“Before the purge, this is how we grew our food.” He lowers his head. “We maintain our fields and all nature in hopes the Universe will reward us with vegetation.
People are using a flat shaped tool attached to a pole to stir the dirt around. Others are digging holes in the ground and placing plants into them. They wilt as soon as the earth closes around them. Food no longer comes from the ground, but the walls. They must know this or they wouldn’t be alive, right?
Dr. Nu continues walking in his fields, nodding every so often at the people turning the dirt. “You are a westerner, correct?” I nod my head. “You are of the belief of God, correct?” I say nothing to this but follow along. “Well in the east we never gave credence to such feeble talk. Here everything is what you call God.” What? I thought listening intently. “I can see that I have lost you.” Dr. Nu stops in front of a small house with dirt where grass usually thrives. He opens the gate indicating I should walk in. “This is my home, I will explain more over a cup of hot tea.”
Inside his kitchen sits a table and a small stove on the counter. There is no refrigerator, or cooking appliances. What in the world do they eat here? Dr. Nu places a cup in front of me and a napkin with a small brown substance that is the length of my fingernail. I pick it up and sniff it. It smells like decayed food. I put it down and sip my tea. “What is that?”
“It’s food, the exact amount of nutrients your body needs,” Dr Nu says pointing at mine. “We pumped you full of this stuff while you were out, but you’re body’s still recovering.”
“Do you not have regular food here? Like fruit and vegetables, and grains,” I ask him. I could really go for Mama’s sweet potatoes and greens, with hot chili puree.
“You saw the fields. The ground isn’t fertile yet. The pills are all we have.”
They really don’t know. “Food grows in the walls, not the ground.”
Dr. Nu stares. “Really?” I nod my head. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m the fastest picker in Garden Home.” No wonder his hair is sticking out at odd angles, and his eyes are always moving. He’s half crazy. Food is more than nourishment, it’s spiritual.
“Can you show me?” He asks.
I shrug. “Sure. Then will you tell me about the Universe?”
Dr. Nu slaps himself in the head. “Right, the Universe.” He pushes his chair closer to mine. “It’s simple. You have the earth, which is solid. You can touch it, feel it, and hold it if you want to. Then there’s the Universe. It’s like air, you can’t see it but you know it’s all around you. The whole of reality is made up of this solid and gaseous relationship.” I sip my cup of tea and watch his hands draw invisible pictures in the air. “Each entity whether it is living or not is made up of Earth, the body; and Universe, the chi, or energy inside.” Dr. Nu pats his chest. “There is only one Universe, and one Earth, therefore everything and everyone is cut from the same cloth. When the Universe needs to repair damage in its home, it breathes energy into Mother Earth creating a servant to heal it. These bodies hold the energy, it is a purposeful energy that directs our physical actions, and it is only energy that can communicate with the Universe.” Dr. Nu shakes his head. “We are for love and about love. The westerners destroyed our world because they placed pleasures of the flesh over the will of the Universe.”
Sparks were igniting inside my being. His words did not fully settle into home, but they were building a feeling of okay, of maybe, and of something that I might not have a choice in believing in. His words of love are warmth, but I have to ask. “The bible has helped my people survive; its way of living gives them a sense of right and wrong. How does the Universe do that for you?”
Dr. Nu smiles at me. “What is love to you?”
I know, but I think over it for a second. “It’s an unconditional respect of others, including animals.”
“And what is love of the bible?” He asks me.
“It is conditional. You receive it only if you follow its law to the letter.”
“Precisely,” he shakes his head fervently. “It is inherent within us to know that we must lead with love, with our chi.” He smiles. “It is a known fact that if you love something or someone you wish only to see them prevail.” He’s right; I would never want harm to befall any of the people in Garden Home. I only want them to accept me. “If you do not adhere to the voice or the words of the Universe, you will still return to the Universe when you die, but you will suffer greatly on this Earth.” There might be some truth to his words. I have been suffering since I entered this world. “That is when focus of pleasuring the flesh begins to cloud the window of your chi.”
Each syllable rings a tune that mirrors a natural melody. Still, God is something that is not easily replaced. “If the Universe sends people to repair damage, and gives each entity a purpose, or task to fulfill. Did this same energy not create the disciples to write the bible, and send Jesus to save our souls? Are they not children of the Universe?”
Dr. Nu rocks in his chair like a child. His eyes sparkle with joy. “You are a smart one,” he says. “Do you see my hand?”
“Yes.”
“This is merely flesh, skin, and bone derived from the very ground you stand on.”
He pinches me. I smack his hand away and rub the sore area. “What was that for?”
“That hurts, right?” I nod my head. “You don’t want that to happen again, right?” Again I nod my head. “How are you going to prevent that?”
“By moving away from you or watching you closely.”
“Exactly, your brain is telling you that your body is in danger. It tells you when you’re cold, hungry, happy, sad, and a host of other emotions. You’ve been designed to keep your vessel alive long enough to complete your task.” I run my hands over my face, what does this have to do with my question? “Food, shelter, and clothing are the essential entities that you need to maintain the physical health of your body.” Dr. Nu raises another finger. “Love and Laughter are necessities for the health of the chi.” He sits back. “That’s it; those are all the things you need in this life.”
Finally I just ask him. “The bible?”
“Patience is a virtue my friend.” So is honor, and that word has several different definitions. One of them most likely will praise me for imprisoning him for wasting my time. “Someone came along and decided that rocks and minerals are to die for. Objects, contraptions, and resources were feigned over. Wealth of paper became the definition of a meaningful life.” Dr. Nu waves his hands in the air. “There were so many unnecessary things that people desire because it gave them a false sense of security or eased their pain; even if it was only temporary.”
“The bible?” I say again. Why is he avoiding my question?
“Tell me Saved. How have people treated you? We’re they nice, mean, loving?”
I look away from him. “They were mean.”
“How did that make you feel?” How does he think it made me feel? My fists are beginning to clench again. “Ah, not so good I imagine. Now what if you had the opportunity to make all of those people fall at your feet? How would that make you feel?”
My hands relax. “It’ll be nice, I suppose.”
“Would you let that go?”
“No, I would find a way to make them love me for all time.” It dawned on me, I would. If I could go back to Garden Home and change everyone’s view so that they welcomed me, I would never let the magic go.
“Why?”
“It hurts to be rejected.”
“It hurts,” Dr. Nu repeats. “You’re right; it hurts to be at the bottom. It’s demeaning to be stepped on. To be singled out because of nature’s decision. No it doesn’t feel good to be the second fiddle.” Dr. Nu leans in. “But to have a bottom you must have a top. Someone, a person of the flesh had to create the standard. I’m willing to bet they would agree with you.” Dr. Nu crosses his arms over his chest. “So what did they do to keep the reigns? They created fears, set bars so high no one but them could reach; they created conflict and chaos. All for the simple notion of control and power, so they wouldn’t ever have to feel rejected again.” Dr. Nu holds up his hand before I can say anything. “Religions such as the bible were created as one of the fear tactics to keep people in line, then it became a notion for war. My religion is right, your religion is wrong so we’re going to fight to the death.” Dr. Nu shakes his head. “It was all so ridiculous.”
“The bible reduces acting out of desires. What are you talking about?” I ask.
Dr. Nu sighs. “The bible preaches hate and intolerance of anything different from it. Now instead of five or six well trained soldiers, now you have a whole nation of people ready to lay down their lives for something that is
