“Well, Ahmes, sometimes things get broken. And the things I am referring to can be people like you and me.”
The boat was able to ride the current of the Nile still strong from the earlier flood. That evening, Akua just gazed at the river. His mind weighed heavy with worry, his worry with confronting Pamu’s family and when his new troubles would catch up. Ahmes could sense that something terrible was bothering Akua.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Ahmes asked.
Although Akua was not close to Ahmes, he needed someone to talk to.
“My best friend, Pamu, has just died. I am going to Elephantine to bring news of his death to his family. Ahmes, I’m scared.”
“Akua, just be yourself and ask the gods for protection. Ask Re to give you words of wisdom and comfort and ask Thoth to give you the strength you’ll need.”
“I will. Thank you,” Akua said in a soft voice.
Ahmes returned to steering the boat. They were making great time thanks to Ahmes’ knowledge of the river and its pitfalls. Ahmes guided the boat to shore as the night sky took over. As Akua laid in wait for sleep, one phrase kept popping into his mind.
They won’t kill us. Not for an accident.
After about an hour, he fell asleep. Akua dreamed he was standing by the Sacred Pond outside of the Nag Tamai temple in Heliopolis. Amidst a golden sunset, Nefertet approached.
“I promise to be a good wife,” she said as her eyes sparkled like the pond water.
“My love for you is as strong as that of Isis. There will be no end.”
As she hugged Akua, she whispered,
“You’ll see.”
Akua woke with a warm feeling inside. As soon as he figured out where he was, his eyes began to tear.
“Akua, let’s go. We can travel far today. We can be in Elephantine by morning,” Ahmes said as he broke the makeshift camp.
After a good travel day and night, Akua woke to Ahmes’ words the next morning. Then he spoke,
“This sure is a beautiful morning. The Hippos are very active today.”
“They have plenty of food and the water feels just right. What do they have to complain about?” Ahmes responded.
“I wish my life was easy like theirs. This world is crazy. It can be a joyous place and at the same time a worthless, evil place.”
Ahmes said nothing. He did not know what to say. It was hard for him to see Akua in such a bad place.
Their boat passed by the Island of Philae. The temple construction caught both of them.
“That is the new temple for Isis. Doesn’t it add a touch of class to the island?”
“Certainly, Akua. After you finish with Elephantine you should visit the temple on Philae. It will make you feel better.”
“I may do that. So are you headed up north?”
“Yes, All the way to Memphis.”
Ahmes guided the boat to the docks in Elephantine.
“Well, Akua, it was great to see you. I hope for the best. Remember, the gods love you.”
Akua caught a local ferry to the shore. Once there, he slowly began to walk toward Pamu’s families’ house. He felt very nervous and his upper body was flush with unwelcome anticipation. Akua continued to the house, coming closer and closer to an incredibly difficult job.
*
Amisi and Jarha were out in front of their house and they spotted Akua as soon as he was in range.
“Jarha, I don’t see Pamu with Akua. You don’t suppose he is in trouble?” Amisi said.
“No. He probably stayed on the island to do some fishing. He is a hard worker, you know?”
Akua walked up to Jarha and Amisi. His heart entered his throat for a moment. He started to speak in a broken and shaky voice,
“I-I-I have come with bad news.”
Amisi looked gravely concerned as Jarha grabbed Akua by the shoulders.
“What is it, Akua? Where is my son?” he said in a strong but distant voice. Amisi was already close to tears.
Akua looked into Jarha’s eyes. He was reminded of his father. He wished his father were with him then, to lend him the rock solid hand that was always there. Jarha’s eyes revealed an unconditional love for Pamu. Akua knew he was about to break the hearts of two of the finest people he had ever known. With a deep breath, Akua let it out,
“Pamu was put to death in Abu Simbel. I beg you for forgiveness. It was a terrible accident and misunderstanding. I am heartbroken.”
Jarha froze and started shaking while Amisi fell to the ground crying.
“My Pamu. My Pamu. I can’t carry on,” Amisi shouted.
For close to a minute, memories of Pamu flooded Jarha’s mind. He remembered many times fishing with his son. His stoicism withered away and his eyes filled with tears when he realized he could never fish with his son again.
In time, Jarha was able to remove his hands from Akua’s shoulders. He picked up his wife and embraced her. He was at a loss for words.
“It was an accident. The high priest ate a poisonous catfish that Pamu had unknowingly caught,” Akua said.
Jarha looked at Akua as he held his wife.
“What do I do now? A piece of me has just died. Akua, you promised to keep him safe. How could you let this happen?”
Jarha transformed from a strong father to a scared, sad man. Akua was overcome with a terrible hopelessness, a feeling that confirmed the hell his life had become.
“I’m sorry. Pamu was my best friend and I loved him dearly. I’ll treasure his memory,” Akua replied.
“If Pamu would have never travelled with you he would still be alive. Do you understand what you caused? Akua, has Pamu entered the afterlife?” Jarha asked.
Akua was unsure why he was asked this. He figured that it must be because he was a priest. He also knew that this was no time to cast doubt in Jarha or Amisi.
“Yes. In our world, Pamu was a great man and in the next he continues as a great man. Now he is embodied in heaven. I am honored and humbled that he chose to share part of his life with me. For as long as I live, I will never forget.”
Amisi reached out to hug Jarha.
“I wish I never let Pamu go with you. Now I have to go through life without my Pamu. Akua, please leave,” Jarha said.
Akua could tell Jarha was mad at him. And that made him feel worse. Although he understood Jarha’s anger, he could not leave soon enough.
“I am going to the Island of Philae. I hope those at the new temple for Isis will welcome me. I will keep your family in my thoughts forever.”
As Akua walked away he could hear Jarha and Amisi crying. Akua felt worse now than he ever had.
Chapter 5
That afternoon Akua caught an area ferryboat to Philae. The island was busy with commerce and the continued construction on the new temple for Isis.
The temple was adorned with bright colors. Reds, greens and blues decorated the columns and the wall reliefs. Those who could decipher the old hieroglyphs were few and far between and so the temple was alive with priests and priestesses writing new content and interpreting what had already been written. As Akua entered through the main pylons, he was pleasantly surprised to see a fellow priestess and friend.
“Hello, Reonet. It’s great to see you. Why have you traveled so far?” he said with an excited voice.
Reonet could see depression all over Akua’s face.
“Akua, it was time for me to embark on a new Rotation within the priesthood. And I seized the chance to come and learn the mysteries of Isis.”
“Reonet, it is really good to see you. The past few days have been rough. Really very bad.”
“I’m sorry times have been rough on you, but I’m happy to see you Akua. Last we spoke you were heading to the Land of Kush. How was that?” Reonet asked.
“It was real nice for a time. I met some great people on my journey, but in Abu Simbel things took a turn for the worse.”
“Please go on, assuming you would like to tell me,” Reonet said.
&
nbsp; Reonet was always a great listener. Just the site of her round face was uplifting. Akua felt a definite sense of ease as he spoke with her.
“I made a friend on the journey. His name was Pamu. Pamu was a fisherman and he was traveling to Elephantine to work and live with his family. We became friends. When we came to Elephantine, he took me to a nearby village where his family lived. After a great meal, Pamu paid me a great honor by choosing to accompany me to Abu Simbel. Reonet, Pamu was interested in the ways of religion and philosophy and that made me happy. We were both excited to go to the temple.
“Our first two days in Abu Simbel were marvelous. We witnessed the illumination of the great temple of Ramesses II. Pamu supplied a fresh catch of fish at the celebratory meal in the temple that night. The evening was great, but the next morning brought a horror.”
Reonet continued to listen intently. Akua was feeling more at ease by the minute as Reonet offered looks of compassion.
“The next morning, we were awakened by temple guards in the House of Life. The high priest had died overnight from eating the meat of a poisonous catfish. The catfish meat was found in his vomit. This catfish was unknowingly present in Pamu’s catch and accidentally prepared by the temple cooks.”
“Akua, that is horrible,” Reonet said softly with a concerning look.
“Pamu was soon found guilty by the others and they put him to death. It was an awful torturous death. Now he is Osiris-Pamu. And, to make matters more uncomfortable for me, I had to endure the agony of telling his parents.”
“Akua, it is all behind you now. I am truly sorry. Please don’t let this destroy who you are.”
“Reonet, it’s not all over. It will never be. As soon as word of this reaches Meehi in Heliopolis, he will have reason to kill me. I know that is what he wants.”
Akua trusted Reonet. He continued speaking,
“Please do not tell anyone. I need time to figure out what to do.”
Reonet knew this would mean Akua’s death. She already knew that Meehi and the priesthood wanted Akua out of the way and this would become their justification for assassinating him. She wanted to make Akua feel better so she lightened things up with a fresh conversation.
“Isis will help you with the rejuvenating effects of her shesheset.”
“Shesheset? That’s a shaker rattle used for music, isn’t it?” Akua said.
“Yes, Akua, it is. But it also has tremendous healing capability. It represents the Ankh. The noise it produces is like the sound of a group of reeds in the wind. Magic occurs when the sounds of the shesheset touch the Ka.”
“But a sound can’t actually touch the Ka, can it?”
“Well not physically. But remember music is ethereal, not physical and it is given to us by the gods. It cleanses both the Ka and the Ba. It rejuvenates the vital life-force we all have.”
“I see. At Abu Simbel, Pamu and I saw a dance that was part of the Sun Festival. And shesheset sounds were prominent. For that moment, I had become complacent. Complacent about the destruction to my life that Meehi handed me,” Akua said in a shaky voice.
Reonet saw this as a time when she could express her feelings about Meehi. She was careful not to upset Akua, but help him to see the situation from her perspective.
“Akua, can we talk about Meehi? I think I may be able to shed some light on his actions.”
“You know I really hate that guy. I still can’t believe he ruined my life. But, if you have something to say, I will listen.”
“Akua, I’m not trying to upset you with anything I say. Please understand that.”
“I understand.”
“Well think for a moment about Pamu. His death came about from an accident and a misunderstanding. But if you had not taken him to Abu Simbel then he would still be alive.”
“Yes, Reonet, that is true,” Akua said.
“And upon you telling his parents, they had the right to blame you and feel betrayed by you. But they also knew, as well as I know, that this wasn’t your fault. It was just an unfortunate tragedy.”
“Okay, I see your point. You want me to show mercy to Meehi?”
“Well, Akua, you could try it. Taking mercy and showing forgiveness is not about Meehi. It’s all about you, you and the gods. I don’t want you to live the rest of your life consumed by a type of rage.”
“Reonet, I really do understand. But now things are more complex. In time, the whole priesthood will learn of the high priest’s and Pamu’s death and they will think Pamu and I plotted this to harm the priesthood,” Akua said.
Reonet knew Akua was right.
“When I return to Heliopolis I will do my best to clear your name. Before I left Heliopolis I had a conversation with Meehi about you,” Reonet said.
“So what did Meehi say?” Akua asked.
“There were forces at work that even he had to obey.”
“You mean Ma’at? He told me that. But that means little to me without a point of reference.”
“No, Akua, it is not Ma’at. He succumbed to political pressures. Pressure from the highest position in the priesthood, the vizier and the royal administration itself. I don’t know for sure, for the specifics were not privy to me.”
Akua interjected,
“But he told you this?”
“Yes. He was forced to administer a solution to the problem or the threat that you pose. He has a wife and a daughter and cares for them deeply. I got a sense from him that he did not want to bring you so much hardship. Also, he told me that you could have been dealt with more severely if he had not intervened,” Reonet answered.
“Reonet, do you believe him?”
“For the most part I do. I want to. But he might have lied to me a little. Akua, I love you and I would not ever do or say anything to hurt you.”
Akua was sobered when he heard Reonet’s words.
“Reonet, thank you for telling me this. I will make a concerted effort to understand Meehi. I promise. Now, may I stay here for the night?”
“Of course. You are welcome to stay in The House of Life or the priesthoods’ barracks here on the island.”
*
Akua entered the temple the next morning to help Reonet with the morning offerings. He hoped this would make him feel better. Akua entered the main shrine to Isis and found Reonet saying a prayer. A small likeness to the goddess wore a wreath of lotus flowers, blue, pink and white, around her neck. They were freshly picked and their aroma filled the small chamber.
Isis, I have entered through
the doorway to greet you.
I am pure. Accept the beauty
of these flowers, let them
glorify your divine presence.
As the mother to us all, let
your love warm all of Egypt.
Teach us in the priesthood
your ways in magic and mystery.
When Reonet was finished, she stood up and turned to see Akua standing there. They both moved out to the main Hypostyle Hall so as not to disturb Isis.
“How well was your night?” Reonet asked.
“Very good. I enjoyed reading the Discourse of Sept.”
Sept, now called Sirius, is the star representing Isis in the heavens.
“I love that writing also. The bright appearance of Sept is revered here because a new year brings new opportunities to make offerings and worship Isis.”
Akua looked around. He was impressed again to see so many priests, priestesses and scribes in one place. He loved the energy in the air. It was as if everyone had gathered for one big ritual. Akua felt like he was part of something, a feeling he had lost since leaving Heliopolis.
“Our conversation about the shesheset stayed with me last night. I was reminded of a possession my father had. For as long as I can remember, he kept a small cedar box above the fire-pit. It contained a small copper shesheset. Obviously, it did not rattle. I never asked him what it was. Now I wish I had.”
“Akua, it had probably been in your family for at least a
few generations. I have seen these before, although they are quite rare today.”
“So do you know why he kept it?” Akua asked her.
“I can’t tell you why, but I can tell you what it symbolized. It symbolized the gifts of Hathor.”
“Hathor is a goddess, isn’t she?”
“Yes, Akua. She is the goddess of love, joy and beauty. Here in the temple, we like to call her Lady of Heaven.”
“So why do people keep these little copper shesheset?” Akua asked.
“Well, they symbolize papyrus plants. Specifically, the sound when they are shaken. Now, the reeds are also symbolic. They symbolize life and protection.”
“Protection from what?”
“From sickness, scorpions, snakes, lions and demons. Life is sacred Akua and the gods don’t want us to suffer from attacks of any type.”
“So when I am in trouble or need protection I can call on Hathor?”
“Yes! Not only can you call her, but you can picture her in your heart. Draw an image of her standing and shaking her shesheset.”
“Okay. I’ll try it. Hathor and Isis seem to be dedicated to the same, is there a difference between them?”
Reonet did not answer Akua. They both saw a procession of priests and priestesses enter the biggest chamber in the temple. All of them wore long white robes.
“What are they doing?”
“They are going to study the mysteries of Isis. These mysteries have to do with her magic. We commonly refer to her as The Queen, The Queen of Thrones. And this is common, but we have an esoteric interpretation as well.”
Akua looked at Reonet with anticipation. He wanted to know what her name really meant. Reonet whispered her reply. She knew it was forbidden to divulge this to anyone new to the temple.
“Isis also means knowledge. But it is not anything the literal applications of script or prose alludes to. It is only known by secret conversation.”
“What do those that study her mysteries know?” Akua asked.
Reonet raised her voice some.
“That she is actually the mother of all life, all animals and nature itself. But she iss not the original mother. She inherited it from an ancient essence.”
The Reed Fields Page 5
