14/XIV. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Remastered)

“Here, I live with my three sons and daughters, and also my wife.” Noah walked along the trenches and led Michael into the caves.

The sunlight rarely reach the trenches and the rough edges of the Valley protrudes the path towards the caves that the family lived in.

“We wanted to live away from the savages who call themselves humans, so we took up this hidden space in the trenches.” He added, smiling back to the angel.

The angel smirked back at the man, seeing how they set-up multiple traps and alarms inside the perimeters of the caves and the trenches.

“That’s great. Have you been safe from the others since you came here?” Michael’s curiosity peaked as he took a step inside the cave, the rocks carved into a wide room, stools and hides of the sheep are placed at the floor.

The stalagmites reflected the shine of the fire in the torches making the room lit unnaturally.

“I set up a perimeter on the trenches and these strings tell me if they’ve been breached.” Noah lifted up his hands to the top of the door and there were six strings up tightly pulled into something that extends far beyond the cave.

The cave was well-lit and from the fact that the cave was carved by hand, and there were traps everywhere, Michael grinned in utter fascination.

“How many years have you prepared this place?” Michael took a step back, as Noah closed the wooden door of the cave.

There were sharp rocks that Shem has been using on the fish they hunted inside the cave.

Ham and his wife are cleaning more hides for their clothes and their beds, and Japeth has been striking the flint stones on the wood to produce fire to cook the fish.

“Almost a hundred years, I have had help, with my three kids.” He smiled as he presented each son to Michael.

The sound of the crackling wood and the burnt smoke calmed Michael down as he marveled at Noah’s handiwork.

The lingering lights of the fire and the reflection of the glimmer of the fire on the stalagmites washed all of Michael’s worries.

“The last time I was here was when your ancestor had their third child-Seth.” Michael began to feel comfortable with the family.

“Seth? I remember my father Lamech tracing our bloodlines and telling me stories.” Noah sat and set himself near Michael.

“The third child of Adam and Eve.” Michael inhaled and sighed as he remembered Adam and Eve.

“You were there? Then you have outlived all of us, even me!” Noah’s bright face brought a smile to Michael once more as the family ate amidst the wooden table that Noah constructed.

“You can say that.” He answered, trying to evade more questioning. “How have you and your family living these days?” He quickly ended the questioning and turned it around.

“We’ve been… hiding inside these caves, but we have enough to last generations.” Noah answered sheepishly, as the three sons and daughters bowed themselves in shame as well.

“I have thousands of cattle near the ravine at the end of this trench, hopefully, the savages won’t be able to spot them as we tarry them along in the trenches and caves, I also taught my sons how to hunt and fish to survive, and I have taught my daughters how to plant herbs to go with the cooked meat.” He continued.

“Hmmm… herbs…” Michael sadly looked at the herbs that Noah’s wife threw in the cauldron atop the fire that Japeth lit.

It seems that almost more than thousand years has passed but for him, it’s only been a blink of an eye since he last saw Cain caring for the herbs in the family’s garden.

He sighed but not wanting to diminish the enthusiastic mood as they prepare the table, he continued, “Who is your father?”

Noah smirked, he also didn’t want to end the joyful spirit by inquiring about Michael’s sigh, and he politely answered as he laid down the plates at the table, “My father is Lamech, who is the son of Methuselah, who is the son of Enoch, who is the son of Jared, who is the son of Mahalaleel, who is the son of Cainan, who is the son of Enos, from Seth, who is the third son of Adam and Eve.”

He carefully looked at Michael’s expression as it changed from sad to worried to glad and fulfilled.

“Seth…” The angel quickly smiled as he remembered the infant.

It was only his birth when he visited the couple, he was only able to hear news of the child through telepathy through the animals and plants and constantly checking up on them.

“You know Seth?” Noah curiously inquired, Michael’s reactions warranted the man that the visitor knew about his ancestors.

“I knew Adam, his wife, Eve, and the first three sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth.” His eyes widened in joy, as Michael tried to contain his grief from the bad memories.

“I… I have always asked father and grandfather about our ancestors, I only knew their name, and yet here you are, the answer to my questions.” Noah’s expression and enthusiasm as he turns to his family and as the family sat down with the stranger to eat at the table made it impossible for Michael to say no to his request.

“It’s a sad story. Do you really want to hear it?” The angel, in his last attempt, tried to put a stop before answering the inquiries of Noah.

“I’d rather hear it than not. Please…” His begging eyes convinced Michael to tell the whole story from the beginning of the universe.

“Alright. It all started with the Light.” The angel began his story with God and His Creation.

“The Light?” This piqued Noah’s curiosity even further.

“Hmmm. That’s right. The Light shone brightly amidst darkness, and amidst that darkness, He wanted to create life, and so He did.” Michael continued his story, earnestly trying to deliver it within his perspective.

“Life…” The following statements of Michael got Noah thinking about their situation with the Nephilims.

“Through His words, he created another light amidst the darkness and called the light ‘Day’, and the darkness, ‘Night’.” He smiled while telling the first day of Creation.

“Wow, only through His words?” Japeth butted in, his interest also reached a peak.

“Hmmmm, on the second day, He created the firmaments, the skies, Heaven, and also spiritual beings.” Michael grinned but averted his gaze from the family to the fire.

“How… how about the third day?” Shem barged in the conversation.

“On the third day, He brought out the land through His word. The Earth and the planets were formed.” The angel chuckled at the enthusiasm of the kids.

“What about the next day?” Ham tried to chime in.

“He formed the sun, the stars and the moon, and the heavenly bodies.” He’s almost at tears seeing that the family was interested in His story.

“And the fifth day?” Shem’s wife voiced her inquiries. She could no longer hold it in.

“He spoke and the fishes and the birds came into existence.” The angel sweetly answered the question.

“And the next one?” Japeth’s and Ham’s wife rebutted in.

“His words came out of His mouth and the creeping land animals manifested. He also molded and created in His own image, the first human, Adam.” Michael recalled the moments that God created the human and his smile was swept off of his mouth.

He hesitated on continuing the story and the family looked at each other confused, waiting for him to resume everything.

“After God made man in His own image, He rested on the seventh day.” He cut it short.

The angel stayed silent for a while, gazing down the floor and into the darkness.

“What about Eve, Cain, Abel and Seth?” Noah tried to break the silence with the constant nagging.

“One of the spiritual beings that were residing in Heaven got jealous of the human on Earth.” His answer were so much farther from Noah’s question.

But Noah and his family didn’t press any further, and they only looked and listened intently to Michael.

“Two of those beings always visited Earth and one of them befriended the human, the other stayed in the shadows, and soon, the human felt lonely.” He smiled sadly, still maintaining his gaze on the burning fire.

Lonely. That word hit Michael differently. He remembered his first walk with Adam. “Right now, are you… are you lonely?” Adam asked him casually.

“He requested another human to be a helpmeet, and the Light gave him Eve.” Michael continued the story.

He summarized the story as he wanted to shorten it as much as possible, he didn’t want to remember the bad things.

Noah noticed that Michael was refusing to give him all of the details, and repressing the bad memories. He wanted the stranger to face everything and tell them what he knew.

“You mentioned two beings? The one was friendly, how about the other one?” He broke the silence of the family and pressed Michael.

“Hmmmmm…” The angel sighed at his concern. “The two of them were both jealous, but the other one moved about to end his hatred through friendly relations, the other one embraced hatred and planned a rebellion.” Michael elaborated on some details, but he still wouldn’t include the names of the beings.

The angel introduced the forbidden trees in the Garden and how it was set-up.

“You mean, there’s a Tree out there that, if we eat its fruit, we will never die and become immortal?” Ham’s eyes lit up, Seth and Japeth became too much invested as well on the trees.

“That’s right.” The angel got the whole family enticed of the Trees. “But the Trees no longer exist.” He had to get them back to reality.

The Garden of Eden has already been sealed off from humankind. Even if they began a journey to find the Garden, they would not be able to get past the Seraphims and Cherubims that guard the Garden and the Trees.

Michael’s statement pulled them back to reality that all humans die sooner or later, and there’s no escaping it.

Their disappointed faces and demeanor told the angel that they’re back to reality and he continued the story.

“The spiritual being that planned a rebellion enticed the woman to eat of the forbidden Tree – the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The family’s eyes were opened.

They were shocked that the first woman was the first human to be enticed to such temptation.

The sons all looked at each other, embarrassed to have desired the same forbidden fruit that the first woman desired.

“What happened, then?” Noah wanted to hear the rest, not for himself only but for his sons who looked down in shame.

“She gave in to the temptation and ate the fruit, and then tempted her husband, Adam to eat of it as well.” The wives of the three sons became concerned and ashamed as well thinking the same desires with their husbands.

“Father punished the sinners. Death became the punishment of humans because of disobedience, and Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden, out of their paradise.” He continued. He spoke as if there was something in his chest that became too painful to bear.

“Are you okay?” Noah can tell there was something that bothered the stranger.

“I’m fine.” His short answer pierced Noah’s heart further.

His cold shoulder and his averting gazes, his choice words and even his closed arms and legs, Noah figured that the stranger really did not want to talk about what happened in the Garden.

“I’m so sorry to have pressed this story from you.” Noah’s apology gave Michael an impression that he was concerned about the angel’s feelings.

“No. I’d like it if someone other than me can remember everything.” The angel peered directly at Noah’s eyes and inhaled deeply and continued the story.

“The friendly spiritual being taught Adam and Eve how to survive outside of the Garden as the plants and animals became wild and dangerous, and after several years, the two begat Cain, their firstborn.” The stranger grinned sadly again, his eyes glimmered in the light of the fire that crackled inside the cave.

“Adam taught Cain how to till the land, and seven years after, Adam and Eve begat Abel.” His tone changed from apathetic to a gentle, softer one, when he mentioned the name of Abel.

He became teary-eyed when he remembered how they buried Abel in Cain’s field. He couldn’t get the words to come out of his mouth and he couldn’t find the courage to tell anything more.

Noah discerned that it was not the best time to continue the story as the stranger became too emotional when it came to the story of Cain and Abel.

“My friend, I’m so sorry to have pressed you about this. You don’t have to tell it all in one go, we’re happy that we have known out roots.” Noah patted the back of the angel as he gazed away, breathing heavily, and containing his emotions.

-------------------- // --------------------

“Please stay.” Esther’s teary eyes moved Arthur’s heart, even for just a moment, another person, besides from Johnny and Matthew, wanted his company, and enjoyed fellowshipping with him at the most stressful times.

He wanted to build a more stable relationship with the friends that he had established here in Los Angeles, but for the moment, it was not possible.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go. Here, don’t lose this, okay?” Arthur opened Esther’s hand and laid a snowy-white long feather enough to look like an eagles’ quilt, and closed Esther’s hand.

It was almost late in the afternoon when the twins said goodbye to their schoolmates, and the administration.

At exactly four in the afternoon, Greg pulled up to the primary school building entrance to wait for his daughter’s class ending.

“Dad!” Esther peeked out of the classroom window and dragged the twins out of the building with her.

“Wait, Esth-“ Arthur couldn’t possibly protest, this was his last time to hold Esther’s hands.

“Arthur, Johnny, you’re both here!” He walked out of his vehicle to welcome the trio.

“We’re saying out goodbyes.” Arthur held Esther’s hands gently but more tightly.

Greg can see the traces of Esther’s tears at the end of her eyes, she poured out her heart because two of her best friends will be away for an indefinite amount of time.

“Esther, baby, they need to move for a while and be with their father, right?” Greg turned to Arthur as he hugged his daughter and wiped the tears off of her face.

“Yes.” She answered, she knew the situation, but- “But, Dad…” She tried to object unsuccessfully.

“Come on, it’ll be harder for everyone if you’ll be this way, say good bye to Arthur and Johnny, alright?”

“Hmmmm…” Esther faced Arthur, holding back her tears once more. “You’ll come back, someday, you promise?”

“Wha- I-…” There’s no room for escape. He looked her in the eye, and held her hands and put them in his chest. He can only sigh and- “I… promise.”

[SFX: sniff, sniff, sniff…]

“Alright… then, for now, goodbye.”

“Good bye, keep the feather safe. I’ll come back for it.” Arthur forced his smile.

Esther was the only true friend he and Johnny gained at that school.

Almost everyone else alienated them due to their high intellectual quotient.

Matthew, and the twins drove away from the school waving goodbye to their only best friend, as they drove back home at the mansion, expecting their mother and father to be ready for the flight tomorrow.

The drive seemed long as the memories of their goodbyes fleet away at dawn.

“You’ll miss them, I’m sure.” Matthew broke the silent awkwardness going on within those twenty minutes drive back home.

“Our world finally expanded then this happened…” Arthur’s remarks broke Matthew’s heart as well as they drove back home.

In reality, Arthur or rather Michael, started to trust the humans again, especially, when they consulted with the Special Crimes Division for about two years.

He only used Hawkeye one time at the whole department, and learnt that there were many corrupt police officers in the whole department, but the ones on the SCD has the most cleanest of conscience.

Due to this, Arthur gave them a chance to prove themselves to him and he started trusting them one by one after Greg and became friendly with the team.

“We’re here! We’re home.” Matthew sighed as he opened the front gate and drove past the driveway garden to the large wooden oak door of the mansion.

The last day they’re going to see the colorful dawn setting at the side of the mansion, at the cliff near the sea, the last day that the sun will dawn on the beautiful home they had for eight years, for Matthew for almost more than thirty years of his life.

He parked at the front of the wooden door, and lead the twins inside, as the three entered the home, the pungent smell of food came across their nose and hungry stomach.

“FOOD!” Johnny ran up to the stairwell and into the hallway directly to the dining room and was greeted by the long table full of food, pasta, spaghetti, pizza, sodas, roasted chicken and pork,

Their morning started with the police station, then the afternoon ended with the school, and the three were all met by food already ordered by Edward.

Arthur and Matthew hurriedly followed Johnny in the dining room as Edward, wearing an apron atop his black suit, delivered the favorite staple food of the twins, the broccoli with cheese, hot from the oven.

“Hi kids! You haven’t eaten right? Given the excitement Johnny has!” Edward laid the hot plate on the edge of the long table.

“Hm!” Johnny nodded answering Edward’s question.

Edward smiled as he invited the three to the table and said grace, for the first time.

“Lord, I thank you for the wonderful blessings that you have bestowed upon me – this man, my trustworthy friend, and my children. I pray that with this food, we can enjoy our last day here on the mansion, and grow closer together on our new place, Amen.” His eyes showed joy and grief at the same time.

“Amen.” The three answered.

Johnny started gobbling up the hot broccoli while Edward tried to set up the napkin at Johnny’s lap.

Arthur already knew by Edward’s expression that the talk with Emily became futile and that they will only be the ones departing to London, the four of them.

He tried not to ruin the mood and started eating as well.

“Your style of cooking is different with Matthew’s but both are very delicious. Thank you, father.” Arthur tried to break the silence.

“You’re welcome.” Edward happily replied.

As the night grew dark, the family grew closer as they talked about their experiences for the last eight years in the mansion.

“I remember that day!”

“Hahahahhaha!”

The three were full after splurging for carbohydrates, at the end of their meal, the two adults drank a glass of white wine, while the two kids drank two bottle of juices.

“We had so many memories at this place, Sir Edward.”

“I understand, and I know that there’s so little of that with me, but there, in London, I can be with you every day.” He smiled and reassured the kids.

“What about mom?” Johnny didn’t feel the atmosphere. This idiot.

“It’ll take more days to convince Mom but… she already told me that she doesn’t want to go with us, if that’s the case, would you still go with me?” Johnny looked down for a moment, contemplating that their mother decided to abandon the two of them.

“We still want to go.” Arthur held Johnny’s hands as they both faced their father. “Hmmmm!” Johnny nodded in agreement.

“That’s great!”

There might be a day where I will be thankful for this decision, but for now, let’s see what happens at the other side of the bridge when we get there.