The Andre Miller Saga

Andre Miller 55 The Future

The next morning Andre and Conroy made their way out to the summoning building and set up to contact Shirentavale. Andre called out in the language of the celestials and shortly Shirentavale arrived.

"Greetings friend and greetings to you cursed one." Her voice dropped in disgust as she addressed Conroy. "Thank you for contacting me. I apologize for the summons without explanation, but I am acting as the agent for another."

"An agent? Who would entreat you to be an agent for them?" asked Andre.

"Your sister. She has regained her memories through much healing and time in the heavens. She wishes to address you both, for what reason I am not sure. If you are ready and willing, I will bring her here."

Andre and Conroy sat in shock, they had freed Masha, Andre's sister and Conroy's daughter, some time ago but had never expected to hear from her again until the afterlife. "Could we have a moment? it's very unusual for a mortal's spirit to want to talk to the still living."

"Of course. I will wait." Said Shirentavale.

"Are you going to be able to do this Dad? I know with everything else this has to be painful as all hell. I wouldn't blame you if you had to leave, I don't think Masha would either." Said Andre.

"No. I need to face her, one way or the other." Conroy said as he sat a little straighter and looked like he was bracing himself for a beating. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I think so. It's a big shock, but I think I can handle it." Andre said and then turned his attention to the waiting celestial, "We're ready if you are Shirentavale."

"Very well. Masha of the House of Miller I have assembled your family as requested, come and receive your closure." She spoke.

The was a slight breeze and then a specter of a mortal soul appeared, she looked the same as she had when she died. A 16-year-old girl, with brown-black hair and bright green eyes. "Hello Andre, Hello Dad. It's been a long time. 50 some years now."

"Hello Masha, I've missed you. I'm so sorry for not being a better father, for letting you die, for letting you read my journal, for all of it. I don't know what you wanted me here for, but I deserve any venom you have for me, I've earned that after so long." Conroy said. Tears were running down his cheeks and he was sobbing between the words.

Masha smiled. "I made that choice Dad. I was so sure of myself and that I could do anything. I wanted to make you and Mom proud of me. To show you that I was strong and ready for whatever the world had to throw at me. For your part, for every little thing, I forgive you. You can move on from it now. You and Andre saved me from purgatory. I spent 50 years wandering those blasted plains, not knowing anything, just endless wandering. I had resigned myself to that reality. Then you two sent the celestials to get me, to pull me from that meaningless existence. I owe you both for that and I won't be able to repay you for that properly until you make it here."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to make it baby girl. I did a lot of bad in my life, more and more as time went by. I'm so far damned that as soon as I die, they'll drag me to hell and that's all I deserve."

Masha smiled sadly, "I've been watching you both, how you've been searching for a way to save you from that fate. I approve. I'd like to think that if roles were reversed, you'd do the same. I know that you are hesitant to use the seeds because you feel like you don't deserve it. That it's cheating. Look at it this way, do you think the gods would have let you find the seeds if there wasn't at least one who wanted you to succeed?"

"I've just done so much. Millions deserve this more than I do. Andre and the others have gone so far to help me, too far I think."

"Dad, you need to let it go. It's ok, you have a chance that almost no one else ever gets. You endured all the trials in Peru, it cost you a toe. You have taken the hardships that were required of you. At 95! There's no guarantee that the ancestors will even help you, or that it will be enough, but I want you to try. I want the opportunity to have the life with you and Andre that our choices prevented. Mom is beyond our reach now; she made her own bad choices. There's nothing to be done there, but you have that chance, to change your destiny, to find your way to a better afterlife. I want you to try."