Towards Love

29.changes

In front of Lola, the machine displayed the message from Mr. Williams. She was so stressed at the thought of reading bad news that the words danced before her eyes without her being able to make sense of them. "Can someone read it for me? I can't concentrate." Laying a hand gently on her shoulder, Neteyam came to her rescue. She gave him a small sorry smile and moved aside to give him her place. Clearing his throat, the young man spoke, everyone hanging on his every word, eager to know what was happening on Earth. 

"Dear Lola, 
As I am writing this, I received the evidence a week ago. Getting them was not easy but thanks to your cunning, no one checked the crate in which they were hidden. Simple but effective." 

Upon hearing these words, Jake patted Spider on the back with pride. It was because of him that they were where they were today and he would be forever grateful. Imperceptibly, the young man puffed up his chest a little, delighted that his commitment was appreciated

"One of my students who works at the base where the ships take off and arrive was able to retrieve it after ensuring that his comrades on Pandora wanted him to hand pick up the package and not have it delivered due to its fragility. This is usually the way we get our shipments to the university. Don't worry, he doesn't know the nature of what you sent me, I was careful to read the evidence alone and on an unattended computer. What I saw made me very sad and at the same time did not surprise me. Some people are kept in the dark about the real intentions of the government so that they don't make waves. These people are bound to be those who have a heart and care about the world and the universe around them. These people are you, me and your comrades even if they did not look very far to understand their new environment when they arrived on Pandora. Fortunately, a few people in high places are concerned about what is happening in space and do not want to repeat what we have inflicted on our beloved planet." 

Full of hope, Lola closed her eyes to hear the rest. She hoped so much that her teacher could carry a movement within the government to change things on Pandora. Without realizing it, she had grabbed Neteyam's forearm and was squeezing it tighter and tighter. He paused to take her hand, relieving the spot where the trace of Lola's fingers was now visible. "Love, relax, you're hurting me." He had whispered so that no one but his mate would hear. Surprised, Lola opened her eyes and withdrew her hand. "Excuse me, I'm just apprehensive about what comes next." Tightening his fingers in hers, Neteyam smiled gently to reassure her. "I know. It's going to be okay, I promise." 

"Neteyam could you please continue? The suspense is killing us right now." Spider wasn't holding still either. Mr. Williams had really written a novel to finally tell them whether or not something could be done to save the Na'vi and Pandora. "Yes, yes, sorry." Taking a deep breath, Neteyam resumed reading.

"The decision-makers must agree on the nature of the ship that must leave for Pandora in a month. Their meeting lasts next week. I know of two fairly high ranking people and council members who are to attend. I'll make sure to get the evidence to them. It will then be up to them to see if they can compromise the sending of weapons, soldiers and military plans that are to leave and replace them with more scientists and neutral people. If this is the case, it will give us more time to attack those responsible for the massacres and to show the population what is really going on." 

Norm seemed thoughtful, listening intently to Neteyam's reading. "So if we summarize, the message was written two months ago because that's how long it takes for us to receive it, and at the time it was written, the ship was scheduled to leave in a month. So it has already taken off and is heading to Pandora right now."

"We just have to hope that these people Mr Williams is talking about succeeded in making this ship as neutral as possible." Jake got up saying that. "There's nothing we can do for now, this war is long and requires a lot of patience. We now know that we have allies on Earth who are also working to restore peace to our planet. Lola, I let you answer him that now that the ship has been sent, does he know about the meeting and what we can do on our side to help him." The young woman nodded her head understandingly. Jake, Spider and Norm came out of the lab. Lola was about to do the same but was held back by Neteyam who had grabbed her by the waist. 

"The message is not over. It's just a little personal, I didn't want to read in front of everyone." Intrigued, she turned to the screen and indeed, there was one paragraph left on the message. She read it outloud knowing that if Neteyam didn't read it to the others he already knew what it was about.

"I have one more thing to tell you and it concerns your family. They came to the university a short time ago not hearing from you from the base. They were worried. I told them that you were with the Na'vi but I didn't give them any more details. I think they would like to know how you are doing. I don't know what your situation is with the Omatikaya, but I'm guessing you're not planning on going home, or at least not right away. If you want me to give them any message at all, don't hesitate. I'm sure they'd love to know what's going on for you on Pandora.

Regards, 
Mr Williams"

Lola stayed silent for a very long time after this. Neteyam almost wondered if she was having a heart attack when he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. "Hey, love. Is everything okay?" The young woman then collapsed, no longer in control of herself. Her mate knelt beside her, taking her in his arms and waiting for her to calm down ans be able to talk. "Neteyam I haven't spoken with my family in five years." He closed his eyes understanding her distress. If he were to be separated from his family for so long, he didn't know how he would react mentally. She turned to him, a guilty look on her face. "And you know what's worse? I haven't felt the need to contact them during all this time."

She had been so comfortable within the Omatikaya clan, a second family offered to her by Eywa, that she had completely overlooked the fact that there were still people on Earth who could count on her. Five years had passed, she had changed bodies, fallen in love, had a child, and her original family didn't know anything about it. "I'm sure if you tell them everything that happened, they will understand." 

"How could they possibly understand the fact that their daughter was so unwilling to go home that she became a Na'vi for good? They would feel betrayed and unloved. That would be the worst feeling I could inflict on them." 

"We will explain it all. If they love you, if they know you, they will understand your choices and be happier for you than ever. That's what family is all about. A family pushes you up and respects your desires if they want to help you grow. They just need to know that you're okay."

Author's note
Including more about what's happening on Earth, what do you think? Don't forget to vote and comment :)