She didn't feel like getting up. A wave of nausea moved over her. These past few days she had been feeling sick in the mornings. She drowsily climbed out of the bed and walked toward a washing basin. Chontra looked at herself in the reflection of the rippling water. The tomahawk was wilting a bit. Another wave came over her. Stronger this time. She ran out of the room into the sunshine and breathed in the rich, Egyptian, desert air. At first, she thought she had come down with something to cause the early morning illnesses, but now, she wasn't sure. Another nauseating wave threatened. She leaned forward, placing a steady hand on a column nearby. A single disturbing thought always lurked on these sickening mornings. She heaved up all of her dinner and sat down on a broken pillar. Water in a well close by was gentle moving. The clay brick sides were showing signs of evaporation. The thought came once more. She let it sit in her mind for a bit, turning it back and forth. After a minute of concentration, she looked up and thought it aloud... "Can I really be pregnant?"
Rath forked up the last bit of eggs and chewed slowly. He had much to do today. Khaiti had somehow stumbled upon his study room last night and as playful as cats are, messed the whole place up. He was glad the Prince took the animal home with him. He felt he could've shaved that idiotic cat from head to paw. He placed his plate on top of a stack of others. Cats were daring, curious, bags of fluff. Why should they have one at all? He sighed. The Prince had been right. He did need to "let off a little steam", whatever that happened to mean. He walked past Armon who was just finishing his third dozen set of scrambled eggs. One of these days it was going to catch up with him. If not the cholestrol, than maybe a clogged artery. Wait a second. What was he thinking? They're all dead. He rubbed his head. Nefertina hooted as her favorite chariot passed the finish line on the magic box. Nascar racing tournament were the words that came to mind. She loved this modern world. Rath opened the study door. He hadn't seen Jakal. No doubt, he was on the roof again, thinking of his wife and son. Rath felt a sting of pity for the mummy. A new life had just started for the man and in the blink of an eye it had all vanished. He picked up a scroll and placed it on a shelf. His own past seemed to pop up before his eyes. Chontra standing there, beautiful as ever, hating his guts for leaving her. She had been so furious, she came to the modern world and endangered the Prince. He scratched his lower back as he picked another scroll up. It was true. Even after all that, he still loved her.
Seven months had passed. Long since her fears were confirmed. She felt the cold, stinging hatred for the father of the child, once more. But truly, it was her fault as well. They loved each other so much before everything had happened. It was so hard, well, you know, not to do it. It seemed as though everytime they were alone, it was an invitation.
One long night of studying hard, he decided to walk her home, in case, thieves were pondering about. Even though, she knew, she could perfectly take care of herself, she let him. They walked down the moonlit street together, her feeling as giddy as a kitten and himself with the same odd feeling. She had asked him to stay for a little while in her cramped home. He sat down on a stool, watching her intently, as she put her scrolls away. She had grabbed a stool and sat close beside him, gabbing on and on about something that had happened in the market, when he placed a hand on her cheek. They had stared endlessly into each other's eyes. Before the night was finished, they had made sweet love to each other.
Chontra wiped a tear from her eye. Sure, she still had feelings for the scribe, but there was more hatred than love. Or so that's what she thought.
She leaned back in the chair. Her belly was enormous now and the child kicked often. What would she do with it when it ws born? Kill it? No, she didn't have enough guts for that. Raise it? She didn't know how to take care of a child. Give it away? Her heart melted with this thought. No, she wouldn't do that. She had to think of something.
His eyes closed. It had been a long night. Scarab had almost got the Prince this time. Everytime, the sorcerer attacked, he seemed to get closer to his demented goal than the time before. Rath looked down at the sleeping prince. He was surprised the child could sleep with Nefertina's hectic driving and Armon's bickering with her to stop and grab a burger. Jakal flew overhead. A sharp comment slipped into Rath's mind about Armon's diet, but he decided not to be in this fight. He was too tired and his sarcophagus was calling him. His eyes closed once more and his mind began to drift, but before he could slip away, his head whipped into the side window, giving him a god-awful headache. Nefertina had run head-on into a mailbox. She would definately not hear the end of this one.
A tiny scream was emitted into the small room. The little body was held by a woman in a physician's robe. Chontra rolled her eyes. The labor pains were unbearable, but now it was all finished. The physician's young assistant held Chontra's hand and proclaimed it was a boy. She also asked if there was a name picked for him.
Chontra's vision cleared. "His name will be Timeon (PRONUNCIATION: Timmy-On). Let me hold my child."
Later on, the physicians left when everything was seen to be alright. She had a healthy baby boy. She gazed down. Rath's slim face and features showed on the child more and more as she looked at him. Beauiful green eyes, a sharp nose, and a long face. It felt good to hold him. He stared brightly at her, gurgling every few seconds. She smiled down at him and said gently "What am I going to do with you?"
He gurgled with a toothless smile as though replying.
A couple weeks had passed since Timeon's birth. Chontra lied there, on her bed with her child sleeping lightly beside her.
"Oh Timeon, remind me to throw you out to the cats next time you decide to stay up all night." She whispered softly to the drooling baby. She grabbed a cloth close by and wiped the spit rolling down his mouth. He gurgled in anguish and turned his head sleepily. She laughed at him and felt her ownself trying to slumber off. She had only 2 or 3 hours of sleep last night.
"You're as stubborn as your father," she remarked.
A whole series of thoughts came to her and pinched her heart horribly. Will she tell Timeon about his father? Will she tell Rath about his son? If the Pharoah retrieved the Prince and the Guardians from the modern world, what would she do? Will she influence Timeon to hate his father? Should she venture to the modern world and let Rath have a glimpse of Timeon?
For an hour, or so, she fought these ideas off. Rath left her to rot while he taught the Prince. Why should she even let him know? A tiny voice inside of her called out "because you care and it's the right thing to do." She furiously jumped at the thought, "I hate him, his prince, and anybody that has anything to do with him. I do not CARE for him." The voice hauntingly called back "If you do not CARE for him, why do you LOVE his child, why do you think of him constantly, and why do you fight yourself over him?" She cried silently for a bit. It was true and yet she wouldn't let herself believe it.
Her long fingers reached out and lovingly caressed the child's dark-brown hair. Yes, she knew Rath had the right to see his child and in the least, know of him. More guilty thoughts arose. She knew she had acted spoiled when the Pharoah ordered Rath to teach another. She had wanted him to herself and none other to have him. She was drawn up in magic and it took a hold of her, creating a witch who vowed revenge against her lover. It had grabbed her by the throat and had enraged her to attack the Prince even after Rath had died in duty and now served the reincarnated boy in a decaying body. More tears came and a deeper thought arose.
"Even if I let Rath see his boy, who's to say he'll believe me or if he'll think it's a trick."
" The tiny voice quietly replied "You know the man still loves you. Of course, he will be a bit cautious, but you know he will believe you."
Chontra stared at the adobe ceiling and closed her eyes.
Rath was getting sick and tired of Nefertina and her gruesome driving abillities. Even though, she was the only one who can drive, she could at least improve a little. A few weeks earlier it was a mailbox, now it was the river. He kicked a dripping tire of the Hot-Ra. It fell off and rolled before it came to a complete stop.
"It's not my fualt the Shabties wouldn't get out of the way," she defended herself.
"Have you ever heard of brakes, you bumbling woman!" he grunted out as he tried to place the wheel back on.
"For your information, RATH, if I had stopped the ones behind us would of caught us, and besides, I couldn't see past all of them. How was I to know there was a river there?" She furiously yelled back.
"Oh I don't know? Maybe the support rails that you collided with!" he sarcastically replied.
"Come on guys, it wasn't that bad. We got to go to the Beefy Burger afterward," Armon said as he munched on the fast food patty. They were all soaked and had one of those nights.
Nefertina and Rath both glared at Armon and in perfect unison told him to "shut up". Nefertina marched off in anger as Rath grabbed a screwdriver and a couple of bolts. Armon shook his head and left. Jakal and Presley had watched silently throughout the whole thing.
Jakal decided it was a good time to place in one of his lion analogies, but the only words he could get out were "the lion" before Nefertina yelled from another room for him to "put a lid on it".
Rath stared at the walls and the top of his sarcophagus. He was having a hard time sleeping tonight. He opened the lid and walked out. Somebody was there. Wadjit was coiled up ready to strike. He stared into the darkness. A cloaked figure stood there. The figure seemed to be holding something.
"Who's there?" he asked, trying to act as brave as he could. Wadjit hissed.
The figure came forward and called Rath's name. He immediately recognized the long centuries adored voice.
"Chontra?" he asked astonishedly and yet wearily.
"Yes, Rath it is I," she replied trying to stop her body from shaking.
"What have you done with the Prince?" he said as memories from their last meeting crept into his mind.
"I have not touched him."
"Are you here to have your revenge on me?"
"No."
"Then why are you here, Chontra?"
She moved forward uncovering a bundle she was holding. A slender baby's head appeared with dark-brown hair. He slept silently against her bosom. Rath's mouth was open. He would not move or think. She moved closer.
"He's yours, Rath. Yours and mine," She looked into Rath's blank, green eyes. He still didn't move.
"His name is Timeon. He is only 3 weeks old," she looked once more at Rath.
Rath stared at the baby and barely said "Mine?". It was sinking into his mind slowly. The baby was his? How could it be? Rath looked up from the baby and gazed at Chontra. She raised the child and placed him in his arms. Rath stared down at Timeon and slowly sat down on the side of his sarcophagus.
"How?"
"The night you took me home after lessons."
The past flooded into his memory. Yes, he remembered. He remembered it perfectly. He held his son gently and repeated the name Chontra had said, "Timeon".
Chontra crouched down beside Rath and placed a hand on his knee. "I thought you needed to know about him."
Rath bit his bottom lip and seemed to be in a daze. She still cared for him. Cared enough, to take in his son and let Rath see him. The same feeling as the night he took her home gripped him. Giddy as a kitten. He smiled, stood up, and stared into Chontra's eyes. They embraced each other. It had been a long time since they were happy together. The baby yelled out in fury to awaken and find himself in a stranger's arms and not in his mother's. Rath smiled down at the child and handed him back to his mother. He led them to the study room. Rath felt happier than he had ever felt in his life. His old flame loved him once more and beared him a beautiful son.
Nefertina rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She felt refreshed and full of energy. Yesterday's incident popped into her mind. She was hoping Rath wasn't still sore about it. Fat chance for that. As soon as he runs into her, he'll probably find some cinical comment to shoot at her. She stretched out and felt her bones pop. Armon opened his sarcophagus and scratched the back of his head. Nefertina glanced at Rath's sarcophagus expecting to see him come out and nag on her about the Hot-Ra, but to her surprise it didn't open. Rath was usually the first person up. By this time Jakal was out. She WOULD walk over there and check on him, but the thought of Rath raging on her last night stopped her. He can come out on his own.
Nefertina followed the other mumies to grab some breakfast from the big white tomb called a refrigerator. She looked back at Rath's sarcophagus once more. Maybe he was already out, just working on the Hot-Ra or something.
After breakfast, she peeped in where the Hot-Ra was lain in a heap. Nobody was there. Funny. Rath would usually be on top of trying to fix up the automobile as soon as possible. Especially, in the condition it was in right now. Maybe he was in the study room.
She walked past Jakal who was ready to walk the Prince to school. Never can be too careful. She opened the study door and was surprised to find Chontra lying on a mattress fast asleep. Rath was holding a baby rocking it gently in his arms.
"What's going on here?" Nefertina managed out.
Rath beckoned her to be quiet, but she wouldn't be hushed up.
"Why is SHE here?"
Rath layed the baby beside his mother and grabbed Nefertina by the arm. He closed the study door.
"What's going on here?" she repeated.
"It's not what you think. She's..."
"Here to kidnap the Prince again and have her revenge on you? Who's that baby?" Nefertina interrupted.
"No, she's not trying to hurt the Prince and the baby's...." the word wouldn't come out. "his". The word just wouldn't come out.
"Chontra's," he substituted. He just wasn't ready to say it. Besides, Nefertina wouldn't understand.
"Chontra's?" she repeated. "Why would she bring her baby here....," it clicked. The baby was Chontra's and Rath's.
"Oh my gosh," she was in shock.
"Sshh!" Rath looked around. Jakal was already gone and Armon was too glued to the magic box to notice a thing.
"Chontra's only staying her for a little while and then she's going back to Egypt," he explained. "Please don't say anything to Jakal or Armon."
Nefertina glanced at Armon. This would be a good chance to strike up a deal.
"I won't, IF you don't get on my back about the Hot-Ra or any other time I have an accident with it."
"Well if you didn't drive like a toxicated maniac, I wouldn't ..."
"RATH!"
"Okay," he could go for a little while without telling the woman how inhumane her driving skills were.
"So, how old is it?" she asked.
"HE is three weeks old," Rath didn't feel like talking right now. He didn't get any sleep last night, except for the few hours before Chontra and the baby appeared. He opened the study door and was about to shut it, but Nefertina wouldn't be rushed away that easily.
"Can I see him?"
"Woman, for Ra's sake..."
"I'll leave you alone."
Rath grunted, "Just for a second." He leaned over the slumbering Chontra and picked the child up. Timeon gurgled furiously. This stranger was holding him way too much.
He's so cute. What's his name?" Nefertina whispered.
"Timeon."
"Goochi-Goo," Timeon was definately not happy with the position he was in and this new stranger's sad efforts tickle him was aggrievating. He was fed up with these bandaged-grey-skinned strangers. He cried furiosly.
"Now look what you've done. He was perfectly fine until you had bothered him," Rath growled. He actually had done pretty good with the child this morning. Timeon had tolerated him well with the occasional angry gurgle. Now Nefertina had messed that all up.
"I didn't know he didn't like to get tickled," she protested.
