A Survivor's Guide to Eternity(72)

“I agree,” replied Ed looking down at the big clock face to realise he had well over a day left, almost two. He took off the watch and put it in the hole on top of some of the sand that Yedida had just placed there.

“Another thing to look out for is the white vines in the tunnel that mark this entrance. As I understand it, this is one of the only places that has them, so it’s a good way to ensure you’re in the right place if you need to get back to see the Viking.”

“Why would I need to visit him twice anyway?” asked Ed.

“I’m not sure, it’s just that people often end up visiting him more than once, but maybe you won’t need to.”

“I assume you mean after another transience?”

“Exactly. Apparently he can have some influence over where in the tunnels you come back to. I don’t know how he does it though.”

The duo proceeded forward along the vine-clad tunnel and into the distance with an eager intent.

“Did you see the bodies whizzing by back there? It is one very powerful stream, Ed.”

“I can’t believe it. I guess that was us at one point or another?”

“Yes and soon it will be you again. Luckily there is never much of a memory of all that, apart from a strange dream-like recollection.”

“That’s good at least. I didn’t notice any animals though. Are there any?”

“Not in these tunnels. I’m not sure how it works. Maybe this whole process is only for human souls. Some say that the soul stays with the body for a few days which would explain why we see the bodies in the tunnel and also why we have this cycle of transience and rebirth.”

Ed thought about what Yedida was saying and how all this had suddenly become logical and believable to him since his death. Trying to believe any of it in his previous life would have been a lot harder indeed. His mind wandered to the vines and tunnels and how they were all so similar.

“Crazy how all these tunnels are so alike don’t you think?” enquired Ed.

“Yes, I suppose so. It means you really have to memorise the route we are about to take in case you need to travel this way again,” replied Yedida.

“Yes, good point.”

“Indeed. Do you know the ‘mummy daddy’ roll?”

“Is that a dance?” replied Ed.

“No silly, it’s a drum roll: Mum-my – Dad-dy, right, right, left, left. That’s our route, that’s what you need to remember. There are four turns in that sequence which correspond to the tunnel intersections. Have you got it?”

“Yes, I’ll remember that.”

“Mum-my – Dad-dy, right, right, left, left,” reiterated Yedida.

“Yes, yes, I’ve got it,” grumbled Ed and they continued on their way, trudging through the perfect sand. They remained silent for some while as they squelched onwards.

“How do people know how long they’ve been here? Do you count your sleep cycles? What do you do?”

“That’s the best way, although I gave up interest after forty or so years. You would always get an approximate guideline from new arrivals telling you what year they died. To be honest, I am not overly interested what year it is. Why do I need to know? I haven’t even asked you what year you died, have I?”

“That’s true. For your reference though, just in case you do need to know, I died in 2009.”

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem. Anyway, I was meaning to ask. Bearing in mind how long you’ve been here and how much opportunity for reflection you’ve had, do you think there is some great omnipotent force manipulating us into this transient cycle, judging us for what we did or didn’t do, punishing or rewarding us accordingly?”

“Honestly, Ed I don’t think so. The people here are so varied, from serial killers to charity workers, murderers and criminals to nurses and Samaritans. It is just too much of a cross-section to be anything like that. I honestly think it’s just random and that transient souls cannot live in a new body for more than a few days without losing their energy, fading or else becoming permanent. I really think that’s all there is to it and there are a lot of us down here that agree. People on the outside were always talking about enlightenment, nirvana or something mystical to veneer over their true selves.

Maybe realising that ‘this is your lot’ is all there is to it and that we are nothing more or less than the reality we are in at any time.”

“What about having to solve the mystery of why this is happening?”

“Maybe there is no mystery. It just is as it is.”

“Then I would be chasing a folly.”

“Possibly. It might also be that searching for the answer helps you understand the situation as it is, rather than seeking to influence change. The more you travel between transient embodiments, then the more you learn and develop naturally. Perhaps instead of realising there’s an external mystery or question you need to penetrate, it might be that you need to discover something about yourself. Maybe the answer to a question – if there is a question in the first place – is within you all the time,” replied Yedida with introspective wisdom.