DEO

PATRIAE

AMICIS

Spring 2013

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no

explanation is possible." –St. Thomas Aquinas

The bare little feet ran happy and free,

Bringing with them a fragile girl,

Whose large brown eyes were a sight to see,

Peeping from behind a bobbing red poppy,

While listening to the river’s rippling purl.

Her little face beamed innocence,

Simple and bright as the red bloom,

Yet full of the same transience,

That causes those who watch such grievance,

When spring’s immortality is assumed.

The robins laughed in spite of themselves,

As she frolicked about the green meadow;

Though her steps were light as those of elves,

And her lively sing-song merry as bells,

The darkening clouds foreboded shadow.

So unlike the silvery rains of spring,

Torrential hail swallowed her whole;

Once soft breezes with now stalwart sting,

Sent her unto young saplings to cling;

Her brown eyes filled with fear and dole.

As sudden as bird flight the dark storm lifted,

And flaxen shafts peeped in meekness,

Yet inward was a storm un-shifted,

And slowly, steadily, the small girl drifted;

No longer frolicsome, but fragile bleakness.

Yet though her heart grew feeble and frail,

And in the meadow no more she danced,

A stream flushed resilient though pale,

Fresh as new hope, it breached the veil;

All virtue, joy, and facet enhanced.

She rests now upon a sunshine morn,

With the robins wondering where she’s gone;

Young grasses and poppies her body adorn,

For all earthly raiment has she shorn;

Her song on the wind breathed in the dawn.

“Child of Spring”

by Elizabeth Cairnie

Once upon a time, there was an amazing young

boy who was good at just about everything. He

was raised well, and he always knew what to

say and when not to speak. By the time he was

in high school, he had won state for soccer and

basketball. He also got A's in all his classes, a

high score from a science fair, and a 1st place

trophy from a spelling bee. This young boy was

very sweet and charming, and although he was

from a wealthy family and his parents served

him endlessly, he had a humble attitude and

was rarely demanding.

At the same time, a young girl who was raised

by her mother with her two sisters lived across

the country since her father had died of cancer

five years before. Always hearing that boys

were mean and selfish, she soon believed it.

This girl had a charming disposition and was

known to cheer things up in the little town she

lived in, but she had learned to never trust

anyone other than those very close to her.

Therefore, she was known by strangers as a shy

girl who said almost nothing. This did not

bother her at all, and she was quite happy with

where she was by the time she got through

college.

Going back to the boy, he made it through

college and became not only a professional

soccer player but also a very successful business

owner. Because of this, he was a very busy man

with hardly any time for his friends and family.

After many years of living in the same town for

her whole life, the young girl decided to take a

trip to California and live her own life. This was

a big trip for a shy girl, but she wished to follow

her dreams and become a 1st grade teacher to

help give the young'uns a great start.

At the same time, the young man was traveling

from his home in Alabama to California for his

big soccer match. While on the plane, these two

young people met, and a tender string seemed

to pull in each of their hearts. The girl felt like

this could be someone she should trust, and the

boy was, surprisingly, at a loss for words. They

talked during the whole plane ride and became

very interested in one another's life stories.

When the plane landed in California, they both

went their separate ways, but each left with a

hope of meeting again.

The girl went to a job interview which was very

successful. She not only got the job, but also

earned a pass to a big soccer tournament which

her new boss would not be able to go to. At the

soccer game, she ran into none other than the

man she met on the plane. They once again fell

in love by just being with one another.

After the tournament, the young man quit his

soccer career, and devoted his life to his

business and, more importantly, his new wife

who had learned how to trust him with her

whole heart. The young couple lived in Alabama

where everything fell into place. They started a

wonderful family, both living the dreams they

had all along: finding a partner to love them for

the rest of their lives. As the years went by,

their children grew into the sweetest children

there ever were, and all was just as God had

planned.

The End.

“Just As God Had Planned”

By MaryClare Kellner

Amazing Lemonade

By Nikolai Brelinsky

3 Lemons

2 Limes

1 Grapefruit

¾ Cup Sugar

Ice

Water

Squeeze all the juice out of the lemons, limes, and

grapefruit. Boil enough water to dissolve the sugar. Add

the sugar water to the juice. Add enough ice and water to

fill a gallon pitcher. Serve cool and enjoy!

Sometimes you’ve got to let them go,

Allowing them to shine and glow,

Releasing them from your life,

Though it pierces like a bitter knife.

It’s hard to see them without you,

Not knowing what they’re putting you through.

As they spread their wings to fly,

A part of you painfully dies.

So many memories shared in between,

Smiles and laughter,

Which can easily be seen;

Now such thoughts are all but there.

The past moves so quickly;

It’s terribly unfair.

You were once their closest confidant;

Now you watch them with a silent sigh,

Faking a laugh and forcing a smile,

Hiding your pain all this while.

Though once they knew you,

And could see right through,

Tell you “it’s okay,

I completely understand you.”

Now you long to hear,

Such ancient words,

As your eyes tear up,

And your heart remains injured.

Letting go is the only way

To show the things you cannot say.

Letting them fly

And letting them free,

Is always the price of a friendship fee.

“Letting Go”

By Kyra Clark

Evelyn tapped on the small metal

table which contained the medicines and

bandages, making a monotonous sound

like that of an eerie, rapidly ticking

metronome. With this sound ringing in

their ears, Callum and Nathan sat

gloomily on stools at one side of the large

room as Spencer and Cassidy tentatively

treated their wounds. At the same time,

the Doc helped tend to the injuries of the

rest of the OSRA personnel, while Nick

and Kate silently observed his unpleasant

task with grimaces and queasy stomachs.

While Cassidy helped Spencer

wrap one of Callum’s wounds to Evelyn’s

rapid beat, she noticed that the two men

seemed unusually silent. Both seemed to

avoid every possible conversation with

Cassidy and Spencer.

Once she was more or less sure of

her observation, Cassidy nudged Spencer

and gave him a questioning look. He

shrugged at her, also puzzled with the

unusual treatment. “We didn’t wrap their

wounds too tightly did we?” he mouthed.

Cassidy looked around the room

and realized that the other agents she’d

already helped were also being strange.

Some would suddenly scowl and mutter

under their breaths, others would glance at

her and look away with aggrieved

expressions, and the rest seemed to avoid

looking at her at all. Only Doctor Reid

didn’t seem very different from when he

had talked to her a while before.

While scanning the room, she

found that her siblings were being given

the same odd treatment. The people in the

room seemed to stay at least five feet away

from them. There was definitely

something wrong. One glance at Evelyn

told her that the reason for their strange

behavior would soon be revealed.

“So…” Evelyn began in a loud

voice. Everyone in the room paused to

listen. “As you all know, these children

here,” she gestured to Cassidy, Nick, and

Kate, “are the children of Joseph and

Hallie Onyx, two of the scientists who

established the Onyx Special Research

Armory along with Dr. Simeon Onyx,

Hallie Onyx’s younger brother. Though

you may doubt their loyalty after what has

just happened, treat them well.” She gave

everyone stern gazes, but she avoided

looking at the three and Spencer. “They

are our friends, not enemies.” She added

pointedly. “You may leave now.”

As the people filed out of the room,

Evelyn told the Doc to remain in the room

with them. She made the Doc, Spencer,

and Cassidy sit on chairs at one end of the

wide conference room and stood a few feet

in front of them. She told Nick and Kate

to head to the kitchen for their dinner.

Part 8

Once the twins had already left,

Spencer held his hand up. “Why are you

putting us in detention? Whatever it is,

I’m pretty sure it was Cassidy’s fault. And

I want to eat dinner soon too,” Cassidy

gave him a faintly annoyed expression.

Evelyn didn’t answer him; no one made a

sound. “So why are we really here?” he

asked.

Evelyn tapped her pen on her

watch and sighed. “Doc already knows

what’s happening, but I wanted to tell you

myself, so I told the rest not to say

anything. But it looks like you’ve already

noticed something.” She paused and

looked at her watch. “It’s getting late, so I

should hurry.” She muttered to herself.

“While we were getting out of the new

HQ during Zonin’s attack, one of our

agents obtained the DNA of several of

Zonin’s agents. We specifically assigned

him to do this because we needed to find

out if any of the enemies used to work for

OSRA,” she looked at Cassidy and

Spencer.

“Like the evil scientist,” Spencer

said.

“Yes. When we checked the DNA

on our database,” Evelyn resumed, “we

found that two of the samples were from

Joseph Onyx and Hallie Onyx.”

Cassidy gasped, Spencer clenched

his teeth, and the doctor covered his eyes

with his left hand. “What do you mean?”

Cassidy said with an even, yet abrasive

voice. “It’s impossible. It’s just a mistake

since they’re both dead. We all know what

happened during the fire several years ago.

I saw them. They were trapped in there.”

Evelyn could see her disbelief. “I

don’t believe it either. But it seems the

evidence is there. Lots of people here

believe it. What do you think about it,

Doc, Spencer?”

“It’s probably just a mistake,”

Spencer said, trying to hide his surprise.

“Our database might be faulty. I’ll check

on it later.”

“Doc,” Evelyn asked, “what do you

think?”

He sighed while shielding his eyes

with his large hand, and Cassidy noticed a

fairly large onyx on his ring finger. She

wondered why he had a ring with an onyx

since there were other stones which looked

more presentable.

“I don’t know what to think. I

want to believe that it really isn’t them,

but there is a big possibility that it’s true.

There was an escape tunnel near the place

you last saw them, Cassidy.”

“A tunnel?” Cassidy felt her chest

tighten. She always wished that her

parents were still alive, but considering the

circumstances, she actually hoped that

they weren’t.

The Doc nodded. “If we think that

they’re still alive, the enemy would

definitely discover the possibility as well.

This was one of the reasons why I told

you to take care of your younger siblings

well because we never know what might

happen. I’m sure you remember it too,

Spencer. You were the one who reminded

me about the tunnel before I spoke to

Cassidy that day.”

Spencer nodded, but blushed

knowing that Cassidy would find out that

he had eavesdropped on their

conversation. In spite of his worry, he was

relieved when Cassidy didn’t say

anything.

I see, Cassidy thought. Doc already

had his suspicions. And I was right after all;

Spencer was listening in before and he knew

that there was a tunnel. Mom and Dad might

be alive… But they can’t be! What should I tell

Nick and Kate? That Mom and Dad might be

alive after all? They were dying, and they told

me to take care of Nick and Kate. If they

survived, then they went to the enemy? That’s

not possible! But Doc said that there was a

tunnel… If they did survive, they definitely

would’ve found us and taken care of us, right?

Should I tell the two that Mom and Dad are

going to find us someday? That they’ve gone to

the enemy’s side? No! I’m sure that they would

never leave us no matter what. But what if

they did survive? No one came for us…. No one

came…They abandoned us. Cassidy held her

throbbing head in her hands. How could she

doubt her own parents? It was unforgivable.

She wanted to yank her hair out for doing such

a thing. They definitely wouldn’t have left us

alone!

“Are you okay, Cassie?” Spencer

asked. “Even if Doc says that they

might’ve survived because there was a

tunnel, I don’t believe it. I only told Doc

about the tunnel because I thought we’d be

able to salvage some of the machines and

weapons. I honestly don’t think that

they’re alive. If they were, I’m sure they

would’ve gone to you.” He smiled at her,

trying to hold back his own tears after

thinking about his own mother.

“I’m fine. Thanks for trying to help

me,” she mumbled. This is my chance! I

shouldn’t let myself get worried about these

things since I have to look for the cure first.

Cassidy rose from her chair shakily. “Doc,

Evelyn, let me go to the old HQ. I’ll find

some kind of proof so that everyone will

believe me when I tell them that my

parents would never join Zonin…because

they died in that fire. There’s absolutely

no possibility that they survived the fire.”

Evelyn felt sorry for her, but she

didn’t want Cassidy to get into any kind of

danger. “I’m sorry, but you can’t go there.

Besides, you probably won’t find anything

anyway.”

“Please! If you’d just let me go, I’m

sure I’ll find something.” Cassidy looked

at her with defiant eyes. I’ll find the cure

which my parents made, and everyone will

realize that they definitely wouldn’t have

sided with the enemy.

“No means no,” Evelyn gave her

final answer.

“Fine,” Cassidy answered.

Spencer could see that she didn’t

mean it. She’ll probably sneak out later, so I’ll

just have to keep an eye on her, he thought.

“Since we’re finished here, Spencer,

you help me bring Doc to his room. And,

Cassidy,” she paused, “hide this info from

Nick and Kate. I don’t want them to

worry.”

As Cassidy left the room and

walked towards the kitchen, Spencer ran

after her after safely escorting Doc to his

room. “I guess you’re planning to sneak

out and go to the old HQ,” he whispered.

“Can I come with you?”

A forceful “No!” was Cassidy’s

quick answer. “I’m going alone.”

After dinner, Cassidy hurriedly

went to the room which she and her

siblings were given and emptied her

backpack of the things she wouldn’t need.

“What are you doing?” Kate asked

when she entered the room.

Cassidy nearly jumped. “Just

looking for interesting stuff in my

backpack. I was just bored, so I wanted to

look for something I could do.”

Kate shrugged. “Okay. Where’s

Nick?”

“I don’t know,” Cassidy replied. “I

was just about to ask you. Ok then. Good

night.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. Oh well,

she’s always weird.

Later in the night, when Cassidy

could hear her siblings snoring in their

sleep, she quietly snuck out of her bed, put

on her shoes, grabbed her backpack, and

opened the door as quietly as she could.

After closing the door shut as she exited

the room, she was startled by a low voice.

“Even if you tell me not to go, I’m

going with you.”

“Spencer!” she whispered fiercely.

“You nearly scared me to death! If you’re

really coming, you better be quiet!”

He gave her his best smile. “Okay.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes, but she

smiled in spite of herself.

When Cassidy and Spencer were

already several feet away from the room,

the door was opened gently once again.

“Shh! Hurry up, Kate. And please try to

whisper.”

“Ugh!” Kate grumbled. “It was

your idea to follow Cassidy.”

“Well it’s not exactly my fault that

we’re following her,” Nick answered

sharply. “We heard her talking in her

sleep, so we found out about her plan.

Who wouldn’t follow her after hearing

what she said?”

Kate frowned. “Whatever. But I

really wanted to sleep! And why did we

have to make weird pig-snoring noises?”

Nick tried to ignore his sister’s

complaints and just focus on following his

other sister.

Meanwhile, Evelyn, Doc, and the

other OSRA agents were gathered in one

of the meeting rooms in the safehouse.

After a long discussion, they had all finally

reached a conclusion though many had

opposed the final decision.

“We have to fight them to get the

HQ back and to stop them from using the

weapons which are stored there. They

want the microchip technology which

controls the advanced weapons which

Simeon Onyx developed. We will destroy

the weapons if we cannot prevent the

enemy from finding the microchip. This

whole war was started by those

inventions.”

“That’s right.” Evelyn expressed

her assent. “We need everyone to be

prepared in 36 hours. Then we’ll start for

the battlefield. Prepare the weapons you’ve

brought along, and find the others in the

storage. Go!”

“Evelyn,” Doctor Reid put his big

hand on her shoulder. “You tell the

children what’s happening and move them

to a safer place.”

“Yessir!”

As she walked to the room of the

Onyxes, Evelyn wondered if it would be

fine to wake them up in the middle of the

night just to tell them to get ready to move

to another place. Once she stood in front

of the room, she gently and quietly turned

the knob. After putting one foot inside the

room, she realized that something was off.

She went to one of the beds and yanked

the blanket onto the floor.

She sighed with a load of

exasperation and rushed out of the room.

When she passed Doc in the hallway, she

said, “I’ll be back on time, Doc. I just need

to look for a few runaway kids.”

Soon, she was on fifth gear in her

two-seater convertible, driving towards the

first Onyx Special Research Armory

headquarters.

“I should’ve known that they’d do

this,” she grumbled.

To be continued....

“To Which Altar?”

By Aug Trembilanse

I will go to the altar of God,

But to which altar should I go?

To the majestic altar of stone

In a great medieval cathedral,

In which once sat a king's throne?

Or to the humble altar of wood

In a small country parish,

In front of which a sorrowful sinner stood?

Nay, the question put should not be:

”To which altar?”,

But “To which god?”

The god of power, strength, or money?

The god of sensuality, pride, or vanity?

Or to the God of Love,

Who lives now on our altars

In the Most Holy Sacrament?

Yea, to this Altar

And to this God

I shall go.

There is a wreath of virtues

That each young girl should own;

With roses bright and lilies fair

And forget-me-nots piety prone;

With poppies flying in the wind

Of the Holy Spirit blest,

And sunflowers who look daily

To God, their heart’s sweet guest.

Of all these flowers fragrant

There is one that is unique;

‘Tis the modest little violet

Who has what God does seek

In every fair, young maiden;

For the audacious and the bold

Will find their earthly treasures

Are useless and will grow cold.

Most admired and respected

Among angels, if not men,

Are the women who want to be the words

Written by God’s celestial pen:

The one who keeps her tongue in check

And hands and feet and ears,

And watches what she says and does

And also what she hears;

She is careful and diligently

Watches how she dresses,

And is careful not to become

Too vain over her tresses;

She is modest over winning

And takes no notice of the aloof;

To the ones who are faced with failure

From modest lips comes no reproof;

“The Violet”

By Kate Knighton

The woman who cares not if another

Should mock her modest ways,

For she know that it pleases God

In Heaven above He repays

A hundredfold and many over

If she is modest and good,

And takes care to preserve her violet

By doing as she should.

Once more I say, my maidens fair,

One flow’r has what God does seek,

And that flower, above most other ones,

Is the violet, modest and unique.

“Paradoxes”

By Aug Trembilanse

A man can be at once

Rich and poor;

Strong and weak;

Good and bad;

Proud and meek.

A man can be at once

Important and insignificant;

Big and little;

Powerful in act as fire,

And in potency as metal.

A man has at once

A body and a spirit.

What greater discrepancy?

Yet God always willed it.

All the others rise

From this paradox, paramount,

But God made this the only way

To make our lives here count.

Photo by Mary Schmitt

Manager: Ashley Miller

Assistant Manager: Stephanie Miller

Editor: Natalie Kellner

Assistant Editor: Mara Ng

Submission Director: Anastasia Black

Design: Mary Schmitt

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A special thanks to this month’s contributors!

Thank you for reading!

CREDITS:

Aug Trembilanse

Kate Knighton

Mara Ng

Kyra Clark

Nikolai Brelinsky

MaryClare Kellner

Elizabeth Cairnie

Stephanie D.