INNEREAL ADVENTURES - ONE

THE REUNION

THE REUNION

   Early the next day, before it became light, Ajobis quietly arose while Byron was still asleep. He gathered his things together and left Byron a note, which simply read: Stay here. I will return shortly.

   He then continued past the tree further down the path along the coast because he knew of another tree in that direction where he thought he might find his father.

   He also wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while. So much had happened since he parted from his father and all of the recent events in his life were still reeling in his mind. He wanted to sort things out and he didn’t want any distractions in his mind that would take away from the moment he was so looking forward to – the moment when he would see his father again.

   The light dawned on a beautiful day as Ajobis walked. It was alive with sights and sounds and smells that he had pushed out of his life for so long. Now, they were returning and invigorating his being.

   [“What does that mean?” came a question from the backseat. “It just means that it all was re-charging his dead battery. He was getting all pumped up with the beauty in the world around him,” said I.]

   So, Ajobis had his contemplative walk all the way through midday and on into late afternoon. Then, he began to see the tree up ahead in the distance. His destination was near and a wide variety of emotions began to stir inside of him.

   He finally saw what he had come for. Off in the distance, there was Jacobis just peacefully leaning up against the trunk of the tree and watching the day turn to dusk.

   Still quite far away, Ajobis paused and looked ahead to his father. Jacobis sensed Ajobis’ presence before he saw him and turned his head to look. When he saw Ajobis, joy filled every part of his being and he started to run up the path toward him. Ajobis didn’t know what to think, as he dropped to his knees and began to weep.

   “Ajobis! Oh, Ajobis! It is you, my son!” cried Jacobis, as he ran up to him. “Ajobis, my son! Oh, Ajobis!”

   By the time Jacobis made it to Ajobis, he too was overcome and crying great tears of joy. He raised Ajobis up off of his knees and looked into his eyes and embraced him tightly. Ajobis returned the embrace and the two of them wept on each other for a good long time. The pain of their long separation was being released and melting into the sweetness of their reunion.

   “I am so sorry, father. I am so so sorry for what I have done to you,” cried Ajobis.

   “Oh, my son, I thought you were lost, but now, here you are back together with me,” cried Jacobis. “Come. Let us go to the tree. I have so much to tell you.”

   “And, I to tell you as well,” said Ajobis. “I have learned so much. So many things have happened. I have… I… well, the most important thing that I have learned is how much I love you. I love you, father. And, I will never dishonor you or ever leave you again.”

   The two then embraced a few more times and started to make their way back to the tree. As they did, Ajobis began to feel a warming and tingling feeling in his feet as he walked. He was quite overcome by it because he had given up hope long ago that it would ever be a possibility for him. Jacobis noticed that Ajobis had stopped walking, so he stopped and turned around and saw him just standing there staring at his feet. Suddenly, small sparks of light started to flash where he was standing and a magnificent pair of shoes began to form from the soles of his feet up to the top of his ankles.

   Ajobis started to weep for joy, and said,” I never thought… how can this be… I do not… oh, father. I have my shoes! I do not understand.”

   “I do not quite understand it either,” said Jacobis, thoughtfully. “You forfeited them when you left.”

   “But this means that I have hope, father. These are my shoes of hope,” said Ajobis.

   “You have kept walking and restored your sense of hope. And, you certainly have given my hope a boost, also,” said Jacobis.

   Jacobis and Ajobis then continued to revel in these intimate moments of reunion as they made their way back to the tree and talked and talked and wept and wept on into the night.