Egyptian Timewave

Chapter 57

Abayomi leans forward to peer out the window, watching the green strip of land grow smaller and smaller as the plane rises into the sky. Her dad leans closer, as Abayomi is fully pressed against the window.

"Missing Egypt already, Aya?"

Her cheeks warm. "Yes."

"I'm sure you'll be coming back on another dig quite soon."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Baba, I'm barely eighteen and I'm about to start my first year of university, those community college courses notwithstanding. They don't have any reason to invite me on another dig, they were only humoring me on this one because I've been doing archaeology programs my entire life and because they respect you. I just got lucky."

"That's not true!" Abayomi's look sharpens. A sheepish smile spreads over her dad's face. "Okay, it's a little bit true. But Aya, if you think they won't welcome you back, you're wrong."

"Then why would they, Baba?"

"You know, Fahim came up to me and told me you did a great job, and everyone else agreed with him. Abayomi, some of the people I work with are the top of their field, and they loved you helping out. That means you have the approval of several highly respected archaeologists." He adds as an afterthought. "Enough so that they were planning on writing to UCLA about your work, since you'll be going there."

Abayomi blinks. "Writing to UCLA? Why?"

"Your experience might get you out of some of the courses required for your planned major and allow you to get into some higher-level courses with overrides. They want to help you and they absolutely want you to come and help with a dig again." He nudges her. "And I know we're not done working on everything for this tomb of ours, we've just done everything we need to at the site itself. I'm sure you'll be getting all sorts of emails about it."

Abayomi flushes. "Fahim already sent me all the photos we've taken so far."

She's already saved the whole collection to her laptop, and it's big enough that she should probably move it to a flash drive so it doesn't eat up all the space on her computer. Her dad grins at her.

"See, Aya? Everyone believes in you, now you just have to believe in yourself."

"You make it sound easier than it actually is, Baba."

Everyone else may believe in her skills, but she feels like she's just coasting by. What if all her hard work is really only successful because her soul somehow remembers flashbacks of Kemet? That's why she's been seeing those hieroglyphs so easily, after all. That's why she knew what Luxor Temple looked like while it was being built. Because Anippe saw it and they share the same soul.

Her dad touches her shoulder. "Abayomi, I know it might be hard, but trust me. You're doing an amazing job and I can't wait to see what amazing things you go on to do."

Abayomi looks down at her lap and mumbles, "Thanks Baba."

"No need to thank me. That's my job as your Baba, to love you and to encourage you when you need it." He pauses. "I'm going to rest for a bit, wake me when they bring dinner out?"

Abayomi laughs and nods. Every time, the moment they hit altitude and level out he just nods off. When they descend or ascend, he's fine and awake. But when they're not, he's out. It's a bit funny. Her dad quickly nods off, and Abayomi turns back to the window, her gaze fixed on the spot of green amongst the sands.

It'll get harder to see the more the sky darkens with sunset and the farther away they get, but for now? For now she can still see the heart of Egypt. She waves out the window in the direction of the Malkata palace ruins. Until next time. Perhaps when they come again, she can see what it looks like now after these eons.
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I hope you enjoyed this book and I hope you'll stay tuned for when I start posting the sequel, American Paradox.
Happy reading and I'll see you next book!
~Goddess of Fate, signing out