Murder Recall

Return to Eden

After my escape from the hospital and meeting up with Maya, Tara and Doug, I stayed at Maya's cabin for a week and gained strength. The shock of realizing my book had been stolen and being charged with the murder of the alleged author subsided. Tara and Maya were going to find out what happened about all that and I fully trusted them. When they were assured I had adjusted to the new reality, we all left the cabin. Maya had investigating to do. Tara was looking into some legal issues. Doug had recovered from his concussion of which he said that he had suffered so many, his brain had learned how to bounce back. He laughed so much over that for so long, that we all got to laughing and that set us aright once more. I headed back to Eden anxious to see Rita again, hear my mum's voice speaking through Rita, and be with Hilda's mute body who had been chipped to believe she was Rayelle Wilson. I wondered, given that Hilda, my mum, had been artificially induced to identify as Rayelle Wilson with all of Rayelle's associated past, was there ever a real Rayelle Wilson and if so, what had happened to her? I couldn't understand how an individual's identity changed so drastically, bringing with it another whole personal history and replacing what was there prior.

I wasn't far from Eden when I saw a small campfire between the trees. I approached cautiously. There was a woman nursing a baby. I stepped forward into the small clearing and startled her.

She looked at me intently and spoke, "Gwen?" I nodded. She looked familiar but I wasn't placing her.

"Remember me?" she asked, "I'm Harriet. Your Hilda's twin. It was a long time ago. I've changed."

I searched unconsciously way back. "I do remember," I said, "but only vaguely." I didn't mention that I remembered her and my mum fighting for reasons I did not know. "You used to live with us. Why did you leave? Where did you go? But first - what's your baby's name?"

"Michi," Harriet replied, "she's only three months old." Michi was asleep. Harriet continued to snuggle Michi and said, "I've got tea and something to eat in my bag if you would like to make us some." I opened her bag and took out a box of tea and a bag of nuts and dried fruit. A small pot was already beside the fire.

"There's a fresh spring behind those trees," Harriet pointed.

I brought back the pot full of water, balanced it on the stones around the flames and waited for Harriet to continue.

Harriet began, "I left because Hilda and I had a fight. It was the only fight we ever had. We were very close before that and understood each other. We worked together. Then we fought. I never felt so awful in my life and Hilda felt the same way. I went to Marhaven and got married. We never communicated. I sent her a letter once but I never got a response, not surprising though. She may not have received my letter. Everything was falling apart by then, including mail service. There's likely much you don't know about those troubled years as you were so young. I managed to avoid getting chipped, thanks to the Good Lord, and so did my husband. But when I got pregnant - almost twenty years after getting married - we never thought it would be possible - we would have been found out. The birth rate is dangerously low. They probably wouldn't have let me keep Michi because my husband and I weren't wealthy enough. We went on the run as soon as I knew I was expecting. They followed us. I don't know how we were being tracked. That hell went on for months. They were closing in. We had to separate. They must have continued following my husband because after about a week, I realized I wasn't being followed any more. I crossed many rivers. I've never seen my husband since. Eventually I arrived here. I totally miscalculated when Michi's birth would be because she came two months early. She was big enough, strong and healthy so she couldn't have been premature. She was an easy birth and took to nursing no problem. I miss my husband but Michi fills me with joy. Surviving hasn't been easy so there has been no time to mourn. Now tell me about you. I am so glad to see you and see you so well."