Arakim's Legacy(#Wattys2015)

Chapter 8

Arakim became aware of two things immediately; one was the absence of pains in his body and two, was the silence. Usually, Arakim woke to a world filled with pains. Every part of his body burning hot, pulsating with an agony unlike any he had ever know before. It was all encompassing and not to feel any of that filled him with dread because, at least with the pains, Arakim was assured he was alive. And no pains meant he was dead. And Arakim really didn't want to die. At least not yet.

And the silence did nothing to reassure him because usually there was singing. A beautiful, melodious singing. The kind Arakim had never heard before. It was everything pure and good in this world. It filled Arakim with hope, joy, and comfort. It was an oasis in a world of pain and despair. Arakim wondered who had such a voice. It was unworldly. And Arakim was never able to see the being clearly, just haze of brightness moving around him, soothing his pains with her magical touch. Yes, it was a female. That voice belonged to a female or maybe a spiritual being of no particular gender.

The only comfort to him being dead, mused Arakim, if there was such a thing, was the clarity in his thinking. No pains or nightmares clouding his thoughts, but he missed the singing. Arakim became aware that even though there was no singing, there was a rushing sound like moving water makes. A river but not as loud, maybe a spring, he though hopefully. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was his mind refusing to come to terms that he was dead. Who to say there were no springs in the afterlife, Arakim thought, laughing at himself.

Arakim cautiously opened his eyes to see where he was. Dead or alive, better he found out. For he was never one to shirk from anything that came his way. If he was, he wouldn't be here. He had to go back home, he had to confront that monster and look where it got him, Arakim thought ruefully.

He was lying on a bed made of palm fronds and moss covered with plantain leaves; these are large, flexible green leaves that had smooth soft surface not unlike banana leaves but unlike bananas, the fruits can be cooked, roasted or fried before eating.

Arakim noticed he was covered with a blanket. And his head on a pillow and briefly wondered what was inside. Arakim found himself gazing at a wall of box trees and rattans, intertwined with growing vines and palm fronds, meshing them together to form a structure sturdy enough to keep animals and rain away. Maybe not the bigger predators but strong enough to provide a deterrent to warn whoever was inside to escape.

Arakim raised his head from the pillow to rest on his elbows and took a look around him and was amazed at what he found. He was in a good-sized grotto of plants and vines with a pool in the middle of it and the rushing sound he heard was from a spring-like structure on the west side of the grotto. The east side offered what he surmised to be the door as that side of the wall had more illumination from the sunlight streaming into the grotto through its bigger gaps. And the north end, just across from him was the biggest tree he had seen in his life, almost white in colour and its roots were as big as some tree trunks sprouting from the ground and going back in. The trunk had hole-like openings serving as shelves with items arranged carefully on them. Items made from clay; such as flowerpots, cooking pots, bowls, plates, cups and small statues. Everything looked extraordinary. He wondered how long it took to create such shelter and how his cousins would be impressed with the ingenuity.

Arakim was filled with the knowledge that he was alive and the sense of relief that came with it almost brought tears to his eyes. Arakim's last thoughts had been consumed with escaping the pains the monster inflicted, his grandfather and the things he regretted no doing. And now, he had been given a second chance and he would make the most of it.

He gingerly got to his knees, still expecting pain but felt none, only a little twinge on his back. Arakim winced on remembering the excruciating, burning pain he felt when the monster aimed that staff at his back and wandered how long he had been here for the wound to have healed to such an extent. Hopefully, not too long. No pain when Arakim rubbed his chest.