35 The temple (1/2)

One look and I knew. I was right. It was a temple.

I walked to the middle of the hall, stood under the open roof, and closed my eyes taking in everything. The broken walls. The short remnants of pillars, not reaching even to my waist. The runes on the walls, cracked and incomplete. And the tablets resting at the foot of the front wall. Inside my head, the broken pieces rose from the rubble, completing the walls. The dust gathered standing the pillars tall. The winds carved the complete runes into the walls. And the tablets rose to sit on their invisible pedestal.

”It is most certainly a temple,” I said, louder than I realised.

”Describe it for me.”

The soft command was entirely familiar. And like everyone else I had ever known, I couldn't refuse. I described the temple as I saw it in my head.

”Wow, that's beautiful,” she praised. ”I think it is, to be honest. But it sounds familiar. Are you sure you're not describing a Vikari temple? Like the temple for Pervue, the one you love?”

I was surprised. I heard the words echo in my head, and the temple began changing in my eyes. The pillars dissolved into the walls. The bricks in the walls painted garish outlines. The runes twisted into Vikari. The tablets on the pedestal melted into one wide slab, on which was painted in Vikari the image of Pervue, the Vikari god of knowledge, the god who sat upon the throne of the heavens.

”It really was the Pervue temple,” I sighed.

I was mortified. How could I have made such an unforgivable mistake? I knew immediately why she felt familiar. There was only one person in all of the world who could make me feel so.

”Lulu,” I said, and opened my eyes.

”Hi. Dee.”

She beamed. And leaped at me.

Lulu had always been smaller than me. And as it seemed fated, she was going to be smaller.

Lulu was five. Denise and I were nine. Denise dragged us to a romantic movie, the last scene of which was the heroine leaping into the embrace of the hero after finally proclaiming their love for each other. Lulu loved the movie. And was convinced that that was the best possible way to show love. And so, ever since, every day, every time, she would leap at me, wrap her hands around me, bury her face into my neck. It became her greeting.

I was prepared. As I held her, I realised I had missed her more than I realised.

”I missed you,” she said.

”I know,” I replied.

”Let's go somewhere more private,” she said, for my sake.

There were others in the temple, old and young. They were all staring, probably finding us sweet or embarrassing. Lulu wouldn't care. But she worried for me.

I nodded, and we walked out to the back of the temple. At some distance, we sat ourselves on a few small boulders.

She spoke first. She knew what I was going to ask before I did.

”How am I here? Well, I knew you were coming. You told us. As for the exact time, Jerry told us. That's how.”

I smiled. Sighed. And nodded.