Banana Patch Fantasy Productions

Harmony went into the dome and straightened the blanket.
She was brushing her hair when she thought she heard
a rustling in the grass coming closer.
"Oh good! Maji is coming back" she thought throwing
her head back. "I have to get breakfast going
and pack our lunch so we can get
an early start up the hill".
Her dark locks scattered now down her back.
For a moment she felt a strange icy chill, though
it was a warm morning. She ran her fingers thru
the tangles while looking for the comb.
While she was doing this, a little gecko ran across
her hand. It startled her and she remembered the
lizardy thing in the pool again. It was reaching out of the
water, drooling with blood still on it's teeth...it was still
hungry and was reaching for Harmony. She saw the
thrashing, the blood in the water, and the
beautiful lady running thru the forest in her mind.
She felt frightened again, and shivered.
Her skin goosebumped and the thought crossed her mind
that just maybe, it was creeping through the grass
at that very moment and was going to attack her.
"Oh no...is it coming for me...?" she gasped.
She began chanting silently, trying to
shrug off the inner vision.
"Please," she begged softly, "not yet. I don't want
to know yet." She peered thru the plactic tarp
of the dome into the bushes checking to see
who or what was coming. No one was there.
Deep from within her heart there appeared in her mind
the vision of an old Indian man and woman.
She knew them. They were Kiarna and Moisa.
She had seen them before when she
lived on Oahu in the 60's.
They gave her the name Harmony.
Bringing energies to balance through cooperation
was to be her mission in life.
They had always been there for her, but for
lifetimes, she had forgotten them.
She felt safe, now that she'd seen them again.
Bravely she pushed aside the plastic tarp,
and stepped out trembling slightly in the brisk
morning air.
"It's so silly to be afraid here" she told herself,
regaining composure.

The sun just cresting the pali sent shafts of light onto
her head. She turned to face them.
She was enveloped with light. It felt so warm.
She stretched smiling happily, thinking of how foolish she'd
been, and thanked the Creator of Heaven and Earth
for the wonderfulness of the day.
She could still smell the smoke in the charred wood
from the night before. The log was still hot.
She thought she'd start the fire up again and get
some hot water going for tea and coffee, when
something dripping wet and cold touched her shoulder.
Jolting suddenly she swallowed hard, choking on air.
Trembling and bracing herself, she turned slowly
to meet the 'thing' face to face.

The 'thing' was Maji, beautifully tan and muscular, and
completely nude. He was dripping wet
and grinnng like a ten year old boy.
In his hand, he grasped a clump of fern,
earth and all, which he offered her.
"What is this?!" she said pushing it away.
He laughed and tried to rub it in her face, but
instead he rubbed it on his big hairy chest and face.
Now he looked like a monster but he was
laughing and poking her.
"You are a beast!" she scolded. "Go jump in the
pool again. I'm getting the fire going for your coffee."
"No!" he insisted, "let's just pack up and go right now
before it gets too hot."
He grabbed the jug and poured the clean water
over his face and chest to rinse off.
"The sun is coming up fast."
"Oh, okay" she said, and began braiding her hair.
Maji put his towel in his pack and tied a few
empty jugs onto it.
Harmony did the same and stashed some
cashews, raisins, pecans and dates in the side pocket.
She was ready, so she went to him and said
"Okay, I'm ready. What else should we bring Maji".
He wasn't listening. He was cupping something
in his hands. She couldn't see what it was, so she
asked him, "Hey, what've you got there?"
He didn't want to show her.
"Let me see it" she laughed, prying his hands open.
She wasn't impressed when
she saw it was just an old sea shell.
"It's just an old shell," she said casually dismissing it.
"Turn it over" he said, and she did. "Oh, it's still alive"
she said happily.
"Yes," he answered "and this shell has taught me
something this very day."
She looked at him skeptically when she handed the shell
back. He turned it over and over. He looked at it
as though it were a precious stone, and she
couldn't help but say abit facetiously
"Well tell me, why is this shell so precious Maji,
and what is the lesson you have learned
from it my dear?"

He got serious now and looked at her as if he knew
all things, every thought she had, every feeling....
but he'd never admit to it.
"This little shell is worth more than gold and all the
jewels of the earth you know" he began enthusiastically.
"Worth more than corn" she chuckled.
"It can't be worth more than the corn we grow. It
feeds us through the long winter" she added thoughtfully.
He laughed, which put her at ease.
"Well maybe its value is the same as corn" he replied,
continuing seriously again. She knew how he loved
to go on and on about the littlest things, so she
tried to interupt him.
"What? I thought we were going for a hike?"
"Look Harmony" he said, gently holding the shell
out towards her in his palm.
I'm holding Life Itself right in my palm. Do you see?
Life Itself! The mystery is all contained within this shell.
In every atom and molecule, dancing to the rhythm of
it's intrinsic individuality everywhere..."
He paused, looking at the shell again, turning it over
a few more times.
"Do you know the secret of the little door?" he went on.
She felt it with her index. It was smooth and cold, and
felt just like the little tail foot of the snail inside.
"Yeah" she remarked trying not to show her
impatience.
"It's just a regular snail.
What's the big mystery" she added.

He began caressing the shell, cupping it in his hands,
holding it up to the light as though he were in the
act of creating it. He seemed oblivious to everything
except the little shell. He was dancing with it...
and humming.
"Why don't you put your shorts on Maji....
so we can go now" she said positively, but couldn't
help crack a smile as she said it.
He loved the ridiculous. He loved being ridiculous.
Maybe he was mocking her, trying to tell her
to stay real and not be distracted by fantasies.
"Hmph!" she thought. But she loved it when he
was ridiculous. It did make her lighten up.
But she didn't want a lecture, as that is what
his antics were usually about.
"Come on let's go honey" she urged him, knowing
it was no use . He hadn't delivered the punch line yet.
"Wait" he replied almost frantic. "Look, this little door
is the key here Harmony. Look, it protects
the mystery inside."
She looked blaisely at it now, almost bored.
"It's very nice Maji" she drolled without inspiration.
"Don't you see yet? The door protects the mystery.
Sure we can break the door down, but we kill the secret."
Now she thought this new rant of his was very taxing.
"It's so sublimely simple Harmony. If we break down
the door, we loose the mystery."
"Yeah...that's s..s...sad," she stammered.
"But" he continued unapologetically, "if we wait..."
"If we wait....?" she said after a very long pause.
He placed the shell on the earth beside a flowering plant.
He had the most ridiculous look on his face. He had to
be putting her on. "Okay" she thought" I'll can go along
with his humor," and gave him a seductive look.
He was looking at the shell though.
Then he repeated himself, saying,
"But if we can just wait...."

She felt lightheaded now, like he'd lifted her
up to the ethers so she could see the horizon.
For a moment she saw her Self, empty, on the horizon.
She was formlessly moving, always changing form.
Yet this Self she knew, contained all forms,
could take any form, but rested now,
self-contained and imperceptible.
She was in a clear headed space and could
see so much light because everything
contained it's own light. It made her
joyful to feel that way. She listened to the air
and was breathing deeply...but then
suddenly, she was back!
Maybe Maji had touched her hand.
She didn't know.

She turned to look at the shell. It was moving now,
and first one little antenae appeared and then the other.
Slowly the snail came forth stretching out to it's full length.
"...the mystery will unfold itself to us, as mysteries
eventually do. When we can just wait a little longer,
all things will open for us Harmony. Everything
that is in our heart will eventually see the light of day."
Maji's big feet looked huge beside the little shell.
The snail rolled up onto his little toe and when
it got to the mount of the arch, stopped and
looked up at Maji, moving it's antenae
blissfully to and fro. Maji laughed,
and carefully picked up his foot,
placing it nearer the roots of a flowering plant
close by. Quickly, as quick as a snail can,
it disembarked and snuggled itself beneath the foliage.
He was a tender and loving man.
That's why she adored him.

Now she understood what he was saying.
She smiled and nodded her head affirmatively.
She'd been scouring her brain for a clue, trying
to nudge the Universe to reveal all. Yet if she
could be just a little more patient and a little less intense,
all the answers on their own, would unfold, and in
a way that would allow her to grasp their meaning.
Plus she would be a better companion.
"Thank you Maji" she whispered humbly.
"Thank you." She moved closer to him
and put her arms around him.
He pulled her braids so that her lips came
up to meet his. His fat tongue was in her mouth,
then he was sucking her lips, his hands cupped
her buttocks and he shoved his hard body
close to hers. She wanted to drop everything
right then, and spend the morning making love.
But he let her go suddenly, now that she wanted
to do it. "I'm ready" he shouted grabbing his
pack and the jugs, and was off
down the path to the hilltop in an unexpected flash.
"Hey! wait up" she cried loudly as she picked
up her pack and the jugs and skipped off
down the path trying to catch up with him.