Until Then (If Heaven Permits)
A dark, seemingly endless tunnel… Sinbad walked and walked, looking around him as he did so. “Where am I?” he asked himself for the ninth time. He paused for a moment. He could almost swear he had heard Doubar’s voice from a distant… but it was so faint that he was not sure whether it was real or he had just imagined it. He continued on with his journey, his legs sturdy enough to support him, his every step as though he was walking upon a cloud… suddenly, a bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Sinbad raised his hand to his eye so that he could shield it from the glaring brightness of that light. He squinted, and the light just seemed to get brighter and brighter as he neared it…
Then, he was not inside the tunnel anymore. Sinbad once again looked around, unfamiliar with the surroundings that had met his wide eyes. He took in the sight with a smile on his lips. The ground was covered with flowers, hundreds of thousands that bloomed under the heat of the sun, their scents mingling with the wind that was lapping against his skin. Sinbad took in a deep breath of that scent, relishing the smell of the flowers…
A movement caught his eye. Sinbad turned around, and saw that the sea of flowers had departed, revealing a way in which a human being could walk in between. He saw someone walking towards him. Whoever it was stopped, as though he or she had recognized him, and then resumed his or her confident striding.
Sinbad squinted, his sight blinded by the sun, and he did not recognize whoever it was until he or she was standing in front of him. His blue eyes widened.
“Hello, Sinbad.” Her voice said.
At first, Sinbad could not speak. He hadn’t seen her ever since that fateful incident that took her away from him… “Lea…” he whispered.
The child, barely eight in age, smiled hugely at Sinbad. “You’re all grown up,” she said.
“And you… you are still a child…”
Lea laughed. A high-pitched laugh that was truly human and truly childish. “I was a child when I died, Sinbad.’ She said. “'Tis in that form that my spirit took shape.”
“Died?” Sinbad repeated. “If you are dead, and you are here, and I am here… then I am… I am dead?” he asked.
The smile disappeared, leaving a face full of misery.
“Yes. Yes, you are dead, Sinbad.” She whispered.
“I see,” he said. Sinbad then looked around him, and brought his attention back to the girl. “This must be heaven.”
Lea shook her head. “No, Sinbad. This is not heaven. You see…” she took his large hands and grasp it with her small ones, “Taking your own life was a very bad thing to do. You cannot enter heaven because of that.”
“I understand…” Sinbad whispered. Then, a thought entered his mind. “Where is Maeve?” he asked.
“She’s in a different place.” Lea answered. “A very, very different place. A place that is very far from here.”
“I must see her.” Sinbad demanded. He abruptly let go of Lea’s hands. “Where is she? Please, take me to her. I must see her.” He said.
Lea shook her head again. “No, Sinbad. I can’t do that.”
“What do you mean, no?” Sinbad asked, his brows becoming furrowed.
“I mean they won’t allow it.” She answered. She stood on top of a large rock so that they could talk face to face. “I mean you can’t see her, and that’s that.”
“Who are they? Why won’t they allow it?”
“I cannot tell you…” Lea said, her face full of childish innocence. “But one thing is for certain. You cannot see her anymore.”
Sinbad sat on the ground, unmindful of his crushing of a beautiful jasmine in full bloom. “Then this is not heaven. This is hell. A life without Maeve is hell.”
Lea sat on the rock, and then looked at Sinbad with big, round eyes. “You have no more life in you, Sinbad. You took it away when you slit your wrist. ‘Tis a very bad thing you did.”
“But why am I here, Lea?” he asked her. “Why here? Shouldn’t I be rotting in hell?”
“Oh, Sinbad.” Lea gently scolded. “I wish you would stop saying that h-word. That is a very bad thing to say.”
“I’m sorry, Lea.” Sinbad amended. “But I am confused. Why am I here?”
“Because, they want to give you another chance.”
“Another chance?”
Lea nodded. “Yes, another chance. Another chance to live your mortal life. Another chance to atone for your sin.”
“Why is that? You just said what I did was very bad…”
“Well, they think that it is the only way in which they could repay you for all the wonderful things you did whilst you were still alive. You had helped a lot of people, had changed many lives… this is the least they could do for you kindness and good heart.”
Sinbad suddenly stood up, grabbed Lea by the waist, and lifted her up in a full circle. He then set her down. He grinned at her. “I am so happy that they are willing to give me that chance!” he said.
Lea smiled at him slightly, and then looked down at her feet.
“What is wrong, Lea? Tell me.” Sinbad asked, placing a finger beneath her chin and forcing her to look at him.
“You are going to live a very different life from the one you had lived before, Sinbad.” She said, tears forming in her eyes.
“You… what do you mean?”
“You have to give up the most important part of your life.” She said.
Suddenly a bright light engulfed both of them. Sinbad strained to get hold of Lea, who was by then starting to mist away. “Lea, I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
“The most important part in your life… will be gone…”
* * * * * * * * * *
Sinbad once again opened his eyes. He was in a very different place this time. The place was barely with people. A blue lagoon caught his eyes; it was a small pool with wild flowers growing around it. The sun’s rays touched the waters, giving it a thousand shades of color at once. He glanced around him. Then, a familiar shape loomed before him, her features getting sharper and clearer as she neared. Sinbad felt his breath caught in his lungs. “Maeve,” he whispered.
Maeve smiled, her cheeks rosy with color, her dress a simple white gown that reached her ankles. She tucked in a strand of loose red hair behind one ear. “Aye, Sinbad, ‘tis me.” She said.
“But how can that be? They said I won’t be able to see you anymore…”
She shook her head, and cupped one cheek with her hand. “Listen to me, sailor,” she said, her voice so soft that he could barely hear her speaking. “You won’t be staying in this place for long. You will be sent back there, and you will live a life that was meant for you, do you hear me?” she asked.
“A life that was meant for me, what do you…” Sinbad’s eyes widened with the knowledge that dawned on him.
“You, you’re the most important part of my life that I had to give up, aren’t you? When I go back you won’t be there to be with me…” he whispered.
Maeve nodded, tears starting to form on her lovely brown eyes. “Yes, yes that is true. I won’t be there when you come back…” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “I wish with all my heart that I could be with you, but I can’t.” she said. A tear rolled down on one cheek. “I can’t…”
“But why can’t you, Maeve? Why am I given this chance, when you aren’t?” Sinbad asked, his tears starting to form as well. He reached out and dried the tear from her face.
“Sinbad, no, don’t. Don’t question their motives.” She looked at him in the eye. “It is what was meant to be from the beginning.” She said.
“What was meant from the beginning? No, that is not it. We are meant to be together from the beginning. We are destined to be together. Oh, Maeve,” Sinbad whispered, bringing her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her nearer to his heart, his heart that was beating for two people, their hearts beating as one being.
Maeve moved away. “Sinbad,” she said, her voice choked with unshed tears, “Remember that I will always love you. My love will exceed the highest heavens, it will exceed the deepest depths. I will always be with you… throughout eternity, and beyond.”
Sinbad traced her face with his finger. “I know that, Maeve. For my love for you is as great as your love for me. Maybe even more.” He said. “Until then, my heart. If heaven permits, then we will be together. We will meet again.” He kissed her for one last time… “Until then, Maeve.” A swirling halo of bright light engulfed Sinbad. Maeve stepped back, and watched as the light disappeared, bringing with it her beloved.
“Until then, Sinbad,” she whispered.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Land ho!”
Sinbad looked up, and then nodded at the man that was in the crow’s nest. “Prepare the long boat, Doubar!” he shouted.
“Aye aye, captain!” Doubar answered, giving him a salute before doing what he was ordered to do.
Sinbad smiled. He was looking forward to dock at the Isle of Dawn, where he would meet his Master DimDim again. It had been years since they last met.
“So, Sinbad, this is going to be a different adventure, is it not?” Firouz asked him.
“Aye, it will be.” Sinbad said, smiling at him.
Doubar ran to them. “The long boat had been already lowered.” He informed them.
“Then let’s go!” Sinbad said, raising his hand.
The crew boarded the boat with light hearts and full spirits. Sinbad saw the land, and he looked back at his brother, who was at the other end of the boat.
“I’ll go there, Doubar. I’ll meet Dimdim first. We would just wait for you on the shore.”
Doubar nodded. “Take care, brother.”
Sinbad went ahead. As his feet made their way across the waters, several thoughts came to his mind at once. Dimdim had been like a father to him, the one who had believed in his potential, and the one who had encouraged him to do his best in everything he did. “But I never did understand what he always tell me,” Sinbad thought. He once said, “Everything had it’s reasons." What does that mean? His thoughts stopped altogether when Sinbad saw someone on the shore, already waiting for him. He smiled.
“Are you Sinbad the Sailor?” the woman on shore queried. She scratched the bird that was perched on her arm.
“Aye, that is I.” Sinbad answered her. “ And to whom am I owing this wonderful welcome?”
The woman blushed. “The name’s Bryn, and we better get going.” She said. She turned away, and then proceeded to walk ahead.
Sinbad followed her. The woman was very beautiful, with her long, brown her, her dancing toffee eyes… suddenly, a strong sense of déjà vu crept over him. Sinbad stopped, and then looked around him one more time… “I might be losing my mind, but I could have sworn that this had happened before…”
“Sinbad!” Dimdim yelled, bringing Sinbad back to reality. He turned around, just in time to engulf the older man in a hug. “Dimdim, it is nice meeting you again!” he said.
Dimdim clapped his back. “You have grown up, my boy!” he said. He ushered Bryn to come closer. “Sinbad, I trust that you have already met my apprentice of two years, Bryn.”
“Yes, yes I already did. And it was a pleasure.” Sinbad answered.
Dimdim nodded. “All right, then. Then maybe we should get going…”
“Father!” a woman shrieked.
Sinbad stilled in his tracks. There was something very familiar with that voice, as though he had heard it before… slowly he turned around.
“Daughter!” Dimdim said, frowning. “I thought I told you to stay at your mother’s house?”
The woman shook her head, causing her red curls to bounce on her face. “I don’t want to stay there, father. Especially since I know I could be of some assistance to you.”
Bryn chuckled. “You know your daughter, Master Dimdim. She always has the last word.” She said, lightly punching the other woman’s arm. She laughed.
Dimdim shook his head. “Very well…” and then, as though he had noticed Sinbad was there, standing and watching the whole scene, he cleared his throat, and then said, “My boy, this is my daughter, Maevelyn. Maeve, I’d like you to meet…”
“You must be Sinbad.” Maeve said, walking to him and extending her hand. She smiled slightly. “My father constantly talks about you, so don’t be surprised if I know your name.” Her brown eyes sparkled as she look at him.
Sinbad took her hand and brought it to his lips. “A pleasure, Maeve.” He said, smiling. There was something very familiar with this woman… as though he had met her before, but couldn’t quite place it where or when. He masked his confusion by offering her his arm, which, without a second’s hesitation, she took it. They started ahead.
Bryn nudged Dimdim. “I am surprised to see that Maeve had easily warmed up to him. I never saw her as comfortable with any man as she is now with that Sinbad.”
“Ah, you know, my dear. Everything have it’s reasons.” Dimdim said, his eyes betraying a knowing gleam…
Bryn shook her head, more confused than ever.
“So, Sinbad,” Maeve said. “I see that we will have clear skies for our journey?” she look at him, as though she can’t stand to not look at his vivid blue eyes...
“Aye, Maeve, it looks as though we will.” Sinbad answered, staring back at her brown eyes…
Maeve lowered her head, for she was most certain that she was blushing. “You know what?” she began, “I feel as though I have known you before. It feels as though you are familiar to me, and I am familiar to you…” she halted, then shook her head. “Now you must think of me as very eccentric. Just don’t mind me, sailor.” She said.
“On the contrary, I completely agree with you, Maeve.” Sinbad said. He stopped, took her face in between his hands…
“My love will exceed the highest heavens, exceed the deepest depths…”
Maeve stared at him, her mind memorizing every detail of his beautiful face…
“For my love is as great as your love for me, maybe even more…”
Then, they embraced, as two lovers’ souls reunited again, two souls that had defied betrayal, death and life…
“Aye, Maeve, it looks as though the heavens permitted it to be.”
The End!
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