Felicity – A Philosophical Fable [Chapter 26]
Sometimes a household had only five. Like Ryder’s household. It didn’t happen often. But it happened. And when it did, it was lamentable. It was something that could not be controlled. Something unpredictable. Like tigers.
Ryder’s household had been five from the beginning. They never even knew the sixth. She died when she was born.
A household of five was forever incomplete. This affected Ryder more than the others, but he didn’t give it much thought. It was what it was. Thinking about it would not change it. He concentrated on his studies.
He was still young. They all were. But soon they would pair-bond. Soon they would mate. They were almost a third of the way into their life cycle, the age when mating occurred.
Forming the pair-bond was always a simple matter. The development of their love was gradual and natural. There were no jealousies. No rivalries. No broken hearts. When they mated, they mated for life.
Each pair reproduced only once. Gestation was long but it was easy and there was no discomfort during birth.
The mother always bore twins. A boy and a girl. These offspring matured quickly. They were full grown in less time than they spent in the womb. Once they were adults, they looked the way they would for the rest of their lives. They would get older, but they would never look older.
Juveniles were independent-minded, a trait that was encouraged. The mother and father taught them everything they needed to know and when they were ready they went to their own households. And both mother and father let them go. They reared them well and then they let them go freely. With love, but without attachment.
Parenthood was a brief episode in their long lifespans. Once the offspring were on their own, the mother and father still had two-thirds of their lives ahead of them. And they lived the rest of their lives just as they had before. Unchanged in their interests and pursuits. Eventually they died of old age. Painlessly. Without fear or regrets. Life was good.
Ryder was still young. They all were. And soon they would pair-bond. Soon they would mate. He already felt the urge. He felt it with Mimi. But Mimi was a Felicity.
Soon Sunny and Tripp would mate. Everyone could tell. They were so happy together. And between Wave and Fae the love was growing like a vine reaching toward the sun.
If the sixth had not died in infancy, Ryder would have had a mate. He too would have sired offspring. But if he had that life, he would not have this one. This life that he cherished.