The Hidden City

by Adrian Tanase

  She looked into his eyes and paused for a brief moment.

  “Well, Prival, everything still seems like a dream to both of us, even if everything is actually now our immediate reality. Philip seems to do better, but I’m still not feeling I really belong here. Many times I imagined that I could move somewhere, far away, where I could enjoy the silence of nature and just be me, but now, as everything has become a reality too quickly, and my mind cannot get used to it, it seems,” concluded Margaret, with the serious face of a child that does not know what to do.

  Prival looked at her for a few moments, straight into her eyes.

  “But your heart, Margaret, your heart, what does it say?”

  Margaret looked down, paused for a few moments, and said with a sincere soft voice.

  “My heart wants me to be happy, I guess.”

  Prival looked at her warmly and reached to hold her arms.

  “And you haven't seen anything yet. Yesterday we only gave you the initial briefing, explaining where you are, and why, because all these questions needed to be answered, but the City and its experience are much more vast and complex than that. Philip? What do you say?”

  Philip could not say anything, and he was as undecided as Margaret was.

  “Are you letting Margaret decide for you? I know that men are more thoughtful and that everything has to go through their thinking mind,” said Prival, with approval in his smile.

  “That's true,” Philip muttered. “But the fact is that I'm here with Margaret, and if she chooses to stay and I go back, I don't know if I’d like that; I will always think that she is here and that I refused this opportunity,” Philip managed to say.

  “On the other hand,“ he continued, “it is very difficult to give up half a life lived in the Universe we came from. I really do not know what to say. I think it's best to let Margaret decide for both of us. After all, she is the leader of the mission, and I have to trust her decision.”

  Prival looked at both, weighed their answers, and said with a confident voice.

  “I understand,” Prival said. “And if you two choose not to stay,” Prival added joyfully, “you can always leave whenever you want, even tomorrow! No one will hold you here against your wish if your desire is not to remain.”

  A long moment of silence followed between the three. Prival seemed to be rather comfortable with this silence, leaving the two sink in the reailty of the moment. After a while, he raised from the wooden log and said.

  “Then, if this is the case, we’re inviting you both this evening, to the Council Building. We’re holding a special reception in your honor. All those who come to us are welcomed with the Rite of Initiation of our City, and if they choose to stay after that or if they want to leave, it's their own choice,” concluded shortly Prival, with a kind face.

  Margaret's eyes widened. She didn't know exactly what Prival was talking about.

  “Initiation? What kind of Initiation?”

  Prival looked at her with warm eyes.

  “The Rite of Initiation is the introduction of the new people that arrive here, right in the heart of the community of our City. You have arrived here last night, but you still don’t know what it means to be among those who live in the City. So, you will both find out, later on, tonight.”

  Margaret and Philip looked at each other, puzzled.

  “I told you we have a vibrant spiritual community here, and tonight you will have the opportunity to feel what it means to be a part of it,” Prival resumed his speech. “The Initiation is a thing that has to be experienced, it cannot be explained. So, I will be coming back to pick you up at 6, okay? You have a yellow clock in the kitchen, on the wall, in case you want to know what time it is. It seems we still need one, from time to time,” he said, chuckling. “See you tonight, then,” Prival said, raising from his log, and walking slowly toward the door of the garden, with his wooden cane.

  Margaret and Philip waited until Prival was far enough on the cobbled road, where they could not see him anymore. They were again alone on the deck, and they were puzzled by his discourse. Margaret said impatiently.

  "Initiation? What kind of Initiation? Did you see how he emphasized the word when he said it?”

  “I have no clue,” Philip said, playing with a piece of wicker from his chair. “A kind of ritual perhaps, to welcome new people into their community. It seems that yesterday's briefing in the Council’s Chamber was not enough for us. In order to become a Citizen of the City or to be at least welcomed into the heart of the community as we have just arrived here, they probably need to hold a special reception for us.” He then paused for a while and looked at Margaret.

  “When you enter a community, a celebration party is usually held. You saw how they were very reverent in everything they do. I don’t know, Maggie, we'll see tonight. But until then,” Philip said firmly, rising from his chair, “I don’t plan on giving it much thought and start exploring the whole house and maybe the back of the house, too. We're on vacation, and that's what I intend to do today: just be around and trying my best to do absolutely nothing.”

  Margaret nodded and smiled approvingly. No matter how many thoughts she would have about everything that was happening to them, Philip always managed to cheer her up. She needed to let Philip feel like he was on vacation, as he was deserving it completely.

  Alone again, in front of the house, she was watching the sun that had risen a little more in the sky, while sitting on the comfortable wicker chair. Nature was vibrating this morning, and you could feel the soft fragrance of the flowers, spreading around in the garden. Few thoughts would occasionally cross her mind, only to leave her for the next seconds with an empty mind, in the quiet coolness of the morning. She was really starting to feel this peaceful city and she also understood how much they needed a getaway from the busy life that they had, just being somewhere far, far away, on a remote planet that no one knew about. And this thought was bringing slowly into her life that something that she missed so much in the past years.

  She got up from her chair and began exploring the garden that was in front of their house. Bits and pieces of rocks of all colors and shapes were put around flowers of all kinds and sizes. There was a specially designed cobbled road all through the garden, in the form of something that resembled a dragon, where one could walk around, admire, smell, and take care of the flowers. After she touched and smelled most of the plants that there were in the front garden, she went in the back of the house, through the small path at the left of the house, and there she found a treasure: a lot of delicious grapes hanging on specially designed poles that kept the vineyard up, many flowers, and a lot of vegetables. There were also wooden logs here and there, that you could use to sit on and just enjoy the vineyard which spread on a lot of space, as one could see the the garden spread on a quite big area, in the back of their house.

  “The people in the City must be especially fond of growing their own food, even if they had food dispensers with the most delicious recipes. It must be that the society in this city is centered around mutual help and sharing organic produce, and not around technology, like I am so used to,” she thought to herself. She sat on one of the logs, and started looking at the gardens that were neighboring theirs. Everywhere you looked there were green vineyards, bushes, and small trees with what appeared to be fruits, of different colors.

  Suddenly, the peaceful feeling in the back yard made her remember that their lives here are endless.

  “What a sensation,” she thought to herself and a shiver went through all her body. “Being endless and having endless resources, while feeling the quite and peacefulness of this place all the time. I didn’t imagine that this would become real in this life, yet still, here I am...”

  She got up from the log that she was sitting on in the back of the house, and went into the house, through the back door. She asked the dispenser for one of her favorite books: “The Lady And The Dog”, by Charles Dupres. In a matter of seconds, the book appeared. It was cl
ear that the book was in the database of the City, as it was a classic on Earth. She gently took the book and smelled it. It smelled like newly printed paper, the casual smell that one could find in a book shop, while browsing through the books. She took it outside and sat on one of the wicker chairs. She opened the book and read the few words of the first paragraph. A fuzzy feeling embraced her and made her feel as if she was 19 again, remembering what it felt like to be a young girl. At some point, she fell asleep and her hand fell on one side of the chair, holding the book tight, afraid maybe not to lose her connection to that young girl that she once was. The sun was gently caressing her face, through the leaves of the trees, while the wind was playing with her long and dark hair. She had arrived in the place where everything was beautiful and serene, a place that she had wished for her whole life, and somewhere deep down inside her, where intuition and silence dwells, she was enjoying it immensely.

  Chapter 6 - The Initiation

  Just when there were 15 more minutes until 6 o’clock, Prival appeared in front of their garden. Philip was inside the house and Margaret was asleep in the wicker chair, holding the book she was reading to her chest. The sun was throwing its last colorful rays through the leaves of the tall trees that bordered their garden, marking another beautiful day in the city.

  “I am here!” Prival announced with his usual loud voice. “Are you two ready?”

  Margaret raised her head, with her eyes half shut. She saw the man wearing his long white robe with multicolored sheets, and tried to remember who he was. In a few seconds, she realized that she fell asleep and shyly waved at him.

  “I am. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep a dozen times through reading this book. I think Philip is inside. He's been probably looking at the clock on the wall for an hour already, to see when it's 6,“ said Margaret with a soft voice.

  “Go and tell him I’m here. The Council is waiting for us.”

  Margaret got up and went inside. After a few long moments, they both appeared in the door’s frame. Philip was trying to mask his excitement, but he was indeed keen to find out what this Initiation was all about.

  “Hello, Prival! It’s good to see you again! We’re ready!”

  “Come on, you two. Let's go. We are expected.”

  The three went out through the garden’s gate and headed up, for the end of the cobbled street. Margaret and Philip were trying to keep up with Prival, who was quite agile for his age, rushing on the country road that led to the Main Market.

  “What is this ritual all about anyway? The waiting made me think of dozens of scenarios today. I hope it is not something to force us to stay here,” Margaret thought, while trying to maintain a steady speed, following Prival, who was leading both of them. Just as she finished the thought, Prival turned his head at her and smiled confidently.

  “Let’s go, you two. There’s no time to worry now, the celebration is near!”

  Margaret blushed a little bit and lowered her head, sensing that Prival had somehow heard or sensed her thoughts. She had to be more careful when she was around him, as thoughts seemed to be not as thin as they looked.

  After 10 minutes of walking hastily, they reached the western end of the square. The square was quite full at this hour with mobile shops with wooden wheels, where people of all kinds were mingling through. Today’s atmosphere in the central market was giving them a buzz, as there were many people shopping, talking loud, or just looking for their favorite items, all dressed in their colorful robes. The usual excitement through the market made the two wanted to stay and look more, but Prival was hurrying towards the south side of the Market, where one could see in the distance the large building of the Council. They crossed the square at the same fast pace, greeting occasional people, who nodded and greeted them back with a smile. The waiting made the two thinking a lot about this reception that the Elders were holding in their honor, and the fact that they didn’t know the slightest thing about it, made them a little bit worried. Only the inhabitants of the City and the beautiful stone houses that shone in the sun’s rays were completely unaware of their ceremony, and that gave them a comforting feeling, seeing how everything was actually following its natural rhythm of existence.

  They reached the Council Building and noticed that the massive wooden door of the building was slightly open. Prival entered first and stayed behind them to close it. Once inside, they walked silently through the corridors that led them to the room where all the members of the Council were waiting. When they arrived, Prival reverently opened the door and invited them in.

  The Council members were engaged in small talks all around the big spacious room. It was round in shape, maybe 30 feet in diameter, with an arched ceiling, and the walls were plastered with a material that had tiny particles that shone in the low ambient light. The ceiling of the reception room was build as a hemisphere, and this made the voices of everyone in the room sound really clear. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and it smelled like fresh-baked cake. A few members of the Council saw the two entering the room, and they hurriedly signaled to the others. Everyone began to arrange, one by one, in a circle, next to the walls, leaving a generous empty space in the center of the room. Prival pushed Margaret and Philip gently to the center of the room and took a few steps behind.

  As long as Margaret was concerned, she did not feel at ease at all. She was surrounded by tall men, with white beards, in long, thick, colorful, and white robes, that were keeping an eerie silence and their usual respectful attitude. Philip guessed her restlessness and whispered in her ear.

  “Don't worry, Margaret, it is clear that this is part of their ritual. I'm sure everything will be fine.”

  The two remained in the middle of the room, trying to stand still and look relaxed at the same time. Prival walked to a cabinet with glass doors and took out two small indigo boxes, made out of polished and painted wood. Philip turned his head to Margaret and whispered again.

  “Maybe they will give us some sort of insignia, as I told you, I think it’s their way of welcoming us in their city. ”

  Margaret told him with a really soft voice to be quiet, though she didn't know what to expect, either. Prival came to her first. A warm silence was present in the room, and each member of the Council was maintaining a respectable upright posture.

  “For our newest visitors,” began Prival, “there is only goodwill, love, and peace in the Emerald City. Thank you for accepting the honor of taking part in the Rite of the Initiation. I know you expected it to be something sumptuous,” he said, looking at Margaret, “or even something similar to a welcoming party,” he said, looking at Philip, “but in itself, the Rite, as it was left by the Creators for hundreds of years now, is simple, and it consists of blessing you with both our love and appreciation and welcoming you among our citizens,” Prival concluded reverentially. The members of the Council nodded and approved with a murmur.

  Prival approached Talinn and asked him to help him. Talinn swiftly came and took the two boxes in his hands. Prival slowly opened the first one and took out something that looked like a necklace, made out of wooden beads. The necklace was similar to his and had a large round and very pure emerald at the end, that was a little more than 4 inches in diameter. He picked it up and put the necklace around Margaret’s neck, with the stone hanging just above her chest. In the same reverential manner, he took the other necklace and put it around Philip's neck. Then, Prival stepped away and put his hands in prayer, over his own emerald necklace; all the members of the council took the same humble position. Prival waited for a few moments and said:

  “May these two necklaces protect you and unite you with the spirit of our community, awakening in you the pure Unconditional Love that exists everywhere in our Universe, and make you see the world as it is, in its simplicity and wonder.” All the members of the Council bowed respectfully in prayer to Prival's words, and kept for a while their hands in prayer.

  An expression of utter astonishment began to set on Margaret's face
. She began to feel every inch of her trembling slightly, as if all of a sudden, her whole body has begun to wake up. Her chest was tingling and everything she felt was starting to generate a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart. It was like a feeling from another world, something that she had never felt before, which she could only compare to memories from her childhood.

  After a few long moments of silence, the Elders began to slowly come out of the circle, each returning slowly to their previous discussions.

  The two looked at each other in astonishment, and they sought Prival's gaze.

  “Well, this is what the Initiation is. It was simple, wasn't it, but I'm quite sure it wasn't what you expected,” Prival told them, smiling approvingly.

  “But … ”

  “Don’t worry. The feelings following the Initiation could be rather strong, in most cases. We have a long experience of witnessing many Initiations, and I can tell you that for each one of them, the experience is different. These necklaces have a special emerald stone that connects you to all the other stones that exist in our City, channeling the energy that is generated by our hearts, together. In our community, everyone wears one,” said Prival, “and all the emerald crystals in the city, including the massive ones, inserted in the buildings, above their doors, work in harmony with the others. What you feel now, is the pure and unconditional love of all the members of the City, including ours, the Elders, and also including your own. The stones not only connect to all the others, in their fine vibration, but they have the property of cleaning and opening the hearts of the ones who wear them. The Creators discovered a way in which they treated the emerald stones so that everyone who lives in this timeless city can have access to this inexhaustible source of happiness,” said Prival, looking at them, with kind affection.

  Margaret looked at him with her big and surprised green eyes. She was as beautiful as ever, showing a radiant face, with her beautiful black and long hair falling down, gracefully, on her sides.