The Book - 2008 Version

Originally written around November 2008. Excuse the lack of punctuation, extra long sentences and mistakes. I'll be writing a new version tomorrow!  

With the gentle sparks making their crackling noise over in the background, she snuggled further into the soft armchair and sipped another sample of red rose wine, relaxed, slow music and all was well with the world. The day has been long, the week longer, but that was now a distant thunder in her sky. The weekend had started as soon as the keys had hit the table and, the door had been closed to the working life outside. It felt ever so good, right now, to just unwind and close her weary eyes a little bit. This, as they say, is what it was all for. At that thought, another popped into her mind, ‘is this what it was all for, truly, really? Or was there something more!’  There she went again, answering the world’s problems, or should she say, trying to answer the world’s problems.

The world, such a faraway place when in such a calm setting and the heat, yes, the heat, it was ever so dreamy right now. She once again looked into the flickering flames and a small smile appeared as if by magic and from behind, she heard a small thud. She moved up from the seat and looked over the top of her comfy chair to see a small parcel on the floor and someone must have just posted whatever it is. She looked at the mantelpiece clock and it really was an odd time to be posting mail through her door or any door.  She lifted herself from the chair and walked over to the parcel and then returned to her chair, slightly intrigued and interested in whatever was sure to be inside the package. With ease, she removed the string, gently unravelled the brown paper and her eyes focused onto a book. The first thing to strike her, other than it being a book, was the fact that the cover contained such detail, more detail than she had ever seen and yet, whatever was inscribed on the cover, she simply had no idea what it was. No picture, words or any art she had ever seen resembled this cover... whoever created this cover was truly an artist, or so she thought, as many may have disliked the cover.

She turned over the book to look at the back cover and the same artwork covered the rear and as she turned it back to the front, she opened the front cover to see a small amount of writing, which she read, “This book, the book of time and mystery, has been sent to you, as you have questions that need answers, dreams that are being dreamt and a heart that truly feels”.  As book openings went, She thought that the small passage she had just read was nice, cryptic, but nice. Most people did require answers, some did dream and in all honesty, she didn’t know any heart that didn’t feel but, who was she to argue with such text and of course, the person who had seen fit to post this book through her door. At that thought, she would like to know who ‘had’ posted the book.

She turned over the first page to see a blank page. She turned another page, blank, another, blank. She flicked to the middle of the book and that, also, was blank. At this she closed the book, “What is this about?” she said as she opened the book again, onto the first blank page. Right then, her eyes nearly fell from her face as words appeared on the page in front of her and she slowly read as they appeared, “This book is about answers, a place to truly find what you have been missing or even searching for, this book, this place, is where you truly connect to the magic out there!”  She closed the book and as her mouth dropped open, she asked another question before opening the book again, “Did you just answer me?”

“Yes, I answered you!”  She once again closed the book and in a moment’s reaction, placed the book on the fire. As the book crumpled and disappeared into flame, she felt an overwhelming urge to rescue the book and wondered why she had just place the book into the fire. As the last small piece vanished, she looked at the parcel paper to her side, on the floor and there... was the book. She looked back to the fire and then back to the book! “Oh my...”

With delicate pause, slowly, ever so slowly, She reached out and picked up the book from the floor and returned it to its resting place on her lap. Eyes, wide open, smile not quite knowing how to unravel the moments in front of her, she once again opened the book and read the words that, if by magic, appeared in front of her eyes, “Ahhhhhhooooowwww.. That hurt, nearly as much as the time when the old lady’s dog in Minnesota chewed me for FOUR hours!”  If she wasn’t in a small amount of shock, she might have laughed at that mild joke but instead, she simply asked, ‘What are you?’

“What am I? I am... an index to the answers you seek, I am the knowledge that remains when the magic has left your heart and time no longer recalls your kisses. I, am also, here, now, ready to answer some of your questions!” She could not believe that this was happening, a book, writing it’s own verse, right there, on the pages. She turned over the page as the words kept on appearing, “Of course, I am here for a special reason and, hopefully, we will reach that reason before the end of this book!” Her heart started to relax and a positive smile started to appear at the books friendly tone and if someone was playing a prank, then she might as well play along as, after all, it could be fun.

She bit her lip slightly as she asked another question, “Where did you come from?” The book, as if paused, maybe even thinking, placed a few dots onto the page and a few seconds flew past before the words started to appear again. “I arrived through your letterbox!” ‘Yep’, she thought, a slight joker of a book and she smirked a little as the words carried on appearing. “Oh sorry, you mean how did I arrive at an existence? That would be telling and as I’m in a telling moment, I’ll share. I arrived the moment paper first appeared many, many years ago. My spirit, soul, heart, feelings and thoughts found a place on that first page and since then, I have become the book that you now see. So, to answer the question, I came from the universe and am thus part of every single small thing that you see each and every single small day.”

If there were ever an answer to answer a question, she definitely knew that the answer on the page in front of her most certainly did just that, answered and then in a flash, she asked a very cheeky question, “What’s tomorrow’s lottery numbers?” The book again paused and if by a seconds imagination a small set of soft lips appeared on the page and smiled. “Come now, I am here to provide answers and what you need, not, unfortunately, what you want! The lottery numbers may make you smile and fill your life full of imaginable gifts, but it will not fill your soul!”  Defeated, she smiled and decided on a better choice of question, “Who will be the next person to ring my phone?” This was supposedly an easy one for the book, which answered more or less straight away by writing, ‘Your Mother, who will ring in 5,4,3,2...1’ and the next second after the book wrote ‘1’, the phone rang and She looked over to the phone and when she looked back, she watched as the book wrote another line, ‘But you won’t answer as she’ll complain that you only speak to her every other week and then ask about your weight, your love life and knitting!’. She was... amazed and at that moment, she realised, this was no prank.

She again watched as the book filled the page with a drawing of flowers within a field of green grass, with, a picture of her standing in the field, looking up at the sunshine filled sky. A beautiful picture, a wondrous picture with so much detail that she could more or less be there, right there, now, this time’s second.  A smile grew, a small tear appeared at the emotion of the moment and she again spoke, “Please, would you tell me a beautiful story?” The book drew a dog with a nodding head and as she turned the page, a story began before her eyes.

“The great unknown, was once, many, many thousands of years ago, known to nothing but angels. The unknown decided to grow, to create, to become more than what it once was and with that thought, the unknown became everything, planets, stars, the sun, moon, the oceans and of course, you and I.

Now, the unknown, which you may call God, Allah, energy, the source, the light or whatever, created life, abundant life, on a million, million worlds and one world was... this world. The unknown created a balance between all things, a unity, a way of keeping all things in its order and as time moved forward, man and woman became. The unknown realised that they would be slightly more than what he intended, savage, brutal, destructive and somewhat lost in the land that the unknown had created and thus the unknown decided to make a small change, but, like all changes, there would be balance, one side, the other side and of course, the ever present middle.

But, the unknown, following the way of the universe, decided to bestow the change to two angels.  Now, angels being light, they wished and wanted a pure way to implicate a change, a change that would enlighten, uplift, but the unknown still insisted on balance, for a change to be tainted if the moment was lost. As shameful as it seemed, all things, no matter how pure, how brave, had to have all sides present. The good, the middle and finally the bad.

The angels both looked to the earth and they flew down, amongst the clouds, taking in the land and its detail, watched the animals below and of course, took in the details of the brisk man and the fine woman. At once, suddenly, as if by magic and relief, the angels looked at each other... then kissed. The kiss lasted years as they simply expressed the purity of their intentions, the majestic colours of emotions and when they parted lips, they, had simply, created, what we call... love.

The gift was spread between man and animal and like a gentle breeze, the thought simply made its way into every single beating heart and has stayed there ever since. That, as difficult as it sounds, changed the motivation of every single living item across the universe and still, of course, kept the delicate balance between all things. In fact, it strengthened all.

This very happening, is why your heart beats faster, your heart beats slower and at times, seems to stop in the presence of the person that you love. It can last forever, it can last ten seconds, but overall, it will always be within your heart. ”

She felt her heart move ever so slightly and even though the story seemed like a wild fantasy, she knew that the message was completely, undeniably, true. She turned over another page and the book drew a few more beautiful flowers and this time, a couple of angels in a kiss that seemed to glow straight off of the page. “Is.. that a true story?” she asked.. The books words appeared,

“As I feel, you know that love must have arrived from a very enlightened place, so Angels seems to be the most magical of places. After all, when you kiss the person you love; do you not feel as if you have wings?  Now, if you will, would you turn the page and place your hand in the middle of the page...”

With an ever small hesitation, she lifted her right hand as her left held open the page, she gently placed her hand onto the page and for a moment nothing happened and then, the page traced a line around her hand.  Flowers appeared in each of the corners and stars in-between, the book really seemed to be placing her in a state of calm.

Seconds passed and then she felt something, just that little bit, at first, but the sensation seemed to be growing. Like soft fingers flowing up her hand, along her arm and into her body, it was as if energy were being moved. As the feeling grew within her, she could feel her heart beat slowing, even though her body raced a thousand times faster than it had ever done before, but the calm, it soothed her. Words appeared above her fingertips, “You can take away your hand now” and even though she could have left her hand there for eternity, she did as the book asked. With a smile that was deeper than an ocean, she turned over the page and spoke, “What.. just happened?”

The book answered a little bit quicker this time, “You, all of you, are now a small part of me and as a thank you, I gave back a small amount of energy that I felt you needed. We often run on low batteries and ever so often, we could benefit from a small kick” She laughed a little and agreed by nodding her head slightly. Ever so true, needed energy, something that she could often do with, especially in the mornings.  “My time is nearly over here but before I venture out to new places and people, we must talk about why I arrived here in the first place and now that I know every single moment that forms you, we can get to the place that we often need to be” She turned another page and her interest reached new levels. As far as she could tell, she was fine, but still, didn’t everyone need a little bit more or less of something?

“Within you, rests a soul, a vessel that contains the essence of who you are and this vessel, wishes to fly high between the clouds, to be as free as it can be, but life, the life that many lead, at times, pushes the soul further away from the heart. Or, in another way, the heart can be hurt and over the time that we walk, it hides away its true face, removing the freedom that we crave. In order to be free, to find a better place, we must all truly try to be more. Like a chair with three legs, you can stand perfectly well, you’ve found the extra third leg needed to be whole, but, four legs are what the angels planned when they bestowed their gift. To write with your heart, to sing with your passion, to be and explore everything you can be, you, everyone, requires four legs to balance. Four legs, become two people.”  She read the words and understood exactly what the book stated, but, these things were never as easy or as simple as finding the extra leg to her chair. “I understand what you are saying, I do, but in order to open my heart or my soul, there will always be that small amount of fear that constantly protects!” she added.

“Yes, you do have to protect, but would you hesitate one moment to see your dreams come true? But, dreams are created by magic and as the Unknown has shown, to create magic, you require energy and that energy, that life, best be created by two. You try, you fail, you try, you fail.. but you still have the energy and passion to try again. Why?  You try again because somewhere within you, you believe that, just for a second, things can be right, things can work. Love, as the angels knew, conquers all things, all doubts. “, the book replied. At this she knew that this applied to everything in her life. She had been ever slightly protective of her heart and that had led to some interesting dreams, some interesting creations and of course, some of the thoughts she had been having over the last few months.

She looked thoughtful as the information on the page settled into her mind and heart and yes, two people did make things happen, as could one, but something always drove people to find that partner, a partner that addressed the balance, a fourth leg that adds that clarity and of course, much needed kisses.  The book spoke of the angels love and that alone, truly, was such an amazing thought.

“Does love truly conquer all?” She asked as she turned another page.

“Yes, it does, but only a pure love that bypasses most or all of the day to day petty arguments, negative thoughts and moments that need not exist.  Two hearts beating in rhythm can sooth and comfort at a level that no mere playing can achieve. Just because you touch with your finger tips does not mean your heart should stay disconnected. Once a person engages their heart, the passion, fire, thought and pure force within that feeling can enable a person to accomplish tasks that should normally be out of reach. You see this within a Mothers eyes at times, the connection, the pure bond that nothing, absolutely nothing, can break. Love, truly, conquers all, but, can ever so easily be tainted.” As She read she could literally feel the warmth from the book on her lap. This book, with its magical pages, truly felt and obviously understood all that touched her heart. Amazing.

She held back for a second and then asked another question, “So how do we stop a pure love from being tainted?” Again she turned a page and waited.

“You will never reach a pure love if it has a chance to be tainted. People either work or fail over time. Ideals, dreams, rhythms all differ and although the excitement intoxicates when first experienced, the true reality of a person’s heart eventually shows its face. You have to first look ‘beyond’ a person’s mask, their many faces, to look under the skin, at the person’s core and then, only then, can you see and realise if you ever have a chance to survive. If two people do reach a pure love, they will be like two entwined trees with branches that interlock, which strengthen and embrace each other. If you try to dig them from the earth you may require a miracle, to separate the branches would need an act of angels.   Any relationship must hold onto the magic, two people must embrace each other’s hearts before they embrace each other’s body.   Sadly, the above is not the way of the world. Angels may have provided the gift of kisses that create love, but they also left in the balance... the chance... to fail.”  The last word rang in her eyes and she knew how that felt, to fail, to let go, to find something and have nothing.  This pure love, it seemed so difficult to imagine in the way things worked, as if luck and chance played a part but surely, there must be more?

As she turned another page, she noticed that it was the last page of the book and as she watched, the books final words play their letters, she knew this time was at an end“...and now, Miss She Turner, it is time for me to leave you to your fate, which would shortly show its hand. Now, if you would do me the honour of walking out of your door, up the stairs, out onto level 15, four doors to the left and then, push me through the letterbox.”  She smiled and yes, she had enjoyed this mad moment and although she still assumed that it was a game being played, she couldn’t help but know that the words spoken were very, very true. The message, as clear as it was, still contained such beauty and thought that she would smile for an age.

She stood, closed the book and gently kissed the cover. Ten minutes later, she returned to her chair to once again view the fire in front of her, to feel its warmth and as she drifted off to sleep, she recalled some of the beautiful moments from the book.  ‘Angels gifts’, ‘pure love’, the ‘fourth’ important ‘leg’ from her chair and or course, the beautiful drawings that the book presented. Her head slowly moved to the side and she closed her eyes, just a little bit, then completely.

As she started to dream, she awoke to a knock on the door and she looked at the clock above the fire. She had been asleep for an hour. She moved from the seat and in a moment was across the room to open the door and as it opened, she looked up to see a man standing there and while he spoke, he started to smile, “Hello, you might not believe me when I tell you this and many would think that I’m quite mad, but someone pushed a book through my door an hour ago and, well, I’ve just sent it to Mexico but before I did that, the book said that I should knock on this door as you need a chair fixing and, apparently, I can help with the fourth leg?  Not sure what that means but either way, I’ll help if I can”

As She looked down, she smiled and mumbled to herself, ‘Magic, angel’s gifts... they do exist’.