Eve stared at the fig tree that had finally grown 6 times her height and had finally produced fruit. However, the first ones to do so were way out of her reach. She thought about using a ladder yet felt exhausted at the idea, so she just stared at the fruit until Adam suddenly showed up.
"Do you want to eat figs? Here? Step on my shoulders and you'll be able to get it." He got down on his knees and nodded his head down.
Eve stared at this man who was practically bowing to her. She thought she should see something philosophical about this, but after years of this man treating her with such kindness, she knew he was simply trying to be helpful.
She got behind him and carefully placed each foot on his shoulders. He grabbed her ankles with his coarse hands and slowly Adam rose from the ground. She felt safe and stable, was able to grab a few good figs and was carefully placed down on the ground.
She took a bite and they were very delicious…and very nostalgic.
"Ruff!"
She looked down to find Canine with eager eyes to have one, so she gave one to him. She looked back to Adam who was content with just watching them enjoy it. Yet she wasn't satisfied with seeing him not know the deliciousness, so she handed him one.
Adam was surprised by the offering that he took it with both hands and then appeared a little too happy after taking a generous bite. Eve was annoyed and embarrassed by his reaction since she knew she had been acting monstrous. Ashamed, she walked away from him.
Yet when night came, she wasn't ashamed enough to not crave his warmth. She got out of bed and with Canine following her, she found Adam sleeping in his little hut on a bamboo cot. Adam woke up, startled to see her and then concerned, but she pressed him back down on the cot. It was going to be cramped, but she was skinny enough, so she had Adam lay on his side and she plopped herself right against him.
Adam was frozen until Eve placed his arm around her. Adam remained stiff for a few more seconds before his body relaxed and his hold tightened. The puffs of air on his neck told Eve how happy he was.
When it came to chores, Eve didn't have the muscle yet, so she took it upon herself to make Adam food like they did before the tragedy. She was a bit messy, but Adam ate everything as if he hadn't eaten for years himself. Eve couldn't help smiling at his goofy face full of food and juice dripping down his mouth.
When she could lift more, she helped him do part of the chores, so he had more time to relax. Canine remained by her side as her aid. With his good nose, he could tell when she was at her limit. Eve made sure to give him a lot of kisses and head were a lot of apologies, too, at the beginning but she slowly let go of the habit as the months passed by.
She didn't do the same with Adam. It wasn't his fault, but apologizing for her behavior mutually felt like it would diminish her pain. Not in a she-was-justified-for-her-assaults-kind-of-way, but more along the lines of if-one-is-forgiven-then-it-might-mistakenly-speak-for-others-who-don't-deserve-it.
And she didn't mean the Watchers. Eve was aware of them since the sky and island were acting unnatural. She doesn't feel ill will against them since like Adam, she understood that they were simply doing their duty.
However, it didn't mean she trusted them at all.
She asked Adam over dinner, "The angels who are watching over us…?"
"You mean the Watchers? Ah, yeah," A guilty expression washed over his face.
But Eve eased it, "The Watchers must be good for helping us this whole time. Is it atonement for what they did to us?"
Adam made a solemn face as he nodded, "They were told by Sera that you had led me astray after eating the apple of forbidden knowledge so they thought they were punishing a sinner. But they came to realize later on that they were wrong, so they helped me escape and take care of you."
"I see." Eve gave a small smile, relieved that they seem to be the rebellious bunch themselves. "What made them realize?"
"Well…I guess it's about time I told you about what happened to me in Eden." Adam took their empty bowls and washed them at the sink. "After the Watchers took me to Eden, Sera tried to wipe out my memories, but she only did so here." He pointed at his head. "And not here." He pointed at his chest. "And then she introduced me to her new creation that she creepily named Eve."
"That is…strange behavior."
"It is right! I get goosebumps trying to figure out what she was thinking by pulling that sort of stunt, but it's better for my mental health if I don't. The woman she created wasn't that great either. According to Yeqon, one of the watchers, Sera made a mistake waking her up in Heaven and over filling her head with greatness. With the way she treated me like some toy, I believe them. That Fake Eve- we'll call her Phé for short -was the snake who would eat her young to survive." He placed the dishes on the rack, and wiped his rugged hands on the hand towel.
Eve got up from her seat and the two sat down on the bamboo bed with her holding his arm.
Adam took a deep breath, finding comfort and strength in her touch, "It's nothing compared to y-"
Eve placed her finger on his lips and shook her head. Adam understood and changed his words, "It was a nightmare, but the strange thing is, I'm grateful she was terrible. I'm still traumatized but if she wasn't as blatantly terrible as she was, then even if I felt that something was wrong every day for the rest of my life, I'd smother it with my belief that it was my duty to God to be with this woman. The belief that I'm just meant to be used! That all my worth is depended on my services and not me!"
Thick tears dripped from his eyelids as his face became a contorted mess of anguish and grief. Eve pulled him into a hug, letting Adam squeeze her to the point that it was hard to breathe. Adam let out a wail that frightened even the Watcher who could cast thunder! The animals were either frightened or responded to the wail like Canine who howled. Eve also broke into tears, feeling her own misery well up and spill forth yet her screams were silent.
Samyaza couldn't help crying for them, feeling an ache in his chest that he never had before. Bezaliel, his right-hand man, held him up. His fellow leaders, Yeqon and Azazel were puzzled by his emotional reaction. They looked at each other, wondering if this was a problem or a natural occurrence that they were witnessing for the first time.
After a while, the wails and the tears stopped. The humans were drinking water and placing cool towels on their eyes. The Watchers did the same for Samyaza, having the angel lie down on a cloud.
"I think we should call for Big Brother Raphael." Azazel considered. "Maybe being away from Home for too long has started to turn us human as well."
Yeqon stared at Samyaza. They took on their human form and asked, "Is that so bad?"
"What? Have you gone senile?"
"Perhaps I am. 'Suffering makes a great teacher.' I want to know what that suffering is."
Azazel sarcastically asked, "So you want me to get someone to strip you of your angelic powers and lock you in a cave?"
"I want to know what it means to truly love. Back Home, there is the stress of making Heaven perfect for when Father comes back Home. But could I still be loved even if I were to act out like all the human women? Could I still love, hate or care nothing for the lot of you like the First Man?"
"It would be a waste of time because you'll end up realizing the love at Home was always the perfect love you needed."
"And I want to experience the journey to come to that realization! Adam did! I want the same!"
"You…!" Azazel groaned. "Whatever! Lets not call Big Brother Raphael! We'll see how things go for now! Just…be careful with those kinds of thoughts. Samyaza may be influenced by them and he's more sensitive than the rest of us. So whatever journey you suffer through, he may suffer worse."
Yeqon lovingly caressed Samyaza's head, "I know. If it weren't for him, we'd probably get into more trouble than it's worth. But I don't think he'd regret the suffering either."
"Shut up. We don't even know what that suffering feels like so don't speak for the rest of us."
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry." Yeqon just continued lovingly caressing their brother's head while Azazel tried to keep a somber expression, but deep in her eyes, she was also filled with curiosity.
._._._.
The next morning, Eve woke up first which was new for them. She looked down at Adam that had a streak of orange sunlight across his face. She smiled down at the man, kissing him on the lips for the first time in over a decade. Adam's eyes popped open, and for a moment he couldn't recognize reality, but once it set in that he was indeed awake, he turned Eve over on the bed and kissed the woman deeply.
Eve forgot how to breathe, that she turned her head to the side to gasp for air. Adam carefully watched her reaction, and Eve did look back up to him, processing the turn of their relationship. If she were honest with herself, as much as she was filled with fury and hatred, she had not once thought of leaving this man.
She closed her eyes and exposed her neck. Adam kissed the weak spot and bit into the skin a bit. He then got on his back, helping his wife get on top of him so she could do the same to his neck. Once Eve pulled back, the two stared at each other, and with no sign of rejection, they closed the gap between their lips again.
Canine recognized the smell of those hormones, and made it his job to keep everyone away from the house, including the Watchers, but Yeqon snuck in out of curiosity. The couple never noticed them at all and continued throughout the morning and early afternoon.
Once they were finally able to come back to their senses, Adam carried Eve to the bathhouse where he cleaned her carefully so she didn't feel too much pain afterwards. He carried her back to the house where he intended to change the sheets, but they were changed for him. Adam wasn't sure how to feel about angels witnessing something so carnal, but he chose not to think too deeply and instead prioritize Eve's health.
He laid Eve against the headboard and prepared an early dinner for them. He checked on the animals while Eve ate, but all the chores had been done, and Canine was sleeping peacefully in the little hut.
Adam yelled out his appreciation to the angels before heading back home to eat dinner with his wife.
._._._.
"There we go!"
Adam and Eve stepped back from what they called a telescope. They had been working on manufacturing the right piece of glass that would help them see much farther. It took melting a multitude of different sand that they had collected before they were separated.
Eve took the first peek and was fascinated by the sight of dolphins from a long distance. "Amazing. If we keep creating better glass, we will eventually see the hidden secrets in the sky and maybe even in our bodies and other living and nonliving beings. Without me having to starve myself of course." She took out her book that had sketches of her skeleton and her organs. Adam had sketched them for her with details of how they seemed to function to the best of his ability. He just knew she would've loved the findings and she absolutely did!
Adam took a look and was just as amazed by the sight of the dolphins from afar. "Something like this could definitely help with scouting the area if we go on our travels again." He took out his own book which was filled with mostly scenery drawings which he would paint afterwards.
As they wrote/drew down their findings, they paused when they realized they weren't alone. And they weren't talking about Canine or the other animals. They looked back to find Penemue in the form of a woman with papyrus colored skin covered in inked hieroglyphs. Her bright green woolly hair was tied back and strands stuck out with small slivers of yellow as if it were reeds.
Eve answered her before she asked, "Adam and I created these characters during our time in Eden so we could document our history. At first they started out as drawings, but with so much to say, they slowly began forming into characters and took form into sentences. Would you like to learn?"
Penemue nodded eagerly and Eve went back to the first few pages that documented their own writing system.
Adam had noticed Azazel and the masculine version of her appearance in a leather tunic inspecting the telescope.
"We don't have such a device back Home."
"That's because we have immaculate eyesight, Gadreel, so I never thought of inventing one."
"These humans have many inventions that Heaven doesn't have that I'm envious. It's like they have more toys to play with."
"Don't be such a brat. These are inventions to help them survive…But they do appear fun." Azazel took a look through the telescope. She didn't care for the sight, but was intrigued by the glass. "Such rough materials you'd never expect in Heaven…they're so beautiful."
Adam unsurely said, "Thank you?"
Azazel didn't care for his response and instead began spouting, "I'm sure if you change your measurements and increase the heat, then surely you'll create a finer piece of glass. The sand must be prominently quartz material and if we discover new elements, we can certainly combine them to create a glass especially made for optimal eye sight!"
Gadreel pointed out, "I don't think that's something I can test since my eyesight is good as it is."
Azazel paused and reeled herself back, "You're right!" She kept nodding her head. "There's no point for an angel to create such a useless thing that can't even be used as a toy!"
Adam said to be nice, "I'd love it though."
Azazel was immediately on board, "I'll be in the smithy! And I won't use my magic! This will be a challenge!"
"AZAZEL!" Samyaza descended down with Yeqon and the other 15 Watchers. "I left you in charge, and you break the rule that Big Brother Raphael had placed on us!"
"YEQON BROKE IT FIRST!"
"I did."
"YEQON?!"
"I was concerned for Adam's well being because I thought the two Eves were no different from each other, but I was clearly wrong."
"But you can't just break the rules like that! Once the archangels find out, we will be forced back to Heaven!"
"Then best to make the most of it since we don't know what Big Brother Michael will choose once he returns. Aren't you curious, too? You were bawling your eyes out when they were having their big moment, and have been gossiping with the others about their love story."
Samyaza blushed, "I-I was-"
"He was."
"Bezaliel?! I thought you were my confidante!"
The shadow angel, who took on the form of a bald, thin man, was as dark as a black pearl that the whites of his eyes were distinct and his skirt seemed to be crafted from shadows itself. This mysterious man shrunk down into the size of a cherub, and plopped himself down on Eve's lap. "I also want to know more."
"Me too!" A second cherub-sized angel plopped down. This one was completely cloaked in midnight blue and the hood completely shadowed his face in such a way that nothing but a mouth could be seen.
"Sathariel!"
"Give it up." Yeqon and Azazel placed their hands on his shoulders.
Eve offered, "I don't mind sharing stories about how we met and fell in love." She smiled over to Adam who returned it.
Samyaza tried to fight his curiosity but found himself turning into the size of a cherub. The other Watchers followed and sat like good little angels while Eve and Adam shared their story. There were about a thousand years worth of stories to tell so hours went by, and when evening came, they had to pause it much to the Watchers' dismay. Samyaza motioned to leave, but the other Watchers followed Yeqon and Azazel to the humans' home. He was about to scold them, but found himself following them instead.
In the home, Eve and Adam prepared all 20 of them meals. In Heaven, they used utensils, but for Adam and Eve, they used their hands. Turiel, an angel with white hair, dark freckles and blue eyes with a ring of gold, got on Adam's lap to inspect his food. Adam took it as him wanting to be fed so pinched the ball of dough, mixed it with the seasoned curry and brought it to his mouth. Turiel gently put it in his mouth and naturally no food was better than Heaven, but the experience of being fed so gently had Turiel demanding to have more!
Eve was touched by the scene and helped wipe Turiel's face when it got messy. The other Watchers looked on in fascination since Turiel was one of their more egotistical siblings who could move mountains in complex ways. Yet here he was, being treated like a…baby? Even giggling and clapping his hands in joy.
Soon enough, another angel plopped down on Eve's lap. The Watchers were gobsmacked when they saw that it was the quietest among them, Asbeel. Small and frail, his human appearance had a beak-like nose, deep set onyx eyes and a tiny mouth. Unlike Bezaliel who hides away in the shadows or Tamiel who could be invisible, Asbeel could hide in plain sight. He only ever let his appearance be known when Yeqon was present, but now, he put himself in view to be fed by Eve. He did not smile but he clapped his hands in joy.
It was such a sight, but Samyaza quickly made sure the other Watchers ate their own meals so the humans who actually needed the food could eat. After dinner, he insisted that they leave since they didn't need to sleep. They relented and gave their goodbyes.
Adam and Eve giggled at their cuteness, yet the surrealness of it all kept them awake halfway through the night. They figured that it was only a one-time thing, but the next morning, the Watchers appeared in their tiny forms again, willing to help the humans do their chores so they could continue the stories and do other fun things.
Sure enough, Adam and Eve did have some projects they wanted to explore and the angels would be extremely helpful. So after doing the chores, Adam and Eve had them help them prepare lunch and spoke of stories for the next two hours. Afterwards, Eve had Azazel and a few of the angels help her create a better telescope so she could study the universe at night. Adam wanted to explore the ocean to discover and befriend even more creatures.
Yeqon remembered that one Watcher actually resided in the sea.
Adam was surprised, "There are more of you?"
Samyaza responded, "There are 200 of us. 9 of each are under each of our leadership, but I, Yeqon and Azazel are the main leaders of the Watchers. Rahab is in Sariel's squad." He called out, "Sariel."
A woman with midnight blue skin appeared. The whites of her eyes were black; her irises were completely white and her pupils were grey like the moon. Her smooth straight hair was deep black and reached her ankles, covering most of her body that they acted like curtains to her own eyes. On her head looked like a golden canoe holding a moon-like disc and she only wore a long translucent skirt.
She spoke with a deep voice, "Yes, my brothers?"
Samyaza asked, "Could you get in contact with Rahab? Adam would like to explore the ocean."
"There is no need to ask me. Rahab has long abandoned Home and claimed the sea as his home."
"That's right. I forgot."
Adam asked, "Angels can abandon Heaven without repercussions?"
Samyaza delicately put, "Father has told us not to interfere with the lives of humans but nothing about the rest of the Earth. It's unthinkable for an angel to leave Home, but a few of us are…eccentric."
"I've considered it." Yeqon admitted. "Heaven is perfect. Rahab could create an ocean in Heaven, but what Heaven lacks is unpredictability which could result in suffering. But I do not…feel that it's the right time yet to leave." The angel stepped into the water and the water glowed at their touch. "A feeling that Rahab must've had a long time ago. Come forth brother and tell us."
Answering the call, the ocean split apart revealing the reefs beneath and a large creature walked forward. The closer it got, the better Adam could see that it was a black and white whale that he had seen before but this one had grown arms, legs and a neck to stand like a human.
"Yeqon. Samyaza. It has been a lo-" The whale stopped when he saw not a mighty angel but a cherub humanoid angel standing at the shore.
"What is wrong, Rahab?"
"Uhm, did you lose your powers, Samyaza?"
"Not at all. Why wou…" He blushed when the realization hit and quickly transformed into a proper humanoid form. "I apologize. I was keeping my appearance modest for the humans."
"I see. I apologize. Is there a reason you have called me after all this time, my elder siblings?"
"Yes. I'd like to introduce you to Adam. The First Man."
"WAIT! I GOTTA SHOW MY WIFE!" Adam sprinted towards the smithy and came back carrying his wife.
Eve was astounded by the sight of the creature and both humans quickly greeted him with a short bow. Eve introduced herself as the Second Woman by only name but not gender.
Rahab, who saw himself as a creature of the sea more so than an angel, bowed too. "It is my honor to meet the First Man and Second Woman by name. I would be more than happy to show you the hidden mysteries of my home."
Azazel stepped in, having followed, "I think it's too soon to venture the ocean since it covers more than half this planet. You may not come back for another thousand years. Perhaps even longer if you were to build a home there. Humans should first learn how to create a civilization on land. As for the sea, you should start small and introduce them to the wildlife and understand its own magnetic forces that produce the waves in the first place."
Eve elbowed Adam's side and loudly whispered, "I told you that the waves had some kind of connection to the moon!"
"Understood." Rahab manifested a trident into his hand and pierced it into the sand. The ocean completely surrounded the island and it was so clear that they could see the animals swimming all throughout. "We shall start with the freshwater animals."
Adam and Eve had their books ready, which had incidentally become a summoning for Penemue. The other Watchers also arrived in their cherub form since they had no idea what filled the oceans either, making Rahab almost shy to give his presentation. Yet he persevered and gave his best presentation with some dissecting group work.
Samyaza commented, "The ocean seems to be completely without religious law. Not to say it doesn't have a wonderful culture of its own."
Rahab responded, "It is. I have a theory that father may have created the ocean to be outside of his worship. Otherwise he would have given the humans gills, scales or webbed feet to become one with it."
Yeqon guessed, "Perhaps it means that humans are able to eat the fish."
Adam and Eve perked up at the idea.
Adam pointed out, "Eden did have a large lake with fish that I used to feed the predators. However, unlike the sheep where one would gladly sacrifice itself to ascend to Heaven, fish just hopped in the basket."
Azazel asked, "You two didn't eat meat or fish throughout your journey when you had nothing else?"
Eve said, "Not at all. We were forbidden from eating the land animals, and we never thought to eat fish since there would already be plenty of vegetation near water. But if not for our blessed immortality, it may have been a different matter."
Adam inquired, "Would our stomachs even be able to handle eating fish meat? They might be poisonous to us like how we discovered we can't eat every fruit we see. Much less touch every leaf we see."
Yeqon suggested, "We could get Big Brother Raphael to help us with this decision."
Azazel scowled, "I don't like the idea of us bothering our Big Brother over something like this. Clearly we need to figure out a way to test what is deemed poisonous and whether they are an exception to their diet."
Samyaza said, "I don't want us to take the lead on the latter question. If we do not feel comfortable asking Big Brother Raphael, then let us ask another archangel. There are 12 of them, so certainly one of them may have the answers."
Sariel suggested, "Perhaps we may ask Big Sister Haniel. She is the archangel of intuition." The three leaders agreed unanimously, so Sariel raised her hands which made the disc on her head ripple. Soon enough, Haniel's face appeared, "Samyaza! I had a feeling you'd call. What is your question?"
"We apologize for bothering you Big Sister Haniel, but we would like to know whether humans are allowed to eat the fish."
"What an odd question. After leaving Eden, they are free to do as they like."
Eve said, "But everything is God's creation, so there must be some rules that we're still bound to."
Haniel answered, "I am moved by your devotion to Father. On the matter of food, I had this discussion with Uriel. Father told Adam and Lilith that they have all the produce in Eden to eat. However, Father had not explicitly said that they cannot eat fish nor meat. Only that they have all the food they require to remain alive. There is also the matter that humans are meant to be an omnivore who is above all other omnivores, herbivores and carnivores. Following that logic, you may do as you like."
Adam hugged himself, "I don't feel comfortable being someone above others. I am the animals' caretaker so they do not need to be as vicious as their wild counterparts."
Haniel curiously inquired, "Do you care for the fish?"
"No. I…I guess not." He let his arms down. Eve stepped into his line of vision before she grabbed his hand.
Haniel said, "Then let me put this in a different perspective. Everything you eat is alive. They may not have the same complex design as you, but they all exhibit a behavior in one form or another. Hence why you still say thanks to not only Father but to the meal you are provided since all you consume is a form of sacrifice. So as long as you follow proper etiquette, then all should be well."
Eve inquired, "I have an odd question then. Adam and I have witnessed cannibalism from many animals. If we gave consent to be eaten in order to sustain the other, would that be considered evil?"
Haniel closed their eyes with a contemplating expression, and then she answered, "Hunger itself makes one do the most dire things since humans were created to persist. If one were to be put in such an unfortunate situation by no fault of their own, it will still be seen as unsavory since humans were created in Father's Image. But Father is always forgiving and understanding. However, whether you can carry such a heavy burden is up to you."
Eve looked to Adam, having only thought about the sacrifice yet not of the heaviness afterwards. Yet seeing Adam's disturbed expression, she also came to the realization of her state of mind. She backed away but Adam hugged Eve and wept over her misfortune to come to such dark thoughts. The Watchers looked upon this guiltily.
Haniel cleared her throat, and lightened the mood a little, "If I remember correctly, the Watchers had agreed to not interfere with the humans' livelihoods!"
All 20 Watchers jolted at the reminder. 16 of them scrammed into the jungle immediately. Azazel, Yeqon and Samyaza unfortunately did not have the liberty, yet they took on their cherub forms to at least appeal to Haniel's sweeter side.
Samyaza spoke, "W-We know we have broken the contract b-but this is a form of atonement."
Haniel smiled softly, "I fully support your choices. Eve may have not been a creation of Father, but she was a resident of Eden and Adam's chosen wife. It may have been Sera's manipulation but by affiliation, Heaven itself is responsible for both of their recovery. I will speak with Raphael over this matter. Although, I have a feeling he is aware. And once our other siblings arrive, I will speak in your favor."
"HANIEL! WE ARE INDEBTED TO YOU!" The three bowed deeply to her.
Haniel giggled, "It's no problem at all since I have a feeling our siblings will want to interact with the humans. Toodles."
Sariel lowered her hands, having the disc ripple until it returned into its original form.
Rahab inquired, "So shall I provide some fish for dinner?"
The Watchers looked to the couple who were speaking about the tragedies of hunger and the heavy weight of guilt. They decided it was best to hold off the fish until later.