Nigkala Tales Pt. 38: Living the Song

"What can we do?"

"Being here is the best thing. It shows you care, without having to say a thing. I know Filipe is glad for it. But for you, this will happen many times. I don't want you to become jaded, nor to become unfeeling. I will be leaving soon enough, so I will not be around to guide you forever. Isis and Osiris, however, likely will. I want you to seek them out when your heart is troubled, and I am not here."

Isis spoke up, "Yes, children. It is a lesson we learned a long time ago. And one I almost forgot. When Becky Sue and I met, I treated her as a thing, not a person. One of her daughters called me on it, and stood up to me. That shook my certainty enough, that I looked upon what I had done, and realized I had wronged her. I left, leaving behind a gift. Later, she sought me out to help raise you. That is when I learned the depth of her love for you. We have since become fast friends, and more. She is right. Value the mortals in your life. They provide so much, and keep things interesting. With her asking me to be co-mother, my life acquired new meaning, and so I now look to the future, not the past. You, too, should always look to the future."

Layla chimed in, "That is not easy. It is difficult to keep the long goal in mind, especially with the recent distractions like that meteor."

"Do not worry, that will come in time. You are still quite young, and should not worry if you cannot plan in detail for ten years ahead. The longer you live, the greater the span you can plan for. Part of it is learning to plan and incorporate sub-plans for when things get off track. Once you master that, making plans for a century will be a lot easier. But I do agree that technology is reshaping things very quickly. Yet for all it can do, people still have simple needs. Plan with that in mind, and you will be more likely to succeed."

"Isis is right. While my own life seems chaotic at times, my plans have often been designed with the flexibility to be put aside for a time. So, getting a great part will only delay my assorted plans, not upset them. But Filipe's diagnosis kind of breaks a lot of plans. Yet, I am also flexible. We will adapt, and I may discard my plans, as they are of less importance to me than Filipe."

"About that, what's with the camera crew I saw hanging about?"

"They're making a documentary of our lives while they still can. One of the highlights is the difference between a big-name actor and a bit player. Yeah, he's more than that, but he has at least five times the acting credits I have."

"Is dad up to this?"

"Lalya, he can sit and talk quite a while, but we agreed that the interview time will be no more than an hour a day. They come back later to do the reverse shot, so there is only one camera in the interview. They'll piece it together in post-production. Filipe tells me he likes reminiscing about his younger days. I also do up to an hour a day of interviews, but I am much less restricted in location, cameras, or activity."

"So dad's okay with all the fuss?"

"Oh, yeah. At night, I've been assisting with the quality-of-life issues, by helping him feel less pain, and to sleep well. I've even gone into his dreams a few times, so he can have happy, sexy dreams. But, per his desires, I am not applying healing to his body."

"So, he will die soon?"

"Yes, Layla."

"Then we need to spend time with him, helping him remember the good times, but also for us to know him more fully."

Cleopatra said, "Yes. We need to do this, not just for him, but for us, as well."

We talked for a while longer, drifting to other subjects, and Isis and Osiris occasionally adding their wisdom. Twice more, during their visit, we touched upon the future, and how they would meet theirs.

A number of friends also showed up to show their respect, including a fair number of producers and directors. In time, Filipe passed away. He had a medium-sized funeral and internment. I hired the cemetery for the day, to keep out the paparazzi, but the two Filipe had felt had been the most respectful, were invited professionally. For the next two months, I stayed out of the public eye, technically mourning. In truth, I was on the phone a lot with Red Horizons, getting the various snags that cropped up taken care of. The work took my mind off of Filipe for a while. I also spent a lot of time with my children on the phone, as well.

Finally, Red Horizons got an AI sufficiently good, that they began marketing the Mark I Universal Robot. They gave it the nickname "Huey", from the film "Silent Running." While I was following that news, I was asked to play the part of Snow White, with a sex-crazed version of the seven shorter brothers.

But that is another story...

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