Chapter Thirteen: Flashbacks
The Road to Transformatia: A Love Story
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While they sat and talked, A.J.'s thoughts drifted back to his childhood. Memories, suppressed for years, began flooding his mind.
His early years in the Average Joe family were just that - average.
Nothing spectacular.
Just everyday life, no different than any other family. Dads worked, most Moms maintained the home, and children played and went to school.
As far as he knew, it had always been this way.
A.J. had long felt an oddness about himself. He didn't seem to fit in with the other kids.
One of his earliest recollections was that, while most kids did things the same way every time without question, A.J. was always looking for a better or different way.
He didn't know why.
When he was younger, he had heard of some people who were considered different. These folks believed in a Being who they said created all things.
His parents never brought it up, so he never thought much about it.
His encounter with Noble brought these memories and thoughts back to him.
“P.J., do you ever think back to some of the things you heard or saw growing up”, he asked.
“It's funny you should ask about that”, she replied. “Just last night, I remembered a girl I played with sometimes who lived down the street from us.
“She was nice enough, but her family was considered strange. Sometimes, she would talk about things I couldn't understand.
“She would ask questions about what I believed. Things like ‘Do I know why we are here? What was our purpose in life?’ Just like what we are talking about now. I had never heard anyone talk about those things before.
“One thing I noticed about her parents, though, was that they seemed to be so joyful. Not just happy, but something much more than that.
“They had a peace and confidence about them that I would constantly think about. I wondered how they could be that way, especially as they seemed to have so little and life was so boring here in Conformity.”
“Did they ever mention a 'Creator',” A.J. asked?
P.J.'s head jerked up in surprise.
“Yes! Grace, that was the girl's name, told me that they would meet together with some other people to learn about the Creator. She didn't say 'a creator', she said 'The Creator'. Like it was a real person, someone they could know. Why did you ask that?”
“Well, so much has happened lately that brings back some memories.
“The man I met, Noble, talked as if the Creator is real. Then finding the archive room at the library where there are books, I should say a particular Book, full of references to the Creator.
“And now hearing you tell of your friend’s family, I remember stories I would hear of those who believed in a Creator. Some called him the Gracious King who lived in a land called Transformatia.
“This conjured up all kinds of fantasies in my mind. I would create elaborate scenarios of traveling through a dark land ruled by a monster. I had visions of slaying this monster and then appearing as a victorious warrior before the King.”
AJ stopped. His face became a mask as he stared off into the distance as if he could see something no one else could.
“What's wrong, A.J.?” P.J. asked. “Why did you stop? You look like you have seen a ghost or something.”
“What?, Oh, I'm sorry, P.J. With that memory also came the memory of never being able to defeat the monster.
“The battles and defeats I suffered grew worse until I finally told him I was giving up and would never attempt to reach the City of Grace, where the King lived.”
“Didn't you say this was a fantasy? That it was all in your mind?” P.J. asked.
“Yes. But now I know it was as real as anything we can touch. I know that doesn't make sense. I never even thought about it much until recently.
“After that last battle, defeated and dejected, I began my journey home.
“As I was limping along, I noticed the carnage left behind by those who had tried before me. It made me double down that I would go home, heal from my wounds, find a wife, and settle down in Conformity like everyone else.”
“So, I take it something changed since then,” P.J. said quietly.
“Yes. Before I even made it all the way home, I met Noble by the side of the road. I could tell by his battle scars that he had been through what I had just experienced. But, there was also something quite different about him.”
A.J. then told her of the encounter with Noble.
He told her of Noble's curious declaration that A.J. could never go back to life as it was in Conformity.
“He said that when I was ready, I would resume the journey to stand before the Glorious King of Transformatia.
“And then he told me about the Archive Room at the Library. Everything I would need for victory over Fear would be found there. He also said that when I needed him, he wouldn't be far away.”
“That's incredible, A.J. Have you seen him again? I mean, have you tried to get in contact with him?”
“Well, that's the funny part. I actually haven't seen him, but we have been in contact, sort of.”
P.J. looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Since I have been going to the library, the first thing I noticed from the register was that he was in the Archive Room almost as much as I was, but never at the same time.
“Then I received some notes from him asking how I was doing and leaving bookmarks with guidance on what to read.
“Finally, I left a note for him saying that we needed to meet as I had a lot of questions.
“He wrote back, saying that he agreed and that I shouldn't be surprised to find him there soon. That was only a couple of days ago and I haven't had a chance to go back since then.”
“I find this so fascinating, A.J. It has awakened some long-buried thoughts, dreams, and memories. I want to know more. Do you think I would be able to meet Noble?”
“I’m sure. Maybe you could come with me to the Archive Room next time. Hopefully he will be there”.
“I would love that. But, now it's getting late and I have some things to do before hitting the sack. Another ‘exciting’ day at work, you know. When will I see you again? What is your schedule?”
A.J. said that he worked days for the rest of the week and that he wanted to see her as much as possible.
They agreed to meet the next day after work.
He walked with her to her bicycle. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and rode away.
He touched that spot with his fingers as he watched her blend into the twilight, Joe Dog by her side.
Even though he thought he knew what love was, he had never felt like he did right then.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting The Talking Pen. While you’re here, check out my original ‘Stack: Life UnCorked, where we take a dive into the deep end of life from a Christian perspective.
