Crystal Bella Read online

  “You can’t laugh, Bella.”

  He could see her laughing still, she was giggling with her big teeth and wouldn’t stop, then he started laughing too and he couldn’t stop. He felt suddenly light. He could see the light, and in this dark world there was still light. It was love and light and it shined on Ethan. It was like the history of all time, the rays of light were always creeping into this dark world to remind people like Ethan that eventually, one day all there will be is light, and every light warrior has to go through these experiences to grow to get to the next level, evolve and be that light, always forever the light. Ethan said to Bella, “you’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you, darling I also reflect you, Ethan, you’re beautiful,” she whispered back.

  Ethan jumped on his bed, closed his eyes and could see the image of him and Bella jumping around holding hands, then they stopped, she stared at Ethan. They were both standing still now, then she took him in her arms and hugged him with all the light she had within her. She blew love into his little body and held him with joy. Ethan felt so peaceful. His eyes closed now and he fell asleep still cuddling Bella. His soul went to the ether for the night where he would spend it with Bella, not that he would remember when he awoke.

  ~~~~

  Ethan’s eyes opened, in that very moment it was peaceful. His soul felt good, Ethan felt good and the peace and serenity made him wonder where he was for a moment, then he remembered where he was, at the Taylor’s and his life came back to him in a flash. The serenity went just as fast.

  Ethan got up and walked to the kitchen where his cousins were. They looked at him liked they didn’t care. The kitchen was busy as normal with the girls fighting over toast and who had the butter with small arguments breaking out.

  For a moment Ethan was able to rise above it all and just see it for what it was. It made him feel better when he did that, when he just didn’t care or react. When he saw the truth in it, it liberated him from the mess. It detached him and left them in their horrible ways. Mace purposely took his toast, she just grabbed it, looking for a reaction. Ethan knew what would happen if he reacted so he didn’t. Right now things seemed different, he just didn’t care and had no need to react. He just thought, you’re all mental and I’m glad I am not like you.

  They were all fighting; fighting to survive, fighting to be noticed, fighting to be loved. But Ethan felt special and he didn’t need to fight, he had to be love and not let their darkness bring him down.

  Today Ethan played it polite. He didn’t complain about losing his toast and just did as he was told. It seemed to bother the girls as they got no reaction. Just as he was leaving the front door Mace made a remark.

  “Your mom may never return.”

  This comment did stop Ethan in his tracks and the seven year old boy suddenly turned older and in that moment when he faced Mace he did look almost like a young man, his soul had come forth and would speak.

  “I will see her again and I will a have a beautiful time with her. You’re just nasty and it shows on your face.”

  Mace didn’t know what to say, she was cut short with his words and the way he looked

  Ethan left. He walked down the road trying to stay calm. He felt afraid this morning, then detached, then angry. All these emotions running through him, but what he also felt was courage. He knew he was just a young boy and he did feel vulnerable but there was a sense within him that made him feel that he could not lose, that he was invincible, that the innocents of his love would somehow protect him. He felt like a little child, but he also felt this strength.

  Ethan pondered what something was trying to tell him. When Mace had said to him, you won’t see your mom again, he had a strong feeling it was untrue. If it was untrue then maybe after all he would see her again. Ethan felt excited and a little nervous. He couldn’t think what it would be like to live without her. That thought was brief, but enough time to make a tear fall from his eye. Then his courage returned, the release of the emotion made him tune in again and he believed. He believed he would see his mom. He had the feeling he would, so he thought he would ask.

  “Bella am I going to be with my mom again?”

  He stopped walking as he asked, and stood quietly and listened. He felt this strong light come over him, a love that touched his heart, and in a language he could not quite understand properly in words, but made perfect sense on a feeling level, the answer came through with the deepest feeling and it was yes! Ethan sobbed with joy and the depth of the answer and he knew then he would see his mom and would not doubt again.

  “Not too long to go,” he heard a voice say, “she will be with you soon.”

  It was Bella. He could sense her and for a moment he had the biggest crush on her. It was just the innocents and the beauty of her, so pure, this angel child who was looking after him.

  “Thank you, Bella,” he said, trying not to let on about how he was feeling about her, keeping his thoughts focused. Then he laughed to himself, she probably knew anyway and Bella did. Truth was she had known Ethan for centuries and to see him in this life in child form was incredibly captivating for her. He was so cute and she was going to protect him and love him unconditionally with all her essence.

  ~~~~

  It had been three and a half weeks since Ethan had last spoken to his mom, when Mrs. Taylor came into his bedroom with a very serious look on her face.

  “Telephone for you,” she said.

  Ethan felt this excitement, he tried not to think about it just in case but he felt it was good news. He picked up the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Angel beautiful.”

  It was his mom and Ethan just cried and sobbed on the phone, it was joy. The most beautiful woman in the whole world was alive. It felt amazing to hear her voice. She assured him she was okay and she was. She would be out of the hospital in a week. She needed to be out, she had to be with Ethan. She felt courage when she spoke to him. He needed her but she needed him and they were both the strength for each other.

  She didn’t really want to ask, but she knew she had to and asked about the Taylors.

  “They’re assholes, mom.”

  But something made him laugh. It was his soul, because they were assholes but that was them and he was the light and the universe was going to remove them from his life. He laughed because he was separate from them. Ethan had pride in who he was and that was it. He had done no wrong, they had tried to blame him for everything but in the end it had made him stronger and his love had remained.

  He spoke to his mom a couple more times as he counted down his time to go home.

  Ethan still went to school where all the girls from his class there were especially kind to him. There was a group of five girls that used to look after him and cheer him up. They were kind and sweet. It was like they loved him and Ethan was always quiet and shy around them but he felt their peace and most of all their protection. They were like his own little earth angels.

  On his last day he thanked them for all their kindness and told them how sweet and lovely they all were. He had to tell them, they had to know. He would always remember them even though they were only in his life for a short time.

  The class sang a song for him and it was a really enjoyable day for Ethan.

  ~~~~

  Ethan arrived home from school and had one more day left with the Taylors. Ivan was back from his athletic meeting and had red eyes from crying. He hadn’t even reached the final and he blamed it all on a rash that had turned up on his face and legs.

  “I would have won. It was just the rash,” he said. He then punched Ethan on the arm. “I saw you smiling.” Ethan didn’t react.

  The girls knew he would be away tomorrow and were talking to him. They always argued or sometimes played and argued. Today they were reading each other’s palms. They wanted to read Ethan’s and he politely said no thanks. They were saying things to each other like, you will have three kids, you will die old. The youngest Megan said, “I will be a l
awyer and marry a gentleman and live happily ever after.”

  She looked at Ethan and he didn’t believe her and she could tell. “Read my palm if you like,” she said.

  He looked at it, the other girls looked also. They were all intrigued with what Ethan would say. When Ethan looked at the other girl’s palms before, only from a distance, he got the feeling that the line they were talking about, that referred to death and other things was most likely their status in later relationships. They would all have many divorces it seemed to say to him, and now Megan was asking. It was his last day so he decided to look.

  The thing with Megan was she was self absorbed, wrapped up in the self, so much so all she could see was the physical self, there was no depth. She could only see the self and this would continue Ethan felt.

  “I will be married happily ever after,” she said.

  Ethan could see a line that ended suddenly and he knew what it was.

  “You will meet someone like you. You will get married but it won’t last long. You’ll be married for about three years and it will be a nasty divorce. But it may teach you.”

  The docile look went fast. All the girls were intrigued. They loved what they heard. They hated Ethan but they didn’t really care much for Megan either. She had an unlikable personality that most found uncomfortable, like she did carry a dead rat with her.

  “You’re wrong,” Megan said in a mean face and left and went to her bedroom.

  But Ethan wasn’t wrong. Years from now that prediction would manifest in time and she would remember all those years ago with what Ethan had told her. Ethan had that effect, people always remembered him and what he had said.

  ~~~~

  Ethan got up early and got ready for his last day. A friend of the Taylors was taking him to the bus stop. He was all packed and ready. He was pretty early so he just had to wait. He saw Ivan’s drums sticks, they were his special ones. Ethan knew he had to be forgiving but the rebel in him wanted to do something funny, so he decided he would compromise and do both.

  He grabbed a knife and a pen and went into the bathroom where he wouldn’t be seen and decided to carve into the drum sticks. The first one he wrote his name in it....‘Ethan wuz here.’ He then put the ink into it to make it stand out. He then grabbed the other stick and carved out....‘Don’t blame the rash.’

  He put the sticks under one of the mattresses. He guessed it would take them a few months before they would find them.

  It was six months before Ivan would find them. They were his favorite, special sticks and he was highly upset. He always knew it was Ethan who had taken them, and one day Mrs. Taylor came in.

  “I have some very good news for you, Ivan.”

  She showed him the sticks. He was jubilant. He was so happy, until he saw Ethan’s signature on them.

  “What the hell is this!?” he said.

  “Don’t worry, Ivan there is always a negative.”

  Ivan screamed. He read it out loud, “Ethan wuz here.”

  He thumped the wall. “What does the other one say?” He read that one out too, “don’t blame the rash....”

  “Just ignore it, Ivan and ask God to forgive him.”

  “I only lost because of the rash!” If it wasn’t for the rash I’d be the fastest 15 year old in California!” he screamed.

  Ivan kept the sticks for two weeks until he decided the torture was enough. He couldn’t stop thinking of Ethan when he played with them and he felt forced to throw them out.

  ~~~~

  Ethan was all good to go. His bags were in the car and all he had to do now was grab his drink bottle and say bye to the Taylors. They were all sitting down, the four girls and Mrs. Taylor. Ivan was still in bed and Stan was out.

  Ethan faced them. They were all looking at him. To his surprise he felt a bit of compassion. They were all dressed in silly, yellow colored clothes just staring at him.

  “Okay Ethan,” Mrs. Taylor said, “no need to be so dramatic. Say your goodbyes and be off…and say thank you.”

  Ethan looked ahead and he felt pride. He felt like a little warrior.

  “Thank you for the shelter,” he said, then a big smile broke out, “I’m off to see my mom.”

  He glowed, he shined and most of them hated it. Jane, the boy looking one looked more perplexed, like she couldn’t understand what love was or understand Ethan. The others were just jealous at him shining.

  Ethan then left. He walked off like a little film star, he had a swag in his walk, he felt proud. He felt like he was walking through the light. He knew God was with him, she always was, she was shining through him, and off he went to never see those haters again. He forgave them but his focus was now on his beautiful mom.

  ~~~~

  Ethan was dropped off to the bus stop where he took his bus to San Francisco.

  It was amazing how he felt. He felt so happy and strong. Just knowing where he was going to be, made him loving and forgiving. He didn’t care about the Taylors as he had his life to live and that was his joy and focus.

  He got off the bus in San Francisco. He was helped with his bags and he looked for his mom. And there she was in the distance. Her dark hair was flowing in the wind, she was on crutches and when their eyes met her face broke out into the most beautiful smile Ethan had ever seen. He had to run to her. Tears rolled down his face and he ran into her and they hugged. Ethan sobbed uncontrollably. It was both joy and sadness from missing her so much. There was also a part of him that wanted to care for her too. He loved her so much that he would do anything for her, and when he looked up at her, he saw all her strength and love. He could tell in her eyes she had been through a tough time but there was love and depth and she told him how much she loved him.

  “I love you Ethan, I love you. I love you.”

  Over the next few days they both talked about their experiences. Ethan told her nothing else mattered now as his wish had been granted and she was back in his life.

  Life slowly turned back to normal. Elisabeth had a huge financial hit from what happened and was unable to work for a year, with another operation required to remove a plate from her leg.

  They were broke for a couple of years. But during that time they always had their needs met. The universe always provided, often just at the last moment. They had little money but Ethan’s innocents always helped. He used to say to Elisabeth when they had little or no money, “we live in a cool house, we have enough change to go for a walk and buy a drink and I have you, and you have me...that’s all I need! And we have pretty cool friends too.”

  That always made Elisabeth determined to get ahead and she did. She worked hard and it paid off and the rewards came later.

  ~ CHAPTER FIVE ~

  ATTRACTIONS OF LAW

  Ethan walked around his mother’s florist shop. It was situated on a slight hill. Perfect slope Ethan used to say, in that it gave the shop a lift but not too extreme. He always liked plodding around there helping out his mom. Today was Wednesday and the shop built itself towards the weekend when it was usually at its busiest.

  The shop had beautiful wooden features with a large front bay window and down the slope you could see the sea. Inside the store Elisabeth had kept it charming in disposition, with a perfect arrangement of flowers to go with the temperature of the whole place. She changed the format to her store every season to contour with the changing climate and it seemed right to always evolve and never be dormant. This gave her an edge in decoration, because when it was perfectly right with all the season’s colors, it would still flow on again with more variety in a different theme, so no matter what it would always evolve and her customers loved it. Elisabeth wanted the accurate details in everything when it came to her flowers and the shop decor. She always wanted to sense what was coming next in trends and to be ahead or have her own essence to apply with what was coming in. Like touching a flower as it blossomed and enhancing its path or decorating its own path.