The Golden Beach of Dreams

Maggie reached the magical town of Namaskara by nightfall. The Golden Beach of Dreams was said to be located deep within the heart of town. Her Waze app stalled as her phone lost all network signal when she crossed the boundary between the city and the town. Doubt and fear started to creep in, but she pushed the feelings away.

It was even a miracle that she found the town at all. Namaskara was said to be visible only to those who were seeking it. It came up in her Google search as she was looking for ‘outrageous, unique places to go on a solo road trip for my 25^th birthday.’ The article was from a blog site named SpiritualSecrets.com. It described a glittering town inhabited by glowing people. But the main “tourist attraction” of Namaskara, as indicated by the blog, was the Golden Beach of Dreams, where dreams are fulfilled in an instant. When she tried to look it up, the town of Namaskara and the Golden Beach of Dreams were mostly considered legends. She was close to believing it until she tried to Waze the town out of curiosity, and it surprisingly showed up in the navigation software.

Wanting to get out of the ordinary life and feeling a bit adventurous for her 25^th birthday, Maggie decided to take the 10-hour drive to Namaskara. Her trusted app took her to narrow and winding streets, bumpy roads, and unexpected detours. She seemed to be going in circles. By late afternoon, she began to wonder if her Waze app was broken. The ETA, instead of showing the estimated time of arrival, read: ‘The Town of Namaskara shouldn’t be too far by now.’ She continued driving for a bit more, but when the street lamps started lighting against the greying sky, she succumbed to her tiredness and frustration. She berated herself for believing such a legend and decided to go back home.

She turned her car onto the nearest street, which happened to be a dark tunnel that sucked her in like a vacuum. Within seconds, she emerged in a countryside town that could have only been Namaskara.

The road sparkled like it was filled with tiny shards of glass. Fearing that the glass would puncture her tires, she disembarked and inspected the pavement closer.

“Diamonds!” Maggie gasped, gaping in awe and running her fingers along the pavement. In the distance, houses made of colourful crystals were spread across velvety carpets of grass.

A man on a bike appeared around a corner and waved happily at her. For a moment, Maggie thought that his skin was translucent. A yellowish glow emanated from his chest and seemed to light up his whole body.

“Welcome to Namaskara! Don’t worry, it’s safe to ride!” He said gaily as he turned his bike onto the diamond-studded road and disappeared in the distance.

Amazed, Maggie hopped back onto her car. She drove aimlessly for a few minutes until a boulder-sized, yellow gemstone appeared right before her car. She didn’t have a moment to react before she was surrounded by blinding, warm, and yellow light.

“Am I dead? Did I crash?” She asked herself hysterically. Her car seemed to be hanging on air for a few moments, then it emerged on the other side of the road smoothly. A few meters ahead, a same-sized ruby glowed menacingly. Maggie stopped her car just in front of it, which seemed to be blocking the only way forward. Her hands were still shaking from the “crash.” Anxious thoughts filled her mind. What if she was trapped in a fantasy? What if she couldn’t get back? What if she was somehow dead and in limbo?

Maggie blinked. She was so lost in her thoughts, she wondered if she had just imagined the ruby. A large, translucent emerald was now in front of her car.

“A stoplight?” She uttered incredulously. She thought of her “crash” with the yellow gemstone and figured that she could pass through the emerald safely if it was indeed a “Go.” Inhaling deeply, she shifted the gear to Drive and slowly stepped on the gas. Cool, green light surrounded her before she was airborne and emerged on the other side of the road again.

“Whew!” Relieved, Maggie now seemed to have reached the town proper. People milled the glittering sidewalks and walked in and out of what looked to be gingerbread shops. Maggie noticed that the people were glowing, literally and figuratively. All of them seemed to have golden lamps in their chests, but what astounded her was that the people’s eyes were alive, giving them the glow of –

“Life,” Maggie whispered in utter amazement. She was so accustomed to the dull, dead eyes of city people who seemed to be living only to pay the bills and climb the social ladder endlessly. She stopped in front of a store that had the words Art for Sale printed on its frosted glass doors.

As Maggie stepped into the shop, there was a faint click of a light switch. The barren shop suddenly turned into a marvellous art gallery with all paintings and sculptures imaginable. An old man who looked to be in his sixties sat behind the reception counter. 

“Hello, young lady!” He was lighthearted and friendly.

“Hi, I, uh – “ Maggie was speechless.

The old man smiled warmly. “I see you are looking for –“ He scanned the paintings displayed on the shelves behind the counter. “ – this.”

He handed her a small, acrylic painting of a beach with golden sand and glittering waters. It was encased in an intricately carved, gold frame. Maggie knew it was authentic gold just by the way it shined and felt in her hands. She marvelled at the painting for a moment, then looked back at the old man, who confirmed her thoughts.

“The Golden Beach of Dreams.” He nodded with a smile.

“But, how – “

“I have never seen an outsider who wasn’t looking for it.”

Maggie realised that she didn’t have the “glow” of the people of Namaskara, which easily marked her as an outsider. “How do I get there?” She asked.

The old man clasped his hands. “The way to the beach is highly… personalised.” He answered, “There are no fixed directions, my dear.”

“What do you mean?”

“The directions can only be found within you. Follow your heart.”

Maggie frowned, baffled.

“I will let you have that painting for free.” The old man said.

Maggie was about to refuse but decided to thank him instead. She left the store shortly. The sky was already dark outside, but the town of Namaskara sparkled with its diamond-studded roads and jewel houses. There were no street lamps, but the place was alight with the people themselves. She didn’t even need to turn the headlights on to see the road.

Further down, she saw an alfresco cafe named Music and Soul. She got a table near the front, where a band was playing soul music.

A waitress approached her. “Would you like anything?”

“Oh, can I get a menu?” Maggie asked.

The waitress smiled widely. “We don’t have a menu, but we have everything in our menu.” She winked.

Maggie blinked at her a few times, trying to process what she said.

“Just say what you want.” The waitress urged.

Disconcerted, Maggie couldn’t think of anything to order but a cup of coffee. The waitress disappeared behind the counter, and in a split second, she was bringing a steaming pot of coffee to her table. She produced a jewel-encrusted cup from out of nowhere, along with matching sugar and cream canisters, which she placed in front of Maggie.

“Everything is refillable!” The waitress chimed before she left.

The coffee had an amazing taste and aroma that couldn’t compare to the ones served by the best cafes in the city. Serenity washed over Maggie as she sipped the coffee and listened to the band. The singer’s voice was sultry, low, and sensual. The band stopped for a break, and Maggie was surprised when the singer came up to her table.

“How are you enjoying your coffee?” Even her speaking voice was beautiful. It had an addictive effect similar to coffee.

“It’s great. And you are beautiful.” Maggie said. She was indeed the most beautiful woman Maggie had ever seen.

“Thank you. My name is Kora. I am the owner of this café.”

“Oh, wow. I love it.” Maggie said, amazed. They talked for a while, but when Maggie finished the whole pot of coffee, she realised that she had to get going.

“By the way, do you know how to get to the Golden Beach of Dreams?” She asked Kora as she prepared to go.

Kora smiled warmly. “Just remember the name of my cafe, Music and Soul. To get to the beach, you have to listen to your soul.” With that, she walked back to the front where the rest of the band was already waiting for her to start the next set.

Maggie slowly drove around town again. The directions to the Golden Beach of Dreams baffled her. Follow your heart and listen to your soul? How was that going to get her anywhere? It was getting late and she needed to get back. Frustration and helplessness were starting to boil inside her.

She saw a man and a boy walking along the street. Trying once more, Maggie rolled down her window and called out, “Hi! I’d like to ask for directions to the Golden Beach of Dreams.”

“That’s easy!” The boy piped. He looked to be around five years old. “You just have to follow your dreams to get there. Right, Dad?” He looked up at the man expectantly.

“Yes, Dave.” The man nodded and turned to Maggie, “Follow your dreams. That’s the easiest way to get there.” He gave her a little salute before he and his son waved goodbye.

“Ahhhhh!” Maggie slapped the steering wheel angrily. She collapsed on her seat and closed her eyes, trying to think clearly despite her frustration. The streets were deserted now. The town was dark, except for the diamond-studded pavement that twinkled much like the stars against the night sky. The darkness enveloped her. Exhausted and hopeless, Maggie found herself crying like she never had before. The tears started slowly, then came the heaves and the wrenching in her heart that seemed to pull her soul apart. She let out several, pleading cries to the heavens and beat the steering wheel endlessly until the pain stopped. After she cried her last, she felt empty – so empty that it was suddenly peaceful.

Her mind was blank for a few moments, then she started to really think. What were her dreams? What were her passions? What was her purpose? For the first time in her life, she actually listened to her heart. Visions came to her: writing a book, teaching yoga, inspiring people, motherhood, and raising a family. These things had always stayed at the back of her mind, buried and forgotten in her mundane life. She felt them now like they were real. She felt a sudden warmth in her chest, then she was pulled in a vortex that sent her spinning down, until finally, her feet landed on soft sand.

“Oh my god,” Maggie whispered, stunned. She was in the Golden Beach of Dreams. It was sunrise, and the sun illuminated the sheer beauty of the place. The sand looked like gold glitters. The sea was a deep, blue-green, sparkling like it had hundreds of diamonds in it. The sky was clear blue, and as Maggie looked at it, she felt an expansion and oneness with the universe that she’d never felt before.

She walked along the edge of the beach, letting the waves lap at her surprisingly bare feet. The coolness of the water and the sound of the waves were serenity. All thoughts of going back home fled her mind. The Golden Beach of Dreams looked like an isolated virgin island. There was no one there with her – or so she thought.

He had wavy, dark brown hair and deep hazel eyes. Maggie surprisingly felt calm when he seemed to have come out of nowhere. They smiled at each other and walked together along the beach. He radiated a different kind of energy and warmth. He held her hand, and Maggie felt the warmth in her heart.

She looked up at him. “Who are you?” She asked.

He stopped walking, and so did she. He ran his fingers over the side of her cheek softly, “I am Kyle.” He said, “We are in another dimension.”

Maggie noticed that he had that yellowish glow in his chest like the people in Namaskara. But it reflected something else. She, too, now had that glow in her chest. She looked up at him.

His eyes burned deep into her soul. “Don’t lose the spark when you get back, Maggie.”

***

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAGGIE!!!” Family and friends bounded into the room and woke her up that day. Her birthday fell on a Saturday, and it was indeed an affair for them. They rented a two-story villa with several rooms and a large, private pool for the weekend. They couldn’t get enough of barbecues, poolside parties, beers and drinks, blaring music, dancing, and karaoke since late Friday night. But today was special; her friends set her up on a blind date for that evening. She reluctantly agreed, if only to get a little peace and quiet for a while.

A feeling of déjà vu washed over her as she walked into Music and Soul Bar & Restaurant late that evening. It was a newly-opened, alfresco restaurant near the villa they were renting. Yellow orbs of light hanging on palm trees decorated the place. A few couples were dating; a band was playing soulful music on a platform at the front of the restaurant.

He approached her first. “Happy birthday, Maggie.” He said softly, looking into her eyes deeply. His wavy, dark brown hair fell slightly above his deep, hazel eyes. He handed her a gift wrapped in glittering, gold paper.

A cool breeze swept over them as Maggie unwrapped the gift. She almost dropped it in shock. She’d seen the gold-framed painting in a dream. It was a beach with golden sand and sparkling waters. Another breeze ruffled her hair, and the words Golden Beach of Dreams flowed out of her mind.

She looked at him, astounded. “Have we met?” She asked, almost in a whisper.

He ran his fingers softly against her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Yes, I believe, in Namaskara. My name is Kyle.” He said, but his eyes spoke to her more than his words did.

And Maggie knew it; she was finally home.