- Harry AnderS -
Dutch psychotherapist and alternative writer

'Born to be a King'
- by Harry AnderS -

An inspirational fantasy

http://www.harryanders.com
harry@harryanders.com

    A retired psychotherapist meets a severely burnt little Gypsy boy, and takes him into his house.
The boy turns out to be the Heir to the Throne.
This emotional rollercoaster hints at past lives, spirit helpers, karma, the Power of Love, and contains several practical psychological concepts.
The story is written by a retired Dutch psychotherapist, living in The Netherlands, and specialized in supporting troubled children.

Chapter 7 ended with:

    Unnoticed, the atmosphere in the room started to change.
Little Harry stretched out on the couch, with his arms alongside his body and his head lying on my lap.
I draped an arm around my little buddy, tenderly tickling his stomach with one hand, and softly stroking his hair with the other.
A couple of times, he heaved a sigh of utmost content, showing a peaceful smile on his face.
It felt as if I had been doing this with my boy many, many times before...

    Gradually, the room went more and more silent, as if all sounds were damped.
Everything started to feel peaceful, making both of us feeling totally at ease.
Now and then, I thought I noticed the subtle fragrance of flowers in the air.
In my fantasy, we were surrounded by a huge cathedral, and I could almost hear a celestial chorus singing in the background...
I savored the wonderful feelings, even though I was not a religious person and didn't believe in a 'supreme being'.

    Slowly, both of us drifted into a nice and peaceful slumber...

Chapter 8. A psychic medium, and my little soul mate is born to be a King.

    At eight o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rang and woke us up.
Little Harry jumped off the couch, and enthusiastically rushed to the front door.
I heard him open the door, greet Christian, and politely escort him into the living room.
    Christian greeted me, looked around the room, and smiled:

    "It feels nice here. I can sense our spirit friends are already here."

    I offered him an easy chair, and he sat down with a sigh of content.
Little Harry went to me, and leaned into me with an expression of marvel on his face...

    "Perhaps I might offer you a cup of coffee first?" I suggested.

    "Yes, please, that would be wonderful."

    I went to the kitchen, followed by little Harry who was totally in awe and gasped:

    "Did you see that wonderful light? It's shining everywhere!"

    "What are you talking about? I didn't see anything special..."

    "There's a bright light in the living room, softly shining everywhere. It's as if the light is made out of thousands of different colors...
    "Christian is shining too. He is radiating so much love and power... Everything around him is making me feel like crying and laughing at the same time...
    "I can feel Jack too, surrounded by a couple of other spirits. I can vaguely see them; and all of them are radiating that same kind of powerful love."

    "How come only you can see that light and those spirits? I didn't see anything special, except for our twilight lamps and the burning candles..."

   "I don't know how I'm doing it. It's like I am making it up, but at the same time I'm sure they are there. I can feel their power, even with my eyes closed."

    I was a bit confused; and maybe even a little bit jealous of little Harry who seemed to see certain things I couldn't...
I brewed a pot of fresh coffee; and little Harry placed two cups, a glass of cola, and a cookie jar on a tray.
Together, we returned to the living room, and I filled the cups and offered our guest some sugar and milk.
Christian looked relaxed, smiling all the time. Obviously, he was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere in the room.

    We drank our coffee in silence, and little Harry sipped his cola and nibbled on a cookie.
He sat next to me on the couch, leaning into me, and now and then looking around in awe.
Suddenly, I had a feeling of relaxing even more, and found myself staring into nowhere, without focusing or trying to see anything...
After a couple of seconds, the room looked a bit misty; and, in that vague mist, I thought I saw some kind of movement.
Slowly, a beautiful colored aura built up around Christian, radiating and stretching out in every direction.
Next to Christian, I could vaguely sense Jack, looking at us with a warm smile on his face.
He was surrounded by several other spirits, all of them radiating that same love and power.
I tried to have a better look, but then, right away, the vision vanished and the mist disappeared.
Was this true, or had I made up that aura myself, and was my imagination playing tricks with my mind?
I wasn't sure, and started to doubt again...

    Christian put his empty cup onto the table, and started to speak:

    "The spirit of a recently deceased person is here, in this room, and he wants to tell you a couple of things. He is the former owner of this house, and he passed away a few months ago. You didn't know him personally in his last life on earth, but your son certainly did. He regrets he had to leave the earth and his little companion so soon; but his time was up, and he had to go home.
    "Now he wants to explain a couple of things to both of you; so that you might understand why in this life you, your son, and your best friend, are brought together once again."

    Christian paused, staring into nowhere; intently, as if he was listening to somebody...
After a few seconds, he nodded and continued:

    "Your spirit friend tells me you DID actually know him personally. You did know him as a little boy; and, at a very young age, he burnt his face and his hands. He died after a couple of months, but reincarnated immediately, to be able to fulfill his next task on earth. He also wants to tell you that he doesn't blame you for anything. Nothing was your fault; so, please, stop feeling guilty!
    "Two months ago, his task on earth ended; and he went home permanently. From within the spirit realm, and assisted by several friends, he was able to guide you to this house. He also brought you into contact with your former son and with your best friend, to be their mentor in this life. One by one, you will meet several others from your past lives, and guide them as well..."

    Christian paused, and turned his chair so that he was facing little Harry:

    "My little friend, do you remember who you are?"

    "I am Harold Romani," little Harry answered, with a touch of pride in his voice,
    "But everybody keeps calling me 'little Harry'."

    "Do you remember where you were living, and what happened to you before you arrived here?"

    "I don't remember very much. The doctors are thinking that my brain tried to shut down the horrible pain of my burnings, and wiped out several other memories at the same time...
    "I can vaguely remember a circle of caravans around a huge campfire, and we were dancing and making music. Suddenly, a bunch of police officers showed up, looking for me and my parents...
    "We escaped, and traveled through several foreign countries. Now and then, we stayed in the same place for a few days, but then the police chased us away again and we had to go on...
    "Finally, we decided to go home, but that same night our caravan burnt down. My parents died in the fire, but Jack rescued me and took me to a hospital. He visited me every day, helped me with everything, and taught me his language. He was like my second father; and, from the first moment, I liked him very much. He was my savior, and I wanted to live with him...
    "Suddenly, See Pee Es took me to an orphanage, where everybody laughed at me and called me a 'freak' and an 'alien'. Fortunately, John's parents took me into their custody, and they allowed Jack to take me into his house. I have been living in this house since that time, and I'm having my own room upstairs, second door to the left...
    "Jack tutored me for a couple of hours every day. He taught me everything I had to know about the habits of the people I'm living with now. That is, until two months ago. Then he suddenly died..."

    Little Harry started to sob silently, and crawled onto my lap.
I cradled him slowly, until he started to feel better and his sobs diminished.
I offered him my handkerchief, and he blew his nose in it before giving it back.
Christian waited patiently until little Harry was able to listen again...
    He looked at him with a lot more respect in his eyes, and went on:

    "Our spirit friends are showing me a picture of a Gypsy camp, in a secluded spot in a country far away, surrounded by huge mountains. The people there are belonging to a huge group, consisting of several very close family clans. Nobody outside their group seems to like them; and, wherever they are showing up, they are chased away, accused of theft, robbery, or worse. Nobody knows for sure how they are living in reality, and they are always keeping themselves far away from every stranger or foreigner...
    "Now I'm looking at a tall dark-haired man with an enormous mustache. The man is sort of a King, but without a crown on his head, a palace to live in, or a throne to sit on. He is very important to his people, and they will protect him with their own lives if necessary. The man is married to a woman from another country, but she too is of Royal Heritage and absolutely accepted as their own Gypsy Queen.
    "In that country, the police started a witch hunt, based on false accusations. Their King and his wife had to flee in a hurry, and they lost all contacts with their own people. They traveled through a couple of foreign countries, planning to return after the witch hunt had calmed down...
    "The very evening they decided to go home, their caravan was set on fire. Both the King and his wife perished in the fire. Only their six-year-old little Prince, the Heir to the Throne, survived..."

    Total silence fell over the room.
I held my breath; and, for a moment, I was almost unable to think...
My boy, my little soul mate, was of Royal Heritage, a Gypsy Prince, the Heir to the Throne, the future King of all the Gypsy people on earth...
Our spirit guide, the late Jack and once my little brother, had chosen ME to be little Harry's personal guide...
I would soon meet several others from my past lives, to be their guide as well...
For heaven's sake, who was I in reality?

    Little Harry buried his face into my chest, and Mombled:

    "I KNEW that I have to fulfill an important task on earth. I have always known it... When I'm old enough, I have to go back to my own people to be their King. That is my first task..."

    He started to tremble all over, and tried to disappear into me.
Christian went to the kitchen, and returned with a glass of water.
    Little Gypsy Prince Harold Romani eagerly emptied half of the glass in one gulp, and sputtered:

    "That is why Jack always told me to be PROUD of myself... He repeated it over and over. I think he knew who I am! Will YOU help me now with my growing up, Dad?"

    I choked up, and got tears in my eyes at the thought of being asked to raise such a lovable Royal Prince:

    "Yes, I promise I will be here for you, always, and I will help you with your growing up and with everything else in your life. Cross my heart and hope to die!"

    My answer, and the children's promise, brought a feeble smile to his face.
He threw his arms around my neck, and offered me a quick kiss:

    "Thank you, Dad, and I love you. I know I can count on you, always."

    Again, I choked up and got tears in my eyes...
Christian waited until we were able to listen again, and continued:

    "Our spirit friends are now showing me a picture of a trapper in a forest. He goes to town, and takes himself a wife. After nine months, a little boy is born, but his mother dies in childbirth...
    "From that time on, he and his little boy are inseparable. He nurtures the boy; and teaches him how to sneak through the forest, how to set up a trap, and how to skin a deer...
    "When the boy is eight years old, one time he is playing outside, when a grizzly bear spots him and wants to have him for a snack. The bear kills both him and his father...
    "Today, I'm seeing both that man and that boy here in this room, brought together again in this life..."

    Little Harry bolted upright, jumped off my lap, and shouted:

    "NOW I'm remembering you, Dad! I'm remembering everything! That grizzly bear attacked me, and you tried to rescue me with your knife..."

    I remembered everything too, and started to tremble all over.
Again, I saw that enormous grizzly bear, heading for my little boy and attacking him.
Without thinking, I jumped in between to rescue my boy, having only a small knife in my hand.
Everything returned into my memory, and I could even smell that bear!
Again, I could feel his enormous claws, ripping our bodies open...
Within a few seconds, everything went black, and I collapsed onto the floor.

    Slowly, my mind returned; and, after a few seconds, I tried to sit upright...
I blinked my eyes a couple of times, and looked around the room...
What had happened? Was this how dying feels?
Christian offered me little Harry's half-emptied glass, and I gulped the rest of the water.
I was still shaking, while again the horrendous memories from my past life tried to overwhelm me.

    Little Harry sat on the floor next to me, looking at me with concern in his eyes:

    "Feeling better now, Dad?"

    Unable to speak, I took him into my arms and held him close.
My boy! He really is MY BOY! I AM his father, and we are together again!
My poor little baby, mangled by a grizzly bear, and I couldn't rescue him...
Now I'm having him back, and I will never let him go again.
I'm feeling so happy...

    Now I understood why he started to call me 'Dad'!
That is why I had such a strong feeling that we belonged to each other...
He WAS my little soul mate, and my own son.
I promised I would protect him with my own life, and I would do it again!

    We returned to the couch, and little Harry crawled onto my lap and melted into me.
I held him close and smelled his hair, savoring the special scent of MY boy.
    Christian smiled at us with love in his eyes, and continued:

    "Now, our spirit friends are showing me a picture of another trapper, living alone in the same forest. He was a wonderful person, with a lot of love in his heart, and he was a very good friend to both of you.
    "Every time you had to go to town, to sell your pelts and buy fresh goods, he took care of your little son. He loved the little boy with all his heart, and the little boy loved and adored him.
    "He was devastated by your sudden death, and killed that bear with his bare hands! However, the bear had wounded him, and he died within a few days from blood poisoning...
    "This morning, I saw your friend in the supermarket, helping you with the groceries. Again, he will be a dear friend to both of you. Soon, his family will ask you to take care of him for a while, just like in the past he was taking care of your little son for so many times..."

    Christian heaved a deep sigh, and smiled:

    "Okay, I think that will be all for now. Do you have any questions?"

    Did I have any questions? How could he ask such a stupid thing!
Of course, I had a zillion questions... but my overwhelmed mind couldn't formulate a single one. They were all hiding just below my consciousness...
I had received too much information at once; and now I wanted to sort everything out first, to clear my mind...
My whole belief system had been turned upside down!
Everything I had always taken for granted, had been shattered to pieces!
I had seen spirit helpers, remembered my past life, met my own son from the past, relived my own death, recognized John as a dear trapper friend...
I wanted a BREAK!

    Little Harry had a pensive look on his face and stared into space...
Slowly, he raised his hand and touched his burnt face with all the scars, the halfway gone nose, and the distorted lips...
    Finally, he turned towards Christian, and asked him:

    "Yes, I do have a question. Could you tell me something about my burnt face? Will I ever look normal again? A very nice man, called Peter, is making a mask for me to hide my scars; but, once I am a grown-up and meeting my own people to be their King, I would prefer to show them a normal face..."

    Christian closed his eyes, and seemed to listen to somebody.
After a moment, he nodded, opened his eyes, and answered:

    "Your spirit friend lets me know that your question will be answered within two days. He will be with you, guide you whenever possible, and help you wherever he can. He has already contacted your father, and shown him a future picture of your face and body. The scope of your future has been planned, but many things are still dependent on the free will of others, so be patient...
    "Never try to contact your spirit helpers by yourself, because that could be dangerous. Always wait for them to show up; and be patient, because a contact is not always possible...
    "Now and then, your spirit helper will try to enter your dreams, or he will try to mingle his own thoughts into yours. Maybe, you will think you are hearing his voice somewhere in your head. Most of the time, you will be doubting, thinking your vision could be your own fantasy; or you will be afraid of fantasizing the spiritual contact yourself..."

    Christian excused himself, and went to the toilet.
Soon, he returned, and sat down again, looking a bit tired.
I went to the kitchen to brew some more coffee, while Christian had some small talk with little Harry.
We drank our coffee, little Harry took another glass of cola and a cookie; and then, Christian wanted to go home.
We thanked him abundantly, for spending his precious time and offering us his valuable help.
I told him he could always count on us if ever he should need our help, and asked him for his business card.
We accompanied him to the front door, and waved until his car disappeared around the corner...

    We returned to the couch, cuddled for a while, and started to talk.
During the remainder of the evening, we talked and talked...
We talked about our dreams, about what we remembered from our past lives, about our future, about our best friend John, about little Harry's operations and his new mask, about him calling me 'Dad', about my little brother Joshie who returned to earth as Jack and helped little Harry...
At last, we had talked over everything we could think of, and both of us were totally drained.
We went to bed around midnight, feeling dead-tired, but never in our lives had we felt so good!

    That night, little Harry and I cuddled, lying face to face, having our arms and legs draped around each other.
We looked into each other's eyes, drowned in each other's love, rubbed our noses together, and grinned at each other like crazy.
Now and then, we tried to melt together; and other times, we just enjoyed each other's love and warmth.
It felt like making love on a spiritual level...
At last, both of us fell into a dreamless sleep, still having our arms around each other and our faces lying together on the same pillow.

    We enjoyed a deep and dreamless sleep; until, in the morning, the bright sun, shining through a crack in the curtains, woke us up at the same time.
Little Harry yawned a couple of times, and lazily stretched out as far as he could.
    He looked at me, and grinned, with a twinkle in his eyes and a broad smile on his face:

    "Dad, it's time to make me breakfast. Yesterday, I've been making it; so, today, it's your turn..."

    "What time is it?" I grumbled, trying to look at the alarm clock,
    "I am too old for this! I need my rest! Couldn't you bring me breakfast in bed today?"

    Little Harry chuckled, and started to tickle me.
I turned over, straddled him, and mercilessly tickled him back until he surrendered:

    "Stop, Dad! Don't do that! I'm almost wetting the bed!"

    "Oh yeah? Well, I will buy you a couple of diapers..."

    "You're a crazy old man! You ought to wear a diaper yourself!"

    Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and little Harry hurriedly wrestled from beneath me.
He raced downstairs, and I heard him open the front door...
A second later, he hurried back and dived for his clothes, nearly tripping over his own feet:

    "It's Mom! Err... it's John's mother, and she is crying..."

    I threw myself out of bed, and dressed in a hurry.
Together, we ran downstairs, where Trudy patiently waited for us with tears in her eyes.
    She blew her nose in her handkerchief, and sniffled:

    "May I have a word with you, please?"

    "Of course you may! Please, come into the living room and have a seat! Harry, could you get a glass of water, please?"

    Little Harry rushed to the kitchen, and Trudy collapsed onto a chair:

    "He left me, that son of a bitch. He wrote me a nasty letter, and he wants an immediate divorce. He wants to take the two youngest children, and I don't know what to do...
    "This is too much for me. I want to go away. I'm going to live with my mother for a couple of weeks..."

    Trudy started to cry, and I offered her a couple of tissues.
Little Harry returned with a glass of water, and consolingly put his small arms around Trudy's neck:

    "It's okay to cry, Mom. Just let it go. Don't bottle it up. In a few minutes you will feel better."

    Trudy produced a feebly smile, despite of her tears, and took little Harry onto her lap.
Little Harry took a couple of dry tissues from the table, and tenderly dried her eyes.
She kissed his forehead, and tried to pull herself together...
Slowly, her sobs diminished, while little Harry took the next tissue and dried the last tears.

    After a moment, Trudy started to tell us her story, a story she had never told to anyone before, the true story of her marriage:

    Fourteen years ago, she met a nice and warmhearted man, living on his own in the neighborhood.
They started to talk, drank some wine together, and suddenly they found themselves in each other's arms.
After a couple of days, she was sure she was pregnant...

    She was too ashamed to tell the nice man the truth, and too concerned about what her parents and the neighbors would say.
That's why she decided to seduce an unmarried friend, Eric...
A couple of days later, she told Eric she was pregnant, and they married in a hurry.
Eight months later, John was born. Two years later, they had another boy, Mark; and after another year, they had a girl, Marrie.
Eric never suspected that John weren't his own child, although the boy clearly differed from the other children...

    Two days ago, after little Harry and I left their house, Trudy and Eric had a fight.
Eric accused Trudy of being too soft, especially regarding his oldest son, John.
He thought that John was behaving too cheeky and didn't show any respect to his father...
He stated that John had to be punished more sternly, and they should forbid him to visit that Big Harry...
In her desperation, Trudy finally told Eric the truth, namely that John wasn't even Eric's own descendant!
Eric nearly exploded. He left the house, furious and swearing.
He promised her to be back, to take his own children...

    Trudy collapsed in her seat, pushed little Harry off her lap, and buried her head in her hands.
Little Harry looked at her, and slowly shook his head. He went to me, crawled onto my lap, and melted into me.
Together, we waited for Trudy to regain her strength...

    Sobbing loudly, Trudy finally told us the truth about John, for the first time in fourteen years:

    "John's real father is JACK, the late owner of your house! Jack never knew the truth, and now it's too late. John's father is dead, and he will never know that John was his own son!"

    Suddenly, I felt Jack around and clearly heard his voice in my head:

    "I DID know the truth, but never told anybody..."

    Inwardly, I had been suspecting this all the time! John looked like Jack, and not like Eric...
Now I had the acknowledgment, and I was very happy for Jack and John that they had been into contact with each other for at least the last two years...

    After a while, Trudy took another couple of tissues from the table, and timidly looked at us:

    "I've never told this to anybody, except for today and to you... Please, keep it a secret to John, until he will be old enough to understand the truth...
    "I've already phoned my mother, and I'm going to live in her house for a couple of days. I will take the two youngsters with me, but John asked me to leave him here, with you and Harry. Here he can visit his friends, he is very fond of Harry, and he thinks the world of you. I think he is accepting you as sort of a second father, and I am sure he will be in good hands here...
    "I hope I am not imposing too much, but I promised John to ask you to take him into your house, and look after him while I am away..."

    I looked at little Harry, and little Harry looked at me and nodded.
Without words, both of us knew exactly what the other was thinking...
    We smiled at the same time, and I told Trudy:

    "Of course, you can leave John with us for as long as you are away! He will always be welcome here, and we will even let him have his own bedroom if he wishes. He can bring his things, and you can be sure I will treat him as if he were my own child. You can count on me; and I am sure you can count on our little friend over here as well."

    "Thank you very much. Your generous offer takes a load off my mind! You are a wonderful friend to all of us... I'm going now, and I will send John here as soon as I get home."

    Half an hour later, three cheerful children entered our house.
They carried a couple of boxes, some bags, a camp bed, two skateboards, and a wagonload of small computer games.
Little Harry accompanied them upstairs, to help John stow away his belongings in his new own room.
Within a few minutes, they were back, and entered the living room.

    John jumped up at me, to let me catch him in my arms.
He hugged me nearly to death, and told me he loved me, and that he would try to behave as if he were my own son, during the time he would be living here.
    I chuckled, and asked him:

    "Do you really know how I would like my own son to behave?"

    "Nah, that's entirely up to you. Maybe you could let me have some freedom to experiment first?"

    "Don't try to outwit me, son! It's difficult enough for me to have one such a brainiac around..."

    "Well, Mom told me that it was YOU who invited ME..."

    "Now, suddenly everything is MY fault... Thank you very much!"

    Everybody started to laugh, and the children started to surpass each other in thinking up more witty remarks...
Mark and Marrie left us after drinking a glass of cola, and promised to write us a postcard.
Trudy came by to say farewell, and asked John to phone her now and then. She told him the number, and he wrote it down.
She left us to go to her mother, and hugged all three of us.
From now on, I had two growing boys living in my house...

    I started to stow away the contents of the last few boxes, while John and little Harry went upstairs to tidy John's new room.
After a while, two happy looking boys tumbled into the living room:

    "Do you have something to eat?" they asked in stereo.

    "Growing boys do need a lot of food, especially when they want to grow as big and strong as I am?"

    I ruffled their hair, and laughed at their exaggerated hungry faces.
Little Harry jumped onto my back, and John threw his arms around my neck.
Walking careful, so as not to overload my poor old back, I carried them to the kitchen...
Suddenly, my own rumbling stomach told me I hadn't eaten since yesterday evening!
Totally forgotten, in the emotional turmoil of this morning...

    John dived for the refrigerator and little Harry took the cereal to the table.
They didn't even have time for tasty cooking this morning...
They poured themselves a glass of milk and a bowl of cereal, and started to wolf it down.
I treated myself to a cup of fresh coffee, and munched on a piece of toast and cheese.

    "What did that psychic medium tell you yesterday?" John asked little Harry; in between two mouthfuls of cereal...

    "I am a Gypsy Prince, because my parents were of Royal herit... herit-something. My Dad actually was our King. We had to flee because of a nasty witch-hunt, and my parents arrived in this country with their little son, that's ME. We planned to return to our own people, but that night our caravan was set on fire, and only I survived..."

    "Wow! You really are a PRINCE?"

    "Yes. I've always known that I had sort of a task to fulfill on earth. Now I know that my people are waiting for me, to be their King. The only thing is, I don't know where they are living..."

    "Well... I suppose, from now on, we have to call you 'Prince Harry'?"

    "You're crazy! Don't you DARE! We have to keep it a secret from everybody, until I am a grown-up myself and can find them."

    "Is this really the truth, sir? Or is he making it up..."

    "He is telling the truth!"

    "Oh..."

    "Christian told us many more things. Dad's little brother, who had a burnt face too and died after a few months, returned to the earth as Jack! That's why we are now living in Jack's former house, because Jack asked a couple of befriended spirits to guide Dad to his house. In the past, Dad and Jack were brothers, and now Jack is our personal spirit guide...
    "Christian told us even more things. In my past life, I was Dad's real son, and Dad tried to rescue me from a grizzly bear with only a small knife in his hands, but the bear killed both of us. You were our best friend, and you were so angry that you killed that bear using your bare hands! The bear had wounded you too, and after a few days, you died too, and joined us in Heaven...
    "Now, you are back on earth, together with Dad and me, and Dad will soon guide many more friends from the past. In this life, you are Jack's real son, and..."

    Suddenly, little Harry clasped his hands over his mouth, and stuttered:

    "I... I was not allowed to tell you that. Sorry... It had to be a secret, until you were old enough to understand the truth..."

    He colored a deep red, and tried to disappear under the table.

    John suddenly looked a bit pale, and was silent for a long time...
Now and then, he looked at me and at little Harry, who still tried to disappear from our view...
Slowly, his eyes started to change from surprise towards comprehension.
    Finally, he nodded his head, and thought aloud:

    "I always suspected that Eric wasn't my real father, but I couldn't be sure. Both Mark and Marrie are looking like him, but I am looking different. I am looking like Jack, and Jack and I were always making fun of that, and teasing each other because of it. Jack was far more like a father to me than Eric ever has been...
    "Eric was always picking on me, and never on Mark or Marrie. And, he was hating Jack... Now I'm beginning to understand why... I think he suspected something..."

    We were silent for another long time.
Little Harry stared into his bowl with a blushed face, and absent-mindedly played with his cereal.
John was deep in thought again, and stared into space...
I was contemplating on how to proceed from here...
Was this my fault? Should I have warned little Harry some more?
How would John react, after the full significance of this sudden revelation started to dawn on him?
    I felt Jack around us, and his warm voice told me, somewhere in my head:

    "I'm sorry; and, please, don't blame anybody else. I forced your son to reveal this, because my own son had to know the truth!"

    After the meal, we put away the cereal and milk, cleaned the table, and washed the bowls.
Together, we went to the living room, still being silent and feeling uneasy...
Both boys slumped down onto the couch, while I took a chair and sat down.
We stared at each other, being unsure what to do now...

    Suddenly, John jumped up, threw himself onto my lap, and buried his face into my chest:

    "May I call you 'Dad' too, please? I know that I should call you 'uncle' from now on, but I don't like that word..."

    I looked at little Harry, and little Harry looked at me.
Again, we had a conversation without words. We understood each other...
    I nodded, and told John's still buried head:

    "You are allowed to call me 'Dad' as long as you are with us; but, please, don't tell this to your father. Okay?"

    "He isn't my father!" John answered with bitterness in his voice,
    "And I wish I had known that before. That's why I was always feeling so at ease with Jack. HE was my father. Fortunately, now YOU are here to let me feel at ease!"

    John threw his arms around my neck, and smothered my face with kisses.
He had tears in his eyes and looked at me with his deep brown orbs, both of them radiating pure love.
I felt Jack around us, and he blessed us from where he was looking at us, having tears in his own eyes...

    Ten seconds later, little Harry claimed his share and joined our cuddle.

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Thank you for reading the next chapter of my emotional rollercoaster 'Born to be a King'.
Enjoy the reading, and help us make our world to be a better place!

Have a look at my OTHER story, about the same little Gypsy boy growing up in a secluded place in the Rumanian mountains; this time seen from his own point of view. You may click this link.
The other story is on Nifty in 'young-friends', and is callled: 'Born as a Prince'...

All my stories are on my own homepage as well: http://www.harryanders.com

I would LOVE to receive your comments.
Please, write me an email now and then...
Harry AnderS, Dutch psychotherapist and alternative writer.

harry@harryanders.com
http://www.harryanders.com