WeatherMaker Hearts Desire Prologue

‘Get out you stupid bastard!’

Farrell stepped to the side to avoid the vase that was hurled at him.

‘Ramana!’ he bellowed back. ’Control yourself. This is my house!’

The response he received was a clock aimed at his head that came swiftly flying his way. Farrell ducked to avoid its path.

‘Stop it!’ he cried. ‘I order you….’

This time he had to dodge a painting. Next Ramana headed towards a very expensive grandfather clock. Behind her within the room Farrell could hear the sound of a baby crying.

He only backed out of the room to avoid anything else he owned being broken. The instant he had stepped over the threshold of the doorway, the door was slammed shut in his face. Farrell heard seconds later, just behind the closed door, the sound of a very expensive grandfather clock crashing to the floor. She had blocked the door from the other side, locking herself in.

‘I don’t mean to intrude’ spoke a servant meekly to him. ‘But I think it’s best if you leave her alone. She’s snapping at us too.’

Farrell glared at the servant angrily, then at the closed door before him, as if it was the door’s fault this had happened.

‘You’re probably right’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘Excuse me.’

Farrell turned on his heel and stormed out the house, down the path and through the town, heading he knew not were. He only wished now to be as far away from this source of annoyance as possible.

‘Hey Farrell!’ came a voice.

Farrell hesitated, glancing about him. Then he spotted Brice.

‘Are you alright brother?’ Brice asked with concern. ‘Did something happen?’

A short time later Farrell and Brice sat side by side on the edge of the town, facing out towards the horizon.

‘What’s it like to be a father?’

Brice hummed thoughtfully at his brother as he pondered the question. Now a proud father of two, his son Shawn was thirteen and his wife had given birth to a new baby girl, born a few months before Amaia. She had been named Gracie.

‘It’s hard.’

‘Really?’ Farrell droned humorously. ‘I already knew at least that much.’

‘To be honest I’ve forgotten how hard it was’ Brice admitted. ‘I don’t remember Shawn being anywhere near as difficult as Gracie. I’m dreading her becoming a teenager.’

‘What should I do?’ Farrell groaned in frustration. ‘Ramana hasn’t allowed me into my own bedroom for days. She’s become somewhat hostile. The other day I swear I saw fire in her eyes.’

‘Well I don’t know about that’ Brice shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t worry too much.’

‘How could I not worry?’ Farrell asked. ‘She doesn’t want me around anymore.’

’Just because she doesn’t want you around, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want you.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Women need their space’ Brice explained, ‘especially at a time like this.’

‘She’s practically thrown me out of my own home’ Farrell complained.

‘Be understanding’ Brice said to him. ‘Women are tricky creatures at times. They are very emotional, you have to understand them, and give them space when they demand it. Trust me, I know.’

‘You argue with Alice sometimes?’ Farrell asked him.

Brice scoffed. ‘All the time.’

‘But I thought wives were supposed to obey their husbands.’

Brice threw his head back at this, roaring with laugher.

‘Are you joking?’ he asked, wiping tears from his eyes. ‘Gods no. Woman rule over men. Most of us just don’t know it, because they do it with smiles, compliments and tantrums. We obey because we are either flattered, or because it’s easier to give in than to fight with them. Remember, you can never win an argument with a woman. They have an answer for everything and a quick tongue that will leave you speechless, with no answer to give.’

‘I never realised marriage would be so difficult’ Farrell sighed wearily. ‘I never thought having a family would be so hard.’

‘My dear brother’ Brice chuckled, patting Farrell’s shoulder heartily. ‘It’s only uphill from here.’

‘I know’ Farrell sighed miserably. He pursed his lips, lifting his eyes to the horizon.

The sun was setting before them, the town behind was falling evermore silent.

‘This was when life was good’ Farrell mumbled to himself. ‘Even the bad days.’

Beside him Brice said nothing.

‘Do you think things will turn out well in the end?’ Farrell asked his brother.

‘One can never tell’ Brice replied simply.

Farrell’s dreams began to falter then as his body stirred, but he fought hard to stay where he was.

He remained asleep, and in his mind, continued to exist in the best time and place in his life.

‘I’m sorry for what happened to you’ Farrell said suddenly to Brice. ‘I wish things could have been different.’

Beside him Brice did not respond.

‘I have to go’ Farrell told him. ‘I have to see Ramana before I wake.’

Farrell rose to his feet and strode briskly away and back home.

He ignored the servants who tried to speak to him, and headed straight upstairs to the bedroom.

The door was open now, and he saw Ramana asleep in a chair, the newborn baby held in her arms.

He approached them, stepping slowly so as not to wake either of them, even in his dreams.

He gazed down upon Ramana’s sleeping profile. She was so beautiful, even with her long black hair unkempt and the bags under her eyes. The baby she held, their child, looked so tiny.

‘You’ve got a lot of growing to do Amaia’ Farrell told the baby softly, touching her head tenderly. ‘My precious treasure.’

Tears came to his eyes as he spoke this, and he turned then towards Ramana who remained still.

Farrell leant forward, kissing his wife’s forehead.

Farrell turned over, and woke gently.

He didn’t know what had caused him to wake. There was no one else in the room with him, and all was quiet.

He rose from his bed, wandering over to the window, past the statue of the god Filis on the mantelpiece, and gazing outside.

Outside a blind soldier walked across the harbour, holding onto the arm of another soldier who led the way, the two of them walking slowly.

‘I can smell the sea’ the blind man said.

‘Yes Alfie’ the man who led him answered. ‘We are by the sea. The waves are gentle, the sky is clear…’ he looked around.

‘Are we standing on a harbour?’ Alfie asked.

‘Yes we are’ the other man replied.

‘The ground feels different. I can feel the wood beneath my boots as I walk’ Alfie said.

‘Yes Alfie’ the other man replied.

Alfie blinded slowly, his milky white eyes shining.

‘What else is there?’ Alfie asked. ‘Tell me what you see……I want to know.’

The other man glanced about him.

‘There are children playing…’ he began, ‘men fishing off the coast, birds flying above them….and a ship on the horizon.’ The man faltered at this. ’Could that be the ship?’ he asked himself. ‘Alfie’ he said to his companion. ‘We have to find the leader, the one who set us free. We’re walking back now. Keep hold of my arm.’

Alfie obeyed as they moved away from the harbour, walking at a gentle pace.

A short time later, there was a crowd of men gathered at the harbour, waiting eagerly for the ship to dock. Tristan was among them, constantly glancing nervously about him.

At last the ship reached the harbour. Adam was the first to walk down the gangplank, stepping before the crowd and greeting Tristan and the others quickly.

‘I’m glad things went well’ Shawn told him as the men behind Adam gradually left the ship.

Adam nodded shortly. ‘I’m sorry we weren’t here sooner.’

He was about to speak again when a female figure from the ship pushed her way forwards through the crowd, coming to stand at the bottom of the gangplank and staring at Carrot who stood beside Tristan. She had tanned skin, wore gold armour and had long dark hair tied in a plait.

She stepped towards him slowly, eyes wide with shock and utter disbelief.

‘Cam?’ she whispered. ‘Is that really you?’

‘Tala?’