My Journey to True Love II - Castle Fairydust to Care Island

Having left Lady Francine, I cautiously proceeded along Airy Path, the only way to Castle Fairydust. One has to be careful here, you can see the world of reality clearly from here and if you don't proceed with care it is here that the little imps of worry and concern will make sure you never make it to the castle. That night though my spirits were high and the peace in my heart helped me to cross Airy Path without any difficulty.

I had walked around a quarter of an hour when before me, I could see a beautiful shining castle - Castle Fairydust at last. No sooner than it came into my view I started hearing a voice - it was so calm, so soothing it had to be Lady Francine, but it wasn't! It was singing a sad sad song in a language I had never heard in my life and for no apparent reason I started weeping my soul out. Just then I heard footsteps and before me stood a being, it had the shape and body of a man but i saw that his head was shaped like a star. His whole body too glowed like one.

"And pray tell why are you weeping,young sir, yes!" said he.

"I don't know sir, this song in the air just makes me cry, can't you hear it?"

"And what do I hear save for your incessant weeping, young sir, yes?"

"That voice...that song, you don't hear it?"

"And so it seems, hmmmm, voices eh? And would you be the one sent by Lady Francine yes?"

"That I am, sir", I replied.

"And so it would be, yes, strange lot you who are called by Her. And very well follow me then, She has left some things for you in the Castle Vault, yes She has. And if you will follow me yes?"

I followed this strange being to the castle and he took me down to the vaults where he opened a strange locker, in fact the locker opened itself when we arrived there.

"And yes, you would be the one yes, were it not for you it never would have opened itself, yes? Here you go, yes? And if you would follow me please, someone would have a word with you, yes she would, yes!" he said as he handed me a dusty old bag.

We then proceeded upstairs and I could see all manners of fairies, elves and pixies enjoying themselves in the ball-room. The elves in particular were a treat for the eyes- slender, graceful with lovely features and they were singing for the others who were happily dancing time away. I couldn't help but smile and feel a strange sense of peace when I saw this. However, my host led me past this merriment and into the Throne Room and there it was that I saw one of the most beautiful elves on the throne. She smiled when she saw me and said thus:

"Ah! Child of Sorrow, enter please. Thank you Starch for bringing him here. I trust you have given him the bag, you have? Excellent. Now then my child allow me to introduce myself, I am Lady Fwendyer, Queen of Fairydust and might I say that it is an absolute pleasure for me to see with my own eyes The Child of Destiny sent by Lady Francine herself, an absolute pleasure, come and sit before me, I see questions in your eyes and I shall tell you whatever I can."

"Thank you, Lady Fwendyer..."

"No child, thank YOU!" she replied "now go on, ask away?"

"Can you tell me why I'm here and what I need to do?"

"The first question you will find out for yourself dear boy and as for the second question I will tell you later. Are there any more questions?"

"Yes, can you tell me whats in the bag?"

"That I can", she smiled "Inside that magic bag are three things, a robe, a sword and a picture frame. But do not take them out now, you will know when to take them out, but just to give you an idea let me tell you. The robe is to be used when the very air around you dampens your spirit, the sword is to be used when and only when violence is the only answer and the picture frame to be used when you need to know what it is that is most important to you. But you can use each item only once before the magic that binds them will be unbound and vanish forever so use it only when you absolutely must and not before. Now I will tell you what you must do, just outside the castle you will find a trail that leads down to the shore. You must go there immediately and search for a Captain Fairwave. He will take you to the next part of your journey. I know you still have questions aplenty, child, but they are really not mine to answer and you will be have all the answers when you need them and not before. Now hurry child, and if all goes well, I hope to see you here again soon. I shall eagerly await your return and I shall hold a great banquet to celebrate your success. But for now, farewell, O Child of Sorrow."

With a bow, I left the company of the Fair Lady of Castle Fairydust and followed her directions. There at the shore I met the captain, Captain Fairwave.

"Ho! Welcome lad, welcome, a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to shake your hand. It would be a pleasure to welcome you to my fair ship, The Flying Fin, come now come."

I boarded the ship and the catain took me to my cabin and left me there while he gave orders to the crew to set sail immediately. After a while he reappeared.

"Alas lad, we are off now to Care Island. I have been instructed to take you there, heaven knows why, its a lonely isolated little island and a funny one if there ever was one. All I can tell you lad is that once you are there you are to look for the Cavern of Weeping and enter there. There would be someone waiting for you there, and now I'll leave you to rest and preserve your strength, you shall need it. I shall notify you when we are there."

And so was I left alone undisturbed for hours. I tried to sleep but I couldn't, everytime I closed my eyes I could hear the song I heard near Castle Fairydust and I was left to sit alone and ponder over what lay ahead for me. I hadn't asked for any of this and almost felt so frustrated to the point of being brought back to reality, but then the thought of Lady Francine saved me. I knew that she wouldn't send me on this quest for nothing and so my belief in Her revived my hopes and I was filled with a new determination to see this through.

After many hours of sailing, Captain Fairwave finally reappeared and smiled.

"We're here lad, on must you go alone now. But before that, there is someone on board who wishes to see you. I will bring her in."

The captain then brought in a fair elven maiden who bowed the moment she saw me.

"Quel re, Heruamin, cormamin lindua ele lee (Good day, my lord, my heart sings to see thee) I am Andresia and I know it is more than I could ever wish for to be able to help you let alone see you. I come bearing a gift. Please take this shell with you. It is filled with the song of the elves and is able to work its magic to all who listen to it. You will know when you need it. I must go now, my Lord. It has been an honor to see you in person. Aa’ lasser en lle coia orn n' omenta gurtha (May the leaves of your life tree never turn brown) "

With that she left me and I too left the ship and waved farewell to the captain and his crew and Andresia too.

I was now alone on the island and could feel an eerie presence all around. But now my job was to find the Cavern of Weeping and that is where my tale will continue...

A Little Love

“So tell that some one that you love,
Just what you’re thinking of,
If tomorrow never comes.”

Words I believe will probably be etched in my memory for an eternity. A little love shown? Why was I so stupid to take things for granted? A little love and care showing itself in words or deeds…sounds none too difficult for anyone. And then the words “I love you,” “You mean a lot to me”. Words which take only a few seconds to say yet which might bring into bloom the flower of love that will last for a lifetime. A lifetime? But what if that lifetime was cut off before the beautiful blooming blossom of love reached its full splendor?

That’s a question that demanded an answer from me on the 7th of October, 2003, when out of nowhere, with no warning whatsoever my brother passed away. Immediately I asked myself, “What had I done to show him my love, care and concern?” Little or none was the sad but true answer as I have always been one afraid to show my true feelings to anyone. Then I realized that I would have to bear the pain of going through this life knowing that I would never be able to show my brother how much I loved him, how much he really meant to me. It hurts….a lot. But it taught me a really valuable lesson-not to take life and love for granted and now as I go through life, I try my best to show my dear ones my love and care for them. The smile I get from them helps to relief my pain gradually, and now I am more peaceful knowing that my loved ones know my love for them. But that hole left by my brother’s demise, I am afraid will always be there.

So as you go through life, don’t just rush through. Take time to show your beloved ones your love and care. It might even just help lift their storms and heartaches. It will cost you little, but will give you much. That I promise you. So don’t delay, say it now.

Never leave your “I love you’s” for tomorrow
Tomorrow is not a certainty.
You might end up with regret and sorrow.
Say it today, and so forth forever in eternity.

A Moonlit Night

It was the quite end of evening. The moon was now lording over the Earth and she did so with a quite calm and authority as she spread her beams over the grassy fields, the gravel paths, the silent trees and everything else in sight. All of Staunton was now under her watchful eye. This night as with any other, there were creatures of the night singing their songs away into the vast black sky. Once in a while the breeze joined in on their song as she made her passage through the leaves of trees.

It was on such a night as this that Gerald sat on the railing of the old bridge just outside town. He alternated between staring at the moon and its majestic reflection in the clear waters of the river below. It filled him with a strange sense of peace which however was soon lost again in the uncertainty that was hanging around his neck. He was not always like this. He was once a bright cheerful lad who was well known in town for his agreeable manners and his handsome countenance. His parents were also well known. His father, Mr. Roenall was one of the most respected elders of the town council and his mother was a well known florist. Many a girl had gone up to Gerald in hope of winning his heart, but he was like the fresh smell of summer flowers-always in your senses but never what you could call exclusively your own. He was by no means a flirtatious lad, it was just that he thought himself unable to fully give himself to one girl; hence he stayed away from them all. A well intentioned, if not a little odd thing to be doing!

Now the mayor of the town, knowing what good in-laws the Roenall family would make, approached Mr. Roenall to arrange for a wedding between Gerald and his daughter, Rachel. Mr. Roenall was delighted at this prospect and agreed to the wedding almost immediately. Now Gerald himself wasn’t too sure whether he wanted to marry at all and for a few days he was very silent. However in the end he decided that it would make his parents very happy and so he agreed to the wedding. Rachel too was very happy. She was also well known in town for her good manners and of course she was one of the prettiest, if not the prettiest woman around town. Soon all preparations were made and they were to wed in three months. Everyone was happy, except maybe a few heartbroken girls who had hoped for Gerald.

One fine day, Gerald was on his way to the neighboring town of Imnesvale. He had just landed a contract with a publishing firm in Imnesvale to get his collection of poems published and he was on his way there to meet the head publisher. It was during this journey that he saw a girl lying unconscious by the road. She was bleeding profusely and it was clear that she had been attacked by wild dogs- an ever present problem those days. Gerald picked the girl up and mounted her on his horse and he rushed her to the doctor’s clinic in Imnesvale. There he told the doctor all about the incident and also agreed to pay for the girl’s medical care. The doctor told her he knew who the girl was and also gave his word that he would do his best to help her. Gerald then left the clinic with a promise that he would return the following week and check on the girl.

Gerald had to visit Imnesvale regularly from then on with matters concerning his book, so the next week, after his work was done, he went to visit the girl, being directed to her house by the doctor. When he arrived there, he saw that she was busy cleaning up her living-room. The moment he introduced himself she embraced him and thanked him for his help with tears of joy. Gerald just smiled and told her that he was only too glad to help out. She told him that her name was Tiffany. Both her parents had died when she was fifteen and she had been working in the local bookshop since then. She also told him that she had gone out that day to pick wild flowers before she was attacked by the wild dogs. She was beautiful, with rosy cheeks and long golden curls and a beautiful heart-warming smile. There was no evidence of any injury to her face and Gerald was glad. After having tea, Gerald took his leave and headed home.

The friendship between Gerald and Tiffany grew and soon their meetings became regular. One fateful day, Tiffany, unaware of Gerald’s engagement to Rachel declared her love for him and asked him to take her away. Gerald was taken aback. He had not realized until then that he too had already fallen in love with Tiffany. He felt their souls had already become one. He felt confused. He could not break off his engagement with Rachel. He could not bear to think of the shame he would bring to his father. Their wedding was only three weeks away. But then he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Tiffany either. Finally he asked Tiffany to give him some time to think about their situation. Tiffany told him that he could take all the time in the world as she would always be rightfully his. She also told him that she was willing to do whatever it took to be with him. With that Gerald left for home.

That was eight hours ago. Gerald should have been home by now, but as it turned out, he was still sitting on the bridge as we met him in the beginning. He sighed and said, “So it has come to this. Anyway it is clear to me what I must do now. I cannot marry Rachel for I can love no one but Tiffany. Tiffany, I am afraid there is only one way for us to be together. When you receive that letter of mine, please do as I tell you. There is no other way. I shall be waiting here my love. Till I see you again, know that I will always love you.”

Having said so, he lifted the millstone tied to his neck, sighed and jumped into the river to await his true love.

“Torn is the man whose heart,
Between two loves does lie.
Wretched is He who must die,
His very soul torn apart.

Alas sad mortal, farewell to thee,
Only in death can you be free.”

Night of Sorrows

It is said that one never truly understands the sorrow, pain and confusion of losing someone you love unless you actually do lose a loved one. The words of comfort which come from dear friends and relatives, to be honest do little or nothing to lift that great hurt in one’s soul. Very often, it is only time that can heal this deep hurt. Other occasions, a moment spent with someone who has gone through the same thing can heal one almost immediately, although moments such as this are rare.

It was now three months since his beloved wife Katie passed away. Andrew tried his best to mask the pain that was still so evident on his face as he sat down in the diner with a cup of coffee. They had been married for only two months when one day Katie suddenly collapsed and died of a heart attack. That had destroyed Andrew and even after three months he was still sulking and suffering as if it was the end of his world. Even friends and relatives felt it best to leave him to himself as he was not ready to listen to anybody.

Having finished his coffee, Andrew got up, paid the waitress and went outside. Should he go home or not, he wondered. But his house, full of memories of Katie was the last place he wanted to be right now. He decided that even though it was already late, he would go for a stroll in the city park. That seemed a good idea as no one would be there at that hour and he could have the whole park to himself while he would sit and recollect happy memories of Katie.

He got there at half past eleven, and as expected it was completely empty. He found a bench by a tree and sat down. Immediately he started weeping his soul out.

“Katie, my love, why did you have to leave me so soon? You’re so inconsiderate. You could have at least given me a few more days to show you how much I love you,” he cried. In his mind’s eye, the memory of his wedding day was still so fresh it seemed like yesterday. She had looked so beautiful that day. He had told her that she looked like an angel and she had jokingly remarked that she was one and that she was sent from heaven to guide and protect him. Tears once again flowed from his eyes as he thought about those happy moments of the past.

“Mind if I have a seat?” said a voice from behind. Andrew looked back to see a tall pale man standing behind him. There was something so calm and inviting about the man that Andrew nodded his head and asked him to take a seat even though he would have preferred to be alone.

“What are you doing here at this unearthly hour my friend?” asked Andrew.

The man replied, “Same thing you are doing, I believe. Sorry I overheard you crying and I could tell that you lost someone dear to you. I can understand that you must be really hurt and lonely and that you’re probably here to think about that loved one. I am here for the same reason my good man. By the way my name’s Herman.” The man smiled and stretched out his hand as he said this. Andrew smiled back at him and shook his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Herman, my name’s Andrew. So tell me, who have you lost that makes you so sad?”

“It’s my wife, Wendy,” Herman said with a sigh. “I should never have been so foolish as to leave her. Now I miss her so very much. And what about you, I believe Katie was your wife too.”

“That’s right; Katie was my pride and joy. We were married only a few months back. But I lost her to a heart attack. I didn’t even have a chance to save her, the doctors had told us that she had a hereditary heart problem, but I didn’t expect things to turn out how they are now. I miss her so much.”

“I’m sorry friend. But at the same time I’m happy for you because I’m sure you showed her how much you really loved her. If only I was as wise. I took my Wendy for granted so many times. I didn’t even say goodbye before I left.”

“You mean to say you were divorced?”

“Not even that. I just walked away from her. I so regret it now. I would do whatever I can to show her that I still care but now it’s too late. I have to live with this pain forever now. Even if it was possible for me to go back, I believe she would not accept me back now and I wouldn’t blame her for that. But I would be willing to do anything to show her that I love her even now.”

“I’m sure she will come to know sooner or later that you do love her,” said Andrew patting Herman on the back.

“Hey, if it’s not too much of a problem, could we meet up tomorrow and have lunch. I would really cherish your friendship. And they say misery loves company so we might do well to have company. What do you say?”

“That’s a good idea, give me your address and I’ll come and pick you up tomorrow. Okay?”

“Okay, here is my address. I’ll be expecting you by around 12 noon then. I’d better be going now. It’s really been nice to meet you my friend. Good night then.”

Both men shook hands and said their goodbyes as they each left for their homes. Andrew was happy that he found a friend in Herman and went back home happy for the first time since Katie’s death. But the moment he reached home, he could not help thinking about her. He took some sleeping pills and went to bed straight away. He felt that both his mind and body needed a break.

That night, Andrew had a strange dream. He saw Katie smiling at him, and she was holding someone’s hand and walking towards him. When she came nearer, Andrew could see that the person whose hand Katie was holding was none other than Herman. She just continued smiling at Andrew and then let go of Herman’s hand and gestured to Herman to go to Andrew. With that she disappeared.

When Andrew woke up the next day, he remembered the dream and smiled. He was sure now that he and Herman would be able to help each other out in this difficult time. It would be a wonderful friendship and Andrew was more than sure that Katie had sent Herman to him. He smiled a happy smile.

“Oh Katie, you’re so thoughtful sending me a friend in this difficult time. I shall do my best to be best of friends with Herman because I am sure that you have sent him to me. Thank you sweetheart,” said Andrew, smiling but with tears rolling down his cheeks.

He then got ready for his meeting with Herman. He arrived at his place at exactly five minutes to noon. The house was a small one. He saw that it was well looked after; the front lawn was clean, the garage too was neat and tidy and the lawns were mown. He felt right at home in that little cottage. He admired Herman for keeping his house so neat even though he was going through a hard time.

He then went up the front porch and rang the door bell. After a minute a beautiful young woman came to answer the door. Andrew thought her to be his maid. “I’m looking for Mr. Herman George. He gave me this address last night at the city park and I believe he is expecting me now.”

The woman stared at him for a while and asked, “And what might your name be?”

“I am Andrew Matthews, miss,” he replied.

Then the most unexpected thing happened, tears suddenly poured forth from the woman’s eyes and she began to weep. “Mr. Matthews,” she said, “Herman was my husband. He died three months ago in a car crash. I don’t know how you could have met him last night. I am tempted to shut the door on your face right now, but he appeared to me in a dream last night too. He looked so happy and before he left he smiled and told me that he would send someone named Andrew to me.”

NOTICE

Now it is time to put up some old stories which again if you have read before I do beg your pardon and plead for your patience till new ones come.

Thank you!!!

My Home

I dream of a place I can call my own,
Where I, my thoughts and talents may hone.
Where no sharp tongues are near;
Nay, only those I hold dear.
Solitude, quietness and peace,
But not love please,
For with love all these cease.

T'will be a place of greenest hue,
With joy aplenty and cares but few,
Where birds and beast together feed,
Where the weak the strong will lead.

And now ready am I to go there,
On wings of poesy to that land so fair.

Goodbye

Would words e'er be enough,
Hollow are they to capture this hollowness inside
Where worlds seem to disappear from one's very eyes.
One minute a world of moon, stars and smiles;
The next, a vast black empty sky.
The darkness envelopes you,
You grope for meaning,
Only to find that meaning has left;
Gone with the dawn's first flight.
You are like the mighty oak without it's roots,
Damned to die and decay,
Slow, painful and lonely.

Would life be a world of hellos and no goodbyes,
Goodbyes take away what the hello hath given.
The memory remains, only memories.
But what is the memory of joy compared to joy itself?
Would memories of friendship be more than friends?
I shudder to think of the emptiness that is a memory,
They are no more than words,
A painful reminder that you once were happy.

My world knows no goodbyes,
People come but they don't go.
I would share if I could,
But that is my world alone,
And this world would no longer be the same
If that were to happen
And what would people do if my world
Was to become theirs?

So what has to be has to be.
It is with tears of eye and soul
That I say to you
Goodbye.