Jeanie Johnny

(This work will go straight to print. The first chapter is made available here only as a teaser.)

Jeanie Johnny

“Perspective is what you see; point-of-view is what you make of it.”

A split today
Dated: 21st July, 2101

Observations can be neutral, but judgments are always coloured, by the previous knowledge and personal views of the observer. There’s nothing surprising about ten different observers having ten different perspectives for the same situation, and is quite natural to expect some variation in their assessments of the same. However, as long as the observers are honest in their evaluation, and their appraisals supported by observable facts, there would still be a consistency in their conclusions. This will be true unless there is some fundamental conflict between the observable facts.

If the observable facts can support two different conclusions, then both conclusions would be correct, even if in direct contrast with each other. Yet there may be a situation where only one conclusion would be allowable to prevail. Which one should, will ultimately depend on the conscience of the situation at hand, and of course, the conscience of the one making the call!

Nothing would illustrate this beautiful yet intriguing conflict better than the very innocent beginnings of this story that started with a child that was barely one, and another that was then yet to be born.

“Man, time sure flies,” the gracious lady replied to her friend at the other end of the video chat, “I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. Where is Malvin though?”

“He’s just fixing Johnny’s favourite baby formula,” her friend replied, “Oh here he is?” He turned around to kiss his partner Malvin, who had just walked in from the kitchen with his biological son Johnny in his lap, and a bowl of baby formula precariously held between the thumb and fingers of one hand.

“Hi Sweena,” Malvin greeted the lady at the other end before turning to his son and planting a kiss on the soft cheek of the bubbly baby, “Hey little Johnny, say hi to Sweena!” He then put the bowl on the table and grabbed Johnny’s little hand in his own, to wave at the camera, “Say hi to Sweena.”

“Hi Johnny, my cute little bundle of amazing,” Sweena jubilantly waved back before a sad expression tinged her look, “Why did time had to fly?”

“I know,” Malvin replied as his partner took the child in his lap, “It’s a shame that in a few hours time Johnny would be officially one, and then we won’t be allowed to organize any more meet ups between the two of you. It’s really sad, but I guess there is no other way around.”

“Absolutely Malvin,” Sweena replied as she held back her tears, “I may have had him inside my body for nine months, but there’s absolutely nothing else that I and Juliandra want, but you and Josha to be proud and happy parents of your son.”

“Thanks Sweena,” Josha replied as he gently rocked little Johnny in his lap, “The child must never know who its’ one biological parent is, which is a shame, but perhaps necessary, to enable better integration of men in our society, and women in yours.” He then paused before asking, “By the way, where is Juliandra?”

“She’s right there,” Sweena replied pointing behind herself, before turning the camera towards her bed, “She is feeling a bit low on energy today. You know; two more weeks and Jeanie will be with us!”

“Jeanie,” a happily surprised Josha quipped, “That’s a sweet name for the girl.”

“Hi Johnny,” Juliandra exclaimed from the bed as she pulled herself up into a seated position, “Ouch! She kicked me again.” And laughter burst out at both ends of the video link!

“We actually thought Jeanie would be a cool name for our daughter,” Sweena replied, “It not only sits sweet on the tongue, but it just rhymes so beautifully with Johnny.”

“Oh we sure agree,” Malvin replied, “And we are actually kind of glad that it was Josha’s sample that helped you with Jeanie.” He then looked at Josha to add something.

“Yeah!” Josha replied, “It just makes us an even closer knit big family.”

“Indeed it does,” Juliandra replied and then added the lament, “One that can’t even sit together after one year.”

“That of course is the downside,” Malvin replied, “But hey, you can always see pictures and videos of Johnny every day on my and Joshua’s public profile at ‘Trouble-makers’ social media page. Besides, I will be posting you videos and pictures regularly every month.”

“And we will do the same with Jeanie,” Sweena replied, “Just because our kids can’t know who their biological parents are, doesn’t mean we can’t share their pictures with each other, hey!”

“Absolutely,” Josha emphatically replied as he planted a kiss on his son’s cheek.

“By the way, how’s weather in ‘Women’s Federation of Alaska’ these days?” Malvin asked to turn the conversation.

“The same old freaking cold,” Juliandra replied, “You guys are lucky living down there in the beautifully pleasant ‘Southern Frontier Union’, where weather is always warm and beaches full of life.”

“Don’t be fooled by impressions Julia. I and Josha are always discussing how beautiful it would be to live in a snow laden paradise!” Malvin replied, before turning around to look at little Johnny, “I am sure Johnny would love to visit it one day.”

*************