Other Side

James wiped the tear away from Renea’s eye as she looked up at him with a sorrowful look.

“Why do you have to leave?” she whispered to him.

“We have spoken about this before,” he replied, caressing her cheek.  “You know this has to be done, and I have been picked to go.  I have a good chance to help the other side.”

“You might get hurt.  I might not see you again.  I would hope they would send someone else.  Please stay here,” she pleaded.

James looked at her with sympathy.  Her emotions were over-riding her reasoning at the moment.  He would love to turn her emotions off so she could see that he must go.

“Try not to think ill of my mission,” he tried to explain to her.  “This is for the good of humanity.  One day hopefully all lands will be the same so we will no longer be separated from each other.  The only way that is going to happen is if ones like me go over to the other side to try to change their way.”

“I know,” she said as he wiped another tear away.  “I’m letting fear control my emotions.  I’m being selfish.”

“Hey honey,” he said, cupping her chin.  “Don’t beat yourself up.  I understand your concern, but I also hope you understand why I need to go?”

She nodded her head.

The two of them hugged for a long while, letting their love for each other channel into their touching.  The two kissed for minutes more before they released, and he took a couple of steps back.

“I guess this is good-bye,” she said.

“It’s goodbye for now,” he said with a smile.  “But not forever.  Stay positive, and wish me luck in my mission.  Pray it’s a success, and it will take us one step closer to uniting.”

“I will do my best,” she responded with a grin.  “I know you will do well.  Just be careful of the ones who don’t have the same beliefs.”

“I will do my best to change their ways,” he told her.

The two hugged one last time, kissed, then James was on his way to the gate.

In one hand he had a gym bag, while he carried a duffle bag on his back.  Who knows how long he could be on the other side?  It could be months to years on being there.

“Always a chance I might not come back,” he thought, but quickly wiped the thoughts away.

As he walked along to his destination he thought of how all of this happened.  What started this mission?

It was during his school years, nearing the end, it felt like a switch came on inside his head.  For his younger years to his final years in school he wasn’t much of a social butterfly.  He was more of a listener than one or spoke to many.  That stopped when he realized that schooling was nearing its end.  It was like the days when he had difficulties reading, but then one day the stars aligned, and reading became easier and easier.  It was like a new world opened up as he went through numerous reads.  He read more in a year than many their entire life.  It was the start of his expanding mind.

The years went by as he read, listened, and observed the people around him.  All had valid points as they expressed their beliefs.  All were treated equally as they spoke.

“We are a better people by listening to all,” voices spoke.

“We are not perfect, but we are not failures,” others spoke.

Everyone had their opportunity to speak on this land.  Words are considered, and many implemented, but not all.

James was with his usual group of friends one day discussing the philosophy of life.  The lifestyle of ones living on this land, and life on the other lands.

“Have any one of you been to the other side?” he asked all of them.

All of them looked at him with a baffled look.

The majority of the time people are observing and commenting on what ones say about the other side that says they have been there.  Many are from long ago when the lands first split.  James now wondered how it was currently.

As meetings took place James spoke more and more.  There were praises of this land for the minority did not dictate the lands doing.  The majority did not stay mom all their lives.  Everyone participated in the process of keeping this land moving.  It might take longer for the final decision, but at least all was counted.

When it came to discussing the other land James read plenty on it.  There was a lot of research for there were ones who said one view, but others that was practically opposite.

“Much of the chaos is caused by the small minority,” he said to the crowds.  “The majority do not want to be involved so just abide by what the minority say.

The ones of greed speak of the good they want to bring to the land.  The love they have of the people, but in fact the contempt for society.  To mold people to their liking no matter the negative results on lives.  They will grow in power and greed as they look down at the masses.”

“Why would any of us want to go to the other side?” many asked.

“We were that way at one time,” replied James.  “Hard to believe, but it is so.”

“It sounds like you have been there?” a young woman asked him one day.

James was stumped for a moment.  As he spoke more and more it was quite easy to reply to all questions, but for a moment felt like all was for not because he was going off everyone else's input.  Not from personal experience.

From that day forward he had thoughts of going to the other side.  It grew stronger and stronger until he knew it was time.

Now, he approached the gates.  He hoped that he would be able to make a difference.  The majority of them were seeking a better life.  To pray for protection from the few causing the ill.

The gates opened up, and James saw a graveled path that went beyond what the eye could see.  He took a deep breath and went past the gates.

“I will return,” he said.  “Return with a good report.”