My Surprise Vampire

Neither Witch nor Vampire

Bastien’s Point of View

“There he is! Come here” I gave Rowan a big bear hug, if he was happy before they left a month ago, he was on cloud nine now.

“It’s so good to see you guys, come in, come in! Dylan’s chomping at the bit to see you but Jones is eating so she couldn’t leave him.”

“He’s eating!?” Rebecca looked surprised.

“Yep, jajan pasar with a side of mango and dragon fruit!” Rowan grinned and grabbed some bags. We followed him into the main floor of this magnificent home, the inside as well as the outside was entirely bamboo along with the furniture although with the thick white cushions you would never know. Huge bamboo ceiling fans hung from the impossibly high vaulted ceilings; large, beautiful, bright colored rugs covered the area of the massive open air living room that looked out to a truly breathtaking scene. One step out of the house you were on a pink sand beach looking out at the clearest bluest water there was, it looked like a painting. The most beautiful sight to see was sitting in his highchair next to his beautiful mother savoring every bit of food on his tray.

“Oh, my goodness! Look at Nana’s big boy!” Rebecca dropped the bag she was carrying and ran to them, covering them with kisses.

“Where’s my Raffa?” I called out while I waited my turn to hug and kiss them. Raffa jumped and ran around in circles in front of me wagging his tail so hard that his entire hind end went with it.

“I told you Pawpaw was coming!” Rowan worked him up even more. I sat down on the floor to play with him.

“I missed my Raffa” I said while I rubbed his ears and scratched his massive head. “I sure did, I even brought you a present!” He followed me over to a cooler bag that I packed special just for him and pulled out a big bone, the T-bones I had for him were still thankfully frozen. He was too consumed with his treat to want anymore to do with me for the time being and I made my way over to Dylan and the baby. Rebecca was smiling ear to ear, crouched down in front of him.

“Hi Dad! I’m so happy you took us up on our offer to visit us! We all missed you so much!” She gave me a big hug, “it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“It sure does! I’m happy we took you up on your offer too, this place is magical! I said in the car ride that I loved it already and that was before we got here.”

“Do you love it enough to stay here a little longer?” Rowan asked while he took Jones out of his highchair.

“Rowan don’t take him out, he’s eating” Rebecca protested. “And we’d be happy to stay as long as you’ll have us.”

“He can eat on your lap” Rowan handed him over.

“You don’t have to twist my arm! Come here my little love” Rebecca kissed and hugged him as he squealed with delight.

“He’s going to get you all sticky” Dylan handed her a wet cloth.

“He can get me all sticky if he wants to, that’s what Nana’s are for” she put the cloth on the table and happily sat him on her lap in front of his food that he couldn’t get enough of.

“When did he start eating solid foods?” I played with his big, dark, loopy curls.

“Not too long after we got here” Rowan told us about Eka and the mango and the daily fresh fruit deliveries since.

“She sounds wonderful, I can’t wait to meet her” Rebecca said while she handed Jones food from his tray.

“Our driver Budi was very welcoming, he told us about different villages we passed through.” I recalled.

“Budi is so sweet; they all are really” Dylan looked so content.

“He told us he’d see us at the market, is that the same market you go to?” I wondered.

“Yes, there are a quite a few small villages around here, they set up a market in the middle of all of them. Two markets, a daytime, and a night market. It’s like going back in time, before everything went to s**t” Rowan explained.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” Rowan noticed me staring out at the beach, “looking out at it never gets old.”

“I believe it, so there are no walls?” I asked.

“Not down here, other than the front, obviously. The bedrooms have locks, you guys wanna see the rest of the house?”

“Of course, Bas, will you carry the baby’s tray for him? I don’t want to interrupt his lunch” Rebecca handed me the bamboo tray of his highchair. We followed them down a small hallway off the main area of the first floor and up a staircase to the second floor where there were three good size bedrooms, all with huge canopy beds that came equipped with mosquito nets. Ceiling fans hung from the same high vaulted ceilings that were downstairs. Each room was positioned to have a clear ocean view through the glass walls of each room. Outside of the bedrooms was a large patio with large, round outdoor beds that laid on the ground, a garden pool was in the middle of the patio with a balcony that circled the entire floor.

“Check this part out” Dylan pointed to the side of the balcony where there was a thick, sturdy net that you could lay in. The best part about, in my opinion was that if you looked to your left you were surrounded by the jungle canopy, if you looked to your right, you had a stunning ocean view with all it’s pink sand glory. “That’s our room” Dylan pointed to the top floor with its own balcony that gave the one we were on just enough shade. It was very similar to their bedroom at home, but I was partial to the one here.

Rebecca was giddy with excitement, “I’m so excited to be here! I always wanted to travel, to see new things and meet people and now I get to do it with all the loves of my life!”

“I love seeing you so happy” I pulled her close to me.

“You sound like you’ve never traveled” Dylan started to laugh.

“That’s because I really haven’t, honey.”

“Wait… What?” Dylan was stunned.

“The first time I left the bayou was when I went to New Orleans, as you know I met Bastien soon after and then we went into hiding from Stacia, we thought. Our trip to California was the biggest trip I had, once we were there, I had to live a quiet life, and then I was killed. You know the rest.”

“I do” Dylan said sadly, “we’re going to have the best time here together!”

“Before we get this party cranking, we need to tell you guys about yesterday” Rowan said before he told us about Dewi’s visit the day before and what happened overnight.

“Those poor people” Rebecca shook her head.

“Good for you son, I would’ve done the same thing had I been here” I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Bastien, they are great people, I didn’t realize until yesterday that they’re like sitting ducks. Eka told us Danny and Boom bought all the land they could to keep people at bay but as time went on more land became available to buy. I’m going to try and get ahold of them, maybe they want to buy more” Rowan explained his plan, Rebecca and I looked at each other, not meaning too.

“What, what’s wrong?” Rowan asked.

“How would you two feel if we also bought some land? Not only to help protect the native people of the island but also to spend more time with the three of you. It’s obvious you guys are very happy here” I swallowed hard, neither Rebecca nor I planned on bringing this up so soon after we arrived.

“I’m sorry if that seems a little forward, you don’t have to answer now, and don’t feel bad if you’d prefer to have your own special place” Rebecca nervously said as she handed more food to Jones.

“Ha-ha! You lost! Pay up woman” Rowan laughed and held his hand out to Dylan. “She has been freaking out for weeks trying to come up with all the ways she could entice you two into having a place here because we want to spend six months out of the year here. I told her she was being silly. We had a bet going on how that conversation would go!”

I started laughing with Rowan, “you are your mother’s daughter, Jr. That’s for sure!”

“And you’re both terrible!” Rebecca laughed despite herself.

“Yes, they are” Dylan playfully pushed Rowan. “There’s something else I want to talk about before we do anything else” she explained in detail about the man she believed at the time to be a witchdoctor, that gave her the box of impossible to find herbs, some Laa herself had never seen. She told us what Eka said when she asked her about him. “Without those herbs we would not have been able to bring you back to the land of the living.”

“No, we wouldn’t have, that’s why those herbs are so hard to find, I’m not sure they’ve ever been found. I’d have to ask Stacia and Laa. What do you think?” I asked Rebecca.

Rebecca thought for a minute, “What exactly was in the box?” Dylan and I listed all of them, Rebecca’s eyes got wider by the herb. “I honestly thought at least a handful of them were made up, like things that were made up in stories that were passed down.”

“I have no proof, only what my gut tells me, but I am convinced the witchdoctor or whatever he is, I believe his sole purpose was to help you. We’ve been here for a month, and I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him, but I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he strolled up that beach now that you’re here. Rowan doesn’t think he means any harm, and either do I but…”

I interrupted her, “I agree with you, but there’s something else that grabs my attention. Even with those herbs it wouldn’t have worked without you, Laa and me chanting together. We hadn’t met when he gave you them to you.” We looked at each other, trying to piece together the puzzle.

“Whoever he is I welcome him, I would like to thank him because without him I wouldn’t be able to hold my beautiful, sticky grandson.”

“How about we give this sticky boy a bath and go to the market?” Rowan tickled Jones.

“Can I do it? I haven’t given my little love a bath in a month!”

“Mom!” Dylan furrowed her brows, “only if you promise to stop asking if you can do things with him!”

Rebecca’s Point of View

“He’s all ready to go!” I happily carried Jones down the stairs, “is it a long walk to the market? Not that I mind.”

“It’s not too bad but that’s not how we’re going to get there” Rowan grinned, “follow us.” We followed them into a large room, it wasn’t really a garage, but it was being used as one. There was a line of mopeds lined up against a wall. Jones was giggling and wiggling as soon as we walked in.

“Oh my goodness! It’s your favorite time of day, isn’t it?” Dylan lifted him in the air. “He rides with Daddy to the market.” Rowan put on the baby carrier that hung on the handlebars of one of the mopeds. “Do you want to ride with Bastien, or do you want to ride your own?”

“Geez, I don’t know, I’ve never ridden one before much less driven one. I’ve never driven anything” I felt silly saying it but unfortunately it was true.

“If I can do it so, can you!” Dylan encouraged me while she put Jones facing out in the carrier that Rowan strapped to his chest before she put the most adorable sunglasses on him. He looked so excited to be riding with his daddy, Bastien took pictures of him.

“I did say I wanted adventure; I’ll give it a shot!” I couldn’t believe what I was about to do but the magic that hummed through the trees was pulling me to do it.

“That’s my girl!” Bastien kissed me, “this is great!” Rowan gave me a quick lesson and patiently answered my questions, “you ready my love” Bastien winked at me.

“I think so” I was too excited to be scared or nervous. To my surprise I didn’t fall off immediately so that helped boost my confidence. Before I knew it, we were riding under the stunning jungle canopy along the path that had been beaten into the ground by a constant, steady, stream of villagers going to and from. The people we passed on the way smiled and waved like they’d known us forever; I was even brave enough to let go of the handle and wave back. I knew we were close because I could smell all the wonderful food that was being sold mixed in with the smell of earth and sweet flowers, it was intoxicating. We parked our mopeds in the line with everyone else’s, it reminded me of the time where people respected each other. When people didn’t have to worry about thieves stealing their hard-earned possessions. Jones was excited as I was to be here, he was still as wiggly and happy as he was before we left.

“I want to introduce you guys to Eka, her stall is right over here” Dylan held mine and Bastien’s hand while we made our way through the crowd of happy, smiling faces. It made me sad and angry to think of them being attacked by anyone. I saw a small, haunch back women happily stuffing banana leaves, and I knew that she had to be Eka, her face lit up when she spotted us.

“Hello my special friends! Come, come” she waved us over to the side of her stall. “Tell me, did my sayangku enjoy his jajan pasar?”

“He loved it” Dylan smiled, “Eka, these are my parents, Rebecca and Bastien.”

“More special friends! Welcome” her whole face smiled at us. “You have a very happy grandson; he makes me happy.”

“Eka, it’s so nice to meet you, Dylan and Rowan told us wonderful things about you. I saw for myself how much Jones enjoyed the food you brought for him.” I held out my hand to shake hers.

She held my hand in hers, “you are very special indeed. The island holds many gifts for you.” I wasn’t sure if she meant me specifically or in general. She turned to Bastien, “you have kind eyes and very handsome.”

“Thank you, Eka” Bastien bowed his head to her. “I hope we get to know each other while we’re here.”

“Of course, we will! Tomorrow I’ll bring the baby something new to try.”

“I look forward to it!” He winked at her when she snuck Jones a tiny bit more of the jajan pasar. We said goodbye to Eka and continued through the market, I stopped at every stall along the way, taking it all in.

“I can’t remember the last time I missed food as much as I do now” I said to Bastien, since I was brought back to this plane, I wasn’t able to eat or drink anything. I was neither witch nor vampire, I didn’t mind. I did miss my powers sometimes, not for personal benefit, but I wasn’t sure who I was without them, but I wasn’t complaining. Being with the people that I loved was all I ever wanted. I was lost in the activity of the market when a small voice caught my attention.

“Ms. Dylan, Mr. Rowan!” A beautiful little girl limped as fast as she could over to us.

“Hi Dewi! I’m so happy to see you” Dylan squatted down so she was eye level with her. “How are you?” Dylan smoothed the little girls long dark hair away from her face, I knew right away that she was different, and it wasn’t because of her ice blue eyes that popped against her brown skin.

“Okay,” she was very leery of Bastien and I.

“Dewi, these are Dylan’s parents, this is Rebecca, and this is Bastien” Rowan introduced us. She smiled shyly at us.

“Hi Dewi, that’s very pretty” I nodded my head at a banana leaf that was folded to look like a flower.

“Thank you, I make one for Jones every day. He likes them” she said barely above a whisper.

“I’m sure he does, that’s very nice of you” I tried to show her that we weren’t a threat to her.

“I’m learning how to make him toys” she briefly looked at me.

“You are!? I’m sure he would love that, but I think he loves you just because you are his friend.” Her little face lit up when he blew a raspberry at her. She handed him his flower and he wiggled and grinned at her. She seemed to be warming up to us when the happy hum of the market was shattered by loud, angry yelling.