The Legends Of Abidet
Chapter 8 - Back Home
A dead girl resurrects 80 years later, in a divided world. This is the end story or the pass to a new chapter... of life.
My name doesn't matter. Everyone knows me as Nioa (Old Woman). Some people think I am the oldest person on Earth. They might be right, I don't know. I was born in 1984 and now it is 2115. 131 years old is just too much. I have memories from 3 different centuries. And all this, despite that I was a convinced smoker for all my life.. and I still smoke today. My husband died when he was 84, in 2066. So, I lived as a widow for 50 years. We had 3 lovely children: two daughters and a son. But, the youngest girl, Abidet, was kidnapped when she was 17. We get birth to a 4th child, a boy, to take her place, but it was not the same. All 3 children died when they were around 80 years old. The last died Altha, our last child, at 81, in 2103, 12 years ago. Even many of my nephews died of age. I lived to see my great great grandchildren.
Everybody thinks that I am a miracle and my extended life is a gift from the gods. But the correct answer is that I was waiting. I was waiting all this time. I was waiting and I am still waiting for Abidet to return. Will she ever return? I think yes. And I think I will not see death until she will return. But now, she must be over 100 years old.
When Abidet was kidnapped, she was a teen. I tried everything to find her. I didn't try to work with the police or anything like it. No. I worked with the mafia. I tried to search after her, trying to work with the guys who took her. I found out that she was token by a mafia faction. They wanted to prostitute her, but failed. By the time I managed to get to those guys, they already sold her. But where? I traveled half the world after her She was sold to a laboratory that somehow was completely destroyed. No survivals. Dead end. No way to find her back.
At that point I considered her to be dead. But was she? I never believed that she died. So, I walked up in the mountains, to the shrine of Actit. I kneeled and prayed all night to the goddess for help. I know her powers. She did many miracles in my life and guarded me anywhere I walked. In the end, I took my tears and poured them on the shrine. I said: "Actit, I know your powers. I know who you are and how many times you worked through my hands. Please, please let me find my daughter". Then, I pierced a finger and mixed my tears with blood and offered them to the goddess. Morning was coming and I fallen to sleep.
It was when I felt asleep that I seen the goddess, coming to me, as a bird made of light. She told me:
"Nicotiana, your eyes will not see death until you will see your daughter returning".
I woke-up. It was bitter cold, but the shrine was hot. I returned home. I was not tired any longer. I was 38 years old. Well, nearly a century has passed. All this time, I was waiting for Abidet to return. I never doubt that she will return.
Who is Actit? She is the first human. Here, at the End Of The World, many legends and beliefs have survived from ancient times. The legend of Actit is as follows: The primordial god first made the Altar and it is the Altar that created the world, with little effort. Then, the Altar created life, with much effort. And finally, using all its forces, it created the first human soul. In that moment, a white lightning came from the sun and a black lightning came from the ground. From the black lightning, a small ray reached the sky and gave birth to the rain, while from the white lightning, a small ray reached the ground and gave birth to the grains. The two lightning merged in the sky, surrounding the Altar and creating the body, while the Altar became the soul. And so was created Actit, the first woman, the mother of Adam and Eve and the goddess of life.
I am now very old. My great grandchildren take care of me. They bring me food, they take me out and help me. In every moment, there is one watching and helping me. I don't like this, but what can I do? I am too weak to walk. Even eating with a spoon is hard for me. But, so far, I never needed much medicine. Usually, they take me outside, where I can see the mountains, the railway and the landscape of our village. I keep watching, hoping that one day I will be able to see Abidet returning. Nobody hopes that she will return. Nobody has lived long enough to see her, but me. Nobody believes that she is still alive, but me.
So many things have passed in all this time. The debt crisis ended-up with hyperinflation and a worldwide famine. The environmental crisis came after fossil fuel was exhausted... and ended with massive storms and droughts. The nuke crisis ended with the breakaway of all large states and with the collapse of any form of globalization. Now, the richest are moving towards outer space, letting us, the poor, here on Earth. 3 major federations (unions or empires, for me is the same) ruled the world, but all collapsed with the nuke crisis. Some said that the future will be in outer space. I don't know. I lived too long.
Today, one great nephew is with me. His name is Adge and is about 50 years old.
"Are you ok, Nioa?" he asks me.
"Yes, I am ok", I say. "Adge, can you do something for me?" I ask.
"I know, Nioa", he says. "You want a cigarette".
"That should be nice", I say, "but there is something else".
"You want me to take you to the shrine?" he asks. "It will get you very tired".
"No, not to the shrine", I answer. "Somewhere else".
"Where?"
"To a small lake. In the forest. Think your hover-car can do it?"
"Yes, Nioa, but you know everyone will get upset to me if I take you there".
"Please, Adge. I will die one day and I want to see a certain place before I get out of life".
"I will, but with one condition, that you will eat something".
I agree. He feeds me with a spoon. Then, he takes me on his back and puts me in his hover-car. Today cars float over obstacles, even over trees. I guide him all the way. About 3 km from my home, there is a small, forgotten dam. It is about the same age as I am. 130 years ago, there was a giant plan to build a hydro power plant in these mountains, by diverting all rivers through dams and tunnels. Nobody finished this project even today. One dam was built on a small stream. Now, the lake is completely silted and trees grew where the lake once were. Many people don't know this dam, but I do. Adge doesn't. I ask him to take me out of his car and let me down on grass, where the former shore once were.
"Be careful, Nioa", he says. "You might get a cold".
"Don't worry", I say.
"I should worry", he answers. "If anyone finds out that I took you here, they will kill me".
"Ask Actit to hide us and nobody will know".
"What is this place?" he asks.
"Atan, this is the place where my life starts and where I wish it will end one day. I lived too much".
"Don't say that, Nioa! You scare me with these words".
"Why? Everyone will die one day", I say.
"Please, tell me more about this place".
I know he said that to stop me thinking about my death. But, because I have so many memories about this place, I prefer to tell him.
"When I was a child, this is where I used to come. At that time, it was a lake. I used to tell the lake all my happiness and sadness. This lake knew all my life. This is where I used to come with your great grandfather and with my children. Even with your grandmother, Aisha. Ah, things were so different at that time. I was obsessed with green. I had green hair and I convinced my husband to paint his hair green too. He looked just as I did".
"Like a woman?" he asks amazed.
"Yes. He was a transgender. Half man, half woman".
"With body implants? Did he take hormones?" he asks.
"No", I answer. "Not like that. He only took woman clothes, but never went to surgery or to hormones. His body was that of a man in all aspects".
"I never knew".
"Well, at that time, this was prohibited. But here, at the lake, we always were like this. Today, sexual minorities have rights, but at that time, gay people were killed. At that time, nobody knew. We were both sfenists".
"What is a sfenist?"
"A sfenist is a rare sexual minority. Sfenists are victims of a sexual abuse, like a rape. They are affected beyond recovery. For a sfenist, it becomes nearly impossible to have an active sexual life".
"Nioa, you say that you are a sfenist? But how that you had children?" he asks.
"All my children are made artificial", I answer.
As I talk, I feel very tired. I fall asleep. I feel like in the old times. The lake was not silted. I see me with my husband on the shores of this lake, smoking together, both dressed as two women. Our pantyhosed feet are touching the water. We used to swim here. Our children were so happy, playing in the woods and even swimming in summer. It was like our private swimming pool. Nobody ever visited us here. I see little Abidet playing here too. She was dressed like us, with a green dress, smoking near us while playing with the other children in the forest.
Then, I remember when she was kidnapped. She did not return from school. How scared was I! I searched her anywhere. The next day Spar, a neighbor, remembered that he seen Abidet with a guy, walking downstream. Someone else remembered that she went to a train station with the same guy. She took the train! I searched every place after her, over and over.
Then, I wake-up. I see the trees growing where the lake once were. I see the dam covered with vegetation. Adge is near me, sleeping. In that moment, I hear Abidet's voice:
"Don't worry, mom! You will see me! I am coming. I know where you are!"
"What?" I say.
Adge wakes-up.
"You said something, Nioa?"
I say nothing. I am very old, but still my brain is intact. This might be a dream, but I really don't know. It is better to keep it all quiet. Who knows what Adge might think, that I am getting insane.
**********
A few days have passed. Rain came over the mountains. I had to stay inside. But then, suddenly, weather changed. Two great grandchildren are now at home, watching me: Adge and Cemis. They both take good care of me. Since the weather is fine, they take me out.
"Nioa appeared on TV again", says one of them.
"She is the oldest woman on Earth", says another one.
Yes, television came here many times, to see me. They are amazed of my age. I don't like them to bother me.
"Do you want something, Nioa?" they say.
"Yes, a cigarette", I say.
"You know it is not good for you", says Cemis.
"If it were not good, I would have died a long time before", I say.
Adge gives me one. He puts the cigarette in my mouth and a small plate below it. They both smoke too. But unlike any other day, I feel a lot better and very happy. It is like something is going to happen. I feel it. I always felt when something is going to happen or when someone is thinking about me.
"Abidet will come soon", I say.
They don't bother to answer. but I know they are sure she will never come.
I finish my cigarette and fall asleep. Then, suddenly, a voice says: "Wake-up!"
I wake and look around.
"Cemis, Adge, are you still here?" I say.
"Are you hungry, Nioa?" they ask.
"I want another cigarette".
"No, Nioa", says Adge. "First, you have to eat".
I know how tricky they are. Well, let's play their games. I eat. Then, they light a cigarette and put it in my mouth.
"Abidet will come", I say again. "She is alive and searching for me".
"She will come", says Cemis.
Yes, she says that to make me think so and not worry. But I know she doesn't believe me.
"You see that?" says Adge.
"What, cousin?" says Cemis.
"That green light on the sky".
"What light? A, that one? Could it be a drone?"
What are they talking about? I see nothing.
"It is approaching", says Cemis.
Yes, I see it too. My eyes are old, but for sure I see some sort of green star on the sky. The light is getting closer. Much closer and brighter. I see it. But it doesn't look like a light, more like a butterfly. Or what is it? I see it a lot closer. It looks like a green woman, with green butterfly wings. It is surrounded by a green fire. I also see that she is smoking.
"Is it dangerous?" says Adge.
"Hey! Isn't that The Legend?" asks Cemis.
"We should run".
"And Nioa?"
"Let's take her inside".
The green woman is approaching. But, as soon as I see her face, I start crying. She looks...
"Mother?" says the green girl.
"Abidet?" I ask.
"Mother? Are you? How you got that old?"
I start crying, as she comes to me and tries to touch. I cannot feel her body. Her hands are like of a ghost's, cold and entering through my body.
"Abidet! I knew I will not see death until you come back!"
"Are you The Legend?" asks Adge.
"Yes, I am", she says. "And who are you?"
"They are Aisha's grandchildren", I say.
"My sister. Is she here too?" she asks.
"No", I say. "She died at 88, in 2093".
We try to hug each other, but we just cannot. Her body is passing through mine.
"Where have you been all these years?" I ask.
"Inside a bottle", she says.
"Actit, my eyes have seen my daughter returning!" I cry. "Now, you can let me die!"
"No, mother, don't die!" she says.
But it is too much for me. I feel how my soul gets out from my old body. For so many years, I could no longer move my feet and my hands. Now, I start moving. I feel how the old body remains behind me and I move above it, standing on my feet.
"I can see you", says Abidet.
"I can see you too", I answer.
"The matter I am made of, is something between the matter of a body and that of a soul".
We try to hug again, but now it is me getting through her body. My soul-body is too thin and passes through her.
"All these years I've been waiting for you", I say.
"I finally found you!"
I realize that I am no longer old. I look just like I did when Abidet was a child.
Then, I see a bright light near me. It looks like a bird, but with the head of a woman. She shines more then the sun, but not with the same light as the sun. It is completely different.
"Who are you?" asks Abidet.
"You know me", says the light. I am Actit, the first woman".
"Thank you for making me live enough to see my daughter!" I say, crying of happiness.
"No need to thank me", she says. "I thank you. We cannot make miracles if people don't believe that we can. Now, you need to go to your place in the afterlife".
"Take me with you", says Abidet.
"No", says the goddess. "Your job is not over. You will roam over the world and help many people until your job will be done. Everyone exists for a reason and your reason is to help other people".
I try to hug Abidet with all my power. But, I see her remaining down, while I move up somewhere.
"Take a cigarette", says Actit. "Anything you offered to other people when they needed, are waiting you here. Every good thing you did in life is repaid here. And also everything bad you did, is paid. But you don't need to worry. You paid for all your bad things with all these years being paralyzed on bed".
"And Abidet?" I ask.
"She has her own role. Her job is to help others. She will come to you when she will complete the purpose for her existence".
I move further and further away. The sky becomes green and I see a paradise like if made for me, with green everywhere. There, I see everything I offered to someone for help. Even once, when I offered a slice of bread to a street dog to eat... the slice is here. Actit lets me here and flies somewhere else.
I see my other children, each one in its own paradise. I see my husband and my nephews who passed away, my brother and my sisters, my parents. They are all here, each in its own paradise.
Only Abidet is not here. But I can see her. I can see all what is on Earth. She tells Adge and Cemis that she seen me going to the sky with goddess Actit. And then, she shouts:
"Mother, may your soul be happy!"
"May you soul be happy too, little miracle!" I say too, even knowing that she cannot hear me.
THE END
