CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
CHARLES WILBUR
EDEN — MESOPOTAMIA
CHARLES' EYES opened slowly, and gradually got used to the brightness of the place.
Where am I? — He thought.
The shock was great when he saw dozens of people looking at him strangely.
— I'm glad you're awake, Charles — said Dr. Burke, smiling.
— Where am I? Carlisle? What happened to you?
— You are in Eden, my friend, what happened to me? — He smiled gently — I've aged a little in twenty years.
His first reaction was to laugh, but he managed to hold back at the last moment.
— Doctor, seriously, seriously… we can't be in the Middle East, and you can't have aged twenty years from yesterday to today.
— We can, and we are in the Middle East… I've aged twenty years because twenty years have passed since the day you killed my nephew.
Charles' head began to think of a million possibilities at once.
— Your nephew?
— Yes, Brian was my nephew, but I don't judge him, thanks to his disappearance of twenty years, we can put our plan in action again, just don't do anything stupid like last time, it cost me to hide you for twenty years.
— And who are these people?
— Just like you, they are people we chose to build our ship, this place is the guarantee that the future of humanity will be safe.
— You are talking...
— Yes… the "Lost Eden" Project is finally ready.
Charles thought it was crazy when Burke told him about his dream, but after all that, it was really crazy what they were doing.
— Willian's plan will be carried out soon, at the most, forty years, everything will be ready, at least a third of European countries support the project, so we have to act quickly from now on.
— What's the probability he'll be alive in forty years? —
— The same as yours, after all, he has been hibernating from time to time, his children control the power behind the devil, now we can't do anything about the world, we will only do what we can to save the people we can, I leave the future of the world in the hands of my other nephew.
Charles remembered the boy's voice as if it had only been moments ago...
CHARLES WAS WALKING THROUGH Eden and noticed a very beautiful woman who was fixing a child's hair, he couldn't explain why, but his heart beat faster at that moment.
— She was William's secretary — Burke said from behind him — she's expecting his child, brought her in so William wouldn't kill her when he found out about the pregnancy.
— Bastard, does it all come down to him?
— Maybe so, that's why I need you, in four years I'll put the plan into operation, in that time, enjoy it.
Jeniffer and Charles got to know each other as her belly grew. Charles didn't care if that son in her belly was the son of the most dangerous and powerful man in the world, he would raise him as his own, give the world if it took to have Jennifer in his arms.
THEY DID NOT DO ANY religious ceremonies, but everyone in Eden knew they were married. At first Burke was wary of it, even revealing that secret to see if Charles would walk away from her, but it was no use.
— Charles — said Jeniffer — I'm not worthy of your love... I feel unclean knowing that I'm carrying a monster's child in my womb.
— Monster would be me if I didn't love you, I know we all make mistakes.
— Maybe, but...
Charles placed his hand lightly to her lips.
— Shhh — he made her silence — let's live each moment as if it were the last, the world is about to live the greatest revolution that has ever happened, the least we can do is love while we can.
They made love for the first time that night.
JENIFFER FELT THE CONTRACTIONS and in a matter of seconds everything began to transform from a beautiful dream to the darkest nightmare.
The child in her womb hadn't turned around to begin the birthing process and it was killing Charles more than Jennifer.
Jeniffer managed to force God only knows where and did everything he could for the child to be born, when Charles heard the crying, he knew it was over, finally, he could see the child generated in the womb of the loved one, but Burke's effigy said another thing.
— Sorry, Charles, we've done all we can...
Charles' eyes gleamed in a completely different way.
— But... I can hear the child crying...
— I'm not talking about the child, it's a beautiful little girl, I'm talking about Jennie...
The ground under Charles' foot seemed to give way, he was absolutely sure it wasn't what Carlisle was talking about, it could be anyone but his Jennie, she was his world, after all he'd gone through to meet her...
No, God wouldn't be so unfair to me at that point... anything but that...
THE FUNERAL CEREMONY was simple, everyone said something about Jennifer and in the end they cremated her, it had to be that way, they couldn't afford to bury everyone.
For two years, Charles couldn't look at the child who had taken the life of the woman he loved, no matter how hard everyone tried to bring them closer, Charles turned his back and went to cry in a corner.
Life in there was not easy, but everyone lived together harmoniously, Charles realized that there were people of various religious creeds, several different cultures, that brought a relief to his heart, as much as he couldn't feel it, but he knew he wasn't alone.
ONE BEAUTIFUL NIGHT, WHILE LOOKING AT THE STARS, suddenly, a flower appeared out of nowhere in front of him, it was little Jennie.
Charles smiled at her.
— Hello, Jennie...
She smiled and handed him the flower.
— Thanks...
She ran back into Burke's arms.
— Have you decided what you're going to do?
— I killed your brother's son, I believe my daughter will make up for the mistake I made, at least that's how I want to feel.
— That's not a pot, Charles, that breaks one lid, and you put on another, one life can never be replaced by another.
— Maybe not, but I could never give her the love she needs.