by Yossi Soika
Dedicated to my father, a sensitive and honest man and to the few people in this world whose soul and heart speak truths – they are the foundations of humanity.
I deeply thank Naama Miron Asher, whose faith in this book allowed for its translation. Her assistance helped to design this book in English.
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Following the Footsteps of the Lost Tribes
Yossi Soika
Copyright © 2019 Yossi Soika
All rights reserved; No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, of the author.
Translation from the Hebrew: Naama Miron Asher
Contact: [email protected]
Contents
The Twenty-First Day
The Surgery
Back to the Holy Land
The Land of the Ten Tribes
The Planet of the Garden of Eden
In the Gate of the Third World
The Wait
In the Prison of the Dolphin People
In the Depth of the Lake
A Different Outcome
From the Bottom of the Lake… to a Pitfall Snare
An Astounding Rescue and a Freakish End
The Great Escape
The City of Dreams
A Citizen of the City
A Madman or a Genius?
King of the City of Sodom
A Threefold Prince
Secret of the Upper Floor
Success and Failure
A Doubly Different Outcome
Turnabout
On the Path to Space
The Lost Planet
A Beginning or an End
Mr. Da Costa or Mister___ or___?
About The Author
Message from The Author
The Twenty-First Day
I have always been attracted to the mysteries of our world, in particular to the complex and unperceivable ones, of which only a small number are exposed and to only a handful of researchers. Exactly today, five years ago, I graduated from university, and earned my B.Sc. degree in biochemistry and physics. Exactly today, 30 days ago, I returned from two thrilling and unbelievable journeys with Melanie, my beautiful soulmate. And now, the further I get from those thrilling and riveting experiences, the less peace of mind I have. Since I returned from my amazing journey and thrilling expeditions, I have become aware that the world of physics and chemistry, that I studied with such diligence, is only a nutshell of the vast knowledge I hold today.
On that day the turbulent rain knocked wildly on my window, disturbing my peace. I stood up, pressing my face against the window and suddenly scenes from those days came to me. It seemed like only yesterday that my high-school days had ended, and there I was already setting off for university. I felt that I must explore the mysteries of life, discover and find new medicine that might help the unfortunate masses that confronted the awful ailments of our world.
And then, not many days had passed after that when I, your faithful servant, was about to ascend the ceremonial stage, and receive a “Bachelor of Science” degree in biochemistry and physics from the University of New York. For a moment I felt proud that I was going out into the vastness of our world, equipped with the best scientific knowledge in these fields. But there was no way on earth, not even in my wildest dreams, that I could have imagined during those moments of self-pride that the knowledge I had earned in biochemistry and physics was going to so soon come crashing down.
I believe the strange upheavals that befell me shortly after the ceremony might only evoke in you feelings of disbelief or wonder. And indeed, who would take my word for it that the things I experienced are true, and not merely a dream or an imagining that flooded my mind. To tell the truth, some days I can hardly believe that those things really happened to me; however, the black ring on my finger reminds me—no, it wasn’t a dream.
There I was, standing on a vast lawn, in front of me a ceremonial stage adorned with huge bouquets of flowers, flags, colorful paper cuttings and, on a bandstand, center stage, stood a pop group playing as if they were possessed – the atmosphere brimming with excitement, while the university buildings stood juxtaposed in a silent stillness.
The bustle of the last few days of school vanished without a trace; only their lights still twinkled at us, as if summoning us to return. Four years of exhausting, yet incredibly rewarding schooling had come to an end. Can you imagine my parents’ immense joy when they saw me walking around, adorned in the traditional attire of a university graduate? The ceremony was very impressive; my two sisters came, accompanied by their boyfriends, and both chattered incessantly and cheered loudly at me in my impressive gown.
“Oh, what a wonderful day!” exclaimed my mother.
After the long ceremony of enthusiastic speeches and spectacular performances by artists were finished, the graduates were called to the stage one at a time and the students began their ascent to the stage in alphabetical order to receive the coveted diplomas. My mom shed a tear when the announcer called out “Dan Duke”, and my father was also quite moved but he managed to conceal it behind his reserved smile. And shortly afterwards, the announcer’s voice was heard again: “Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes our ceremony. Thank you for coming to this very special occasion.”
As soon as I left the stage, I approached Melanie, my new girlfriend, and with great excitement; we parted from my parents and sisters and hopped into the luxury car I had received as a graduation gift.
“Where to?” Melanie asked quickly.
“I’m not sure yet, but there’s a tradition that we have to celebrate graduation in a very special way”.”
“Have you got anything extraordinary in mind? And another thing,–what are your plans about getting a master’s degree – are you going to?” Melanie raised the issue, a hint of surprise contorting her voice.
“Sure, yes, it’s what I’ve been dreaming of my whole life – to get a PhD or even become a professor, but first I have to realize a dream I’ve had for many years”.”
“A dream? What dream?” asked Melanie sarcastically and peered at me curiously.
“You would never guess but my biggest dream is to go back and visit the Holy Land.”
“The Holy Land?! I can’t believe my ears! I think I misheard you,” her words turned into a rolling laughter. “Visit the Holy Land? What’s wrong with you? Oh, now I see; the Holy Ghost appeared to you in a dream and commanded you to save the world. It sounds far out! I’m going to be a girlfriend of a saint! What wonderful luck I have! My boyfriend is a biochemist who wants to be holy!” she finished with a sweeping laugh.
“Please, I’m not God’s messenger and as of now I haven’t even applied for the position of holy messenger. All I want is to re-visit a beautiful and fascinating country I toured six years ago.”
“What’s so fascinating about that country? Why all the fuss? It’s a tiny dot on the map of the universe, the Holy Land is no bigger than New York City, and what in hell are you going to look for there? What’s there that you can’t find over here in America the Great? Please don’t tell me that you’re going to tour the Holy Land with long-bearded pilgrims!”
“Melanie – you have a tendency to exaggerate. Where on earth did you get this pilgrimage story? I don’t wish to
tour the country – I already did that on my last visit – this time I want to go to the Land of the Ten Tribes.”
“What? The Land of the Ten Tribes? Where’s that?”
“Melanie, the story is too complicated, and please don’t ask for further details. I’m not able to say anything more on this issue.”
“What is this ridiculousness? I can hardly understand you! It’s all sounds strange to me – does it have anything to do with espionage?”
“No – most definitely not,” I replied, suppressing my smile.”
“So, if you don’t have any hair-raising spy stories, what are you trying to sell me?”
“I’m really sorry,” I replied, “the issue is highly classified and I’m not even allowed to speak about the smallest part of it right now.”
“I simply can’t take it – it sounds so fascinating but also a little removed from reality, so please tell me something about your big secret, and I swear that my lips are sealed”.”
“Melanie, I am sure you won’t say anything, but I have to be very careful about it, because if even the slightest detail of this secret became public, ‘I’d find myself in a very deep trouble.”
“Are you a secret agent?”
“Melanie, let’s forget about this conversation”.” I added, “I really want to go hiking somewhere in the heart of the country and not make you nuts over this.”.”
Melanie’s reaction carried a resonance of mixed irony and pain.
“If only you just kept it to yourself, it would have been better; but now after you opened your mouth about it, my curiosity is piqued, and I want some solid answers. Don’t mince words. What kind of relationship do we have if you don’t trust me?”
“Melanie, please stop pushing me. Here, look, the black ring I wear on my finger signifies a wall of silence.”
Melanie burst out laughing and remarked, “Clearly I just can’t believe your story about a ring that secures your silence. Is it an electronic smart ring?”
“Maybe, I’m not fully aware of its full potential.”
“Dan, please don’t tell me these suspense stories. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that I’m a second year medical student, and never in my whole life have I heard stories about a Ring of Silence. Well, sweetie, are you trying to convince me not to believe anything you say from now on? Or are you trying to play a trick on me? If you are, please remove the ring.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t remove it. Here, the ring is on my finger. Try and take it off”.”
Melanie laid my hand in her palm and pulled on the ring very gently, but the ring would not budge at all.
After trying to pull it off a few times to no avail, she proclaimed angrily, “This ring is on tight, but any jeweler could easily remove it. I can’t date someone who tells ridiculous stories.”
For a moment there was a deep silence until she added, grinning subtly, “I have an idea about how we can end our disagreement. Why don’t we go to the nearest jeweler right away and ask them to remove the ring. Of course, if you feel uneasy about it, we won’t,” she added, chuckling, her perfect lips exposing a beautiful set of teeth.
“No problem, if you insist,,” I answered in a low voice.
Then I carefully turned the car around and headed straight downtown. Soon I saw a huge sign on the front of a building: Jewelry Workshop. After entering the atelier, a good-looking woman welcomed us and asked how she could help us.
“Please, all I want is to remove this ring from my finger.”
She peered at it and said, “Please go through to the third room on your left, Mr. Jack’s. He will certainly be happy to help you.”
We knocked on the door to his room, and a voice answered. “Please come in! What can I do to help such a nice young couple?” asked a plump, bespectacled man with a wide smile on his face.
“Sir, can you remove this ring from my finger?”
He glanced at the ring and said, “I don’t understand what you’re asking me to do. Are you asking if I can remove the ring? Of course I can, but why don’t you do it yourself? Why waste your money? Put your hand in some hot water, and it will slip off easily without a problem, in a moment.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve tried doing that a few times, but without success, and now all I want is to pay fifty dollars to have the ring removed.”
After hearing my words, he broke into a loud laugh and remarked, “Young fellow, you don’t have to go crazy, I don’t need your money. I’ll do it for you; one dollar will be enough. It will take exactly one second, and you can forget that you ever had this wretched black iron ring.”
He took my hand, picked a set of tiny pliers out of a drawer, drew it close to my finger, and pressed on the ring very gently, but nothing happened. Realizing that he wasn’t using enough pressure, he pressed down forcefully a second time, but still nothing happened.
“Never mind. Let’s move on to the bigger metal cutter.”
He opened the door of an iron cabinet that stood behind him and pulled out a sizable pair of cutters.
“This cutter can even cut steel,” he boasted with pride. Again I extended my arm, and while gently gripping it, he placed the ring on the edge of the cutter.
“And now, my young friends, please watch carefully, and don’t move,” he announced dramatically. “In a minute, I’m going to complete the job, and the show will be over.,” He squeezed the handles of the cutter lightly, but nothing happened.
It took another minute for him to exert his full force. His face reddened and his hands shook from the tremendous effort of trying to cut the ring. And then, all of a sudden, with a loud bang, the jaws of the cutter flew from his hands and shattered into small pieces on the floor. Shock filled the room. Jack looked with disbelief at the shattered cutter; his lips moved as if they wanted to release a high-pitched shriek, but he was at a loss for words.
“I don’t— I don’t believe it!” he finally managed to respond, with a bloodcurdling scream like a woman giving birth. “This ring smashed the cutter to pieces! What a wreck! This is unbelievable…I beg you to get out of my sight right now – you’ve destroyed it. What is the meaning of such a terrible thing? Or perhaps you’ve tried to trick me? Because of you, my expensive tool has been ruined… Crazy people!”
“He’s so angry, we’d better leave.” I pressed Melanie’s hand to signal that we had to move quickly, and we cautiously left the room.
We didn’t even manage to get into the car before we heard his angry voice thundering, “Where are you going, you bastards! You have to pay me for the damage! Criminals! You ‘won’t get away with this…you will pay dearly for this!”
With his strident threats racking our ears, we quickly jumped into the car, pressed the accelerator, and raced away at full speed. For several long minutes, Melanie sat still, motionless and pale, trembling slightly.
“And now, what do you have to say about that fascinating encounter?” I asked her after a long silence.
“I’m really sorry – it was a really nasty event; I didn’t want to get you into trouble.”
So, in a soothing voice, I explained to her that she must acknowledge the truth in my words, and that there is no other ring in the whole world like this ring.
“Hey, don’t be too thrilled. I still suspect that it’s some kind of trick; it simply can’t be anything else. I believe that any doctor, with the right equipment, could remove this ring without any trouble.”
“It’s okay with me. I am willing to spare some of my time and prove to you, once and for all, that you are simply wrong. But how can we do that?”
“It’s not particularly complicated. Let’s drive to the hospital, to my older brother Joe, who graduated from medical school last year and works as an intern – he will be happy to help me,,” Melanie added triumphantly, with a wide smile that extended from ear to ear. I agreed. “I must prove the truth of my words, I
said to myself; and on the spot, I turned the car around and headed toward the hospital.
A short time later, we arrived at the hospital plaza. Melanie, upon our arrival, called her brother on the internal phone. Moments later, he arrived, running as fast as the wind. From even a distance I could see that his face was as white as a sheet.
“What’ happened?”
“Everything is alright,,” I replied quickly. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“There is no problem,,” Melanie added, “except for one that is bothering my boyfriend here, Dan, very much. I’m asking you to help him.”
“And what exactly is the problem?” Joe asked breathlessly, panting heavily.
“Dan wears a very unique ring on his finger, and it has been bothering him very much, so I’m asking you, please, to help him remove it.”
“I can’t believe it. You made me run, frightened out of my mind, just because of a worthless ring that has been bothering your wussy boyfriend? What’s going on in your head? Please do me a favor and go home with your nice boyfriend and let me work quietly.”
But even the sound of his angry words did not get her to budge an inch. Rather she declared she wouldn’t move until he did what she wanted, down to the smallest medical examination.
“It’s been such a long time since I asked anything of you, and now, even the slightest request, and you, my dear brother, adhere to your old manners, getting proud as a peacock… I really need nothing of you. Thank you!!! I am going home!” She repeated these words three times, until the resonance of her voice was heard no more and she was ready to leave.
“Alright, alright, you win!” he proclaimed in a placatory voice. “I know you – you’re as sticky as glue, and I, as always, am the one who has the lower hand in every dispute. Let’s do this quickly.”
After his short harangue he turned to me and asked, “What exactly is the problem with removing the ring? Give me your hand.”
He clasped my palm, turned the ring slightly and tried to pull it. Very gradually he intensified his grip until I groaned with pain.