I met my mum a few hours later, when she came home from work. She seemed distraught and was close to crying. "I spoke to your dad," she said.
I looked at her with a sympathetic look and replied calmly, "I figured as much."
"But why do you want to go to Jerusalem and study Judaism? You don't even profess to the Jewish faith!" My mum said with a heartbroken voice, and tears running down her cheeks.
"Neither do you. You're a white South African, mum," I replied and then explained myself. "I believe that the primordial Zeto Crystal of Earth, is in Jerusalem and that the constant death, violence and hatred in the city has corrupted its powers."
Hearing my explanation, my mum nodded. My mother was the only one that knew my secret; that I was the reincarnation of the Chosen One, Sabina Eisenstein, who died in the 29th century, while trying to save the world.
Ellen had believed me when I told her about my purpose. After all, what other possible explanation could there be, when her newborn daughter told her this story in private, when I was two days old? Newborn babies don't talk, and they wouldn't lie, even if they did speak.
Ellen looked at me in silence, for a long time, weighing her words before she spoke. "But why do you think the crystal, that you are looking for, is in Jerusalem? It's a dangerous place, and you are still very young. Can't you search other sites first?"
I took my mother's hand, looked deeply into her eyes, and replied, "Think about it, Mum. Jerusalem is the holiest place on Earth. A lot of devoutly religious people go there, hoping to find solace, peace, and harmony. And yet, even though everyone comes there searching for the same thing, many of them end up being hateful fanatics that wish to harm other people. Jerusalem has been contested and the epicentre for wars for thousands of years. No other holy place has that effect."
My mother studied me for a long time, and eventually, she spoke, "But didn't you tell me, that Rangda has been locked up for millennia, and that she won't escape for another 800 years. How could she have corrupted the primordial Zeto Crystal?"
I pondered my mother's statement. Ellen was correct, but she was missing a crucial detail: Rangda wasn't the only source of evil in the universe. There was good and evil in every living being. What differed between different beings was the proportion of good and evil in their minds, their conscious choices, and their power to affect the world by their choices.
I looked at my mother and spoke. "You're right. Rangda wasn't the one who corrupted the Zeto Crystal in Jerusalem. Instead, it was humans with their evil choices, who gradually weakened the good energy emitting from the Zeto Crystal. Eventually, the good energy was replaced with evil, and as things are getting worse, the corrupted Zeto Crystal will have a detrimental effect on humanity."
"So, are you going to purify the Crystal? What if you fail?" My mother asked nervously.
"I am powerless to change the crystal on my own. Only the True Maker can purify the crystal, as it contains a shard of her soul. But if I fail, I will be changed. I will still be alive, but you won't recognise me anymore," I replied calmly.
I watched my mother cry: I knew her so well; that I knew what she was going to say before she said it. Her eyes were wandering, with tears running down her cheeks, and she cleared her throat to make a desperate plea. "But can't you just leave the crystal where it is? Live a good life, my love. Find true love and happiness. Be happy with the life you are living now. The end of times is more than 800 years away, after all."
I took up a napkin and gently wiped the tears from Ellen's eyes. I looked into her eyes and spoke. "Mother, I am already living a good life with plenty of love from you and John. But restoring the crystal and stopping Rangda is my purpose in life, the very purpose that I was reborn. How can I deny myself, and humanity, of this purpose?"
Ellen nodded in silent acknowledgement. She wasn't going to argue her point and try to stop me from going. Suddenly, she burst out with words that surprised me, "Sabina, please take me with you on your search?"
Although this was a natural response from a worried mother, her words baffled me, and I didn't know how to respond. My main concern was that my mother would be considered unimportant to the True Maker. Thus, she wouldn't intervene to save my mother from danger. Going to Israel had always been dangerous, and in the last few decades, things had gotten worse. The extended droughts caused by global warming had turned the entire region very dry, and highly dangerous. The region was filled with greedy paedophiles, who recruited the starving children of Israel for prostitution, and preachers filling the destitute population with false promises about the afterlife. If my mother went there, she was likely to be kidnapped, raped, or killed.
"No, Mum, I cannot let you go. I have a reason to go there, but you don't. I have foreseen my future, but I can't see what would happen, if you follow me there." I said with a grave voice.
"What did you see in your visionary connection with the True Maker?" Ellen asked
"I have seen that I will find the crystal, and that I will die in this city, on my 112th birthday, in 94 years." I replied
For the first time during the conversation, Ellen smiled a bit. "Wow! That's an encouraging thought, my daughter will live for over a century."
"Yes. Can you organise the practical details with Dad, please? I had a feeling he wanted you to say no to me, so he didn't have to." I replied
"Yes, I will speak to your father. I will tell him that I support your travel plans," Ellen replied.
"Thank you, Mum. Let's walk to the top of the hill. I sense that the sunset will be beautiful today." I said and smiled, while holding her hands to give her a sense of security. My mother nodded, and together we walked to the top of the hill where we watched the beautiful sunset in peace, tranquillity, and harmony. We felt complete oneness with the universe.