AN – Thanks to gatehead81 for the idea to join chapters two and three. And so this is just a two parts saga and not three parts saga now.
Let me know what you think about this - if you feel like leaving a review. Because I am not so sure about the outcome of this I would really appreciate it.
GOING HOME
He knew he couldn't keep on hiding forever. The desert was welcoming and yet terrifying. Though he knew about some of the dangers out there, he felt safe anyway.
He sat down that evening. The sand was still hot from the sun, already cooling down in the cold night air. Surprisingly there was no wind that night, just a breeze coming from deep heart of the desert.
He had felt it before. It was after his first year here. She took his hand that evening and told him they wouldn't sleep in the village. She smiled at him and asked him to follow his heart. And so he did just that. He followed her. The love of his life. They travelled for days. It was one of the most beautiful weeks of his life. Just him and his wife, the desert, the cool breeze, hot sun, sand in between their toes, burning and caressing their feet, and the moon – of course the moon, casting silver light at them during peaceful nights.
There were tears on his face few minutes later. Painful memories of their lovemaking under the breathtaking moon were too much for him to handle at that moment. So he just stayed there and cried. He was not afraid of his own tears anymore, not scared of his pain; he was trying to embrace his past as she had taught him.
He had been thinking about death. At first he thought he would have welcomed it, the merciful eternal sleep. He had tried to imagine her and their baby waiting for him. And he screamed, he yelled, he cried and fell asleep exhausted beyond imaginable.
He tried to lock away the pain. He wanted to forget. He even found means that should have helped. The desert was rich in supplies surprisingly. He was afraid that his memories would destroy him. He didn't want them. He wanted to forget and get lost, never to be found. Never to be remembered because he had failed. He had failed those he loved the most and they were gone now.
Then he found an oasis. Or better – his camel had led him there. And after drinking the water there he knew his life would take a different turn. He understood – he was meant to survive, not to waste his life to sorrow and pain. But it was so tempting!
He was alone in the desert and yet he felt surrounded by all parts of his broken soul. Something was happening.
When he came back his camel was waiting for him in the little shade their oasis was providing. That evening he sat down and knew he would heal eventually. He knew he could pick up the pieces of his shattered heart, he knew he could put back the pieces of his soul, glue them together by love and hope.
He fell asleep knowing that in the morning he would take one last trip. He knew by then where he had to go, whom to look for and why. He knew he could come back. He hoped he could. It was all he had. And he knew it was more than he could have asked for. Home. One part of him wanted to stay right where he was, that part wished to enjoy the tranquility and peace. But he knew he had to go.
Mornings came, days passed. And one day he stopped his camel. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel the chilly air and the distant smell of hot sand in it. It brought all kinds of emotions to him. His camel wasn't restless for the first time in days, he was calm and steady.
Opening his eyes, there was not much he could see. The sky was dark, all the shades of grey and dark blue melting with silver into one perfect piece of art above their heads with nothing but the bright moon visible. Everywhere he looked he could see the desert. It seemed peaceful that day, that evening. Like there was no danger out there at all.
He had been gone for a long time, he was here now, his face older, eyes darker, skin bruised by sun and sand, by the hot wind he learned to love so much.
He was coming home and the desert was welcoming him with open arms – as before. He wasn't sure about what he was going to find out there, where he used to live what seemed like ages ago, back with his people, with all the lost hopes and deserted dreams but he knew he had to get back anyway. Out there under the stars among his people, perhaps he could even say his family, with the desert around them and giving them all they ever needed, there was everything his heart had ever desired. It was where he belonged.
And so with a smile and one lonely tear on his cheek he urged his camel forward. Under the steady gaze of the moon he was coming back home, finally, in peace, soul healed and happy, keeping memories of those he loved deep in his heart, with him forever.