The Pact

One

When the deep meaning of things is not understood the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.

Chien-chih Seng-ts'an
Zen Patriarch, 606 AD

"Athena? Meratta? Where are you girls?" the old woman called into the evening air. Shaking her head she thought, Those girls! They are always running off together!

"Athena? Meratta? It's time to come home!" she shouted out again. When will they ever learn it is not safe to be outside after the sun falls? she thought to herself as she turned to walk back down the stone steps into the cave-dwelling.

Athena and Meratta were very busy, unaware of anything except their search. They had not noticed the sun dipping below the tip of the great pyramid, for they were gathering more herbs to use as teas to help heal the families living in the caves.

"Here's a new one!" Meratta exclaimed as she held up a tiny clump of greenery. "I think it is the one Amma told us would heal the hot sweats of the elderly women. I will take it with us and ask her tomorrow."

"Oh, that is definitely a new one, Meratta!" replied Athena, inspecting the leafy green shoot.

"Oh no!" shouted Meratta as she pointed to the sun rays falling in an array of colors. "We have been outside too long, Athena; we must gather our things and return home quickly."

Athena and Meratta watched one last time the setting of the sun and its glowing rays of yellow, pink, and red. They packed their baskets tight with the day's findings. They were not far from their cave-dwelling and had faintly heard the calls from their mother, but as usual, they ignored them to pursue their passion. They loved their mother, but they knew she did not understand their strong desire to learn the ways of Amma, and how to heal those who were not well in the caves.

Once safely up the hill and in front of the stones leading to the opening of their home, Athena whispered as she pointed to the valley below, "It is so beautiful. Do you think we will ever be able to visit?"

"I hope so," Meratta replied as she swept a finger across her forehead to remove the blonde strand of untrained hair obstructing her view. "Even if we never get to see the lighted valley, I will be happy here learning more from our dear Amma."

"Yes, I agree with your words," Athena said softly as she gazed lovingly into Meratta's blue eyes. Slowly descending the stairway, the pair of blossoming young women vanished into the darkness.

Athena and Meratta were sisters who lived with their mother in one of the caves surrounding the impressive community of Atlantis with its shining lights, water canals, and huge gardens filled with fruit trees and all variety of foods. When they were younger, their mother would tell them stories about the times long ago when the love beings came from the sky to offer instructions to their people about the ways of bringing-into-view with their minds. Many learned how to bring-into-view the needed instruments to make the large domed dwellings and how to light the night sky. Each person who wished to learn the new lessons would be given these abilities. The people learned to develop the wonders of illuminating the night sky and the magical ways to use stone and marble to form their pyramids in which to learn other mysterious ways. As their mother told these stories over and over, the sisters would sit quietly at her feet, absorbing all the visions of the strange land.

Athena and Meratta also met Amma when they were young. Amma was a wise elder with white-gray hair, dark penetrating eyes, and a soft deep voice. Her presence silently commanded respect as she seemed to float across the ground with a soft glow emanating around her body. Amma came one day with a few others to the sisters' cave, crossing the perimeter of the Atlantis community from a larger cave that went deep inside the earth. Their mother was ailing and Amma instinctively knew she was needed. Her trip was an arduous one for the old woman, but her mission was of healing all cave-dwellers surrounding Atlantis, so a bit of walking and hiking did not deter her ambition.

"Where are you distressed, my dear?" Amma asked their mother as she searched for a small bowl shaped from knottelwood tucked at the bottom of her basket.

"My head is spinning, and when I try to stand, I fall back down," replied the girls' mother.

"My, my. not to worry, my dear. Amma knows what will heal you." She spoke in deep comforting tones, soft, like the tender grasses outside the caves.

Amma reached a second time into the large mysterious basket packed tightly to the top. When her hand emerged, in it was the most beautiful flower Athena and Meratta had ever seen. Amma instructed Meratta to render a gourd of water heated by the center fire. Then she poured the water into the wooden bowl, gently placing the flower at the bottom. She stirred it with her fingers while talking softly to their mother. The girls could not hear all that was spoken, but the words seemed to settle the lines in their mother's face.

The next day, Amma said it was time for her journey home. She told the girls to tend to their mother with the warm water and flowers she had left them. After placing the flowers in a smaller basket, she handed it to Meratta and said, "You and Athena will one day be healers as I. I will come when the moon is full each cycle to teach you the ways," and with that said, Amma left with her companions.

"Athena, do you think Amma will come tomorrow at the full moon?" Meratta asked as they walked the pathway trod so many times by the cave-dwellers. She held her basket close to her, not wanting to lose the unknown treasure she had found that day.

"I know she will, Meratta; she always comes to teach us the healing ways on the full moon," Athena said as she led the way on the winding stones.

"I can't wait to show her our new finding! She will be so pleased with us, I just know it!" Meratta shrieked as she touched the moist stone wall near her head to steady her way.

Arriving at the crossway, they turned to the left toward their home to find their mother busy cooking over the center fire. "Guess what we found today, Mother?" Meratta exclaimed.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope it was worth your staying out to the sun's passing!" their mother admonished.

"Oh it is, Mother. it is!" beamed Meratta with excitement as she reached into her basket to bring forth the prize of the day's search.

"Look, it is so pretty even without a flower!" Meratta said, holding the leaf toward the fire's light for her mother to see.

"We were well within our time to arrive at our cave before the lights would shine in the valley, Mother. Do not worry; we will be careful always," assured Athena.

"Well, let me see your leaf," said their mother as she came closer. "Ah, yes, it is a lovely one indeed! I am sure Amma will be happy with your finding."

"Will Amma be here for sure tomorrow, Mother?" inquired Meratta with a tenuous voice.

"Oh, yes, I am sure she will, my dear Meratta. She has much more to teach you and Athena. she will be here," she said affectionately.

The three ate supper and soon settled down for the night's sleep with excitement in their hearts to meet with Amma once again the following day.

Athena, with her long black hair loose down her back, turned on her side, facing the dark stones she knew so well. Many times when she went to bed and the center fire was still bright, she would count the cracks in the stones and trace them with her fingers to other small breaks that formed the pieces that took the appearance of faces, animals, and flowers. Once when she could not sleep, Athena recounted the many designs she could find, savoring the fact that only she knew of all the stories hidden in the stones.

Meratta slept close to her mother with her hand resting gently upon her breast. Just knowing her mother was near was a comfort for Meratta. She was younger than Athena and fair-skinned like the water lily petals found near the canals of Atlantis. Of course, being the younger sister had its benefits and rewards. Meratta was always allowed her say, no matter what the topic or how wrong she might be in understanding or discussing it. Her light blue eyes would sparkle at the slightest excitement, and she possessed a gentle smile, which she shared with everyone. Meratta was shorter than Athena, who was taller than most women, but a sturdy girl with a laugh that echoed through the caves.

The sisters were very close, mostly because they both had a passion to learn the healing ways. Most days, they could be found together just outside the cave-dwelling up to their knees in green shrubs and thickets of berries. Once they witnessed their mother's healing by Amma, the two sisters were determined to be healers like their mentor.

Amma did arrive the next day with new herbs and flowers to share. But before she could even take a breath to relax from her hike, Meratta shouted, "Amma, look what I found yesterday!" Meratta took the small bunch of greenery from her cherished basket and placed it on the tall stone in front of them.

"Oh,...