“Water has tremendous healing qualities,” she said smiling. I could recognize thatsmile from anywhere. It was the elderly woman, but she looked so different. She waswearing an ice blue gala dress with kimono like sleeves. A matching blanket waswrapped around her waist; it was trimmed with an assortment of beads. Her head wasadorned in a traditional headdress. She turned so I could see the baby that was in herarms.
“This is you. Today, you’ll be reborn,” she said smiling.
I looked at the baby. She was tiny, with slanted eyes that looked to be sealed shut.Her hair was jet black, soft as lace but spiky like the scales on a pinecone. Her handswere balled up into tiny little fists. And her head was as small as a chickpea.
“Yemayá, mother earth, brings balance,” she said while rocking the baby in herarms.
“She is as powerful as the sea,” she said.
She lifted the baby up and indicated that I take her. I hesitated, and then held out myarms and waited for her to rest the baby inside of them. She was so gentle and soft.
“That’s right,” she said smiling and caressing the baby’s belly. “See, she trusts you.She knows that the world is way too big for her to try and survive alone.” She paused,looked at me and continued.
“She feels safe and secure in your arms,” she said reaching over and taking the babyfrom me.
“We’re all babies, clinging to mother earth for nurturing, for love and support. It isonly when we break away from her bond that we feel insecure,” she said while wrappingthe baby up in a blanket. She yawned, moved her head a little to the right and restedagain. She didn’t appear to have a care in the world.
“Like the polar bears?” I asked.
“Yes, life can be as abundant as the fish in the sea, but when things becomeunbalanced we suffer,” she said.
There was a long moment of silence. “It’s time for you to go now,” she said.
I shook my head. I turned around and ran back into the sea. The water splashedaround my feet and ankles and then made its way to my thighs. The funneling of wavesswept me off my feet. I floated further out into the sea where I couldn’t see land. Roguewaves that were almost a hundred feet high rose and buried me deep into its belly. Iswam in total darkness until I reached the very bottom. I pressed down on the hard sand,digging a hole to clamber through. I squirmed out of the hole and exhaled deeply as myhead peeped out of the basin of water. I climbed out on all fours like an amphibianventuring out of the sea. I was soaking wet and freezing.
I slowly got up to my feet and stood hunch back like a primate, hugging my body,trying to generate some heat. I scanned the room and spotted a man resting crossed leg inthe corner. He got up to his feet. He got halfway across the room when he fell to hisknees, his body began to jerk, and his shoulders and arms swung from side to side as theenergy shot into him like bullets. Like a fallen soldier, he collapsed, only to miraculouslyspring up with super human strength. He stood up and took long powerful strides aroundthe room. He plucked a cigar out of an old man’s mouth and began to smoke it. I walkedover to him.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked through a fog of smoke. “You’re Kingfoot,” Isaid.
“Wrong!” He said pointing a finger with his cigar in his mouth. “I am Oggún, themaster of power. I’m just in Kingfoot’s body,” he said smugly. I just looked at him likehe was crazy.
He stuck out his chest and puffed on his cigar and continued.
“I am the power within you that you haven’t discovered yet,” he said after blowingout smoke.
“What?” I asked confused.
He raised one eyebrow and leaned in closer to me.
“Power needs to be hunted,” he said.
“I was hunting for power when I discovered iron. With tools made of iron, peoplewere able to work faster and fight better. When you hunt and find power, you can create awhole world of possibilities,” he continued.
“But Nico has power, too much power, and he’s done so many bad things to people,”I said.
“Real power is about controlling your own destiny. It turns negative when we use itto control others,” he said while flicking some of the ash from the cigar on the ground.
“When you are able to hunt for power, you’ll be able to create your own destiny,” hesaid while stuffing the cigar back into his mouth.
“Remember, the only power that Nico has is what you decide to give him,” he finallyexplained.
I watched in amazement as he stuffed the whole cigar into his mouth. His cheekslooked like they were loaded with gumballs, and his jaws, taunt and tight as they movedwith exaggerated movements. He opened his mouth wide, sticking out his tongue out likea baby to indicate that it was empty. The cigar was all gone. Then he stomped off,dissipating like a cloud
