John Frum The Reluctant Messiah

Heeding The Call

Most passengers were asleep including Em. John had been mindlessly leafing through an in-flight magazine wondering why there were so many hair replacement ads. Was that some specific problem unique to male members of the flying public? Just to be sure he reached up and felt the crown of his head. 

He stopped reading long enough to look at her as she slept. She had that same peaceful look that a rambunctious child has when they finally give in to sleep. He reached over to brush away an errant lock of hair that fell softly across her face. His hand lingered longer than it should, and she stirred, quickly jarring him back to reality. She looked at him and smiled.

"How long was I out? I didn't snore, did I?"

"Nah... just drooled a little '" John teased, pointing to the corner of her mouth.

"Oh! gross!" Em checked herself. "So, there's a trial?"

"Well, kangaroo court. Word is in the village, it's John Frum."

"But there is no John Frum," Em added. "And it's not you, so...who is it?"

"I'm thinking it's the last one the villagers' thought was John Frum. And if that's the case..."

Em interrupted. "It could be your father?"

John's eyes locked with hers. He hadn't planned to tell her quite yet but now was as good a time as any. He lowered his head and whispered,

"Our father."

Em's eyes closed as she bowed her head. "...who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." She looked up. 

"I'm sorry, I don't know the rest," she whispered.

"Ok, maybe not tonight," he thought. He had the biggest grin plastered across his face. 

"You did great," he assured her. "Thank you."

"When I asked Professor Wharton about the whole nautilus thing appearing, I mean it's weird right? I mean, really...otherworldly weird. You don't seem that freaked out. How is-"

"You forget." she interrupted. "I was brought up there. As a little girl I heard stories. I saw things. I saw things growing up that would spin most people's heads. When I left to go to school, simple things in the outside world freaked me out. Face time? Forget it. Witchcraft. But when I would tell people about the things I saw and lived through as a kid, everyone just thought I was making it up, so I learned early on to keep to myself. That's when I realized that western knowledge,as good as it can be, can also blind people to the possibilities found outside the senses world."

"As in the five senses. Yeah, yeah, a guy at the Kava ceremony told me about it. And you're right. I'm just starting to wrap my head around it. Wharton says that we're all being summoned by the Elders. Are you familiar...do you even know who the Elders are?"

Em paused and stared at the blue carpeted floor before answering. She nervously played with the edges of the in-flight magazine's worn pages in the seat back pocket.

"If the Elders are really summoning you, this is huge." 

Em started to cry and quickly turned away. It caught John off guard, and he immediately reached out to console her.

"It's ok. What's wrong?" John asked.

"Sorry," she said, quickly composing herself. "Ugh. um...," she let out a tiny laugh, fanning her face with her hand. "It just makes me a little scared. Because of what...it implies." 

She undid her seat belt and turned to face John.

"Only those who have been to the interior have ever seen them."

She paused again knowing that he had been sent into the interior and survived. Most did not. She was studying his reaction. 

"According to legend, they are the true believers that long ago retreated to the interior to remain pure and guide our people through troubling times. Most of the supernatural stuff people talk about are generally due to the Elder's Koontal. Legend has it that there will come a time when the giants will attempt to return to rule the world. Nephilim. There have been increased sightings and incidents lately, which is a sign of what has been foretold- but that marks..." she paused, and her eyes closed in a long, held blink, "the beginning of the end." John was silent, listening. 

"Ya know how Christians believe there are certain things to look for, certain signs that indicate that the beginning of the process for the return of Jesus has begun?" John had a blank look on his face. 

John grimaced, "Ethan would know. His parents made him go to Sunday school."

"We'll," Em continued, " one major event to watch for is the opening of the East Gate of Jerusalem. It's been sealed shut for centuries. Once it's opened, it's said to usher in the beginning of the countdown of the prophecy. The summoning of the Elders of all the true believers is our East Gate. And it won't be pretty."

"I don't know if I'm really a, you know, believer, I mean-"

"Doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. "They know." She let that sink in. 

"The fact that you went in and came out, alive? That should be enough to convince you. But even if you're not now a believer, you will be. It's said that the Elders can peer into the future."

There was a clunk and a rush of air as the landing gear deployed.

"Well, I guess I will find out soon enough," John said, peering out the window. "There's Tanna."

John and Em made their way by outrigger to the shores of the village and trudged the last steamy half mile on foot towards the jungle airstrip.

"Betu ashi! Betu ashi!'' The villagers greeted Em with smiles. The children all rushed to greet her, giggling, and grabbing her hands, touching with curiosity, her jeans, her t-shirt, her hair. The single village men all stopped what they were doing. They all smiled and outstretched their arms in invitation, clutching their heart. 

It was a markedly different greeting for John. The last time he was here, he was the Messiah, revered by most, looked upon with distrust by a small few but it was always a scene wherever he went. Without his white ash cosmetics, now dressed in jeans, khaki shirt, and sunglasses, he was merely a mild curiosity. For the moment he was incognito and that was simply fine with him. Em, however, was clearly the returning celebrity. Everyone knew Emerald. Everyone loved Emerald.  And Emerald loved everyone back as well.