Papa leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He stared at me intently “Yes, child, what is the message?”
Everyone turned to look at me. I prayed my eyes stayed normal.
“He said that the Houdakin have increased their number of guards, and have begun to question members of the tribe. He also said that the Essentia will go on as usual for tonight.”
Papa pressed his lips together. “Was that everything child? Was that all he said?”
Everyone looked at me expectantly. I bit my lip and internally replayed my conversation with Father Joshua. I straightened a bit “Oh! And he also said, “tell them to take all precautions."
Mama drew in a sharp breath, and Papa stood abruptly. “I need to take care of a few things,” he said, motioning to my Mother. “Nourana, you see to things here. If a guard comes by, everyone remain calm, and act normal.”
My Mother's and Father's eyes locked in a moment of unspoken understanding. Everyone went over to Papa and we all hugged, sensing the seriousness in the air. I really didn't know what was going on, and glanced over at Aziz to see if he was feeling the same. His worried expression told me he did.
“Peace be upon you all, my family. May the Most High's hand be upon us this day.” Papa said. Then he turned and left.
Mama sprang into action. I don't know what we expected her to do. Maybe whip back some floorboard to reveal a secret passageway, or scrounge up some hidden maps and spread them across the kitchen table. But Mama just began to pull out the various spices and ingredients that she needed for the dishes she planned to make for the Essentia that evening. Aziz and I must have looked bewildered, because Mama glanced at us, then stopped and chuckled.
“Yes, my children, we will prepare as usual this evening. Please do not be worried. Get your attire for tonight ready, and then I will need your help in the kitchen and with the children.” Mama paused, and came over to us, cupping the side of our face in each one of her palms. Her eyes shone with apprehension.
Without another word, she went back to sorting vegetables, while Aziz and I headed for our rooms. The look on Aziz's face told me that he had just as many questions about everything as I did. I was nervous, but prayed we would get some answers soon.
~~~
With all of the events of the day, preparing for the Essentia had been a welcome diversion that lightened the mood of the house. Papa hadn't returned all day, but Mama had reassured us that he was fine.
Nighttime had fallen, and the deep cobalt sky had become dusted with an enchanting mixture of twinkling stars and opalescent scarves of stardust. I turned my gaze from the window, and settled on my reflection in the mirror.
My Essentia outfit was absolutely beautiful. The base of the garment was a simple white dress made of sateen muslin. It was fashioned with a clever draping of more muslin which stretched from the bodice to the floor, making me feel like a princess.
The headpiece for the girls was a five row strand of tiny pearls which fell delicately across the forehead. The customary scarf was also made of sateen muslin, and could be worn any way the young lady wished. Mine was placed on my head and then draped around to the back of my neck. Hand rings, also customary for the ladies, elegantly twisted from my wrist, circled around each middle finger, and then back to the wrist. It was made of fine threads of silver wire which were dotted with a few of the same pearls used in the head piece.
The boy's attire was a tunic and pants made from linen-muslin fabric. Their only other addition was a silver belt that went from their shoulder to their waist at the front and back of their body. The entire outfit gave them the distinguished air like that of the Delorian officers.
“Let's go, blessed children! We don't want to be late for the ceremonies,” Mama called from the hallway. When Aziz and I stepped into the living room, a warm smile spread across her face.
“Blessed be the Most High!” Mama said as she took us in. “Turn around,” was her next command, and we both spun around slowly, so Mama could get a full view.
“Did you brush your teeth? Put on deodorant? Clean underwear with no holes?” Mama asked, her eyes seriously searching ours. We both had to laugh.
“Mama, will you ever stop asking us stuff like that?” Aziz groaned.
“Yeah, Mama, that is so embarrassing!” I joined in.
Mama just grunted, “Who is going to be embarrassed if you have on holey underwear, and then get into some kind of accident where they have to operate on you or something? I'd just love to see what you'd have to say then. You would be glad that your Mama had the sense to think ahead!”
We all laughed, and began loading the carriage. I admired Mama in her soft, olive caftan, which was edged in satin ribbon. Her billowy scarf was expertly draped over her shoulders, and her head piece and hand rings glittered in the moonlight. Garments and jewelry in our tribe were always modest, beautiful, and made from simple metals or fabrics. If it was too rare a material, we made it a point not to include it in new styles. This was in stark contrast to the Houdakin who always sought out the most rare and expensive resources to clothe and adorn themselves with.
The babies looked adorable in their outfits, too. Their light-blue muslin sets fit their tiny bodies perfectly. Mama had made almost everything we were wearing.
We all loaded into the carriage, which was pulled by our two Yamas. Yamas, native to Mercia, were as big as horses, but looked more like the cows you would find on Earth, with thicker snouts and medium length hair. Only the rich could afford the huge amounts of Obsidian II it took to power the automatic carriages, so everyone in the tribes used the Yamas. I actually preferred them. The Yamas were warm and calming, with beautiful knowing eyes. They were also just as fast as the automatic carriages. Our two Yamas had been with us for as long as I could remember. Their names were Talahi and Onoko. I went up to the front of the carriage and slipped them each an apple slice before getting into the carriage.
The cool breeze sent sweet wisps of the fragrant Biloa bush inside our carriage, and we all settled into excited chatter as Mama hummed a tune and began to drive. Once we arrived, the Tribe Courtyard was in full swing. Twinkly solar-lights decorated the trees and the best band in the tribe, Aureole, was playing an upbeat song in their jazzy- spiritual Niara Soul style.
Throngs of people walked about, catching up with old friends, laughing. Mothers busied themselves at the row of tables featuring the best dishes from each home, and clusters of Fathers chatted together, joking, while the children they were watching played around them. The air was absolutely electric and full of excitement.
Mama found her friend Mother Willoni, and we helped her unload her dishes onto the buffet table next to her. We left them to fuss over arranging everything, and went to find our friends before the ceremony began. I took baby Zaria and went off in search of my best friends Joelle and Hantaywee, while Aziz took Sharif and went looking for his friend Teo.
As my eyes scanned the crowd for my friends, they found Kaisan leaning against a column near the food tables, talking with some fellow officers. They were all dressed from head to toe in the champagne colored tunic and trousers uniform that the Delorian officers wore for special occasions. Each also wore a shoulder sack filled with a bow and arrows. The Delorian officers did not carry Obsilectric weapons like the Houdakin guards, but instead relied on their specially carved arrows and extensive Martial and Jiu Jitsu Arts training. Kaisan smiled and bowed his head to me from across the courtyard. I smiled and nodded in return.
I found Joelle moments afterwards. She too turned 18 today, and wasn't hard to find dressed in all white like me. Her face broke into a smile when she spotted me. We raced over to each other and hugged, the excitement leaping back and forth between us like an electric charge.
“Peace be unto you! You look great, Yaya!” Joelle exclaimed, as she took baby Zaria from my arms. Zaria squealed with delight at being lifted in the air. “And so do you my baby! Peace be unto you!” she said while tickling under Zaria's chin with he
r index finger. Zaria exploded into another set of delighted giggles.
“Peace be unto you, my Sister! And you look fantastic too, Joelle!” We hugged each other again.
Joelle had been my best friend since 1st school. We were from different backgrounds (she was Jewish and of Australian descent and I was Muslim of African American descent), but since the settlement, relationships between various groups were pretty peaceful across the board between the lower and middle-class population. Aziz's best friend, Teo, was a Christian of Hispanic descent, but these details had not stopped any of us from being close friends. Once our tribes had settled on Mercia, all differences were put aside for the sake of rebuilding a new foundation of peace.
People agreed that it just wasted energy to fight or judge each other. Judgment was The Most High's alone. We had to leave it up to Him when our lives were over. In the meantime, we made a treaty to join as tribes and live side by side as brethren.
Everyone was encouraged to find The Most High's guidance in their own personal lives, and to build upon that relationship. And for the last 350 years, the tribes had welcomed a real sense of peace amongst themselves. This agreement had been reached by inhabitants of Sectors 2, 3 and 4. The Houdakin, of course, had wanted no part of living by this philosophy.
Joelle and I began to talk about the nights ceremonies when Hantaywee came over. She was the third one of us having her Essentia today. We all hugged and began to talk excitedly about our intended Mandates.
Hantaywee was another good friend of ours whom we had known since 1st School, and we had all become close over the years. Hantaywee was of Native American, Christian, and Indian descent. I looked at both of my friends- at the picture we made. We were a pretty diverse group. I felt a swell of gratitude in my heart that we lived in a time and place where we could truly have a friendship based on peace.
In school, we had learned of how individual groups had become so consumed with fighting, conquering and enslaving each other, that their interactions had been in just as bad a condition as the dying Earth.
It always saddened me to read about the mass killings of Native Americans, or about Slavery, or the Holocaust, the Crusades, or any of the other numerous tragedies that tainted human history. Life on Mercia had the potential to be such a bright new reality, but the practices of the Houdakin had been chipping away at that dream from day one. An uneasiness came over my stomach every time I thought about it.
Kettle drums echoed across the main courtyard signaling that the ceremony was about to begin. Joelle, Aziz, Teo, Hantaywee and I all gathered towards the middle of the huge circle. Aziz and Teo stood to the left, and Joelle, Hantaywee and I all stood to the right of the podium. A huge fire had been built in the middle of the circle to take some of the chill out the the night air. Father Joshua and his wife, Mother Garalia stood to the left of the bonfire, and motioned for us to take our seats.
But as soon as Father Joshua took his place at the podium to begin, an angry male voice boomed from behind us. “By order of the Houdakin Guard!” In an instant, an army of Houdakin Guards stormed into the courtyard. Some of them began to grab some of the young men in the tribe. My heart sunk as two guards approached us, grabbed Aziz and Teo, and shoved their wrists into holding locks. Aziz and Teo were infuriated, and tried to struggle free, but the holding locks wouldn't budge. Gasps and sounds of outrage filled the night air.
My Mother's panicked voice rang out from the buffet tables as she tried to push her way to the middle of the courtyard. “What is the meaning of this? What are these young men being arrested for? They've done nothing wrong!”
The same voice which had triggered the alarm cut through the night like a cruel slap. “These men are being arrested for treason! They will go to prison tonight!”
Images of the chaos spun around me. I saw Mama and Joelle reach for me. I felt myself begin to fall. Then everything went black.
Chapter 3
"And Allah doth advance in Guidance those who seek Guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (Their) eventual returns."
The Holy Qur'an
Surah 19, Ayah 76
“Yaya? Can you hear me child? Oh, I think she's coming around.” I could hear Mama's voice beside me, but I couldn't see her yet. My eyelids felt heavy and weak. So did the rest of my body. I tried moving my mouth, but my lips felt like thick lumps of uncooked dough.
“There, there, dear, take it slowly.” Mama's voice put me at ease. I also heard Mother Willoni, “They will all experience the changes differently. Let her sniff the leaves of this Ablone plant, and it will refresh her senses.”
I felt the soft leaves of the plant brush my nose and instinctively inhaled deeply. I was not prepared for the absolutely rotten stench that barreled its way up my nostrils and into my throat, making me cough. My eyes flew open accusingly, and I rolled on my side, trying to rid the back of my throat from the awful pungent stink that clung to the back of my tongue.
Both Mama and Mother Willoni gave me some strong pats on the back. “It smells horrible, but it does the trick. Sorry about that, Yaya.” Mother Willoni said in a soothing voice.
They both helped me sit upright. I had to admit, the plant did work. All of my body's sluggishness had vanished. “No, it's alright. It did do the trick. It just would have been nice to have some kind of warning,” I said with raised eyebrows, and a slight smile.
“I know child, but then you would not have breathed in the amount of the fragrance needed to revive you completely, and it would have taken hours, not minutes. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of time tonight.”
The seriousness of her tone leveled me. I nodded my understanding. “Yes, thank you Mother Willoni.”
Mother Willoni began to check my vital signs, and it was then that I noticed my surroundings. The medium-sized room was dim, lit by a line of solar-lights that was tacked along the ceiling. The walls were unlike any I'd ever seen, made of some type of speckled, black rocky material that had been carved out to form the room. The air was a bit cool, but the various fused rugs and wall hangings made it cozier. Cots dotted the floor, and I could see Joelle and Hantaywee also being revived by other herbal doctors.
My mind immediately thought of my brother. “Where are Aziz and Teo? What happened to them? Are they OK?” The words tumbled out of my mouth in a panic. The Houdakin were so heartless, I couldn't bear the thought of my brother being in one of their prisons.
Mama grimaced and nodded quickly, “They were taken to the Houdakin prison cells. They have been accused of treason by the high courts.”
“But it's a lie!” I nearly screamed. “Those thugs! They have no right to just round up anyone they want and falsely accuse them! I know my brother, he hasn't done anything wrong!” My eyes were welling up with angry tears, and I agitatedly brushed them away.
“We know Aziz and Teo are good young men. The Houdakin are just afraid. They know of the Prophecy, and now are sniffing around to find out information. Don't worry. The boys won't be there for much longer. Your Father is making sure of that. In the meantime, let's get Joelle and Hantaywee. There is much to explain, and we don't have a lot of time to do it.” The look in Mama's eye made me apprehensive. She had had the same look right before telling us about our Great Grandmother's death years ago.
Mother Willoni stood up to get Joelle and Hantaywee as I swung my legs around to the side of the cot. “The Prophecy? I thought that was just folklore. Mom, what is going on? And where are we anyway? Are we safe?” Mama smoothed my worried brows with her thumbs. “Don't worry, honey. We are safe, and your questions will be answered soon.”
Cheers from the front of the room drew our attention, and Both Mama and I let out excited gasps when we saw Papa, Aziz, Teo, and the other brothers who had been arrested enter the room. Mama and I rushed over to Aziz and hugged him, laughing and crying at the same time.
“I'm so glad they let you all go!” I said, grateful a
nd relieved.
Papa, Mama and Aziz all exchanged glances. Aziz raised an eyebrow. “Well, actually, Papa here broke us out.” He slapped Papa on the back.
“What!” I exclaimed. My Papa?? The mild mannered carpenter who loved fishing? Since when was he able to break people out of prison? I looked at Papa, who was nodding his head, a twinge of pride in the wry smile that played on his lips.
Aziz broke in, “Yaya, you should have seen him! You remember those old archived Batman comics we used to get from the Museum? He was like that! I'm telling you, Papa is no joke!”
“Yes, yes, your Papa has a few tricks up his sleeve.” Papa laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “In fact, let's make our way down to the meeting room. There is a lot of information you need to know.”
Everyone was exiting the room, and we fell in step behind them. My shoulders relaxed and fell into normal position. I hadn't even realized that I had been so tense.
We followed throngs of people down a winding passageway. The hallways were made of the same rocky material as the medical room we had just left. Solar-lights lined the ceiling. I ran my fingers along the gravelly wall. “Mama, where exactly are we?” I whispered.
Mama put her arm around me and pulled me close. “We're underground.”
I gasped. “Underground? Like, under the city? How long has this existed?” Memories of traveling to various places in our Tribe-City flashed in my mind. I had never suspected that this whole world existed beneath my feet.
“Is this like some kind of bunker? How come I never knew about it?” I whispered to Mama.
“Yes, this is an underground bunker, built as an emergency safe-house for our tribe. It has existed for hundreds of years, and has an escape passageway that leads into the Rushiea Mountain range.” Mama whispered back. I was in awe. It had existed for hundreds of years, and I had never had an inkling.
We finally arrived at a larger space. Rows of benches made of Cicara wood, and more clusters of the solar-lights lined the roof and walls, making this room a little brighter than the hallways.
The Azurean Trilogy (All Three Books: 1, 2 & 3): Essentia, Burgeor & Manifest Page 3
