The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
After breaking into a high security room onboard the Floating Asylum, (see The Other Side Parts One and Two) Abouna Panak and Heyem Merek, race to retrieve proof of an Amanojuko takeover plan. (Note: Back on Christmas Island, the resistance includes (Alexand Merek) Inajda Rekaya, Juba Apfvarzian, Jarad Vijay, Anesidor Sumian and Toreth Rek-cho.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)
Abouna Panak has brought Heyem Merek with him to The Floating Asylum to prove to her that an Amanojuko conspiracy to take over the world, exists. (See The Other Side Part 1) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)
Abouna Panak has brought a disbelieving Heyem Merek to the Floating Asylum to show her proof of an Amanojuko conspiracy to take over the world, in the near future. The Other Side Part 2 will be released same time next week. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)
Heyem was asked to meet up with her sister, Alexand, on a matter of urgency. (See Heyem Merek Part 2) She has very important things to do and isn’t impressed by the intrusion, as it breaks into her work schedule. (Painting on the wall behind, based on a print by Käthe Kollwitz, “Woman With A Dead Child,” 1903) (Note: When referring to Alexand’s ‘brood’ Heyem means Alexand’s children, Samuel, Ancille and Anastasia Merevija.) This story is set a few hours after and is directly related to Toreth Rek-cho, (issue 67) and will continue, (by request) with “The Other Side” (Parts 1 – 3) and conclude with “Toreth Rek-cho Part 4” (A special thank you to Pamela Spiro Wagner for encouraging me to continue this story and to stop taunting for once! On this occasion the reader gave life to a story and the writer kept it alive. Thank you Pam, the forthcoming issues wouldn’t exist without you.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)
Toreth Rek-cho is an astronomer, and spends most of her time in an observatory she built, in the Sahyādri Mountains, India. (She is the eldest child of Antun Rekaya, Inajda’s brother and is Alexand and Heyem Merek’s first cousin.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Alexand and Katherine have travelled to Alexand’s home village to get married. (As Alexand has a very large family, who couldn’t afford to travel to India, and none of Katherine’s family replied to the invitations) Alexand’s younger brother, Farokh is one of the guests. Heyem is Alexand’s “best Woman,” much to her delight. Even Alexand’s mother Inajda has managed to find time from her very busy military schedule to be there. Unfortunately Farokh sees through what should be a happy occasion to things disintegrating beneath. (From left to right: Inajda Rekaya, Jarad Vijay, Farokh Merek, Katherine De Somme, Alexand Merek and Heyem Merek.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Octavia Vijay’s husband cheated on her and left her to raise her two sons, Jarad and Jove on her own. Feeling bitter and cheated, Octavia grows angrier. Isolated and resentful, she lashes out at her younger son, Jarad, who reminds her of her husband. (Also featuring Alexand and Heyem Merek) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Anastasia Merevija has been a concubine of Lord Ichitumbu Jalhavi since the age of twelve. Anastasia believes she was abandoned by her parents (Jarad Vijay and Alexand Merek) and rescued by the Amanojuko as a child. She has been given the most honourable task of making ‘what could be’ (an immortal child) out of ‘what isn’t.’ Unfortunately, the couple have had to spend their lives moving from Amanojuko castle to castle, running from Anastasia’s aunt Heyem and mother Alexand Merek. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
After waking from a catatonic state, (due to her imprisonment in The Floating Asylum) Alexand is recovering at home with her family. Unfortunately for Alexand, her identical twin sister, Heyem has arrived, eager to ‘help’ Alexand recover from her trauma. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
After her daughter, Alexand was released from a Floating Asylum, Inajda spent six months helping Alexand’s husband, Jarad to care for Alexand. Alexand returned in a catatonic and emaciated state, but eventually woke up. A month after Alex woke, Inajda is trying to help her daughter come to terms with what has happened to her. Unfortunately Inajda wasn’t there for most of Alexand’s childhood, but is trying her best to make up for the missing years. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Doctor Heyem Merek, takes pride in her achievements, and likes to be in control of her life. Unfortunately her identical twin sister, Alexand has asked to meet with her at work (on a matter of urgency.) Heyem is nervous about the other lecturers and students learning too much about her background. She has no idea what Alexand wants, but she is going to make every effort to prepare for social war. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Five years have passed since Alexand Merek was sentenced to serve ten years in a military correction facility, for accidentally killing her friend, Baio-Yujia Sun. (See issue 25 and issue 26) When Alexand was seventeen she was selected to work for Dr. Katherine De Somme, a micro biologist and has worked in her laboratory for the past three years. However, Alexand was up late, playing piano in the entertainment bar, celebrating the release of her sister, Heyem and friend Jarad, and has turned up uncharacteristically late to work. Despite this, a friendship and trust has formed between them, allowing Katherine to share a terrible secret with her young cadet, when she eventually arrives. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Yemi Balsara is a drugs councilor in Nigeria. Her elder sister, Giselle was stolen as a nine year old child, causing Yemi’s mother to sink into severe depression. Yemi was born a year after Giselle disappeared, but the absence of her sister has deeply affected her family, even though Yemi does her best to relieve her mother’s pain, it is never enough. Bernadette leaves a candle burning in their window in the hope that one day Giselle will find her way home, but twenty years have passed and the old woman keeps waiting, leaving Yemi as her caretaker. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
After accidentally killing their friend, Baio-Yujia Sun, (see issue # 25) Heyem, Alexand and Jarad must face the consequences. Heyem and Jarad have been sentenced to five years each and Alexand ten years in military correction. (The same institution Katherine De Somme, Inajda Rekaya and Abouna Panak are resident.) This story is set from Alexand’s perspective, for the first time since issue # 1: Alexand Merek. It marks the anniversary of Heyem and Alexand’s birth (on 2nd December.) The 2nd December holds significance to me and my family, which is why I’ve chosen to release two stories consecutively. (This is for you Dad.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Alexand Merek, Jarad Vijay, Heyem Merek and Baio-Yujia Sun are all fifteen and are close friends. They left their home in China, to look for Inajda Rekaya, (Alexand and Heyem’s mother) in the hope she could give them some money for food, as there is a famine in their village. (Inajda sends her family most of her wages, but it isn’t enough) In order to get to India, (where Inajda’s military base is) the children stole an army tank. On the journey they did some bad things, and got a little distracted from their task. These events change their lives forever. (This is the first in a double release. Issue # 26 follows on the 2nd December, to mark some birth and death days.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Eric Mehmed is a farmer, but dreams about making musical instruments. He has brought up his twin daughters Alexand and Heyem and his son Farokh without his wife, Inajda (As Inajda is in the military). Eric is very passionate about his children’s futures, especially that of Alexand, who shares his obsession for music. For her fifteenth birthday Eric made his daughter a left handed piano. (As he thought this may enable her to play with her strongest hand) Six months after this, the family’s struggle to find food forced Alexand and Heyem to go to India to attempt to find their mother. They took their friends Jarad Vijay and Baio-Yujia Sun with them. Unfortunately the teenagers ended up taking drugs and crashing a stolen military tank into a tree. Alexand was driving, Baio-Yujia died and the children were sentenced to serve in military correction. Eric was devastated. This story features his regrets. He reflects about what life could have been like. He wishes Alexand and Heyem had the same opportunities that his own mother, Edith MehXian had. (She was an opera singer in The Chinese Hall of Excellence.) The future looks bleak for his daughters. (Eric’s story is dedicated to my own father, who was also called, Eric.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Ichitumbu is an immortal, from a race of people called The Amanojuko. Chop his arm off, it’ll grow back. He is the husband of Anastasia Merevija, the abducted daughter of Alexand Merek. He spends his life moving from one country to the next, attempting to prevent Alexand and her sister Heyem, stealing Anastasia back from him. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Maria Thamian, is waiting to deliver a very important message, to her sister in law, Alexand. Alex is late and Maria’s wife, Heyem is getting impatient. (The story also mentions, The Guild Master’s General and Field Marshal Abouna Panak.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
After the murder of her father, and the disappearance of her brother and sister, Ancille Merevija must rebuild her life, with her mother, Alexand. Alexand was on a military mission and returned to find two of her children stolen, her husband murdered and Ancille left for dead. Ancille was badly injured and lost her hearing. When Ancille was strong enough, Alexand took her daughter to her sister, Heyem’s house, to hide from whoever destroyed their family. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Heyem Merek has run away from her former life. Her childhood, spent in poverty and her teenaged years in military correction. She is well educated and proud of her achievements. If only her identical twin sister, Alexand would allow her to forget about her past, completely. Things would be a lot less complicated and painful. (Artwork on the wall in drawing 2: by Frida Kahlo, “My Nurse and I.” 1937) This story also features Samuel, Ancille and Anastasia Merevija. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Juba Apfvarzian needs to forget his past. He spends a lot of time taking drugs and drinking with his best friend and fellow drunk Alexand Merek. They met decades ago on a floating asylum ship for the criminally insane. Juba had a wife, Lucy and a son, Ayo, before he went to the asylum. When he was released, he discovered that they had both died of influenza, and he was alone. He and Alexand met up again after her release and discovered that they had a lot in common. Alexand had also lost her wife, Katherine to an unknown virus and her husband Jarad to an unbeatable war. Her son, Sam and daughter, Anastasia had been stolen when they were children. Alexand’s surviving daughter Ancille has grown up and Alexand and Juba spend a lot of their lives trying to run away from bad things. This is one of those days. (A Spanish version is now available to read, translated by Hernán Jara Droguett.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
