The Awakened

by Julian Cheek

  The moment was broken by Ma-aka. “Ngaire?” he asked with confusion, “what is “arse”?”

  She just laughed and said, “Oh, my heart feels the healing. My spirit soars to the eagle and to the Helpers this night. But my body hears the bed and so I leave you two. It is late and I, for one, need to be up early tomorrow morning.” And with that, she put her hands lightly on both their heads, in blessing, then left them and shuffled off into the darkness and to bed.

  The night disappeared as Sam and Ma-aka talked long into the early morning hours. They spoke of bringing Sam back to the clan and how Ngaire cared for him through the fever, of the hunts they went on and of their lives as they bonded as brothers. Ma-aka also told Sam about Pania, the orphan girl who they had found abandoned in the forest one bleak winter’s morning. “If we had turned back a few minutes earlier,” Ma-aka proclaimed, “Pania would not have been found and, I fear, the wolves would have taken her that night. When you arrived, Sam,” he continued, “Pania took a direct interest in you and could often be found by your side, helping Ngaire bring you to health. You became a father figure to her, Sam. More than any other, she looked to you for guidance and protection, and you, in turn, loved her deeply.” Sam felt the truth in his word even though he could not recollect any of what had happened in the past, which annoyed him no end. However, he did remember enough to recall seeing Pania and how, for some reason his heart went out to her. The first person he had met “here” who he did seem to bond with. Perhaps, he thought, memory has a habit of retaining key pieces that we hold on to in our unconsciousness. Who knows?

  “Is Pania well?” he heard himself ask.

  “She is well, thank you.” Ma-aka responded. “She asks after you often and, like me, is in some confusion as to why you are different from the person she grew to know and love. But that bridge you will have to cross yourself one day.”

  For a while now, Sam had been aware that Ma-aka seemed to find it hard not to slide his glance off Sam and appear to search for something, almost apologising in his demeanour when he sensed that his actions were being observed by Sam. Almost, thought Sam, like that boy in another dream, who was looking for something I should have had with me, though I cannot recall now what that was.

  Eventually, Ma-aka could contain his inquisitiveness no further. “Where is Babu?” he asked.

  “Babu!” recalled Sam. “That was it. Babu.” Sam responded after some time in thought, trying to assemble a reasonable answer. “Ma-aka, I know you may find this difficult, but, like this place,” (he didn’t mention, “and you”), “I am afraid I have no idea what Babu is or what relationship I am supposed to have with it. I have encountered a creature from hell from time to time who scares that crap out of me, who seems to be called Babu, but personally, I would rather be on the other side of the planet than have to meet up with him again!”

  Sam remembered with some revulsion that evil looking creature crawling up his body when he had been shot with that arrow, now seemingly so long ago in dream world. He also remembered seeing it come out of the forests once, bloody and scratched as if in battle. He recalled fleeing from it as fast as was possible, fear taking all logic and casting him down the valley in head long flight. “I am sure I heard something,” Sam thought out loud, “when I tried to run from him when he came at me out of the forest, but of course, my confusion at the time as believing that creature was calling me quickly dissipated as my logic took over. Of course the call could not have come from it, but I was sure…” Sam stopped as he noticed that Ma-aka, instead of looking concerned, as he should have done if he was a friend, instead, had a smile on his face as if enjoying a joke, lost on Sam. “What?” Sam asked. “What is so funny?”

  “Sam. It would appear that Lord Elim took not only your memory, but also your awareness. He has a lot to answer for when we meet him. And meet him we will, Sam. And when we do, this time, he will answer!” Ma-aka said the last with cold determination, then continued after tending the fire. “Babu is your Padme, your ‘protector’ if you will,” he started. Sam’s eyes shot up into his skull in total surprise, not ready to accept this stupendous and actually quite ridiculous assertion by Ma-aka. Ma-aka continued. “Every person born, when he or she reaches youth phase, receives a Padme. No one actually knows where they come from but, without exception, on the 9th birthday, every person awakes to find a creature of some form waiting for them and that creature stays with them for life. Every person, Sam,” Ma-aka reiterated, “on this whole world!” Ma-aka could see that this concept was as alien to Sam as Sam appearing out of thin air was beyond the understanding of Ma-aka. “Sam. These creatures, we think, are a gift from the Ethereals when we reach youth phase. Most seem to exist just to play with the individuals but, and this is important to understand, no one can survive past their youth phase without a Padme and no one can exchange a Padme with one belonging to another. Never!” He paused. “EVER! Not until you appeared, that is, for you are the only person who appears to be able to exist without one, and indeed, Babu, as your Padme, appears to be able to exist without you as well! This is not supposed to be possible and yet we must accept that the Ethereals have other plans for you and Babu, that are beyond the comprehension of us mere land folk.”

  Sam’s mind battled with the idea that the creature from hell he had encountered on more than one occasion appeared to belong to him. “But that thing. When ever I met it, seemed to want nothing more than to eat me!” he said with some defence. Sam recalled the occasions he could remember when Babu had been a part of his dreaming, and something did not seem to back up what he had just stated as being truth. He remembered of course, lying totally surprised in the mud, an arrow sticking wickedly out of his chest. That was a bloody hum dinger! he thought. He remembered Babu as he lost consciousness, crawling up his chest and whilst the thought of it still revulsed him, he had to admit that the creature did not actually attack him. He also remembered the first time he met Babu at the pond, and yes, it had scared the crap out of him, but again, it had not seemed to want to attack him.

  Then of course, there was the time when it stumbled out of the forest in some distress and all Sam did was run away. “Good move there, Sam, my boy!” he reprimanded himself. That was when he was sure it had called after him.

  And then there was the time that he wanted to forget. “When those people all stood around me like idiots, dying, for what? And as the leader came up to me to stab me, Babu came hurtling out from nowhere and killed those scary people. Again, it did not try to attack me!” Sam mused over these “facts” as he tried to assemble what he was hearing, despite it not settling easily in his idea of what made for a nice family pet!

  “So you are saying that every person on this entire world MUST have a Padme, and that if they don’t, they are effectively toast…?” Ma-aka scrunched up his face, not understanding how toast could have a place in a sentence about Padme. “However,” Sam continued, “for some weird reason, I, who should be dead according to your theory because I don’t have a Padme with me, apparently, break the rules because actually I do have one, but it is neither with me nor needs to be and instead, my Padme turns out to resemble my worst nightmare and scares the willies out of me every time I encounter it!? Well all I can say is that your Ethereals were having a massive laugh when they chose that one to be my pet!”

  “You and Babu,” Ma-aka noted, “like all other people here, connect together as naturally as breathing! However, I must correct you on one matter. The Padme are not pets and you are not their master, Sam. They fuse with your spirit at some deep level connecting both within and without.”

  Now Sam was confused so Ma-aka continued. “Why don’t you give it a try.” Ma-aka looked straight at Sam as he said this, and he might as well have said that Sam could float and fly through the air in this world at the same time, so weird was this explanation sounding to Sam. However, Sam did pick up on Ma-aka’s last comment.

  “What do you mean exactly, give it a try?” he asked, the air aroun
d him feeling cold and clammy once more. “Sam!” Ma-aka said with some frustration. “Have you really forgotten everything? You must call him. Call him, and he will come.” Now Sam felt at a loss.

  “How?”

  “By using your charm!” Ma-aka answered. And before Sam again thought that Ma-aka was trying to play him for a fool, he continued. “And, NO, I do not mean your natural charm, which at the moment is seriously in question…” (Oh, funny one Ma-aka, thought Sam.) “…I mean, call him with your Charm, the one around your neck, Sam!” And Ma-aka now looked directly at Sam’s neck.

  Sam fumbled up to feel what could be on his neck to make Ma-aka stare like that, as he knew that he certainly was not wearing anything. His skin went icy as, instead of the feel of skin on his neck, his fingers found what appeared to be a necklace! “What on earth?…” he cried in confusion. “Where did that come from?” He tried to look down to see what was around his neck, but of course, nature had designed things such that he was unable to, so instead, he sprung up and moved quickly to the mirror which stood over the fireplace and gazed at himself with yet more shock.

  There, lying naturally around his neck, hung an unassuming necklace. It had a few beads and shiny objects together with what appeared to be leather strips hanging down off a thin string tie. Right in the middle, and now resting lightly against his Adam’s apple, hung a thin, wooden tube, almost resembling a flute, but much smaller. Holes were to be seen down its length and at the bottom, the tube ended in the shape of an unmistakable whistle. For some reason, in the deepest recesses of his mind, he thought he had seen this thing before, but for now, the where, how and why of it escaped him.

  “Blow!” he heard from behind him. “Blow your pipe and see what happens.” Ma-aka now stood behind him, looking at his reflection as Sam wrestled with finding something around his neck that he sure as heck hadn’t placed there, whilst at the same time trying to not think about that creature. Sam, after long deliberation, slowly, carefully lifted the wooden pipe to his mouth… and blew.

  If he was expecting any sound to come out from the end of the pipe, Sam was not expecting the noises emanating now. Instead of a flat note, the pipe seemed to have created a three dimensional warming tonal hum. It resonated and grew rather than dispersed, and filled his senses with electric expectation. The pipe dropped out of his open mouth yet the sound continued. A thrumming, soft and palpable resonance was the best Sam could describe it. Warm and somehow safe as well. It hovered around him and then seemed to move out into the surroundings. Looking. Hunting. Seeking.

  “It won’t be long now!” Ma-aka said, prophetically.

  In the silence that followed, Sam’s senses were on full alert. His ears were waiting to hear any difference in the blanket of sound he had grown accustomed to since coming to this place. He was waiting for something, anything, to change that. He did not have to wait long.

  A thin, tentative scraping was heard outside and Sam felt beads of sweat trail down his face as his fears played a dance with his emotions. Ma-aka was looking at him though, encouraging him to trust, so Sam relaxed slightly. After all, he mused. This is just a dream anyway and if the worse come to the worst, at least I know I am going to wake up and IT will be nowhere around.

  The door opened, almost by magic, creaking slowly as if whatever had pushed it, was trying to do things quietly. For a brief second, time stood still. The door was open, the darkness undisturbed outside the door, the lamp still glowing over the door frame. And then, a head appeared at the door. A head Sam had seen before and one he had no desire to see again!

  Babu peered slowly from around the door frame looking furtively into the space. His eyes roamed the room carefully, searching for potential danger finally resting on Sam, looking fully at him now. Keeping his eyes firmly on Sam, he stepped into the room. There are those claws again, thought Sam.

  He had an opportunity to study Babu properly now. He remembered that thin, scrawny looking furry body, but one which held immense pent up energy, which, he recalled, was able to spring at an enemy and carry out swift punishment. The muscles under the skin flexed as Babu paced around the room and the sinews moved like water under a sheet. Babu walked on all fours and of course, at the end of each foot, those long, deadly looking claws sat. Sharp as knives and equally deadly, they glinted as if metallic. Babu had fox-like ears which stood proud of his head, twitching every now and again as its senses reached out beyond itself, testing the air for danger.

  Over everything though, Sam was struck by the eyes. The eyes, in proportion to its face, were huge. Deep set and feral in quality, they held Sam’s gaze like pools of dark water. They spoke of intelligence, hidden beneath the surface, and something more. Knowledge perhaps. Deep, “larger than this place” knowledge and wisdom. Babu’s tongue snaked out now and again, sensing and tasting the air for changes in tension. It resembled that of a snake’s, forked slightly at the ends and now it was tasting the air as it paced slowly around Sam. Like a predator would pace around prey! Sam thought, absent-mindedly. Babu continued pacing, drawing closer to Sam, not quite sure if it was safe. At the last moment, Babu moved right up to Sam, as if finally deciding that he had passed a test, and settled down at his feet as if nothing was any different to the way things were.

  Sam looked down at the form, curled up beneath him, then looked up at Ma-aka with some amazement. “What now?” said Sam.

  “Now?” returned Ma-aka. “Now the rest is up to you.”

  Sam slowly moved back to the chairs they had recently occupied and sat down. He felt amazingly tired and looking up he sensed through the open door, that morning was not far away. He could scarcely keep his eyes open any longer and sleep started to take him into its welcoming embrace. But not before he sensed Babu get up from the fireplace where he had stood, and move back to Sam, jumping lightly up to Sam’s chest, crawling up to his face as before, and settling himself down to sleep.

  “Hot Dog and Chips with Plenty of Tommy Sauce”

  Sam woke slowly, as if pulling out of a vat of glue. He wasn’t ready to open his eyes as yet, instead enjoying the tranquility of the house and the sanctuary of it all. Life, for once, was good and… “Hey mate, you can’t sleep there! Some of us need to get to work you know?” A coarse, loud voice invaded his sleep and he awoke instantly. There, staring down at him with unmistakable disgust, stood an elderly man, wrapped up against the wind, a scarf tight around his neck and a hat rammed hard down around his grey wispy hair. Behind him, a younger lady tried not to stare, but she found that difficult. Sam got up quickly, the events in front of him, catching him unawares.

  Three or four commuters stood around him and one more sat on the bench, as far away from Sam as was possible. They were all staring at him, as if dissecting a vagabond. His hair was dishevelled, having been pressed up against the side billboard for most of the night. His jacket was hitched up around his chest and his shirt had similarly become unhitched from his trousers such that he did indeed look like someone from the great unwashed. He stood up. Quickly. Mumbling his apologies, he retrieved his back pack, almost absent mindedly, and walked away, straightening his clothing as he did.

  Well that was bloody embarrassing! he cajoled himself. At once trying to get as much space between him and the bus shelter, the people still staring after him and then turning to each other to continue to “dissect” him with their fellow travellers. “Wankers!” he muttered beneath his breath.

  He made his way to the children’s park and hid behind the trees near the swings to get a breather and to bring some semblance back into his world. Straightening his clothing and patting down his hair in semi-respectable fashion, his mind naturally replayed what, for him, was the most amazing experience he had had for a long time. With some regret he acknowledged that he had indeed been dreaming, again, and this was his world and those, looking out to the commuters sat now in the bus shelter, waiting for a bus that definitely wouldn’t come on time, unfortunately, were his people. He looked out from behind the tr
ees and considered his position, now that reality had kicked back in, the dream was consigned to that place where most dreams resided after waking and he was still getting wet from the rain which still fell from the skies! When can we bloody well have some decent weather? he heard himself think. “Well,” he said sagely, “at last we don’t have as much mist as that other place! I wonder what Babu would think of this place?” That caught him by surprise and he unconsciously moved his fingers up to grip the necklace off which the pipe to call Babu hung. His fingers found only flesh. No necklace adorned his neck. No Padme prowled around the area protecting him. “You are bloody ridiculous, Sam Gilbert,” he rebuked himself. The opportunity he had had, albeit in a dream state, to feel some sort of freedom and happiness, was snatched away by his state of mind and, pushing those “childish” thoughts away, he wondered what to do next.

  He scanned the street in front of him. The commuters were still moving around, some looking down at their watches. Probably tutting under their breath because the bus is just not coming, Sonny Jim! thought Sam with some humour. Behind the shelter, and already flickering its neon sign to the world, Timber’s seemed to be open for business. A few people could be glimpsed behind the shopfront glass. “Sitting having a coffee or something, and eating fantastic food no doubt,” he mused. His hunger pangs chose at that moment to make their presence felt and he was compelled to at least get fed up before deciding what to do for the rest of the day. Besides, he thought, now that his reality was etched firmly in his head, mum and dad probably don’t even know I have left!