if you could wake up from a sleeping slumber, to find the stars twinkling above your head. When all surrounding you was as bright as if it was day. The grass greener than you had witnessed before. With a lake looking over your view. As it laid on the earth so freely, so warmly, and so peacefully, as if it savoured all the tears from broken souls. How could so much peace and beauty exist?
As Moti looked around such warmth, his heart suddenly felt lighter and overwhelmed all in the same. He wished to cry, or better yet remain glued to his spot as he witnessed such heaven's mystery.
"Where am I?" he thought out loud as he took a few steps nearing the lake. How could the grass be so leveled and stretch so far without any trees to be seen? How could there be such a place, where no one knew of its existence? "Why am I here?" he thought again, as his legs carried him to the lake. "How did I even get here?" he wondered again, as he now stood at the bank of the water.
The waters were as clear and bright. He could see the surface, so could he see the reflection starring back at him. His reflection.
Something compelled him to walk further. His feet touching the wetness as he realised how cool and just right it felt for him to be there. He wanted to stay like that, stay there all his life and never have to face the real world.
How much time had passed since he had been there? How much time could pass and he wouldn't know ever since he had gotten there? It seemed he had found himself in a place where no time could rule. Time had no power, time could not speak, time didn't have value, and time didn't exist. Because if day and night could coexist, what need would there be for time?
"Moti," something, somewhere, Moti could his name being called, but he had no idea where it was coming from. He looked around, taking in his surroundings again, only to find his reflection make itself out from the water. And now, beside Moti, stood a figure, with the same arrogance and broad shoulders. It was exactly him.
"Who are you?" Moti asked the figure, completely shaken from the horrific scene he was seeing.
His spitting image only shook his head, chuckling slightly. "right question, but directed to the wrong person. Who am I? I know myself, I know myself more than you ever could," he moved from his spot to touch his arm mockingly as he continued to say, "I know myself because I know you." He Turned to stand behind Moti before he whispered behind his ear, "and I know you because I know who I am, but Who are you Moti?"
Moti thought for a second before he turned his head to hold his figure by the neck as he breathed hardly. But before he could go on with his choking, he found that he was struggling to breathe, as if, it was him being chocked.
"I am you," the figure said moving Moti's arm harshly from his neck. "And you are me," he carried on to say as he moved to the centre of the lake. But something, amazing happened, instead of sinking as he walked, it seemed as though, he was walking on top of the water.
Before Moti could say anything to question such wonder, the figure carried on to say, "but I am you, more than you could ever be me, because I know us, more than you know yourself." he stretched his palm reaching for him, beckoning Moti to follow him.
Moti's legs betrayed him as they reached for the familiar enemy. Or friend?
Before Moti could say he did not like swimming, he realised he was also walking on top of the lake, reaching on his figures side, he asked, "what do you know?"
His figure reached for his chest touching him slightly as if to soothe sadness. "I know that we both know we don't deserve to be the Heavenly general. We're only doing it to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we're worthy. Our little talk for justice and equality is only a facade built to shadow a little boy who is afraid of showing the world all the horror he has seen. Our plan? to make this world a better place is out of guilt for being born noble, you hate me more than I've ever hated myself, and you discard the love I try to give you because you think you don't deserve it. And Eshe? do you really think you could ever marry her? What much hope do you have in ever having her? Do you deserve her?"
The figure moved his hand from Moti's chest and let it fall on his side. "Who are you?" Moti's voice was less than a whisper. He couldn't understand how someone could spell such truth so easily in such an insensitive manner.
"like I said, we are us," the figure pounded his hand on Moti's chest, only for Moti to fly out of his body. Such a magnificent thing to see, his body standing for him to experience, as he floated in the air.
Before he could talk, he could feel himself being pushed into a different dimension, or timezone. He had no idea which one was it.
"you are going through test,. Moti," the figure told him simply.
"you're being trialed for the position of the heavenly general," he carried on to explain as Moti was being shown the events of the day earlier.
("You are to go through a test," Their grandfather had risen from his sit, and he spoke for the very first time since they entered the room.) Moti could see all of this unfold in front of him, yet, he had no particular recall of all of it.
("you are to enter three rooms that will test your mind and heart," he carried on to say.)
That was his grandfather speaking, or maybe a shadow. As he watched the shadows infront him move as if he wasn't in the room. Moti found his shadow scrutinize him with its very familiar eyes. "So all of this is just a test?" Moti questioned his identical figure as he stood infront of his grandfather.
("That should be easy," Moti thought out loud, before realising he had just looked down on the people above him.
he cleared his throat, "for anyone who is worthy," he carried on to say, hoping to clearer the air.)
"Do you think you're worthy Moti?" the figure questioned as he wickedly stared at the Moti of the past who had been so cocky and quite confident.
Moti only stared back at his figure annoyed by how he made him feel such anxiety and little to no dignity at all.
(A door magically appeared infront of the three, and they were gestured to enter. "Hold on to my hand little cousin, you don't know what we shall face inside," the little boy held the both his older cousins tightly, feeling a little safe and secure to be with them both.
They all entered, and the door disappeared after them.)
"Wait, little cousin is experiencing the test too? What is the test? What is required from us? How do we win?" Moti asked, feeling worry and concern rise for his little cousin.
"Yes he is, you, Alarick Lwazi and him." the figure answered.
"Why do I feel so much familiarity towards the neighbouring crowned prince?" Moti questioned as he watched all three of them precisely.
"Do you really wish to see?" Asked the figure.
"I feel that your purpose of showing me all of this was so that I get to ask you this particular question," Moti said as he turned to face his figure. Figuring it all out as the gears in his head turned.
"Your intelligence is the part of us I will always adore Moti," the figure said, smiling arrogantly. Meaning Moti had gotten something right, at least, or so he showed.