The Mediator (Part 2)
Metanoia - Chapter 1 - Life Path 2
Character Chart: A Map to the Nine Lives
The only way life is given meaning is through the connections we make with others. This thought came to me as I pondered what it would be like without the involvement of Rahn, my students, my fellow neighbors, and caretakers in my life. In a strange way, the existence of these people defined who I was. Who was I? Who was I in the world that we shared? An old friend, a mentor, a daughter. Without Mentor Esme’s influence, I might have never become an art teacher myself. What would happen to me if I were taken out of this environment and put in another? Who would I be? What would I be? It would depend on my peers, and I liked who I was with these people. They put my life into context.
I walked along the shoreline with the setting sun, Éros ablaze with colors, both delicate and bold. Sands bright orange defined the lines between the horizon and the sky as the water mirrored all that was looking down upon it. Village children sat in circles playing games. I looked on at them, and at the occasional person that came into view. Those colors and wisps I saw as a child in the people around me went away. It was now more of a sense than something I visualized, the energy of life buzzing, and pulsating. Rahn walked beside me as we had just been dismissed from a town conference.
And yet there was still that pervading loneliness.
I was quiet while having these thoughts, enough to make Rahn suspect something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look around before suddenly taking off into the water. Bewilderment kept me from having any kind of external reaction. I stood still as he disappeared. A few moments passed, bubbles floating to the surface, an occasional limb flailed. Without coming up for air until the task was completed, he gallantly emerged with a giant grin and a tapia root that spanned the length between his waist to the top of his head.
“Let’s eat!” he exclaimed. Impressed by the theatrics, I laughed with him while tenderly helping him carry the vegetative monster out of the shallows, where it eventually made its way onto my cutting board, and then into some delectable seasonings I had carefully prepared.
The tapia root is a meaty, filter-feeding, plant-like organism that doesn’t appear to have any limits as to how large it can grow when left alone. The largest ever found took three weeks to cultivate, and fed a small village for four months. Its fat, bulbous base lays out of sight beneath the sediments of the ocean floor, while stalks of purple leaves jut out of the top, having two siphons discreetly placed in between them. Aunt Trenia explained to me that it was actually two organisms, part plant, part animal, with a symbiotic relationship between the leaves that photosynthesize to make food, and the animal that filtered debris surrounding the area. This allowed more light to pass through the water column and ultimately for the leaves to flourish. I loved how they worked together. Without hesitation, Rahn and I chowed down on its seasoned flesh.
“I’m starting to think that your act of kindness was secretly a deviant plot against me to cook you dinner” I said to him, taking a break from eating. In response, his eyes became deviant to mock me.
“You got me. You’ve uncovered my true intentions, chasing after your delicious tapia recipe”
It was simple. Rahn made me happy.
“We have it good here.” Rahn said after a few moments of silence. He would know. His career had him on other islands and cities. Our island was very much in a world of its own. With the exception of the few public relations officers whose lives were heavily involved with what happened around the world, the rest were happily existing on their own in the midst of their integrated careers, studies, and separate lives. There was enough knowledge to carry on with life progressively, yet we were out of the loop enough to be unaffected by the inevitable ways of the masses.
“What’s the matter out there, what’s going on now?” I asked him.
“Oh it starts with minor things.” He began. “The cultures are expanding and contracting throughout the world. People become territorial over ideas.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean people start thinking their loyalties lie in distorted places. Many want to move around the islands, live in different areas now that they can with the programs started by the administration. But honestly, from what I’ve learned, if you like where you are, stay there.”
We were not used to being mixed with one another. Tight, isolated communities are how we’ve lived for thousands of years, with only a few stragglers running away from home, and being accepted into a different community from time to time. No one knew how society would face this development.
“I worry about my kids at work every day, and what they might have to deal with in the new world.”
“This is a transitional period. Our world might not be the one that we know in a few decades.’’ The room grew quiet and solemn.
“I think your tapia recipe will hold me over until the end though” Rahn finally said, releasing the tension.
“I think your ability to keep life from getting too serious will hold me over until the end.”
The sun rose and set. It rarely became more complicated than that.
I woke up and performed my duty as an adolescent. Then I woke up and performed my duty as a teacher, responsible for the inner growth of development of individuals. Life builds its own alliance of people, those whom you didn’t necessarily choose, but what life chose for you. And so you work with what you’re given until integration, until its no longer something you’ve been born into, but something you’re apart of and possibly even something that appears like it’s meant to be. You make life yours even if it doesn’t feel that way.
Then, one day, you might encounter something so foreign, yet so familiar and natural that your soul can’t help but take a step back and say “Oh, I had a feeling you existed. Where have you been?”. This is my story.
My students were my children, so at first when half a dozen of them disappeared for good to grow old and develop in some other village into the people they were destined to be, I was distraught to say the least. I felt as though our new administration had taken my family away from me, and truth be told they did. Thankfully, the elderly were keen on staying on Elpis, which meant I still had Aunt Trenia and Mentor Esme in my life, as well as Rahn, who obviously wasn’t going anywhere if he could help it. Nine young adults willingly left the village, grown to believe that this was a big opportunity for them, on board with the idea since they were very young. They took a group of close-knit children with them, too young to have a real opinion in the matter. When I spoke to them they helped me understand their side. Many of them simply craved a kind of wonderment that only comes from frontiers. This made sense, and I forgave them.
With the departure of 15 of our residents, the arrival of 27 foreigners soon followed, 4 of which were children. According to Rahn, Elpis was a popular choice among those who wanted to leave their home. One of the children even joined my class. Her name was Lapsa. She caught my attention in a way that made it difficult to determine whether this was because she was new, or if something about her character deserved my attention. It had something to do with her eyes, dulled and unsympathetic, but there was never a real cause for concern or a reason to react. She got along quite well with the children. The attention she received for being the new addition to their miniature community was handled with apparent grace. I thought her to be a fine student, but my curiosity about her never dissipated.
I allowed my gaze to follow her outside the classroom one day. This action turned out to be more than a casual investigation, because as she turned a corner and strolled into the vegetation, I caught a glimpse of something more arresting to my senses. A man with strikingly soft features appeared from behind the corner, also taking interest in her unusual nature in the same way that I had. It seemed we were both standing parallel to one another, our gaze fixated on the little girl, his back turned to me. I caught a glimpse of the side of his face. He was clearly new to the village as well. What was he seeing that I had brushed aside as my own ignorance? In some strange instant, I felt aware of my curiosity all too much and immediately directed my attention inside my room before someone would notice I was standing there agape.
One more quick look wouldn’t hurt. I peered over the corner one last time, and both of them were gone, leaving me to question if I even saw either of them.
His name is Caelum, I acknowledged in my mind time and time again.
Rahn walked around his flat, getting ready to leave.
“At least that’s who I think you’re talking about, from the way you described him. He works in security. It’s similar to my job, except a little inconspicuous. Suits him too, he’s one stealthy fellow. Sneaked up on me to introduce himself once and I nearly jumped out of my skin!”
His name is Caelum and he works in security. My thoughts went on in dull repetition.
“He actually asked me to introduce him to you a couple days ago.”
“What?” I woke up out of my dream land.
“What?” I asked again.
“Yea he said he saw you working and didn’t want to interrupt. He’s making an effort to know the village.”
“…Oh”
His name is Caelum and he wants to speak with me.
Rahn finally went to work, and I eventually grew very bored left to my own devices. I thought about how it had been a while since I took pleasure in my secret route around the village that I wandered through as a child looking for inspiration. Suddenly, I had the greatest urge to go and engage in this activity once more.
I retrieved a bag to sling around my shoulder for anything I might find and set out for the route that I knew all too well, a route that had also been my best kept secret.
While in my element, I searched for the typical items that could be found lying around, such as shells and rocks with holes in them for beads, rocks that could be made into a pendant, or anything with potential. I weaved in and out of the brush, alternating between the rocky backdrop that ran parallel to the ocean, and the coarse sands of the coastline.
Then, suddenly, my path came directly upon something genuinely beautiful and unique, sending the inner scavenger into giddy excitement and a deeper love for nature. I had come across a green mineral, cleaved perfectly to capture light and reflect it in a dazzling display. To us, green was the color of love. I held the gift close and immediately became attached to it, placing it into the bag with care.
The walk continued without anything remarkable happening. It came to its end, leading to a point on the coast facing horizons beyond Elpis. There, I found a nice place to sit and look at my new collection, spending more time examining the green mineral, how each face appeared in the light of day.
“Is that Aphredite?” said a voice.
I don’t know how I didn’t see him, but Caelum was standing next to me. I just sat bewildered and stared, looking down at the rock, and then back at him.
“Yes?” I think I said. I turned to look around the the scope of the beach. There wasn’t anyone else around. It wasn’t a popular place for people to go to since it was surrounded by brush and set apart from residents. Almost any view point was a spectacle on the island, so there was little incentive to venture out to these places. I was too confused to say anything, my mind occupied with trying to grasp the situation. I had just mentioned Caelum to Rahn earlier that day, and decided to come here on a whim. I knew he didn’t follow me. No one saw me leave. I must have stood there for a long time trying to make sense of this coincidence.
“What a find, you are one lucky girl” he said.
I was a confused girl. I continued to stand there without saying anything.
“I’m excited about it.” I managed to utter.
“What do you plan on doing with it?” He asked, as if he knew the way I operated, my intentions for wandering out into the wilderness alone for no apparent reason.
“I think I might make a necklace out of it.” I inspected it further, sizing it up.
“I hope you do, I like that idea.” He seemed very comfortable with our social encounter, and it eventually put me at ease.
“How did you find your way out here?” is the question I started with.
“I’m new and wanted to explore the area… I just wandered out here I guess.”
“Of course” I half said to myself. “How are you liking it?”
“Well I like it a lot now, I’m glad to see at least one of the residents get out and explore! There’s so much to see.”
“I seem to be the only one who comes out here.”
I took some time to study his facial features. His hair was extremely fine, and in the lightest shade I’ve ever seen. Nothing stood out on his face, nothing about him stood out at all actually. Most people tend to have some kind of striking feature that makes them distinguishable, but he was a subtle creature, standing at only a couple inches higher than me, his chin to my forehead. It was a bold subtleness though, if that were possible. I don’t know why I couldn’t look away. I thought that if I grazed my hand across his face, there would be the most minimal opposition to touch.
“Miss Áurea, I’m happy to have found you here. I’m headed off now, but I’ll see you soon… Let me know what you end up doing with the aphredite.” he said while giving me a tender smile. I was overcome with fascination and curiosity.
He said these words in a way that made me believe him, that we would see each other again soon as if we made plans. I didn’t say anything but he seemed okay with that. He stood there for a little while longer as I stared in a frozen alertness of his presence, almost paralyzed, before he headed off where I could no longer see him.
I continued to have more encounters with the new residents, although none felt as coincidental or as strange.
I like seeing how the village has changed, there's a good amount of tension there. Also liked the bit with the symbiotic plant.