The Mirage
by John Vieczorek
part 1 of 2
Another golden morning arrived, identical to an untold number of golden mornings that had arisen forever. Jared and Amia awakened from their peaceful slumber. They knew not how long they had lived in the garden, but they had no memory of a past and little concept of a future. The garden was their life, and all they knew about existence. The garden provided all their needs, and Jared felt contented and at peace.
They had toiled diligently and accomplished much. They knew not anxiety or want, for the garden produced abundant fruits and flowers. The pastoral garden thrived resplendent with the natural beauty of undefiled nature.
Through the center of this beautiful place flowed a pure, life-sustaining spring, the waters of which were crystal clear and perfectly refreshing. The climate was mild, and they had no need of clothing. Nor were there any nuisances, or thorns, or annoying insects, or any form of discomfort. They lived in perfect harmony with the birds and the beasts.
Each day Jared tended and cared for the fruit and nut trees while Amia prepared their food and kept their comfortable dwelling. At the end of each day’s labor, they would sit and relax on the tiled patio and sip the wines produced from their vineyards. This is how they had lived for as long as they could remember; it was all they knew.
Surrounding the garden was an infinite sea of sand. Jared knew not how far the desert extended, nor did he care. He did not desire to leave the security of the garden. For him, Amia and his garden were all that mattered, and he would have been content to dwell in this simple and perfect world for eternity.
Far off in the distant shifting sands existed a strange phenomenon. An apparition which puzzled Jared, and enamored Amia. Each evening after the day’s labor, as they rested on the patio, there appeared on the far horizon a mirage.
Jared could not calculate the distance of the mirage, but it gleamed in magnificent splendor. The mirage appeared as a castle made of gold, with a base of precious stones. Bolts of lightning and powerful beams of colored light emanated from the castle, and its glory appeared to connect it to the heavens.
One evening, Jared was resting, satisfied in his accomplishments for the day, when Amia spoke to him, saying, “My dearest Jared, do you never ponder the magnificence of the castle perched in the infinitude? Do you never desire to know its depth or height? Do you never long to explore its mystery, or desire to sense the beauty and majesty it surely contains?”
Jared measured Amia’s words for a long time, and said, “It is true, Amia, the palace is alluring to be sure. It shimmers like a bejeweled chariot. But how are we to know if it is real? How are we to experience such a thing as this?
“Are we not one with the garden? Does not the garden provide us with abundance? Are we not complete here? What is like the peace and security of our blessed garden? I have no desire to explore the mysteries of what may prove to be an illusion. My world is this garden, my heart lives here... in you.”
Amia knew the garden was an oasis of security and that Jared was her wise and noble mate. She did not wish to disturb him. Although the garden was a fortress from deprivation, she still longed to sense the wonders of the mirage on the far horizon: Amia’s heart was not satisfied.
Amia knew as well that Jared possessed superior reason, but her will was more powerful than his. She never broached the subject of the mirage again, but Jared was now aware of her discontent. The seed of her longing had been sown, and in time the seed took root in Jared’s unstained mind.
Much time elapsed.
As a steady stream of water eventually wears a hole in a rock, Jared slowly became disenchanted with his circumstances. He could no longer bear to feel Amia languish. A state of doubt grew inside him, and a fog descended over his world. Although Amia tried to appear content, Jared now understood the root of her craving.
One evening Jared sat beguiled, and as he gazed at the mirage he said, “Amia my love, I know your heart is sincere, I find myself in you. But I now feel a curiosity I have never known. Perhaps we have outgrown this place. Perhaps the time has come for us to journey to the mirage. In the morning let us fill our gourds with water, and venture into the desert. We shall journey forth, and explore the celestial fantasy.”
Amia smiled, her heart now buoyant and filled with ecstasy, and she said, “O Jared, my true love, how I adore you! You have filled me with delight. In my heart I know if we can but experience the splendor in the castle of grandeur, it will make our existence in this place appear as a hell world.”
Jared lowered his head, he knew his fate was now sealed, and he said, “As powerful as my love is for the garden, I would sooner cease to exist than to know you long for anything, my dearest Amia. Come, let us rest, for the morning will arrive too soon, and we will need our strength. I have never contemplated an undertaking such as this, and we must be prepared.”
That night Jared had a strange dream. Strange because he had never dreamt before.
In his dream, Jared was tending his garden. He looked into the sky, and saw two magnificent eagles soaring majestically over his head. The eagles sailed so high in the heavens that the whole world existed beneath them. Jared watched in astonishment as a bolt of lightning struck the eagles, and they fell from the sky, as if dead. This premonition aroused him from his slumber, and the dream troubled him deeply.
* * *
The final golden morning arose, once again illuminating Jared’s mind with a promise of security and purpose. But the seed of awakening had been sown, and Jared knew his sojourn in his beloved garden was now completed. “I have packed our provisions and our water Amia. Let us begin our journey to the far reaches of our world. Who knows what adventure awaits us?”
One last time Jared turned to bid farewell to his garden. He could not understand why many of the plants had started to wilt. A drop of water trickled down his cheek, and a feeling of loneliness seized his heart. Never had he experienced or known feelings such as this. The water from his eyes and the aching in his heart puzzled him.
Together, Amia and Jared set foot in the burning sand, and in so doing the journey for realization began. Soon the desert swallowed them up, and they were but two specks on the distant horizon.
* * *
Many days and many nights they journeyed through the burning desert. They had never known thirst such as this. Their feet became raw and sore from walking on the blistering sand. The sun scorched their skin. In time their provisions were exhausted, and they grew weary.
But Jared strove on. The gate of imagination had been opened, and there was no turning back. When Amia became too weak to walk further, Jared hoisted her to his breast, and carried her.
With each passing day the mirage became clearer and more defined. The lines of the ineffable castle began to reveal depth, and its colors became more vivid. Every step brought them closer to the realm of fantasy; and after a monumental struggle, they arrived at the gates of nirvana.
Each of the two gates of the paradise was composed of a single pearl, their luster and size incomparable. Jared and Amia fell to their knees and rejoiced, because they now felt certain the mirage existed and was not merely a treasured imagining.
The beauty of the mirage was magnificent beyond description. Never had they conceived such splendor could exist. The palace was perched in mountains of the finest jade. The walls of the fortress were made of solid gold. The bulwark surrounding paradise was endless, nor could Jared determine to what height it extended. The gates of the heaven world opened before them, and they strode cautiously into a glorious courtyard, the boundary of which encompassed a vast magnitude.
Within this place stood enormous trees with leaves like etched silver, and fruit as if made of gold. Immense flower gardens appeared as rainbows. Colors and fragrances they had never experienced abounded. So rich was the variety of delights within this world their senses were overwhelmed.
In the center of the courtyard stood a vast living fountain. The waters of the fountain were the likeness of a myriad of stars, and its sparkling torrents appeared to flow from the heavens. Upon standing at the edge of such glory, they fell into a swoon.
Copyright © 2006 by John Vieczorek
