The Hidden City Page 14

  “Thank you, Elder. We’ll make sure we’ll get them, as you recommended,” she said.

  He nodded and looked at her as if he had something more to say.

  “Before I go and leave you two alone, I wanted to ask if you have been introduced so far to the Order’s meetings. Do you know who they are?”

  Margaret looked at him, with a face that said she didn’t have a clue.

  “Well, I … I don’t really know them. Is it a kind of an organization?”

  The Elder smiled, nodded, and said.

  “Well, it is, more or less. It is a spiritual gathering that we hold in our City, that takes into consideration all faiths and beliefs of our citizens, and focuses on bringing them together, in harmony and in spiritual practice. In one of the Order meetings you can meditate, pray, or practice any spiritual practice that you see fit for yourself, not to mention attending spiritual talks, spiritual get-together, and of course, making a lot of friends. Would you be interested in participating in one of their meetings, to see if it is something that suits you?”

  Margaret weighed a few moments his words, and then said with humbleness.

  “Well, I’m not a very spiritual person, but since I arrived, it seems that knowing more about spirituality is what I am missing. I would love to go to one of their meetings. Where can I meet these people?”

  “Ah, great to hear, Margaret. Well, you can go to any one of their locations, that is available on your Mapper, I suppose. They usually meet on Wednesdays and Fridays, but you can ask in any of their locations, and they will point you to the right place, according to your free time and schedule. If you do attend one of their meetings, come by the Council Building and ask to see me, let me know how you liked it. We’re always keen on improving, and new people can always see things that we didn’t notice before.”

  “I will, Elder. I think I will be free in the afternoon, tomorrow. I will check my Mapper tonight and decide on one of their locations that can accommodate meetings in the afternoon. Thank you for letting me know about them,” she said and bowed to the Elder.

  He bowed in kindness and touched his amulet.

  “I hope their meetings, knowledge, and insights will be useful to you. Have a nice afternoon, Margaret,” he said, and walked away slowly, with his gnarled staff.

  Margaret kept her word and she did go to a meeting the next day. She found it very interesting, especially that she got to know for the first time what meditation was all about, and even got trained on the basics of silent meditation. Now it was her seventh time that she was visiting that location where some of the Order’s members were meeting, and she must say that she loved it a lot. The meditation practice that she tried there, made her feel more mindful throughout the day, and she managed to make a few friends there.

  As she was walking, she realized that she almost arrived. She reached the tall house with the round tower that she always took as a landmark, turned left, and then walked directly to the third house on the right. The house where they were meeting had two stories, and it was built near a few houses that accommodated small bookshops. The entrance was right in front of the house, where a big glass door with a wooden frame, simply displayed “The 4th Order Meeting House, Rose Street, number 32”.

  She peeked inside through the glass door and she saw that inside there were a few people, talking. She opened the door and gently closed it after her, making the bell ring. Inside, in the reception room, there were only a few chairs and a table, upon which there was a transparent flask with water and a few pots of tea, with a lot of colorful cups around them. One of the people that were inside, saw Margaret and saluted her.

  “Hey, Maggie! It’s good to see you again! We begin our meditation session in 10 minutes. Don’t forget to leave your robe and shoes in the lounge area, and then join us in the big meditation room. We’ll be with you soon. The room is almost full already.”

  She smiled and nodded, and she went to leave her shoes, backpack, and her blue robe. Every time she went to the Order’s meetings, she discovered a part of her that she didn’t know that she had before: shyness. She was really shy, or humble, among the members of the Order, and she thought that she felt this way because of their great generosity and kindness; in the presence of such people, you could feel like a child that didn’t want to disturb anyone.

  The corridor where everybody put up their robes and few clothes was full, and there were shoes all over the place. She loved so much this small corridor because she always felt that she was no more special than anyone was, completely accepted in the simple and joyful community that was going there. Now, dressed in her normal clothes and in her pink socks, she headed for the big door of the meditation hall. Just before entering, Janie came and whispered to her ear.

  “Today we have a surprise guest that came to meditate with us. It’s Airie, the Elder. Do you know him?”

  “Umm, I guess not, Janie … I mean, I have never met him in person before.”

  “Well, today you will have a chance to meditate with him,” she said and smiled kindly.

  Margaret entered shyly into the big meditation room, trying to make no noise, and sat quietly on one of the mediation cushions that were still available, in the back of the room. The hour that was about to follow was dedicated to the silent practices, meaning that anyone can pray, meditate, or recite mantras, silently, in their minds. It was a known spiritual practice that could focus and clean the mind, and Margaret was enjoying it a lot.

  Margaret was introduced to all three methods that they used for their practice, but she preferred the silent meditation practice to the other two, as she could gently observe any thoughts that could arise, in the peacefulness of her mind, and understand what she needed to be aware of more, in her daily life. In the City, because everyone went through their Initiation and everybody were wearing their amulets, your mind was very quiet, but in the silence of the meditation hall, where everyone was deeply meditating and where all were connected through their amulets, sitting in close proximity, deeper thoughts could easily emerge from time to time. At first, she was very surprised to find that she still has deeper thoughts buried in her psyche, but after a while, she got used to it and decided to come more often to the Center, to indulge more in the practice of silent meditation.

  She began by quieting her senses and she took a few deep and relaxing breaths. Then she focused slightly on her amulet while observing the space around her. After a few minutes, she started observing easily her breath, going in and out, naturally, and she started to have the impression of spaciousness around her. Her emerald amulet was already giving her tingles that she usually had not been feeling before, in any of her meetings, thus far.

  “It must be because of Airie, I’m sure of that,” she thought. In a few moments, she saw a person wearing a cap turning around halfway and looking at her, with a gentle and kind face, nodding and saluting her. It was Airie! She didn’t notice his presence because he was wearing a cap, and he was just a few feet in front of her. From the back, he looked like anyone else in the City. Margaret blushed and nodded in return.

  She started to relax more and more and adapt to the vibrant feeling that her amulet was giving her. In a few minutes, she began experiencing deeper states of mind, where she felt like she was descending in her own body, in the quietness of her being. This was the 8th visit to the Order’s meeting, and she never felt like this before. “It is clearly something I’ve never felt before. Would this be the normal state of the mind that the Elders are experiencing? Of course, it can be, they are actually monks, and they have to be really well trained in ...”

  She realized again that she was thinking. She looked on a side, shyly, afraid that the Elder would turn around again. But he did not.

  “I shouldn’t be thinking here, this is my time to explore my deeper states of mind, and thinking has nothing to do with the Order’s meetings,” she quickly thought to herself. She took a deep breath and fidgeted for a while on her meditation cushion. She felt as
she was relaxing more, feeling at the same time a bit of tightness in her legs, because of the position on her cushion. The slight soreness of her feet was the only thing that kept her grounded in the present moment, as the experience she was having was out of this world: a great deepness of being, where silent wisdom seemed to emerge as a quiet fountain. She felt a great hollowness of her being as if she was empty on the inside, which was filled with much kindness and silence. This was the deepest state of presence that she ever had, ever since she came to the City. She was elated by the quiet warmth that she felt in her heart, at the same time, and her amulet was getting almost warm because of the contact with her chest.

  For the next 30 minutes, this simple and clear state of mind that she had entered, gave her many insights into emptiness, a concept that everybody was talking about, at the Center. There were a lot of seasoned Buddhist practitioners there, and most of the teachings were centered around Buddhism and Christianity, not to mention other ten or fifteen religions, faiths, or belief systems, that came from many other planets.

  As the meditation session was close to an end, she felt emotionally cleaned of all the worries that she had lately, as she was now experiencing a clean and unwavering mind. She bowed to the big statue of Buddha that was in front of the room, got up slowly off her pillow, bowed to the shrine, and exited quietly.

  In the reception room, a few people were talking and giggling.

  “Do you want a cup of tea, my dear?” one of them asked.

  All she wanted was to get out of the center and wander quietly on the streets of the City, to see if she could keep her current state of mind while being outside. The encounter with the Elder left her a great impression, to the point where her actual state of being was changed in no more than half an hour. She felt anew, and she felt that she needed to explore the City by herself, that she was seeing now with different eyes. Every meeting at this Order’s center was this remarkable, but this time, she deeply felt the presence of the Elder that was meditating with them. It was like a new Initiation for her, and she felt her mind had been purged of everything that she didn’t need, that kept her with her mind in the past. She felt like she was now temporarily transported in another time, where seconds passed even slower than before, as she was seeing everything with a deeper awareness.

  The person that has asked her to stay for tea, was still waiting for her answer. She realized that she didn’t answer yet, and she blushed.

  “Thank you,” she replied. “I’d love to stay, but I really need to get some fresh air and roam around for a while. I will take one cookie, though, so I would not refuse you,” she said and smiled.

  “Ah, go ahead, dear. Have as many as you want. They’re fresh, made in one of the bakeries close by, that usually supply us with these wonderful and tasty treats.”

  She took a cookie, thanked, and then went into the corridor where she left her backpack and her blue robe. She quickly put her shoes on, and got out of the center, saluting everyone that was there.

  Outside, the city was as she left it.

  “I can’t believe that we got to meditate with Airie today! It is definitely because of him that I feel like this, now.”

  She couldn’t explain why she felt so different after 40 minutes of meditation, but she knew that Airie’s presence, somehow, helped everyone in the hall room feel what a deeper meditation session was all about. Walking slowly on the small streets bordered by small and tall houses, she didn’t care if this feeling would last or not. All she knew was that the presence of the Elder changed her a lot.

  “I will try to convince Philip to come with me next time. This is an experience that cannot be missed,” she quietly thought to herself.

  She was walking the streets, at her own pace, stopping from time to time to smell a few flowers or greet the locals that were passing by. She decided to treat herself with some sweet pastries and a glass of locally brewed juice, at one of the bakeries that were close by the meditation center, and just sit there, enjoying her surroundings.

  The sun was shining its afternoon rays, and relaxing melodies were playing, perfectly fitting with the ambiance of this afternoon. She didn’t want to do anything but just feel anchored in that old wooden chair, waiting for the bakery owner to bring her the cakes, and enjoy the late afternoon feeling, on this small cobbled street, in one of the forgotten older sides of the City. A small person, dressed in an orange robe came to get her order.

  “Good aftenoon, Margaret,” he said and bowed deeply for a few seconds. What can I help you with? What would you wish today from our humble bakery?”

  Margaret was startled by the man’s appearance. His kind words took her by surprise.

  “Oh … thank … you, I wish you a good day to you as well,” she said, with much respect in her voice. “I would really like a few sweets and a glass of water,” she added.

  “Coming right to you, in a few minutes,” the man said, and went quickly in the bakery, as he came.

  A misty and sweet feeling started to envelop her, as she was waiting for the man to come. She thought it was because of the street she was onto, or maybe because of the bakery’s atmosphere, that was radiating from the whole arrangement of the tables outside. Indeed, the metal round tables, with forged metal chairs, had a unique parisian feeling. The smell of the pastries that was coming from the open door was really inviting, and her appetite for sweets increased as she was waiting for the baker with the funny white cap on his head.

  After a few seconds, he came and brought her the sweets and a big glass of water.

  “These are all for free. I know you have credits, probably, but keep them for a gift from the City Markets. Take this as an offering from us, it is the first time when you visit our bakery, and I am happy that you are here today,” said the short man, dressed in the orange robe.

  Margaret bowed with her head, and thanked gracefully.

  She started to eat a blue muffin and drank insatiable from the transparent glass. The feeling that she was experiencing made her look at the blue skies and dream away at a wonderful day in the city. She closed her eyes and imagined she was flying up in the skies with her dragon. She almost felt the dragon’s skin under her thighs, and the wind blowing in her long hair. She suddenly felt a deeper reality below her, as if she was above a place where there was a similar scent with the one she felt last time, when she was dreaming on her wicker chair. She knew in an instant that her recurrent visions, that she felt so true every time they appeared, are now something real, maybe something hidden in this world, for so many centuries. She curiously waited more, and she felt a house. A big house. Everything in that house was simple and she knew in her heart that there were tall people living there. She could not question her vivid dreams, so she waited some more. Suddenly, as if something was pushing her out of that deep place, made her be totally aware of her metal chair and she felt again the scent of the bakery. She knew that she was back in the city.

  She remembered that today it was her first day when she meditated in the Order’s center. A deeper meaning revealed to her as she felt that somehow, this life would probably not last forever, even if she would live indefinitely. The deep feeling she experienced in her meditation session was now slowly fading, and she was enjoying now every part of being alive, in a city where everybody cared for each other, and where the green tall trees were living in harmony with the people. The warm rays of the sun were falling on her glass and the metal table was shining. She decided it was time to go. The bakery owner was standing in the open door and saluted her again, with a deep bow.

  She walked home, relaxed, decided to enjoy herself until the last lingering feeling will dissipate slowly, in one of the regular afternoons, in this far away city.

  Chapter 13 – An afternoon with blue muffins

  Philip woke up today at about 11 am. The sun was entering through an opening of the curtains, through the generous windows, creating shiny patches of light on the bed. The house was rather quiet this morning and ther
e was a persistent sweet fragrance of flowers in the room, left from Margaret’s perfume. For the past two weeks, she left the house very early each day, skipping her breakfast, and making sure she doesn’t wake him up. He didn’t know why, and he assumed that she probably wanted to be at work first, before everyone else, maybe to create a good impression, but he didn’t care that much so he would ask her about it. The fact that now she had something to do in the City was enough as Philip was concerned, knowing that she always needed to be active.

  He slowly got out of bed and went outside to stretch in the sunshine. The usual tranquility that embraced their neighborhood welcomed him along with the delicate perfume of the flowers from the garden. The bright sun, shining as usual, high, in the blue skies, announced a simple and cheerful day, where he could idle the whole day, in the shade of the tall trees that bordered their garden, with no one to disturb his peace.

  He went back into the house and asked for his lunch: this time it was Mexican, filled with delicious vegetables and spicy ingredients. He quietly sat and started indulging in his meal. A certain eerie silence enveloped the whole room when no one was at home, and he definitely enjoyed that. He quietly ate his meal, savoring every bit, and planning in his mind the day that was about to begin. The plans were many, but the most important one was to go visit again the Main Market, as he was always eager to browse the mobile shops that were opened there.

  “Maybe I will get her a few bracelets, those ones that I saw last time. I have plenty of credits today, and I can even search for a few earrings,” he thought to himself.

  He put the fork on the plate and looked around. His clothes were on the chair in the corner of the room, prepared for the day ahead.

  “And then, I will look for that dress that she liked last time, I think she will be delighted if I get it for her.”