Chapter 10

"It's all right, Ayn. I understand. You're a scientist." Zelda's voice has this steady and firm tone, as if she is just discussing a serious business matter, but in a rather soothing and somewhat consoling pitch that makes her verbal approach conversational rather than being outright formal. "No need to apologize. We have travelled nice and smooth. The airport here is great, actually. The islanders are very welcoming even to... aliens like us."

"Aliens?" Ayn reaches for the lady's hand and clasps it. "Such a strong word to use, Zelda. You are not an alien. Not even a bandit. You are a visitor." He smiles. "But not for long. Pretty soon you and your kids will be islanders as well. You will be one of us."

"But of course." Zelda turns her head over her shoulder and looks at the front gate. "Anyway, you have a very disturbing beast down your porch, Ayn. It is a great roarer. You should have seen my face when it roared at me. It was dreadful! I almost fainted. Good thing I have no heart disease, Alhamdulillah."

"Alhamdulillah too," Ayn murmurs softly and gives Zelda an apologetic look. "That is The Mechanical Sphinx. One of my inventions in terms of deep security purpose. I should have warned you earlier over the telephone about it. So silly of me to forget."

"It asked us a riddle," Zelda continues, looking back at Ayn with her face now firm and stolid. "Good thing Beulah knew how to trick it." Her curt smile disappears. "And your mechanical beast was really tricked, Ayn. Not really fool-proofed at all."

"Really?" Ayn looks at Beulah and smiles. "You clearly out-witted my beloved beast, didn't you, Beulah?"

"Yes, I did." Beulah raises her hand holding a black cellphone. She smiles sweetly. "Google!"

"Ah, Google, yes!" the professor mutters, shaking his head in comical amusement. "Clever girl."

"I'm amazing."

"Dad?" Hawk says cautiously, trying not sound rude nor disrespectful. He faces Ayn but his eyes are darting back and fort between Zelda and her well behaved kids. "Who are they? What is going on?"

"Dad, that crazy girl just choked me," Copper blurts out non-commitantly, his voice almost inaudible. He points his shaking finger at Beulah.

Beulah sticks out her tongue at Copper.

"I suppose they are your sons, right, Ayn?" Zelda asks, surveying the boys one by one as if looking at a glass panel that holds five guinea pigs destined to be experimented on. A thin smile crosses the lady's face. "How quaint. They all look the same."

"You are right, Zelda. They are my sons." Ayn points at: "Newton, Copper and Leo, my triplets. And-" He then points at: "-Hawk and Tesla, my twins."

"It's so amazing. They look like quintuplets. The resemblance is truly remarkable." Zelda's gaze falls upon the boy wearing a weird-looking device on both ears. He is staring at her the same way a playful cat might stare at a mealy worm it wants to devour and eat. How disrespectful, she dully muses over to herself but manages to keep a straight face, nevertheless.

"Kids, I have a surprise for you. Come closer, please," Ayn announces in a gleeful tone of voice, gesturing his sons to get closer.

The boys gather around the professor.

"Dad? What's really going on?" Hawk repeats, arching an eyebrow. He looks at Ayn gravely, already anticipating the exact words that will come out of their dad's lips. He doesn't know about the others but the writings are on the wall. It is pretty obvious.

After a while, Ayn let the cat out of the bag.

"I want you all to meet your new mom from now on, kids. Zelda," Ayn announces jovially. He looks at Zelda and smiles in a consoling manner.

Zelda politely nods at the boys, not smiling but not frowning either. She just keeps on gazing at them one by one, half-expecting to witness some violent reactions and harsh comments from these boys. The act of throwing a tantrum because of disappointment and jealousy can be expected from toddlers and not from boys of mid-teens but who knows? Ayn's kids may be teens by the looks but still tots at mind and heart.

Tesla, Newton and Copper's mouths run agape. Leo's face contorts, frowning even more, hands balling into fists. Hawk, on the other hand, just let out a deep sigh, managing to keep a straight face amidst the gravity of their dad's news. He already knows that this is going to happen, eventually. Sooner or later. Their dad is a great scientist. Sure. But Ayn is still a man. A great man capable of falling in love. Their dad deserves to be loved by someone too. And who are they to deny it?

"And those kids right over there are Zelda's daughter Beulah and son Eddie. Say hello to them, kids."

"Y-You're kidding us, right, Dad?" Tesla stutters in a low and uncertain voice, eyes shifting back and fort to Zelda and her two kids standing on a corner. When Ayn did not answer, Tesla glares at him and asks in a rather accusing tone, "I thought you love Mom. Do you still love Mom, Dad?"

"I still do, Tesla," Ayn says cautiously. He glances at Zelda, who just nods curtly as if telling him to just spill the beans and be done with it. He looked back at Tesla, his face somehow grim. "I love her. She will always be in my heart. But I realized that it's time to move on. It has been three years. You all need someone to take good care of you. To look after you while I'm not around. You know me. I'm a very busy man."

Tesla bites his lower lip. He throws a helpless glance at Hawk, and when he sees how grave his twin brother's face is, how thoughtful, he finally gets it. He deeply sighs. If Hawk perceives Ayn's decision as coherent and logical, then it is coherent and logical.

"She will be our new mom, Dad?" Newton asks in a slow and almost robotic tone of voice that makes his statement more of a declaration than a question. He glances at Zelda, eyes curious and scrutinizing. He then starts walking his way past his brothers and stops before Zelda, his lips forming into a wide smile. "Welcome to Lonely Island, Mommy Zelda. We sure are glad meeting you."

Zelda momentarily blinks, then nods at Newton reluctantly.

Newton, being a high-spirited kind of a boy as he frequently is,

shifts his gaze at Beulah and Eddie.

"Welcome to Lonely Island, Beulah and Eddie."

Beulah and Eddie glance at each other.

"Enjoy your stay here."

Beulah and Eddie stare back at Newton, their faces smug and sneeringly distrustful.

The baboon upon Eddie's shoulder sticks out its tongue at Newton.

Copper stares reprovingly at the monkey.

"Creepy monkey."

"Her name is Bubbles!" Beulah snarls at Copper and under her breath added, "Dimbulb."

"Whatever," Copper retorts, his eyes boring into her. Beulah stares back. Copper drops his gaze on the floor and looks away.

"But why didn't you tell us that-that you already married someone?" Tesla insists in a smooth and controlled tone of voice to imply that he, at last, understood and accepted their situation, though his dark and stoic face signify otherwise. Sadness and resentment clearly cloud his features and he is not fooling anyone with his obvious pretension. "Dad, why didn't you tell us earlier? Why, Dad? Why?"

Ayn bursts out laughing. Zelda's lips curve into a slight grin. The monkey let out a loud shriek over Eddie's shoulder.

"Calm down, Tesla. We're not yet married. We're still looking for the exact date." Ayn looks at Tesla with a good-natured grin plastered on his lips. "I didn't inform you sooner because I want to surprise you all. You know me. I love suprises. I really do." The professor playfully ruffles Tesla's thinning hair. "Besides, I am very complacent that you will like Zelda. She is a highly respected woman in their community. A very smart lady. And above all, she is a good cook."

"And you did a great job, Dad. Congratulations! You succeeded. We were totally surprised." Copper crosses his arms, his face dark. "Very entertaining."

Zelda's eyes slightly narrow. She throws Ayn a quick glance, who in turn just gives her an apologetic smile and a meaningful look that says: kids.

"Knock it off," Hawk barks at Copper in a low and reproving voice. He stealthly nudges his younger brother on the waist. "You don't have to be so sarcastic about it."

"I'm sorry, Copper, if you are totally shocked by the news. I really am." Ayn studies Copper who looks rather devastated than just being merely surprised. He sighs. He gently touches the boy's cheek and smiles. "We're going to be one big happy family, Copper. I guarantee it. You have my words."

"Somehow I doubt that," Copper murmurs under his breath. He throws his gaze at the big picture window.

"What was it, Copper? I think I lost you."

Copper looks back at Ayn with a big sweet smile plastering his face. "I said I hope so, Dad. Big happy family. Sure. Why not?"

"Now that's good to-"

"Is there something to eat?"

All heads turn to Eddie, who is holding his belly. The boy's stomach gurgles from within, as if his belly has a mouth that is currently doing a great belching of its own free will. He looks at Zelda to Ayn sheepishly. "Can I eat something. Please? Mom? Professor Ayn- I mean, Dad? Can I eat now? I'm starving."

The boys stare at Eddie's massive belly and from that moment realize that their future stepbrother is really telling the truth. In fact, they have this nagging intuition that Eddie is always hungry.

Always.

"But of course, Eddie," Ayn says affectionately, patting the boy gently on the shoulder and then smiling at everyone. "Let's proceed to the dining area and let's eat a hearty lunch."

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