Let's Take A Trip
Three days passed since the encounter with the Ginx and those three days were pretty tense especially for Joe and Lydia because the day was quickly approaching when Philip and his son would be going on their expedition to the Amazon jungle to look for one of the gateways to Troleyadia and they still hadn’t decided if they would follow them or not.
They weren’t exactly thrilled about their origin anymore especially after finding out that they were meant to fulfil some sort of prophecy and that the marks on their palms were a beacon for dangerous Ginxes and enemies in an entire realm.
The only day that didn’t feel like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders was the day Philip’s butler, Jürgen returned from his leave. He was an instant hit with Kurt, Joe and Lydia and they liked him as soon as they met him. He was kind, friendly, helpful, and his German accent made every word that came out of his mouth sound like ancient words of wisdom. Although he was a much older man, he never felt that way to the kids because of his open-mind and outlook on life.
Jürgen was more than just an employee to Philip, he was like family and he knew everything about what Philip does and even his true identity. Of everyone on Earth, Jürgen was the only one Philip trusted enough to tell his secret to and the old man had kept that secret for fifteen years. He knew about Randos, Troleyadia, King Darth, The Twin Seeds, everything but he never said anything to anyone.
The expedition was starting tomorrow so Philip went out to put everything that they’d need in order and left the kids at home with Jürgen. They were all by the swimming pool hanging out and having fun together one last time before Micah and his dad would have to leave.
“Why don’t you talk to him and try to convince him to come along? If he’s willing to come, then she might be willing to come as well,” Micah said to Kurt at the end of the pool.
They were both swimming in the water while Joe and Lydia were sitting beside each other in the pool chairs.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried? Joe has made up his mind and there’s nothing I can do to change it,” Kurt said.
“This is not how it’s all supposed to play out. They have to go back and find out about who they are. It’s the only way that they can finally find their place in this world or the other world,”
“They have to realize that on their on that own. All we can do is hope that they do,” Kurt said.
.
.
“All my life, I’ve wanted to know who I was. Where I came from, who my family was and what I was meant to be and I when I found out about you, I was so excited because I felt that I was on the right track. Then, I discover that you’re my sister and we have this destiny and although it scares me, I still want to know more. Don’t you?” Joe asked his sister.
They were both in their bathing suits but had not gone in the water yet.
“Of course I do. When I found out that I was adopted, it broke my heart and then my powers manifested for the first time and I just couldn’t stay there any longer. I ran away and never went back but in all that time, I also wanted to know who I really was and where I came from. It’s not at all how I imagined it’d be,” Lydia said.
“Should we go with them?” Joe asked her.
“I don’t know,” Lydia replied and they both remained silent and stared at the water.
Jürgen walked into the pool area with some towels for the kids after they were done swimming and he placed them on a table. Before he went back in, Lydia called out to him and he walked over to her and Joe.
“Jürgen, can I ask you something?” She asked.
“Of course, Miss Lydia,” He responded in his cute accent.
“Micah tells me you’re aware of everything that’s happening with Joe and me,”
“That is correct, I am,” Jürgen answered.
“Do you think we should go with them?” Lydia asked.
She and Joe looked at the old man with a look in their eyes that was packed full of a desperate need for the right answer because they couldn’t make the decision on their own.
Jurgen could see that desperation quite clearly so he spoke to them as sincerely as he could and gave them the advice he thought they truly needed.
“Miss Lydia, Master Joseph,” He paused and sighed before taking a seat beside them.
“I understand your fear. I cannot put myself in your shoes and feel what you feel but I understand. This is a huge decision that will affect the rest of both your lives and it is a hard one to make but, you have to look within yourselves to find the answer to your question because it doesn’t matter what I tell you, the decision is still yours to make.
“I didn’t have a family when I was young and unlike you, I never had a chance to meet them. If I could have, I would have done so this quick,” He snapped his fingers to pass the point, “You cannot let your fears prevent you from uncovering your identity and the one thing you must remember is that you are not alone in this and that there are people who love you and will stick with you through it all,”
Jürgen got up and he smiled at the two of them before walking away, leaving them to decide.
*******************************
It was six o’clock the next morning and Philip woke up from his bed, ready to start the day and begin his search for the gateway to Troleyadia. He got out of bed and sat down by his bedroom mirror and closed his eyes.
“May the Mother protect me and my son as we embark on this journey to return home and let her will be done as it is written in the prophecy. If I make it back to Randos, I will do everything I can to fix my mistakes and liberate the realm from the tyranny of Darth. With the Mother Eyah as my guiding light, let me walk the path and find my way to the tree of acceptance,” Philip said in a prayer.
About an hour later, he was ready to go and so was Micah. He had already packed everything they’d need in his van the previous day so all he had was a suitcase. The two explorers decided to not disturb Joe and Lydia’s sleep since they decided they wouldn’t come along on the expedition.
They went to the yard and found Jurgen already outside to send them off.
“Master Philip,” He greeted with a sad smile.
“Don’t be so down, Jurgen. We may not find the gateway and may have to come back home,” Philip told him.
“As much as I would like that, I wouldn’t want your trip to be a failure. I hope you find the gateway and make it to Troleyadia,”
“Thank you, old friend,” Philip said.
“And you, my strong little man, make sure you look after your father and listen to what he says, you hear me?”
“Of course, Jurgen,” Micah said and embraced the butler.
“Goodbye, Jurgen,” Philip said and opened the van’s door and as he was about to enter it, Joe, Kurt and Lydia came running out of the house and called out to them.
“Wait!”
“We’re coming with you,” Joe shouted out.
“Really? What changed your minds?” Philip asked.
“This is the only chance we’re ever going to have to find out who we are and we can’t throw it away because we’re afraid,” Joe said.
“He’s right! We decided not to let our fears stop us from finding our family. This is the right thing to do and I’m sorry we didn’t agree sooner because now, you’re going to have to postpone the trip so you can get us passports and documents in order to leave the country,” Lydia said.
“Actually, we had a feeling you may change your minds so we prepared ahead,” Micah said and brought out three passports from his adventure bag and handed it to them.
“You sneaky pair,” Kurt remarked with a smile.
“Alright, what are we waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road,” Philip said excitedly.
They all got into the van and drove off to the airport while Jurgen waved them goodbye and watched them drive away.
“Good luck, Phileous and I honestly hope those children will be able to forgive you when they find out the truth,” Jurgen said to himself.