Walk With Me

by Annie Wald

  Peter gave up trying to persuade Celeste to turn away, and together they went down the path.

  “Look,” Celeste said. “I’ve never seen so many tulips in different shades of white and pink and red and orange and yellow. And there’s a flowering orange tree.” She stopped and pulled a branch down so she could inhale the fragrance.

  “Come on,” Peter said, wanting to hurry her along.

  “But we’ll never come by this way again.”

  “I’m sure we’ll see flowers like this from time to time.” He took her hand and gave it a tug.

  Celeste held her ground. “Maybe next year there will be a drought and the flowers won’t be so pretty. Please, let’s stop and rest for just a bit. I’m getting a little tired. You’re walking too fast.”

  “We don’t have time, dear, if we’re going to drink from the chalice,” Peter said.

  “Yes, we do,” Celeste said. “And don’t speak to me like I was a child.”

  “No, we don’t, and I’m not speaking to you like a child.”

  “Yes, we do—and you are.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  They argued as they walked, concentrating so hard on gaining the upper hand that neither noticed a humming noise that grew louder as they went up the hill.

  Then Celeste looked up and noticed a dark cloud forming at the hill’s crest. The humming sounded like a thousand doors being buzzed. “Peter, look. What is it?”

  “Bees. Run!”

  They turned and sprinted as fast as they could, but suddenly bees were everywhere. Peter was the first to get stung, then Celeste was stung twice. Each time she screamed.

  They kept running, trying to dodge them. But if Peter leaped to avoid a swarm on the left, another swarm would mass to the right. So he flapped his arms and legs as he ran, but several bees found their way under his shirt and pants.

  Celeste tried to run bent over, to keep the bees from flying into her face. But they came up from the clover and stung her under the chin and on her arms.

  Finally Peter and Celeste escaped from the meadow. Back on the main path, they stopped to catch their breath.

  “Where did those bees come from?” Celeste asked between gulps of air.

  “The sign said ‘forbidden.’”

  “But it didn’t say why.”

  “I shouldn’t have listened to you.”

  “Listened to me? We went down the path together. I didn’t force you.”

  “I wouldn’t have taken it except you were so eager.”

  “If you knew better, why didn’t you stop me?”

  “Oh, be quiet.”

  “We’re in this together—” Celeste began.

  “Shut up.” Peter scowled.

  Celeste had never seen Peter so angry. Her lip began to quiver. She felt tricked that such a wonderful-looking path could turn into a disaster. For the first time, she doubted her postcards. What if some of her other cards had also deceived her? “It’s not my fault,” she said. “We didn’t have any signs in Slouching City. How was I supposed to know it was serious?”

  They treated their bites with balm, but that took a long time, especially since they refused to help each other with the ones on their backs.

  Peter finished first, and he started stomping down the path without Celeste.

  “Wait, don’t leave me,” Celeste said. “The stings hurt so much.”

  Peter turned around. “You can still walk.”

  “I can’t.” She whimpered in her most pitiful voice, but Peter refused to wait.

  “You are so heartless,” Celeste yelled after him.

  “You’re driving me mad, so we’re even.”

  Celeste dragged herself after Peter—and comforted herself that it was all his fault. If she had gone down the path with another partner, the day wouldn’t have turned out so badly. Another man would have agreed to stop and smell the flowers. Another man would have been nice enough to walk slowly. Another man would have waited for her. Another man would have asked her what she wanted to do. For the first time since becoming partners with Peter, she wept.

  When they stopped for lunch, they ate in silence, each blaming the other for what they had suffered. They were still eating when they saw a guide coming down the path toward them. Ashamed to be seen covered with bee stings from the forbidden meadow, they quickly hid behind some trees.

  Kingly Obedience walked to where they were hiding. “What happened? Did you find trouble?”

  Celeste stepped from behind the tree. “Something has to be done about that sign at the entrance. It’s not explicit enough.”

  The guide just stood quietly.

  “This area is part of the King’s country like every other part,” Celeste said, “and we’re free to go wherever we want. So why are there any forbidden paths at all, especially a path that goes directly to the King’s City?”

  Kingly Obedience looked at Peter, peeking out from his tree.

  “What are you looking at me for?” Peter said. “She’s the one who wanted to go down the path in the first place.”

  Kingly Obedience sighed. “No matter how many people read the sign, no one ever believes it. There used to be a lengthy explanation, but it didn’t do any good. People would try to find a loophole to worm their way through, so the sign was put back to the original, one-word command.”

  “So we weren’t the only ones to make that mistake?” The thought made Celeste feel a little better.

  “I’m sure you’ve read in the guidebook how the first partners disobeyed the King and suffered the consequences. Adam went from being Eve’s mate to being her master—from being her lover to being her lord. Eve’s desire for Adam grew so strong, she was no longer willing to risk losing his love. She avoided conflict with him and turned to scheming and manipulating to get what she wanted. The King’s perfect plan for partnership was ruined.”

  Celeste bit her lip, thinking of her beautiful postcards.

  “Today, you too have experienced the consequences of ignoring the King’s commands.” Kingly Obedience shook his head. “I sometimes wonder why He puts up with such flagrant disobedience.”

  “Why does He?” Celeste said. Suddenly it seemed the King’s fault that her postcard scene had been ruined by the bees. If He had built a barrier across the path to block their way, it would have been impossible to take a wrong turn—and she would still have her perfect postcard vision.

  “Because He loves you, pure and simple. Still, He does not force you, and you are free to go where you like. But if you do whatever you want, you will end up destroying the very freedom He bought for you with His life. Instead, you can use your freedom to serve one another in love. That’s real freedom.”

  Peter pointed a finger at Celeste. “Well, I wouldn’t have taken the path if it hadn’t been for her.”

  “Don’t be so quick, my friend. If you have never disobeyed a sign, go ahead and judge her.” Kingly Obedience gave Peter a chance to reflect. “As I suspected. None of us has obeyed perfectly, except the Servant, and He does not condemn you. Go now, and don’t disobey any more signs.”

  AT LADY SOPHIA AND LORD WILL’S

  The next morning Peter woke up and saw Celeste sleeping beside him, her face and arms covered with red welts from the bee stings. His heart again filled with tenderness for her. He told the King he was sorry he had been harsh to Celeste, and he vowed to be more careful in choosing their paths. To make it up to Celeste, he brought her breakfast and knelt beside her. “I’m so sorry for the way I behaved and all those terrible things I said yesterday. Will you still walk with me?”

  “Oh yes, Peter. I’m sorry too. I don’t ever want us to have another day like that.”

  “You know, our journey together may be more difficult than we thought. Perhaps this is a good time to visit Lady Sophia and Lord Will and pick up the gifts they said would help us.”

  “Peter, you are such a wise traveler.”

  The old couple was very happy to see them. “So you’ve been in a swar
m of bees.” Lord Will pointed to their stings.

  “Yes, we went down a forbidden path.”

  “I’m afraid that happened to us on more than one occasion too,” Lord Will said. “Many times we made a foolish decision and ended up harming ourselves.”

  Peter noticed for the first time that both Lord Will and Lady Sophia bore horrible scars. A deep gash marked Lord Will’s cheek, and Lady Sophia had a spread of ugly burns on her arms. But somehow over time these scars had softened, and now they looked almost beautiful.

  “It was so bad, we almost cut our cords,” Lady Sophia said. “That’s why we’re so eager to help you. The journey together can bring such happiness, but it can also be very taxing. The King’s gifts can make it easier for you. Could you show us what gifts you have already received, so we don’t give you any duplicates?”

  Peter and Celeste took out all their kingly gifts and put them on the table. They had sheepskins of humility to remind them of the Servant’s sacrifice, their robes of righteousness and knives of grace, and their garments of praise—capes of fine silver mesh.

  “Very good, very good,” Lord Will said when he saw the capes. “Those can be quite helpful when you feel a spirit of heaviness, for singing to the King can lift your burdens. Now, along with what you have, I’d suggest a basket of remembrance. What do you think, Lady Sophia?”

  “That’s just what I was going to propose.” She brought out a simple woven basket. “The guidebook talks often about how we are to remember what the King has done for us, the love He has given, His gifts, His grace. Take this basket and store in it the good memories of your partnership—and then stop often and look at your treasures. I think you already have many mementos you can put in it: things from your first days walking together, your weaving day, souvenirs of how the King has provided for you along the way. During your difficulties, these tokens will help remind you that the King has been faithful in the past—and He will be faithful in the future.”

  Peter took from his pocket a few stones he had collected under the moon of honey. Celeste put in some confetti from their weaving celebration and dried berries from their first walks together in the grove.

  Then Lady Sophia lifted up a small hourglass that was attached to the basket’s handle. Peter and Celeste exchanged glances. Neither could figure out how it might help them on their journey.

  “I know it looks like a strange gift,” Lady Sophia said, “but time is precious on the King’s path and this hourglass of today will remind you to encourage each other daily, and not to let the sun set on your anger. Make sure your accounts with each other are put right before you go to sleep, for you never know when the King will call one of you home to His city.”

  The next gift was even more puzzling. It was nothing but a plain, humble rag, gray and frayed around the edges.

  Celeste shook her head. “I think you brought this out by mistake.”

  “Oh no, it’s no mistake,” Lord Will said.

  “But what is it?”

  “Why, it’s a rag.”

  “Yes,” Peter said, “but what is it for?”

  “For when you suffer wounds along the way,” Lord Will said.

  Peter and Celeste looked at each other and thought of their bee stings.

  “We have seen partners become so battered and bruised on their journey together,” Lady Sophia said. “Sometimes they wander off the path and fall down a ravine. Sometimes they pick up clubs to defend themselves against dangers on the trail, but when they start to fight, they hit each other with the clubs. It is shocking to watch two adults attack each other. Sometimes they suffer horrible burns from eruptions of fiery anger. If you receive any hurts on your journey, use this rag of compassion to wash them.”

  Celeste reached out and touched the rag. “Amazing. It’s so soft.”

  “It has been soaked with the tears of the Servant Himself. But if you ever suffer wounds that are very deep, you will need to go to the Healing Springs and soak them there.”

  Peter carefully folded the rag and put it into his pocket.

  “We have saved the best for last.” Lady Sophia took out a bundle of sticks. “You will have many companions on your journey, but it is essential to get away by yourselves so you can talk and laugh and share together. If you ever find this hard to do, rub this kindling of affection together and create a warm fire for yourselves.”

  “Thank you so much.” Celeste put the kindling in her bag.

  “Oh, we almost forgot the most important gift of all.” Lord Will handed them a guidebook.

  “We don’t need that,” Peter said. “We each already have our own.”

  “Perhaps we could exchange it for a special guidebook for how to be partners.” Celeste paused as if explaining a great discovery. “That’s really what we need because being partners is so much different than traveling alone. We’d be happy to have the King’s guidance for that.”

  Lady Sophia shook her head. “I think, dear friends, that you are mistaken. Yes, this is the guidebook you received when you started your journey. But the wisdom it contains is for everyone—travelers with partners and travelers walking alone, friends, little travelers, parents—for the King is the source of all love. In fact, we think you’ll find you need the guidebook more than ever.”

  “We’ve underlined a few of the passages we’ve found especially helpful,” Lord Will said. “‘Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the King forgave you, so you must forgive others.’”

  “That is good to remember,” Peter said.

  “And here’s another: ‘Do everything without complaining or arguing.’”

  “I already know that,” Celeste said.

  “Yes, but don’t you see how these instructions will help your partnership?” Lady Sophia turned to another passage, ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.’ Can you think of any better guidance for what to say to each other?”

  “We’ll be sure to bring it.” Peter realized the hard, flat book would make an excellent support at the bottom of his bag.

  “Along with these gifts,” Lord Will said, “we advise you to take time now to develop good walking patterns together. Though Lady Sophia and I had each been walking to the King’s City since we were young, we discovered that traveling with a partner requires a different gait. It took us a while to adjust our stride—especially when we went through Echo Gap where it is easy for partners to get separated from one another.”

  “And always pay attention to each other’s weaknesses and troubles,” Lady Sophia said. “If you feel a little twinge, take care of it right away. Otherwise it may develop into a much more serious problem and make it difficult to reach the Highlands.”

  “How can we be sure we will get there?” Celeste asked.

  “Don’t cut your cords no matter what happens—that is the first and the most important task,” Lord Will said. “Second, don’t avoid the path to Skull Hill when you come to it. Many travelers steer away from it, thinking it is too steep to climb, and they never make it to the Highlands.”

  “Keep your love for the King strong,” Lady Sophia said. “Serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul—and be careful not to turn away from His path. It is a dangerous journey to His city, and there have even been guides who have lost their way, and some travelers have been tortured and stoned.”

  “We are ready to die for the King,” Peter said.

  “That is good,” Lord Will said. “But sometimes it takes even more courage to live for Him. There was another traveler named Peter who had courage to walk on water, but was not brave enough to acknowledge the Servant. You will need much strength and resolve to avoid the Valley of Cut Cords.”

  Lady Sophia shivered. “It is such a terrible sight of destruction. I pray that you will not see it. Listen to the guides you meet along the way and visit the gathering hu
ts every chance you have to share with other travelers. They may be able to steer you away from some of the hardest sections of the path. And most of all, persevere, for in the end it will be worth it when you reach the Highlands.”

  Peter and Celeste thanked the old couple for the gifts and said goodbye. They started off again on the path, their hearts lighter and filled with hope. Soon they were singing and kicking pebbles together. Although it was not quite like their time under the moon of honey, it was close enough.