The Sacred Tree

Legends of a tree in Southeast Africa spread throughout most of the continent in ancient times. This tree shined & glistened like a diamond. It was weaved with a special metal that could not be penetrated by most modern deforestation equipment. The metal was sentient & not of this planet. The shamans of my tribe pass down the tale of a mentor who fell thousands of years ago when my people first settled on their land. The chief of my ancestors tasked a squad of hunters to see what the Gods had blessed them with. When the hunters of the tribe went to the crash site for reconnaissance, they saw the mentor in a huge crater. The warriors witnessed the mentor glow & hum, then melt into the ground. The area was too hot to get close to the mentor, so with that information they returned & reported it to the chief & shamans. The shamans were intrigued by the event. They have studied & witnessed mentors who landed on the planet. This occasion had never happened. After a couple of days, the head shaman became curious & walked to the crash site. What he discovered made him fall to his knees in amazement. The grass had already started growing & the crater had become a small sapling. The ground & saplings were glowing in the sun like jewels. The shaman got to his feet, walked to the baby tree & reached for a leaf. Once he touched the sapling a vibration was sent through his body & he saw a vision. He saw a hooded Wiseman and a warrior made entirely of smoke, with a visor the shape of an M glowing a bright blue as his face, wielding a sword he made from thin air. The vibration shook his brain to the point he heard perfectly, “Protect me.” The shaman told his chief about his endeavor. The two decided this was the tribe’s duty to protect the tree decreed by the Gods. The tribe tended to the land around the tree and over the centuries the tree grew massive in size. Many shamans would be contacted by the otherworldly entity within the tree. Either by touch or a dream the tree spirit, as it was called, would guide our tribe.

One day a child attempted to climb the sacred tree. By this time, the tree stood over 200 feet. The child was determined to reach the top but was stunted by the sight of a single silver-colored, orange-shaped fruit hanging from a branch. The child reached for and grabbed the strange fruit. It easily came off the branch. The child climbed down the tree & he & his friends ran back to the village of the Wigge Tribe. The tribe, as I mentioned before, has been on this land for thousands of years. As a result, the village has built two small towns on the land. One town is a collection of farmers. The village grew Kei apples & monkey oranges & was financially stable from the sale of these fruits. The main town is where the village’s council, their families, & shamans live. The child, who found the strange fruit, ran through the farmer's town right to the town hall where the council members work. The child went to a highly respected councilman's chamber. The councilman said, “Good day young man, what brings you here?” while he arranged books around the area. The boy unwrapped the strange fruit from a large leaf he grabbed from a neighboring tree from the sacred tree. The fruit illuminated the room and the boy said, “This is from the sacred tree.” The councilman thanked the young boy & gave him a piece of gold. The child smiled & raced home to give his family their award!

The councilman was struck with questions as he grabbed the strange fruit & went to the village temple. The shamans were in an uproar over the news. The halls of the temple echoed with excitement. In the chambers of the head shaman, the councilman and the Wiseman discussed the discovery. As the strange fruit sat in the center of the room, the shaman stopped his pacing around the room, abruptly stopped talking to the councilman, and walked towards the fruit. It was like a trance took over him. He placed his palm over the fruit and a vision struck him. He saw the purple fruit inside the metal peel & a figure eating it. A voice rang loud in the shaman’s head saying, “Heat until it opens. Only the purest may indulge.” The councilman screamed, “Are you alright?” the shaman could not hear the councilman nor see him! The shaman saw the purple juice run down the cheeks of this worthy figure as they indulged in strange fruit. The voice rang once again saying, “Protection is the key!” Then the shaman could see the councilman’s son eating the fruit. The voice fades & says, “Only who’s worthy” as the shaman collapses to the floor. The councilman rushed to get the other shaman to tend to their leader. A few minutes passed, and the shaman awoke. He said, “A tournament of our most skilled youth shall determine who eats the nectar of the Gods. We must build an earth oven and heat this marvel until it peels.” The shamans did as their master told them. The shamans built an intricate triathlon-style maze for the selected youth to compete. They researched the village children and sent out the proper invites. The shamans built a small earth oven. After three days of baking, the fruit started to open and peel. The fruit spread a scent all around the village.

A young boy named Jeris slept peacefully in his bed one of the nights the strange fruit baked. Once the fruit started to crack & the scent creeped out, a trail of the odor found Jeris’s nostrils. Once Jeris inhaled, he had the most vivid dream of his life. He saw the same warrior made of smoke with the glowing M for a face. He saw them fighting each other and fighting evil together as partners. He saw an old Wiseman and a police officer. He saw a huge city (Chicago) divided by walls. He saw himself and the warrior standing among a crowd of people cheering. Jeris woke from this dream frantically. He did not know those were possible futures! Jeris wiped the sweat from his body as his father entered the room. His father was the respected councilman who brought the fruit to the shamans. The councilman asked, “Is everything ok son?” The boy said, “Yes father, just a weird dream.” His father said, “Dreams can be many things, son. I dream of your greatest.” The councilman kissed his son's forehead and said, “Now rest & dream!”

Twenty children were chosen from the village. Half boys half girls. The head shaman wanted to see if his vision was true and told no one he saw Jeris eating the fruit. Jeris was selected for the tournament. There were three levels to the tournament. Failure on any level meant elimination. The first was an intelligence test. A written exam and a couple of in-the-field tests. Every child passed the written part. Three children could not properly irrigate a field of crops so they were eliminated. Second was a spiritual test where each child had a one-on-one with a shaman. No one failed this test either. Finally, there was the Triathlon-style obstacle course. All 17 children lined up for a chance to change their life completely. As the signal to start the race was shown it was clear from the beginning who were the front runners! Jeris & a young girl named Zaina. The two were neck and neck during the swimming portion. Zaina had a slight edge once they got through the grueling obstacle course. These were 12-15-year-old children, and some Navy Seals might have quit that course! The last stretch was a quarter-mile run & the two children were fighting for the first position. Jeris ended up outrunning the smaller Zaina. The villagers cheered & the rest of the contestants, including Zaina, embraced young Jeris. There was a big feast the whole village attended. There was music, games, & dancing. Jeris sat with the council and shamans during the party. Jeris would be groomed to go out into the world in search of the warrior from many of the villagers' visions. Jeris knew his childhood was over but was excited about his journey.

In a hidden chamber in the village temple, the shamans sat in a circle around Jeris as he partook in the strange fruit. The boy began to eat. The fruit sent sensations throughout his body as he devoured the fruit. To Jeris, it was the single most delicious food he had ever eaten! Jeris could feel an immediate change in his body and mind. The young man was only 13 years of age, yet from that day forward he was wise beyond his age. His body now has superhuman strength, reflexes, & speed. Jeris would spend the next six years of his days under the tutelage of the shamans. Jeris would live the reclusive life of his masters. For years, the only interaction with his father was in passing. This was the hardest task during his training. Jeris was close to his father, but even his dad would be thrilled to embark on this duty! This gift!

Jeris, now 19 years of age, has continuously had this vision. For months now, Jeris has seen himself walking through the campus of Harvard. He sees it clear as day while awake and in his sleep. The same scene, same people, nothing changes. Jeris reports this vision to the shamans. They assure him he is seeing his future. The village now enjoys international fame & wealth due to the sacred tree being discovered by the modern world. This allowed the council to get Jeris consideration to enroll in the Ivy League school. Jeris would score perfect on the S.A.T., A.C.T., & various other tests. He was accepted into Harvard Law School and would journey to the United States. His training was complete, and the shamans wished him well. Jeris & his mother & father had dinner together before he left. They were mostly silent. Jeris slept at his parent’s house that night and was on his way in the morning. In a field outside of the village, a huge futuristic jet landed. The whole village watched Jeris leave. Jeris bowed to his shaman masters, kissed his mother, hugged his father, & winked at Zaina (who has become a respected figure in the village). He walked to the jet as the door lowered into the stairs. He climbed the stairs, the door closed, and the plane took off.

The End