Angel Strand [part  3]

Genevieve presents herself to the council as a scout for Columbine’s status with the human she’s with; and if found out that she’s on relationship, the heavier punishment will be carried on to her. The council members were in favor of Genevieve’s proposal and in a few days time, she’s about to carry her self-proclaimed mission.

Three days later, Columbine, with Giotto’s friends, takes Giotto to the cruise ship port. Before Giotto walks in to the ship, he asks his friends to take a look on Columbine time to time. April promises to Giotto that they’ll keep their eyes on her.

Cossette comes in, with apologies for being late, and sees Columbine. She looks for Columbine’s baggage, but she didn’t see any. She asks her where her things were. “I’m not coming along. Are you also going aboard to that ship?” Columbine answered and asked her. “Yes… How come you’re not going along with him?”


“I decided to not to…”

“Hey, you two, did you have a lover’s quarrel before this departure?” April interrogates. Columbine denies her speculation and tells them that she’s just not used on riding on boats or ships, neither she knows how to swim.

“Oohh…” April said.

Columbine goes to Cossette. Talking with Cossette, distanced from the rest, Columbine asks her to take care of Giotto on France, and, “Make sure you have the best romance ever in there.”

“Columbine, what are you talking so foolishly in there?”

“You deserve him more than I do. Give him your debonair charm, okay.”

“We’re done. I’ve decide to move on positively without him on my life.” Cossette conversed; and links Columbine to Giotto, “Advanced best wishes to both of you.”

Columbine blushes, and opposes Cossette’s greeting. “I doubt that.”

“Cossette, Columbine, enough with your chatting. The cruise is departing soon.” Cecil announced to them.

“Either way, bon voyage for both of you.” Columbine wished to Cossette. “Take care, former rival.” Cossette injects. Columbine giggles on what Cossette proclaimed to her.

==

The cruise ship leaves as the last of the passengers come aboard. Giotto, while looking at the docking area where his friends were, stares at Columbine as Columbine waves her hand to him. He gives a little smile to her and waves back.

April, with Columbine, and the rest leaves the docking area as the cruise ship is no longer on their site. April and her colleagues deviate way to work while Cecil takes Columbine home on Giotto’s house. Cecil proceeds his way to work also afterwards.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Columbine receives a call. “Hello?” she answered.

“Are you home already?”

“Giotto… It’s only two and a half hours since you and Cossette took your leave. How were you two been doing there?”

“She’s at her room… I’m taking some sea breeze outside. And now, back to you.”

“Ah, I just got home.”

“Behave in there and don’t talk to strangers.” Giotto warned her; “I’m no longer a child to be told like that.” Columbine pouts.

Giotto smiles and tells her, “Expect a prize from me when I get back.”

“Why give me a prize? You won’t even know if I became naughty or nice.”

“Precisely, I’m not someone like Santa, you know that.”


Columbine laughs at him and ends the call.

==

That night, Giotto and Cossette performed in the music hall of the cruise ship. Giotto’s music is intact and with gusto. Notes were smooth and relaxing, seemingly charming each of the listeners in the hall however, he dedicates it to only one as of that moment. As it ends, they receive a standing ovation from the crowd. At the backstage, Cossette gives Giotto a heavy tap on the arm and tells him, “You’re un    fair.” “Huh?” Giotto wondered.

“Don’t ‘huh?’ me.  It’s obvious that you’re not playing for them…” Cosette started.  “I know you, Giotto. I know when you are playing for audience or for only one.” She continued. Giotto smiles at Cossette and praises her for noticing such a little thing. “Of course, your ex would notice that. You used to sing to me before.”

Giotto just smiles at her and invites her to have their dinner

==

Columbine, even having doubts, goes back to heaven and reports to the council. All she hears from the elder councils were sermons for her overstaying on the human world. The council members were discussing of giving Columbine another suspension as she is still standing still on her place. Columbine’s heart is palpitating. Her fingers were crossed while wishing for a lighter punishment.

The arch seraph suggests to the council that Columbine should continue her recent assignment for the mean time while they discuss about her punishment.

“That’s crazy! No angel at her level and type can stay on an assignment that long. She’s not even a guardian angel yet.” An elder cried. The arch seraph defends his self and made the elders angels recall, “It was you who personally bestow me the position I have now. And handling those angels under me is my responsibility; so, I’ll decide what I must do with them. “

“Your decision is absurd and out of our laws.”

“It’s in there. Why don’t you browse on it?” the arch seraph debated. He, then, advised Columbine to go home for the mean time while they’ will still discuss her condition. Columbine asks him of where she’ll go home. “Will I go back to my true home or to Giotto?” “To your parents… You’re still on probation, so, you’re not allowed to just go out from here as of this moment.” The arch seraph answered. Getting alarmed of being in probation, Columbine asks the arch seraph of what’s her case for being under probation. “Overstaying with a human with negligence of the mission due period.”

“WHAT!” Columbine exclaimed. “We now already your reason why you’re taking so long to come back here, but, it doesn’t mean that you can stay there as long as you desire.”

“I know that one day, I must leave him. I constantly remind myself to distant my emotion from him.”

“Good. We made ourselves clear. But we’ll keep our eyes on you.”

“I understand.”

“Go home and take a rest.”




Angel Strand by Liz K. Mella is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.