Journey to Heaven. A.W. Trenholm

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СКАЧАТЬ walls that met at a right angle in one corner. In that corner was the bed, like a quarter-sized piece of cream-topped pie, or a large, soft marshmallow pressed into the corner. It looked as soft as a cloud to rest upon. The windows were more like crystal than glass, that caught the light and showered the room in color. The windows opened onto a balcony and the second set of stairs went from there down to the inner yard area.

      There were so many mysteries and lovely differences about this house-in fact, this entire world to which I had suddenly been transported. So many things were different here, especially the people. They were all so very open-so open, in fact, that at times I couldn’t be sure if we were even talking or just exchanging thoughts, it was so easy to communicate. As when I first met Jamal, sometimes our thoughts and even our whole being just seemed to flow together.

      After the initial shock of having so little inner privacy, I found it very easy to be around these people. There was nothing hidden, nor anything to hide. Everything was marvelously open, wonderfully shared, and completely understood. Life was a common joy that everyone shared and participated in. And as I said, sometimes I couldn’t really tell where or what I was. Was I there as a real individual, or there as a participating part of their thoughts and lives and feelings? At times I seemed to be a part of Jamal and his thoughts and feelings. Other times I seemed to be just me following my new friend around. Sometimes I seemed to be almost floating in and out of new places, spaces and dimensions, and experiencing the beginnings of a whole new life for me. Yes, I did say “floating,” because gravity was not as we know it. So moving around seemed different too. Many things were very different here.

      “Do you like your room?” Jamal asked.

      “It’s beautiful,” I replied, “so restful, so full of light, just the way I like it! It’s just the way I would have made my dream house.”

      Jamal smiled, as if he knew so much more than what he spoke. He seemed to be gently waiting for me to begin to comprehend all the things that I could not yet understand. He was so patient.

      Now it may seem odd to you, but I couldn’t rightly tell how old I was while there. Back on Earth I was many years old, but in this world I seemed to be a young boy, though age or appearance didn’t seem to really matter at all. How odd that age didn’t seem to matter or be an important difference between people. Everyone was just as loved and as respected and as wonderfully cared for no matter what age they were. Everyone seemed to have a special, important job or place of importance here, no matter how old they were.

      I went over to the crystal windows and gazed down into the fresh cool water of the pool below.

      “Would you like to have a swim?” Jamal asked, reading my thoughts.

      “Sure,” I said.

      Jamal led me out onto the balcony overlooking the inner yard and inner court area. We went down the set of steps spiraling down to the pool area-and what a pool it was! This was a pool as I had never seen a pool to be, water such as I had not known existed. At the far end of the garden was a glorious fountain pouring out water unlike water as we know it, but more like it was made of light or diamonds, or what, I could not tell. The vision of it all filled me with wonder. Everything was peacefulness beyond anything I had ever known on Earth.

      The water in the pool looked so inviting, so refreshing. For a moment I was suddenly concerned because I had no bathing suit. But it didn’t seem that bathing suits were necessary here. People here were all so open, they didn’t have the same sense of personal body awareness or shame we have. Everything was so open and honest and pure and clean before all. The unclothed body was as natural as the wind blowing through the trees, or rain splashing upon the ground in a summer shower. It seemed as natural and right as all creation itself to just slip out of my clothes and plunge into that refreshing pool.

      Ah, the marvel of it! Those bubbles! So many exciting bubbles rippling up and tickling across my skin. The most wondrous thing of all was that back on Earth I’d somewhat feared water, especially going beneath the surface and getting water in my nose and eyes and ears. I’d always experienced a sort of panic sensation at not being able to breathe under water, but it was not so here. The water-if I can say it was water, for it was much more joyful to touch than any water I had experienced-had the coolness and refreshing of fresh air. And strangest of all, I discovered that I could breathe underwater without any sensation of choking or sputtering. It seemed to make no difference to my breathing whether I was above or below the surface. I could swim under the water in this pool as long as I wanted! Oh, how free and fun it was for me to at last be a creature of the sea, as free and agile as any dolphin or fish ever was!

      So many new experiences in one day-perhaps in one moment. How wonderful it all was! I could have stayed down there for hours swimming around, totally weightless and at peace, but I felt it was now time to go. I didn’t want to be late for whatever my hosts were preparing for me. I surfaced, and there was Jamal sitting on the side of the pool, his big smiling face beaming at me. I pulled myself out of the water expecting that I would need a towel, but to my amazement, the water slipped quickly off my body, leaving me dry in a moment. Jamal handed me what looked like a white tunic and showed me how to put it on. It fit perfectly and felt fun and free to be in; new clothes in a new and mysterious land. What next?

       4 - Helios-The Fiery Stallion

      “Come! Father will be arriving soon. Let’s go greet him!” Jamal hurried excitedly toward a side gate in the garden. The gate opened onto a lovely countryside lane, with lush green meadows, clumps of trees, and small hills in the distance. The light seemed to be dimming now, though I hadn’t noticed any actual sun or light source in the sky as we have on Earth. The entire sky itself seemed to be the source of the light during the day, and during what I suppose would be the evening and their version of night, a subdued, amber glow clothed creation in a soft mantle of light as cozy as being curled up in a chair by a warm fireplace after a long, adventure-filled day.

      In the distance I could see a figure riding a large, white horse. “Is that one of the great horses?” I asked.

      Jamal’s eyes sparkled. “Yes! That’s one of my father’s horses. That is Helios, my father’s prized champion stallion! He’s ridden that horse many times into battle!”

      I still could not imagine this gentle people ever being at war with anyone, other than perhaps the Fallen Ones. “Your father has done battle with the Fallen Ones?” I asked.

      “Oh yes!” Jamal replied. “Perhaps tonight he will tell of one of his adventures.”

      I’d never seen such a marvelous horse in all my life. The ground trembled under its great hooves. The stallion moved with a majesty I had only come close to seeing in slow-motion scenes in movies. It had such power! I couldn’t imagine a creature more magnificent. As he approached at full gallop, his large nostrils flared, his white mane tossed in the wind, and his long, white tail streamed out behind him like a comet. On his back was a tall, muscular, ruggedly handsome man dressed in the same light garb of this region. There was something almost angelic about him, and as he came closer I could see his broad, bronzed shoulders, his strong face, and his deep, penetrating eyes.

      So this was Ja-al, Jamal’s father. To my surprise, he didn’t look a lot like Jamal, for his hair was much fairer and his skin a lighter color, though still a rich bronze. His eyes were a deep blue. Around his forehead was a small, flat, blue band that seemed might be a sign of his rank or position.

      Jamal ran to greet his father. He threw his arms around his neck as he dismounted. The man was warm and affectionate with his son. “Father,” Jamal said looking towards me, “come and meet my friend. This is the one who has come to us from the Land of the Spheres in the dark СКАЧАТЬ