The Purlieu Experiment
Chapter 18
Copyright 2015 & 2021
Donica was waiting at the tram station with her father when the message arrived. Dylan, one of Quade's sons, came into the lobby wearing a huge grin.
"I apologize for interrupting, but I thought you would want to see this immediately."
Quade took the message from him, giving him a curious look. His attention focused on the message as he read it. He glanced up and handed the message to Donica.
"You were right."
Donica read the message and gasped. "He's still alive, and he's coming home!" She looked at Quade. "I can't wait to tell Papaw. He hasn't been the same since Donte's letter arrived." Overcome with joy, she squealed her delight.
Quade chuckled. "I feel the same way."
Dylan grinned. "Shall I make an announcement?"
Quade shook his head. "Not yet. I don't want a crowd waiting when they arrive. It might frighten the Lochfowk guests.
Donica heaved a deep sigh. Leave it to Donte. He couldn't simply return home. He had to top it off with an historic event. She glanced up at Quade. "But why Lochfowk? How did he get there?"
Quade shrugged. "He said he was released. Maybe they assisted in some way. I heard that Lochfowk had been raided and President Sima's sister had been captured."
Donica handed the note to her father. "Maybe I should send Papaw a message." She smiled. "But I am looking forward to seeing the joy on his face when he hears the news."
Quade smiled. "I'm sure it can wait a little longer." He glanced up as a tram pulled into the station. "Here's your transportation." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Will you be here to welcome Donte?"
She gave him an eager nod. "Try stopping me!"
He laughed. "Then I'll see you tomorrow evening."
The tram ride to Bergen seemed longer than usual, but she finally arrived and took a carriage to her grandparent's home. When Saskia answered her knock at the door, Donica gave her a big grin. "I have the best news ever. Where is Papaw?"
Pieter called from his office. "I'm in here, Donica."
The wheels of his chair squeaked as he crossed his office. He appeared in the doorway and frowned at her. "What is this good news? Are you exchanging vows?"
Donica made a face. "No; much better news than that."
He lifted his brows. "Well, don't keep us waiting. What is the news?"
"Donte is alive, and he's coming home!" She blurted the news.
Pieter and Saskia stared at her.
"Seriously," She said. "Dad got a message from him today. He's in Cuna right now, waiting to take the tram in the morning. He was released!"
Saskia started to cry. "I can’t believe he's alive."
Pieter frowned. "Why did they release him? Where has he been?"
Donica shrugged. "I don't know. It was a short message. He said he has two people from Lochfowk with him...and he found Kenyon."
Pieter looked skeptical. "Are you sure Donte sent the message?"
Donica released an exasperated sigh. "Papaw, I told you I didn't think he was dead. Don't you think his twin would know?"
Saskia wiped her eyes with a kerchief and gave her mate a playful slap on the shoulder. "Must you always doubt everything? You doubted when you heard he had been executed and now you doubt when you hear he has been released."
Pieter smiled up at her. "I suppose it takes me longer to accept things than you." He sat in his chair and considered the information for a while. Finally, he looked at Donica. "When is he supposed to arrive?"
"He said midnight tomorrow."
He eyed her thoughtfully. "I assume you will be there to meet him."
She nodded. "If I have to crawl all the way."
He laughed - the first time she had heard him do so since Donte's letter. "I think the tram would be a better choice."
"I need to go send a message to Rianne. She was pretty upset about his letter."
Pieter nodded. "She was upset when she heard he exchanged vows, wasn't she?"
Donica glanced at Saskia and frowned. "That was over a decade ago."
Saskia smiled at Donica. "You run along and do what you need to do. I want to talk to Pieter."
Donica left their home wondering what Saskia needed to talk to Pieter about that she didn't want Donica to hear. At the message center, she first sent a message to her father, letting him know that she had told her grandfather, and then to Rianne, letting her know that Donte was alive and coming home. After she left the messages, she decided to take a walk. It was a beautiful day, fragrant with all the flowers that had begun blooming since the weather warmed. She took the pathway that wound around the side of the mountain and overlooked the pastures in the valley beyond.
What would Donte be like now? Why had he remained silent for so long? Surely he had recovered from his ordeal. Every time she thought of Liana's death, she remembered Donte's face at the funeral. Who could forget it? No doubt he had been in shock. He didn't talk or cry. He only stared at the graves, his face void of expression. Later, when he told Quade and Pieter that he was going to Nyumbani to give them an heir, everyone tried to talk him out of it. They shouldn't have let him go. He wasn't capable of making a rational decision at that point.
Would Donte go back to the farm he and Liana had built? He had seemed restless the last few years before her death. He loved Liana, of that she had no doubt, but he also missed the mountains.
Donica understood his feelings about the mountains. She had been brought up in the mountains, but he hadn't. Was it something in their genetic makeup? The colony of Bosvrouwen had the same genetic makeup, but they preferred the lowlands. Rianne said she didn't like the long cold winters in Bergen. Papaw's comment about Rianne came to mind. Did he think Rianne was in love with Donte? Was she? She had confessed to being infatuated with him years ago, but she had said nothing about how she felt about him now. Of course, she had been upset when she heard the news of his demise. He was the twin brother of her best friend.
Donica considered her own reaction. She hadn't been as upset as Rianne, but she had never actually accepted that Donte was gone. Maybe it was simply easier to deny it than accept it, but she had been right. Papaw might have been thinking that Rianne might be a way to bring Donte back to Bergen. Rianne was Bosvrouwen representative and possibly the most beautiful woman on Purlieu - inside and out. Even so, Donica couldn't imagine a lasting relationship between Donte and Rianne. Donte was always on the go, while Rianne liked to stay close to home. Nailing Donte down long enough to have a permanent relationship would be difficult enough, but Rianne would always be competing with him. At least, that was her opinion. One thing she was certain of was that Donte would do what he wanted to do.
The next morning Donica got up early, preparing to go to Libertad. It would be near midnight before Donte and his guests arrived, and she could have worked on a community project, but she was far too excited to keep her mind on business. She dressed and ate breakfast with silent and reflective grandparents.
"I'm taking the morning tram to Libertad to see Dad." She finally said.
Pieter looked up. "When he arrives, send me a message. We are planning a celebration for him."
So that was what Nana wanted to talk to him about in private. She smiled. "I will."
Papaw was finally accepting the information as authentic - sort of. He wasn't going to cement the details of the celebration until he had visual proof that Donte was alive and in Libertad. Hopefully he would accept her word on that.
Actually, it was more an indication on how deeply he had been hurt by Donte's letter. In the six years that Donte had been gone, Papaw’s health had deteriorated at an alarming rate. Not hearing from Donte had been bad enough, but to be told he had been executed had been devastating news.
When Donica arrived in Libertad, Quade met her at the station with more news. Kenyon was with Donte. Quade was more excited than she had ever seen him. Having two sons return from the dead would tend to do that to a person.
Soft Science Fiction
