The Shimmering Ship

By: Radio Rancher
(Copyright 2015 by the author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 9

The preparations for the wedding were going smoothly and everyone was very excited. There were hundreds of people busy setting up the stadium area where the two love struck people would make history on two worlds, and make three people very happy. Make that four people, because, you see, Delaren would be very happy as well, and he was very important to all three of the people involved with the new family that was becoming a reality. Since Delaren could see everything that Jamie saw, He was going to have a very good view for his new adopted parents' wedding. He was ecstatic!

The wedding would take place that Saturday, and everybody that had any clout at all on Arphoa was going to attend.

The presidents of the major countries of Earth were invited to attend as well, since this was the first time, as far as anyone knew, that two people from the two different worlds had married one another.

Transportation would be provided by a fleet of ships from five of the allied worlds. It would be a luxury trip for the Earth leaders. Any friends and family of the bride were invited as well. Their transportation would be taken care of by the Dawntreader.This was going to be ONE BIG wedding!

Ellen's Grandfather, Kenon Winthrop, was sitting in the living room of his large Victorian house, in Maine, looking at his scrapbook. It was open to his favorite picture, His mother and father were seated on a park bench, kissing each other and holding hands. His mother's name had been Ellen, and she had met her husband, Alfred, one afternoon in the park. He had stepped up to her, as she sat there, reading a book. She didn't see him approach her, but when their eyes met, they knew they were in love, and that nothing, and no one could change that fact. Alfred was kind of a loner, and didn't like to interact with a lot of people. He and Ellen would spend hours talking together, and holding hands. They had some trouble at first, trying to convince her father that Alfred would be able to take care of Ellen, and give her a happy life. Once her father had talked to Alfred and looked into those beautiful eyes, all his doubt melted away and the wedding took place. The two lovers had a long happy life together.

Ellen looked so much like her Great grandma, Ellen, that if you were to see a picture of the elder woman, at Ellen's age, you wouldn't be able to tell which one you were seeing.

The ship was due to arrive for gramps any time now, and he knew he would see, for the first time, the place where his father had been born. Alfred used to tell Kenon stories, while he rocked and rocked his little bundle of joy. Alfred would hug him, and call him his little miracle. Of course, Kenon never believed the stories his father told him, about the beautiful place he had come from, and would never be able to go back to.

The story told of a spaceship, that had somehow had its power drained, and had crashed. Only one person survived the crash, and that person was Kenon's father, Alfred. Alfred is such a formal name, that most of his friends just called him Alf. He told Kenon that he was from a far away planet called Arphoa. Alf said that he missed his home and wished he could see it again, but he was sure that someday someone from Arphoa would come to earth and that when that day came, Kenon was to give them the envelope that Alf had kept in his heavy trunk with the special lock that was somehow keyed to Alf and Kenon. Kenon had it now. He had never opened it.

Alf had asked him not to show it to anyone, unless they were from Arphoa. Kenon had not really believed Alf. He thought it was a fanciful fairy tale, that Alf had told him, to occupy his mind, while they spent time together, after the falling stone had killed his beloved mother. But, when Ellen, his granddaughter Ellen, told him that she was in love with a man from Arphoa, he'd almost had a heart attack.

It had been true, all true. He was stunned. Still he said nothing to anyone; not yet, his father had said not to tell anyone, until he had talked to someone from Arphoa.

He had followed Alph's wishes, for all those years, and never told a soul.

The envelope was in his jacket pocket, and he would give it to the head of the council of Arphoa. He could now grant his father's last wish. Wow, another happy person. Not only would he get to see his beautiful granddaughter, Ellen, marry her wonderful lover, but he could enjoy the look of surprise on her face and, the face of the chief council of Arphoa, when he handed him the envelope. How do things like that happen anyway? Kenon sat back in his recliner and fell asleep, smiling contentedly.

His doorbell rang, waking him from his nap.

He opened the door, A man stood there, smiling at him.

"Are you Kenon Winthrop?" Asked the man. 

"Yes I am. Please come in,” Kenon said.

Bish's jaw had practically hit the floor.

"You look just like my Great Uncle Alfred,” Said Bish. “He disappeared a very long time ago and has not been heard from since.

"Family resemblance?" Asked Kenon.

"That could explain it, but it would be very unlikely, since I am from Arphoa and you are from Earth. We are not exactly next door neighbors,” said Bish.

"Well, while that is true, there is something I have here in my pocket, which might have a bearing on the situation." Said Kenon.

"What would that be?" Asked Bish.

"The contents of this envelope." Said Kenon, as he proceeded to do exactly as his father had asked him to do under these exact circumstances. "I have never opened that packet,” said Kenon.

"It is addressed To Whom It May Concern from Arphoa,” said Bish in surprise. "This looks very old indeed.”

"It was my father's," said Kenon, "I am one hundred and seventeen years old and I was very young when I received it. I was instructed to give it to the first person identifying them as being from Arphoa. It seems that would be you, sir." Kenon said smiling broadly.

Bish opened the envelope, removed the letter, and began to read, as follows:

"To Whom it May Concern;

My son or his heirs are holding this letter in trust. Please forgive me for not returning to Arphoa and making my report. My ship was badly damaged during the crash landing due to a tremendously strong thunderstorm. I had to destroy the ship to keep it out of the hands of the authorities here. These people seem to be rather suspicious of strangers and are very superstitious. They would hunt me down, and kill me outright, if they ever found out who I was. I am the only survivor from our expedition. Thanks to the extensive training I received, before I left for our assignment, I have been successful in blending in with the native population. Now for the part that I am very proud to tell you,I have found a wonderfullady to share my life. She loves me as I love her and we will spend our lives together along with our son. Yes, that is my big news. A wonderful son was born to my wife Ellen and me. We have named him Kenon after my father. I believe he has many of our physical traits including intense resistance to disease. He has never shown the slightest sign of any childhood disease. I had hoped that a rescue ship might have been sent for me, however my hopes on that score have become less and less, as the years pass, and there has been no sign of more visitors from Arphoa. I have resigned myself to dieing here, but I strongly suspect that there will come a time that Earth will be included in the council, and when that happens, I hope to have my report submitted to the high council and approved for inclusion."

"Kenon" said Bish softly, "This letter is very interesting indeed. You see, my great grandfather's brother was lost and feared dead many years ago. No one ever saw him again. His father's name was Kenon. Does that tell you anything?"

"I might just guess that we are somehow related." Said Kenon.

"You look just like the pictures I have seen of Alfred, my grandfather's brother," said Bish. "Now I think we should get started. I want to get home. Father will be interested in this information."

Kenon picked up his bag and went out the door with Bish, locking it behind him.

"Do you think it's wise to have that sitting here in my pasture in the open like that?" Asked Kenon.

Bish smiled, "Number four!" he said, and turned to Kenon. "You are the fourth Earth person who has been able to see the ship with the naked eye, when she is cloaked."

"This information that you gave me here," he patted the envelope," has some bearing on that, since three of the four people are from your family. I would like to check your DNA as well, if you don't mind."

Bish patted Kenon's shoulder.

"She sure is beautiful." Said Kenon as they entered the ship, and headed for Arphoa.

As they landed, everyone was on hand to greet the only living Elder of Ellen's family.

As the crowd parted and Kenon stepped out of the ship, Korash almost fainted. He was looking at a man that looked, for all the world, like his father's long lost brother. "I am so happy!" said Korash.

To be continued...

The Wedding will be coming up, and much more.

Keep watching this space for all the new stuff.

Here you go and I hope you like it.
 

Re-posted  9/11/2015