CHAPTER – 4
THE TREE OF LIFE
AND
THE CASE OF THE MISSING APPLE
I came across a meadow once that looked as if I had stepped into the pages of a storybook. I was standing at the same levitated high ground where I and Lady Athena were able to see the stars together.
The malachite-green fields seemed to be covered in a bright sheet under the clear azure blue sky. I could hear the serenading minstrel of the heavenly birds breaking the quiet of this far-fetched world. The whalebone-white clouds shaped like tufts of marshmallows, glided slowly across the sky. They carried an airy, warm, drizzling rain with them. It cleansed the land and banished the strangling coldness and stunned silence of the lake’s surface. The pattering off the leaves, ultra-symmetric ripples on surface of the lake, the rain energized the full ecosystem of this holy land.
A neon-blue ribbon of river ran through the centre of the meadow. The song of the river was very gentle as it went plinking and tinkling over the grey gravel bed.
The molten golden crown on top of mountains head and the bleached snow was forged by the gods of Olympus themselves. I could see the reflection varnished onto the lakes glassy surface.
Even in this spirit renewing rustic scene I could not hold my breath but be baffled at the sight of the gigantic and noble tree which stood in front of me all high and mighty. With a stock straight and a proud grey obelisk and branches sticking out emphatically and shaped like a Neptune’s fork, thick and defiant at the bottom, frail toward the top, the exceedingly beautiful tree was yet extraordinary that I could not describe it in mere words of my limited vocabulary.
The soothing and warm feeling of the light which passed through its canopies, and the cool of its shadow was just so tempting to lie under its divine protection.
It all feels so connected and familiar!
I looked around but unable to find Lady Athena I decided to wait and lay under the tree reading the book on magic which I had brought with me.
It had been more than an hour and I started feeling hungry again for some reason I wondered what fruit this tree bore during its ripening season. I removed my thoughts of eating and started focusing on reading again. For some time, I wanted to try teleportation magic because it is just so cool to vanish from one place and appear at another and take others by surprise. Maybe then I could wipe the floor with that haughty angel and his obsolete thoughts about being ‘lowly humans’.
It had been quite a while and Lady Athena had still not shown up yet. Maybe she is busy in her duties as a god such as looking after her subjects, blessing others who follow her and maybe praying. Wait! Whom she would even pray? Does gods also pray someone? Maybe they pray to World God for his blessings! Well I am sure I would not want to disturb Lady Athena during her duties or unexpected chores which suddenly might have popped up. I am sure she would show up soon because we are good friends. Aren’t we…
Just then a huge, almost circular shaped red object fell on the cover of my book while the momentum made the other end of the cover hit my nose. I was quick in my response and had already made distance with the book so the impact of the hit was less and there was probably no nosebleed or other minor injuries.
But for some reason I wanted to get hurt and use the healing magic. I have been still wondering about the after-effects of the healing magic which I previously used, because it felt like it almost rebuilt my whole body and let me gain more strength than my usual self. For some reason I also felt more confident than ever. Learning magic is obviously fun for anyone.
Probably all my classmates by now would also have learnt magic and may be able to even burn down buildings or break huge boulders as they are always stronger than me and maybe always will be. But this time I am sure I will not lack behind because I have my goddess by my side.
Now to return to the current scenario, I had to probe and investigate this unidentified falling object. Well duh… it’s probably an apple. Why would a UFO fall from the sky considering it’s the divine realm we are talking about (and it seems that nothing can surprise me anymore)?
A large sized apple with bright red color on a green base lay on the ground on my right side. It was probably a bit larger than the normal sized Kashmiri apples and for the other part the tutti – fruity smell of this ripened fruit in the air had already caught my nose’s attention. I just couldn’t wait to know the taste of this bold apple which dared to fall and disturb me during my reading time. Seeing that I was all alone and there was no caretakers for the tree nearby that means I can probably eat this apple.
Surely I can!
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
CRUNCH!
CHOMP!
The Skin of this fruit is crisp, juicy, and aromatic yet tasted a bit acidic.
As for the fleshy part it had a sweet syrup taste and an earthly touch in it which made it even a more enjoyable delicacy. I am sure it will serve as a good ingredient in deserts. I would love to make an apple pie for it and enjoy it together with Lady Athena. I just can’t stop thinking about her and how she saved me yesterday and stepped forward in order to protect me.
I finished the whole damn thing which caused this fiasco and said to myself ‘serves it right.’ But later when I realized that there were no seeds, I started wondering how the species of this tree survives then if they do not propagate. Maybe the trees are immortal but even so. Why the hell am I even thinking, a fruit without seeds maybe a common thing in heaven. But something still bugged me because the fruits I ate in my room probably had seeds in them. But I said to myself ‘later’ and then continued to divulge in my reading.
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