When Saint Goes Marching In (43 page)
Read When Saint Goes Marching In Online
Authors: Tiana Laveen
“If you ever have any questions or concerns, you can come talk to me. I think I’m approachable. I’ve been told by some I’m not, but I’m telling you now, anything you want to talk to me about, you can. Now, here is the part you’re not going to like.” Just then he noticed one of the members, all the way down at the other end, start to fall from his chair and about to hit his head on the corner of the table. Saint rushed to his side and helped him.
Everyone looked at Saint and clapped.
“Thank you,” the member said as he got back into his chair, dazed and confused. “I was reaching for my water and somehow lost my balance,” he explained.
“Saint, you’re fast! We didn’t even see what was happening until you had already helped Ulysses up.”
A strange feeling came over him as he walked back up to the front of the room. It was the same odd feeling he’d had had five years ago when he rushed around the room quickly setting the mood for the conception of his first born. It was the same one he felt when he heard Mona yell and he raced back to her and Sergeant Kane’s bedroom. He pushed it out of his mind and continued.
Saint looked around the room. “There is going to be a salary freeze for two years. The reason why is because we have to hire many new people who are specialists in their given fields. We are building new Rainbeau Haven centers and starting the Queen program, and this means big expenses. I do have one bit of good news, however. Your insurance will be increased. I thought some of the dental and co-pays were too high for your premiums, so that adjustment will save you and your families some cash. Also, due to the passing of my wife’s dog, Sphinx, soon after she and I met, I want to set up pet insurance for anyone who is interested. We are also offering incentive programs such as, if you volunteer at a center, you earn points and a chance of being entered into an annual drawing to win prizes like vacations, cars, boats, you name it.”
An excited hum flitted across the room.
“So again, I’m sorry about the salary freeze but there will be other things to help make it not so rough and at the end of the two years, salary increases will be reinstated,” Saint said solemnly. “At this time, I’d like for you all to prepare to update me on your projects. We will spend the next two hours going over this. Please get your laptops out and I’ll be right back.”
Saint smiled and expeditiously exited the room and made for his office. He closed the door, locked it and headed over to his new desk. The wooden maiden’s nipples drew a chuckle from him. He picked up his cell phone and grabbed a business card out of his laptop case pocket.
He sat down and dialed. “Hi, may I speak to Lawrence, please?”
“This is he,” the man said breathlessly.
“This is Saint, Saint Aknaten. We met while I was in Colorado on business.”
“Ah yes, I know who you are, Mr. Powerful!” Lawrence laughed. “I took the liberty of looking you up online. Now I see why I thought you were a Porn Director.” he laughed. “Those are
some
books you’ve written!”
Saint chuckled. “Yeah, very perceptive. Um, I have a question. Wait, did I catch you at a bad time?” Saint asked.
“No, just finished my morning jog actually. I told you to call me whenever you had questions and I meant that, go right ahead.” Lawrence encouraged.
“OK, great.” Saint lowered his voice to make sure no one would listen from the outside. “Something new has come about. Well, it’s not new but I never paid much attention to it before. I noticed something about me, about what I can do, and it baffles the hell out of me.”
“Such as what?”
“My speed,” Saint answered. “I can move very quickly when I want. The first time it happened, about six years ago, I shrugged it off because I was in the middle of something important. It happened again recently when I was preparing a special romantic night for my wife. I thought it would take me upwards of three hours at the least to get everything ready and I was done in ten minutes, twelve max. I lit over a hundred candles and put flowers everywhere, the food out on the table, and I also cleaned the house, top to bottom, you name it, it was done. I don’t even remember doing half of the stuff that I did. It is like I blacked out.” Saint put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. “And just now, I raced over to a guy who almost fell out of his chair and was there to catch him before he could bust his ass. He was quite a distance away.”
“Sounds like you’ve got flash,” Lawrence said.
“Flash?” Saint repeated. “What’s that?”
“Let me ask you something, can you create fire, a frigidly cold breeze, ice and other acts of nature with your hands or mouth?” Lawrence questioned.
Saint hesitated then answered, “Yes.”
“Yeah, only the ones that can do all three or more usually have flash, too. It looks normal to other people who aren’t like us; it just looks like you are walking briskly to normal people. You’re moving fast to them, extremely fast, but it doesn’t look like what is actually going on because they don’t have a trained eye for this. This is happening on a different frequency, a different vibration. In actuality, you are
almost
moving at the speed of light. It happens when you are very focused on something, or something is urgent and it requires you to meet a deadline. If what is going on needs to get done quickly in order to save someone from injury or death or to preserve something precious to you, your body will automatically do it because your brain is saying it’s urgent. If you don’t want it to happen, then you have to literally sit down somewhere and meditate. That will stop it,” Lawrence explained.
Saint quickly reflected on the night he and Xenia created Hassani. Once it hit him what he wanted to do, he was nervous that he might not make the conception window in time, due to that evening’s earlier events. He felt ravenous once he got into the house. He hadn’t even considered the conception even an hour prior, then all of a sudden, he had to have her and he had to give her a baby, immediately. He needed her to refuel his energy through creation, but he also wanted to give her what she wanted. It drove him to lose his mind and become the animal that he always knew he was deep down.
He’d fucked the shit out of her, and he took her roughly, like a tyrant taking a mere possession and using it to his advantage.
He remembered thinking about it the following day, and it troubled him.
He was afraid he had hurt her. He’d noticed bruises on her wrists from when he mounted and restrained her. Saint asked her about it, but she seemed oblivious to what he was talking about and looked just as surprised about the bruises. It was apparent now – she didn’t feel any major pain from their rambunctious lovemaking at the time it was happening. While he was in the act, he’d felt like he was moving a hundred miles a minute but he couldn’t stop himself. He was so hell-bent on making sure he got her pregnant that day, nothing else at that point mattered. He ensured that with Dakarai it didn’t happen again. They planned their second born months in advance.
Lawrence
added. “What we call ‘nature acts’ is what you have. I can make fire with my hands. I just rub them together and concentrate. Some of us can’t do nature acts at all, and some like you, though more rare, can do all of them. One theory is that if you’re able to change environmental conditions like that, then you need to be able to contain them should a fire rage out of control or a frigid temperature put someone in physical jeopardy. Again, Saint, you’re powerful and a rare find. I doubt that there is more than twenty of your type in the whole world. One is an African living in Morocco. He’s a highly sought after medicine man that I personally met. His name is Samir.”
“One day I will need to speak to him,” Saint said, as he rubbed his forehead.
“He most likely already knows about you. He knows about all of us. Anyway, you know why you can do it, right?” Lawrence asked.
“Well, I’ve been leaning towards the fact that when I’m dealing with someone who has perpetrated a crime against humanity, that there is some sort of Heaven and Hell connection. I just do it instinctively.”
“Right, there is a Heaven and Hell connection though we don’t all call it that. Some call it saved in grace and fallen in grace. If you feel compelled to use the gifts, do so as you have been. When you feel the urge, it means that the person you are dealing with, on some deep soul level, needs to receive that but always remember the karmatic rules. Don’t break them, ever. The natural elements are very powerful. No words are needed. Fire speaks for itself. Storms and floods speak for themselves. The fact that you can create these means so much more than you may have initially realized.”
Saint deliberated briefly on what Lawrence had said to him.
“And for the record, you don’t age physically like other people anymore.” Lawrence cleared his throat.
What?
“What do you mean?”
“Saint, when your gift became fully developed, whatever day that was over these past five years or so, that’s the same day you stopped aging at the same speed as other men. What you look like right now is how you will look for probably at least another five years. Most people begin to look a bit older every year or two. With you, it’s more like every seven to ten years.” Lawrence cleared his throat again.
Saint closed his eyes and drowned in disbelief.
“Like I said, I looked you up,” Lawrence said cheerfully, changing the topic.
“I wanted to find out all about you since you were blocking me and honestly, you are such a unique one I was curious as to what you were into,” Lawrence confessed. “I read a couple of your books. You’re phenomenal, man. I want you to know also that my wife is Black,” he laughed.
“No shit! Really or are you just pulling my leg?”
“We’ve been married for four years,” Lawrence chuckled. “There’s more like us around the world, Saint, with varying degrees of the gift, and many of us are in interracial marriages. There may be something to that and I never really thought about it until now.”
Saint was intrigued. “Lawrence, how is your historian job going?” he asked as he spun around leisurely in his chair.
“Honestly, the museum I work at cut my hours and I don’t get called by the college anymore due to budget cuts. I love my job but it is affecting my income drastically. I love American Indian history; that is what I teach, as well as classes about International Indigenous people. That’s my passion. I substitute teach at the high school sometimes. There just doesn’t seem to be any jobs around that can give me just enough to make sure food is on the table at all times. We’d like to have children but I’m afraid we are just too financially strapped right now and my wife works a job in customer service. It’s never enough, plus, she hates telemarketing. I wish I could afford to let her come home and work on her artwork, she’s a fabulous painter, but I just can’t right now.”
Saint rubbed his chin. “Hmm…let’s see. How would you and your Queen feel about moving out to sunny California, Lawrence? I have a wonderful job opportunity that I think may fit you to a T.”
* * *
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Saint watched the other speakers walk up the podium. He looked out in the audience, filled to the brim with beautiful Queens of varying shades, sizes and appearances. The bright, blazing lights shone on him and the other seated speakers, causing Saint to become increasingly warm. He looked down at his watch then back up as he waited to approach the stage. A part of him was furious, though he tried to stay on the topic at hand.
Everyone looked at Saint and clapped.
“Thank you,” the member said as he got back into his chair, dazed and confused. “I was reaching for my water and somehow lost my balance,” he explained.
“Saint, you’re fast! We didn’t even see what was happening until you had already helped Ulysses up.”
A strange feeling came over him as he walked back up to the front of the room. It was the same odd feeling he’d had had five years ago when he rushed around the room quickly setting the mood for the conception of his first born. It was the same one he felt when he heard Mona yell and he raced back to her and Sergeant Kane’s bedroom. He pushed it out of his mind and continued.
Saint looked around the room. “There is going to be a salary freeze for two years. The reason why is because we have to hire many new people who are specialists in their given fields. We are building new Rainbeau Haven centers and starting the Queen program, and this means big expenses. I do have one bit of good news, however. Your insurance will be increased. I thought some of the dental and co-pays were too high for your premiums, so that adjustment will save you and your families some cash. Also, due to the passing of my wife’s dog, Sphinx, soon after she and I met, I want to set up pet insurance for anyone who is interested. We are also offering incentive programs such as, if you volunteer at a center, you earn points and a chance of being entered into an annual drawing to win prizes like vacations, cars, boats, you name it.”
An excited hum flitted across the room.
“So again, I’m sorry about the salary freeze but there will be other things to help make it not so rough and at the end of the two years, salary increases will be reinstated,” Saint said solemnly. “At this time, I’d like for you all to prepare to update me on your projects. We will spend the next two hours going over this. Please get your laptops out and I’ll be right back.”
Saint smiled and expeditiously exited the room and made for his office. He closed the door, locked it and headed over to his new desk. The wooden maiden’s nipples drew a chuckle from him. He picked up his cell phone and grabbed a business card out of his laptop case pocket.
He sat down and dialed. “Hi, may I speak to Lawrence, please?”
“This is he,” the man said breathlessly.
“This is Saint, Saint Aknaten. We met while I was in Colorado on business.”
“Ah yes, I know who you are, Mr. Powerful!” Lawrence laughed. “I took the liberty of looking you up online. Now I see why I thought you were a Porn Director.” he laughed. “Those are
some
books you’ve written!”
Saint chuckled. “Yeah, very perceptive. Um, I have a question. Wait, did I catch you at a bad time?” Saint asked.
“No, just finished my morning jog actually. I told you to call me whenever you had questions and I meant that, go right ahead.” Lawrence encouraged.
“OK, great.” Saint lowered his voice to make sure no one would listen from the outside. “Something new has come about. Well, it’s not new but I never paid much attention to it before. I noticed something about me, about what I can do, and it baffles the hell out of me.”
“Such as what?”
“My speed,” Saint answered. “I can move very quickly when I want. The first time it happened, about six years ago, I shrugged it off because I was in the middle of something important. It happened again recently when I was preparing a special romantic night for my wife. I thought it would take me upwards of three hours at the least to get everything ready and I was done in ten minutes, twelve max. I lit over a hundred candles and put flowers everywhere, the food out on the table, and I also cleaned the house, top to bottom, you name it, it was done. I don’t even remember doing half of the stuff that I did. It is like I blacked out.” Saint put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. “And just now, I raced over to a guy who almost fell out of his chair and was there to catch him before he could bust his ass. He was quite a distance away.”
“Sounds like you’ve got flash,” Lawrence said.
“Flash?” Saint repeated. “What’s that?”
“Let me ask you something, can you create fire, a frigidly cold breeze, ice and other acts of nature with your hands or mouth?” Lawrence questioned.
Saint hesitated then answered, “Yes.”
“Yeah, only the ones that can do all three or more usually have flash, too. It looks normal to other people who aren’t like us; it just looks like you are walking briskly to normal people. You’re moving fast to them, extremely fast, but it doesn’t look like what is actually going on because they don’t have a trained eye for this. This is happening on a different frequency, a different vibration. In actuality, you are
almost
moving at the speed of light. It happens when you are very focused on something, or something is urgent and it requires you to meet a deadline. If what is going on needs to get done quickly in order to save someone from injury or death or to preserve something precious to you, your body will automatically do it because your brain is saying it’s urgent. If you don’t want it to happen, then you have to literally sit down somewhere and meditate. That will stop it,” Lawrence explained.
Saint quickly reflected on the night he and Xenia created Hassani. Once it hit him what he wanted to do, he was nervous that he might not make the conception window in time, due to that evening’s earlier events. He felt ravenous once he got into the house. He hadn’t even considered the conception even an hour prior, then all of a sudden, he had to have her and he had to give her a baby, immediately. He needed her to refuel his energy through creation, but he also wanted to give her what she wanted. It drove him to lose his mind and become the animal that he always knew he was deep down.
He’d fucked the shit out of her, and he took her roughly, like a tyrant taking a mere possession and using it to his advantage.
He remembered thinking about it the following day, and it troubled him.
He was afraid he had hurt her. He’d noticed bruises on her wrists from when he mounted and restrained her. Saint asked her about it, but she seemed oblivious to what he was talking about and looked just as surprised about the bruises. It was apparent now – she didn’t feel any major pain from their rambunctious lovemaking at the time it was happening. While he was in the act, he’d felt like he was moving a hundred miles a minute but he couldn’t stop himself. He was so hell-bent on making sure he got her pregnant that day, nothing else at that point mattered. He ensured that with Dakarai it didn’t happen again. They planned their second born months in advance.
Lawrence
added. “What we call ‘nature acts’ is what you have. I can make fire with my hands. I just rub them together and concentrate. Some of us can’t do nature acts at all, and some like you, though more rare, can do all of them. One theory is that if you’re able to change environmental conditions like that, then you need to be able to contain them should a fire rage out of control or a frigid temperature put someone in physical jeopardy. Again, Saint, you’re powerful and a rare find. I doubt that there is more than twenty of your type in the whole world. One is an African living in Morocco. He’s a highly sought after medicine man that I personally met. His name is Samir.”
“One day I will need to speak to him,” Saint said, as he rubbed his forehead.
“He most likely already knows about you. He knows about all of us. Anyway, you know why you can do it, right?” Lawrence asked.
“Well, I’ve been leaning towards the fact that when I’m dealing with someone who has perpetrated a crime against humanity, that there is some sort of Heaven and Hell connection. I just do it instinctively.”
“Right, there is a Heaven and Hell connection though we don’t all call it that. Some call it saved in grace and fallen in grace. If you feel compelled to use the gifts, do so as you have been. When you feel the urge, it means that the person you are dealing with, on some deep soul level, needs to receive that but always remember the karmatic rules. Don’t break them, ever. The natural elements are very powerful. No words are needed. Fire speaks for itself. Storms and floods speak for themselves. The fact that you can create these means so much more than you may have initially realized.”
Saint deliberated briefly on what Lawrence had said to him.
“And for the record, you don’t age physically like other people anymore.” Lawrence cleared his throat.
What?
“What do you mean?”
“Saint, when your gift became fully developed, whatever day that was over these past five years or so, that’s the same day you stopped aging at the same speed as other men. What you look like right now is how you will look for probably at least another five years. Most people begin to look a bit older every year or two. With you, it’s more like every seven to ten years.” Lawrence cleared his throat again.
Saint closed his eyes and drowned in disbelief.
“Like I said, I looked you up,” Lawrence said cheerfully, changing the topic.
“I wanted to find out all about you since you were blocking me and honestly, you are such a unique one I was curious as to what you were into,” Lawrence confessed. “I read a couple of your books. You’re phenomenal, man. I want you to know also that my wife is Black,” he laughed.
“No shit! Really or are you just pulling my leg?”
“We’ve been married for four years,” Lawrence chuckled. “There’s more like us around the world, Saint, with varying degrees of the gift, and many of us are in interracial marriages. There may be something to that and I never really thought about it until now.”
Saint was intrigued. “Lawrence, how is your historian job going?” he asked as he spun around leisurely in his chair.
“Honestly, the museum I work at cut my hours and I don’t get called by the college anymore due to budget cuts. I love my job but it is affecting my income drastically. I love American Indian history; that is what I teach, as well as classes about International Indigenous people. That’s my passion. I substitute teach at the high school sometimes. There just doesn’t seem to be any jobs around that can give me just enough to make sure food is on the table at all times. We’d like to have children but I’m afraid we are just too financially strapped right now and my wife works a job in customer service. It’s never enough, plus, she hates telemarketing. I wish I could afford to let her come home and work on her artwork, she’s a fabulous painter, but I just can’t right now.”
Saint rubbed his chin. “Hmm…let’s see. How would you and your Queen feel about moving out to sunny California, Lawrence? I have a wonderful job opportunity that I think may fit you to a T.”
* * *
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Saint watched the other speakers walk up the podium. He looked out in the audience, filled to the brim with beautiful Queens of varying shades, sizes and appearances. The bright, blazing lights shone on him and the other seated speakers, causing Saint to become increasingly warm. He looked down at his watch then back up as he waited to approach the stage. A part of him was furious, though he tried to stay on the topic at hand.
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