Merzan, the Destiny of an Artist

by Marc Blake

  Again, Captain Bell shows honor to Merzan with a gesture of respect.

  The ferry takes off and motors out to sea dancing in and out of the glimmering light on the water.

  42 Merzan Arrives

  The ferry continues its 17-kilometer journey toward Mo’ore’a. Merzan is experiencing jet lag. Even so, the excitement is energizing him.

  Some Tahitians on the ferry play music, It sounds like it could be Matahina’s Lullaby. It’s not though.

  The ferry arrives at the docks near the beach where Matahina is often found picking flowers and fruit. Captain Bell ties-off the ferry and escorts the passengers off his boat as they disembark. Merzan goes to step off as well, but Captain Bell stops him.

  The captain whistles to attract a young Tahitian boy across the beach to come over to them. He whispers something to the youngster in their native language. The small boy looks at Merzan and smiles while doing a “double raise” of his eyebrows.

  Merzan is not certain what that is all about but stays put as prompted by Captain Bell.

  A few minutes later four Tahitian men approach. Though dressed in their natural island clothing, somehow they seem as though they are of some official capacity. At least this is what Merzan imagines.

  Captain Bell explains, “Merzan, these men will escort you. Go with them please.”

  “Merci Captain.”

  Captain Bell, yet again, bows. He thanks Merzan, “Mauruuru Merzan.”

  The four men surround Merzan and he follows. They walk through part of the island jungle and the light from the morning sun strobes through the trees reminding Merzan of his train rides to and from Paris. Merzan looks around and is taken in by the tremendous beauty. He makes numerous mental snapshots of what he sees.

  They get to the edge of a clearing and a house sits just ahead across a spread of beach front. The four men stop Merzan and gesture for him to wait.

  The four men walk away, then disappear from sight. Merzan is left standing there alone. There is nobody else around and the natural sounds cause his heart to race slightly with anticipation.

  Several minutes pass but Merzan is unaffected by time. He’s more amazed with all his eyes can take in then concerned with being in a strange new place alone. The time, the waiting, cause him no discomfort.

  A small amount of noise from someone approaching makes Merzan glance back in the direction of the low morning sun. He sees a backlit silhouette coming toward him. In Merzan’s eyes, this statuesque figure seems like it’s floating his way. He sees long hair flowing by being lifted gently in the light morning breeze. There is a glow of light that is radiating from the approaching figure. Her eyes light a path as she draws closer. It has to be Matahina. By now, Merzan knows this is so.

  Merzan walks toward her. They continue to approach each other, slowly, unhurried until they are only a few feet apart. They stop. The two just stand in front of each other looking, trying to confirm if this is real or a dream. They are silent. Everything becomes very quiet. Now you can hear the gentle sound of a soft breeze. This is slightly lifting Matahina’s hair causing the backlit light to escape past her and onto Merzan’s face.

  Princess Matahina is now more beautiful than we have ever seen her before. Merzan and Matahina’s eyes are locked solid. He lifts his camera up. Without a need to look at the controls, he prepares it to take a photograph.

  Their eyes speak silent words that only the imagination can interpret. You can see the romance swirling around them like a protective shroud.

  Finally, Matahina breaks the silence. In her native language, she speaks to Merzan with a tone of royal reception:

  “Ia orana aita pe’a’pe’a haera tahora.”

  TRANSLATION: Welcome. I hope your travel went well.

  Merzan reacts as though he may have understood some of what she said. He chooses to return her greeting with a phrase he composes from his less than capable ability to speak in Tahitian.

  Merzan reaches for his camera. Calculatingly he says, “Uhh.. Ummm... La ora na, maita’i oea O to’u i’oa Merzan. Ua here vau ia oe Matahina.”

  Then Merzan lifts his camera up a little more to take a photograph of Matahina. Her eyes are radiating with intensity from this tropical world filled with its magical reflections of light beams surrounding her, cast by the island’s sun.

  43 This is Not a Dream

  In response to Merzan’s Tahitian phrase, Matahina acts confused. Merzan tries once again to recite his unrehearsed greeting. He’s hearing what he thinks he’s saying while speaking Tahitian.

  Merzan repeats, “La ora na, maita’i oea O to’u i’oa Merzan. Ua here vau ia oe Matahina.” and thinks he is saying, “Hello, I am Merzan. May I take your picture?”

  However, what he actually has said is, “Hello, I am Merzan. I love your brother like a lizard loves your book!”

  Matahina tightens her lips slightly and holds back an embarrassing chuckle as long as she can. However, seeing Merzan lift his camera, she tries to compose herself so she can provide her familiar smile for Merzan – much like she had done so often in Paris during their photographic sessions.

  Then, losing every degree of self-control, along with her diplomatic, royal demeanor, the Princess falls to her knees onto the sand. She is now laughing hysterically.

  Merzan, with the worst timing, triggers the shutter on his camera. That is the photo that Merzan takes.

  Merzan drops to the sand and sits beside her.

  They sit there, together, while the island sun, glistening off the water, dances through the tall swaying palm trees.

  Off in the distance, but not in plain sight, stands the King and Queen. They are watching their daughter with her (found) Prince. They show signs of contentment. You can see in the faces of the King and Queen that they know something special is happening – seeing the young couple together. The King’s brief glance to the sky, then to his Queen, confirms that he knows this pleases the Gods.

  In another location, staying hid, is Toanui. He glares at what is happening with the Princess and Merzan with a cold, jealous stare. He goes away unnoticed as he can no longer stand seeing them together.

  Merzan and Matahina stand up and begin walking, taking in the island’s serenity and beauty. Matahina is finding and feeding fresh fruit to Merzan along the way. She teases him with playful behavior. They are enjoying the leisure and are acting fulfilled to be reunited.

  They find their way to a completely isolated area on the island, along the ocean. It’s an amazing place with waterfalls and pools. Totally storybook.

  Matahina stops and faces Merzan head on.

  He stands still, his arms to his side.

  The playful behavior subsides.

  Matahina slowly removes the camera from his neck and places it on a tree branch, hanging safely. She looks into his eyes and her kind, beautiful smile turns into a wanting, seductive look.

  She begins to unbutton his shirt. Merzan does not move a muscle. She removes his shirt and it drops to the ground. Every appearance indicates that a most intimate moment is about to occur.

  She takes a piece of fresh papaya and slowly lifts it to Merzan’s lips. He parts his lips slightly to accept the offering. Matahina moves closer and closer to Merzan and it’s clear that it will be her own lips that touch his, not the fruit in her hands. At the last moment, she pushes the fruit against his mouth. It smashes. Merzan reacts to the prank just as Matahina turns and runs. She dives, perfectly, into a nearby emerald colored pool. Merzan removes his shoes, then chases after her. He dives in behind her.

  The next twenty minutes are a like a series of slow motion scenes from the most romantic love story. There are splashes dancing with the sunlight. Matahina’s hair adds to the ambiance whipping around with a symphonic rhythm. You can just hear a great musical score serenading their destined adventure together in paradise.

  The two stop each other at one point and very gently exchange a very slow, but not lengthy kiss. Their youth and innocence offers no suggestion of
anything more intimate about to occur.

  Merzan and Matahina caress and hold each other close. It is at this moment that the two finally realize they ARE truly together again. It is at this moment they feel safe in each others arms. They both let out a breath of air relaxing a tension they’ve been feeling since they were separated in Paris.

  Looking closely at Matahina’s face, we see that she is crying. Tears are now falling rapidly down her face. She’s not sad – more overwhelmed with gratitude that the Gods have finally brought them together. She remembers vividly from her time in Paris how she secretly knew that they could never be together. Somehow the God’s have blessed them – putting destiny in front of an impossible situation.

  Sunlight lands on her eyes. She’s radiating.

  Then Matahina begins to chuckle. Her chuckle turns to giggling, then, hysterically Matahina breaks out into an uncontrolled laugh. Merzan looks at her as if to think she has gone mad!

  “Matahina? What are you laughing about?”

  Matahina, still giggling, composes herself enough to say, “One day I shall introduce you to my brother.”

  “You have no brothers or sisters Matahina.”

  “Oui, however when you lifted your camera and spoke to me in Tahitian you said, (she uses a fake voice), “Hello, I am Merzan. I love your brother like a lizard loves your book!”

  Merzan corrects her, “No, I said I want to take your picture.”

  Matahina smiles and agrees, “Of course you did Merzan.”

  She pulls him back into their embrace.

  “Even so, one day you will meet my brother...” she laughs, “... this lizard. He is not yellow but I have named the lizard after my Island.”

  “After YOUR Island?”

  “Oui Merzan. Mo’ore’a means yellow lizard, but he is not yellow, and my brother, the lizard, is a girl.” She giggles with a silly recollection.

  Merzan repeats, “Your Island?” He’s amazed at the very thought.

  44 This is Mo’ore’a

  “Is this whole island really yours Matahina?” curiously, Merzan asks.

  Matahina pulls back to speak to Merzan face to face and becomes religiously, respectfully serious. “Mo’ore’a belongs to the Gods. They put us here to care for the Island’s well-being. My family is chosen to speak for everyone and see to it that honor and respect is maintained...” Matahina looks around to emphasize her point, “...because my Island is the most beautiful place on earth.”

  Merzan is looking at the scenery from where they stand. “I have never imagined anything like this in my life.”

  Merzan looks at how beautiful Matahina is. He’s enchanted by everything.

  “Your Island pales compared to you,” he includes her title to hear how it sounds, “Princess Matahina.”

  Merzan smiles. Matahina smiles. She takes Merzan by the hand. They swim to the edge of the pool and climb out.

  “Merzan, It is time for you to meet the King and Queen.”

  Merzan, getting out of the water, feels unprepared to meet Royalty. “But look at me. How can I meet anyone looking like this?”

  “Come Merzan. My father and mother already know you.”

  “They do?”

  “If they did not, you would not be here.”

  Merzan grabs his shirt, camera, shoes and small pouch and follows Matahina toward her home. He wonders how everyone seems to know so much about him.

  “How can anyone here know of a young Frenchman from the other side of the world?”

  “They have seen your photographs, young artiste!” She teases him, “You are more loved than the Princess of Mo’ore’a.”

  Matahina sends him a harmless, flirtatious, jealous look. Merzan, reacts with a knee-jerk expression.

  Matahina and Merzan are approaching her home. Matahina is calling out, “Mother, Father, Mother.”

  Stepping outside their house is Temaru and Élise smiling to see their daughter coming toward the house.

  Temaru speaks, “So this must be your Prince from Paris.”

  Élise says with polite dignity, “I am Eeva and this is Temaru. Welcome to our Island of Mo’ore’a.”

  Merzan bows, awkwardly, not quite sure what to do.

  Temaru tells him, “It is us that should bow to you Merzan. It seems you have the magic of performing miraculous feats.”

  Élise says, “Temaru! Merzan does not understand what you are saying.”

  Matahina is holding back innocent giggles watching the exchange take place.

  Élise eases into a spiritually motivated oration, “The Gods of our Island have delivered you to fulfill a destiny that is written in the stars. You and Matahina have already begun this journey.”

  Merzan is having trouble making sense of any of this, though he feels no opposition.

  Élise uses hand movements and looks up to the sky to make her point clear.

  Élise goes on to say, “It is very uncommon for someone from another land to be sent here by the Gods to fulfill their wishes.”

  Temaru realizes that his wife, from Paris, is speaking as if this rare occurrence is so extraordinary, but is compelled to (lovingly) remind her that she, as well, comes to this Island from Paris – a far away land.

  Temaru says to her in French, “Surtout quand cette personne vient à cette île de Paris.

  TRANSLATION: Especially when that person comes to this Island from Paris.

  Élise sensing that Temaru understands her point perfectly is caught off guard and responds perfectly in French.

  “Exactement, en particulier lorsque cette personne vient à cette île de Paris.”

  TRANSLATION: Exactly, Especially when that person comes to this Island from Paris.

  Temaru says, “Like you!”

  Élise admits, “Like me?”

  Élise catches herself and pushes Temaru, lovingly reacting to his playful verbal jest. They all realize the facts of the matter and find humor at the truth of it all.

  Temaru tells Merzan, “Merzan, come with me. I will show you where your room will be.”

  They start walking into the house. Temaru’s voice fades as they leave the area where Matahina and her mother remain standing.

  Temaru says, “We have clothes for you as well. Everything you will need has been prepared.”

  Élise looks at Matahina and acknowledges how handsome Merzan is. Matahina returns the non-verbal compliment with a glancing response – which turns to a serious expression as she watches Merzan walk off with her father. Her mother can sense her daughter’s deep love. This gives Élise a sense of pride.

  45 The Reception

  On the next night, a reception for Merzan has been organized with a number of locals in attendance. It doesn’t take much or long to put together a gathering of villagers on Mo’ore’a. The warmth of the people of Mo’ore’a is evident throughout the gathering hall. The event is just getting underway. People are arriving with gift baskets of fruit and traditional dishes – a pot luck of sorts. Everything is very inviting and colorful. There is much happiness.

  Inside the house of the King and Queen, Merzan is finishing up getting dressed in Tahitian clothes for the first time. He’s feeling a bit awkward in the strange wardrobe. We see him from the waist up finishing getting ready to attend this reception in his honor.

  Merzan steps out through the door of his room into the front room where Matahina, her Mother and Father are waiting. They look at Merzan.

  Matahina has pride in her eyes as she gazes into Merzan’s eyes.

  Matahina detects held-back laughter from her Mother and Father and looks at them as if to scold them for making fun of Merzan. Then Matahina notices they are looking at Merzan’s feet.

  Surprised by their unexpected behavior, Matahina looks at Merzan’s feet. He’s wearing his own shoes and socks – which look completely out of place and quite ridiculous with his Tahitian wardrobe.

  Matahina starts laughing then runs to Merzan and hugs him to wipe away any embarrassment he might feel. Merzan u
nderstands his mismatched outfitting and starts laughing. The King and Queen start laughing. Matahina, seeing them all equally engaged in laughter, relaxes what she thought might easily be terribly awkward and lowers her own laughter to a caring smile. She then takes control and says, “if you are all quite finished with your childlike behavior...” She bursts out with laughter once again unable to control herself. They all laugh more. Then she stops herself abruptly to try to add a serious intent to the situation. “Are you finished,” she barely states with a serious tone. The three feel somewhat caught by her comment and silence themselves readily. Matahina, again starts laughing as she was simply tricking them with a bit of playful behavior herself. They all laugh even more. Matahina understands that Merzan is truly welcomed into their household. That, means the world to her.

  Meanwhile, Temaru fetches some traditional sandals and hands them to Matahina.

  Matahina sits Merzan down and takes it upon herself to change his shoes for him. She lifts his socks away with the tips of her fingers. Touching the soiled socks are not something she is enjoying. We see her (continued playfulness) when she shows some disgust as she tosses them away. She rubs her fingers together as if removing left over debris to give closure to touching the socks. Everyone minimizes another burst of laughter with a bit more restraint. They are having fun.

  So now they are ready to go to the reception hall. Matahina and her mother step ahead toward the front door. Temaru takes Merzan to the side. Without being seen by Matahina, he hands Merzan a beautiful orchid. Merzan has never, in his life, seen a flower of such beauty and perfection. He pictures a thousand photographic images in his mind in the short moment that the King hands it to him. Merzan looks at the King expecting him to comment. Instead, the King simply smiles and ever so slightly nods. Merzan completely understands.

  The girls, now ready to walk out the door, look back for the men. Merzan stops Matahina by stepping deliberately in front of her. This comes as a surprise and Matahina waits to see what Merzan needs. He lifts the perfect orchid up into view. Matahina melts with a breathless response and looks at Merzan with her deepest affection. Her parents are just behind Merzan in her peripheral view and she can see the warmth in their expressions watching this courtship that is taking place. Merzan lifts the flower the rest of the way and starts to place it in her hair. Matahina takes her hands and holds Merzan’s hands, helping the orchid find its place just right. The way their hands are caressed, holding the amazing flower as it finds its way landing against Matahina’s silky black hair turns into a spectacular photographic image – one which, of course, Merzan’s eyes are quick to capture.