Pythagoras the Mathemagician

by Karim El Koussa

  Confused, Hamelkon looked at them in turn yet desisted from asking for clarification. He bid them goodnight with a slight, yet respectful nod and walked away without a question. Parthenis watched him as he scratched his head, glanced at them above his shoulder then continued on his way, scratching his head again. She chuckled, amused by his puzzlement.

  Pherecydes bent to smack a brotherly kiss on her forehead, and, as he did, he whispered in her ear, “I will be praying for the prophecy to become a reality, and for you to have an easy and safe delivery.”

  “Thank you, brother dear,” she replied with sudden emotion.

  * * *

  The tranquility of the Grecian waters surrounded the Phoenician ship. The couple leaned on the banister, waving farewell to Thales and Pherecydes at the shore. The “Astarte” stirred slowly away from the Athenian port. In a mist of time, Athens faded like a land of ghosts. Images from Delphi could still be seen, but not for long, Parthenis thought, as, in a while, it would be as invisible to them as the world beyond to the mortals. Only the memory of places would remain alive in her mind; Delphi in particular because of the prophecy. At this very moment, she fathomed the enormous responsibility that befell on her at carrying in her womb a kind of savior; a future great man. With every internal motion of her unborn son, she braced more and more the magnitude of such an event.

  Why me? She wondered for the hundredth time since she had heeded the prophecy. Will I be up to it?

  She shivered with angst at the idea of failing the mission that had befallen her.

  At night, the Polar Star - the Phoenician Star as called by the Phoenicians themselves, and later by the Greeks - shone brightly in the vast firmament. From her spot on deck, Parthenis gazed at the reflection of the star on the surface of the water. She recalled the statement of the Captain, at the start of their trip, on the extent of their dependency on the stars for navigation. She pondered on that fact while her mind mulled over a name for a child of such great destiny. She knew somehow that the star of the sea held the answer to her query. However, no matter how hard she tried to read the message, the letters remained concealed inside the Light of the Star.

  She waited…

  With a sudden sense of urgency, she felt she needed Mnesarchus at her side at that very moment, so together, hand in hand, as one in thought and spirit, they could decipher the name of the fruit of their love.

  She had to wait though until the next morning to tell her husband about her nightly inquiry with the stars.

  He grabbed her hand to urge her patience and replied in a tender tone, “Parthenis, my love. I fully understand your concern, but there is no need to rush. Come on, dear! We still have almost four more months ahead of us! By then, we will have decided on the name,” He promised and she appreciated his attempts to reassure her.

  Yet his kiss met but her lips twisted in disappointment.

  The “Astarte” edged closer to the harbor of Saydoun on the seventh day, while the sun slipped in the horizon with all its golden warmth. A serene tranquility ruled the port ignited with hundreds of soft lights. From afar, the temples of the city materialized in an aura of enigmatic holiness. The city appeared lurking in religious silence.

  However, when the ship docked at the port, the city revealed its real aspect. For Parthenis, it was like a sudden sprint of life. Citizens bustled on their daily tasks. Curious foreigners halted to watch the ship. Porters scuttled in competition to catch some wealthy travelers and gain a few coins. Anxious merchants paced the pier in wait of their new goods. Families waved with cheerful hails at their beloved ones reaching home.

  Dusk had passed away, when the travelers disembarked eagerly. Mnesarchus and Parthenis waited for the first moments of rush to lessen in order to go ashore. Having bid farewell to the Captain, they stepped on firm land with a sense of relief. Mnesarchus gave his instructions to have their luggage delivered home. Relieved from that burden, the couple, hand in hand, took the dimly lit alley towards the city. The road conveyed them to the Souk on their way home. Parthenis sighed in content.

  “Oh goodness, I really missed my hometown!”

  Mnesarchus smiled at her. “I wish I could say the same, my love, but the truth is that I seldom miss any place in particular. I got used to different countries and long trips.”

  “Of course, I see.” she sighed with a hint of sadness then groaned gently, “You are always on the move, always traveling and trading.”

  “Did I hear a complaint here?” he taunted her and prompted to take her in his arms.

  She sighed again, feeling tired by then. “It’s just that I can’t help missing you when you leave.”

  “I know, my love, but rest assured, this will change in time.”

  She leaned on his chest, wanting to surrender to the comfort of his warmth. He kissed her forehead, lifted her face to him by the chin, and murmured, “We’re almost home, sweetie. You are exhausted. Hold on there! A few more minutes and we will be home.”

  “Home…,’ she intoned after him.

  “Yes dear, home.”

  A sweet fragrance of Cedar welcomed them in their abode, along with a balmy sense of security. She knew that even Mnesarchus yielded to that invisible, yet substantial, power of belonging. He had admitted that to her once. She remembered his words whose deep connotation she now fully understood for having been away for a while.

  Wherever we go, we will always return to our homeland; there, where for the first time ever, we came to see the light of life.

  * * *

  As early as the following afternoon, the expecting parents initiated their preparations for the birth of their first baby. They roamed the souk in look for some baby clothes, bed linens, and other related items. As they moved from shop to shop, the news of her pregnancy spread through the market. The villagers stopped them to convey their best wishes. Some took their time to converse with them, some gathered around them with advices and suggestions. Their genuine care and happiness touched Parthenis deeply, especially when some cheered at her passage: “A firstborn is always a blessing to celebrate!”

  Over and over again, she would heed the same wholehearted murmur: “A child is to be born to Mnesarchus, a successful trader and to Parthenis, a fine lady!”

  Could it be the enthusiasm of the Saydounians that made the announcement spread fast and far? Or was it the premonition of some great news? The fact was that it crossed the borders to reach Sur, the birthplace of Mnesarchus.

  * * *

  The expecting parents kept the secret of the prophecy concealed to most, unwilling to share it with people around the Phoenician coast, and not even with their closest neighbors. Only a few relatives were informed in secret. Some of them believed it and rejoiced. Others, however, remained skeptical, giving to time the benefit of the doubt.

  And time passed…

  The pregnancy of Parthenis advanced into her eighth month smoothly, allowing her to enjoy every moment of it. Every preparation related to the coming birth was a feast in itself. She felt overwhelmed with love; a new love she experienced as the days elapsed quickly.

  Eventually, house chores became restricted to the minimum as her pregnancy reached its end. As a result, she dedicated more time to weaving and sewing for her baby; an activity that helped her control her trepidation. One particular morning in which she woke up heavier than usual, she sat on her comfortable couch to knit a baby blanket of purple and blue wool. Joining the twitter of the birds at her window, she hummed softly her own version of motherly glee.

  She heeded the sound of graceful footsteps on her front yard and she stilled in wonder for she did not expect anyone at this hour. The three knocks on her door brought her slowly to her feet. Cautious, she glanced from her window. Two strangers in white long robes stood on her porch. She noted the blue belts around their waist and the blue cone hoods on their heads. Their bearing bespoke of calm confidence.

  “Priests?” she murmured to herself with a frown of surprise.

  With t
he palm of her hands, she prompted to wipe off some wool threads from her dress, tucked her hair back to give herself a proper appearance and took a quick, inquisitive look at the neatness of her living room. Only then, reassured that her house was impeccable to receive, she opened the front door.

  A blue pair of eyes, limpid as diamonds and warm like a summer sky, met hers for a moment. She felt seized, then lifted in space and time; a strange feeling than infused her with peace.

  “Yes?” she managed to blurt out.

  Both priests pulled their hoods backward and greeted her in a serene voice, “Peace be upon you, fair lady.”

  With a reserved hint of smile, she nodded slightly and uttered with courtesy, “And upon both of you as well. What brings you, holy men, to my dwellings?”

  Although clean and their beards neat, their sandals denoted the dusty deed of a long trip.

  “We have come in peace, my lady, from the Holy Land of our God El,” the eldest declared with a gentle voice then added in confirmation, “From Gebel.”

  The name echoed in her soul like a melody.

  “We have received a specific message concerning the singular baby your womb nurtures,” the youngest priest declared. Despite his composed voice, the sparkle of his black eyes betrayed his enthusiasm.

  She shivered then exclaimed with fervor, “Go ahead, tell me!”

  “My Lady,” the older priest addressed her. “A brilliant spirit has exceptionally evolved in your unborn child who is to become a great man of wisdom and authority.”

  First, the prophecy of the oracle, and now, the message of Gebel! She was inwardly astonished.

  As if sensing her state of mind, he paused for the time she took to absorb his revelation. Although she remained composed with dignity, her stillness must have betrayed her internal turmoil. Or was it the fact that she gawked at him for a long moment? Finally, he gave in to his fervor and his serene voice broke in greeting, “Blessed are you among all ladies of Canaan-Phoenicia!”

  The unusual salutation confused her, yet she maintained her apparent self-control. She bowed her head slightly in respect to the spiritual message brought to her by the Priests. She closed her eyes, envisioning the oracle of the priestess at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.

  Silence prevailed…

  A woman of sense, more down to earth than any, she dwelt in doubts for a moment at the possibility of such a mysterious matter.

  She decided to face the transparent blue of those eyes. It was then that she deciphered the answer of his soul. Destiny.

  The priests of the God Al-Elyon, the Most High, had just revealed to her the destiny of her family. She smiled in acquiescence and felt peace at once.

  Only then did the Priests bid her farewell. At a standstill on her porch, she gazed at them, departing without a single look back, as if another mission awaited them elsewhere. Their silhouette, bathed in mysticism by the sunrays, soon disappeared behind a house at the end of the road. She sighed deeply, wishing all of a sudden that she could call them back; these Priests of the Temple of Adonis.

  Adonis… the young and beautiful god of Gebel!

  Adonis… the god who incarnated the cycle of nature to emphasize the spring and assert the resurrection of every atom in the kingdom of life!

  Parthenis welcomed her husband home that same evening with a serene smile. When told about the holy visit, he frowned pensively for a while before he raised his face and both hands up in prayer. With no comment whatsoever, he remained lost in his thoughts until dinner time.

  “What is it, dear?” Parthenis finally expressed her concern. “You have been silent since you came home!”

  He stared at her for a moment in which she titled her head to the side and flaunted at him a flirty grin meant to make him smile.

  “Parthenis, we have to talk about that whole thing,” he answered in a serious tone. “We better keep this to ourselves.”

  “You mean the visit of the Priests of Gebel and their great message?”

  “Right! Admit that it is a bizarre announcement and even more impressive than the prophecy of the oracle back in Delphi.”

  She absorbed the whole significance of his request. Pensive, she conceded in a murmur, “Sure dear. It is a wise decision.”

  “No one should know, Parthenis, not even any of your relatives or mine!”

  “Don’t worry my love,” she prompted in a higher pitch meant to express her total agreement and reassure him. “I shall conceal it all until you say otherwise.”

  She granted him, then, a bright smile. The fervor in his eyes soothed down. His frown faded. His features loosened up. He sighed loudly and relaxed back on his chair.

  “How about deciding for the name of our son?” She proposed in a jovial tone, wanting to redirect his thoughts to something less worrying. “Don’t you think it is time?”

  He smiled widely. “Sure! Tonight, before you fall asleep, my fair lady, we will have the name of our son!”

  And so they did. After a couple of hours of deliberation, Parthenis beamed with satisfaction as her eyelids closed. The last thing she murmured, all too tenderly, was the name of her son.

  Pythagoras[10]…

  * * *

  Pythagoras, the prodigy child, opened his tiny eyes to life on the month of April; the fourth of the year, and the beginning of a new season, Spring. Proud and delighted, his parents, along with their relatives and neighbors, surrounded his cradle in a cheerful mood. The aroma of incense and Cedar wood wafted through the house in celebration. Joy and tears of happiness marked the event.

  From the city square to the neighboring houses, and all through the city, the public announcement reiterated, “A child is born to Mnesarchus, the successful trader and Parthenis, the fine Lady!”

  Saydoun and Sur received the news, yet only the priests of Al-Elyon in Gebel comprehended the real magnitude of this event. So did the new parents who acknowledged the fact that their tasks extended beyond the typical parental duties of raising a common child. Thus, they committed totally to the rearing of their son. Mnesarchus decided to desist from travelling as much as before in order to contribute quality time to his new family and help his wife with the responsibilities of realizing the prophecy.

  Prophecy; that mental revelation of the unknown divine; an aspiration that evolved into faith in the advent of a great man who will contribute to a better humanity; greatness of those which humanity calls saviors!

  Henceforth, the parents would have to see to the materialization of that prophecy. As such, they beheld the revelation in the heart of their inner realm as it became the very essence of their existence.

  In accordance, their life took another course. It shifted from rearing an ordinary child to one destined to be a divine and revered man.

  Divinity, that hidden course of the evolution of Nature and the Manifestations of God…

  Divinity, that essential part of every being living a spiritual life across the universe…

  * * *

  Unease with the new environment of air and light, the infant whimpered. Voices drifted to him. Indistinct objects floated in his range of vision. As most of the time, he craved for the comfort of his previous abode. He groaned, wishing for that unique embrace of late to enfold him in its warmth. The soft voice and familiar scent constituted his harbor of peace and fulfillment. His insides ached again so acutely that he screamed for the soft voice to come closer, lift him and feed him.

  A spasm of nostalgia gripped him. He missed the aquatic dim state of his earlier comfy existence. His body shivered and yelled.

  The soft voice did not delay to come. “Hush baby, hush, don’t you cry, my love.”

  The soft hands lifted him and he felt lighter, then warmer when embraced to his source of food. The anguish of this array of discomforting emotions waned. Happy again, soon to be content, he delighted in the melody the soft voice hummed; a melody he had come to cherish and expect. A deeper voice, now familiar to him, drifted closer. The infant opened an eyelid an
d, as he breastfed from the spring of his contentment, he examined the smiley strong face that took shape gradually. His instinct impelled his hand to that direction. A new sense of security wrapped up around his fist and spread through his being.

  * * *

  A year later…

  The light of the day gave way to the dusk of the evening as the sun faded away. The mystery of the night spread over the Phoenician coastal cities to be soon brightened by a full moon that took over its ruling throne among the stars.

  Mountains and hills consorted in lifting their splendid heads towards the celestial realm. They stood majestically, resisting the course of time. A peak of one particular mountain emerged different from the others that night, glorious with religious chants of the priests and priestess. In the valleys, the harmonious rhythms echoed, so did the proclamation of the special event by these guardians of sacred sanctuaries.

  The nation, akin the priests, anticipated in prayers and praises the dawn of the coming day…

  * * *

  A majestic natural bridge led to the entry of the Afka Grotto in Gebel; the Holy Land of El. Sunrays broke through the apertures of the mountain and into its heart, diffusing in a visible spectrum of light. From there, the Kaddosh River of Adonis exploded in a chain of waterfalls. Cold and powerful, the river flowed through chunks of rocks towards the bosom of the valley.

  Many forms of vegetation inhabited the riverbanks and filled the fissures of the rocks all the way down to the valley floor. Spring bloomed with all its beauty. Soft and pure air stirred through the evergreen flora and forest. Nature, what a phenomenon!

  On either side of the valley, and in the heart of the adjoining mountains, Nature, as well as human hands, had carved in numerous caves to protect living beings from both the fierce winter and the fear of the unknown. Men and women had also dwelled in these caverns, much too often, in hope of spiritual enlightenment.