by S J Amit
Elijah sat on the rocking chair on the other side of the porch. “Eat something, shower, sleep well and then continue. Leave tomorrow a bit before sunrise.” He leaned back and put his hands behind his head. The chair rocked a bit.
I waited for Kelemance’s reaction. He walked down the two stairs to the yard and looked up at the sky.
“That way no one in Anteballegaria will bother you on your way back,” Elijah added. “You know, the people here love to scare anyone who plans to leave the Anteballegarian walls.”
“They only scare those who scare them,” Kelemance came back to the porch. “Julian, you’re not one of them. You came to the Land of the Mosaic because you heeded your free spirit, which has no need for words. If you continue listening to it, no one in the Colony of the Lost will be able to stop you on your way to the pinecone apothecary, no one but yourself.” He leaned on the wooden rail in front of me. “We can get to the boat, sail across the Valley of Abandoned Issues and reach the bottom of the Mountains of Freedom before dark. But if you prefer, we can stay here for the night and leave in the morning.”
“There you go,” Jemma came out holding a tray with tea cups. “All three are the same.”
“Thank you,” I picked up a cup and sat back down.
“Thank you very much,” Kelemance picked up the second cup.
“Sweet enough?” she asked.
“Perfect,” I answered.
Elijah got up and took the last cup. “And what about you?”
“I’ll join you soon,” she smiled, took the tray and went back into the house.
The air was pleasant. The little sips warmed my stomach.
“Julian, you need to decide.” Kelemance put his cup down on the rail near him.
My feet ached. I felt like taking my shoes off and stretching my toes. Jemma came back out holding a little stool with both hands. It had a plate of green olives and big plate of bread on it. “The food will be ready soon,” she took an olive and put it in her mouth.
I picked up a round bun and broke it in half. Vapours of baking and rosemary penetrated my nose and aroused my appetite. The bread was crispy. A scent of cooked tomatoes and garlic came from the house. I looked at Kelemance. “I think we’ll stay here for the night,” I said with my mouth full.
“Good,” Elijah lightly tapped on his chair’s armrest, “I’m glad you’ll be staying for a bit longer. Michelle will be glad too.”
“Very well then,” Kelemance finished his tea with one sip, “I’ll wake you up early tomorrow morning.”
The bath was wide. The water was warm and full of fragrant soap. There was a white shelf with a big towel on it, and above it the clean clothes that Jemma had given me. Silence. I couldn’t move from all the food.
I placed both my hands on my stomach and leaned my head back. The rippling of the water with every slow movement I made relaxed me. Some more. I placed my head down. My eyes almost shut.
In the room that Elijah had led me to there was an oil lamp hanging above my head, another oil lamp hanging above the second bed, and a slightly open window in front of me. The pillow was comfy.
“I dozed off,” I said when the door opened and Kelemance came in, also wearing clean clothes. I pulled the blanket from underneath me, spread it over me and turned to my side.
“Good night,” Kelemance put out the oil lamps above us. “We have a long way to the peaks tomorrow.”
A faint sound of crying came from outside.
“Who’s crying?” I sat up.
“Choopster,” he covered himself, “she’s a little upset.”
“What happened to her?”
“She’s afraid you’ll never meet again.”
I got up and peeked through the window. Darkness outside. Moonlight filled the porch. Jemma was sitting on a rocking chair with Choopster on her, both wrapped in one big blanket that reached the floor. They were looking towards the yard, the moonlight accentuating their profiles.
“Every human being is born with a collection of feelings organized in a one-time structure,” I heard Kelemance’s voice behind me. “Within the Land of the Mosaic, we deal with that in the beginning of a human’s life, it’s too bad that the people in the Colony of the Lost only begin noticing it after someone hasn’t managed to fit in within the walls.”
“He’s also a very sensitive man from a faraway land,” Choopster wiped her tears.
“Then why are you sad about him leaving to go to the pinecone apothecary?” Jemma stroked her curls and kissed her head.
“I’m a little bit sad but also excited,” Choopster wiped her nose, “The Memory Guardians in the Area of the Changing Seasons told me that the people in our lives who are the most sensitive, with the distance of time, are always the strongest.”
Jemma lit an oil lamp in the living room. “Don’t you want to sit down and eat peacefully before you leave?” She put two plates down on the round table, a sandwich on each, and between them a little bowl with orange pieces. Lettuce poked out of the bread.
“They’re better off taking the sandwiches with them,” Elijah whispered and sat on the sofa.
“He’s right.” Kelemance ate a few pieces of orange while standing, “We’ll gladly take the sandwiches with us.”
“I’d like to say goodbye to her if that’s alright,” I pointed at the passage in the wall, “Do you think she’ll wake up soon?”
“I don’t think so,” Jemma spread two large fabric napkins on the table and placed a sandwich on each one. “It took her a while to fall asleep, but she’s sleeping well.” She handed me the bowl which had two orange pieces left in it, and wrapped the sandwiches. “But you’re welcome to take a quiet peek if you’d like,” she smiled at me.
“Why not,” I smiled and ate a piece of orange. It was sweet. “At least I’ll get to see her for a moment before we go,” I took the other orange piece and put the bowl down on the table.
“It’s the first room on the right,” she gestured to me.
Faint light came from Choopster’s room. I leaned on the doorframe and looked at her. She slept on her stomach, facing the door. I went closer to her. She seemed so tranquil with her eyes shut, her curls spread out on the pillow in all directions. “Everything will be alright,” I whispered and turned to leave.
“Julian,” she mumbled back and I immediately turned to her. “Maybe you’ll never remember me,” she slightly opened her eyes and grabbed my pinkie with her little hand, “but I won’t forget you.” She sat up.
I bent down to hug her, she leaned on me and wrapped her thin arms around me, “Just for a moment, I know you need to go,” she put her head on my shoulder. “I’ll be alright, always, when you aren’t in pain anymore,” she looked up at me and a little smile appeared through the sleep marks on her tired face. “Here, I’m back asleep,” she softly giggled, laid back down, closed her eyes and turned the other way.
I silently went back to the living room. We put the wrapped sandwiches in our bags and tied on our capes.
“Elijah, Jemma, thank you very much,” Kelemance hugged them both at the same time.
“It was nice to meet you,” I waited for Kelemance to move over.
“You too, Julian,” Elijah pulled me to them and I joined in the hug. “Good luck,” he patted me on the back.
“I’m glad you came,” Jemma hugged me separately. “Thank you,” she whispered in my ear.
We went out into the darkness. The cool air caressed my face. Complete silence, except for the sound of our footsteps on the narrow gravel lane, and the sound of crickets. Sparkling fireflies lit up and faded out occasionally. The narrow lanes that led to the houses around joined into our lane and became one wide path. The tree trunks and the nearby branches on both sides of the path became clearer with each step forward. The moon was still visible, but it was already less dark.
The cold and th
e walking woke me up. It was only when we got to the large square that I realized I hadn’t seen the table that was on the side of the path yesterday, maybe I missed it in the dark? The square was empty. The stage that had been there disappeared. The tables, stalls and chairs were all folded and piled up around the square.
“Want a sandwich?” I asked Kelemance.
“Not now. Let’s continue,” he rushed me.
The distant treetops stuck out further over the skyline, and the chirping of birds was heard in the distance. The road, which split on the right towards the Hill of Justice, continued straight ahead and widened the further we walked. More structures appeared on both sides. Each one we passed had lights turning on and people peeping out through the windows and the passages. I looked back for a moment. Strange, almost all of the structures behind us were lit, and the ones before us were dark. Only after we had passed by them did they light up, the windows would open, shutters would raise and the people would follow us with their looks.
There were men and women standing outside the Palace of Wisdom, and they also looked at us as we passed by them and crossed the big junction. The sound of hooves knocking reminded me of the wagons harnessed to deer, horses and donkeys which we had seen yesterday. They appeared and came towards us from the left and the right, and their coachmen stared at us as we crossed to the other side and got on a narrower path. Whole families were standing outside their homes, babies’ cries rose from within the assemblies. Children followed us for a few dozen feet, stopped, and then returned to the alleyways they had come from.
“There’s no point in you going,” someone came out of an alleyway. “Don’t endanger yourself because you won’t know how to come back,” he stopped in front of me. “You’re going nowhere, the pinecone apothecary doesn’t exist.”
Kelemance put his hand on my shoulder. “Within the walls, his sense of confidence and everyone else’s relies on you and on the rest of the people, if you leave here everyone will be shaken up,” we moved to the man’s left. “Those who are looking at you as you walk on your way to the Mountains of Freedom aren’t thinking about you, they’re thinking solely about themselves, they have to weaken you in order to maintain their strength. Don’t let them raise doubts in you.” He picked up the walking pace, “We should leave here as fast as possible.”
We passed by the Anteballegarian school. Ingrid came out of the entrance. “Julian,” she called and rushed to us. “Julian, you’re making a mistake. Your arrogance will lead you to destruction.”
Kelemance turned to her with conviction, “Ingrid, I know that those who prefer to leave the walls are sometimes considered pretentious by you all, but within the Land of the Mosaic it’s the exact opposite.” He held onto both her hands, “People who aspire to reach the pinecone apothecary behave humbly, because they listen to their free spirit without putting responsibility on the people around them for their personal confidence during their journey. Only those who have gotten lost pretend to know what’s right for everyone.”
“Julian! Even if Kelemance is right, even if you are right, you are the man who crossed the river! From the moment you arrived everyone has hoped that you’ll stay, everyone has looked up to you, don’t you prefer to be loved and admired in Anteballegaria, rather than go to an unfamiliar and dangerous place?” Ingrid grabbed my cape.
“In the Colony of the Lost, they’ll only love the person that they allow you to be,” Kelemance determined.
“Michelle needs you here!” Ingrid shouted behind us. “She’ll suffer on her own!”
I stopped. I turned to her.
“Help her for a just a few days and then decide whether to go on,” she indicated for me to come near her.
“Julian,” Kelemance came and stood in front of me, “Choopster doesn’t need anyone.”
“Wait a minute, just one minute.” I took three or four steps forward and Kelemance rushed to stand between me and her.
“Julian. She’s using Choopster as an excuse to tempt you to stay.” His eyes lit up. “Everybody here wants you to stay in the Colony of the Lost because you came from afar just like they did. Once you reach the pinecone apothecary, the pain that each of them had brought along to the Land of the Mosaic will re-awaken.”
“But she’s saying Choopster needs me,” I passed him and walked towards her.
“Choopster doesn’t need you! They need a good enough reason to keep you among them, without making themselves responsible for you staying!” he said as I took another step forward. “If she really does need you to stay here, then why are you taking the drawing she made you to the pinecone apothecary?!”
Ingrid smiled at me. Her arms were spread open. Surges of people arrived from within the colony. “Look at them,” I heard Kelemance behind me, “To them, Choopster is just another girl who was born in the Colony of the Lost. They don’t care about her at all. They have no problem with making her feel guilty, this time guilty for being the reason that a man from a faraway land won’t reach the pinecone apothecary.”
He turned me to face him and grabbed my shoulders.
“I don’t want to tell you what to do,” he looked piercingly into my eyes, “but think, who really needs who? Choopster you or you Choopster?” He let go and took two steps back. “If you tell me to leave, I’ll leave.”
I took a deep breathe in, filled my lungs and then slowly exhaled, feeling the air rising in me, rubbing against my throat and coming out through my mouth.
I raised both my arms and waved goodbye to Ingrid and to the rest of the people standing there watching my back as I walked further away. I put my arm around Kelemance’s shoulders for a moment as he walked beside me, he nodded at me with half a smile and lightly patted on my hand.
The further away we walked, the less we could hear the people’s shouts, until they had completely disappeared. We climbed up the path, and at the top we stopped to catch our breath and turned to look back. The people, who looked small from up there, disappeared between the paths and alleyways in the valley surrounded by walls. White clouds were scattered through the sky, which was lit up by the morning sun.
“When the free spirit is imprisoned within a ghetto of thoughts, it’s impossible to hear the language that the eternal soul speaks to the one-time person.” Kelemance sat on the ground and took the jug out of his bag. “As long as their free spirits are trapped within the walls, the people that came from afar won’t notice that each of them is merely a part of the Land of the Mosaic, and they’ll continue to think solely about themselves.” I sat next to him, we took out the sandwiches that Jemma had packed for us and we ate them. “Within the walls they live together, but in actuality each is on their own, because when the free spirit doesn’t evolve, the ego evolves instead of it.”
We walked down the path towards the gate. The man who had welcomed us yesterday was there. “I hope you’ll find your way back to Anteballegaria,” he wished me, stepped aside and cleared the passage between the two tall wooden beams. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back. I’ll be here to welcome you when you return to us.”
The Mountains of Freedom
The wide river appeared through the trees. The sound of our footsteps on the dry leaves that had fallen on the ground seemed noisy compared to the quiet water. We got closer to the boat and the ground became sandier, covered with smooth little stones, weeds and kelp. The distant riverbank was clearly visible. Kelemance untied the rope from the tree trunk and the boat, and we rolled back the cover together.
“Let’s change clothes.” He took the stick out and leaned it against the tree. Took out the empty bag that had laid flat on the deck, collected the colorful clothes, the masks, capes, tote bags and decorations that were dispersed in the boat, and put them in the bag. He put on the pants that Tipegg had given us, which had remained folded on the boat’s bench along with the rest of the clothes we had arrived with, and stuffed the clothes he had just
taken off into the bag too.
“Put this on,” he took the two hooded shirts from the bench after I had changed my pants too. “It’s colder in the open air that’s between the riverbanks,” he handed me mine and wore his. He took the drawing out of my bag and gave it to me, and fixed the clothes I had just taken off in the bag as well.
From the other bag, which was sitting open by the bow and half-full, he took out two pairs of gray-green shoes that looked sturdy and appropriate for difficult walks, long black socks, a backpack, and a thin little iron rod that was sharpened on one side and curved on the other. “Put them in this bag,” he pointed at the shoes and socks we had worn while at the Colony of the Lost and handed me the bag he was holding.
Kelemance went to the back of the boat, took out the third bag which had been behind the bench, and leaned it on the boat’s side panel.
He picked up the stained buttoned shirt from the bench as well as the torn tailored pants, and grabbed my shoes with the stuffed socks inside them from under the bench. “Put everything in the backpack,” he handed me the pile, “the drawing too. You don’t need to hold it in your hand.” He waited for me to put it into one the backpack’s inner pockets and then gave me my clothes.
He stuck the gray-green shoes under the bench and put the socks over them, and then started coiling the long rope around his arm. “Hold the backpack open for a moment,” he hung the rope on the edge of the bow, took out a few little fabric bags from the third bag and organized them in the backpack. Then he carefully packed the water jug, the rod and the rope.
“Let’s just make sure we didn’t leave anything here.” We scanned over the area around the boat and behind the tree. He collected the few clothes and fabrics that were still in the boat and stuffed them into the open bag. He laid the three bags behind the bench and tied them and the sheets that had covered the boat using rope that was there.
