PRETERNATURAL LOVE

Long time ago when our city was village yet at its edge stood small pretty house. Newly married young couple lived there. Husband was respectable man in neighbourhood and this brought them together. However, they both were poor and village’s farrier had forged simple steel rings for their wedding day. When the rings were ready a bride heartily tried on her ring, but a bridegroom resolutely refused to try on his ring. Bride glanced at his ring, took notice of its too small size and proposed to make another one, but her bridegroom refused again. Loving him bride changed this annoying him subject and decided to wear his ring. Her husband completely lost any interest to her pretty soon, but she loved him even more and couldn’t calm herself. Day and night she thought how to touch his heart and cried, glancing at her hand with two rings. One night she recollected how persistently he refused to put on his ring and a sudden thought came to her mind that exactly it was a reason of her sufferings; and so she decided to put on him the ring when he was asleep. His feet were out of coverlet and she put ring on his little toe. Woken up in this night, he was unusually gentle and kind to her, they loved each other and she was happy without end. In the morning he got up to dress and one of his shoes went wrong. When he saw his wedding ring on his toe he was so enraged that clutched it in hand and then threw it at her with all his strength. Not paying attention to weeping wife, he dressed and left her forever. Blaming in all this just herself, she couldn’t cease crying and shedding tears over all around. Few days passed as she calmed herself and got the ability to think reasonable and then she came out and sat down on the ground in hope that warmth of spring ground will cure her soul. Time and nature little by little did their job and after several months she completely calmed herself when she felt herself pregnant.

She thought: ”At last I have somebody who will love me, will be near me and we’ll be happy together.”

Gladly she began to prepare everything for her future newborn. Labour began when she was in the yard and her neighbour ran for a doctor. Together they carried her into the house and doctor successfully accepted her triplets.

– I am called doctor Gaspar Arneri, – he introduced himself, – I shall visit you tomorrow to check how you and your babies feel.

Doctor Gaspar Arneri was rather remarkable person. Having open, kind and gentle manners, he was an excellent doctor and devoted all his free time to possible scientific investigations. Considering himself too busy to be interested by soul of his patient, he often felt lonely. Interested by rather rare phenomenon of triplets, he came next day to watch them.  When Mom opened the door he smiled her with cheerful curiosity.

– How are you called? – asked he.

– Tibble.

When he approached the bed of babies they raised their heads to watch him attentively. Gaspar was so shocked that was ready to faint. He took one of the babies.

– Boys, – said he, – Just a little overweight, but nothing is bad in it.

He thought: ”What am I talking about?! What an awful misfortune!”

Gaspar put the baby in the bed and sat down at the table. His mouth was dry and his tongue was unable to move. Tibble poured him a cup of tea. Holding the cup Gaspar thought:

”You are wrong, Gaspar and need to calm yourself. It is not your fault at all and there is nothing you can do with this.”

The last thought caused his extreme distaste and annoyance, his hands began to tremble and he spilled tea on his stethoscope.

– This is my fault, – exclaimed Tibble handing him a towel.

– It doesn’t matter, – answered Gaspar, – I have many.

Feeling his depression, Tibble questioningly looked to his eyes. Returning her a towel, Gaspar didn’t hold himself and their eyes met.

– Here I am, – thought Gaspar, – I told her everything. What next? Will she scream or cry? Please, everything, but now.

Tibble moved her chair nearer to him and calmly embraced him and Gaspar understood, that exactly about him she is thinking now and she wants to calm him. Feeling great power of her good nature, Gaspar completely calmed himself and felt that exactly Tibble he missed all his life.

– I have to go, but I shall come tomorrow to bring toys to babies, – pronounced he with stern voice.

Babies grew and developed with enormous speed. On the third day they already sat and month later all their teeth went out and they began to rise up.

– They are awfully voracious, – said Tibble.

Gaspar was bringing her carts of meal, but in spite of his efforts there was not enough meal for them. Quickly growing they became more and more hungry and were searching for meal all over the house. One year old they were completely independent and their height was equal to the middle height of adult. Once at night Gaspar woke up with clear sense of danger. He didn’t sleep the night and came to Tibble at dawn.

– They fled, – said Tibble opening the door.

– Nothing threatens them, unlike you, – answered he and lay down on the sofa.

Gaspar left his research for a week and guarded Tibble in her house. One night he woke up from a rude knock to the door. Crowd of peasants waited outside. Armed with batons they were approaching closer to the door.

– Your children, Tibble, – they cried out, – ate all our harvest. They stole all our sheeps, ate all forest mushrooms, berries, nuts and also all forest animals. We have nothing to eat now and you shall pay for this.

– I’ll settle your problems if you go now and meet me an hour later at my home, – suggested Gaspar.

– We know, Gaspar you are our best friend, but we are here not for you. We came here to teach Tibble.

– I love Tibble, – said Gaspar, – and she will be my wife.

Surprised peasants dropped their batons and laughed heartily.

– Imagine how much we like you, Gaspar, be crank if you like. Go home, babies, enough idleness for today.

– We need to come home now, – said Gaspar to Tibble, – I hope you are not against to be my wife.

– Of course, not, – answered Tibble.

Rejoiced Gaspar embraced her and dancing circled her all over the room. He pushed the table, stopped and confused. Then asked:

– Do you have rings?

– Yes, but.., – muttered Tibble, confusing in her turn.

– Then give me my ring.

Tibble handed him one of her rings.

– It suits, – said Gaspar with pleasure.

His long and thin fingers were even thinner than hers. He embraced her again and easily lifted her. When they went out it was already dawn. Looking at tenderly red sun gleaming in dark sky, Gaspar realized that he never saw this before. He felt that love filled his body and everything around him and cried from happiness. Tears washed  away his sufferings and doubts, his fears to be misunderstood. Looking at comfortable sitting room of Gaspar with many books and nice armchairs, Tibble felt dizziness. Gaspar helped her to go to bed. She fell asleep and he came back to his laboratory. There was always ideal order in his laboratory, but this time he went out leaving his experiments unfinished and at few places on the floor were spots of liquid and broken retorts remained. He cleaned it very quickly. His sources and manuscript were open on the table. He began to read, but couldn’t find connection either recollect what he thought about.

– This is really strange, – thought he and began to read his manuscript.

Being unable to understand he started it from scratch. He wrote easily and his thoughts were flowing fast and free as never before. He finished it before felt hungry and opened his reception. When all the peasants left Gaspar fell asleep on the sofa. Sitting in his laboratory after supper, he left the door open and Tibble could watch him. After few months with his assistance enormous food store was built and quantity of food was beyond all expectations. Many cafes and  restaurants were opened now in this place with show and music from morning till night and people were enjoying the life. Most popular restaurant was called ”Kings” and his only waiter was called ”King of waiters”, but he resisted to be called so and his boss teasing him, called him ”One-Two-Three”, because these words fellow always muttered rushing among the tables. He was orphan and nobody knew his real name, but his permanent clients liked this name most and everybody called him so. Tibble was pregnant and awaited her time. One night she woke up and got up to drink a glass of water. Mild wind was blowing through the open window and she decided to walk. She went down by forest path until she came to the glade. Strange heights were before her and Tibble looked at them attentively until she recognized her triplets.

– Now we have enough food,- said one.

– We need the house as well, – complained the other, – such life doesn’t suit us.

Tibble tried to say something, but her tongue didn’t obey her. Nothing left, but to be back sooner. Sitting down on the sofa, she muttered:

– I saw them, Gaspar!

– I have seen them before. We are able to build a house for them. There is a big gorge at the other side of the village exactly suitable for it.

They talked up to the morning. Gaspar was anxious about his expectant newborn, but did what he could to hide his worries from Tibble. After few months Tibble gave birth to twins, boy and girl. Boy was very lovely and parents called him Tutti and the girl was marvelous, alike most beautiful doll. Parents called her Suok. Life was as wonderful as one just could dream and time passed quickly. Three years took to build enormous house for triplets and people were so bored of such work that laughing at triplets called them Three Fat Men. One-Two-Three became their servant. Everybody would be satisfied of such life, but when Gaspar came one day to talk to them they began to complain: ”We are very lonely here. People avoid us without any reason. Could you visit us every evening with your son Tutti? We would be so glad”. These visits awfully bored Tutti. Once he said to One-Two-Three:

– I want home.

– Me too.

– You don’t understand me!

– I do.

– You are always silent. Who is able to talk to you?

– I am your friend.

One-Two-Three visited Gaspar’s family sometimes. In one of such beautiful sunny days Tutti and Suok played in the garden. Suok washed flowers and Tutti helped her, filling little bucket from the well.  Last bucket she desired to fill herself. Smiling at Tutti, she bent to take full bucket and he frightened for her, bent, pushed her aside and fell down in the well. In a moment One-Two-Three jumped in and took him out. His head was awfully bruised, but Gaspar succeeded to stop bleeding rather quickly. Horrible inertia was in Tutti’s body, arms and legs.

– It will take two days to check if his brain was damaged, – realized Gaspar, – Two days divide life from death.

He began to take books of the shelves and reading them one by one, piled them on the table, observing his son from time to time. He didn’t notice how the night passed. Next day and night he read and piled books until all his shelves became empty. No changes in state of his son were seen and Gaspar decided to take his blood. Mechanically he stood test tube with blood to its place, but immediately took it again and sat down near his son. He sat so the whole day observing the tube. The evening came.

-The blood was spoiled, of course, – thought he, – It doesn’t matter, I will take it again.

He dropped the tube, took the hand of his son and began to cry. He didn’t understand anything, didn’t see anything. He didn’t feel as Tibble embraced him, didn’t hear her voice. Silently crying he sat so and suddenly felt that Tutti moved his finger; and that was all.

– Tutti moves his fingers and that denotes..,- thought Gaspar, – All that is just my fault.

He seized a capsule and syringe and rushed outside. Jumping over the steps, he came down the gorge and stopped before enormous oak door. Unknown world with its cruel laws awaited him behind this door.

-What does the door matter?- thought he, – It is just a door.

And he tore the door off its hinges.