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Journeys of the Mind, (C)1994-2004 A. Alexander Volenski

Chapter 4, unedited excerpts
Location: Ancient Egypt
Characters: Melody & The Egyptian

Melody

  Melody Snow, sat alone upon her couch, and as she sat she held the
sapphire gem in hand, rolling it through gentle fingers smooth.  A gem
in size to a silvered dollar, round and faceted in a distinctive
design, devised unlike other faceted gems whose shape and style follow
a set pattern.  This treasured jewel she had discovered in a remote
place, and since that time had wondered curiously about its mystery
and unique design.  For as she turned this elaborate complexity, it
would cast a peculair sensation (visual) upon its plane of surface mild,
as interior took on shape and form with many styles.
  Facsimiles of nature, the stars the moon, even thoughts would show
in silhouette glow, yet its faceted exterior always remained the same.
In depth one saw within this treasure, many reflected patterns, images
too, as pictured there one's thought performed and gave a glimpse to
show a solution to unknowns...  It was what she saw felt and touched,
and what came to mind from mirrored self, that was depicted there as
she held onto its chain.  A chain of swirled gold which was quite long
and large, the gold also came from a concealed domain, a realm unknown.
This turned her thoughts to wonders too, as she pondered who had
inscribed, polished, and cut this prize so blue.
  Melody saw clearly as she looked into its center, and could sometimes
hear background noise, chimes, voices, words, and echoing tones.  It
seemed quite vast what this lacquered translucent could do, and she
wished to find out who had made this jewel and to what end.  Cosmetic
theme, intellectual dream, who could scheme, who would deem such a
prize might ever arise to touch her glance, to create sighs, or was
there more yet to explore.
  This gem Melody imagined was more, possessed much more than just a
focus stone, for she perceived unlimited ability there; alive and
silent, power made to perform with unlimited wonders, a gem designed with
an ultimate purpose.  Now with open surveillance she looked deep into
its dim-silk blue glow, and suddenly she caught a glimpse of a man 
alone, a man she knew, who walked on sand in a place of time of a
distant land.  This man...her love, had been taken from her to a
separate time of wavered mind, where his memory was lost or held
behind; he wandered there as though in a maze, a place where he must
gain his memory to find a way out.
  ...Melody got up from the couch and strolled to the window which
faced the patio.  Looking out the window south, the light of  the sun
grazed her right shoulder, for it was late afternoon; the air was clear
and refreshing from a small rain shower several hours ago.  As Melody
gazed out the window she saw a small bird hopping in and out of the
branches of an almond tree which grew on the edge of the yard.  Seeing
the small feathered friend, Melody relaxed her mind, eased inner thoughts
and focused.
  Silent concentration, relaxed persistence, her diligence to cruise the
wind, the air, with a convergence that would intersect and touch.
Melody had allowed herself to open completely, to become something of 
the bird.  As she did, she imagined being within that little creature,
hopping from limb to limb in shadowed sunlight within almond tree, and
how it may recall the joy of soaring upon afternoon breeze.
  Time escapes me when I ride the wind, soaring as I do, swaying this
way and that in my flight, life feels so good that way, and each day
as aery draught gushes free, it carries me to unforgotten spots, as on
new paths of zephyr there, I am pushed along.  I am there amongst the
trees, the bushes, the grass, upon the foothills and the rocky mountains
so tall, so shadowy, so open.  Immortality likens to be me, free and
moving with the air, as the wind and wings that I am, carry me on.
  A feather in time climbs, rides, lives with and is a part of the ever
changing glide.  A feather in nature likes to be where it has grown to
see, to feel, to brush endless currents of the sky, and like an endless
melody that calls to the listening ear, both feather and ear, become
merely part of something much greater.  Come over heaven and speak to
me, speak to my care for my home and my heart, and tell me the wise 
one of thought has found answers to all my unknowns.  Give me something
inside of myself that will never hurt, will not block my mind, and
will let me feel deeply, think deeply.
  The branches of the almond tree were very close to the villa, and as
Melody stood, she released her imagined journey as a fledging and 
continued watching the small bird as other birds arrived, and the one
she was watching flew off in the direction of the evening sun.
  ...The villa, the sapphire gem and Melody, were in a future, a
faraway-in-private, like an island unto itself.  Melody got up from
the couch and walked into the kitchen, and pouring herself some tea,
she reasoned and hoped that all she knew to be real would come together
as it was meant too, and not continue to be lost in an endless cycle of
confusion and censored restriction.  Taking her cup, she went outside
and walked across the lawn that was high and near to the shore of the
sea, and she looked south across the rippling waves of the Mediterranean.
  The man (Melody loved), a country, an Empire, vast surrounding sand,
fields of green vegetation, memory lost, a quest to find.
  ...It was an ancient site where he now resided, and he held much 
power within that land.  The Egyptian walked along a path as he thought
and talked to himself...  I look at the sandals on my feet that touch
the sand and the ground in the middle of day.  Robe of white linen,
woven and embroidered in intricate blue design upon white, and the sand
is warm.  The sky, blue and clear, no clouds anywhere, the air fresh
like after rain fall, the sun warm soothing and very pleasant.  Water
gushes in a channel near to where I stand, I am not alone, yet my
thoughts are alone.  I think as I choose and find no answers, for I am
one who knows, but does not remember, in a land of sand, fields of
crops, and many people of whom I govern.
  ...I am a man in my early thirty's, moderate build and tall-slender,
medium length brown hair with black, some natural curl.  As I walk upon
the sand of middle day, I look around me and see many green palms 
growing next to the water near the green fields, fields with many
workers caring for crops, and I hear the sound of their busy chatter
and singing.  I walk unnoticed, for they are use to me passing among
these earthy fields surrounded with sand, for this is my domain, my
land, and these are my people, the ones that work the land, the ones
that build for me, the people that design and sculpt all that I wish.
They are a producing race, a growing people in their development, a
people that in my time here, have accomplished many great things, for
their productiveness is abundant.  I am pleased and thankful for all
of this, and pray for it to continue...
  My lady in my life, whom I love very much, has helped to bring new
understanding and ideas into reality, together we have started many
good projects that will benefit the people.  The ring I wear on my
finger is gold with a gem, a clear soft green gem with a touch of
yellow, a gift from her, the loving woman who loves me.
  As I walk, I think of the things I want to do this day; I plan to
talk with an elderly man, one who knows about the passage of time and
the things to come, as a soothsayer or astrologer might do, except he
doesn't dwell in those areas.  I have no preconceived thoughts of what
I may talk to him about, our conversation will take on its own
character; what is to be explained will be explained as it should be.
The man I seek is called Ab, a man that I have grown to respect, one
that I have also grown to understand.  Ab has been my own private
counsel in all things.
  A man and his name, to me have always conveyed a great significance.
The character of the man, the meaning of his name, both qualities
(man and name) entwined together performing to a progression which 
dances as a dancer to the music of the living.  Most men may not think
in terms of their name, but I do, for it expresses a continuity to me.
This may only hold a value to me and to what I am and to what I shall
always be, as I travel the portals of life, encased as one is meant
to be encased in the body, surrounded by the design of a hidden entity.
  I think of the woman this morning as I walk along, the woman I love,
and I picture her standing next to me, her arms around my neck, she is
very beautiful and warm and sweet smelling, with lips of honey.  I
carry her warmth in my thoughts as I continue along the path; it is
this way when I travel without her by my side.  She is as a woman like
from out of a dream, someone special who suddenly appeared one day,
and is yet to go away.  She came to me by the waters edge, I did not
know her or even see her appear, she just seemed to suddenly be there,
standing a few feet away, dressed in a long white gown fringed with
colors of rainbow.  She smiled and reached out to me, and it seemed
that we had always known each other, yes, that is exactly how it
happened.  It has been near a year now since her arrival, and I am
still in wonder, amazed, how love and  the sweet influences of the
moon, let it all happen.  All that I know is that she says that I have
always been in her life, yet I do not remember when or how, and she
reassures me that someday I will remember.  She is very beautiful, very
feminine, gentle, and also a woman of action stern, one capable of
great achievements.  I also know that it is her unwavering love which
keeps her as she is to me.  Someday soon, she says she will go away
for awhile, will leave me and my domain.  That she will leave in much
the same way she appeared, going quietly and suddenly as the moon when
clouds cover it from view in the still of the night.  She promises 
that someday we will meet again, and when we do it will be very
pleasant and beautiful.  So now, in the light of the mid-day sun I walk
and speculate and muse about this woman who has come, and wonder why
she must leave, where she goes; as I try to uncover that which is
hidden within me, that which I need to remember.
  ...When I reflect upon 'remembering', I think in terms of remembering
who we are, where we came from, and knowing the purpose directing us
to the place we are supposed to be going.  I realize it is important
that I focus toward remembering by using a concept and route that
leads toward a defined purpose, the one which is connected to me.
  Ab, was standing alone in his garden when I arrived, a garden small
and situated behind his dwelling.  He is a short man, and has thin grey
hair.  A very trim man with no beard, he also has large hands and large
ears, and a stern expression that depicts discipline.  He turned toward
me as I entered the garden area, and then nodded and motioned for me
to join him and sit in the shade under a large fruit tree.  There was
a long wooden bench there, a bench that I have sat upon many times
throughout the past.  We sat for a long while neither speaking, both
just relaxing, enjoying, and thinking good thoughts of the pleasant
day and surroundings.
  The summer light of the sun was beginning to get hot, however there
was a little breeze, and many bees flew about.  The silence we shared
was refreshing, for it  gave us both the privacy of thought and also
the enjoyment of the moment.  This was something we both could share
together in common, and still have the freedom to be just what we were,
two men of differing ages sitting on a bench in the shade of a plum tree.
  Then I said to him, "the lady who gave me this gold gem ring, says she
will leave soon in very much the same way as she came, and that there
is something about us, her and I, that I have yet to remember, what must
I remember?"
  Ab did not move nor change his gaze as he looked into the distant
blue sky, nor did he show any emotion or recognition, it was as though
he were in deep meditation; as upon a soothing drift which loitered and
moved within a tranquil medium, embraced with profound thought.  Some
time passed before he spoke, then in a voice very clear and precise
he answered, "the swallows fly high in the sky, they go away and return
each year, like you, they do not remember how to return, they just
naturally return; like so, your lady must return from where she came,
and what the swallows do is their design, a timeless design."  Breathing
deeply, he continued, "you and your lady both have a design, a design
of love, and that design lives now and in the future, it is a future
place, the future, which you must strive to realize."
  Then I asked, "can anyone help me know the future, or it is something
that I must do alone?"  Ab turned his head toward me and nodded, then
added, "everyone needs a little help with these matters, remembering
that is, yet it has to come mostly from you, all I can say is that she
came here for you, and a woman that loves that way, expects much of a
man; an important thing to remember is that, 'we are of the future,'
living in the present and seeing the past."
  There was a long period of silence between us, as both our minds
replayed our short conversation, and then I stood and prepared to leave.
We both said, "goodbye," then Ab turned his head away, showing no
expression of any sort, and I turned and walked out of the garden.
  ...The future is written and contained within the mirror of ourselves,
a very private protected place where no others abide, save only our
self and the one we love.  As I walked, I recalled what had been said
by my old friend, and realized how simple it was for him to understand,
yet how difficult to perceive it was for me; and two swallows suddenly
flew by.
  In this diverse life of mine with all the surrounding demands, I had
not distinguished that this woman and I may actually be from another
time and place.  As Ab had said, 'we are of the future,' I must recognize
and find my link in the future.  It must be my part in that future which
is tied to my relationship there with her.  For some reason unknown, 
this future aspect of her and myself has remainded hidden from me, like
a mental block covering over the real me; that impediment had taken
control of that very part of myself which mattered most.  I began to 
realize the complexity of the world around me and how it was held in a
confusing manner, and how simple that complexity is to understand once
one knew the right way or direction to view it.  If I was from the future,
then this life now was merely reaching toward that future; and the 'divine
mind' with its will, must know how to reach that place.  I felt the 
concealed significance was hidden within the depths of my subconscious
self, like some secret enigma, a mystery, only for me to know and to
share with the one who shared in its design, and now I realized that she
too shared in that design.
  ...For my link to the immortal future I was sure was firmly attached
to her, the woman I loved, and it could only be with her that I would
find my place there in that future.  I now felt as though I had this day
accomplished an impossible feat, discovered a valued treasure, won a 
contest against many odds, for the pattern and direction I now looked
too, seemed absolutely true to me.  I was relieved to have finally defined
and reasoned out an unknown that had followed me so long, a problem
similar to a hovering shadow or cloud that was suspended over my head.
Now that shadowy mist was dispersing as I began to understand, know
and realize, what I must remember...and everything pointed to a place of
the future.
  ...It was late when I arrived at the court yard, and when I entered
the palace, she was there and walked over to me; she put her arms around
my neck and we embraced not saying a word.  Then we walked arm in arm
into the living quarters of the palace and out onto the large terrace
where one could view far into the distance; we both felt the coolness
of the evening which was approaching as the sun slowly set in the west.
  The evening sky was clear, the air sweet from the fragrance of the 
fields which were below us, with their multitude of blossoming flowers.
It was all very pleasant, that time of day we both enjoyed most together,
for it inspired within us a contentment, a peacefulness that we both
cherished.
  We poured some wine, and looked across the low rolling fields with
their plush greens, and into the distance beyond where the tall and
majestic pyramids stood.  Their smooth polished surface reflected the
evening sun in a soft glow, sometimes pink, sometimes golden, and as
we looked, we could feel a strength and reverence that seemed to come
from those great structures.  The feeling of massiveness, immense,
immovable, and beautiful in form, so smooth and radiant, luminous at times,
with a design to be forever present; an intention which reached with awe
across the aery distance between, coming to rest within the moment.
  This time together, I knew would always be there in the composite of
ourselves, and would always remain special to us wherever we may be.
I realized now that I was really meant to be in a future place, a site
that I was yet to be conscious of and find.  An abode of the future,
that perhaps I had originally come from, yet how?
  I knew that this future place, wherever it may be, was more important
to me than all of this which I saw before us in the coolness of the
evening.  More important to us both than all the possessions and power
that I now held.  And like a great revelation in meaning, as I stood there
next to her sipping the wine, I thought of all the wonder that was yet
to come, and marveled how easily the future, in all its greatness, could
be hidden so effortlessly within the present.

~

[Next, Chapter 5, The Meeting;
note: this text is yet to be proof read.]

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