by Jim Payton
Chapter 16
Early the next day they walked down to Lake Hazar and headed South along its shore. Small clusters of buildings were interspersed with car parks, batches, villages and barren wind blown areas of dust and burnt grass. As Eti pointed out to Janet, snow fell during the winter and made the place picture postcard stuff. That was not to say that where the villages, rather than a cluster of buildings were situated, that they were unattractive. Around Gezin, gardens and trees vied for space with human habitation. It seemed strange to Janet and Eti to see satellite television dishes on the majority of the buildings. Multistoried buildings had multiple dishes. Coca-Cola and McDonald's signs revealed the Western influence even if jeans, tee shirts, IPods' and footwear had not. Modern era designed Mosques had their minarets attached, or nearby. Macadam sealed roads led to European styled houses. Tourist buses caused gulls to lift ponderously from where they scavenged.
At the Eastern end of the lake, at Plajkoy, they found a river which flowed from the lake, and which, with the addition of many tributaries, became the mighty Tigris. Janet and Eti camped there for the night. The sky was wondrously clear and the stars shone brightly.
"This could be the Garden of Eden Eti," pointed out Janet.
"Indeed it could. Part of it anyway."
"What do you mean part of it?"
"Well, Lake Hazar is a pretty complicated bit of territory. As I've said before, there are several fault lines around here with a major one running right under the lake itself. Originally, the lake would not have been here. It formed after various earthquakes. If I wanted to get technical, I would tell you about how this area was thought to be a strike-slip setup with a step-over, which developed into a pull-apart basin, but I won't."
"And now?" queried Janet.
"And now it is thought to be a fault wedge type of pull-apart basin caused by the subsidence of an intervening block bounded by two sub-strands of the master fault, leading to what is called a negative flower structure."
"Which means?"
"Which means one side of the lake is moving towards us while the other side is moving away but that there is an area in the middle somewhere moving from right to left. Furthermore, the floor of the lake is being pushed downwards at the same time."
"So if we have an earthquake?"
"Well anything from a bit of a jolt to a massive shift could easily cause the lake to flood depending on which fault gains prominence."
"Now that you have dazzled me with your science, what part of Eden or the garden do you reckon this could have been?"
"Well this river we are close to is the Tigris of today. Lake Hazar would not have been here at the dawn of time. I don't think so anyway. It may have been in Noah's time, or even shortly after the fall. The Bible is pretty clear that all four rivers came from the same source though. That is why I pooh-pooh the idea of the Garden of Eden being at Al-Quinah in Southern Iraq. That is where the present day Euphrates and Tigris merge. There is a tree there called the Adam tree, but I believe it to be so far off the truth that you can forget it. I believe Abraham would have been familiar with it but not Adam.
"Anyway, I digress. That doesn't surprise you does it?
"There is the possibility that this river did flow into or from of the Garden. Earthquakes will have disrupted things in this area; hence, the birth of Lake Hazar, but God and Adam could have been in this area. I find it interesting that the Euphrates and Tigris are so close together here. It may have been that in early times this current Tigris and the current Euphrates could have come from a lake situated in this general area, and been one river flowing into the Garden or they could have been two separate rivers flowing from the garden. If either of those possibilities were correct then God and Adam could have walked and talked here."
"So what are we going to do?" asked Janet. "Carry on round the lake or what?"
"I think we will go up into the hills a bit eh? Follow one of these tributary rivers for a bit to see what we can find from both a geological and biological aspect."
"So it's sleep now?"
"Oh I think so."
Eti headed into his tent and the sounds of gentle snoring soon joined the other nighttime noises. Janet continued to gaze up at the stars and out across the lake. There was a feeling of calmness and confidence in her. She did not believe she felt a 'presence', but certainly something she was unable to put her finger on. She found her bed and instantly fell into a deep undisturbed sleep.
The next day dawned calm and clear. It was also very still and quite humid.
"A bit like earthquake weather back in New Zealand," said Janet to a skeptical Eti.
After breakfast, they repacked and went back to Gezin. They purchased a few items they needed and noted on their website where they were and where they were heading. Eti included his information and thoughts on the geology of Lake Hazar. They then headed up the valley towards Yesilova. While Lake Hazar and its towns were clearly geared towards tourism, the surrounding area was strictly agricultural. There was a mixture of old and modern. The harvesting of seed was done using old fashioned machinery towed by modern tractors. Sheep and cattle grazed haphazardly, not confined to nice rectangular fields, or paddocks as New Zealanders called them. Beehives appeared to be the same the world over.
Yesilova boasted the required Turkish flag and a Minaret higher than its surrounding buildings. An intriguing sight was a solar panel set up on the top of an old shed.
As they moved further into the valley and higher up the foothills, they came upon huge boulders. Clearly they had been part of the surrounding hills but some were the size of houses and bigger.
Eti continued to point out geological formations and, with his explanations, it was easy to see where earthquakes had changed the landscape. Whenever they came upon a bush, tree, flower or grass that they could not recall having previously seen, they would photograph it, check it against books of fauna and flora that Eti carried, and if it was not listed, they would press it into an album. The day was pleasant and they were quite oblivious of time. Before they knew it, the temperature was dropping and darkness was extending her tentacles.
As had become their routine, before going to bed they reviewed their day and updated their personal diaries. Their review revealed three items they had been unable to identify; two were grasses and one was a bush.
"Do you think there is any possibility of these being descendants from the Garden?" asked Janet.
"Who knows," replied Eti. "If not, we may become famous for finding some new flora and get it named after us."
"In your heart of hearts Eti, do you think we will find Eden somewhere here?"
"If God wants us too," replied Eti. "As we've both said before, and must not forget, the Bible says that God made a garden in the East at a place called Eden. A river flowed out from the garden and split into four. Eden and the Garden are probably two separate places. As I said before, I reckon Lake Van, or somewhere near there, is probably where the garden was. Let's face it. As you so rightly pointed out, water cannot flow up hill so the headwaters of the garden river would have to be higher up than the garden, and the place where it separates into four would have to be lower than the garden. Quite probably, the current rivers are not the originals, but they may have been part of them. That means this area could have been part of the Garden.
"Also, we have to remember when God booted Adam and Eve out of the garden; he put cherubim's and a flaming sword at the East of the garden to protect the tree of life. I have to believe that they are still in place. How and where and in what form I don't know. Maybe only God knows. I think, myself, that the sword will be judgment though."
"So we won't find it will we?"
"Who knows the way of God Janet? Certainly not us. Don't forget though, he has given you this task."
The next day dawned hot, still and humid. Janet's earthquake weather. As they prepared and ate breakfast, a helicopter circled overhead and then disappeared.
"How many times have we had
a helicopter circle us Janet?" asked Eti.
"Probably at least half a dozen," replied Janet.
"Do you think it might be those Galapagos people Jason was telling us about?"
"Very likely. A helicopter always appears and circles us within a couple of days of us reporting our position on the web. As long as they stay in the air they will not be able to check what we've found so let them do whatever they want I say."
A distant rumbling stopped their conversation. They looked quizzically at each other. The birds stopped their singing. A palpable and heavy silence grabbed them. Janet and Eti stood up and took a step towards each other. A jolt threw them together. The ground moved up and down as well as backwards and forwards: so it seemed anyway. Janet and Eti clung to each other. A crashing sound came from the south. They automatically looked. A huge boulder, no two boulders, were rumbling towards them. The size of houses, they were squashing all before them. Smaller rocks crumbled, bushes and trees were pushed into the soil. Goats and other animals ran for safety. Eti and Janet broke apart and Eti pulled Janet behind him as he dashed to one side. Glancing back, Janet stumbled and pulled Eti down with her. Janet started to scream. Jumping back to his feet, Eti scooped Janet up into his arms and ran from the boulders paths. One of the boulders cast a nearby tree aside as it hurtled by, gathering pace as it went. The ground was still moving, and in several places, foot wide cracks had appeared. Snapping and crashing noises continued for a few more minutes as Janet and Eti lay holding each other. A deep silence then settled. The ground stayed still. Gradually the birds began talking again. Normal sounds returned. Animals tentatively moved about.
"Are you okay?" asked Eti.
Janet nodded as Eti helped her to her feet. With their arms still round each other, they drew comfort from the warmth generated. Slowly they pulled apart and checked each other for injuries. Eti was unmarked, but Janet had grazed elbows and knees where she had fallen. Her left ankle ached a bit but there was no sign of swelling and she could stand on it without bad pain. Her toes moved and she declared herself unharmed.
In the distance, they could see smoke. It was coming from somewhere near Lake Hazar. The air remained still and they could now hear the sound of sirens.
First, they took stock of themselves. Their tents were both untouched and while one of the boulders had gone very close, their cooker and packs were likewise untouched. They repacked their gear and headed back towards Lake Hazar.
As they approached Kartaldere, they realised how big the earthquake must have been. There was the sound of a siren still blaring. Car horns were sounding in a continuous harsh tone. Burglar alarms were ringing. While the cacophony of noise was horrendous, the human keening and screaming were worse. While the roads had only consisted of packed earth, they were now ripped apart. Craters several feet deep pockmarked them. Where they wound round hillsides, they had disappeared. The majority of buildings had suffered extensive damage. Janet and Eti approached a car. A falling tree had crushed it. Trapped inside was a woman. The tree had crushed the roof and pushed the steering wheel down trapping her thighs. One of the branches had broken both her legs and almost severed them. The woman was conscious but shock looked to have rendered her speechless. She looked at Janet and Eti without expression.
Eti crouched down beside her. He smiled as he took hold of her hands. The movement, while slight, was enough to shift her sideways. Eti jumped back in terror as the woman slumped towards him. With severed thighs, she had bled out. The look at Janet and Eti had been her last living act.
Turning away Janet and Eti could hear the sound of a baby crying in a house. A crack in the road ran straight to the house and then through it. This had caused the house to also crack and the roof had fallen in. Eti could see some coloured item that could have been either clothes or a blanket. Working frantically, he pulled at bits of wood and rock as he tried to find a way into the collapsed building. Finally, he was able to see the child. It had been in a highchair when the earthquake had struck and knocked it over. The child's left arm was trapped under the chair. Where it had fallen, a table and a wooden beam protected it. There was a small gap between two pieces of stone, but it was not large enough to let Eti through to the child. Janet became stuck when she tried to squeeze through the same gap. She tried to wriggle backwards but that was also impossible. Fear gripped her. She started to struggle frantically.
"Janet, Janet," shouted Eti. "Stop. Stop still. Stop struggling. You'll only make matters worse."
Janet continued to struggle.
"Stop Janet. Please stop," implored Eti. "Wait just a second. You are making things worse."
It was then that the rumbling started again. Janet was unaware of it but Eti could hear it. He knew what it was. Looking about him, he saw a piece of metal pipe lying on the ground. He picked it up and as the ground started to roll, he jammed it into a crack to one side of Janet. Then the rolling ground, caused by an after-shock, freed up one of the rocks forming the hole through which Janet was trying to reach the baby. With a frantic shove on the bar, Eti was able to free up enough space for Janet to fall through. The rolling stopped and then there was another sharp jolt. Dust rose up around Janet and she became disorientated. The sound of Eti's voice calmed her.
"Just try to stay where you are for a minute," it said. "Let the dust settle." The baby continued to cry.
"Stay calm. Stay calm," coached Eti.
Slowly the dust thinned. Janet could now see the baby as well as hear it. She crawled on hands and knees towards it. When she reached the baby, she found that the chair was in a reasonably clear area. She was able to lift the highchair and free the baby's arm. She then slipped the child out of the chair and cuddled her. She decided the baby was a girl due to the pink cardigan she was wearing. Janet rocked the baby back and forth until she calmed a little. Peering about, Janet was unable to see anyone else, but collapsed walls presented her with only a visible four foot by six foot area.
Janet slithered along on her behind, while cradling the baby, back to the hole where Eti waited. She handed the baby though the hole to Eti. She then tried to follow but found the hole smaller than previously. While the rolling had freed up the hole for a moment, the following jolt had crushed the rocks closer together. Janet's claustrophobia reignited itself. She could feel her agitation increasing. Her body temperature increased and her adrenaline re-kicked to commence her flee or fight impulses. The baby decided, at that point, that Eti's care was no match for Janet's. She started to scream. It pulled Janet's attention from her own situation to the baby's plight.
"The gap's too small Eti," Janet said in a soft voice.
Eti caught the alarm in Janet's voice. He took the baby out of the house and laid her in an open area and went back to Janet.
"Just let me have a look," he said. "There may be another way to get out."
Eti surveyed the area. His eyes settled on the car with the dead woman in it. An idea formed. He turned to Janet.
"I will have to get to that car with the dead woman in it," he said. "Hopefully there will be a car jack in it somewhere."
"Don't leave me Eti," pleaded Janet. "Please don't leave me."
"It will only be for a few seconds," soothed Eti. "Hold on, I know what I'll do." He went to where he had placed the baby. He picked her up and passed her back through the hole to Janet. "Here," he said. "Hold her until I get back. If you feel another quake coming, put her back through the hole. She will be safe there." He did not explain Janet's safeness. He left Janet and headed for the car with a prayer on his lips.
At the car, Eti found that to open the boot he would need the ignition key. He went back to where the dead woman lay slumped to one side with her non-seeing stare. Even knowing it was only a body, with its soul no longer present, Eti cringed to touch it. He gingerly closed the body's eyes. He then tried to remove the ignition key. It would not come free. His position made the operation difficult. Finally, he found the button that would release the key. It involved him having to l
ean against the dead woman. With a sigh of relief he got the key out and then yelled in fright as the woman burped. Shaking himself, he went to the back of the car and opened the boot. He located the wheel brace and jack and found the vehicle's first aid kit. He ran back to Janet. He positioned various other pieces of solid rock until he was able to provide a stable platform for the jack. He then pumped the jack until it took up the pressure to one side of the hole. Once it was stable he reached in, took the baby from Janet, and placed her back outside in the open.
"Move back Jan," said Eti. "Better to be safe than sorry."
Janet shuffled back towards the highchair. Eti then resumed pumping the jack. He was able to increase the hole size by two or three inches. Prior to attempting the hole, Janet took a last look around the area. She located a bag partially covered by the table. She was able to pull it free. It contained a baby's bottle, a tin of formulae, some tins of baby food, a change of clothes and of all the blessings, disposable diapers.
Eti had found some more pipe and stout pieces of wood with which he had shored up the hole.
Janet slipped through without incident. She immediately reclaimed the baby and rocked it back into silence. Eti smiled at the baby talk in the midst of the carnage. He left Janet heating a bottle of formulae on their camp element while he went further afield to assist wherever he could. It was late afternoon by the time he returned to where Janet and the baby were. Besides Janet, there were another fifteen or so people around her. Ominously, off to one side, lay six wrapped bodies of the dead. The baby was now with another woman.
Janet filled Eti in on what had happened while he was away. The woman in the car was the baby's mother. The care of the baby had now passed to an Auntie. The baby's father was away in another village and his situation was unknown. The others in the group were parts of various families. Some of their immediate families were among the dead awaiting burial that night. The others were uncertain of where their families were. Janet had acted as a calming influence and convinced them all to pool their resources and provide some stability for those still alive.
Eti told how he had joined a group of six others and gone from house to house attempting to locate anyone alive. They had rescued twelve people and found twelve bodies. They had left the bodies where they were but marked their location for later recovery. Gradually a semblance of order established itself. A drawn up list of those missing, compared with a list of those known to be in the area, showed most people were accounted for, although two or three relatives of the town groups still required checking on.
Once Eti was sure Janet was managing, he had something to eat and then left to resume working with his assigned group. He suggested to Janet that she post a report on the internet, if she was able to make a mobile telephone connection, to let everyone know they were alive and safe.
The following days went past in a blur. They were days of frantic activity. They saved the living and recovered the dead from buildings and vehicles. Formal legal protocols existed for identification of the dead, but in most cases, the burial of both the identified and unknown bodies was the norm. The community was a small one and everybody generally knew everybody else. As a result, the equivalent of a Justice of the Peace made a note, and rescuers buried the deceased.
Janet and Eti worked as hard as anyone else did and for Eti it was a golden opportunity to spread his Christian message. While one hundred percent of the people he dealt with were Muslim, for once they were open to a different version. The women questioned Janet about her God as their men folk relayed Eti's words back to them. Janet did not have Eti's faith or ability, but was able to convey her version of her beliefs. Neither Janet nor Eti were able to tell if any of the people believed them or not. Certainly none accepted Jesus in their presence.
After a week, things had settled down a little. The Turks are a resilient people and they had managed to build themselves some makeshift shelters and organised water and cooking facilities. The freshly dug graves, crushed buildings, and vehicles were obvious reminders of tragedy, but according to the locals it was Allah's will. Eti's God got the shove once the local Mullah had visited his flock.
Janet and Eti packed up their gear one morning and headed on down towards Gezin. The sights on the way varied. The odd village appeared untouched while others showed moderate damage. The Martinet at Yesilova still stood untouched. Gezin, in some areas reduced to rubble, also retained the martinet and synagogue untouched, along with the main street and shopping area. Janet updated their website, blog and e-mails at the internet cafe, while Eti purchased some needed supplies.
Once those tasks were completed, they walked along the Lake Hazar shoreline to Plajkoy again, and then headed out along the beginning of the mighty Tigris River.
JOAN OF ARC