Chapter Seven
Four students who were stuck on campus over the winter break showed up at the farm to help build a temple. Two of them were young men from northeast Ohio, Dan and Frank. Two of them were from abroad, a Japanese girl, Kiko, and a girl from Switzerland, Anna.
Anna was tremendously interested in the farm and the project and she dragged the others along. She kept her dark mane of hair in a long braid and didn’t wear makeup. Her face was thin, and her eyes were large and bright. The two boys were sarcastic and only half heartedly interested in the project but were intrigued at what they thought might be a hippie free-love commune. Kiko knew some Japanese woodworking techniques, she learned from her grandfather, and thought it would be fun to do a hands on project instead of just reading or studying over the break.
Amy was a little worried about constructing a building on land that wasn’t hers. She was trying to contact the owner of the property to try to purchase it, but she had a hard time arguing her case with Demetria, who was unconcerned about such trifles.
Morgan sketched out a design that Demetria loved. It was a round building with a dome. They were going to construct it from natural materials that were available on the farm, mostly wood, just hard maple timbers that they milled with a chainsaw, then sunk into the mounds of dirt that were piled around the altar. They used stones to dress the dirt mounds into a more regular shape. The dome was to be made of pine branches they knitted together, then covered with green boughs.
The work went remarkably quickly. The building was barely more complicated or ambitious in its design than a storage shed, but thanks to Kiko’s help, the simple materials came together in a very pleasing way.
As the day wore on, and they labored in the cold, Morgan watched the group transform. Initially, the boys, Dan and Frank, were surly, and eyed Demetria, Anna and Kiko like horny wolves, but through the day, they became fascinated with the work, and with Demetria, and by the time they were stitching the roof together, they were all smiles.
They all stepped back and beheld their work as the sun waned and the late December chill started to bite. Demetria said, “Oh, oh, oh!” Then she jogged into the temple. They followed her in. She pointed at the place on the horizon where the sun was going down and said, “See! Now that’s at the rear of the temple, so spin around. Tomorrow morning the Sun will shine right through the door and hit the altar, although we missed the Solstice by a few days, so we won’t get the full effect until next year. Now that’s a proper good job! Well done everyone!”
Dan asked, “Where’s the beer?” and he high fived Frank.
Demetria said, “Now that’s a good question! We will feast and drink tonight and Morgan and I will consecrate the temple in the morning at sunrise!”
Morgan took a picture of the temple and sent it to Tracy. He wrote, “This spot is very powerful; can bridge over to other side with no effort!”
They all cheered and wandered back toward the house and barns in a jubilant mood.
The Chardon Chronicles: Season Two --- The Winter Page 59