Valentine Diary

Valentine Diary


By


Detia


January 5, 2823

I’ve been learning some very interesting things about the Mua people. I’ve noticed how each ones name reflects a lot about each person. For example, the Mua female who assists me is called Adran Pawamin. She told me that Adran means “young in the face,” and Pawamin means “fisherman.” Turns out that Adran doesn’t look her age at all. She does look like a little girl. And she comes from a family of fishermen. I even talked to her friends, Lsa Cachulnick and Makel Meglouse. Lsa means “flame.” I guess that’s for her fiery red-orange hair. Cachulnick means “with a mouth like a niku” or, “having an overbite.” A niku is a rabbit-like creature native to this planet that has a noticeable overbite. Lsa said just about everyone in her family had to get braces. My favorite is Makel Meglouse. He has such a masculine name. I can see why he’s proud of it. Makel means “big man.” And Meglouse is derived from a word meaning “well endowed.” That last name was pretty self-explanatory so I didn’t ask for further detail.

January 10, 2823

I’m working on translating a book of Mua names, which Makel gave to me. Adran helped as much as she could. We knew very little about each other’s culture except what our own people had told us. It was good to see it for myself firsthand. After that, Adran could come to Earth to learn more about humans. There is a common misconception among humans that because of their small size, Mimians are weaker than humans. Turns out they are actually pretty strong. They are also very agile and graceful. Dance and acrobatics seem to be very important amongst the Mua. I haven’t met a child yet who wasn’t enrolled in a traditional dance class or a gymnastics class. No wonder a Mimian got the gold medal for gymnastics in the last Interplanetary Olympics.

February 14, 2823

I finally completed the translation of the book of names, with Adran's help of course. This being Valentine's Day, I explained this human holiday to my assistant. She was a bit surprised that there was a special day set aside to give gifts to ones spouse or lover. I told her it was really a pretty commercialized event. Humans do give their spouses and lovers gifts at other times in the year, not just holidays. I compared it to their Family Festival they have every summer. She did agree that mostly merchants did benefit financially from that event. But we agreed that holidays do tend to reflect cultural values.

February 27, 2823

Adran and I were invited to Tamla Meglouse’s birthday party. She is approximately 13 years old. It seemed to be a pretty big deal since now she was at the age when she could marry. Sometimes parents choose a spouse for there children at birth, but the Meglouses apparently hadn’t found a worthy betrothed. They thought they had a few years ago, but when the parents saw Tamla they said she was too big boned. Tamla didn’t seem to care. Tamla said she had other things on her mind besides boys, like school. She is now studying to become an architect. By the time she becomes an Elder on her 20th birthday, she should be well established in the field and receives her official robe. I believe the colors for the field are sky blue and gold. I have noticed in the fields involving numbers and measurements, the basic color of the robes is sky blue.

March 17, 2823

The Mua people never cease to surprise me. The way they view sexual relations is very interesting to say the least. The are pretty much open about it. In fact, they are the most open of any people I have ever researched. Relations among youngsters are pretty much expected, especially amongst the betrothed ones. Adran has told me that it is commonplace for parents to openly discuss it with their children. What I found really amazing was that during premarital seclusion, or the Days of Preparation, couples are provided with literature and materials to enhance their lovemaking. Of all the cultures I've studied, I've never seen or heard anything like this. Adran couldn't understand why humans tend to be so secretive about the subject and rarely seem to discuss it with their children. She said that lovemaking is a sacred and beautiful thing and nothing to be ashamed of. Well, I agree, but I still can't see myself discussing that with my child without some...discomfort.

May 25, 2823

I have found Mua traditional dance enjoyable as well as interesting. My favorite one has to be the Tanta, a dance of celebration. Tanta comes from an ancient Mua word meaning "freedom.” It's a very lively dance and there are no specific steps. The focus of the Tanta is to dance as the spirit moves you so to speak. when the drummers started playing, I couldn't help joining in! Adran said I did very well. She also told me she had never seen me let go like that. I guess she thinks I'm a bit conservative. I just want to make sure to stay mainly in professional mode while studying their culture. But it was nice to get a little wild for a change.

July 5, 2823

I know it's usually my rule not to mix business with pleasure, but I thought it was about time Adran and I got to go out on an actual date. She was a little surprised when I asked her out, but she didn't seem to have any objection. We decided to go to a concert at Fountain Hill Hall. The musician was the classical Mua performer Zida. He's very talented. He played the piano, and instrument I am very familiar with, but not common on this planet. I was so impressed, I decided to purchase one of his CD's sometime soon. Adran looked lovely, of course. She wore a white gown with black accents and trimming. It complimented her lavender complexion very nicely. I was glad to hear her say she was looking forward to our next date.

September 15, 2823

It's been over two months since Adran and I started dating. We've become quite close. Oh, who am I kidding! I'm crazy about her. I'm not sure how deep her feelings are for me though. I want to give us a little more time before I even think about proposing. Our professional relationship is excellent. Our physical relationship is even better. I just don't want to get too serious too soon. I've already purchased a genuine promise stone. It will look so beautiful around her neck. I'll give it a couple more months before I present it to her. It's purple, her favorite color.

December 25, 2823

Christmas Day was the perfect time for me to present the promise stone to Adran. I had been telling her about this holiday for a while and she told me she wanted to participate. She gave me a couple new Zida CD's as gifts. I don't think she was expecting a proposal from me because she looked kind of shocked. I laughed when she said she was embarrassed that all she got me was CD's. I told her she was more than enough present for me.

January 12, 2824

Adran and I decided to have a simple ceremony involving only our closest friends. I invited Terry Harris, a long time friend from college, my parents, and my cousins Janelle and Pierre. Adran invited her parents and her good friends the Meglouses. Adran has asked Lsa and Makel to make her dress. I can understand why she asked them. I've seen some of their work. I suggested they go into the clothing design business together, but they said they already have careers and they only sew for fun or to help out a friend.

February 14, 2824

Well, today is our wedding day! I couldn't sleep from all my excitement. In a couple hours, I will be a married man. My parents thought it was about time. I'll be turning 35 soon, so I think my timing's about right. Adran will be turning 22. My father, who is a pastor will be performing the ceremony jointly with one of the Holy Elders from the Fountain Hill district. My father warned me that I might be very nervous today. However, I'm not nervous at all. I'm just very excited and happy.

September 12, 2824

I'm very concerned about Adran's health. She's been complaining that she's been having severe headaches and feels very fatigued. She's also been acting very grouchy, and that's not like Adran at all. She suspects that she might be pregnant. She made an appointment for a test to make sure. If she is, I'll be proud to announce to my parents that their first grandchild is on his or her way.

September 15, 2824

Well, the results came back today. Adran is indeed pregnant. We called our parents and gave them the happy news. They are all so excited! This will be the first grandchild on both sides. Adran and I are already thinking of names. If it's a boy, I would like to name him Jon-Paul. If it's a girl, I would like to name her after my grandmother, Detia. Adran says she likes Celel for a boy and Dovay for a girl. We'll probably end up giving the child one human name and one Mimian name.

December 25, 2824

Our first Christmas together as a married couple was great! It was more like a baby shower though. Both our families sent us baby furniture and decorative items for the baby's room. We repacked all the presents and stored them. We both knew we would be moving to Earth the following year so Adran could start her own research. No one got us baby clothes. The said they were waiting until we knew the baby's gender. Adran is starting to show. She also told me she has experienced "the quickening.” That's when the mother first feels the baby's movements. I think all this baby talk had gotten Makel excited. He's asked Lsa if she wants to try for a son. The look Lsa gave him when he said that was hilarious! Tamla, who's about to turn 15, thought the idea was quite humorous.

February 14, 2825

For our first wedding anniversary, Adran and I went to have a 3-D sonogram done. It was amazing to see our child curled up in her womb. The baby looked so peaceful. We now know it's a girl. We're going to name her Detia Dovay Valentine. We were glad to hear that the baby is healthy. Detia's going to be a little large for a Mimian baby because she is half human. Adran doesn't seem to be having a problem carrying her, though. That evening, we celebrated our anniversary with dinner and a shopping spree for baby clothes.

May 7, 2825

Our little Detia has arrived! She is 7.5 lbs of sweet beauty. I love her little dark brown baby curls and her pretty complexion. I already went through 5 rolls of film in my digital camera taking pictures of her and Adran. I'm going to e-mail the pics to Earth. Mom and Dad will be thrilled! Makel and Lsa came over to see the baby. They brought Tamla and their neighbor, Lady Pijol. She's seven months pregnant and a widow already. I feel sorry for her. It's a good thing her deceased spouse was loaded. She says he wasn't filthy rich, but he left enough to take care of her and their unborn daughter. I noticed that she was looking at Detia kind of funny. I guess she's never seen a mixed child before.

July 17, 2825.

Since Makel has been making such a fuss about trying to have another child, particularly a boy, I decided to give him a little gift. It's a West African fertility statue. A friend of mine from college gave it to me. Makel was very please to receive it and asked me if it works. I said he'd have to try it and see. He said he'll set it on the dresser in their bedroom, but he won't tell Lsa what it is. Makel can be such a sneaky little guy! That's part of the reason I like him so much!

September 3, 2825

Well, it turns out Lsa is pregnant now. I don't know if it had to do with the statue or Makel's persistence. Lsa is about 32 now, which is still young for a Mimian. They usually live to be about 200. Tamla just thought it would be kind of weird having a younger sibling when she's so close to becoming an Elder. She's already old enough to have children of her own. The Meglouses have agreed to betroth their child to little Marana, Pijol's daughter, if it's a boy. She's a pretty little thing. She's about two months old now. Detia's about 4 months old now and growing fast! She can already sit up by herself.

January 3, 2826

Adran and I have moved to Baltimore, Maryland on Earth now. Adran is spending time getting used to our blue sky, our one yellow sun, and all the sights and sounds of Earth. Compared to her homeland, Baltimore is extremely congested. Adran is used to a lot of open space.

January 5, 2826

Man what a crazy day! I got a call from the Meglouses. Lsa looked really upset. She was holding the statue I gave Makel yelling, {I found out what this thing is and I'm sending right back to you! It's nothing but trouble!} When I asked Lsa why she was so upset, Makel gently pushed her aside and shouted, {Quadruplets! We're having four babies at once!} Then he burst out laughing. I was too shocked to say anything. And boy did Lsa looked pissed! She didn't think it was funny at all cuz she's the one who had to carry them and give birth to them.

April 13, 2826

Late this evening I got a call from a very excited Makel. The quads had arrived a month premature. They had a girl and three boys. Makel wanted a son and he got his wish times three. The is named Wufa Mi, which means "little princess.” The oldest boy is named Sirobo, which means "strong warrior.” The second oldest boy is named Jodan, which means "handsome.” The youngest boy is named Mikel, which means "little man."

May 7, 2826

It's Detia's first birthday. She's such a big girl now! Forget about the walking stage. She's already running! It's kind of funny to see her do it because she does it on her tippy toes! We had a little party for her. I video taped it, of course. Her grandparents, my cousins and Terry came over to celebrate with us. She seems to love all of her presents. Makel and Lsa sent a little blue niku doll. Detia carried it everywhere she went today. Later in the evening, we had a live online video session with Lsa and Makel. They showed us the quads. Lsa looked exhausted. Even with Tamla, Makel, and Makel's mother, Matra, helping, caring for all those babies had to take a lot out of her. My family and friends sent them a pile of baby clothes, for which they were very grateful. The military organization Makel is a part of provided them with diapers and formula. Their grandmother has moved in to help take care of them. Tamla helps in the evening after she comes home form work.

September 2, 2830

Today was Detia's first day of school. She's a student at Randallstown Elementary now. She tells me she had a fun day, but she wondered why there was no one else there who looked like her. I told her it was because she was a very special little girl with very special parents. She responded with a cheery, "Ok, Daddy!" and ran off to play with her toys. I love my little DeeDee. She always manages to brighten my day.

Adran spent the day observing human education in action. I was by her side as her interpreter as she asked questions of different teachers and the principal. We even stopped by Detia's classroom to see how things were going. It was story time. The teacher was reading a book about mixed families. I thought that was a bit ironic. After story time was over, several of the children began to tell how different family members were from other countries and cultures. When the teacher called on Detia, she smiled and held her head up high saying, "My daddy is from Haiti and my mama is from a whole other planet!” Her classmates seemed very impressed to hear that.

May 27, 2833

Adran and I had a serious argument today. It turns out Detia has begun puberty so Adran took it upon herself to explain to Detia what was going on in full detail. I didn't think our daughter was ready to hear all that yet. I think it's ok to let her know what changes were coming and why they were happening, but all those other details can be saved for later. Adran disagrees. She thinks that approach will make DeeDee think there is something wrong with what's happening to her and that it's something to be ashamed of. I got so angry with my wife that I blurted out that we were no longer on her world and we were going to do things my way. That really got her upset. She cursed me out in every language she knew, grabbed up some clothes and went to stay at Terry's house. I called over there but Adran refused to come to the phone. I hope she'll let me speak to her again soon. I miss her terribly.

June 5, 2833

It had been about a week since I had spoken to my wife. She would call to talk to Detia but she wouldn't talk to me. I was in the study when Detia came in. She said someone was at the door for me. Adran was standing there with her little shoulder bag at her feet. Boy, was I happy to see her! I told her right away that I was sorry and that I missed her so much. In the end, we decided that we would answer any questions Detia had honestly and clearly. Adran promised she wouldn't use the books she brought back from her homeland. We both agreed they might be a little too graphic for her unexposed mind.

December 25, 2833

We all had a great time this Christmas! Adran got me a couple knit rasta hats to wear over my now very long locks. She also got me a brand new computer. I really needed one because the other one was getting kind of outdated. Detia really liked the CD's we got her. One of them was a Cherri Berri CD. She a new young artist who is also half, human half Mimian like Detia. She already has a favorite song titled "This is Who I Am.” I got Adran plenty of jewelry. She can't get enough of it! He favorite stone is amethyst because it's purple. We went ice skating that afternoon after opening our presents. We did more falling than skating, but we still had fun. That evening, the Meglouses called to say hello. Detia even got to talk to the quads, who were a bit loud and boisterous. Lsa and Makel had sent Detia some rare Mimian comic books for her collection and wondered if they had arrived. I realized I had left them hidden in the basement. Detia really enjoyed them even though she had to get her mother to read them to her.

February 14, 2834

This year, Adran and I celebrated our anniversary with dinner and a movie. We're saving up for next year's anniversary so we can take a trip to Bermuda. Adran is very excited about that. I am too since I haven't been on an island since I came to the U.S. to go to college. Maybe one day I will take Detia to Haiti to meet some of her other cousins.

July 27, 2834

I got an e-mail from Lsa today telling me Makel is very ill. The doctors have been running tests, but so far they don't know what's wrong with him. She says he's losing a lot of weight and has no appetite. Their children have been helping take care of him. Even young Marana has been helping out. She seems like such a sweet young lady. Lsa says she's like a daughter to them. I really hope they find out what's wrong with Makel so he can get proper treatment. I also hope its not some form of cancer.

August 12, 2834

It turns out Makel had some sort of viral infection. He's getting treatment now and Lsa says he seems to be doing better. He's eating now, so I guess that's a good sign. He even spoke to me today. He didn't look like the big, strong Makel I remembered. He looked very tired and he had lost a lot of weight. Even his smile didn't look the same. I asked him how he was doing and he answered, {This medication tastes like farndah.} We both laughed. I was glad to see he was getting back to his old silly self again.

January 27, 2835

Adran and I have made arrangements for Terry to stay at our house with Detia while we're away for our anniversary next month. We'll be away for about a week. For some reason Adran had been having second thoughts about the trip, though. I asked her why, but she said she wasn't sure. She just had a bad feeling about going on the trip. I told her she was being silly and there was no basis for her worries.

February 13, 2835

While Adran and I finished packing for our trip, again she said that she didn't think we should go. She wanted to stay home and do something else for our anniversary. I said no way are we going to cancel. We put a lot of effort into planning this trip and I didn't want it all to have been a waste. I have no idea why Adran is acting like this. Once we arrive in Bermuda, she'll realize all that planning was worth it.

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