The Forgotten Eden (20 page)

“
The servant dove for the box, reaching for its little door in a desperate effort to close it.

“‘
Where are you, Genovene??
I want my mommy and my da—
.’

The terrified voice of a small child was cut off as the servant shut the door. Terrified, I stood motionless next to Urei and Quan, as if nailed to that very spot. The servant looked up, smiling nervously as my escorts scolded her in the villagers’ language. Her smile fell, replaced by a deeply worried look. Bowing low, she whirled around and ran to the tower’s entrance, where she disappeared into the sunlit courtyard with the box securely tucked under her arm.

“‘
Please excuse this unpleasantness, Jack,’ said the one on my right. His voice betrayed an underlying tension. ‘The house servants know better than to leave our ‘amusements’ unprotected. They all belong in the arcade, and it should’ve never been here in the first place.’

“
I didn’t think his explanation accounted for the terrible angst I heard in the distraught voices, nor did it tell me why Genovene’s name was called out so emphatically by some little girl. I wanted to ask questions about the box, but the other guard spoke just as I opened my mouth.

“‘
We must leave you now and return for Genovene,’ he said. ‘I hope you’ve brought your appetite, Jack, for the celebration table is now ready.’

“
Famished, I could hardly wait. ‘Just show me the grub,’ I thought. I walked over to the temple’s crystal doors, careful to avoid any collisions with the busy servants along the way. The guards stationed on either side pulled the doors open and I exited the tower.

“‘
Genovene will be here shortly!’ advised the first guard, calling after me. ‘The servants will show you to the place of honor. Be seated at the table by three o’clock
sharp
, Jack!’

“‘
I won’t be late!’ I called back to him over my shoulder, watching both hulky figures move back into the shadowy darkness. I walked out of the temple and down the steps to the courtyard, pulling out my watch to confirm the time. Roughly fifteen minutes to look around. Worried again how I’d ever make it back home by four o’clock, I prayed Genovene kept her promise and that our participation in this feast wouldn’t last long.”

***

“
So that wraps up your time spent inside the tower, I take it?”

Peter stood up and moved over to the coffee machine, pouring himself another round, the steam immediately rising from a new cup while he discarded the previous one. He rubbed his eyes, revealing tiredness Jack hadn’t noticed before. A wry grin belied his weary look as he returned to the table after Jack waved off a fresh Coke.

“
I appreciate your straightforward description of what happened to you,” he said once he sat down, his tone earnest. “That had to be a very confusing experience for you at that tender age…. I assure you of this: the personal details you shared will be held in strictest confidence—I’ll make certain of it. In regard to the other information you shared about the tower itself, we’ll revisit that before we’re done tonight.”

“
You can’t just tell me now?” asked Jack, irritated by any need for secrecy—especially after the personal exploit he’d just shared with the agent. “Seems to me that I’d be a better help to you if I knew specifically what you’re looking for.”

“
I can understand why you might think that,” agreed Peter, his expression sheepish. “Let’s just say I have my reasons to be evasive. Just trust me.”

“
Well okay,” said Jack, disappointment evident in his tone. He shrugged his shoulders when Peter motioned for him to resume his story. “The sun had already begun its descent toward the western edge of the clear blue sky. To my right sat the majestic pyramid, and the overloaded table was on my left. Scores of servants hurried about in their final preparations for the feast.

“
As I moved through a crowd of villagers that had come up from the plaza below, I noticed several men and women dressed in beautiful hooded robes. Similar in appearance to Genovene, and not as tall as the others, I assumed these were the brothers and sisters she told me about. All of them had the same beautiful long white hair and luminous blue eyes. Their robes were satin, adorned with gold embroidered designs and small jewels. Each one was a different color: royal blue, crimson, emerald green, and black.

“
The four walked back and forth through the crowd from the table to the pyramid. I watched the one in the blue robe with particular fascination, since I recognized him as Genovene’s brother Malacai. He carried a long knife in a jeweled sheath over to the foot of the pyramid’s steps where he laid it down. The person in the emerald robe, a female, followed him. She carried a box that closely resembled the one I’d just seen inside the temple. She set it down next to the knife and returned to the table with Malacai.

“
It made me wonder even more what kind of event this was. I mean, what purpose did the fancy knife serve? Did the box sitting next to the knife contain strange voices, too? I shuddered at the thought of hearing more voices plead for mercy, even if just an arcade amusement.

“
I looked at my watch again, noting I had ten minutes until the Celebration Feast began. Since Genovene wasn’t there yet, I decided to have a look around the courtyard. I put my watch back in my pocket and walked past the table, toward the row of juniper trees. The aroma from the array of fresh baked bread, side-entrees, pies, and pastries made my stomach growl. Until I reached the trees. The pine scent provided an odd contrast that nauseated me. The intense hunger from just a moment ago, gone.

“
Hoping for some relief from the nausea growing worse by the second, I stepped through the row. The terrain dropped off steeply behind the tower, revealing hundreds of golden rooftops stretching a mile or two away, until they reached the enormous crystal wall that encircled the entire village. I figured this must be where the people of this village resided. Beautiful gardens, streams, and a large pond dotted the graceful landscape.

“
Despite my awkward sexual experience with Genovene and the few times I’d been a little freaked out, I felt privileged to be there. Since she would be arriving in the courtyard at any moment, I turned around to go back. But I noticed a small stone shack sitting near the edge of the tower’s steps, just beyond the juniper trees, maybe fifty feet away. I stopped and stared at it, thinking how odd the thing looked amid the lavish grandeur everywhere…. Then my jaw dropped open.

“
Grandpa’s tool shed.”

“
You’re kidding,” said Peter. A look of surprise and acute interest spread across his face.

“
Seriously, man,” said Jack. “At first I thought it was only some weird similarity. I mean, how’d it get there if it was in fact the same shed?”

Peter grinned and started to say something. But he stopped himself, telling Jack to continue, as what he wished to say could also wait until later.

“
You’re sure?” confirmed Jack, for the moment uncertain how to proceed. “I know this all sounds crazy, but I swear I’ve been honest with you.
Completely
honest. Do you still want me to continue like this, so detailed and graphic?”

“
Yes,” said Peter, nodding emphatically, his grin melting into a more sincere expression. “I realize sharing some of this is quite painful for you. I value what you’re telling me more than you know.”

Jack nodded in response, though much more subtly. He frowned, silently debating the prudence in continuing.

“
Please…please continue,” Peter encouraged.

“
All right,” replied Jack, releasing a low sigh. “I walked over to the shed. My curiosity wouldn’t let me just turn around and forget about it. Stacked stone walls painted white and wooden slats in the roof—
just
like Grandpa’s. Even where it’d been recently repaired was the same! I thought of how Grandpa refused to tear the damn thing down, keeping it functional even if it didn’t look right anymore up against our farmhouse.

“
I walked around it. When I reached the front, I found the only difference between Grandpa’s shed and this structure. In place of the worn padlocked doors was an open space with a counter, and a few feet behind the counter were rows of shelves filled with ceramic dishes and pottery. It was some kind of shop.

“
A cheerful girl in her late teens greeted me from behind the booth’s counter.

“‘
Well, hello, Jack!’ she said. ‘I wondered when you’d find time to stop by here!’

“‘
What an amazing place this is!’ I remember thinking. It seemed everyone knew my name, despite meeting folks for the very first time. Stranger, though, I felt totally at peace in this person’s presence. Different from the warmth I’d felt from Genovene, and more like meeting a long lost friend.

“‘
It’s so nice to see you, Jack,’ she said, reaching over the counter and extending her hand for me to shake. ‘I can’t fully express how much I’ve been looking forward to this moment!’

Her smile seemed so natural. To me she was absolutely beautiful, with soft green eyes and dark auburn hair that flowed in ringlets framing her dimpled face. A small patch of freckles dotted both cheeks, and with the laced up dress she wore, she looked like she’d just stepped out of a Grimm’s fairy tale and into the village.

“‘
Hi...it’s nice to meet you too,’ I responded, trying hard not to stare, but unable to resist. ‘What’s your name?’

“‘
My name’s not important at the moment, but very soon you’ll know who I am,’ the girl replied.

“
The feeling of familiarity grew stronger by the moment, so I decided to play along with her game. I knew her from somewhere else, I was certain of it. It seemed impolite to keep staring at her, so I glanced around the booth instead. Set up as two separate rooms, the counter and its merchandise were located in the front and a smaller room in the back.

“
As I said a moment ago, everything on display was ceramic—splendid stuff that appeared to have been painted by hand, as no two items were identical. Their elegance and simpler beauty stood out in sharp contrast to the gold and crystal vessels I’d seen so far.

“‘
If you’d like to take a closer look at anything you see, just say so,’ the girl said, before she turned and walked into the back room. ‘I’m extending to you the special privilege of coming behind the counter.’

“
Once she disappeared, I heard the squeaking noises of a pottery wheel spinning in that other room. She fascinated and enraptured me, but in a different way. Despite her earthy beauty, it wasn’t sexual attraction, like with Genovene. But I did want to be close to her…to get to know this person, to learn from her. What about specifically? I didn’t know yet. Just felt compelled to do it.

“
Lifting a latch on the wooden counter allowed me inside the booth. A lot more pottery and other items were stored underneath the counter, including a small silver box with a scene skillfully etched onto its face depicting a trio of angels descending to earth from heaven. The angels’ wings were inlaid with tiny sapphires and diamonds, and the eyes emeralds. It was the only thing that compared to the extravagance I’d seen throughout the rest of the village.

“‘
It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ she called out from the back room.

“‘
Yeah, it sure is,’ I agreed, still examining it. I especially liked the way the jewels made the wings appear in constant motion. ‘It’s
way
cool!’

“‘
Why, thank you, Jack! It’s a gift from someone very close to me,’ she said. ‘Come on back here and bring the box with you.’

“
I went over to the doorway and peered inside. The room was bare except for a spinning table with a large lump of clay on top of it, and a pair of wooden chairs. A narrow window next to a small wooden door allowed minimal sunlight into this room. She sat on the chair nearest the wheel and motioned for me to sit in the other chair across from her.

“
As soon as I sat down her appearance began to change. Subtle at first, the changes became more dramatic and profound. Gradually aging before me, she filled out somewhat as well. Like watching one of those age progressions you see on TV for missing kids. Less than a minute later, the beautiful young girl was still pretty, but twelve to fifteen years older and maybe twenty pounds heavier.... A person known previously to me only through photographs.

“‘
Mom??
’

“
I couldn’t believe it! But at the same time, I should’ve known…. I mean, in her ‘teenage’ form, she looked a lot like me and Jeremy—like our big sister. Too good to be true, I feared I’d stepped into some cruel illusion in the village. But the love exuding from her, along with the strong instinct within my gut, told me she was indeed my mother. So improbable, and yet here she was,
and
very much
alive and no longer a ghostly image in my head.

“‘
Mom!!
’

“
She seemed unaffected by the loudness of my rapture. Only the emotion touched her, as tears welled in her eyes.

“
We stood up and reached out for each other in the kind of embrace only two people separated for an unbearable length of time could ever understand. I buried my face in her shoulder, unable to control the waves of emotion that shook my soul to its very core. I released the burden of sadness I’d carried with me for as long as I could remember in racking sobs.