Journey – Four Hundred Years in the Future
Today was a very important day in the village of the Red Sands. Today, three of the village's children were going to make the journey to the Mountain, the House of the Light, where all of the people of the world eventually went to become spiritually enlightened. Each village had many Enlightened Ones, which is what the people called those who had made the journey so often that their clothing had turned white from being bathed in the Light so often. One of these Enlightened elders would take the job of teaching the younglings the first part of the tale of their ancestors.
At that very moment, there were three children sitting in the meditation circle, listening to an old white-robed elder telling the tale. Here is what he was saying:
"In the beginning, there was only the Light, and the Mountain, which served as its home. The Light, which the people call Luminosus, saw that everything around it was dark, and it was saddened by this. It decided to create more light, so that the sky would be filled, and not so lonely. Luminosus spread out in all directions and created the stars and the moon, and the sun, and it was happy, and content for a while.
"And then Luminosus looked down at the world, which was now so brightly lit, and was sad again, for the world was empty, and devoid of life. It decided to make creatures and fill the world with them. First it created the flying animals, like the Air Dolphins and Air Whales that we see today, and gave them beautiful voices so that they could sing. Then it created the plants, like the Sand Kelp that we use as our food. Lastly, Luminosus created the Sand Dwellers, the people, to populate this desert world.
"After the Light saw the Sand Dwellers living out their lives, and falling in love with one another, and having children, it was content once more, and decided to create no more creatures. It stayed in its Mountain far away in the Snowy Plains, and watched."
The elder paused for a moment, took a breath, and said, "This was the first part of the tale."
The three children, whose names were Dasani, Ayla, and Ako, sat quietly and contemplated what they had just heard. It was a lot to take in for the younger ones, Ayla and Ako, but for Dasani, who had heard it once before, it was simply a reminder of the old times, back when the first pilgrims, the first Journeyers, had begun this tradition long ago.
The four of them stood up, and the elder looked at each of the children in turn. He started with the youngest, Ako.
"You are only ten years old," he said to the boy. "Many of the children do not go until they are thirteen. You are lucky to be going so young. You must understand that this is a privilege, to reward you for your maturity. Since you were a baby, you have shown great understanding of and connection to the Light and the Mountain. Travel wisely, Ako, and keep your companions close. They will teach you much."
The Enlightened One turned to the second youngest, a blonde-haired girl named Ayla. "This is also your first Journey, Ayla," he said. "You have always shown excitement at the prospect of journeying to the Mountain. Sometimes, however, it is better to have restraint. Do not misunderstand me. Being excited about the world around you is a very good thing. But sometimes it is better to be quiet, and to reflect without speaking your mind. Remember this along the way, and you will find this adventure more fulfilling, I think."
Lastly, the elder turned to the oldest of the group, a seventeen-year-old girl named Dasani. "You have made this journey once before. Though you are still very young, the elders of this village have decided to allow you to be a guide for these two children who will travel with you. You are the youngest guide in the history of this village, and therefore, there is a great burden of responsibility placed upon your shoulders. You must safely take these two children to the Mountain, and enter the Light with them. It is a long way, and you have two souls to look after, instead of one. It has been our tradition, as you know, that there may be only two companions for every journey made. However, since these past years have seen so many new births, the traditions of the past have had to change. I know you are scared, but be not afraid, Dasani. Luminosus will always be there to guide you."
With these last words, the elder walked them to the gate at the end of the village, handed them their packs of food and water, and blessed them for the journey ahead. With a deep breath each, the three held each other's hands and walked through the gate and into the tunnel that would lead them to the desert valley known as the Valley of the Red Bridge.
It was dark inside the tunnel, but there were many small balls of light floating through the blackness, and their eyes soon adjusted. Ahead of them was a brighter light than the rest.
"That's the end of the tunnel," said Dasani. "Let's go. Everyone keep hold of my hand, okay?"
"Okay," the young ones echoed, each one squeezing one of her hands, for they were afraid of the dark.
They walked through the tunnel, their feet padding quietly on the stone floor. Every once in a while, one of the younger children would scuff their feet and there would be a small scraping noise from layer of sand on the ground. There was a faint sound of breathing. Besides these small, almost noiseless echoes in the dark, there was nothing else.
Seemingly endless minutes later, they were blinded and blinking in the sunlight again. When their vision adjusted, they smiled, keeping hold of each other's hands. It was good to feel the hot sun once more. Desert Dwellers think of the sun as their constant companion, their only break from it being the night, when the sun's pale sister comes out to play in the sky.
Dasani, Ayla, and Ako looked towards the horizon and gazed once more upon the Mountain, its dark outline backlighted by Luminosus, whose pure white light outshined even the sun. The three journeyers still had a long way to go, through desert and snow, but they knew they would make it in the end. Dasani, especially, was happy. She wanted her little brother and sister to be able to walk into the embrace of the Light. Without a word, the three of them began walking through the sand, hand-in-hand.
There is a poem that the Desert Dwellers like to recite daily, to remind themselves of Luminosus, and of the Journey they all must take at least once in their lives. It is a poem of friendship, brotherhood, and love. I will not recite the full poem here, only the first and last verse, which say:
Step by step,
Hand in hand,
We walk together,
Through wind and sand
Step by step,
One by one,
We walk together
Until the Journey is done.