"Find a lover?" Jessie stated as if she couldn't believe her ears.
We were on our way home after the gathering had ended.
"They couldn't choose something else? But to find a lover? So I spent all of my days on earth being obedient to all the commandments in the Bible. Just for me to come here and the task is to find a lover??" Jessie continued.
"Bible?" Tina said looking confused. "What is that. And what commandments did you have to obey?" She asked interested in what Jessie was saying.
"Wait. Hold on. Please tell me you have a creator who rules heaven. How come you have never heard of the Bible?" Jessie asked quite surprised.
"For starters, I have always wondered why my kind calls this place heaven. It isn't necessarily a place of perfection in the literal sense. Amante has its issues." Tina stated quite plainly.
The girls looked at her in amazement. Jessie with disbelief and Liz with curiosity.
"This city's real name is Amante. It's probably also called heaven because Amante means love and love is perfection of the soul if you ask me. So I guess heaven seems fit for the city. But it doesn't live up to its name."
"What of the creator?" Jessie asked with whatever hope was left in her.
"Creator?" Tina gave her a puzzled look.
Jessie was dumbfounded.
"Who then rules Amante?"
"The two Sylphs you saw earlier at the gathering. They are the ones who rule Amante." Tina replied.
"Sylphs. Not angels?" Jessie asked her disbelief growing larger with every passing information Tina gave.
"Angels?" Tina was confused.
Liz burst out laughing.
"What does it matter Jessie? As long as we have a place to call home."
"Oh but it does matter Liz," Jessie replied her features hinging a bit more of seriousness and less of dumfoundedness.
"Why?"
Liz was quite surprised. Who wouldn't want love? To spend eternity with a lover and live their days together. That was heaven to her.
"For me, I believe there's much more serious things to think about." Jessie replied.
Liz was trying to understand her new friend.
"Like?" She asked.
"Gaining knowledge. So much of it. I never really had much time for love when I was on earth. It was either read the Bible or read academic books," Jessie replied.
"I think you'd love Sophia. It's a bit of a pity you were brought here instead." Tina said.
Jessie looked at her inquisitively.
"Sophia is another part of Amante. One of the other parts that the rulers spoke about when they were addressing you. It's a place for philosophers as they like to call themselves." Tina said in response.
"Now that's the place for me. I'm deliberately failing this lovey dovey task given to us. But I will happily help you Liz. Count me by your side for the next three days." Jessie said her mood greatly improved.
We had slowed down our pace greatly as we walked home.
"Tina? On my way to Amante, a Sylph told us there were three floors. One was Amante. I'm guessing the other was Sophia. What of the third floor? Where does it lead to?" I asked Jessie's questions making me think as well.
"Oh. It probably leads to Kreiger; the warrior city." Tina replied.
"So I'm guessing that Amante, Sophia and Kreiger are collectively called heaven?" Jessie asked.
"Exactly right." Tina replied.
We were now a few feet away from home and the three of us fell silent. Each one probably occupied with her thoughts.
What was on my mind was how I was going to find him. He had to be the lover I would spend eternity with.
We got to the house and the first thing Tina did was to excuse herself. She said she was going to prepare some food for us as our dinner.
"Dinner?" I asked confused. It was still as bright as ever outside.
"Amante is always in constant daylight," Tina said before moving to the kitchen.
"I wonder what the task would be like tomorrow. I assume you are excited," Jessie said to me, with a slight smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Excited might not be the word, I'll use." I replied.
"More like nervous, frightened and in despair," I concluded with a grave face.
"Why?" Jessie said the smile disappearing from her voice.
"I have someone I have loved since I knew how to love. But he has always rejected me. And I can't imagine life with anyone else." I started.
"So I might want a lover to spend forever with, but will I get the lover my heart wants? That is the dilemma, because I refuse to settle for someone who isn't him." I concluded.
I could feel Jessie scoot closer to where I was sitted. She placed a hand on my lap.
"You do what's best for you. Whatever decision you make, I'll still be on your team." She said.
"That is till I get to Sophia." She said as I looked up and smiled.
"Of course not, silly. I will always be on your team."
"I'm glad our paths crossed Jessie," I said giving her a hug.
After my demeanor had become a bit more cheerful. Jessie suggested that we look through the house again.
"I wonder how many mansions they have on Amante. This house is monstrous." Jessie said as we climbed a flight of stairs, exploring each and every corner of the house.
"Jessie? Liz?" Tina's voice rang through the house.
"Come have dinner," she said after spotting us peering over the handrails at the very top of the stairs.
She smiled as we both rushed down the stairs.
That scent was everything.
"Tina," I started as we sat at the dinner table. "You have to give me the recipe of this meal and also I won't mind you teaching me how to prepare it exactly like yours" I continued.
"It really smells so good," Jessie said as we both tasted the meal.
"Now that's heavenly," I said with a smile as the flavor envolped me whole.
"I'll give you the recipe but that would be after the task," Tina said.
"You'll have to go to bed as soon as you can, because tomorrow, we will be on to an early start." She continued.
"Tomorrow by six in the morning. The three-day countdown starts." Tina said.
"I'll be leaving you two to dinner. I have to pick up an item from my house this night. I'll be back early. Rest well ladies," Tina said with a goodbye wave.
"So have you made your decision?" Jessie asked after a while as we ate silently.
"I have made my decision. I always have." I said to her.
"I will find Reed and give love one more shot." I said resolutely.