The Heart of Hathor

Somewhere in ancient Egypt, during the war with the Nubians and the catastrophic disasters that brought down the ancient civilization, a boy prayed in a temple, unaware of the trouble that was about to walk into his life.

A beautiful, young girl came to the temple one afternoon to pray. She sat on a bench in front of an altar dedicated to the sun disk and bowed her head. The candles were lit and her soft features glowed in the flickering flames. The boy had been praying at the moon altar when she came in and he fought every urge to look at the girl of his dreams. Instead, he bowed his head lower and repeated his prayer. When he finished, he looked up at the girl and saw she had been staring at him. He smiled shyly and she smiled back, hopping up from her bench and taking a seat beside him.

“Hello,” she said, looking straight into his eyes. “Are you a monk here?”

He felt a warm kindling in his belly and his face went flush.

“I am, I was adopted into the temple. They found me in a basket on the steps and I’ve been training ever since.”

He didn’t know why he had said all that.

“I’m sorry, that sounds rough.”

“It’s okay, the temple has always been my home and my family. But sometimes, I still feel like an outsider.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know my family either. And I know all too much about being an outsider.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “We can be outsiders together.”

She smiled.

“What are you doing?”

“There is going to be a full moon tonight so I wanted to pray before sunset,” he said.

“What do you pray for?”

He shrugged, “For others, most of the time. And to be a better person.”

She giggled and his heart melted. He had never felt this way before.

“I love that,” she said, “Why haven’t I ever seen you around the city?”

“I’ve never been,” he said.

“What? Why not? I can take you there and show you around.”

“Father says the city is dangerous, it’s forbidden,” the boy said.

“Oh, I guess Father isn’t wrong about that. How about I show you something better than the city? Somewhere safer and you won’t technically be breaking any rules.”

“What would be better than the city?”

“I’ll show you.”

She winked at him and took his hand, leading him out of the temple. The afternoon sun bounced from her jet black hair and glistened in her bright brown eyes. Butterflies fluttered in the boy’s stomach and all he could do was smile dumbly and let her lead the way.

She led him down a path that wound around the outskirts of town and back behind the temple. It ended at the vast expanse of the red desert and she turned and stepped into the brush. The boy let go of her hand and looked apprehensive.

“Come on, don’t be scared. We are almost there!”

He looked out into the desert and smiled before jumping into the brush after her. The girl weaved through the bushes and trees with grace and the boy struggled to keep up. He had never been anywhere wild or dangerous and that excited him even more. They suddenly stopped and the girl smiled, pushing back a tree branch.

“Here we are.”

It took a minute for the boy to take it all in. The girl had found a secret oasis on the border of the desert and the marshlands, outside the city. It was peaceful, filled with the sounds of nature. She sat down on a log and the boy sat beside her. They were silent for a time, observing.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

“I love it,” he said.

Without warning, the girl laid her head on his shoulder and in that moment, he wanted to give her everything. He was falling desperately in love, which went against everything he knew as a monk.

“Let’s stay here forever and forget the war,” she said.

He went to reach an arm around her but stopped. A small orb of green light floated over the pond and he couldn’t take his eyes from it. It weaved a pattern in the air, floating back and forth. It seemed to notice him too and the wisp darted through the trees and out into the desert.

“Did you see that?” the boy asked.

“See what?”

The girl looked around but the oasis was still.

“There was a light and it went out through the forest!”

The boy leapt up and went after it.

“Wait!” the girl called but he was already gone. She chased after him and caught up as they broke through the tree line and stared out into the desert. The boy caught a glimpse of the orb as it floated behind a formation of rocks in the distance.

“It’s behind those rocks!”

“I don’t want to go out there,” she said shakily, “Let’s go back.”

The boy looked at her and then at the rocks. He heard a voice in the wind that seemed to be calling him. He took a step toward the desert but the girl grabbed his arm.

“Stay with me,” she said.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before pulling away.

“I have to go. I’ll be back, I promise.”

A single tear ran down her face but she nodded.

“Be careful.”

And he stepped from the grass to the red hot sand.

The hot sun shone down on him as he crossed the stretch of desert. He wondered if the girl would still be waiting for him when he got back. He looked over his shoulder to the empty tree line and his heart was struck with fear and doubt. Did he just throw away his one shot at true love?

He walked around the rocks until he came to the spot where he last saw the orb. There was a small cave illuminated by a green light. He ducked inside and as he did, he heard the rattling of a deadly desert snake. His blood went cold and he froze. The snake stared up at him with black marble eyes and dripping fangs. Fear coursed through his body and his heart beat up into his throat. Without warning, it sprung at him and sunk its fangs into his leg. The boy faded out of consciousness and fell onto the sand.

He was faced with the cave again, surrounded by darkness.

“Hello,” said the cave.

“Hi,” said the boy. “Who are you?”

“I am many things. The real question is, who are you?”

“I don’t know,” the boy said.

“Nobody knows anymore.”

“I don’t know why I am here.”

The cave burned with a green flame and from the mouth of the cave, a familiar snake slithered out. He instinctively pulled back and prepared to run.

“Do not be afraid child,” it said in a voice as sweet as honey. “Fear keeps us from the truth.”

The snake’s rattle shook in a rhythmic pattern, beating fast here and slow there, hypnotizing the boy. The snake changed into a tall and beautiful Egyptian woman. She had long and elegant features, graceful movements, and her hair was tied back tall on her head by a coiled snake. She smiled kindly at him and his heart felt filled with love.

“Hello, my son. Do you know me now?”

“Hathor.”

She laughed richly.

“That is what some call me. But you can call me mother.”

“Mother?”

“Yes,” she said, “You are my son.”

“Why did you bite me?”

“You needed to see the truth,” she said. “You had the wisdom to hear my call and the courage to dive into the cave.”

“I did but now I’m dead and it doesn’t matter,” he said sadly.

“Death is just another phase of life,” Hathor told him. “But you wish to ask a question. What is it?”

The boy searched his heart.

“What is love?”

“That,” she said, “Is a good question. Love has many forms and expressions. It is experienced by everyone in their own way. Today’s world is lost with the concept of love, so it is only natural that you don’t understand. The world you know is coming to an end for this very reason. Love has become conditional and external, but true love still lives. You have felt this love, I have seen it.”

The girl flashed in his mind and Hathor smiled.

“True love comes from the wisdom in knowing that we are one in the eyes of the universe, singular points from the same source. Unconditional love starts with loving yourself and all that you are. Through that we connect with all others.”

“But how can I love myself if I don’t know who I am?”

“You don’t need to know who you are to love yourself.”

She reached down and ever so gently tapped his chest with her index finger.

“Your heart is open and now you must go.”

“That’s it?” the boy asked.

She smiled and pointed to what he held in his hand.

“That will help too.”

The boy held up his hand and noticed he was holding a turquoise heart pendant.

“The rest is up to you.”

“Thank you,” he said and he felt gratitude in his heart.

She tapped him again on the chest.

“Wake up.”

Nothing happened.

“Wake. Up.”

“Wake up!” cried the girl.

He flew up from the sand and gasped desperately for air. He was met with the girl’s crying face and she pulled him in tight. He was outside the cave and he saw that his bite was wrapped with a cloth.

“I thought you were dead,” she cried.

“What happened?”

“I saved you. I knew the desert was too dangerous for you alone so I followed. I found you unconscious in the cave from that snake bite and dragged you out. You wouldn’t wake up, I tried so hard-”

The boy leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips.

“Thank you,” he said.

“You scared me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t like to see you sad. But it wasn’t for nothing.”

He held up the heart locket in his hand, turquoise bright and humming in the setting sun.

“I found the Heart of Hathor and she told me about love.”

“What?” she stared at the heart with wide eyes.

A loud explosion reverberated in the earth and the two looked towards the city. A heavy black cloud plumed overhead and blocked out the sun.

“The town!” the girl cried out and the two ran towards the sound. They wound back around the path and looked out to the city. It was in ruins and being consumed by fire. In the distance, the Nubian army retreated to their next target. The Nile river was rising and had begun to swallow up what was left of the city. The temple sat atop its hill, ablaze by an all consuming fire and crumbling under its own weight. The boy saw his past turned to ash and the girl watched her home wash away with the river.

“We can’t stay here, I won’t ask you to come with me. I know it will be dangerous-”

“I will follow you to the ends of the earth,” she interrupted.

Her eyes blazed with fury and passion, strength and determination, and the boy couldn’t help but think how absolutely breathtaking she was.

“I love you,” he told her.

“And I love you,” she said.

He pulled her in close, with the flames of the city behind them. He pulled her in tight, time melting away. He met her eyes and leaned down till their lips gently touched and all passion let loose. As their world crumbled around them, all things coming to an end, they felt something neither of them had felt before. True love.