It was a journey to burned itself into his mind. He had found himself on a horse traveling through brush, and sand dunes that assumed the most fantastic landscapes for him. He barely noticed Sasa, just sensed that he was not alone. He also sensed that he was part of a group of silent men, he knew them as brown men and warriors. He was also dressed like them and he enjoyed the air whipping his hair about his face and sometimes clouding his vision. They had to travel silently and Kadine, his horse knew the way better than him. At the head of a group of men he rode swiftly.
Soon they left the sand dunes as the vegetation improved and Babatunde was able to appreciate a softer greenery. They might be able to reach the boundary of Ka-Tun-wo if they maintain the pace. Kub-ii-lan country had the wolvemen and he did not want to tangle with them. At least not now. he had a pressing mission to deliver to the Islanders
He passed the camp of the white gowns. They were so called by the fact that they tended to wrap their men in white gowns before killing them and he remembered the last time he had been stranded there. He shrugged the thought of as he concentrated his thoughts and held them spear- like in front of him. The sky darkened and he smelt rain, one rain baby blew him a kiss and he grinned.
Kadine sniffed the air and became restless which made him alert. He smelled the stench of the next camp. It was a dying camp. The water had died a long time back and the beings had left. There was a lethargy that could drag him to the depths if he did not close his thoughts. He did and sent warning signals to his men as his mind roved the horizon before the tangles came out of hiding. He held his spear high and one rain baby touched it making it gleam. It was the touch he and his men needed.
He told his men to push the leaves deep into their ears to avoid the songs that was being wafted to them. This was also emere kingdom and if you looked well, you could see them, their tears and their mats. Suddenly the clearing lightened and he saw her in the clearing. He sent up a prayer for help and the clearing darkened again. It was a trick. Babatunde sighed. His momentary loss of concentration would have landed him in trouble because his horse avoided by bare inches the precipice that suddenly yawned.
He asked that Mother earth should close her mouth so he could pass in peace. Then he wondered why Sasa was and was pelted by rain instantly. He shook his head free from the raindrops and continued on his journey. Soon he saw people passing by and he knew he was close to the last camp before his destination.
Sasa was waiting for him at the camp and grinned as Babatunde climbed down from the horse shaking off the last of the rain from his skin.
“You dawdled like some skittish Miss on the way” Sasa remarked.
As a matter of interest, how long have I been stuck with you? Babatunde snapped
Wouldn’t you just like to know brother?
I have not the slightest wish… but was interrupted by a very beautiful woman coming towards them. She had a steaming bowl and gave them a smile. Babatunde stared in childlike wonder as she set up a small feast for them and left. Sasa watched his expression and smiled.
Who is that? He asked after the lady had left.
Sasa shrugged, I have not the slightest idea, but she generally welcomes warriors in whenever they come to this camp and she never speaks.
Wow
Some welcome right?
Babatunde gave Sasa a look
Yes I know, you are beginning to wonder about some things and you are being shown so many things . We would like you to learn and hopefully come to a decision. Soon enough, I will be reassigned and I wanted to increase the bits of knowledge that you have so you can understand.
Babatunde knew that Sasa was not really a human being but had always appeared to him as human and so many things have puzzled him in the past. He was happy that answers to some of his inner seeking might be made possible to him.
Sasa read his thoughts and laughed. “I am from the spiritual just like you, you could say though that I have evolved more since the last time I physically incarnated. The human spirit has levels that he can gain consciousness and experience the expanse of creation granted to him. Most of the time though the human being presently living in the world of matter has lost the ability to use his intuition to get answers to his seeking soul. You have evolved away from the childlike into the sometimes really evil and turned more and more into the darker impulses. Some of you have become mechanical, intellectual enthusiasts and it is painful when you make fun of those you should be learning from.
You are full of different sicknesses and desires that make you sicker and so your threads hang heavier. I understand you call it education these days. Your drugs were once plants ad it is the essence of the drugs that the beings have worked into the plant that works within the beings in your body to make you humans healthy. I was considered a very powerful medicine man in my time, but a young girl floored my arrogance and taught me a very necessary lesson”.
Sasa gave his friend a smile again and told him that they will be visiting a few places and he would learn a few things then shocked him that all their travels will be concluded before he gets to the grove. Babatunde became really confused and asked where he was, and Sasa told him he was in a realm that was so akin to the earth that he should have been experiencing it simultaneously. He explained that in bygone days, man was able to experience these realms and absorb what they saw into conscious experiences.
“It is where you fellows call the beyond”
“I am dead”?
Sasa laughed, “All those times you talked to me , were you dead”?
“Okay this reincarnation stuff and time sequence is really confusing for me. How old were you when we met for the first time?”
“You mean the time you stole that palm wine”
“I beg your pardon. I did not steal palmwine”
“So why were you acting in such a funny way?”
“I fell”
“How long ago was that?”
Babatunde stared at him.
“See?, that was when we met and I bet you have had one more incarnation since then”.
“Papa said”… Babatunde stopped as thoughts of his father flooded into him and he found himself on the path of the grove alone. He blinked.
