Let's Meet the Characters

This is a radio episode featuring various characters and musicians. The host introduces musicians Samuel Rex Spivey, David Blink, and Rupert O. Lee Hopkins Spivey. They then interview Pop God and Mother Athandra, who discuss the visuals on the radio and the cat Aethergis. Angelita talks about her past as a Zapotec maiden and her love for Shavano. Wacky Wanda shares her story of being transformed into an intergalactic pilot and her encounters with lizard Venusians. Lord Aetherius and Tsubasa try to reconcile the Venusians and forest fairies. The episode ends with speculation about the solar tsunami of 4332. Hi, this is Billie Ruth Hopkins Futarici with KCIW 100.7 on your FM dial, right here in beautiful downtown Brookings, where almost every day is a beautiful day and we can always choose to say yes. It's a wonderful time to be alive. We have quite a few characters. I just wanted you to get an idea of who we are going to meet. But before we meet any of the characters, there are three unique musicians that I really want to introduce you to in this particular episode. Of course, you already know about my grandnephew, Samuel Rex Spivey, who has done a lot of the intro music. In fact, what you're hearing in the background right now is one of Sam's tracks. And there's another special musician that is from right here in beautiful downtown Brookings. His name is David Blink. And he does handpan music, also plays the cornet. So you'll hear some of his handpan music in this episode. Then my sister, my actual real sister, Rupert O. Lee Hopkins Spivey, who is Sam's grandmother, is going to be doing the piano piece that I call Wisteria's Farewell. The other very special musician in this episode is a Thurgis the cat, him, her, itself, doing an improv called Paws Across the Keys. So on to the interviews with our amazing characters for Angelita and a Thurgis in Outer Space. Well, I think it's about time we meet Pop God and Mother Athandra. Pop God, are you with us? Oh, I am always with you, as you know, Billy Ruth. And me too, Pop, me too. Of course, dear. This is Mother Athandra. I affectionately call her Mother, as she is truly the mother of all creatures throughout the universe. My stars, Pop, I love it when you say such special things about me. Oh, Mother Athandra, you sound a lot like Grandma Gaga. Well, perhaps I am. Perhaps I am. So, Pop God, I must ask you, why are you in my radio series about Angelita in Outer Space? Oh, think about it, Billy Ruth. As you know, I am not in control of absolutely everything, but I am in charge of the visuals on the radio, simply because our listeners need to see what is going on. It's not a movie, after all. Well, of course, maybe it will be someday. Who knows? Or knows. We can only hope so. Okay, okay, I get it now, Pop God. And what about that cat, Aethergis? Does he or it or she or, well, whatever, Aethergis, does Aethergis the cat live with you or live with Grandma Gaga? Well, now, you know, Billy Ruth, Aethergis pretty much lives everywhere he or she or it or they want to, if you know what I mean. Let's meet Aethergis the cat, who knows the way, by the way, the way of all cats. Meow. It's about time. It's about time. Casi no puedo creer. Meow. No me han presentado ya, pues me llamo Aethergis. Y he visto tanta manera de cosas desde el principio del universo. Meow. Yes, I have seen all manner of hate and prejudice since the beginning of time itself throughout the universe, and it is precisely for that reason that Angela and I have to rescue Angelita and bring her back to Shavano. Meow. Hmm. What our listeners could use from you, though, is a little exposition. Like, for instance, just where did you get that name Aethergis? I mean, Aethergis is not a common name, even for a cat. Wouldn't you agree? Meow. Por supuesto, pues, Grandma Gaga y Angela ambos tuvieron el sueño mismo una noche hace siglos. Te juro que es la verdad. A little translation here, please. Oh, meow, of course, I was just saying that Grandma Gaga and Angela both had the very same dream centuries ago. You gotta be kidding, right? Meow. No, I speak gospel truth, I assure you. It was the dream of the cat food commercial. I won't tell it all here. Meow. Our listeners will need to hear the whole dream soon in an upcoming episode. Angelita, are you with us? Pusi, estoy aqui. Billy, darling, I know you might understand that I used to be a Zapotec maiden in Creston, Colorado. Oh, yes, that's right, and you fell in love with the Ute Indian Shavano, didn't you? Yes, darling, everyone knows that. It's a bit difficult to remember every detail, but I do my best. I threw myself into the deep crystalline caves where Shavano had thrown himself. Hace muchos, muchos años, siglos en efecto, y el creia que yo estaba muy, muy malcriada porque el creia que... He thought that I had abandoned him and I had not. Well, let's just go back to the reality here. We aren't talking truth here, are we, Angelita? Oh, Billy, darling, this is a legend. What are you thinking? Well, when I was alive in Creston, Colorado, my father did not want me to be with Shavano, but we were madly in love. Oh, love, love, love. Yes, it's always a story of love, isn't it? Desperately clinging to itself, thinking that it will never go away, but it's somehow you always have a broken heart. Well, Shavano went through the same experience, didn't he? Yes, he fell into the crystalline cave at the top of the mountain, and he is now, actually, he is the angel of Shavano in Creston, Colorado. I, on the other hand, I lost my left wing when I was falling through the wormhole, and the forest fairy saved me. It's a very long story. I don't know if I can tell it all right now. Well, yeah, I don't want you to tell it all right now, Angelita. So I should introduce our listeners to some other characters, like Wanda Hopkins, Angela calls her Grandma Gaga. She's Angela Perez's grandmother, who has been telling Angela this legend of Angelita since little Angela and her brother Zirko were babies, also telling them about all of her wacky dreams, flying into outer space. Wacky Wanda has told me more than once that she's been here for centuries, uncovering and documenting lost records from the final destruction of Earth in her quest to reveal the way to eternal love, healing, harmony, and balance. Hmm, some of our listeners might be skeptical about that. Honestly, I can assure you her story is absolutely true. Wacky Wanda is nobody's fool, let alone wacky, although many would strongly disagree. As you will soon discover when she allows her inner Angelita to escape the depths of her higher consciousness, then you will see just how wise she really is, deep down that is. Well, greetings, Wanda, you're here. Let's hear in your own words just how this story fits into the legend of Angelita. Well, now, Billy Ruth, I've been, I've had one of those lives that you could take a century to tell all the stories that I have down in the depths of my own soul, dreams and stories. Yeah, that sounds pretty nice. On Earth, I was Wanda, Grandma Gaga. But after the final destruction of Earth in that horrific solar tsunami, wait, what are you talking about, Wanda? Solar tsunami? Well, yeah, now just hold your horses, Billy Ruth, hold your horses, my stars. Don't interrupt me. I found myself transformed into an intergalactic pilot of a mothership, said to have been lost after attempting my final escape off of Venus, rescuing some lizard Venusians just in the nick of time. Whoa, Wanda, lizard Venusians? Whoa, that's a little bit wacky, isn't it? Well, I suppose you could say that, Billy Ruth. But recently, I unearthed a few ancient tax records showing a business license issued to one Wanda Hopkins, D.B.A. The Fountain Rock Shop in Creston, Colorado, Earth time 1968 through 1997. And it is our belief that she was the self-same pilot, Cassandra, who in later centuries, boarded the massive, nearly demolished mothership warbling through space after Earth's final destruction. Oh, this is wacky, Wanda. I mean, really, what are you talking about? This story could be more wacky than I would have imagined. Well, Billy Ruth, I kind of think of it as magical surrealism. That's the genre, sort of like Gabriela Garcia Marquez in his novel, Cien Años de Soledad, A Hundred Years of Solitude. Did you ever read that one? Yeah, years ago, years ago. Magical realism, that's what it is, for sure. In fact, rummaging through old University of California records, I ran into this picture of Wanda. Oh, yeah, that was me, years and years and years ago. I wish the listeners could see that. Hmm, when she was a student in Dr. Guille de la Luz-Santigua's Enlightenment 101 seminar, each student had been given a beta version of the first handheld crystalline orb, the PCRTD, the Personal Communication and Recording Device. Well, before it had any transportation capabilities in the early days. Oh, true, true. Transport capability is what I understand came along in version 6.4. When the intergalactic space pilot got lost through too many wormholes, the transport application architecture and protocol manifested instantly if you had any kind of negative thinking at all. Some called it a bug rather than a feature. Well, they had to learn how to banish all that negative self-effacing thinking before placing their hands on the orb firmly between their palms and fingers. Oh, technology. Did they finally get used to that? Oh, yeah, Billy Ruth, they did. They finally got used to that and they could just transport themselves instantaneously anywhere throughout the universe. Wow. Okay, well, let's see who's next. As long as we're in outer space, our listeners should meet the regal-looking creature coming in for a landing now. Oh, it's Lord Aetherius himself on his flying unicorn. He comes from the simian galaxy and makes his planetary rounds to ensure his dwellers are all abundant and busy and harmonious. He and his trusted negotiator Tsubasa, the one-winged angel, fly into the Venusian labyrinth and try to get them to stop fighting with the forest fairies on the other side of the planet. All record-keeping, however, seems to have come to an abrupt halt right around 4332 when Earth was destroyed by the solar tsunami. While stories differ somewhat, they all share that common thread, that being the solar tsunami of 4332. It is, however, mere speculation at this point, but one of the indisputable facts is that all the lizard Venusians believe they will surely die if they tried to live in the open light and in gravity. Tsubasa spent countless hours in their underground council rooms trying to convince them that it's just fake mythology, but lizard Venusians are possibly the most stubborn creatures in the universe refusing all attempts at enlightenment. Forget teaching love, peace, and harmony! Yay! You can say that again! Yes, yes, yes! You can say that again! Many times Tsubasa has said that it's not possible to transform those lizard Venusians. They are a constant source of frustration for me. Since I put Tsubasa in charge of the galactic peace. Oh, so it goes! So it goes! Your listeners should know that I live on the capital planet of Aetherius named after myself, of course. Tsubasa and I keep a good lookout on my subjects flying to each outer planet every once... Oh, how can I put this? Time is so relative in outer space. Let's make it easy and say that Tsubasa and I jet off to distant Aetherian realms about once every month in earthly terms. But it's not actually a month. It's more like every 50 or so Earth years. You'll get used to all this time-space continuum after a century. Just keep calm and carry on. I find that deep breathing helps especially in zero gravity situations. Well, thank you, Aetherius. Thank you, or should I say, thank you, Lord Aetherius. Now I'm remembering a story about how you got to Aetherius in the first place. Something about a tragic car accident back there in Crestone when you and Angela's mother Wisteria were out looking for her after she had disappeared that first time. Oh, I am Aetheria. Let me chime in, Billy Ruth. I am Angela's mom Wisteria. But this part of the story can be pretty confusing. When I was Wisteria on Earth I fell deeply in love with Angela's Spanish teacher. When she went missing that first time, she was only 14 years old. I was beside myself with fear, so I asked Cesar to help me drive around and look for her. Look for that cat, Aetherius, too. Oh, that cat. Yes, Aetherius the cat. The multilingual cat. I've heard about him. Her. Or is it him, her? Well, nobody really knows, actually. Whether Aetherius is a him or a her. Yes, well my mom Wacky Wanda always says that cat has a way about him or her. Hmm. No one can really tell. But he does. It does have a way about it. Hmm. What kind of a way do you mean, Wisteria? Are you or are you Aetheria right now? Wisteria, Aetheria Wisteria, Aetheria I can never tell. Well, let's meet Aetherius who knows the way by the way. The way of all cats that is, according to my mother Wanda. Aetherius speaks every language ever written, as well as some unwritten too. No, really, it's absolutely true. I heard that it was once seen prowling the moonlit streets of Moscow in the 1930s before flying across the full moon with a witch named Margarita. No, honestly, I swear. It was well documented before Bogakov burned his manuscript rather than seeing it suppressed by the state. Wisteria. This is getting all too wild for me. Why are you talking about Moscow in the 1930s? Well, it's because I always like to read the Master and Margarita. I read that book over and over and over and over again. Well, didn't you say we're going to meet Aetherius? I'm really anxious to meet Aetherius the cat simply because Well, after all, Aetherius is the namesake of this entire series of Angelita and Aetherius in Outer Space. Yes, so let's meet Aetherius now. I think I hear him, her, it coming in. Are you scratching at the door there, Aetherius? Can I hear you scratching at the door? Tell us a little bit about yourself. That's great. Now, didn't I also hear that you speak every language that was ever written and some that have never even been written? Oh, so that is true. That is true. Now, you're also writing a document, aren't you? Yeah, I mean, what is this document you're writing? I guess we'll just have to find out. I guess we'll just have to find out. And Angela has told me that you are also quite an accomplished pianist. Is this true? Oh, I would love to hear. Yes, of course. Oh, it's just an improvisation? Well, that's all right. I would love to hear it. So this is your famous improv. What do you call it? Pause. Of course, pause across the keys. Here we go. This is a third just with pause across the keys. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Pause. Oh, it's third just. Oh, my goodness. I can't believe that you actually did that whole thing all by yourself. My goodness, you're a talented animal. Wisteria, I have one other question for you before I let you go here today. When Angela first went missing, Zirko was Angela's brother, as I understand. And Zirko came home late one night and told you that Angela and a third just had decided to go climb up Mount Shavano to see if that legend of Angelita and Shavano was really true. But Zirko gave up and came home limping. Why was he limping? Well, yes, it's true. He has that one short leg. When he was born he, because well, you know, he's not really Angela's real brother, but they were born on the same night and all. His mother Zephra and I were going to UCSC after our husbands had been killed in Afghanistan trying to make an escape to the cargo carrier. Zephra made it, but the boys didn't. She was pregnant with Zirko, but the water in her village had been poisoned so Zirko had quite a few health challenges. He suffered from so much bullying at school, we just decided to move back to Crestone where we could all feel more supported by my mom, Wanda. Wacky Wanda you mean. Yes, Wacky Wanda, right. What can I say? So anyway, when Cesar and I got killed in that car accident, we were instantaneously swept into a black hole. After a few centuries of floating in space looking for Cesar, I was finally rescued by Mother Athondra and taken to Pop God's dark matter domain where I am now, the ethereal choir director. Cesar was not so fortunate, however. He encountered so many alien creatures in that black hole, he got mixed up with the flying unicorn Aetherius. Thank God he kept his head. Well, he's doing pretty essential cosmic work there on Aetherius as I understand it. Oh, Wisteria. Are you Wisteria now or are you Aetheria? Wisteria. Aetheria. Wisteria. Aetheria. Wisteria. Aetheria. I can never tell. Oh, I guess I'm Aetheria now anyway. I still miss Cesar. Maybe someday Pop God will let us get back together on Crestone and we'll try it all over again. Hmm, that would certainly change a few layers of this story, wouldn't it? Most certainly would. I am sure that just as Angelita and Shyvana were still connected, Cesar and I are connected by the gravitational red threads of true love. The acaethos. But you can understand why that is of little consolation. In one galactic breath we were gone or knows where. Aetherius finds himself swirling through a starburst canal, fighting off all sorts of alien creatures, finally merging with, of all things, a flying unicorn. He had never seen such a thing and was simply grateful to have kept his head. Yeah, I can imagine. Well, surely, wherever you are, whomever you are, Aetheria, Wisteria, I know you will wait eternally for your reunification with Señor Roel. And since unification of the galaxy is his mission too, we are confident that this will eventually extend to your own personal unification as well. At least we hope so. You were ripped away from your soulmate, sort of like Angelita and Shyvana. You can say that again. Well, there's not much more we can say. This is an intricately layered tale. This outer space adventure is just getting better and better. We'll be happy to know the outcome, so all you listeners out there, stay tuned to KCIW 100.7 on your FM dial. See you right here in beautiful downtown Brookings, Oregon next time. But for now, this is Billy Ruth Hocktins for Ritchie saying, keep calm and carry on with love in your heart and remember to be the light of the world. Even if you seem to be wandering through some desert, know that what you are doing is of supreme importance and you can truly be the change you want to see. You have the power of choice to make loving, compassionate, transformational decisions in this lifetime. 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