“I will miss you and I will wait for you. I know you long to be here and I also know that soon we’ll be together.”
Akua turned and looked into her eyes. Let’s make the most of our night together.
“If we stay here what will protect us from snakes, scorpions and jackals?”
“The gods. Re, Thoth, Isis and the others. They know we are here. And they’re watching over us to make sure we are not harmed.”
They embraced again. Neither one knew how much time would pass until they would see each other again. That night they made love for the first time.
*
When the sun rose the next morning, Akua woke Nefertet.
“We should begin walking back. The boat will leave before mid-morning.”
“Akua, I dreamed we were living in a house without any worries. I enjoyed it so much.”
“Nefertet, I want that also. The gods have given you that dream and someday it will come true.”
With the shipyard in sight, they embraced one last time.
“I will come back. Remember, I will be with you in spirit always,” Akua told her.
“I’ll be waiting. I love you,” she replied.
With their final words, Nefertet headed towards town and Akua continued on to the boat.
Will I really ever return? What kind of life is this? Why am I still here and what do I have yet to do in life?
Chapter 7
Seven days later, Akua’s boat reached Sais in the Nile Delta. It was the first time he had been close to the sea. Akua now needed to find a ship destined for Greece. It was his hope that his priest status would earn him free fare.
After the boat landed close to the city, Akua began walking northeast to the cities’ seaport. Sais was a busy city, although it lacked the impressive architecture of Thebes and Memphis. As Akua got closer to the port at the north end of town, the smell of the city changed. It was an unfamiliar smell.
When Akua finally reached the shipyard, he sought out the larger ships and the people nearby. Akua approached a couple of men standing next to the biggest ship in the port.
“What is that smell? I don’t recognize it,” Akua said to one of the men.
Fortunately, Akua’s question was understood by one of the men. Since Sais was a busy port city, a few different languages were spoken.
“Oh. That is the smell of the sea. Saltwater, you know. So you are a priest? Where are you from?” the man replied.
Akua wondered why he was asked where he was from, but later realized it was because he was unfamiliar with the sea’s smell.
“I am a priest from Heliopolis. But I am destined for Athens.”
Akua really wanted to get out of Egypt quickly. He was worried. He looked over his shoulder often.
“You are looking at about a month on a ship. Are you sure you can handle it? It is not easy,” he said to Akua.
Akua saw the other man chuckle to his friend. Akua felt like they were mocking him by insinuating he was not man enough to live on a ship. So he decided to put them in their place.
“I am learned and my experiences in Greece will come to benefit the sciences of Egypt. I’m not trepid about riding on some little ship. Actually, my journey is sponsored by the priesthood,” Akua said.
Both of the sailors looked at each other in a way that said, Who the hell is this guy?
“This ship will be sailing to southern Greece, but we are all mercenaries and you may not want to come along. If our path meets an enemy ship, we will cut it down and burn it. But if you do want to travel with us, I will speak to the captain when he arrives in the morning,” one of the men said to Akua.
“I am Akua-Mat and I appreciate your offer. And I would like to sail with you and the others on this ship if you have the room. Thanks for speaking to the captain on my behalf.”
“I assume you have traveled the river by boat. Do you have any sailing experience?” he asked Akua.
“No,” Akua replied.
“Okay. Come down here in the morning and I will relay to you what the captain says. By the way, call me Dorus. The man next to me is Esdras,” the sailor said to Akua as he and his friend walked over to a beer stand.
Akua headed over to the main street where merchants sold many types of goods. He hoped to spend the night in one of the small temples. But before that, he was eager to see what came from as far away as The Land of Milk and Honey.
The next morning, Akua rose to a nice surprise. Two female temple scribes brought breakfast to The House of Life where he slept. Akua enjoyed biscuits with pomegranate syrup and a cup of fresh cow milk.
“These biscuits are good. Thank you. I have always loved pomegranates, but this is the first time I have had pomegranate syrup,” Akua said to the scribes.
Akua finished his meal and prepared to leave. He was eager to get away and experience something new.
“I thank you for the food and the place to sleep. Osiris will watch over you.”
Once Akua arrived at the seaport, he looked for Dorus. Dorus and Esdras spotted Akua and came over to greet him.
“Did you sleep well? I hope you’ve eaten because our next meal will be this evening on the open sea.”
“So there is room onboard for me? That’s great. I can’t wait to get out there,” Akua said.
“Akua, follow us. We’ll show you where you can sleep, but since the gods have your favor we won’t make you load supplies. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of work for us all in the weeks to come.”
*
The ship set off for southern Greece. It carried two dozen mercenaries and crew and about four tons of cargo. Akua was the only Egyptian onboard and the first day reminded him of that.
“Isn’t it better to stay close to the coast? I know that it is a technique used by the skilled sailors on the Nile,” Akua said to Dorus.
“No Akua. This is the sea, not a river,” Dorus said in a stern voice. “The coastal waters are hostile. They are infested with pirates and robbers. We are much safer to be in the open water. You are not familiar with the sea so you should not make comments that you are not sure of. The others will laugh at you if you do.”
Akua took note. He knew he was at a serious disadvantage not being able to speak the language.
“Dorus, I need your help. I can understand bits and pieces of the Greek dialect, but I will need to be able to communicate effectively with those in Greece.”
“Okay. I’ll work with you. If you concentrate then you will have an elementary understanding when we hit the motherland.”
Akua took some offense to Dorus’ motherland comment. Greeks were somewhat pompous. They were always trying to expand their empire. But Akua quickly concluded they were better than the Persians any day.
“Thank you. I will make the most of your teaching,” Akua replied.
Akua immersed himself in the sailing and even some of the chores on the ship. Each time the large square mast was raised, turned or lowered, Akua was there to help. Slowly, he learned the art of sailing.
After one day of sailing, Akua noticed the course chosen could be streamlined to be more direct. He knew this from looking at the night stars. But he also knew to approach the mariner with respect. He gathered Dorus and the two of them approached the mariner.
“You have a penchant for setting our course with Polaris,” Dorus translated from Akua to the Mariner.
“Yes, thank you. But this is not our regular course,” he replied.
“Oh?” Akua said to the mariner.
“Normally we align with the easternmost star in Heracles, but it has been covered by clouds for the past few nights so we cannot see it,” Dorus told Akua as he translated the mariner’s words.
“Are you then setting an alternate course?” Akua asked.
“We are headed due north, aligned with Polaris. In about twelve days, we will be able to see the southern coast of Turkey. Then we will turn and sail due west until we hit the Greek coast.”
With Akua’s knowledge of
astronomy, he knew for sure there was a faster course, but he was careful not to offend either Dorus or the mariner.
“This is very clever and impressive. And with your help, we may be able to find a course that is even more efficient,” Akua said through Dorus.
“How do you mean? Is there some other way?” the mariner asked.
“Perhaps,” Akua said, pointing to the bright stars against an enveloping black mass.
“There. That is Hippopotamus. And it may help.”
The mariner smiled as Dorus translated. He touched Akua’s shoulders and gestured him to continue.
“Well the star next to the tail end, the one next to the westernmost is aligned with the ship’s position in an almost identical way to the star in the Heracles constellation,” Akua told Dorus.
After Dorus finished translating, the mariner said in an excited voice.
“Yes, I see what you mean. That second to-the-last star does seem to align with the correct angle. We’ll try to stay with it. We can recalibrate each night to make sure we are still on course.”
Akua donned a rare smile as Dorus translated the mariner’s words.
Maybe now, these sailors and soldiers will respect me.
The mariner turned to address the sailors that were working with the sails. Dorus and Akua also turned around eager to hear.
“I have good news. We are going to turn to a more direct course. It’s closer to our regular course.”
“Speak Greek, not mariner garble,” one man said.
“This means we will arrive home six to ten days earlier than we thought when we set out.”
That was all that had to be said. Everyone was eager to return to their family after twenty one months away.
“Our Egyptian priest has figured this. Thanks go to him!” Dorus yelled out to the crew.
*
After seventeen days of sailing, one of the mercenaries yelled from the bow of the ship.
“There is a ship ahead and it is flying Persian colors. It is alone. I think it is a scout ship. We must destroy it.”
Dorus, Esdras, Akua and some others ran to the bow.
“Persians have been our enemies for decades. And this scout ship will not sail another day,” Dorus said to the others.
Akua was frightened. He had never seen a battle and he was scared for his life.
“Everybody grab your weapons. When we get close enough, we will extend the plank, board the ship and kill them one and all!” Esdras shouted.
Some of the mercenaries on board were from the country outside of Sparta. They were trained killers. Regardless of how many were aboard the Persian ship, they stood no chance. Dorus handed Akua a sword.
“Akua you will have to fight. It is not safe to stay back as any Persians that make it back across the plank will have free-reign on our ship until the fighting is through. Stay close to me as we board their ship. I will try to protect you.”
Akua feared for his life. He did not know how to fight with a sword.
The Persian ship was only about 200 feet away. It was sailing away from the Greek ship. The Greek ship was riding a small plane from the Persian ships’ wake. The Greek ship kept gaining.
“We are only a scout ship. We are just a scout. Do not engage! Do not engage!” one of the Persians yelled in broken Greek as his voice grew shakier by the second. But the Greeks kept coming.
This urgent swan song may have made a difference to the regular Greek Army, but not to a small band from the Greek Mercenary Army. For them, there were no rules of engagement. They truly were trained killers.
A large growl ensued when the ships were about eight feet apart. The Greeks were determined to land their six-foot wide plank even though the Persians tried desperately to prevent it. A split-second later, a mercenary yelled,
“Kill them all!”
He led the others onto the Persian ship. Akua followed Dorus aboard wielding a sword he barely knew how to use. He was terrified.
Akua was so scared he could hardly walk when he stepped onto the Persian ship. Dorus and he quickly became separated. He was frozen not more than three steps from the plank.
No Persian was able to sustain more than three seconds of sword fighting. The mercenaries were too strong and too skilled.
In the heat of the skirmish, A Persian saw Akua standing by the plank. He lifted his sword and ran toward Akua. It took almost all of Akua’s strength to lift the sword Dorus had given him in a desperate defense.
“Ayyyyy...” the Persian yelled.
The cry slowly decayed to nothing. He had miscalculated his steps and run himself through on the sword Akua was pointing away from his body. The Persian slowly slid back on the sword. His eyes were open wide and blood bubbled from his mouth. Akua felt a sharp nauseating heat flash and his vision wavered from side to side uncontrollably.
By the time the body fell from Akua’s sword, all of the Persians were dead. The Persian ship had been set alight. Not one of the Greek soldiers had suffered any wounds. Dorus saw Akua and ran to him.
“Akua, you make us proud. We knew you could do it.”
Akua dropped the sword and struggled to walk across the plank back to the Greek ship. Within minutes the Persian ship began to sink as it burned. Bodies floated as blood mixed with the seawater.
Akua turned slowly to Dorus.
“I’m surrounded by a wine red sea.”
“Is it not beautiful, Akua? We fight for our land and our people and we have done our duty best.”
Akua was forever changed from all the death and destruction. He could not understand how his shipmates could feel so glorified from an event that only seemed cruel and indignant to him.
*
After over one month at sea, Akua’s ship arrived on the southern Argolian Coast of Greece. Some of the men onboard either headed for Athens or the small towns and villages around Athens, while the others headed to Sparta.
“Are you going to Athens?” Akua asked Dorus in Greek.
“Yes I am. I am pleased with your Greek Akua. You will do fine here,” Dorus said.
“I sure hope so. May I travel with you to Athens?” Akua asked.
“Okay.”
Athens was about forty miles to the northeast. Without any geographic knowledge of Greece, Akua was a stranger in a strange land. Akua and Dorus were now part of a larger group heading to Athens.
Akua was in awe when he finally took a good look at his surroundings. Unlike Egypt, he saw large trees and thick plant growth. The rolling hills that enveloped the road were covered with tall, green grass that swayed with the wind.
“Akua, when I get to Athens I am going to file for release from the Mercenary Army. I am planning to work our small plot of land and have children. What are your plans?”
Dorus’s question put Akua on the spot. He knew he wanted to learn about philosophy and religion although his ultimate goal was to figure out how to get back to Egypt. Akua did not know where to start. Instead of answering right away, he looked to the blue sky and the floating clouds for nearly a half a minute.
“Sounds like you have the rest of your life planned. You are fortunate,” Akua said.
Akua couldn’t help feeling sorry for himself when he realized what he said. He looked around at the trees, grass, flowers and the company he was with in estrangement.
Yeah, what am I doing here? What am I living for?
A few seconds later he snapped out of it and gave Dorus a rambling answer.
“When I get to Athens, I am going to study the great philosophies, the ones we hear about in Egypt. I hope to make the most of my time. Who knows, someday I may return to Egypt with something remarkable.”
The others Akua was with looked at Akua with facial expressions that asked why. Though they were Athenians and Athens was known for its thinkers, these men just wanted to live a simple life. Akua sensed this and felt he should say a few more things.
“But I also want to see and learn the advanced agricultural techniques, something many
of you have already mastered. Learning how to manage the land is something I can take back with me.”
“Akua, Athens is a great city. I believe that you will be able to find what you are looking for. But if I can offer you some advice?”
“Sure,” Akua responded.
“Since you are not an Athenian citizen, don’t be pushy. By pushy I mean don’t come on too strong or ruffle any feathers. In Athens, we stand tall and proud.”
Dorus managed to offend Akua once again. He began to wonder if all Greeks were gruff in this way.
“Point well taken, thank you,” Akua said to Dorus.
Akua was happy to be in a far off land, but sad that Nefertet was not with him. He was already homesick.
Chapter 8
Three days later, the small troupe reached Athens. Akua felt a rush of adrenaline.
“Akua, over there is The Acropolis and within is the temple for Athena, what we call The Parthenon. You can’t miss it. You should visit the temple and begin your quest there,” Dorus said as he pointed.
“Okay. I hope my Greek is good enough.”
“I think you’ll be fine. If you want, I can accompany you.”
“You’ve not seen your wife in almost two years so you should go home. I’ll fare well,” Akua said.
“Goodbye, Akua. I’ve enjoyed our experiences. I live on a farm on the north end of town. If you ever come to visit, just ask for Dorus the farmer.”
“I am glad to have known and traveled with you. I will try to come and visit. Goodbye, friend.”
Akua had a flashback to the battle. It was peculiar to him how Dorus just wanted to be a farmer now. Dorus began to head towards home. After a few steps he turned back and said,
“I hope you have success and find what you are looking for.”
Before long, Dorus sank below a hill and was out of site. Akua continued to head towards the Athenian Acropolis.
*
Atop the hill, Akua was stunned by the magnificence of the Acropolis. The Parthenon was unlike anything in Egypt. Stark white marble permeated the entire structure while elaborate sculptures of men adorned the facade. Akua eagerly walked closer.
The Reed Fields Page 7
