The Quotidian Timeline

11 am, October 6th – Bellaton Estate, Dene, Surrey

One afternoon, Nate was in the garden with Laine, Syd, another cousin and Alekee when they saw a figure walk towards them. Wade Pearce walked next to the figure. The man commanded attention. Nate squinted his eyes, then they grew wide.

Laine and the cousins stopped.

“What Nutty? What is it?” asked Laine.

“Ethriel! he said, jumping to his feet and hugging the man.

Wade and the man took some steps back.

“Er, not Ethriel, champ, this is Tayan Onilee. Your new personal coach.”

Nate was captivated by Ethriel’s presence. He appeared shorter, but equally powerful. Nate noticed his attire. They were cowboy style, and his American accent; it was more pronounced.

Tayan smiled. He placed his hat down on the grass and sat with the cousins.

“Where are you from?” asked Alekee, smiling.

“I come from Arizona, he said, from a place called Red Rock.”

“Woah!” said Alekee.

Nate gawked at his beloved mentor. He averted his gaze to the manor. His parents observed them from his mother’s room. Nate locked eyes with them and smiled.

They smiled and turned.

Wade stood close. They chatted and laughed, and Tayan told them stories of the four worlds of the Navajo. Later, he shared a story of a brave warrior who crossed the parallels and lost everything.

Nate perked up. “He did,“ said Nate, reflecting on his own adventure.

“Ah, but he thought he did,“ said Tayan.

“How so?” asked Nate.

“He forgot about timelines and multidimensional beings,” said Tayan.

With a furrowed brow, Nate hesitated, focused on Tayan’s words. His expression gradually gave way to a wide-eyed smile. With a sudden burst of energy, he leaped into the air.

“What?” said Laine, startled. “What?”

“Syd, please, help!” said Nate.

“How?” asked Syd.

“Your car.”

***

They huddled in Syd’s Land Rover.

“Ajay?” asked Wade.

“It’s a short drive,” said Syd.

They headed to their local registry office. Nate leapt from the car and headed to the section where they kept birth and death records. Nate approached the counter and requested access to Dene’s birth records in 2006. Joined by his cousins, they reviewed the digital birth records. Eventually separating so they could get through more records faster.

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“Here!” said Laine.

They gathered around her as she pointed to the entries for babies born in Dene during 2006. There were eight recorded births, and they took note of the details.

“Eight births, five girls!” said Nate.

“We have a Gemma Davies, Kavya Sharma, Susan Taylor, and a Victoria Martin,” said Laine.

They returned to Bellaton and headed to Auntie Jade’s. There, they conducted searches on social media platforms to find each of them. However, none of them were Kenya.

***

Nate’s melancholy returned.

Nate and Tayan shared insightful conversations while strolling through the Bellaton grounds. Initially, Wade stayed close by their side, but then allowed them more room to roam. They often chatted next to Auntie Jade’s orchard, windswept in the autumn leaves. Or enjoyed the cool breeze by the pool surrounded by the boxers, now much bigger.

***

The next morning, they had a new lead. Her name was Keira. Nate jumped to search for her. His mother shared a similar name to her alternate self. So Kenya and Keira might just be the match he was hoping for. Keira Malone, where are you? Nate, surrounded by Alekee and Syd, checked every social media platform they could find, and they found her. A dance micro-influencer called Keira! She’s Kenya!

“I’ll get in touch. She will respond to me,” said Syd, himself an outdoor sports influencer.

***

Keira Malone arrived in Syd’s land rover a week later.

Nate was shaking, breathing in to six, holding six and out six. It was helping him somewhat.

Keira strolled into the front courtyard.

Beautiful Kenya!

They locked eyes. She squinted.

“I’m so glad you could come,” said Nate. His palms were sweaty. The sight of Kenya, alive and thriving, brought an indescribable joy that filled his chest.

“Wait, aren’t you Aria Kent’s son?“ she asked, wide eyed.

“Yes,” he said, flushing.

“Oh, my goodness! Syd! How did you not tell me?“ said Keira.

“Thought I’d surprise you,” he smiled.

The cousins gawked at Nate and Keira together, making Nate flush even more.

He led Keira to the waiting lounge, an appointed room just off the main foyer, where they could enjoy some refreshments before lunch.

“Your dancing is beautiful!” said Nate. “Flamenco fusion?”

“Why, thank you! Yes, it’s flamenco fusion with traditional Khatak dance.”

“Khatak?” asked Nate.

“Ancient traditional Indian dance.”

“What inspired you to mix the two?” Her freckles transfixed Nate.

Cabby arrived. “Young guests, if you’d be so kind, lunch is served in the conservatory.”

“Thank you, Cabby,” said Nate, escorting Keira back outside to his Aunt Grace’s conservatory in the west wing. Syd followed. A fragrant aroma of the midday meal filled the air. When the weather turned cooler, the conservatory was a popular spot for the family to host guests, with its bright cosy atmosphere and refreshing colours. It had its own entrance from the front of the manor. Their Aunt Grace was his father’s youngest sister. Visiting her side of the manor was always a treat because she had an exquisite taste in decoration that was both refreshing and inspiring.

Lunch took the better part of two hours. Alekee joined them.

After lunch, Syd took his cousin aside.

“So?”

“She’s not my Kenya. But thank you. It was good to meet her.”

After Keira left, Nate strolled to the stables to take his horse, Caliber, out for a long ride. An hour later, Tayan was waiting for him.

“Well?” asked Tayan, holding Caliber while Nate dismounted. “I heard you found Kenya.”

“Well. No, not really. She is Kenya physically, but she’s just not Kenya.”

“Give it time. You are both so young,” said Tayan.

“It has helped to see her. I’ll give you that,” said Nate.

***

Nate requested returning to school after six weeks with a private tutor. He welcomed the familiar buzz of students chatting and lockers slamming shut.

Reuniting with his mates in school filled him with nostalgia, as memories of laughter and camaraderie flooded back. But he was different. When the lads talked about girls, Nate averted his gaze and focused on his phone screen.

“What’s up, mate?” asked Benj.

“Let’s say this summer I was,” Nate said, hesitating. “Overloaded with girls.”

“You what!“ said Ayo.

“I need a break, chaps!” said Nate.

“You need a break?“ said Benj, breaking into fits of laughter.

Ayo’s eyes gleamed. “The full picture, please,“ he said, winking.

Nate smiled to himself. Would he ever be normal again? Too much had changed.