“Papa—” I had begun to say when the King announced, “Today is your day,” in the same stentorian voice I’d heard him speak with all evening.
I looked around at the crowd that had increasingly gathered and wondered how I was expected to respond. I was in awe of the magnificent King and afraid the wrong answer would tick him off. I waited for my grandfather to give me a cue, but he maintained his stance and avoided looking in my direction.
“Bring that thing,” the King continued after some time had elapsed.
What thing? I looked around excitedly, trying to figure out what he could have been talking about. The throne room was full by this time, and everyone watched with excited looks on their faces. Their silence amazed me. Not a single person was breathing or shuffling their feet. They were in as much awe of the King’s presence as I was. Or perhaps it was something else. I wasn’t sure. I redirected my gaze to my grandfather and noticed he was holding a mysterious looking vintage box, the size of a large encyclopedia, in his hand.
“Could this be my birthday gift?” I muttered under my breath.
“Don’t speak unless you’ve been spoken to,” my grandfather chided quietly before handing me the box. “Open it.”
It was then I realized I had been summoned to the King’s presence to celebrate my birthday. Later, I learned my birthday had been pronounced a holiday in Luenah, which explained why everywhere was deserted on my way to the shrine.
“Open it,” my grandfather repeated.
“Now? In front of everybody?”
“Yes! You should open it now.”
I heeded his instruction and opened the box.
“It’s empty,” I said, looking at him and wondering if he had planned to play a trick on me. I was counting on his eyes to start dancing with amusement, my cue it’d been a joke. Nothing. I giggled nervously. Still, nothing.
He maintained a serious look on his face.
“What do you see inside?” he asked.
I looked from the box and then to my grandfather and then to the box again. The only thing inside was packing tissue and a little sprinkle of crystals. I shifted my gaze from him to the King and then to the subjects in the throne room. Everyone seemed composed and unmoved by the surprised look on my face.
“You have now come of age to go after your purpose,” my grandfather said. “This box is your gift. It will receive what you have to give in exchange.”
“If it’s my gift, why do I need to give something?”
“Things work a little differently in Luenah. Since you’ve been chosen to be a member, you have to give something in return. To embark on your mission—”
“Go on. Enlighten her,” the King’s voice boomed, shaking the ground underneath me.
My grandfather nodded once.
“Remember what I told you about Ani?” he said.
“I do. I remember it clearly. That was when I found out I was an Eri. I remember that first visit to Luenah as though it was yesterday.”
“Well, to honor Ani’s request to allow earthly humans into Luenah, she was mandated to exchange something valuable.”
“What could she have given in exchange?”
“She was forced to give up access to Luenah, a place she loved beyond imagination. She spent the rest of her days interceding for her people and bringing balance back to earth. Just like Ani, every Eri must surrender something important as they embark on their mission to give something back to humanity.”
My eyes darted to the box in my hand as I pondered the meaning behind his assertions and what I was expected to give in exchange.
“What about me? What am I expected to give?” I finally asked after I found the courage to speak.
“It is for you to discover. You’ll figure it out on the path to discovering your purpose.”
“My purpose?”
“Yes. Once you discover it, you’ll be on your way to accomplishing your assignment in Luenah. Start by asking yourself what you care about the most. Do you know what that is?”
He was looking down at me as he waited for an answer.
I took a moment to consider what the best response could be in these pristine surroundings. Besides being with my family, there were only two things I craved more than anything else in this world.
“Love and happiness,” I said, certain it was best to be completely honest.
To my surprise, everyone in the throne room, except for my grandfather, laughed.
“That’s what I care about the most in this world,” I whined, embarrassed, and disappointed that they found my desires amusing.
“In that case,” my grandfather continued amidst the chatter, “think carefully before you surrender yourself or anything as it may affect the joy of your pursuit. And keep in mind what I told you the first time we met in Luenah—that it doesn’t matter when you get to your destination. What matters is that you enjoy the journey. When you surrender the goal, you’ll enjoy the journey more”
I shook my head repeatedly to make it obvious I still needed clarification.
“You’ll understand in due time,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll leave something with you, though. Try not to focus on finding happiness. Doing so may leave you disappointed in the end. The choices one makes on the quest for happiness may end up causing distress after the goal has been achieved. Rather, focus on finding your passion—a key requirement for living a purposeful life.”
“My passion?”
“As your grandfather told you, you’ll understand everything in due time,” the King said, gesturing to one of his guards to usher me out of his presence.
*
