Chapter
10
mothers gift
“What an exciting week we have had!” said Tali, sitting on the bed next to Lucy.
Lucy opened her eyes to see the entire family sitting in her bedroom.
“I need a vacation!” replied Lucy. “My head is killing me.”
“I think we all need a vacation.” said Tali. “You father has also had a hard time dealing with the President.”
Lucas was playing a game on Tali’s cell phone in the chair next to Lucy’s bed, and John was sitting in a chair on the other side. He had a cardboard box on his lap.
“What’s in the box?” asked Lucy.
John carefully opened the box and pulled out the same snake that bit Lucy, and it was ALIVE.
Lucy anxiously sat up in her bed, but Lucas was too busy playing games to notice.
“I thought it was dead!” said Lucy
“It wasn’t dead.” John replied. “Almost, but he’s still alive. Your mother was able to save him!”
“Did it almost die because it touched me?” asked Lucy.
“I think so!” replied John.
“So, can she help animals, like you helped the trees at the park?” asked Lucy.
Tali sat closer to Lucy on the bed and gave her a hug.
“Soon, you will help them too.” she explained.
“Why do people like us exist?” she asked.
Tali held one of her hands.
“This world is in a whole lot of trouble.” she explained.
“Lucas!” John called, interrupting Tali for a second.
“Yes!” he replied.
“You might want to listen to your mother as she explains something.” he replied.
Lucas handed Tali back her cell phone.
“The world is in a whole lot of trouble.” Tali repeated.
“What kind of trouble?” asked Lucas.
“The darkness of many people, will eventually destroy the lives of all plants and animals on Earth, without our help.” she explained.
“How can we stop it?” asked Lucy.
Tali smiled and called Lucas over to sit on her lap.
“All of the hate people feel for each other, the fighting, the wars, waste and pollution and more. Your father and I just can’t keep up with our responsibilities. Mother nature has chosen the both of you to help.”
“How?” asked Lucy.
“I am not sure, but I have a feeling, everything will work out in the end.”
The snake in Johns hand began to crawl over to Lucy’s bed, placing it’s head directly on one of her feet.
“WATCH OUT!” Lucas shouted.
It was too late. The snake had already touched her, but it did not bite, and it did not die.
John picked it back up.
“No need to worry anymore, her touch is harmless” John explained.
“What kind of snake is it?” asked Lucy.
John took the head of the snake in his hand.
“It’s a sidewinder rattlesnake!” he replied.
“YIKES!” shouted Lucas.
Everyone except Lucas started laughing.
“Do you want to hold him?” John asked.
Lucas stood on his chair almost jumping on top of Lucy, trying to escape.
“NOT FOR ME! NOT FOR ME!” he shouted.
John placed the snake back inside the box.
“Thanks to your Mom and Lucy, he is quite harmless, and he is the first vegetarian rattlesnake on the planet.”
John took a piece of pineapple and set it next to the snake inside the box.
The snake immediately made a circle around it and slowly tasted it before opening its mouth to eat it.
“How did we make it a vegetarian?” asked Lucy.
“Your gift has turned into a blessing!” he replied.
“How about my gift?” asked Lucas.
John laughed.
“Your gift will need a little more work, and we will find out more with the Grizzly Giant.” he replied.
“Is it my temper?” asked Lucas.
“No.” John replied. “It is something a little deeper.”
Tali pulled a picture out of her purse, and held it up for both Lucas and Lucy to look at.
The picture had a hand, with a really small baby inside. The baby was not crying and it was reaching up in the air for something invisible.
“That looks like Lucas!” teased Lucy.
“That’s not funny.” Lucas replied. “I was never that small, plus it looks fake.”
Tali and John both started laughing, causing Lucy to laugh.
“It IS YOU Lucas!” Tali said, squeezing him as he sat on her lap.
Lucy’s mouth opened as she looked up at Lucas.
Lucas could feel everyone looking at him and his face turned bright red, feeling embarrassed.
“Are you sure that is me?” he asked. “Did I live in a little mushroom house or something?”
“The hand is the only picture evidence we have left of your biological mother.” explained Tali.
“Ahhh, can I hold it?” asked Lucy.
Tali handed Lucy the picture.
“Be gentle!” she said.
Lucy looked really close at the picture, first, observing baby Lucas, then tracing the shape of her biological Mothers hand.
“Was she like us?” asked Lucy. “Did she have a gift.”
“She is our daughter.” replied Tali.
Lucas and Lucy both looked at each other, and then looked over to John. He had tears in his eyes, but was smiling.
“You guys don’t look like grandparents.” said Lucy.
“I still can’t believe they are over 2,000 years old.” said Lucas.
Lucy turned to Tali, holding up the baby picture of Lucas.
“He is so, so, so cute!” she called out. “He is so tiny, so blue. He has the cutest big ears and big feet too!”
“Put that away!” demanded Lucas. “Let’s talk more about our vacation!”
“I have always said. One days exposure to Yosemite is better than a library full of books!” said John, cheerfully.
Everybody celebrated!
