Post by lagoonagreen on Apr 6, 2008 23:22:10 GMT -5
The Unbidden Past
by Lila May Guptill (Lunaria)
Chapter One: A Polynesian Island
It was a day like any other day. The sky was filled with puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze was blowing off the water misting Gaia's face as she sat at the water's edge. The sun shone down between the clouds making golden highlights in Gaia's copper colored hair. Her bronze eyes were closed. Her tanned face turned up toward the sun. Her long tanned legs in lotus position. Her long fingers in mudra position. She was in meditation. Silver chains hung from her neck. Silver rings adorned her slender fingers. Gaia’s concentration begins to wander. She thinks about her life in the village that is set in a remote part of the jungle. She thinks about her mother still beautiful after having nine children. She, Gaia, was the first. Eighteen years ago it was. Sailors came. Their ship had hit something and they came in lifeboats to the island. It was a miracle that they found the village because it was well hidden. They stayed of coarse. Their ship had sunk. There was no way to get home. It was learned that they were in the king’s army. King George would send ships out looking for the lost vessel. Of course they would find nothing. It was assumed that the crew was lost at sea and the families would mourn their loss. Meanwhile the sailors had found a life among the Polynesian people. If any of them had families they were quickly forgotten, as cruel as that seems. The sailors knew they would never get home again and they wanted to heal their broken hearts as soon as possible. Here there were beautiful young women and a life of peace and plenty. Gaia's father was a tall handsome man with hair the color of the sun and eyes the color of the sky. He took right away to Gaia's mother. She was the chief’s daughter so he had to ask the chief for her hand. Gaia's mother, Rena, was very willing to marry him. The native men were not happy to have the sailors take their women. And at first there was trouble. The king settled the uprising in a hurry. No one was brave enough to go against the king. And so the sailors took for themselves brides from among the native women. Many improvements were made in the village. The sailors taught the natives everything they knew. Drake, as he was called, and Rena were very happy. It wasn't too long before a child was on the way. She was born one sunny afternoon in June. They named her Gaia after the earth. She had very unusual coloring. The blond, blue eyed, white skin of her father and the black hair, dark eyes and skin of her mother melded into the beautiful copper colored hair and bronze eyes that made Gaia so unique. Her skin was an in-between color of her mother and father. And the sun gave it a golden hue. She was beautiful. And as she grew to her teens there were many young males vying for her hand. One especially, a strong buck he was. But Gaia was not interested in pairing up with anyone. She was past the marrying age but she just wanted to be free for a while longer. To roam through the jungle. To run through the lush green that was everywhere. To taste the succulent fruit that grew in abundance. To be alone in the paradise that was her home. This she desired above all else. But the young men were always vying for her attention. This is why she spent long hours alone in the jungle. She had found places that were known only to her. She wondered why she didn't want to marry. It was a question she asked herself more and more these days. She remembers one sunny afternoon she went deep into the jungle, deeper than she ever went before. The foliage became thicker and thicker the farther she traveled until she could hardly go a step more. She recalls how she searched for a way out of the tangled greenery only to realize she was lost. And then in her struggles with the tangled vines, she bumped into something hard under the foliage. Tearing at the greenery revealed stone. Grey stone. She removed more of the tangled vines uncovering what looked like, not a wall as she imagined, but a building. She felt her way around three sides. It was an enormous building. On the four the side she stumbled on some stairs covered up with growth. Climbing to the top revealed a heavy wooden door carved with a thick cross. The latch was rusted and broken so the door swung open. It was heavy but she was strong. She remembers the musty smell as she entered the building. The windows were covered with thick cobwebs and dust, which made it almost impossible to see. Let alone being in the middle of a dense jungle that let little sunlight in. Small creatures had taken over the premises and made it their home. This was once a church, she reasoned. She remembers how familiar it felt to be in this large building. It wasn't a good familiar feeling though. It was very disturbing and she wanted to run. But she also wanted to explore every inch of this cold, gray stone structure. Why did she feel she knew this place? Deciding against exploration at this time Gaia moved toward the large, heavy door with the cross on it that would take her outside into the fresh air. She remembers breathing deeply of the humid jungle air, trying to clear her lungs of the musty smell that she remembered from a very long time ago. But she didn't know where or when. She remembers how she came charging out of the jungle and fell right into the arms of the handsome Polynesian boy that wanted her hand in marriage. He had been coming to look for her, knowing that she spent long hours alone in the jungle. It made him very curious as to why she went into the dense jungle everyday. He walked her home to her hut, bid her goodnight and went home to his own hut as night fell upon the Polynesian village. Gaia awakened from her reverie. It was far into the day and meditation was again spoiled by her musings about her life in her village. Ever since she found that old stone church has she been unable to meditate without letting her thoughts lead her back to the day the found it. Gaia got up from the ground brushing the sand from her legs and went back to the village. "Gaia, wait up". It was Tom. The boy who followed her around. The one who is always underfoot. He is named Tom after his English father. He, like Gaia, is the product of Polynesian and white parents. Only he is darker than she because his father is dark not blond like Gaia's father.” Hello Tom" "I wish you would stop following me. Everywhere I turn there you are. Can’t I have any privacy at all?" "Well, Tom whined, you’re always going into the jungle alone. You never even let anyone talk to you." "Sorry Tom, I need to be alone right now. When I am ready to be sociable I’ll let you know". Gaia went into her hut and as soon as Tom was out of sight she ran into the jungle. Deeper and deeper she went till she found the enormous gray, stone church. Pushing aside the heavy wooden door, Gaia entered the musty, dark building. Creatures went scurrying in all directions. Making her way upstairs as far as she could go, Gaia entered a small cubicle. This must be where the sisters slept, she thought. There was a cot and a stand, otherwise it was bare. The mattress on the cot was rotting and smelly. She removed it, replacing it with a grass mat she conveniently brought along, for she intended to meditate in this place and needed a clean place in which to do so. She was here to get the answer to the question that haunted her ever since she found this place. And that question was, what is it about this building that is upsetting my life in paradise and why don't I want to get married? Gaia lay upon the grass mat and closed her eyes. It was dark and quiet and she went deep into meditation easily. She was drifting, drifting, back, back. She is no longer Gaia.
by Lila May Guptill (Lunaria)
Chapter One: A Polynesian Island
It was a day like any other day. The sky was filled with puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze was blowing off the water misting Gaia's face as she sat at the water's edge. The sun shone down between the clouds making golden highlights in Gaia's copper colored hair. Her bronze eyes were closed. Her tanned face turned up toward the sun. Her long tanned legs in lotus position. Her long fingers in mudra position. She was in meditation. Silver chains hung from her neck. Silver rings adorned her slender fingers. Gaia’s concentration begins to wander. She thinks about her life in the village that is set in a remote part of the jungle. She thinks about her mother still beautiful after having nine children. She, Gaia, was the first. Eighteen years ago it was. Sailors came. Their ship had hit something and they came in lifeboats to the island. It was a miracle that they found the village because it was well hidden. They stayed of coarse. Their ship had sunk. There was no way to get home. It was learned that they were in the king’s army. King George would send ships out looking for the lost vessel. Of course they would find nothing. It was assumed that the crew was lost at sea and the families would mourn their loss. Meanwhile the sailors had found a life among the Polynesian people. If any of them had families they were quickly forgotten, as cruel as that seems. The sailors knew they would never get home again and they wanted to heal their broken hearts as soon as possible. Here there were beautiful young women and a life of peace and plenty. Gaia's father was a tall handsome man with hair the color of the sun and eyes the color of the sky. He took right away to Gaia's mother. She was the chief’s daughter so he had to ask the chief for her hand. Gaia's mother, Rena, was very willing to marry him. The native men were not happy to have the sailors take their women. And at first there was trouble. The king settled the uprising in a hurry. No one was brave enough to go against the king. And so the sailors took for themselves brides from among the native women. Many improvements were made in the village. The sailors taught the natives everything they knew. Drake, as he was called, and Rena were very happy. It wasn't too long before a child was on the way. She was born one sunny afternoon in June. They named her Gaia after the earth. She had very unusual coloring. The blond, blue eyed, white skin of her father and the black hair, dark eyes and skin of her mother melded into the beautiful copper colored hair and bronze eyes that made Gaia so unique. Her skin was an in-between color of her mother and father. And the sun gave it a golden hue. She was beautiful. And as she grew to her teens there were many young males vying for her hand. One especially, a strong buck he was. But Gaia was not interested in pairing up with anyone. She was past the marrying age but she just wanted to be free for a while longer. To roam through the jungle. To run through the lush green that was everywhere. To taste the succulent fruit that grew in abundance. To be alone in the paradise that was her home. This she desired above all else. But the young men were always vying for her attention. This is why she spent long hours alone in the jungle. She had found places that were known only to her. She wondered why she didn't want to marry. It was a question she asked herself more and more these days. She remembers one sunny afternoon she went deep into the jungle, deeper than she ever went before. The foliage became thicker and thicker the farther she traveled until she could hardly go a step more. She recalls how she searched for a way out of the tangled greenery only to realize she was lost. And then in her struggles with the tangled vines, she bumped into something hard under the foliage. Tearing at the greenery revealed stone. Grey stone. She removed more of the tangled vines uncovering what looked like, not a wall as she imagined, but a building. She felt her way around three sides. It was an enormous building. On the four the side she stumbled on some stairs covered up with growth. Climbing to the top revealed a heavy wooden door carved with a thick cross. The latch was rusted and broken so the door swung open. It was heavy but she was strong. She remembers the musty smell as she entered the building. The windows were covered with thick cobwebs and dust, which made it almost impossible to see. Let alone being in the middle of a dense jungle that let little sunlight in. Small creatures had taken over the premises and made it their home. This was once a church, she reasoned. She remembers how familiar it felt to be in this large building. It wasn't a good familiar feeling though. It was very disturbing and she wanted to run. But she also wanted to explore every inch of this cold, gray stone structure. Why did she feel she knew this place? Deciding against exploration at this time Gaia moved toward the large, heavy door with the cross on it that would take her outside into the fresh air. She remembers breathing deeply of the humid jungle air, trying to clear her lungs of the musty smell that she remembered from a very long time ago. But she didn't know where or when. She remembers how she came charging out of the jungle and fell right into the arms of the handsome Polynesian boy that wanted her hand in marriage. He had been coming to look for her, knowing that she spent long hours alone in the jungle. It made him very curious as to why she went into the dense jungle everyday. He walked her home to her hut, bid her goodnight and went home to his own hut as night fell upon the Polynesian village. Gaia awakened from her reverie. It was far into the day and meditation was again spoiled by her musings about her life in her village. Ever since she found that old stone church has she been unable to meditate without letting her thoughts lead her back to the day the found it. Gaia got up from the ground brushing the sand from her legs and went back to the village. "Gaia, wait up". It was Tom. The boy who followed her around. The one who is always underfoot. He is named Tom after his English father. He, like Gaia, is the product of Polynesian and white parents. Only he is darker than she because his father is dark not blond like Gaia's father.” Hello Tom" "I wish you would stop following me. Everywhere I turn there you are. Can’t I have any privacy at all?" "Well, Tom whined, you’re always going into the jungle alone. You never even let anyone talk to you." "Sorry Tom, I need to be alone right now. When I am ready to be sociable I’ll let you know". Gaia went into her hut and as soon as Tom was out of sight she ran into the jungle. Deeper and deeper she went till she found the enormous gray, stone church. Pushing aside the heavy wooden door, Gaia entered the musty, dark building. Creatures went scurrying in all directions. Making her way upstairs as far as she could go, Gaia entered a small cubicle. This must be where the sisters slept, she thought. There was a cot and a stand, otherwise it was bare. The mattress on the cot was rotting and smelly. She removed it, replacing it with a grass mat she conveniently brought along, for she intended to meditate in this place and needed a clean place in which to do so. She was here to get the answer to the question that haunted her ever since she found this place. And that question was, what is it about this building that is upsetting my life in paradise and why don't I want to get married? Gaia lay upon the grass mat and closed her eyes. It was dark and quiet and she went deep into meditation easily. She was drifting, drifting, back, back. She is no longer Gaia.