Marrakesh Square looked bright and hazy the day that
two friends became men. The purchase of a camel is not a joke, and the issue
weighed heavily on the heart of Laurence as he prepared to choose one of the
three camels which lay before him.
Camel one was bold and muscular- arguably a wise
choice considering the extremity of The Sahara. Camel two also had its worth-
an old camel, experienced in the art of desert travel. But Laurence chose the third
camel to be his companion on their journey.
“This camel’s father’s hair made a rug for my grandfather
many years. If you make love on the rug, you forget about the price, do you
know why?” asked the Moroccan camel salesman.
“Why?” replied Wallmart obediently.
“Because it is an aphrodisiac.”
Laurence eyed the camel wearily. The heat of the
African sun had stolen Laurence and he had drifted into a lazily delirious
mood, contemplating the adventure that lay before them.
The camel slowly turned his elegant neck to notice Laurence,
with the same intelligence with which he endlessly seemed to stare into another
abyss, that of the Sahara Desert.
The three trooped through endless spectres of
mountains, before finally arriving onto a great plain, extending farther than
the mind can imagine. Settlements scattered the land like planes in the sky,
sharing the same quality of being thoroughly destitute in their surroundings.
The sun burnt bright as a scorpion became entranced
with the foot of the camel, which rested unwilling in the sun while the three
took shade under a lonely tree. A figure rose from the desert, miraculously growing
in stature as Laurence admired his existence.
The figure spoke: “I bring news from a far away
land; it is required that you embark on a journey South, as this is where you
will find you destiny.”
“But why should we risk our lives with that treacherous
task for a completely hallucinatory outcome?” replied Wallmart, whose senses
had remained peculiarly intact despite his hereditary nature.
Laurence answered this question with these words,
only learning their truth as he spoke them: “Because only then will be learn
why we came here, and why things are the way they are. Only then can we return
to the North- our families, lives and beliefs. Without a revelation, I will not
feel satisfied, and will not be able to return to my village with my head held
high.”
The knowledge Laurence sought was dangerous, and a
certain predecessor to madness, if one was not careful. This knowledge
encompassed many of the key factors of wisdom; experience, understanding of the
self and understanding of the struggle.
Not once did Laurence believe he would return home
an idol, or a prophet of a new morality. Unlike the great philosophers who
sought greater things, Laurence, Wallmart and their furry companion yearned
only for salvation, from the claws of the world they had temporarily left
behind.
Heaven rose from the desert, a sparkling ocean of
emerald blue. The Gods drank their coffee, and slept in their thrones, many of
whom had forgotten the struggle, or simply lost hope, while others tired
emphatically in its maze.
Laurence crossed his arms sulkily, and shifted in
his seat, straining to see more of the heaven that fell away beneath him. He
thought of this as the last abyss, a place where man has yet to conquer, and
which therefore remains unknown and other worldly.
The light shone above Wallmart, who used its magic
to study the scripture he had obtained. Abruptly, silence fell between the
friends. The whirr of the engine persisted as the lights in the cabin
dimmed, leaving only the emergency exits visible.
The potential for discovery of a foreign land was
peacefully receding as the tranquil darkness enveloped the aeroplane. Wallmart
fell asleep, leaving Laurence to appreciate the Gods all around him and the
Heaven which stretched endlessly beneath them. It was a short time before his
thoughts drifted to other matters, and he too began to face the struggle once more.
Meanwhile, somewhere between two moons, the camel
dropped his head to the sand.
THE END
