Following A Dream

He looked up and found his handmade sackcloth upon the shelf of his room. He picked it up and stuffed into it a few of his belongings…charts, papyrus, scripts, a reed pen, a small crystal and a few scrolls. His wife and three sons came into the room with tears in their eyes.

“Father, please don’t go,” beseeched one of his sons, kneeling down at his father’s feet.

“Husband don’t leave us,” pleaded the wife drying her tears with her white silken scarf which was tied to her waist….but he did not listen to a word they had to say. He packed the rest of his belongings in a crate and then placed his crate on the back of his elderly but loyal dromedary (camel) that stood outside, in front of his house.

He shrugged off the worry on his wife’s face with a smile. His best friend came to the door to announce that everything was ready for departure…knowing that her husband would not change his mind, the wife yelled in desperation:

“It’s a new land and run by the Romans…they will kill you!”

“Give me the jar,” was all that her husband said. With the jar finally in his possession, he kissed his wife on the forehead and said in a tender voice:

“One must always follow ones destiny, for to fulfill our goal in life is the will of Ahura Mazda (the uncreated God).”

He then got onto his camel. With him were his two friends from his days as a student, Balthazar and Gaspar. All three were leaving their town in Persia…to follow a dream. With their provisions, they each carried a treasured item of their home. Balthazar carried with him in a small box, his only chunk of pure gold. Gaspar carried with him in a fancy Persian blue jar, some special oil called myrrh…while their friend, the woman’s husband whose name was Melchior carried in his jar special incense called Frankincense.

Their families pleaded with them not to be foolhardy and follow a wild dream…to which these three men replied that it was a blessing if one was able to dream and fulfill it….there were others who were mentally and physically unable to do so.

Gaspar’s wife begged him not to take a risk and journey out of Persia…to which he replied that he would be blessed if he could embrace the unknown…for most people are always living in fear of the unknown.

Balthazar’s daughter entreated the father not to take away the family gold….to which he replied that money that is not used for the aid of others is worthless garbage.

Finally, Melchior’s wife prostrating herself in front of her husband asked him:

“Why do you want to follow a star that means nothing to you???”

It was then that Melchior with his hands clutching his dromedary’s reins said:

“The star I follow is perfect in its light…and one must always be perfect in life, at least one must try. To be a perfect human being one must follow ones dream and be guided by the perfect light of the lord. My goal is in a star that lights up not only my night sky…but also my humanity.”

He then with his dromedary and two friends left the town….to follow a dream, not knowing what lay at the end of their journey but being aware that they had made a beginning.

“Star of wonder, Star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.”

                                *************

Copyright © 2013 by Fiza Pathan