Auggie leaned forward on his elbows. “And thanks to the volcanic deposits, there are microscopic pieces of Aldrite, which is why it sometimes glitters purple. Some say they are old Grandpa Charlie’s tears.”
“Tears?” Mom asked. He nodded and then grabbed the salt and pepper shakers. He held the pepper up. “When Charlie was a young lad, he rose high in the sea, towering over the water, a sentry for the Emerald Isle to the east. But as much as he yearned for the warmth of her sweet, enticing embrace, she was doomed to break his heart. His arms would never reach, and he was forced to love her from afar. He became fiery and temperamental, spewing his lava and burning any living thing that dared to wander upon his lonely shores.” He turned to Dash, who was enthralled by the fable. “He grew so angry he wanted to punish the world for forsaking him. You know what he did?” Dash shook his head. “He exploded into the sky this torrent of hot molten lava. He did it repeatedly until he emptied himself, of all the bad stuff. Of all the good stuff. Of everything.”
I have to say, I was pretty enthralled myself.
“Then, in the distance, he saw another spray of lava. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There she stood, tall, beautiful and proud. The Queen guarding the gateway to the Atlantic. Aioee.” He set the saltshaker down about a foot away. She called to him nightly, but sadly he couldn’t respond. He’d already given himself to his rage. There was nothing left but hard, ugly, brutal rock.”
It made me think of the black rock that had seemed so out of place at Fifty Oaks. Now, with this story, I understood.
Auggie continued. “He knew he’d be alone forever. And so, he cried these beautiful, sparkling tears of the purest purple crystal.”
“That’s so sad,” Dallas pouted. Like the rest of us, she wanted a happily ever after.
He leaned towards her. “That’s why what happened next was so extraordinary. Like all women, Aioee was a creator of life. Since she was much smarter and stronger than the silly angry man across the sea, she never stopped reaching for old Charlie, determined her love could save him. Through her love and her dedication, sending life and land towards his forsaken shores, in between the two volcanoes grew the most beautiful country in the world. Their perfect baby, the only home of this.” He offered up his hand, gesturing to the ring he wore. We all leaned closer to see the gem, which looked almost like an opal.
“The white is snow quartz, which is the natural stone found around Aioee. But as their arms reach to each other, hers with white stone, his with that purple and black Aldrite, their fingertips touch in the deepest centers of Aldayne in a kiss so powerful it gave birth to their rare and valuable offspring: the Unity Stone.”
We all kind of gasped. It was truly beautiful. The white quartz was milky and smooth, and the black danced like ribbons through it, trailed by what looked like purple glitter. It caught in the light as he moved his hand. “The Quinns were the first to find it and the first to mine it. It is one of the most valuable stones on the planet, making Aldayne one of the wealthiest nations in the world when it was nothing but a speck of land between two lonely volcanos. So, you see? It’s not so sad,” he grinned at Dallas, who blushed and glanced away with a shy smile.
And my little sister wasn’t in any way shy.
Mom rested her chin on her palm. “It sounds absolutely marvelous. Why’d you leave?”
My eyes swung to hers. “Mom!”
Auggie laughed. He touched my hand with his. “Valid question,” he conceded. “Which is why I hired your daughter to help me answer it properly. When the time is right.”
It was his polite and regal way of sidestepping the question. My mom accepted it just as gracefully. “You chose wisely,” she told him. “You’re in good hands with Peaches.”
My eyes about bugged out of my head as I silently pleaded with her to kindly shut the fuck up already. But then again, she didn’t know about the kiss, or how his body had actually been in my hands.
Yet, I could hardly forget it.
I realized when his hand squeezed mine that he hadn’t yet let my hand go. I turned right into