Just as the sun was about to set on another hot day on the ancient land of Egypt, the gym teacher of the city funded orphanage blew his whistle hard, stopping all the boys dead in their tracks as they practiced their favorite game of soccer on the small back field. The boys all groaned in unison, then hurried to where the teacher awaited them. When the gym teacher was satisfied that all were present before him, he nodded. "Alright boys, you've had a good practice today. I'm sure we will win our match against our opponents tomorrow. Now, go inside, clean up, and get a good meal. See you tomorrow, if Allah wills it."
The group of boys, ranging from 8 to 12 years old, cheered loudly, then quickly dispersed, filled with hope for winning their match. For the next few moments, the whole front yard and inside of the orphanage was filled with young boys and girls hurrying from their daily activities assigned to them to their rooms, hoping to quickly shower and dress before dinner was ready, as was the custom. Shouts of "Hey!! You want to sit next to me tonight?" and "Did you hear? He's getting adopted tomorrow!" from excited children filled the whole area. But no one really noticed one, lonely boy slip away from the crowds, going down a large hall and up a wooden staircase.
He looked to be no more than 9 years old, with a bushel of soft, curly brown hair, sandy tanned skin that told of his dark Egyptian ancestors mixing with the pale Greeks long ago in ancient times, and soft, brown eyes typical of any Egyptian boy. With a sigh, the young boy climbed the stairs until he reached the doorway to the roof at the top. He looked nervously behind him, then pushed the door opened. It never failed to surprise him how lax the teachers and deans of the orphanage were in leaving the rooftop doors open. Maybe they thought they had the children do disciplined, they would never think of going there by themselves. But he scoffed at that. He needed time for himself, and nobody was going to deny him that.
As he stepped out onto the roof, he was met with a cool, evening breeze that ruffled his hair, and he closed his eyes and lifted his face up to meet it. After taking a deep breath, the young boy went over to the edge of the building, where they were short, black fences up to keep anyone from falling over, and looked over across the city of Cairo. The sun had set only moments ago, but already the city was alive with lights all around. Building windows gleamed, car headlights flashed quickly across bridges, and streetlights illuminated the city in almost every corner. A hint of a smile crossed the boy's lips as he lifted his face again towards the sky.
The darkening sky seemed almost....welcoming to him; so dark, so soothing. One by one, little stars began to peek out, and the young boy took comfort in them more than anything else in his life. Up here, it was like he was in another world, another time. At was as if all the stars and moon were made just for him...BY him. He didn't understand why, but it just felt like it. Every time he came up here at night, it was like he was in his own realm, where he ruled and no one could tell him what to do like the teachers here do. The full moon rose high in the sky, and when the young boy looked at it, he almost felt as if it was calling him.
He slowly reached up a hand, almost as though he could touch it.....comfort it...but the moment was suddenly interrupted when the door slammed open and two young boys stepped onto the roof and headed towards him. "Alim!! Are you up here again?" said one boy, crossing his arms and scowling slightly at him. "Do you know the teachers are looking for you? You're gonna get us all in trouble again!"
"Yeah, this is the third time this week! We're tired of making excuses for you." The second boy...slightly chubbier than his friend, nervously rung his hands. "We don't want anymore of our privileges taken away from us again..." The young boy Alim blinked at his two friends for a moment, almost as though not recognizing them from being enraptured by the night sky and moon, then shook his head.
"Oh! Kadeem, Hadi! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I mean..I.." The young boy flushed in embarrassment, and hung his head. The other two Egyptian boys looked at each other for a moment, then walked over and stood next to Alim.
"Why...do you always come up here Alim? What's so interesting that you have to risk coming up here to see?" Kadeem looked hard at his friend. "And...and that look in your eyes just now. It...it was scary."
"You're not doing anything bad up here, are you Alim?" the chubby Hadi asked nervously. "NO! It's nothing bad, I promise!" Alim sighed and then shook his head. "I just don't know. I guess I just like to look up at the sky alot, that's all." He shrugged and walked towards the door. "Come on, we'd better go before we miss dinner, then we'd REALLY be in trouble. Allah save us from their fury!" The other two boys nodded, forgetting their friend's peculiar behavior for the moment, and hurried downstairs. Alim started after them...but not before giving one last look up. High in the sky, the moon continued to shine bright, as though trying to bath the Earth in its soft glow. Alim blinked, then turned and rushed off after his friends.
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Even before her alarm clock went off, young Tari Baltimore was already awake, her eyes wide and staring. Moments later, the alarm went off, and she automatically reached over to her night table to shut it off. Tari sat up and took a deep breath in her dark bedroom. Alright, so this is it. This is the day my whole life changes for the better...I think. she thought to herself.
She stretched and yawned, then untied her headband and shook out her dark braids. There was a soft knock on her door, and when it opened softly, her mother Edith walked in, a soft smile on her lips as she flicked on the light. "Hey sweetheart. You'd better get up and going if you want to make that flight."
"I know Mom, I know..." Tari stretched one more time, then swung her legs over the edge of her bed. "And you didn't have to come in and wake me up, you know. I'm 18, I think I can wake up on my own now. It's not like when I was in high school last year." Tari smirked at her mother as she came over to sit next to her.
"You know you'll always be my baby, no matter how old you get!" the older dark skinned woman said, leaning over to give her a hug. The two women chuckled at each other for a moment, then Tari's mother reached down and turned over the younger girl's right hand. She looked at her daughter's wrist with a sadden expression. "The...scar. It's getting so much better now. You can hardly see it..."
"Mom, PLEASE!" Tari yanked away her hand, her eyes flashing with wariness. Unconsciously, she caressed the thin scar that ran all the way across her wrist with her thumb. "It's behind us now, remember? That's what all the doctor's said. That's what....everyone said." Her eyes threatened to mist as a short flash of a painful memory cut across her mind, but she quickly pushed it aside and smiled brightly at her mother. "NOW who's the one that's keeping me from making my flight, huh?" Tari chuckled as she got up from her bed.
"Sorry. It's just...well...I never imagined you would want to go and stay with your father in Egypt. I mean...it's been years since you've seen him. He's never even bothered to keep in contact with you since..since..." Anger threatened to enter Edith's voice, but she tapered it down. "Well, it's not like I can stop you anyway. All I ask is that you be careful...especially in that country."
"I will Mom, I promise." Tari gave her mother one last hug. She was about to say something more when two figures walked in. "Moooom, why didn't you get us up earlier? We wanted to say goodbye to Tari too!" When Tari looked behind her, she saw her younger, 8-year-old brother and sister, Jake and Jessica, walk in. The twins were rubbing their eyes from sleep as they yawned. They then looked up at Tari with expecting eyes. "Hmmm...I don't know," Tari crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to think for a moment. "I can't see why I have to say good-bye to two little brats like you..."
"Nfertari Baltimore!" Edith glared at her daughter.
"Alright, alright, I was just kidding!" Tari laughed as she rushed over and grabbed her brother and sister in a tight embrace. When she pulled away, she saw to her surprise that they actually had tears in their eyes.
"Tari..will you ever come back home?" asked Jake, looking at her hopefully.
"Of course I will! I already told you guys, I'll only be gone about a year. This is a chance for me to get to know Dad a little better...remember?" She smiled and nodded to them.
"Okay...just..don't stay too long. It'll be boring, we won't have anyone to play tricks on anymore." Jessica gave a mischievous smile she was so well known for, and instead of being mad, Tari couldn't help but give them a hug again. "Alright guys, let's go. Tari has to get ready." Edith got up and quickly ushered her younger children out, and with one last look behind her, gave Tari a small smile and a nod of her head. Tari smiled back, and when they were gone, she sighed once more and plopped back down heavily on her bed. "Please don't let this be a mistake," she whispered in prayer, her eyes looking up. "This time, don't let this be a mistake..."
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With her carry-on bag clutched tightly in her hands, Tari nervously walked through the airplane door and through the tube that connected the plane to the terminal hallway. She followed the large crowd of international people down the hall to the waiting area to the left. Once in the waiting room, everyone joyfully met their loved ones with hugs and kisses. Tari stood apart from the rest of them for a few moments, uncomfortable and feeling alone, until she finally heard her name being called.
"TARI!"
Hurrying towards her was her father, looking fit and trim for his age. His dark skin was still smooth looking, and his muscles still lean from the daily exercised he practiced. Beside him was a tall, very muscular and rough looking dark skinned man, bald and looking as though he could easily bench-press at least 200 pounds. He looked to be about in his late 30's, and from the look in his eyes, seen much hardships in his life.
But before Tari could stare at him anymore, her father's voice brought her out of her daydream. "Tari! Sorry I'm late. The morning meeting took a little longer than expected," Dr. Malcolm Baltimore said. He quickly hugged her and looked her up and down. "My God, I wouldn't have recognized you if I hadn't looked at your picture last night. You've grown so much," He gently touched her cheek and smiled.
"Awww Dad..." Tari blushed gently as her father chuckled. "Come on, we haven't much time. You need to change, and then there's something really cool I want to show you. It's something my team and I found last week." When Tari nodded, he indicated the large man next to him. "Oh, and this is Sajid, from Sudan. He's one of my assistants and bodyguards. He can help carry whatever bags you might have."
With that, the three hurried to the baggage claims, picked up Tari's luggage, and left the terminal to go to the parking lot. They climbed into her father's large jeep, and with Sajid driving, exited the airport and drove down the highway towards the world-famous city of Cairo. Despite the already hot Egyptian sun in the early morning, Tari stood up and looked out in awe at the beautiful sites and historic places in the ancient city. They drove past Heliopolis, the Mosque Of Al-Hakim, and out towards the exotic and beautiful Ezbekyya Gardens, with its many specimens of flowers and trees. Finally, they came to the Agouza apartment complex where her father lived.
After a quick change of clothes into a regular pair of jeans, sneakers, and white t-shirt, Tari was ready to go again. Her father and Sajid helpfully put away her luggage, and after a small breakfast of dates, cheese, and fruits, they were off again. It took was almost a half an hour to drive down pass Giza Square, Pyramids Road, and finally to just outside the Giza Pyramids. As they got out, Tari could only stare in wonder as she saw the legendary pyramid complexes in reality out in the horizon. Nothing in all the history books she'd ever read, in any movies she had ever seen could have prepared her for such a site.
For just one moment, Tari could almost imagine how the ancient Egyptians must have felt, seeing the structures new and complete for all to see. It was almost...humbling to her. For some reason, a sense of pride came over her as she marveled at the people who came up with the ingenious technology of pyramids. So engrossed was she in the site, that the next thing she knew, she was looking at her father's hand waving in front of her face. "Hello? Tari?"
"Huh? Oh! Sorry Dad! It's just...it's so beautiful, to see all this with my own eyes. I never would have imagined..." Tari shook her head to clear her mind and smiled shyly at her father.
"Yes, many people are overwhelmed when they see the pyramids for the first time." Sajid said in his deep, accented voice. "That is why we work so hard to protect them, and preserve them for much more generations to see." Sajid nodded, and Tari smiled shyly at him.
"Well then, I hope you're not too overwhelmed to ride a camel to go out and see the pyramids," her father winked.
"C...camels?" Tari's eyes grew wide with disbelief.
"Of course. You don't think we can get all the way out there with cars in all that sand, do you?" Both Sajid and her father chuckled at Tari's shocked look. Minutes later, Tari sat behind Sajid on his camel, her arms clutched around his waist. The dry, hot desert wind did nothing to calm her nerves as the beast under her trudged slowly through the sand. "He's...not going to spit on me once we get off, is he Salid?" Tari asked nervously.
The big, dark skinned man only laughed lightly as he patted her hand. "Do not worry, young mistress. Bazu is a good camel, and well get us where we need to in no time." With that, Tari relaxed just slightly, and for the rest of the trip stayed quiet as she took in the marvelous sites. Ahead of her and Sajid, her father sat on his camel, a determined look on his face. Within 20 minutes they were within site of a fresh dug out pit a few miles from a partially uncovered small pyramid. The top was showing, but more than half of its base was still buried in sand. A few feet from it, tents and makeshift camps were put up, with excavation teams scurrying all around, carrying very old looking objects that were covered with muck and sand.
When the team saw Dr. Baltimore riding up towards them, they rushed out to meet him, talking all at once. Shouts of "You wouldn't believe it, a mustabah OLDER than anything we've found!" and "This will re-write history!" erupted all over. Tari's father raised his hand, and all suddenly became quiet as Sajid helped Tari dismount the camel. "Yes, yes, I know you're all very excited about the new mustabah that was found, but please, I would first like to introduce my daughter Tari, just arrived from America." He indicated Tari standing next to him, and after a polite hello to her, they all started talking at once again.
The man had no choice but to look at his daughter apologetically, and turn to his research team and answer questions. Realizing it would be a while before she got to talk to her father again, Tari sighed and turned to Sajid. "Umm..Sajid, what's a..mastaba?" she asked as he led her to a tent to cool off from the sun.
"Ahhh, that is one of the ways the ancients buried their dead before the invention of the pyramids, mistress." the tall man answered. "They are underground burial chambers, used around the time Christians call 3,000 B.C."
"Before the pyramids? I thought the ancient Egyptians always used the pyramids." Tari's furrowed her brow in thought.
"Even the ancients had to start simple somewhere. Your father will tell you more when he has time. Come now, mistress." The man smiled as he led her into the tent. As he handed her a glass of water, Tari shook her head, and a determined look came into her eyes. "I don't think he'll have time for a while yet. Maybe I should look into this new find myself." Sajid looked at her curiously for a moment, then with a shrug of his shoulders, left the tent to join his master. Alone, Tari's mind raced with a thousand thoughts as to how she would accomplish that.
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Later that night:
Tari's eyes snapped open, and she sat up from the sleeping mat one of the archeological research team loaned her. Beside her, two of the women members slept soundly, tired from the long day in the hot sun. Cautiously, Tari slipped out of the bag, and as quietly as she could, slipped on her jeans and sneakers. Then reaching into one of the large backpacks, she grasped a large flashlight she saw one of the women put into the bag. The backpack jingled a little, but when Tari looked up nervously, the women were still sleeping. She tiptoed out of the tent a second later, and quietly made her way into the freshly dug out mastaba.
Small pieces of the side walls of it still stood, but it was mostly gone. She made sure she was careful not to touch any of the markers the team put to indicate what they found and where they found it. She then found the medium-sized hole with a ladder going down it, and with one last deep breath, climbed down. She coughed a little from the dust, but she still kept on going, determined to do this on her own. At the end of the ladder, she jumped off and turned on her flashlight.
There was a tunnel going off to her right. Her body shaking with nervousness, Tari walked on. She walked along the tunnel for maybe about 3 more minutes until she was met with a doorway. She shined her light on it, and saw that the double doors looked like they would collapse at any moment, so old and ragged they looked, with paintings that could barely be seen as they were nearly erased by time and sand. She turned to her right, as saw that there was a hole knocked through the side of those doors. Tari cautiously stepped through it into a large and spaceous room.
The chamber she suddenly found herself in was large, and it looked to have been built and decorated for a pharaoh or queen. There was a large sarcophagus on the left side, along with small wooden furniture that was intricately designed and styled. The style of it was unlike anything Tari had ever seen as she shined her light over it. On the walls were faded heiroglyphics and paintings of elaborate scenes of battle, daily life, and what looked to be a wedding, as a dark skinned woman was wearing a very beautiful and form fitting dress with a jeweled Egyptian crown. Next to her was obviously the pharaoh, as he too wore an intricately designed formal wear for that time.
Tari smiled softly at the scenes, then shined her light to the right. She gasped; on a stone pedestal, covered in a square class casing that the excavation team already cleaned off, was a large vase. It was beautifully designed with many of the Egyptian gods standing in defensive poses. They seemed to be facing one figure that was too dark for Tari to see from where she was standing. Warning bells rang in her mind, telling her to stay way, but it didn't matter to her...she had to see it for herself!
Putting the flashlight down, Tari walked over and carefully picked up the glass casing. The team obviously must have made sure it was carefully cleaned before they would open it and see what was inside. Tari carefully put the casing down, then picked up the vase. It felt surprisingly light...like there was nothing inside. Tari frowned. But if it was just for decoration, why cover it carefully, and make sure it was buried with a pharaoh? Why did all the gods painted on it look like they were fighting an enemy?
Tari blinked, then thinking to ask her father about it later, reached forward to place the vase back. But suddenly...before she could even stop it from happening, the vase slipped from her hand. It crashed to the ground with a loud break, leaving no chance of it ever being put back together. Tari gasped in dismay. That could have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! What was she to do?
She sighed as she picked up her flashlight, and decided that there was nothing TO do but tell her father the truth. But before she could turn to leave, there was a suddenly swirl of blackness that emanated from where the broken pieces of the vase lay. It was like a black cloud from a storm, swirling around and around her. Tari was suddenly filled with a chill that made her shiver like nothing ever had before. A loud, booming laugh filled the tomb moments later, and Tari fell down on her knees and covered her ears in fright.
The booming laugh continued, and the black cloud stopped twirling around her and rushed out through the hole by the tomb's doors. Then, there was silence. For a few moments, Tari stayed where she was, then she slowly straightened up and looked around. "What...what was that?" she asked aloud. Deciding that enough was enough, Tari hurriedly made towards the doors...but was stopped in her tracks by a bright light. "What NOW?" Tari gasped out in agitation as she covered her eyes. When the light finally faded, she looked up to see two brown-skinned women standing before her. One woman was dressed very elaborately with the symbol of what looked like cow-horns on her head, and the other woman looked sadly at her. She wore the traditional crown of the Egyptian queen on her head. Tari blinked at them for a moment, then said the first words that came to her mind; "Who...ARE you?" The women looked at each for a moment, then at Tari, and together they stepped towards her.
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To Be Continued...
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