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More from Ben Zider
Sunset in Amistad. Chapter 8. Picnic
The following is a story set in the fictional universe created by Bernard Doove, aka 
Goldfur and Bob Reijns. This includes character concepts and general ideas. For more details, please visit their official site at http://furry.org.au/chakat . The present story and its characters are from 
Ben Zider The illustrations for this story were made by 
sethtriggs
CHAPTER 8 PICNIC
It was approaching lunch time, so I invited Vroeg to eat at the hotel casino. However, the old skunktaur refused. I found hys attitude a little strange, but in return, hy suggested that we have a picnic on the beach. The idea fascinated me, so we went to buy groceries and drinks at a nearby store and sat down to eat in front of the sea. It's been a long time since I did that with someone.
While we were having a picnic, Vroeg told me something about hys life. Hy was a maintenance technician and thanks to that, hy had worked on various Federation spacecraft. Hy was on various planets, including Earth, which hy had visited on many occasions. Hy was 97 years old; old enough for a skunktaur.
“And tell me, are you still upset with that chakat?” hy asked suddenly.
“No. I suppose that, by agreeing to be with hir, I also accepted hir cultural conditions. I can't impose mine.”
“Heh heh... But, there may be an agreement. No one is obliged to submit. The most valuable thing you have in your life is your time and energy, and both are limited. Choose very well who you give them to with devotion, son. Do not confuse love with attachment,” hy added.
As we savored lunch, the Chakonan sun was beginning to fall towards the sea. After a long silence, my friend added.
“Love for just a day and the world will have changed.”
“Hey?”
“It's an old phrase that someone in your world said a long time ago. When you truly love, everything changes for you.”
“I guess that's true. Being in love is wonderful. Have you loved very much, Vroeg?”
“Oh, of course. I was very lucky to find my soulmate in my partner. We shared almost our entire existence together, since we were young. I'm very grateful for that.”
“It must have been tough when hy died,” I added.
“It was, but not as much as you think. We already knew that we would part ways for a while, and we were prepared for that.”
“Wow.”
“I'll tell you a secret, son. We all have an inner black hole, fiercely absorbing the energy of others. The wise men of your world called it ego. The trick to being happy is to gradually transform that dark hole into light. In a star that—instead of taking away—delivers its energy to those around it.”
“And I thought that to be happy, you had to surf!” I replied jokingly, after which, the skunktaur playfully ruffled my hair, while laughing.
“When you really love, you are a star, and everything inside you is in balance.”
“Yes but it's not easy, Vroeg. Life puts out obstacles for you and...”
“Oh…but of course, son. Life is a succession of lessons that you must experience to understand. And always your teachers—they will be your big mistakes.”
“And you, have you made many mistakes in your 152 years of life, Vroeg?”
“Of course. And some, they hurt to this day. But the important thing is to learn from them, get up and keep running.”
“Yeah, I guess that applies to me too.”
“That's right, Esteban. We all have the option to learn and change our thoughts, don't we? The book of your life is written by the decisions you have made. Regret is simply change, and you have done it, and will continue to do so, son.” Vroeg concluded, looking at me with those sweet blue eyes that bared the soul. I just ducked my head and nodded in resignation.
When we finished eating, we decided to walk along the beach. At that time, and as usual, there were many people. Adults and children entertained themselves by talking, playing or splashing in the sea.
“Come on Vroeg, do you dare to jog with me?” I said suddenly. “How fast does a skunktaur run?”
“Heh heh...faster than a human, but slower than a chakat. Anyway, I'm not for that anymore boy, I prefer to walk.”
“Whatever you say old man. Maybe as a female you would cheer up!” I said jokingly while I pinched hys nipples.
“Hey! My female phase is very attractive.”
“Hmmm…It should be seen. Would you transform now? I can get a bra for your breasts...ha ha ha!”
“That takes a lot of energy. And I only do it a couple of times a year. I always felt more comfortable in my male phase.”
“I understand,” I said, as we walked along the shore and the waves were wetting our feet. The sea breeze was delicious and the sun warmed our bodies pleasantly. Being with Vroeg made me feel good. Walking beside hym and chatting about anything was invigorating to my spirit. I could tell that hy had been a loving father. Hy treated me with affection and truly, I was beginning to really enjoy his company.
“Vroeg. How do you manage to transform selfishness into generosity? That inner black hole in a star?”
I asked at one point.
“There are several ways. But the most common is to live and understand. Experiment and be aware. And in your case, you must start by healing your wounds. Lick them, until they disappear.”
“Sounds really nice. But, how can someone heal after so much pain.” The skunktaur looked me in the eyes and taking my hand, said:
“Forgiving, son. Forgiving is noble, but forgiving yourself is wise. Begin by forgiving you, and others. By doing that, you are already on top of the surfboard.”
“Forgive my parents?”
“Just give them another chance. Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“What are you talking about? They must already be dead.” I pointed out.
“Esteban, you who run every morning, have you ever tripped?”
“Of course.”
“And after that, you've stood up and kept running, by will and energy, haven't you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, death is only the stumbling of the body, but the universe continues in motion. Love is an eternal energy. Those who love you can be called father, mother and family.”
I was silent. Listening to hym comforted me, although not everything hy said made clear sense to me.
“You know, yesterday, I met a guy, a human with two wives. He looked happy. Do you think that is possible?”
“Of course. When love is true, that inner sun is enough to illuminate more than one, many times. Each one builds his destiny according to his circumstances. Humans are very special. They have a somewhat selfish way of loving.”
“Hey! In case you haven't noticed, I'm human. I don't know any other way to love.” I claimed.
“Well, you're here in Chakona for a reason, aren't you? To learn.”
“To learn engineering,” I replied.
“Hahaha. Do not close your mind or your heart to the possibilities that this world offers you. Nothing is a casualty.”
“Wow, that's the same thing Mark said.”
“But you must choose and act wisely. You have tremendous potential. Humans are our creators. Capable of things so beautiful, and horrible at the same time. Here they are respected. But sadly, there are many chakats and skunktaurs that still fear them. And when there is fear, there is aggressiveness. That's why I gave you the tiara. For protection. You will be surrounded by skunktaurs in Dewclaw, and surely, not everyone will be happy to have you as a partner when they know you in-depth,” hy added.
“Don't worry Vroeg. I will handle it.” I replied
“I know you'll do it. You are strong and noble,” hy added, looking into my eyes.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” I asked, intrigued.
“Because it makes me very happy to share my time with you. And when I look at you, I also see myself, in the past, when my life as an explorer began, in other worlds. I was eager to discover and learn.” Hy pointed out, as a couple of tears began to roll down his cheeks.
“Thanks for being here, Esteban.”
“No. No...thank you for your words. To really listen to you, you have given me peace, tranquility. And your company has been splendid,” I replied. The skunktaur approached me and we melted into a tight hug. I could feel a warm energy flowing from hym. It was very comforting.
The sun dropped once more behind the horizon. The magic of hys beauty flooded our hearts. I offered to accompany Vroeg to hys house. But for some reason that I didn't understand, hy refused.
“Do not worry. You have more important things to do now.”
“Eh?”
“Go...to forgive, son,” hy said as he said goodbye to me. Sometimes hy behaved very enigmatically; I guessed it was age. Hy walked slowly down the street, calmly. For my part, I returned to the hotel.
Upon arrival, I took a refreshing shower, and changed my clothes. I checked the phone that I had left on the nightstand and saw that I had several missed calls. Also, I received several messages in my absence. Most were from Lorel.
“Esteban. I've been trying to reach you all day. I need to talk to you. Call me please.”
The truth is, I didn't know what to answer. And to avoid making a hasty decision, I decided to wait. As I pondered it, a reception call rang on the desk phone.
“Esteban here.”
“Mr. Melinao, this is Blukast. Sorry for the inconvenience, but there is someone at reception asking for you.”
“Well. I will go down right away. Thank you very much, Blukast.” I answered and then hung up. I immediately thought of Lorel. I got a little nervous. In truth, I was still disappointed about last night and I couldn't find a way to face this. Vroeg spoke of forgiveness, but at the time it wasn't that easy for me. I went down to the lobby with a heavy heart, thinking of the right words. When I arrived, I had another surprise.
“Regt! What are you doing here?”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to sethtriggs by the help to translation and grammar corrections and the wonderful drawings
Goldfur and Bob Reijns. This includes character concepts and general ideas. For more details, please visit their official site at http://furry.org.au/chakat . The present story and its characters are from Ben Zider The illustrations for this story were made by 
sethtriggs <<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
CHAPTER 8 PICNIC
It was approaching lunch time, so I invited Vroeg to eat at the hotel casino. However, the old skunktaur refused. I found hys attitude a little strange, but in return, hy suggested that we have a picnic on the beach. The idea fascinated me, so we went to buy groceries and drinks at a nearby store and sat down to eat in front of the sea. It's been a long time since I did that with someone.
While we were having a picnic, Vroeg told me something about hys life. Hy was a maintenance technician and thanks to that, hy had worked on various Federation spacecraft. Hy was on various planets, including Earth, which hy had visited on many occasions. Hy was 97 years old; old enough for a skunktaur.
“And tell me, are you still upset with that chakat?” hy asked suddenly.
“No. I suppose that, by agreeing to be with hir, I also accepted hir cultural conditions. I can't impose mine.”
“Heh heh... But, there may be an agreement. No one is obliged to submit. The most valuable thing you have in your life is your time and energy, and both are limited. Choose very well who you give them to with devotion, son. Do not confuse love with attachment,” hy added.
As we savored lunch, the Chakonan sun was beginning to fall towards the sea. After a long silence, my friend added.
“Love for just a day and the world will have changed.”
“Hey?”
“It's an old phrase that someone in your world said a long time ago. When you truly love, everything changes for you.”
“I guess that's true. Being in love is wonderful. Have you loved very much, Vroeg?”
“Oh, of course. I was very lucky to find my soulmate in my partner. We shared almost our entire existence together, since we were young. I'm very grateful for that.”
“It must have been tough when hy died,” I added.
“It was, but not as much as you think. We already knew that we would part ways for a while, and we were prepared for that.”
“Wow.”
“I'll tell you a secret, son. We all have an inner black hole, fiercely absorbing the energy of others. The wise men of your world called it ego. The trick to being happy is to gradually transform that dark hole into light. In a star that—instead of taking away—delivers its energy to those around it.”
“And I thought that to be happy, you had to surf!” I replied jokingly, after which, the skunktaur playfully ruffled my hair, while laughing.
“When you really love, you are a star, and everything inside you is in balance.”
“Yes but it's not easy, Vroeg. Life puts out obstacles for you and...”
“Oh…but of course, son. Life is a succession of lessons that you must experience to understand. And always your teachers—they will be your big mistakes.”
“And you, have you made many mistakes in your 152 years of life, Vroeg?”
“Of course. And some, they hurt to this day. But the important thing is to learn from them, get up and keep running.”
“Yeah, I guess that applies to me too.”
“That's right, Esteban. We all have the option to learn and change our thoughts, don't we? The book of your life is written by the decisions you have made. Regret is simply change, and you have done it, and will continue to do so, son.” Vroeg concluded, looking at me with those sweet blue eyes that bared the soul. I just ducked my head and nodded in resignation.
When we finished eating, we decided to walk along the beach. At that time, and as usual, there were many people. Adults and children entertained themselves by talking, playing or splashing in the sea.
“Come on Vroeg, do you dare to jog with me?” I said suddenly. “How fast does a skunktaur run?”
“Heh heh...faster than a human, but slower than a chakat. Anyway, I'm not for that anymore boy, I prefer to walk.”
“Whatever you say old man. Maybe as a female you would cheer up!” I said jokingly while I pinched hys nipples.
“Hey! My female phase is very attractive.”
“Hmmm…It should be seen. Would you transform now? I can get a bra for your breasts...ha ha ha!”
“That takes a lot of energy. And I only do it a couple of times a year. I always felt more comfortable in my male phase.”
“I understand,” I said, as we walked along the shore and the waves were wetting our feet. The sea breeze was delicious and the sun warmed our bodies pleasantly. Being with Vroeg made me feel good. Walking beside hym and chatting about anything was invigorating to my spirit. I could tell that hy had been a loving father. Hy treated me with affection and truly, I was beginning to really enjoy his company.
“Vroeg. How do you manage to transform selfishness into generosity? That inner black hole in a star?”
I asked at one point.
“There are several ways. But the most common is to live and understand. Experiment and be aware. And in your case, you must start by healing your wounds. Lick them, until they disappear.”
“Sounds really nice. But, how can someone heal after so much pain.” The skunktaur looked me in the eyes and taking my hand, said:
“Forgiving, son. Forgiving is noble, but forgiving yourself is wise. Begin by forgiving you, and others. By doing that, you are already on top of the surfboard.”
“Forgive my parents?”
“Just give them another chance. Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”
“What are you talking about? They must already be dead.” I pointed out.
“Esteban, you who run every morning, have you ever tripped?”
“Of course.”
“And after that, you've stood up and kept running, by will and energy, haven't you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, death is only the stumbling of the body, but the universe continues in motion. Love is an eternal energy. Those who love you can be called father, mother and family.”
I was silent. Listening to hym comforted me, although not everything hy said made clear sense to me.
“You know, yesterday, I met a guy, a human with two wives. He looked happy. Do you think that is possible?”
“Of course. When love is true, that inner sun is enough to illuminate more than one, many times. Each one builds his destiny according to his circumstances. Humans are very special. They have a somewhat selfish way of loving.”
“Hey! In case you haven't noticed, I'm human. I don't know any other way to love.” I claimed.
“Well, you're here in Chakona for a reason, aren't you? To learn.”
“To learn engineering,” I replied.
“Hahaha. Do not close your mind or your heart to the possibilities that this world offers you. Nothing is a casualty.”
“Wow, that's the same thing Mark said.”
“But you must choose and act wisely. You have tremendous potential. Humans are our creators. Capable of things so beautiful, and horrible at the same time. Here they are respected. But sadly, there are many chakats and skunktaurs that still fear them. And when there is fear, there is aggressiveness. That's why I gave you the tiara. For protection. You will be surrounded by skunktaurs in Dewclaw, and surely, not everyone will be happy to have you as a partner when they know you in-depth,” hy added.
“Don't worry Vroeg. I will handle it.” I replied
“I know you'll do it. You are strong and noble,” hy added, looking into my eyes.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” I asked, intrigued.
“Because it makes me very happy to share my time with you. And when I look at you, I also see myself, in the past, when my life as an explorer began, in other worlds. I was eager to discover and learn.” Hy pointed out, as a couple of tears began to roll down his cheeks.
“Thanks for being here, Esteban.”
“No. No...thank you for your words. To really listen to you, you have given me peace, tranquility. And your company has been splendid,” I replied. The skunktaur approached me and we melted into a tight hug. I could feel a warm energy flowing from hym. It was very comforting.
The sun dropped once more behind the horizon. The magic of hys beauty flooded our hearts. I offered to accompany Vroeg to hys house. But for some reason that I didn't understand, hy refused.
“Do not worry. You have more important things to do now.”
“Eh?”
“Go...to forgive, son,” hy said as he said goodbye to me. Sometimes hy behaved very enigmatically; I guessed it was age. Hy walked slowly down the street, calmly. For my part, I returned to the hotel.
Upon arrival, I took a refreshing shower, and changed my clothes. I checked the phone that I had left on the nightstand and saw that I had several missed calls. Also, I received several messages in my absence. Most were from Lorel.
“Esteban. I've been trying to reach you all day. I need to talk to you. Call me please.”
The truth is, I didn't know what to answer. And to avoid making a hasty decision, I decided to wait. As I pondered it, a reception call rang on the desk phone.
“Esteban here.”
“Mr. Melinao, this is Blukast. Sorry for the inconvenience, but there is someone at reception asking for you.”
“Well. I will go down right away. Thank you very much, Blukast.” I answered and then hung up. I immediately thought of Lorel. I got a little nervous. In truth, I was still disappointed about last night and I couldn't find a way to face this. Vroeg spoke of forgiveness, but at the time it wasn't that easy for me. I went down to the lobby with a heavy heart, thinking of the right words. When I arrived, I had another surprise.
“Regt! What are you doing here?”
<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to
sethtriggs by the help to translation and grammar corrections and the wonderful drawings
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 600 x 600px
File Size 269.3 kB
Comments