Seasons of Heaven

by Nico Augusto

  “Go back! My light repulses you!” Olham yelled at them.

  One of the horsemen disappeared but unfettered, the second one continued to charge. The old druid was able to avoid the clash and the horse and the horseman disappeared into the rock without a trace.

  “They have never been very hospitable,” Reynald told him with a joking tone.

  “You should not take it too lightly, Reynald,” Olham warned him. “Follow me, carefully.” Reynald followed him and as they progressed deeper into the cave he realized that there were hundreds of apparitions watching them. He and Olham were as silent as the ghosts, trying not to draw their attention.

  Suddenly Reynald spotted what the men have been looking for, “Look Olham! Here they are! What do we do now?” he asked.

  Olham looked to see the two shining stones lying on a pedestal made from a matte grey rock.

  “I will draw their attention to our left side, near the underground ocean. You know what you have to do next,” he told his companion.

  “Wait!? You are not going back upstairs?” Reynald asked him.

  “You know that I have to do this. Our light could not protect us indefinitely, there is just too many of them,” Olham told him.

  “Olham, you know it is not possible, I won’t leave you here!”

  “Yes, it is possible! Do not regret the choice you have to make. I believe in you, do not worry about me brother, we will find each other. Now, take the stones and give them a second chance.”

  The two men hugged and looked at each other gravely.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “UNBREAKABLE BONDS”

  JAPAN, YAMASHIRO PROVINCE 1876

  A loud gong sounded across the lavish landscape that surrounded the holy temple. The crimson red temple sat encircled by verdant trees and the sound of Japanese religious chants began to float through the fragrant air.

  “Tonobu Sanada Roshi.”

  “Kokuchi.”

  A man came up to a woman and took her hand signaling the end of the ceremony. They exchanged a look so vibrant and intense that it could be felt around them in the air.

  The joyous occasion took place during a moment of conflict, in secret. The existence of samurais had been called into question in a country that tried to evolve while still clinging tightly to traditional culture. It had taken root one day during the attack of the village of the Kokuchi by the rival clan the Tonobu. A young man saved a young woman who was grievously injured during the assault. As he treated her wounds in secret he also began talking to her, sharing his doubts for the future. He began to fall deeply in love with the young peasant girl. The secret marriage took place in the Yamashiro province. The reserved young man knew that if his clan learned about his relationship, he would be facing a difficult position. His family would take this marriage as an affront to their honor and the newlyweds lives could be at risk.

  In the middle of the day in an ancient sanctuary, the loving couple began the purification ceremony. They married before the ancestral deities of the archipelago. They were subsequently greeted by the priests. Tonobu and Kokuchi prepared their offerings: sake and local victuals. The ceremony was imbued with calm and reverence. The couple consciously knew that the risk was daunting and that their lives were now at stake. The groom and bride began reading their vows to each other, only surrounded by priests, without any member of their families, therefore not fully respecting the purest tradition. Once bonded in matrimony, the couple gracefully exited the sanctuary.

  After leaving the temple, the newly married couple hungered for some private time. Roshi took his brides hand and led her towards the natural thermal source in the heart of the little village in the south of Yamashiro. As they walked there in silence together, Roshi’s thoughts went to the risk he was taking by following his emotions…his feelings towards Kokuchi, rather than the code the families had followed for centuries. He went into the union knowing full well that the consequences could be banishment…or worse. He glanced at Kokuchi walking next to him. His heart swelled with pride and the feelings he had for her that had broken through the protective sheathe he’d built around it.

  They walked through the forest on their way to the village and Roshi breathed in every detail. Communing with nature and the feelings of peace it brought to his soul was one of the first things his father had ever taught him. “Being harmonious with this beauty that surrounded the human race is to be appreciated,” his father had told him, “Not exploited.”

  Roshi didn’t just let his eyes take in the scene around him, he opened up his soul to it all and instead of just hearing the peaceful sounds of the gentle breeze as it wafted through the bamboo and caused them to swish and click together, he felt it. Instead of looking into it and seeing green stalks, he saw a giant curtain in shades of green from the lightest to the darkest and everything in between. He could smell the earth and he could actually taste what it felt like to be a part of it all.

  As they got closer to the village they could hear the soft, harmonious sounds of ringing bells. Once again he looked at his beautiful bride. She smiled at him through the long strands of silky black hair that hung down to her waist. Her skin looked like cream and Roshi suddenly longed to touch her face. She had the face of a Geisha…perfect, smooth and bright. She wasn’t a Geisha however…she’d grown up in a small village with her family and she’d lived a simple life with her parents and her sisters. Kokuchi loved to write and as a girl she had taken up practicing the art of calligraphy. Her teacher was so impressed with her talent and dedication to it that he had loaned her the tools she needed to make beautiful art.

  After hours of walking a temple came into sight in front of them. It was a small one, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in beauty. It had been built to blend in with the nature around it and looked as if it had grown there in the center of the forest. There were small lanterns burning around the entrance that gave the small porch an inviting glow.

  The couple removed their shoes and entered the sacred place. Roshi had been here many times, it belonged to an old couple that were relatives of his. The old lady was there now. She looked at the two of them and greeted them with her watery brown eyes. Roshi and Kokuchi did the same in return. No words were spoken and every movement inside was slow and graceful. Preserving the quiet harmony of the temple was important and no one was willing to disturb it.

  The young couple changed out of their wedding clothes and took a walk out into the garden. It was another awe inspiring place filled with giant rocks and glorious trees. In the center of it was a breathtaking waterfall that emptied into a small pond. As the rushing water hit the still ones, a beautiful mist rose up and floated around, giving the place an air of mystery. The sound of the water in the center of all of this silence is like music and it relaxes the couple even further.

  Kokuchi looked at Roshi and breaking the silence she said, “What would you like to do now, husband?” She was speaking softly and using a certain vocabulary that in their culture extended respect and admiration.

  Roshi looked into the reflection of his beautiful wife on top of the clear water and said, “My thoughts are like this water. Sometimes I have clear perceptions and they’re calm like the water is now. Other times, they move too fast like the waterfall rushing into the pond and I have trouble. Right now I think of Ikigai.” Ikigai meant that everything one does is in perfect harmony with one’s self in every different social level. It was a word that described him perfectly at that moment.

  As they spoke the trees behind Kokuchi began to move. Small monkeys covered in thick, beige fur came out from behind them. Their eyes watched the young couple but they didn’t seem frightened. Some of them sat near the water and swished their hands or tails in it. A few more were having their fur groomed and checked for food by their companions. This region was their home and Kokuchi and Roshi knew that they were the visitors here. As they watched the monkeys, and enjoyed the way they attended to their lives in such a carefree manner, Roshi smiled. He
thought about how human nature made people want to avoid their problems and this is one of the reasons humans loved animals so much. They sunned themselves and climbed into the trees and sat near the top of the waterfall. They were doing what some humans had forgotten how to do, paying their respects to nature by simply reveling in her beauty.

  Kokuchi stepped closer to her husband and slowly put her head against his shoulder. Roshi encircled her in his arms and they stood there like that with the sounds of nature playing a symphony around them. They closed their eyes and their minds floated on the cusp of their mutual dreams. It was a dream about their future and the afterlife…where they would be reunited for all eternity.

  ******

  University Campus

  Rutgers, 1990

  Matt Hawnsworth walked across the campus to his next class. He was early so he looked about at the other students as they all seemed to be hurrying along their way. That was when he spotted his friend, Shirley.

  “Hey! How is it going? I didn’t see you yesterday in class? What’s going on with you?”

  Shirley looked embarrassed as she said,

  “It’s complicated. Mostly I just had lots of homework to finish and frankly, I'm wrung out. I’m not even mentioning the end of the term paper. I'm not sure I’ll be able to turn it in on time.”

  Matt stepped in close and kissed her on the mouth. Not stepping back he said,

  “I missed you.”

  “Sorry, but I... I really have to work, and I also have to go pick up Yann in a little while. You want to do something this weekend? I’ll have more time then,” Shirley told him.

  Disappointed but understanding, Matt said,

  “Ok, no problem let me know if I can help you with anything. I have to go now. My applied history class is about to start. I’ll call you tonight!”

  “Matt? I’m really sorry,” she said.

  “Don’t worry about it. I understand,” he told her. His voice was sincere and his look affectionate.

  Shirley turned to rush off to fulfill her obligations. She was feeling truly overwhelmed which was not how she normally operated. Shirley was used to adversity in her life. She was born in 1963, in Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville, the capital of Vietnam. Her father was an enlisted soldier during wartime and worked as a communication agent before tragically dying after a bomb destroyed his compound. Given the political instability of the country at the time Shirley’s mom, a British born citizen, decided to leave the country with her parents. They crossed the Pacific Ocean and migrated to Canada and then a few years later they moved to the U.S. Things were looking up until Shirley’s mother then died of a ruptured aneurysm. She was raised after that by her grandparents, growing up strong and brave due to the circumstances of her life and also being shaped by the rough edges of the neighborhood in which she had lived.

  At a very young age, Shirley began practicing self-defense. She never wanted to be anyone’s victim. She loved dance as well and while excelling in that, she was able to maintain a high GPA and obtain a scholarship to the university. Shirley was working on her dreams of becoming a lawyer and while doing that she also stayed active in animal rights organizations and an organization that helped educate children with Autism and their parents to ensure they lived as productive and happy a life as possible. At one of the conferences she taught she met Tim and Elise Northman and their son Yann who had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at a young age.

  As she rushed through the parking lot towards her car, Shirley had to walk past the security guard, Mr. Norman. Something about him made her horribly uncomfortable. For one thing, he always seemed to have a glazed expression.

  “Hello, Shirley,” the creepy security officer said as she walked by.

  Shirley smiled politely and said, “How are you today?”

  “A lot better, now that I’ve seen you!” he said.

  Feeling a little creeped out by his attentions, Shirley amplified her steps while looking for her keys in her purse. She made it to her car at last and drove away.

  ********

  NORTHMAN RESIDENCE, 1990

  The day was so bright that the light coming through the windows was almost intrusive. The birds, seemingly enjoying it were singing glorious and harmonious songs to celebrate the coming of spring. The neighborhood was peaceful and the warm rays of sunlight shone so brightly that they were even visible through the blinds of the house. Dust particles lay suspended in the air, reminding the humans that an infinite number of things exist that might not always be visible to the naked eye.

  Warmly encased in his comforter, Yann opened his eyes. He could hear the birds singing through the closed window of his bedroom. He had to blink back the rays of the sun that had forced themselves into the room. Undaunted, he reached his feet down to the floor and searched out his slippers. Once he found them he sat up and put on his shirt. After buttoning it up, he dashed to the stairs. It was his birthday!

  Yann had been born in 1980, in the town of Hampton. He was the son of Elise and Tim Northman, loving parents and up and coming professionals in their respective careers. At Yann’s birth everything seemed to be normal. He was pronounced healthy and his parents proudly took their bouncing baby boy home to raise.

  As the years passed, they began to notice things about Yann that concerned them. He was very stand-offish with people, even children his own age. He preferred to be alone and communication was difficult for him. The doctors ultimately diagnosed him with Asperger’s syndrome. It’s a form of autism that is characterized by poor social skills, difficult communication and extreme dependence on routine. Because of all of those traits, Yann had become a reclusive young boy despite the efforts his parents had set forth to help him.

  Yann was enrolled in a special needs school that offered the kind of nurturing care that handicapped children needed. As he grew, he developed some very specific interests, the most important of which was baseball. His father taught him how to play and whenever they had time together it was what they did.

  Yann, being left behind in a lot of areas from other boys’ and girls’ his age, was advancing far above them in others. He had an uncanny ability for concentration that normally eluded young children, especially boys. On his eighth birthday his parents bought him a telescope. From that moment on, he developed an unfaltering passion for the stars. Every night when favorable weather conditions presented themselves, he would scrutinize the sky.

  By Yann’s ninth year, his father Tim was completely absorbed in his job as a New York City Police detective. His mother worked for the United Nations and that same year her job became almost as demanding as his father’s. The overwhelmed parent’s, after much discussion had ultimately decided to find an experienced and well-balanced nanny to look after Yann. They met Shirley, a young Vietnamese girl during an autism seminar. She was twenty-eight years old at the time and agreed to take the job. Over time Shirley would dedicate large amounts of her time educating and caring for Yann in the absence of his parents. Yann grew to be completely at ease with Shirley and trusted her as he did his own parents. He came to love her and think of her as a second mom.

  At the top of the stairs, Yann called for his mother,

  “Mom? Are you there? Hey mom!”

  Yann was suddenly awash with a feeling of loneliness as he stood there, arms dangling listening to the impenetrable silence that reigned throughout the house.

  He was startled by the ringing of the doorbell.

  “I’m coming!” he called out.

  He took the stairs at top speed and vehemently clutched the front door knob when he reached it, pulling it open to reveal Shirley on the front step.

  “Dear lord, this is the fastest you’ve ever opened the door,” Shirley told him, taking him in her arms.

  “I'm so happy to see you Shirley,” Yann told her.

  “So am I, sweetie,” she said, kneeling down, “You know what day it is today, don’t you?”

  “It’s my birthday; I'm not silly you know I never forget an
ything.”

  “Happy birthday big boy!” she told him with a kiss to his forehead. “You know I have a present waiting for you. Hold on.” Shirley reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a medallion. “Take this, it will protect you if you feel down or go through a hard time. It can also light up your nightmares.”

  “That’s not true... I know you are telling me stories, but that’s ok, I love it anyhow, and I love you Shirley.”

  “I love you too, my sweetheart. You are really smart for a young boy. You know, when I was younger my grandma used to tell me stories before I went to sleep. She used to say that there existed a magical place... “She wandered away from him as she spoke and excitedly, he said,

  “Go on, do not stop, Shirley.”

  Smiling at him Shirley said, “In that place it was possible to see once again the people that we love. You can find that place in your dreams. You just think very hard about the persons you love and you can travel and join them, wherever you want.” She was very quiet for a few seconds and then she said, “I will tell you more about that another day, I promise.”

  “I am looking forward to it, Shirley,” he told her.

  Shirley and Yann went into the house then and Yann finished dressing and putting on his shoes and jacket. When he was ready they left out the front door, locking it behind them.

  “Let’s head to the Mall!” Shirley said.

  The drive to the mall took about an hour and by the time they got there, both Shirley and Yann were hungry. They ate at a fast food stand in the food court. That was a big deal for Yann whose parents and babysitter normally didn’t allow him junk food.

  After a satisfying meal, Shirley took Yann to the arcade. The place was full of a broad mix of juveniles who were just talking and hanging out and the real gamers who were there for the challenge and the rush of winning their favorite games. To an uninitiated crowd the arcade could be a dark and electrifying place, but to Yann who had his favorite game and could block out all of the chaos around him as he played it the place was an electrifying arena of challenge and magic.