Discovery

Discovery

Sarah was looking at the sky from her room and thinking how freely clouds are going around with their companions, Sarah always wanted to be free as the clouds, animals and trees but she is becoming more and more stressful these days thinking about her last week end semester exams. No doubt that she will be passed but her expectations and results were always opposite. Suddenly her phone rings, Sarah picks up it as she saw her best friend Natalie’s photo on her screen.

“Hey Sarah, did you see the messages on WhatsApp? Our results will be published on the website on 23rd and that’s day after tomorrow, I don’t know why they want to be so quick like this.”

“I didn’t see, really the results are coming?” Sarah was excited and at the same time she was extremely anxious. “We are going on a trip today; I hope the results will not ruin all the happiness.” Sarah finished her lines with a deep breath.

“Oh, you said you all are planning to go to Yala, are you on the way? Or going in the evening? I have seen pictures of Yala National park. There are various kinds of animals. Get some good pictures Sarah.”

“We are going now Natalie, dad had some stuff to do. Yes, heard the hotel is also in the middle the jungle. Okay I will get some pictures of your friends ha ha the elephants, which are your favorites.”

“Okay then have a safe trip Sarah bye!”

“Bye Natalie”

Sarah was at the state where Natalie put her, ‘ about the results coming’, when her mom’s voice made her wake up from the state, then she quickly grabbed all her bags and went downstairs. Afterwards she got to know they were all waiting for her.

After 3 and half hours they reached to the hotel and Sarah was feeling tired but after seeing the hotel and its surroundings, she was very excited explore more, but the hotel security warned them that sometimes elephants come to the hotel and they destroy vehicles. Sarah and her little sister were staying in one room and the room next to them was booked for their parents. Since they traveled long hours, she decided to take a shower and in the meantime her sister went to the next room. Sarah always takes more time in the shower, so she can be alone with her thoughts and get a glimpse about her life and future.

Sarah and her family have a habit of an early dinner, so they went at about 7 pm to the buffet corner. While her parents were eating Sarah told them she was tired and headed to their room. When she was walking towards the room she saw the waves in the sea and she couldn’t stop herself from stepping towards the sea. But it was all dark and the trees looked scary. The sky and the waves, looked like they both were together from the beginning and for us they separated their ways. It was all grey, blue mixed with tiny little diamonds, which will not give us any chances to take our eyes away from them. Suddenly she heard a sound from the sea from some distance where she was standing. She felt someone was calling her, so she started to walk through the water, which made her body cold like she never felt before. When she was getting near to it, she saw that, it was something big, even though she felt scared to go closer, her steps didn't stop from moving forward. As she got closer to it she felt less scared and realized it was a sea lion.

Her hands unknowingly reached to its body, as someone she has known from a long time. She wanted to hug it tightly. It came closer to her, invited her to sit its back. And without knowing where she will end up, they started to go far away from the hotel. For a moment she forgot who she was, she was sinking to the thoughts while she was tightly holding the sea lion. She could see the depth of the sea; she wanted to live in that moment forever. After sometime they arrived to an unknown destination, but the sea lion seemed to know this place and looked like it comes here every day. Sarah stepped out from it and took a step forward on the ground, where could describe as the most beautiful place in the world. She could see trees, bloomed flowers in various colors and in the distance monks, who were meditating. Sarah got startled, as someone touched her shoulder. It was the head monk and he took Sarah to a place where she could see all the meditating monks.

“Sarah, you are bounded to come here dear, this is the happiest place in the world and the people here are the happiest people in the world. I know you must be thinking without all the luxurious objectives, how they can become the happiest people. But that is the truth. No sorrows, no expectations from anyone, no bonds just living the happiest life.”

“So that means all of my worries can be taken away being here?”

“No my dear, you do not have to stay here, but you can learn how to avoid sadness, unnecessary thoughts and stressfulness. I will teach you how to let go of the things you are getting worried, then from inside of your mind you will be a happier person.”

Sarah followed the head monk and they stopped near a large tree which has large branches. It looked as the tree is hugging the sky.

“Come Sarah, sit beside me. Come to the lotus position, place your each foot on the opposite thighs. Extend your arms over your thighs, and rest your hands and wrists on your knees, with palms facing upward. Close your eyes take a deep breath and slowly exhale, do like that until you come to a one place from your mind. Concentrate to your breath how it comes to your nose and how the breath going out from the nose. Get yourself in to a calmer place, to a state where you forget everything happening around you; just concentrate the light you can see from your eyes. That’s the relief of the life, the happiest moment in the life.”

Sarah felt the inside aura in her body, she could see it, she didn't have anything to hold but she felt the happiness. She left the place, stepped inside to the jungle, she could see someone. What is it? She thought. As she got closer thinking it was the sea lion, which brought her to this place, no it was not and not only one but also many black giant creatures. They saw her; nothing came to her mind, absolutely nothing. Sarah started to run without looking back, she ran as fast as she could. She could hear the sound of the creatures coming behind her. She screamed but no one was there to help her.

“Will I die?” she remembered her family, her mom who loves her deeply, her dad, who gives whatever she asks for and her sister, who hugs her without a reason. She ran so fast, she turned to look behind and she fell deeper, deeper and deeper. As she was falling she could see the creatures and they were her worries, unnecessary bonds, limitless expectations, greediness, negativity, anger. And when she saw the deep ending it had the light, which the head monk told. The eternal happiness.

She opened her eyes, and she could see her mom’s teary eyes.

“Oh darling, how are you feeling? We were worried about you. Thank God you opened your eyes. Never ever do that again. We love you always and forever.” Mom told her while wiping her tears.

“I didn’t do anything mom, someone called me and I went to see who it is, the I went to a place” she couldn’t finish her story as the doctor came inside.

“She looks healthy now. So how are you feeling after waking up in 10 days? Were you dreaming?” doctor asked with a smile on his face.

“10 days. what! Was I sleeping the past ten days?”

“You are lucky, nothing has happened to you in the sea. There were only small injuries. And thanks to some unknown sea lion, which saved you. I really do not believe that but the lifeguard told he saw a sea lion swam away from you when he found you.” Doctor said to Sarah and went.

Sarah suddenly remembered about her results and asked her mom to give her phone. She checked her results. As always the results are lower as she thought, but she didn’t get angry with herself. ‘I will work harder next time, but whatever happens I will accept as it is. Everything happens for some reason and I am happy about me’ she told to herself, remembering what the monk told her.

“Not just 10 days but 1 day can change you. I will start meditating from tomorrow. Good things will not happen every day, but if we make our minds strong we can face any difficulties and turn them to the points, which can take you to a higher level in your life. Just live with inside happiness, it will make you stronger day by day” Sarah closed her eyes with the full of hope for tomorrow, a new beginning.

By : Nisuri Dinuki