The Simpatico Series Box Set (3 books in 1)

by Dermot Davis

  “Yes,” she said, feeling a peaceful energy emanate from his changed presence.

  “Now, I’m not saying that I can always be in this place, not all of the time, that’s for sure,” he said with a smile as he looked around the room. “People still get on my nerves and there’s always things that need fixin’ and bills that come due and need paying…”

  “Life,” Fiona said with an understanding smile.

  “Yeah, that’s it, exactly, right there, girlie: life gets in the way. But we have to keep trying, don’t we?” he then asked, taking a deep breath. “Otherwise we’re just like the rest of those animals out there,” he said, looking out the window to the desert. “Hunting, killing, eating, mating, trying to get by… leaving this world no more different than when they first came in. No disrespect, nature is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but humans have a special place in this wonderful, majestic universe. The animals out there live by instinct. We have a soul and a higher brain and a feeling heart. We can learn to live by trust. We can learn to be conscious of seeking to align with the highest good, the highest God, of all concerned. And that ain’t easy, is it?”

  “No,” Fiona agreed as she looked pensively out the window. “It’s not easy but I’m going to give it my best shot,” she then said, her internal resolve answering to her call. “I’ve come this far.”

  “That’s the spirit,” he said with a wide grin. “You only fail when you stop trying.”

  “I need to get some sleep,” she then said, realizing how tired she was and recognizing that she would need all her strength and alertness if she intended to start her vision quest next time the sun began to rise. “I could sleep in my car,” she said, as if thinking out loud. “There’s lots of room in the back.”

  “You could use the top bunk up there,” Arjuna suggested. “I got some extra sheets some place,” he said, opening up some cabinets to search.

  “I’ll sleep in my car,” Fiona said as she imagined how grimy his sheets most probably were, even if they could be found. “No disrespect.”

  “None taken,” Arjuna said kindly. “If I don’t hear from you first I’ll come gently knock on your window when it’s time.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate your support and hospitality, Arjuna,” she said and then paused, as if thinking. “Arjuna is not your birth name, is it?” she asked respectfully.

  “Nope,” Arjuna said and laughed. “My earth father, rest his soul in heaven, gave me the name Clayton,” he said, thinking of him fondly.

  “Clayton,” Fiona said, as if trying it out. “I like that name. It suits you.”

  “My spiritual father gave me the name Arjuna. But that’s another story, for another time.”

  “I’m very glad to meet your acquaintance, Clayton, Arjuna,” Fiona said, extending her hand.

  “The pleasure’s all mine,” he said as he shook her hand. “Whatever happens, I’m very happy you came all this way to see me.”

  “Me, too,” she said, still shaking his hand with a firm grasp. “Whatever happens.”

  “I only said that because if you ain’t there in the morning, I’ll understand and there’s no hard feelings. Just giving you the out, that’s all.”

  “I don’t need an out,” Fiona said as she pursed her lower lip with her classic doggedness. “Like I said: I’m tougher than I look.”

  “I don’t doubt that for one second, Fiona.”

  Smiling in response to him actually using her first name, she exited the trailer and walked the few steps to her car.

  “Desert gets cold at night,” he then said, after her. “You can open the door anytime if it gets too uncomfortable or if you might need anything. I never lock it.”

  “I appreciate the offer,” Fiona said, opening her car door. “Have a good night.”

  “You too,” he said as he watched her get into the rear of the SUV and begin to prepare a sleeping area for herself. “Sleep tight,” he said and closed the door behind him.

  Reacting to every single sound that she heard in the dark, Fiona barely slept. Huddled up in the rear of the SUV, she constantly fought off the urge to start up her engine and drive back to LA so that she could jump straight into the arms of Andrew. She missed him so much that it pained her heart to endure his absence.

  The only solace that she could derive from her current situation was knowing that her soul mate was missing her also. She could feel him missing her. She could feel his desire and longing for her and it warmed her troubled heart. It was his yearning for her that soothed her and cheered her spirits. She focused intently on that warm and tender feeling in her heart as a caveman would nurture the small hot embers to keep a fire burning, by adding sticks and twigs. A smile graced her lips as her heavy eyelids began to fall. Finally, early in the morning, the world went silent and dark.

  She had slept for what seemed like just an instant when she heard a soft knocking sound invade her sleeping consciousness. Wishing that the irritating noise would subdue or cease altogether, Fiona chose to ignore it and focused instead on the warm and cozy darkness of her dream state. The knocking sound intensified and she could feel an anger rise up within her. When the dreadful noise increased to the point of completely invading her consciousness she opened her eyes and shouted, “What?”

  A knuckled fist was gently tapping on her car window and it took her a few moments to orientate herself to her present circumstance. “Rise and shine, little girlie,” the voice said as the hand vanished and the man’s body retreated to the little house on wheels.

  “Little girlie!” Fiona said to herself angrily as she moved her stiff body to get a better look of the outdoor scene surrounding her car. It was dark out yet and she still felt exhausted. Is it time to get up? she thought to herself. Surely not. Yet the lights were on in the trailer and she could see that Arjuna was now inside, moving around.

  Reluctantly dragging her tired body from the car and out into the cold morning of the desert, Fiona opened the screen door of his trailer and poked her head inside. Looking rested and chipper, Arjuna was making some tea. She was hoping that it was a test or a false alarm or maybe even a middle of the night tea break or something, after which they would both return to their respective sleeping quarters.

  “How did you sleep?” he asked, his eyes still focused on his task at the stove.

  “You can ask me again in the morning after I’ve had some,” she replied as she entered the trailer.

  “This is the morning,” he said with a smile.

  “The sun hasn’t even come up yet?” she said as she looked through a window to double check.

  “The sun comes up over here,” he said, directing her to the window opposite. “By which time you will be sitting somewhere out there in the vastness of the desert and you’ll most likely be watching each gradual movement of its rise with wonder and awe. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds great,” Fiona said with ambivalence. “You making tea or coffee?”

  “I’m making tea,” Arjuna said with relish. “Unfortunately you can’t have any because you’re still on your fast.”

  “I’m fasting on food, right?” she asked. “Liquids are okay? I mean, I can drink liquids, right? Water?” she asked, sounding perturbed.

  “In the old days, the indigenous peoples would do it with no food, no liquids, no water,” he said, pouring himself some hot tea.

  “This is the desert, man?” Fiona said, remarking secretly to herself that she sounded like Andrew. “I’m out there in the desert without water? I’ve got to stay hydrated, I mean, people die of dehydration in the desert, all the time, don’t they? You’re not giving me any water?”

  Arjuna smiled and sitting down, he took a sip of his hot tea. “You ain’t gonna die,” he said gently. “Nowadays, us white folk do it differently. Yes, you will have food, yes you will have water, maybe a gallon a day to be on the safe side,” he said, adding some honey to his tea.

  “It still sounds impossible,” F
iona said, wondering what she had gotten herself into. “Is it?”

  “Vision quests were not designed for the pleasure and comfort of us white folk. The people that were here before us, the Native Americans, they weren’t wimps. They didn’t even call it a vision quest, that’s something some university educated professors called it when they began studying the Indian tribes way back after we killed most of them and chased what was left of them from their ancestral lands. Sit,” he then said, beckoning her to sit opposite, which she did.

  “For the teenagers entering their manhood, it was seen as a rite of passage; a coming of age ceremony where they would meditate and fast and they would pray to the Great Spirit to show them the way; to give them a vision for the direction that they should be taking in their life. My rite of passage was when I joined the navy,” he said wryly, as his eyes turned dark with sadness. “I would have much preferred a vision quest back then but I was never given that choice.”

  “I see,” Fiona said, feeling like she was understanding a bit more.

  “You’re lucky,” he then said kindly. “You’re at that age where everything is possible. You can do anything with your life. All doors are open to you; you have all the options. The years go by and one by one those doors start closing. You got less and less options to choose from. Until one day, you’re only left with just one option, which is not a choice anymore. You have only one door left to walk through. And that door is death, the final passage. So, choose wisely, while you still can.”

  Fiona looked out the window before her and admired the dark blue colors of the sky. “The sky is lightening,” she remarked. “The sun is coming up.”

  “Take these with you,” Arjuna said, standing up and directing her to a jumble of stuff by the doorway. “There’s a one-man tent for shelter and sleeping. You got some tubes of sun screen there, don’t go burning up and do your best to avoid the direct sunlight. There’s a three gallon container of water,” he said warmly. “I can’t tell you how long to stay out there, that’s up to you and the Great Spirit. You’ll know when it’s time.”

  “Yes,” Fiona said, looking at the stuff and wondering how she would carry it all.

  “There’s a cowboy hat for your head, I suggest you use it. It ain’t pretty but the sun don’t care what you look like; it burns everyone, rich or poor, pretty or ugly, it don’t pay no mind. You got some trail mix and beef jerky in that pouch there, I suggest you chew every bite thoroughly and make it last.”

  “Trail mix, maybe; beef jerky, no. I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Then you’ll be the only one. Ain’t no vegetarians in the desert, let me tell you that, missy. If you can’t find the shade of a tree or a rock out there, you have an umbrella. It ain’t much but when that sun gets high in the sky it might become your best friend,” he said, smiling. “You still want to do this?”

  “You bet,” Fiona said, gathering up what she felt she needed.

  “Walk as far as you want, doesn’t matter what direction, just so long as you find a place that you know was meant for you. You’ll know it when you get there. For some, it’s a hill or an outcrop of trees or rocks. Just remember that the desert is a living thing and it too has a soul. Everything in the desert; the animals, the birds, even the cacti and the rocks… they all have a spirit and a soul. Don’t be afraid to talk to them and don’t be surprised if they talk right back. You want to know your place in the world, then don’t be surprised that everything in your world has their own opinion. They ain’t shy about letting you know, soon enough. You clear on everything?”

  “Yes,” Fiona said, clutching together all that she required.

  “Let the desert and everything in it become your friend and always remember that the Great Spirit loves and protects all of her children. You have nothing to fear.”

  “Cool,” Fiona said only half listening to him as she struggled to get herself and all her stuff through the narrow doorway. Landing back down on the cool earth, she looked all around to get a sense of which direction to take. The sky was brightening in the east and she wanted to land and settle someplace where she could safely watch the day unfold. “This way, I think,” she then said, walking due east, heading straight towards the morning sun.

  “Fiona,” Arjuna called. Fiona stopped and turned. “You are stronger than you look,” he said as he smiled, like he was impressed by her tenacity.

  “I know,” Fiona said with a knowing smile. “I’ve been telling you that from the beginning.”

  “I shall hold you in my prayers,” Arjuna said, clearly supportive of her endeavor, as she walked slowly away. “Remember always that you are loved,” he said in a voice that suggested he was feeling the spirit flow through him. His words made her heart expand with an undefinable joy and sense of increasing peace and gratitude. “You are loved dearly and deeply,” he said as she walked out of earshot.

  Chapter 13

  Walking towards the rising sun, Fiona walked deeper into the desert. The air was still cool and she could actually feel some moisture in its freshness. Small birds darted about as if they too were rising to greet the day and probe out its opportunities and possibilities. Realizing that she’d had no idea how to dress for an excursion into the wilderness, she wondered how long she would make it before her petite ballet-style flat-heeled shoes gave out.

  Switching the weight of the stuff that she was struggling to carry, she admonished herself for not bringing a backpack. She could have easily placed a lot of stuff into something that had straps on it and so carried most of the weight, easily, upon her back. There was not another living soul within miles, she thought to herself as she scanned the beautiful, yet harsh, landscape. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel frightened.

  Despite the fact that she had no idea where she was going or of what to expect, as a young woman left alone to fend for herself in the one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet, the longer that she walked, the calmer that she felt. The earth really did look amazing as the flaming golden ball that was the sun finally made its appearance over the far horizon and spread its golden rays of light and life into the furthermost reaches of its majestic influence.

  Imbued with a golden glow, the desert itself looked like it had begun to awaken. Accorded shadows by the rays of early morning light, even the tiniest plants appeared taller. Afforded greater visibility by their temporary shadows, the desert shrubs and cacti seemed to stand taller and express themselves with a grander pride.

  As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Fiona stopped walking and looked about for a place to settle. Placing all of her stuff upon the desert floor, she kept to one spot and turned her body slowly as if she were a motion picture camera and she herself was sitting in the front row of a movie theater and watching the panoramic scene of that motion picture camera unfold in full cinematic color. Better than any movie she had ever seen, she noticed that the slower she turned, the richer the scene unfolded.

  A cluster of Joshua trees to her left got her attention. Looking like a gathering of tall aliens that were extending their arms to their gods in the skies, they seemed humble and reverential. She picked up her stuff and moved toward the area. Some large boulders rested nearby and, as she walked closer, she could see that the boulders were overlooking a ridge. Getting closer still, it looked like the rock formation would provide shade from the sun and some minor shelter from the elements; perhaps some wind and rain, should a storm pass through, for instance.

  Placing her gear at her feet, she sat down and rested her back against a large boulder. The repose felt like heaven. A large bird, perhaps a red-tailed hawk, flew high above and looked like it was almost stationery in the clear blue sky. Resting her head against the boulder, she closed her eyes. Arjuna was right, she considered, as she focused her mind on her ears; in the desert, there were no people sounds. She could hear only the faintest of noises, the chirping of crickets, a tiny rodent moving or was it an insect in the distance. The faint sound of a bird’s wings as it raced from the groun
d and flew effortlessly into a nearly still wind.

  For the next few hours, feeling very drowsy, Fiona sat in the same spot and looked around at everything and nothing in particular. Although she drifted off to sleep a few times, she never felt like she slept too deeply. She was aware that she wasn’t allowing herself to fully relax and was remaining vigilant should something or someone approach that might mean her harm. The water that she drank from the container was hot but she knew that it was important to stay hydrated.

  As the time passed and the sun had reached its apex in the sky, she became aware that she felt bored. Looking about for something to do, and to occupy her mind, she aimlessly explored the rock formation and the surrounding Joshua trees. Lizards scurried about and seemed unperturbed by her presence.

  Despite her alertness, she didn’t see any larger animals. Considering the inhospitable nature of the territory, she realistically didn’t expect that anything larger than a mouse could successfully make a happy home for itself here. As for snakes, spiders and scorpions, she had no doubt that this was their perfect environment and she was subtly aware that, as she explored, she was keeping one eye out for any movement on the ground that would alert her to their presences.

  As the sun began its descent in the sky, Fiona turned her efforts toward erecting the tent on the most level nearby ground that she could find. Securing a space away from any holes or crevices that looked like critters might call it their home, she easily assembled the small blue tent. Feeling safe and secure inside of the plastic enclosure, she actually looked forward to the darkness when she could finally close her eyes for a serious excursion into the recuperating world of deep sleep. She would sleep deeply for hours and then wake with the dawn and knowing that she had safely made it alone in the desert for one full day and night; she would then be more confident that she could effortlessly do it at least one more time.