by Young
The arrival of the prince and the sheik punctuated our lesson. We were ferried to an eighteenth-century fortified bastion, north of Casablanca’s city center; for a scrumptious savoir-faire, that only the Marocain en français knew how to prepare.
Third Week of August 2014
My Reply to Andy and David
Hi guys,
Sorry for my delayed response. The past week I’ve been swamped with work. First and foremost, I like to thank Andy for singing my praises. I’m humbled by his love and for holding me on a pedestal. I’m by no means an angel. Like all humans, I have foibles and idiosyncrasies even though my ex-lover/Valet chose to see me otherwise. ??
Without further ado, I’ll tend to the question at hand. My relationships with my ex-Valets and BBs had always been earnest and profound. I am grateful for their loving guidance and altruism, especially from Andy. I admire his inner strength and extraordinary gallantry. He was always at the ready to soothe the belligerent patches I had gotten into.
As the both of you are aware, our Arabian patriarchs, matriarchs, and their household members were not the easiest to please. The ego tends to incite excessive rapaciousness with wealth and power. I managed to outmaneuver these volatile minefields with ease and grace with the counsel of my Valets, BBs, and teachers. Without their skillful supervisions, I would have gotten myself into a ruckus. There were instances when the adolescent moi, acted defiantly. But when all was said and done, I scampered for their assistance. Their valuable advice helped me to cope with chaotic situations. I am grateful and thankful to my mentors for their unconditional love and unfading devotion.
David, I will address the subject of angelology in my next email. I wish you guys the very best.
Regards,
Young
The Down (Chapter Twenty-Three)
“Feathers appear when angels are near.”
Bernard Tristan Foong
Early in July 1968
Marazion, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Since our arrival at Sissinghurst Court, Mrs. Levenport was happy to see her son’s radiance return. She was more than delighted to loan her family’s chauffeur and car for our three-day sojourn to Cornwall. We agreed to deliver Albert back to the Cotswolds before Andy, and I left for London after our trip. I met Uncle James, my mother and her accompanying entourage for a two weeks’ vacation in Europe; while my Valet stayed in London to spend time with his mother and siblings.
Little was I aware that my mum had gotten wind of my affair with my Big-Brother/Valet and chaperone. The real reason for her European tour was to whisk me away to obtain the truth about Andy and my relationship from moi. In the event I did not fess up, the accompanying aunties and cousins were drill sergeants to assist her to get the score.
But for the moment, Andy, Albert and I were absorbed in each other’s company, and to enjoy the scenic drive from the Cotswolds to Cornwall. A crystal blue sky greeted our arrival at Cornwall’s coastal town of Marazion. Half a mile offshore was the infamous Karrek Loos yn Koos (Cornish); better known as Saint Michael’s Mount. This small National Trust tidal island was made passable to Marazion between mid-tide and low water via a causeway of granite setts. Passenger boats carry visitors between the two destinations during high tide.
The civil parish of Marazion was and still is lined with art galleries and curio shops. This enchanting community is where fantasy becomes a reality. When we finally arrived at The White Unicorn, a charming restaurant overlooking the water reverie washed over me.
The Angelologist
Andy had called ahead to Dr. Augustin before our arrival, and the angel expert had agreed to meet us at The White Unicorn upon our arrival. He was eager to hear Albert and my angelic encounters. When we stepped through the eatery, a suave looking gentleman welcomed us. He had on a pale blue suit, cream colored shirt with a matching polka dot bowtie, striped socks and a pair of tan colored loafers completed his ensemble.
He extended his hand to ours when he took off his Panama hat. I was enthralled by his youthfulness, and graceful mannerisms, not to mention his rich alto voice which reminded me of an operatic maestro. Dr. Olivier Augustin would be Sergei Diaghilev clone if the impresario were still alive. This retired professor also possessed a certain je ne se quoi, that Gustav von Aschenbach in the 1912 novella - Death in Venice would be proud of.
During my teenage life, I had encountered many debonair, but none had left such an astounding impression as this sophisticated angelologist opposite me at The White Unicorn.
He declared, “You guys come highly recommended by my longtime friend, Professor Frederick Thomason. He told me about your fairy encounters.”
“It is Young who had the fairy encounters with Dr. Thomason.” My Valet looked at me to comment.
No words came out. I was tongue tight in the presence of this illustrious gentleman. As if I had committed a crime, I nodded sheepishly.
Dr. Augustin stared at me intently and gave me a kindly smile.
“Don’t be bashful, young man. I’m here to shed light on your preternatural experiences, not to intimidate you. Tell me about your angelic encounters?” he expressed.
“Albert can go first,” I chirped.
While my friend explained his angelic contretemps, I was spurred into an out-of-body transcendence. As if I have extrasensory perception I saw through the angelologist guise. Concealed by his aging exterior was a pair of folded wings tugged snugly against his muscular back. Hidden behind his spectacled eyes were bright beams that saw through a person’s identity. Golden effervescence encircled his receding hairline. His wrinkled face was not of a transitory man but a glowing immortal.
Although I was aghast by what I saw, I maintained equipoise. When Oliver turned his attention on me, his obsecrated look silenced my extemporaneousness. I knew instantly, I was face to face with divinity. This man was a seraphic messenger. His mission was to illuminate and guide those who have had supernatural experiences and assist them in finding meaning in their celestial engagements.
Angels
When Albert finished his angel narration, the professor spoke. “My dear boy, angels are spirit entities and can assume different guises. Often, they take on a familiar form when they appear to an individual. Their task is not to frighten the person. Your heavenly vision is only comprehensible to you, and you alone can decipher the meaning of the angel’s manifestation.
“In the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, angels are unseen apparitions that carry out God or Allah’s bidding in care of ‘His’ flock. These numinous messengers assume different physical forms. Most humans are unaware they’d encountered angels.”
I queried, “How often do angels appear as humans?”
“More often than you realize. In the biblical text: Hebrews 13:2, it states: ‘Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.’ This passage clearly states that at any time it is possible to encounter angels without the person/persons being conscious of their preternatural nature,” Dr. Augustin explicated.
I glanced at the man meaningfully.
He added, “You see, Young when an angel or angels appear, they often materialize in a configuration that is characteristic of those living in that area.”
He glinted at me surreptitiously before he resumed, “I’ll cite you some examples: in biblical times, Abraham’s angels dressed and looked like the people of his day. On the other hand, an Andean missionary saw an angel that was akin to an Ecuadoran. And so, did a Mexican family who encountered two angels that resembled their skin color. While white Americans chanced upon Caucasian looking angels, Haitians met angels who were of dark skin tones. An angel’s ministry is to be inconspicuous and be able to blend into the community they serve.”
I chimed spiritedly, “The angels I saw were masculine and had strapping wings.”
“That’s because you prefer your own gender. For you to grasp the angels’ messages, they took on strong silhouettes, so you ca
n better discern their directives,” he responded knavishly.
“There are exceptions. The Good Samaritan-type of angels can appear as a person of another race or culture. ‘God’ is good at breaking down walls of prejudice. There are also empyrean warriors who are tall and sturdy. Like the angels, Joan of Arc grappled with. In their traditional forms, angels appear as beautiful entities to bolster a person’s faith.”
He paused before he resumed, “In Exodus 3:2, the Bible declared: ‘The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses as flames in the burning bush.’ Another verse from Psalm 104:4 conferred: ‘Angels are a flaming fire.’ Many subjects in my angelology sessions report that they saw angel or angels as bright lights, that start as a glow and eventually turn to sparkling brilliance - like a configuration of a person bathed in light. Yet, there are those who could describe the angel/angels they met in detail; from their features to their habiliments.”
Albert questioned, “Is this how the sight of an angel’s halo originated?”
Olivier broke out in mirth before he iterated, “Many observers told they beheld a pure white light that was brighter than any whiteness they had ever seen. And there are others who describe the iridescence as a pinkish glow, or opalescent mother-of-pearl, or a chatoyant blue, or of prismatic rainbow hues.
“The one feature that all angel visionaries agreed upon is the depth of love and compassion in the angels’ eyes. They disclose that their seraphic experiences had left them with an enigmatic peace; a serenity they’d been searching for, for most of their life.”
Augustin looked at me searchingly, “Young, now is your turn to reveal your beatified experiences. Your beloved revealed a little of your paradisiacal phantasm over the phone, but I want to hear your testimonial.”
I blurted deucedly, “Sir, you’re an angel. Aren’t you?”
Disbelief crossed my companions faces. Neither Albert nor my Valet knew how to respond to my precipitous promulgation. It was the angelologist who evanesced my proclamation.
The man laughed heartily before he propagated, “My dear fella, everyone is an angel in our peculiar ways. I’d spent most of my life immersed in angelology and have yet to derive a conclusion to their existence. Stories abound of angel sightings and experiences, but I have yet no empirical proof of their subsistence.”
“You don’t need validation when you are an angel,” I hallowed.
The man burst into another round of hilarity. “Young, it’s sweet of you to think of me as an angel. I pray you wouldn’t witness my wrath when I’m enraged by wrongful deeds inflicted on the meek and helpless.”
“That is because you’re a warrior angel; like Archangel Michael,” I announced.
“Thank you for the compliment. You, young man, better not be present to witness my dudgeon when my fury takes flight,” he quipped.
Angelology
Andy jumped in to curtail my averments.
“Dr. Augustin, please enlighten us about angelology,” he requested.
“What is angelology?” Albert questioned.
“My dear boys, there are many viewpoints about angels. Some believe angels are human beings who have died while others believe that angels are dispassionate sources of power. There are also those who deny their existence. I hope my angelology seminars will rectify these false beliefs. The rudiments of angelology are the study of angels and their relationship to humanity, and their service to God/Higher Power/Allah’s purposes on earth. In this context, I use the term God or Allah to mean a greater power.”
Andy asked, “What does the Bible say about angels?“
“First, I must clarify that humans do not become angels after they die. Although angels take on human form temporarily to fulfill a mission they are not human beings. The Almighty created angels like ‘He’ created humanity. These supernal entities are of a different order from homo sapiens,” Olivier elucidated.
Albert inquired, “Are angels assigned a gender?“
“Neither the Bible nor the Quran sanction the gender of angels. Whenever gender is ‘assigned’ to an angel in the sacred books, it is implied as male. The names given to angels are Michael (Mika’eel in the Quran) and Gabriel (Jibreel in Islam). These are epithets that are generally considered masculine monikers,” the professor explained.
“Does everyone have a guardian angel?” I raised.
“There is no doubt that good angels help protect believers, reveal information, guide people, and minister to God/Allah’s flocks. The unanswerable question is whether each person or believer has an angel allotted to him or her.
“My question to you, Young, is you’ve yet to tell me your angelic encounters,” Augustin pressed.
I brushed his query aside and questioned, “Are seraphim and cherubim, angels?“
“Cherubim or cherubs are angelic beings involved in the worship and praise of the All-Powerful. In addition to singing God/Allah’s blessings, they also serve as a visible reminder of the majesty and glory of ‘His’ abiding presence with ‘His’ people. The only biblical text that specifically mentions Seraphim is in Isaiah chapter 6. They are referred to as the ‘fiery, burning ones.’
“Angelology gives us God’s perspective on angels. Angels are intimate beings who worship and obey The Almighty. Often, ‘He’ sends angels to arbitrate the course of humanity and assists us to recognize the strife between God’s messengers and the dark forces; like Satan or Maalik and his demons - the guardians of Hell as stated in the Quran. Once we comprehend that angels are created entities; angel worship or supplication pilfers the All Almighty’s the glory that is ‘His.’
“The key fact in angelology is found in the Bible - Hebrews 1:14. The text affirmed: ‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’” the angelologist declared before we departed The White Unicorn.
A pirouetting feather floated onto my palm when we were leaving the premise. I inserted the down into my trouser pocket without giving it a thought.
Inspired by Admiration and Motivated by Envy (Chapter Twenty-Four)
“Admiration looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.”
Dr. Bosh Van-Damme
Second Week of November 1968
At Brasserie La Bavaroise, Casablanca, Morocco
Mario, being Mario, knew all the latest in places to go. This well-informed fashion and portrait photographer got wind of Brasserie La Bavaroise, a newly open French brewery. Not only was this refined Bavarian establishment artfully decorated, but it also boasts the most exquisite French/Moroccan gastronomic steak dishes outside of Paris.
Our guest of honor was none other than the Roman Catholic Belgian scholar, Dr. Boch Van-Damme. The professor’s Moroccan girlfriend, Mariam Saadoune, his former student and a graduate of the Paris-Sorbonne in Music and Musicology, joined our party of twelve. This educated Muslim libertarian was progressive before her time and caused much anxiety in her orthodox family. Tall and talented, she was assigned by a Paris modeling agency to walk the fashion runways.
Mario wasted no time to solicit her participation in his Sacred Sex in Sacred Places photography project. Although her lover was apprehensive about her involvement, this young lass was eager to experience life. She did not get this far by abiding by convention. While her Orthodox peers were and still are forbidden from having sex before marriage, Mariam or Maria (her preferred pseudonym) was already fornicating with her Caucasian professor. For those in the know, Boch and her platonic façade was a cover-up to their sex before marriage relationship.
Like many women before her, she had slept her way to the top. An acceptable vocation to climb the ladder of success. Unlike, her fellow Maghrebian compatriot Kalf, who was her opposite in every way; this lass rose without shame or self-doubt but with credence and gaiety.
Although Kalf apologized to me after his unscrupulous outburst, it was done with civility and not from sincerity. His jealousy, insecurity, and immaturity eventually led to his untimely demise. A year and a half after our fa
rewell in Marrakesh, he committed suicide. It was the Count who broke the news to Andy and me at Bryanna’s wedding in Zürich. The photographer and Kalf’s affaire de coeur lasted for two months before the Italian went on to greener pastures. With a new beau in tow, the Tunisian was history. Yet, during their brief involvement, the manipulative Kalf had unfurled a rift between Tad and his bosom pal, Mario. A fracture that took my Valet and me much blandishment to mend their once inextricable bromance before reparation was reinstalled.
For now, our party dined delightfully on the brasserie’s specialty - grass-fed جبال الأطلس, Jebal al-Atlas steak served with pomme frites, and delicious French-style sauces, together with buckets full of الداخلة El Daḵla oysters. And by no means least, an array of decadent Moroccan desserts.
Table Conversation
The conversation soon swiveled to the unexpected. Señor Triqueros remark sparked a lengthy colloquy among the adults.
“Boch, I’m envious of your accomplishments,” Victor expressed facetiously.
“Vic, you are not doing badly,” the Belgian parried.
“But you have a gorgeous girlfriend to boot,” my teacher remarked.
The men laughed.
Van-Damme queried, “Is this a case of admiration and envy, my friend?”
Before the Señor could respond, Boch resumed, “Admiration is a noble sentiment. Like I admire you for admiring others. In this instance, I detect a taste of humility in your admiration. There are two paths to admiration and envy.”
The Prince chimed, “What are the paths?”
The Belgian replied, “We usually associate envy as inherently bad – a ‘feeling of mortification and ill-will occasioned by the contemplation of superior advantages possessed by another.’ An envious person deprives others of their advantages, which to him or her is as desirable as it would be to secure the same benefits for him or herself. If this passion is to run riot, it becomes fatal to all excellence; even to those who exercise exceptional skill.”