Chapter 8: Purple's story.

Chapter 8: Purple’s story.

The next morning the first Billy did was looking for Petra.
His friend was there, as promised, how nice.

Until now he only had Atlantian friends, and they all did live somewhere in the bubble, so unless they were in the Garden bubble, or old enough to go with their parents or teachers, he always did know, where they were.

Petra was something ánd somebody totally new: as if he had to re-invent friendship again. Or at least think very good what that did mean in his life.

So softly he did shake her shoulder: “Petra, wake up, we do not have much time for breakfast!”

Petra opened her eyes and said: “Please, slowly, I have done a lot tonight!
But before you mom drops in to wake you, I do have a message from Purple.
She will come by very soon, to talk about things.”

More she was not able to tell, for mom came in as usual, and Billy had to wash and brush, eat breakfast, talk with his family, and do if Petra was not around.
But in the back of his thoughts stayed a lot of questions, he still had, and wanted to be answered.
On the way to Nemo they could talk again.

“I was in Homeland, and with the help of your drawing, I easily could come back. Only Cindy want to make a kind of copy on paper for me, so it is easier to carry with me, and will not break.”

“Than paper must be less scarce in Homeland or on dry land,” Billy answered.
“And how will they do that?”

“I did not had time to ask. Remember, I was only away for one night.

And although time does react different for us there and here, how, I will explain later, we all had to hurry, so there was not time to ask how.
When I go back, I will ask.”

“Cannot I go with you, next time?” Billy answered a bit disappointed.

“No, alas, that does need more time and preparations, about which Purple is going to tell” Petra said, waiting for Billy to ask, what preparations were, as he did and she explained.

Than they arrived at Nemo’s.
There waited a surprise: they went out at once to the moat close by, where Purple was swimming.
Nemo greeted Purple, like he had expected her to be there.

Purple greeted too, also saying: “hello Billy and Petra. Nice to see you”, as if that was as normal as the sunrise.
Nemo winked to Purple: “so the ancient stories in my books are true.

There is a Homeland, where all secrets of life are saved.
And there still are people, who can have a Homelander friend. Is it possible I can see you too?” he said, while looking around.

Purple answered: “there are 2 conditions, the Lady told.
All you and Billy are doing, must not be interfered by Petra being here, so you have mostly to act, if she is not there when other people are around.
And for the others it has to stay a secret, for they cannot see her, nor in due time come to Homeland.
If you do keep that rules, you are allowed to see her.”

Nemo did nod with understanding in his eyes.
But Billy hád to ask: “what was interfering again?”

Nemo answered: “there may not be something, that is in the way of our lessons, or something in the way of your friendship, when we 3 are together.
I am a guest in your friendship, probably while some Atlantians on dry land also sometimes had a Homelander friend.
I do remember my great grandfather telling about that, and while it sounded so strange, showed me the records of others, who also had one.
They always were of great help, and very loyal!”
Purple nodded confirmation.

“That is, why I went to Homeland, before I did take action, and did not know what to decide.” Purple said.

Petra, in the mean time, let herself see to Nemo too, while she did remember the Lady told she could, if Nemo would see her while wished really to do so, and because he was Atlantian. That all was certainly true.

“Hello, young lady, as you know I am Nemo, and who is Billy’s friend?”

“I am Petra. We have to learn a lot about each other, for nobody before me had a friend in an Atlantian bubble.
I do have to learn a lot about this.
Can I listen in, when you are teaching Billy, please?” Petra answered.

Both Nemo and Purple had a laugh at their face.
This was going to make it so much easier for Billy.
It was much harder not to tell about an friend from Homeland, when the place where you lived was that small, and with such a little amount of people living in it, an some of them traveling elsewhere.

You are welcome. But first we have to listen to what Purple came to tell. I am curious too.” Nemo said.

“Well, Petra did hear a lot of it already, Billy a bit, and I am afraid you, Nemo, will have heard some of it from the Atlantian expeditions too.

I went to Homeland for advise, what to do, while the humans, you down here call dry-landers, make a mess of the world.
They are damaging the environment.
They do burn trees in landscapes, that need them, while there the land has heavy rains and trees did keep the earth together.
They do grow to much of the same on one place, so there is a huge imbalance in the ecosystem.
They do pollute the seas by throwing in, what does not belong there, even use them for dumping poisonous waste.” Purple told.

“Can you explain this concept to Billy, so I can go on with my story?” she did ask Nemo.

As he nodded, she went on: “In the middle of the ocean, on the place where long ago was the land of Atlantis, nowadays is a nice, circle of currants, I like to float, and play there with my friends.

But while it turns always the same circle by wind and far away land, there also heaps a mountain of waste, growing bigger and bigger.
In that mountain is a lot, my animal friends do think, they can eat, while it looks like sea weed, but is plastic.
This is a new material the humans found out about ½ a century ago, and that nature cannot break down.
So the animals do have a full belly, and get no nutrition, so do starve of hunger.

There are the nets of fisherman, who not only fish more, than their share out of the sea, but leave often a net, that went overboard, sink in the sea, so some air breathing mammals drown, while they cannot go up any more.

Now I do have the choice between asking help of the humans, by involving all people who have Homelander friends, so they can do something, or let myself catch and tell about this.

Only" … and there she waited a while: “than the humans will hunt for other mermaids too, like they did the big beasts of the big lakes and Loch ness.”

Petra said: “hmmm” and all did look her way. “There are some environmentalists doing their best, but I am afraid, that is not enough, as I did find tonight.”
Then Purle took over, and went on: “Will you please tell Billy and Petra about this difficult theme?
And can you explain, why Billy not just can swim up, and go living on dry land?”

Again Nemo confirmed: “I feel honored, I am allowed to see a Homelander friend, and be of some help to you, Purple.
But the predictions of the old Atlantians in my library say, there are still a few years to pass, before we can show ourselves again.

But maybe we can slowly slip in some of the people, the mermaids like you did save, with some knowledge, that is not so dangerous as the great knowledge of the Golden Atlantis time. Can you be satisfied with that?”

Nemo did look at all, that surrounded him, and all confirmed, although Billy had really not a clue. But Petra and Nemo would explain, if he should ask, he was certain.

“Than I will go to Homeland the mermaid way, and say goodbye, until we meet again!”

With that words Purple disappeared under water, and how well Billy did look, he could not find her anymore.

Nemo said: “let’s go inside and talk about all.
Besides watering your seeds and beans, it seems, we have a lot of biology lessons to do today.
And even more difficult terms to explain.”

And so they did. Sometimes, in an easy way like taking a big tub of water, make a mountain of earth in it, with some stones to keep it in place, and played wind by blowing waves with all kinds of things.

Or making turning currants by using their hands, seeing that the stones were needed to keep the isles in place.

Petra had to tell Nemo what environmentalists were, while he did not know that word, for Atlantians it never had been necessary, while they took great care of their lands.
But he could tell, what all went wrong, when the land was used in a bad manner.

It became a busy day, and before Billy knew, his lesson time went over. And while Nemo and Purple were in the secret, he also could tell mom and dad, even Lilo, when she did listen while it was so difficult, what he learned about.

Only not about Petra, but that was less difficult now.
Now he could trust, there would come lots and lots more to learn, ánd there would come a time, he should be able to go with Petra to Homeland.
Only not just now.


© Nan van Daalen, all rights reserved.