "They haven't called me yet, but I know they will, because… I think I'm the only person that can talk to Hyde." He looked at Umi for confirmation, "Right?"
Umi kept her face blank and Eric sighed. "Yeah, I'm like his conscience or something. I know they must think that none of this would have happened if I hadn't left, so I guess in a way it's my fault that Jackie's in a coma."
"You feel hate for the girl." Umi said matter-of-factly.
Eric shrugged, "I honestly don't know how I feel about Jackie. I mean, she's not my favorite person in the world, but she made my best friend happy, and she means well, I guess. She's just really annoying, but I'd never want her to die or anything. When Jasmine showed me the vision of her drowning, I felt angry that I couldn't do anything to stop it."
Eric sighed, "Tell me about this war."
Umi sighed and shook her head, "We are not supposed to be involved."
"You mean humans?" Eric guessed.
Umi nodded. "That's precisely what I mean, and yet… it was the Nephilim's fault."
"Why?"
"They didn't know what they were. Were they human or were they divine? Only they were shunned by both."
"Must have been rough."
"It was." Umi shrugged, "Or so I've heard. I don't know everything, but I do know that Jackie and Steven are important and it's important that you help them, you're the only one."
"I'm their only hope?" Eric asked, feeling like Obi Wan Kenobi.
Umi laughed, "Yes Obi, you are."
Eric grinned. "This really doesn't make me feel any better."
Umi gave a pained smile, "I wouldn't expect it to. You have a dangerous path ahead of you, Chinelo, but the Malaika will help you, and so will I. But don't come every day, because then I'd have to kill you."
"Uh, okay." Eric said a little frightened of the bit of a woman sitting across from him.
"You can only do what needs to be done; nothing more or less is expected of you."
Umi's statement reminded Eric of what Jasmine had told him about becoming the Guide. It wouldn't happen a second before or after he was ready.
"What is it?" Umi asked with a bit of impatience.
"I can't tell anyone about this, can I?"
"It's probably best if you didn't. The Malaika has her own job, and even though it affects you, there's nothing you can do about it until the time comes.
"And not a second before or after, right?" Eric asked.
Umi gave Eric a crooked smile, "You're smarter than you look."
Eric's mind was racing as Umi continued telling Eric what was expected of him. As much as he wanted to deny it though, he knew in the pit of his belly that this was no joke. While she never came out and said it, it appeared that it was imperative that Jackie stay alive and that Hyde realize his mistake before it was too late. She didn't explain about the guide thing, and truthfully Eric was grateful. Finally she stood up and walked to her desk. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small book. She handed it to Eric.
"This is my gift to you."
Eric looked down at the cover. It was a small but worn copy of The Greek Myths by Robert Graves. "You're giving me a book on Greek mythology?" he asked, confused as to its relevance.
Umi nodded. "I am."
Eric nodded and stood up from the floor. "Thanks, I guess."
Umi smiled, "You'll be back." She answered Eric's unasked question.
Eric gave her and understanding and grateful smile and straightened his shoulders as he opened the door. He knew what he needed to do.
He was going home.
More Author Notes:
For those interested, the names Umi uses were taken from Malaika means angel. Umi's name means servant and Chinelo means thought of God.
Who knew huh? I bet some of you guessed that Eric and Not! Eric/V/The Guide were one in the same. On a personal note, I loved writing this chapter. I know this story and the character development in it were probably not what the creators and writers of That 70's show intended, but what do they know? They thought a stripper was a good idea. Idiots, every last one of them.
You know what to do.