Gul paused to have the idea sink into his friend’s mind. A moment later, he continued, “In this universe, God made the human realm and the angelic realm…and he also made a realm as a bridge between the two. You and your brother are the powers and masters of this realm, and your conflict is in both the spiritual and the physical.”
With his eyes focused ahead, the longhaired man asked quietly, “How do you know this?”
“It began when Malik and I found the scrolls. I told you that we were archeologists, wielding trowels and tiny brushes, before becoming fighters, shouldering machineguns and throwing knives. We were part of a group at a digging site, an excavation. We discovered a remote palace of Nebuchadnezzar, the great Babylonian king. Within the palace, we found a large slab of a granite wall, standing on its own.”
As he spoke, Gul stretched his hand, as if to paint a scene. “And etched upon it were you and your brother battling over the ancient city of Tyre. On both sides of this granite wall were urns that contained many scrolls. Scroll after scroll gave an account of the two brothers in great detail. The ancients believed you were gods.”
Glancing at Gul, he said, “That’s something I just can’t fathom.”
“But here is something else, my friend, about others with the Nephilim blood,” Gul added finally grinning. “If I can just give you an interesting piece of your history, yes? One story in the scrolls describes something similar to what the English Shakespeare wrote as ‘star crossed love’. You were one part of this story, and the other was the favorite daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar. It is a wondrous and tragic story in itself, one that would captivate any listener.”
“Well, now you’re talkin’,” he said turning to Gul and clearly smiling. “Was she cute?”
“The scrolls say she was very beautiful. And she was so in love with you. It is my personal belief that she too had rich Nephilim blood in her…because the bond between the two of you was very strong.” Gul made a fist and shook it in order to emphasize the idea. He continued, “I believe you have a natural, how do you say, compatibility with those from strong Nephilim blood lines.”
At that, the longhaired man quickly thought about his relationship with Dancy, saying to himself, Dancy. Maybe that’s why I fell so hard for her, and it seemed so natural. And being with her seemed to completely change me.
Gul went on with his narrative, “But my friend, the King did not allow her love to continue, because you were his enemy. You fought against him in his designs to conquer. And who can stand, when a god is against you? So, he sought the aide of another god, your brother. They called him Meslamta-ea, the name of one of the gods of their constellation in the bright night sky: the constellation Mastabbagalgal. In English, it means The Great Twins, or in Latin, it is the name Gemini.”
He scoffed, “Heh, so my brother’s calling himself by the whole constellation now and not just half of it.”
Gul smiled and nodded, “Yes, it would appear so.” He continued with the story, “And you, they called you the name of the other god of the constellation. It is the name Lugalgirra. The King’s daughter, being a creative and playful young woman, took liberty with your name and shortened it. The closest translation of the text would be L’girra. That is what she called you.”
Upon hearing the name, he grinned. Gazing down at the symbol on his left wrist, at his true name, he thought for a moment. Then, he whispered, “L’girra. That’s my other name.”
Somehow, he felt a strong connection with the name, as though it gave him a particular identity, and a particular history that he wished to make a part of himself. More so, it told him who he was: the brother of a twin. Looking back up, he waited for Gul to further tell his history.
Adding a dramatic flair to his storytelling, Gul went on, “So, during your battle against your brother, the King’s daughter raced atop her horse to the battlefield. When she reached it, she pleaded with her father to stop his war against Tyre and against you. But her father cast her away in anger, and she did not succeed. As she watched the amazing battle with a heavy heart, she saw Meslamta-ea, unfortunately, defeat you.”
Gul ended his storytelling with sadness in his voice, “And so, believing that you had fallen, the beautiful daughter, in deep and grave despair, took her own life.”
It was incredible for him to hear of his life as a part of history. Turning pensive, he responded softly, “Yeah. That is a beautiful - and a tragic story.” He gazed up into the sky, trying to find the afternoon sun that was hidden beyond the dark clouds. After a moment, he asked, “There are things that Gemini knows about me - he probably knows and remembers this Babylonian battle - and he knows about things I’ve done, probably centuries ago, that I don’t even know or remember myself. How is it that I can’t remember these things but he can?”
“The reason is within how God has written the cycle of your life. In one way, you both are like human twins - even though identical - you still have differences. So, you both are still quite unique from each other.”
Gul took a moment to recall, and then spoke again. “You already know you are opposites: one good and one not so good.” He cracked a smile and said, “Well, let me speak the truth. I correct myself and say: one good and one evil. You are called, or summoned, during times of great upheaval, of great turmoil, and great human destruction. How much the two of you affect human history depends on two things: the stage in the cycle of your life you are in - that is, the amount of powers you have been given to affect the world - and secondly, on who overcomes the other.”
Looking down to clear his thoughts, Gul paused. Then, he said, “Let me be specific. You, in particular, do not always have your abilities. You are called, born, and know of nothing of your life or your role on earth. Over time, as you learn more, and as you become closer to your Father, you are given more and more of your abilities. On the other hand, Gemini is called, born, knows of his exact role and embraces it, but only receives his abilities the same time they are given to you.”
He turned and faced Gul. “Hmm. That’s why he told me early on that he had a stake in my development.”
“That is correct. If you please notice…tell me if this is what you have lived and experienced: You always have an internal struggle. I mean having difficulty realizing just who you are and where you fit in the world and why. The human part of you exerts the greater influence.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I guess with all humans, they, at some point, struggle to figure out who they are.”
“With Gemini, he has no such struggle. He knows and accepts who he is and the reason for his existence. His angelic nature exerts the greater influence.”
Gul became a little more animated, in both his explanations and his gestures. He continued, “But I am sorry. I am taking a while to answer your question. I will answer it now. When the two of you are born, your minds do not remember what you have done in the past. And here, my friend, is your answer. You do not remember because Gemini has beaten you several times. I know, from God himself, that your last encounter was in World War II Germany. Also, Gemini has killed you each of the times before Germany - you have been defeated all of those passed callings. He has not needed to be reborn. He keeps his memories but loses his abilities because you have departed. On the other hand, you, you start anew each time you return. You have no memories; you must relearn. So, that is why Gemini has his knowledge of the centuries and you do not. And that is why God provides for you people like me, in my role, to guide you.”
He listened closely to all that Gul said. Then, after taking one, long, deep breath he said, “So, will I eventually remember everything?”
Smiling, Gul answered, “With humans, God gives us what we need. And as with you, you will be given what you need. Perhaps he has already started to provide. Maybe some of your visions were memories?”
He slowly nodded and said, “I think so. I get memories from visions and memories from dreams. Sometimes I can’t tell what’s in the past or present or future - it sucks.
But then, I eventually figure it out.” He thought for a moment, and then said, “Here’s one I’m still trying to figure out. When I grabbed Paige’s hand, when we were in the water, I got one - a vision. I had a small glass vial of something around my neck. I was in the desert with someone, and we were being chased. And I think the person I was with was a woman - a sturdy, strong woman at that. I think she was my bar-atri just for that lifetime. Just like you’re my bar-atri for this lifetime.” Smiling slyly, he asked, “Do ya like that word? That’s an Akkadian word I just learned from my bro.”
Gul responded with his own smile, “Maybe I would like it if I knew what it meant.”
He reached across and nudged Gul’s shoulder, with a loose fist, and said with a grin, “Well, my bar-atri…I have no idea either.” Then, he joked, “It probably means something like…you’re my guide dog.”
Gul laughed, “You are joking. I know you are joking. You had better be joking.”
He laughed back, “I’m just pulling your leg, dude. Maybe I’ll look it up or something. But I plan to use it again, Omar, my bar-atri.”
Shaking his head, Gul said, “I think I might like Smiley better…”
The levity eased the somber mood.
A moment later, he then repeated what Gul had previously said. “So, he’s killed me several times? Well that stinks. I must suck or something.” He turned quiet and thought. Then, becoming pensive, he asked, “One has to die?”
In a low voice, Gul responded, “This is who you are. This is who he is.”
“Smiley, I don’t know if I can do that.” He shook his head. “That may be what I am. But I don’t know, or maybe I don’t believe, that’s what my role in the world is this time. I just think it’s something different.” He paused for a long moment, and then further explained, “I’ve been thinking about the fight at that big waterspout, over the bay. And I’ve been trying to figure out how I made it out of the water.”
“What do you believe happened?”
“I don’t know. The last thing I remember, Paige and I were swirling around the surface of the bay. She was already passed out, and I was about to pass out. Gemini shot a huge fireball, at both me and Paige. I was so weak I knew that I could only save myself or save Paige - I didn’t have the strength to do both. I took Paige out of the water, and the fireball kept coming. And then, I passed out. I didn’t expect to live any longer than that.” He paused, and then asked, “Who saved me from that ball of fire and took me out of the water?”
Gul answered, “Possibly either God or Gemini himself.”
“Yeah, and if it was Gemini, how can I kill a guy who didn’t really intend to kill me?” Quickly, he added, “But don’t get me wrong, my visions of this guy, the stuff he’s done lately, and the people he and Sik have killed, tell me he’s a mean, evil, torturing, maniacal, sick, merciless, murderous S.O.B. But…” Then, he lowered his voice almost to a whisper, “And I know this is gonna sound just like some pathetic excuse. But he’s my twin brother after all. And my only family on this earth.” Abruptly, he conceded and nodded, “…ok, sure, so he’s evil, maniacal, murderous family. But what if there’s some good in him? Is there another way to stop him? Is there another way to bring him to justice? Is killing him the last remaining option for justice?”
They exited the freeway and passed the T-intersection, where he had saved Allen from the car wreck. There, the wall and metal fencing were made whole once again.
Soon, they would reach his apartment.
Somberly, Gul responded, “My friend, through the centuries, your brother has become a master of manipulation and a master of deception, and a very, cold, and cruel being. It is possible that he saved you, but if so, he could have done it for the sake of an evil end.” Gul paused, and then added, “But why don’t you merely ask God what happened?”
L’girra thought about the question. As he shook his head, he finally replied, “I ask but sometimes I don’t get an answer. That’s when I know He wants me to keep working through it. But the problem is, Smiley, I don’t think I’m ready for the answer. Maybe I shouldn’t focus on possibilities of who, but focus on possibilities of why. I’m alive for a reason. And when I find out why, it might tell me what I need to do.”
On the volcano’s summit, still facing the sun, Gul’s words repeat in his mind.
Then, offering himself a moment of distraction, he slowly turns around and gazes down. There, he sees a handful of tourists walking up another lower peak of the mountain, eager to watch the setting sun. With their cameras in hand, they capture the breathtaking event.
Standing motionless, he is content to merely observe for a few moments.
Then, he looks up to face the opposite direction. Just below, he sees the clouds blanket the sky and completely envelope one end of the horizon to the other.
During his conversation with Gul, many questions remain unresolved in his mind. He recalls the next question he posed to his patient friend.
There in the apartment, Gul sat on the couch. Sparse sunlight began to filter through the stormy clouds and through the one and only window of his small living room.
The television was on, but the volume was muted.
The longhaired man stood looking out his window. Gazing past the wet tiles of the ranch-styled rooftops of the other apartment buildings, he stared into the horizon. He began to ask what he thought was a peculiar, but necessary, question, “A minute ago, you said we are called? What do you mean, like reincarnation?”
With a frown and vigorously waving his hands, Gul exclaimed emphatically, “No no no no! No no no. It is quite far from it - let me explain. Just as Isaiah the prophet is called to return, you are called to return. And each time you return, it is exactly you - you physically, you emotionally, and you spiritually. I suppose I can state it more clearly if I say: it is your exact DNA of body and your exact DNA of soul, and certainly not your soul in a different body.” Gul added further, “It is my belief that at the same time all humans are finally judged, you will also be judged, based on your one complete life, through your many years of existence on this earth. And so too will your brother be similarly judged.”
He thought thoroughly over Gul’s explanation. Satisfied, he then continued to another thing that had him puzzled, “You know, Gemini gave me a note when I was in a pool hall in L.A. On it he wrote, ‘You have no beginning.’ Why would he tell me that?”
Gul pondered for a while, and then said, “Why? I cannot tell. I do not know. By him saying this, it would mean that both you and he are eternal. But that is not true - only God is eternal. I can only guess this: Perhaps because of his victories over you, and perhaps also of his near perfection as part-angel, he has become arrogant. It is possible that he is trying to convince himself of being eternal, and if you too believe, then the idea becomes more real to him.” Gul takes a moment to think, and then he proposes, “But taken another way, Gemini may not be far from the truth. Because just as your human name is of no importance, since God has given you another name, then so is your beginning of no importance because God has made you angelic and immortal.”
Responding to Gul’s explanation, he said, “Well then, I guess Gemini can think whatever he wants, but the bottom line is both he and I are created beings, not creators.” Quickly, he thought of something and added, “You know, that reminds me.” He walked and sat back down on the couch. “Do you remember about that time loop I told you I was in? During one of those loops, a lot of years had gone by. And I mean a lot. But each day I saw myself in the mirror across the bar in that pub, and I couldn’t age one single day. It really bugged the hell out of me.”
“Was Gemini still alive?”
“Yeah, I know he was.”
“As Nephilim twins, the existence of one affects the existence of the other. While both of you are alive, you will stop aging, after reaching the age of maturity. But when you die, Gemini’s angelic nature allows him to never age and continue living. On the other hand, when Gemini dies, your stronger hu
man nature causes you to grow old. However, when it comes to your abilities, when either of you dies, the one remaining will eventually, over time, lose his powers.”
Gul added while shaking his head, “My friend, it is a misfortune that you could not learn the answers to these questions over a longer period of time. But instead, you must hear them now, when time seems short. There is so much for you to know.”
“Yeah, it all probably could have started five years ago, if I hadn’t had that accident. I would have met you and Malik, at the museum.” After a deep sigh, he said, “Anyway, we’re here now, and we’ve gotta deal with it now.”
“Agreed,” Gul replied, “and I will do my best to assist you.”
He turned his head to the side to face Gul, “Know what, Smiley? My brother’s not the only player in this. That dark mist, or cloud…or dark entity…it was the one that trapped me in that time loop.”
Gul looked at him and asked, “Do you think it was making you relive your life for a reason?”
“Yeah, I relived a certain part of it. It began from when I just finished chasing down the first missile, and I had just seen a vision of Sik and Paige, in the San Francisco hotel room. As long as I was making the wrong decisions - not getting involved - the timeline just kept on going and just continued on for years. But each time I decided to shape up and do what was right, the world just seemed to get destroyed and vanish, and then start up again. Soon, I’d find myself back to when I was chasing the first missile - starting all over. For a thousand times, and maybe for a thousand years, I kept on doing that.”
“So, perhaps it wanted you to keep going on the wrong path, to keep you from being involved in the lives of humans?” Gul suggested.
“Yeah, I really think that’s what it did. And that’s exactly what the thing does. In that way, it’s able to keep you on the wrong path. For me, it kept me ensnared in an inconsequential life. Maybe for others, it could keep them on a path of doing something at the opposite end of the spectrum, like something more sinister or more evil. But, Smiley,” he looked down, “that dark entity wasn’t making decisions for me. I was making those decisions to stay inconsequential. I was responsible for all those wrong decisions. And I was capable of doing all those mistakes.” He finally looked up. “…and maybe I still am.”
RB 01 Through Flesh & Bone Page 62