Chapter Eight

Wednesday, July 27, 2020 at 7pm

Destiny arrived at Victor’s Restaurant and Bar rather fashionably late. The buses were running behind as usual. By the time she got there it was nearly seven o'clock and she half-expected Edwin to have already left. The restaurant was on the north side of town in the wealthier part of Brookside. She had to take three different bus lines and walk over two miles to get there.

The news was on discussing the “Weeping Willow”.

“The Jane Doe who was found in a hollow tree at Fairview Park early yesterday morning has been officially pronounced brain dead by doctors. They are still hoping for a relative to come forward so that they can receive direction on when to remove her life support.”

“It’s not right that we make that decision. We would prefer if a family member were the one to decide.” Doctor said.

Destiny had never been to this side of town before. It was amazing how different it was from the sketchy neighborhood she was used to. Even the sidewalks and roads were cleaner. There were big beautiful trees, rose bushes, and green freshly mowed grass on every corner.

When Destiny walked into the restaurant the first thing she noticed was how formal it seemed with the red linen tablecloths and dim, romantic lighting. She feared she was underdressed. Destiny had decided on a black romper with short sleeves. She wore black stocking and combat boots. They were the only pair of shoes she had. She put her dreads in a bun atop her head and a side bang to cover up the stitches on her forehead.

"Hello, ma'am. Welcome to Victor’s. Do you have a reservation?" A man in a white collared shirt and black bowtie was standing behind a huge brown desk. He was looking at her quizzically. Destiny started to feel even more self-conscious about the way she was dressed.

"Uh...I'm not sure. I'm meeting...uh, a friend. Edwin Richards."

"Richards...ah yes. There was a four-thirty reservation for two. But we had to let the table go since the entire party wasn't present."

"Oh..."

"But you are welcome to check the bar for your friend. Patrons are more than welcome to sit at the bar without a reservation. It's open seating."

"Okay."

"Destiny walked through a doorway into the restaurant. Most of the tables were occupied with older customers. As she walked by she tried to ignore the horrified and shocked faces staring and gawking at her.

The bar was in the back corner of the restaurant tucked away in a nice, quiet little nook. She could see Edwin sitting on a bar stool. She sighed a bit in relief.

She walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey." She said casually. Edwin turned around and beamed his charming smile at her.

"Hey." He said. "Care to join me?"

Destiny took a seat next to Edwin. He looked even more handsome under the candlelight and dim fluorescent lighting. He had a glass in front of him with a dark liquid.

“It’s root beer. Would you like something?” Edwin notice her eyeballing his drink.

“Just water.” She said. The television was on in the background.

"I figured maybe you were going to stand me up." He admitted.

"Thought about it." She teased.

“Well, I appreciate you coming.” He smiled. “You look stunning.”

“Thank you.” Destiny blushed.

“So how was the drive? I know it’s pretty crazy right now with rush hour.”

“Oh no the drive was fine. Not bad at all.” She lied.

“Good. They gave away our table. So we can either wait for something else to open up or go somewhere else?” Destiny glanced around the room and all the snooty rich people. She could only imagine what the prices looked like.

“Honestly, I think I’d feel comfortable someplace else.” She said. “I don’t quite fit in here.”

“Nonsense.” He said. Edwin got up from his seat and put his arm out for Destiny to take.

“You are so cheesy.” She said. But she took his arm anyway.

“So where would you like to go?” Edwin asked Destiny.

“I’m not too familiar with this part of town...”

“Well why don’t we try Granny’s?”

“Granny’s?” It was a soul food restaurant that specialized in fried catfish, seafood gumbo, fried chicken, baked beans, collard greens, honey cornbread, and sweet potato pie - basically a heart-attack waiting to happen. Destiny didn’t have the heart to tell the guy that she avoided those kinds of food because of its high sodium and sugar content and its relation to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. So she just said, “sure, let’s go.”

---

After they got finished eating, they went for a walk around the neighborhood. Destiny was looking over his shoulder at a couple cuddled up on a bench under a nearby tree. Edwin gently touched her chin, lifting her face ever so slightly so her gaze met his. The warm sensation returned to her body. It was an out of body experience that she couldn’t explain. she was drawn to his gorgeous green eyes like a moth to a flame.

“Well?” He asked. She had briefly forgotten his question. She was mesmerized for a moment. She quickly remembered why she came here. She pulled away from him and walked a few steps away to gain her composure. She hadn’t been paying attention to his question.

“What did you say?”

“Why were you lurking around my office?”

“I wanted to get your opinion?”

“On?”

Destiny looked around before she pulled the book out of her tote and showed it to him.

“This.” She handed him the book.

Edwin’s eyes grew wide at the sight of it. he sat down in his desk chair and stared down at the cover. He slowly ran his hand along the book's’ cover, over the intricate detail of the tree - each branch, each root, each line carefully. He ran his index finger across the word, “Paradys” and the odd symbols and strange letters beneath it.

“I-I can’t believe it.” Edwin finally said, expelling a breath as he did.

“What?”

Edwin didn’t answer. Instead he continued to stare at the book. He turned the book over. On the back cover was a block of words. More gibberish. Destiny thought.

“What?” She repeated.

“Ecnoch, Arrididan, Ecquin Muhaulin.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“As above, so below. As within, so without.”

“Wait a minute. You understand this shit?”

“Not all of it. But some of these symbols make sense. See this symbol here means ‘sky’ when next to this symbol here it means ‘pointing up to’ which is indicative of something above. And this…”

“Alright, alright, I get it. you’re one smart son of a bitch. What does this tree mean?”

“I’m not quite sure yet. Where did you get this book from?”

“I found it.”

“This text happens to be at least 1000 years old and just happened to find it?”

“Sure, why not?” Edwin stared at her with disbelief.

“I know you’re going to call me a creep with this next question but do you mind coming home with me so I can show you something?”

Destiny’s initial response would be to tell Edwin to get lost before she kicked him where the sun don’t shine. But she needed to know what this book meant and how to open it.

“Okay.” she replied instead.

They got into Edwin’s car and drove out of campus. Edwin drove a classic car, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. It was dark grey with black pinstripes on the front. At this hour there were hardly any other cars on the road.

“This is a pretty old car. I wouldn’t have pictured you in something like this.” Destiny noted.

“It was my Father’s car.” His tone was icy.

Edwin lived less than ten minutes to get from the University. He turned on the radio. It was tuned in to a news station. There was an update on the story about the woman in the tree.

“Groundbreaking news in the ‘Weeping Willow’ story. After being pronounced brain dead, doctors say Jane Doe has resumed normal brain activity.“Doctors say, although they can’t explain why Jane Doe’s brain seems to be healing itself rather remarkably, it is too soon to count her out of the woods yet. She is still in a drug induced coma to allow her wounds to heal.”

“We’re optimistic, but we are keeping a watchful eye on her to be sure.” The doctor said.

“Wow! That’s incredible!” Edwin exclaimed. Destiny was flabbergasted. There was no credible reason why that girl had survived such fatal wounds and how she recovered from being brain dead. Destiny had read a book before that explained what happened to one’s body when it’s brain dead. It means your brain isn’t receiving oxygen and so it can’t send oxygen to the rest of the body’s organs. This results in an entire system failure. No one could come back from that!

“That just proves it.” Edwin said.

“Proves what?”

“God is alive.” Edwin stated.

“Whatever.” Destiny rolled her eyes. Here we go again, she thought.

“Come on, you don't see that as a miracle?”

“There is no such thing as miracles.” Edwin looked dumbfounded.

“You don’t believe in miracles?”

“No. And I don’t believe in your god either.” Edwin looked at Destiny as if she had just shot him in the chest. He clutched his heart.

“Come to church with me.” Edwin suggested.

Destiny had no fond memories of church. She swore after she left Wayne and Kimberly’s she would never step foot in a church again. There was no way she was going back on that now, especially for some guy she hardly knew.

“No thanks.”

“Come on, you can’t be that cynical…”

“Cynical! It’s not about being cynical. You religious types use your god and your religion as an excuse, some sort of sick justification for doing horrendous things. I want no parts of that!”

“Someone hurt you badly, didn’t they?” Edwin said.

“What does that have to do with whether or not I believe in your god?”

“Usually when bad things happen that we can’t make sense, it is easy to blame God for not being there or doing something to intervene and stop up from getting hurt. it’s only natural. The beautiful part of it is that we can hate God as much as we want and yet He continues to love us unconditionally and more than we could ever imagine.”

“Pfff…” Destiny said. “You’re just a mindless drone. Your god was created and designed corrupt leaders of the world to insight fear into the weak who are unable to think for themselves. Your god is merely a tool to push an agenda. It’s not enough to fear going to jail to keep people in line, they also have to fear the afterlife and eternal damnation. It’s sick!”

“I think you should come to church with me one day.” Edwin suggested.

“The only time I will ever set foot in a church again is when I’m laid out in a casket. And even then, I hope it will be outdoors and not in a church.”

With that the two were silent for the rest of the way to Edwin’s house.

---

Before long they had arrived in front a pink, two-story house. His house was located in a beautiful neighborhood. So quiet, you could hear a pin drop. All the houses on the block looked almost identical. Edwin escorted Destiny inside. he quickly powered down the alarm. The house had a grand entryway. The floor was white tile and spotless. Directly adjacent to the entrance was a stairway. There was a bathroom to their right and the living room was to their left. Everything appeared neat and tidy.

“Can I get you something to eat or drink?” Edwin asked. He seemed to be rather enjoying the fact that Destiny appeared impressed with his house.

“Water.” She said. “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure it is right through that door.”

Destiny hurried into the bathroom and shut the door. The bathroom was just as spotless as the rest of the house. He must be married. She thought. Or gay. She needed to steal away a moment to herself. She splashed some cold water on her face. She had to fight the urge to light up in here. She knew it wasn’t a good idea but she had a bad feeling about being here. Destiny stared at herself in the mirror. You can do this. He doesn’t know you stole his pin.No big deal. Just find out what he knows and get the hell out.

Destiny left the bathroom and looked for Edwin. He was in the kitchen drinking a soda. Root beer. Must be his favorite.

“Here’s your water.” Destiny was grateful that he had given her water in a sealed plastic bottle rather than a glass. At least I know he’s not trying to drug me. She said.

“I just ordered a pizza.” He said sheepishly. “Are you hungry?”

“No.” Destiny lied. But her stomach betrayed her by growling ferociously.

“Well the pizza should be here soon. In the meantime, help yourself to anything in the fridge.” He smiled that charming smile at her once again she was weak in the knees. Destiny walked around the kitchen admiring the marble tile, the granite countertops, wood cabinets and flooring. it was a beautiful kitchen, something from a magazine. Not something Destiny ever thought she’d set foot in.

She examined the refrigerator magnets pinpointing all the places he’d been or at least that someone else had been to and cared enough to bring hima magnet back. Greetings from: Peru, Tokyo, Hawaii, Bora Bora, Paris, London, Cape Cod, New York, Chicago, Beijing.

“Have you been to all these places?” She asked.

“Yes, he replied. Mostly with my parents.” He added, “Do you liked to travel?”

“Not sure. Never been out of Brookside…”

“Never?” He asked not masking his shock.

“Nope.”

Edwin finished his roto beer and threw his soda can in the garbage.

“Don’t you recycle?” Destiny asked.

“Um...no. I mean yeah when I can. I don’t have a recycle bin in the house if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Don’t you care about the planet?” Edwin looked at destiny with a blank stare.

“I care about the planet. I just don’t recycle. This planet has been in existence for billions of years - long before we got here and long after we’re gone. I don’t think a few soda cans will change that.”

“If every single person thought that way, but next year the landfills will be overflowing with hazardous waste; toxic sludge would course through our drinking water, and the damage to our oceans would be irreparable.”

“You’re not what I was expecting.” Edwin said. Their eyes locked momentarily. Edwin looked like he wanted to jump her bones and truth be told if he kissed her again she would let him.

“So where are the wife and kids?”

Edwin nearly choked.

“Where’d you get that from?”

“Your house. It’s obviously a family home. And it’s immaculate. I don't know any man who lives like this.”

“You got me. It’s a family home. It was the house I grew up in. My parents left it to me when they....Well anyway, I make sure to keep it pretty much the way they left it. And I don't know what kind of guys you dated before but I was raised by a little old lady who taught me how to hold a broom and dustpan.”

“So then you’re gay?”

“Do I look gay?” He didn’t flinch.

“I don’t know what gay looks like. I’m just asking.”

“You have a very narrow view of the world, you know that?” Destiny didn’t have anything to say. She didn’t know much of anything beyond the city she lived and what she’d read in books. The only exposure she had to a homosexual was at Wayne and Kimberly’s church when the pastor performed an exorcism on a member. After hours of dousing him with holy water, waving crosses and Bibles in his face, the pastor wasn’t able to cure him so he banished him from Saint View labeling him a demon. The whole experience had been terrifying for Destiny. She was only ten.

“Hey look, I didn’t mean anything by that-” Edwin started to apologize.

“No that’s okay. You’re right. To someone like you, I probably seem like some earthy, tree-hugging bumpkin who’s never been anywhere or done anything and knows shit about shit. Sorry I’m not a wealthy, snobby little rich kid who has never experienced a hard day's work in life and whose mommy and daddy handed everything to on a silver platter. Unlike you I had to work for everything I got and truth be told it's not much for someone like you but at least it's all mine!” Destiny wasn’t sure what she was so upset about, the fact that he was looking down on her or her shame about her past. She was irrationally angry and not necessarily at Edwin but at herself, at her birth parents for never being around, whoever and wherever they were for abandoning her to fend for herself at such a young age and for having it rubbed in her face by this pompous ass was more than she could bare. Destiny stormed out of his house and made her way down the street. Edwin chased after her.

“Look I didn’t mean to offend you.” Destiny picked up the pace to try and lose him but he was meeting her every step stride for stride.

“Zoedana.” He said. Destiny wasn’t sure what he could possibly be getting out of this. Why did he care so much?

“Zoedana.” He repeated. Destiny continued to walk.

“Will you wait a minute?” Edwin got in front of her and grabbed her by her arms to stop her. Destiny tried to move out of his grip but he was too strong.

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I don’t know your history, where you came from, or what you been through. But I know it was a hell of a lot and very unfair. You’re a strong woman. I noticed it from the first time I laid eyes on you. All the pain you’ve gone through and endured, you carry it. You carry that weight all by yourself. But pain is what made you so strong. You are obviously a woman who has the potential to be a powerful force to be reckoned with. It’s why I was so drawn to you. Its why I feel compelled to help you. its why I chased you down the street. Its why against my better judgement I refuse to let you walk out of my life.” It was a hell of s speech but only made Destiny more skeptical. He’s trying way to hard she thought. But at the same time she wanted him to try hard, to fight for her. She wanted him to prove to her what she already sensed that he was different from all the rest. But she knew eventually he would let her down as all people do at one point or another. As if just noticing he had been holding on to her, he released her arms. Without saying a word, Destiny turned around and headed back to his house.

---

“Come with me.” He said once they were back inside. “I need to show you something.” Destiny followed Edwin into the living room. He went to the fireplace and tried to light it. A fireplace, really? She thought. He must think I’m easily impressed. She looked around and noticed the familiy photos around the room. There he was again, the man with the glasses. Destiny was sure that was the same man who had been talking with Ms. Waters. But the woman in the photo, his mother, was clearly not Ms. Waters. That’s a relief. She thought. Lots of photos but it did not appear to be any of a wife or kids.

“Dang lighter won’t work.” He muttered after several failed attempts to get the fire started.

“Here.” Destiny pulled out her lighter from her back and gave it to him.

“Thanks he said.” He shook it, flicked it, and put the flame under the logs. It instantly got going.

“So now what? We gonna roast some marshmallows?’ she joked.

“Hardly.” Edwin reached over the mantle and took the family portrait down. There was a keypad. “Can you turn around, please?” He said. Destiny turned her back while Edwin input some numbers on the pad. She heard a loud crunch. She turned around and the entire fireplace started to move. It slowly rotated, making its way for a dark passageway.

“What the?” Destiny’s jaw dropped. Okay, she thought, now I’m impressed.

“Follow me.” Edwin said. Edwin flicked on a light switch and the basement lit up. Destiny followed him down the stairs, into a huge basement. It was not your typical basement - it was clean and smelled of wood polish. The room was shaped like an octagon.with rows and rows of shelves of thick books along the walls. The entire room was larger than her entire apartment. There were two large red sofas in the center of the room. There was also a large desk and a couple chairs.

“Doesn’t look much like a murder room.” She said.

“Make yourself comfortable.” Edwin ignored her comment. He walked over to one of the bookshelves and pulled out a few books and put them on a different bookshelf. Destiny walked around the room fascinated by all the different books in various languages from spanish to arabic, and subjects from history anthropology to religion and culture. There rows and rows of encyclopedias.

“You read all these books?” Destiny asked.

“Most of them.” He answered matter-of-factly. Suddenly the shelves started to move on their own as of they were on tracks. When the shelves stopped moving, Edwin took some more books and began moving them. The shelves began to rotate again. Edwin repeated the ritual once more. This time the three shelves along the back wall turned 180 degrees, revealing a huge mural and paintings on the wall.

“What the…?” Destiny gawked. It was a huge tree just like the one from the strange door in the library, just like the one from the book Ms. Waters had given her, and just like the one she had seen on her necklace. Edwin was still searching for something on the shelves.

“What...is...this?” Destiny asked.

“Ah...here it is!” Edwin was holding a book thick enough to beat a dictionary to death. He slammed it down on the desk and flipped it open.

“Come here.” He said. Destiny managed to pull herself away from the beautiful mural. “Look at this.” He said. The text was in a foreign language Destiny couldn’t understand a word of it. Edwin was pointing to a symbol on the page. It was four squiggly lines inside of a circle. Edwin moved his finger along the words in the book, translating as he did, “The tree of life with it’s tangled branches reaching into the sky and mass of roots weaving their way into the ground. Everything is woven together like a tapestry of nature, in spirit and in life. The tree of life exists in three worlds, transcending both the physical and metaphysical, linking heaven, earth, and hell.” Edwin looked up before continuing. “The mystical inscription on the book comes from an ancient dialect called Taiferian. if we can find someone who can read Taiferian, we can read what the book says.”

“But you were able to read the words on the cover.”

“Yes but only some of it. It is a very complex language. One that has been dead a long time. Taiferian is rumored to have been the first language spoken by humans before God destroyed the tower and babel and forced us all to speak different language. But Taiferian is a universal language - the mother of all languages - essentially a combination of every single language ever spoken in the last 6,000 years. Because I’ve studied dozens of languages my whole life I can understand a small fraction of its meaning. But the only way to read this book in its entirety is if someone reads and understand Taiferian or if they know every single language.”

“Every language?”

“Yes.”

“That is impossible. No one can know every language.”

Which is why it would be very difficult to figure out this book. But if you wanted to leave it with me for a week or so, I could go through it and translate the few parts I can.” Destiny thought about his offer but wasn't sure if she could trust this man. She hardly knew him but yet he had been kind to her from the very first time they met. But he had been lying about his father’s death. Although she had no physical proof of that. Yet she knew she needed his big brain to help her figure out what this book was and what it meant. She was torn.

“Okay.” Destiny agreed.

“Geez…” Edwin looked at his watch. “It’s nearly three in the morning! I have a 8am class tomorrow. I would ask you to spend the night...” He hinted.

“I should be getting home.” She said.

“Okay well I will take you to your car.”

“I, uh, don’t have a car.” Destiny admitted. She was starting to feel more comfortable with him.

“What?”

“I don’t have a car.”

“You told me you drove…”

“I lied.”

“So how’d you get to the restaurant?”

“I took the bus. You know that big blue thing with wheels?”

“Well then by all means let me drive you home.”

Destiny contemplated the repercussions of allowing this man to know where she lived.

“It’s a long drive from here. I’ll be okay on my own.” Destiny replied. What was wrong with her? She knew the buses didn’t run this late but she didn’t want to accept any more favors from this guy.

“I am going to give you two options. Option A - I drive you home. Option B - I make up the guest room and you sleep there. All due respect, there is no way I am letting you wander around at this hour.”

“I’m not as delicate as you think.”

“Oh I know that. I have no doubt you are a strong independent woman who could probably kick my ass. but my conscience would not let me sleep if I didn’t know whether you made it home safely.”

Destiny was frustrated with his stubbornness but she rather liked his assertiveness.

“Okay.” She finally agreed. She was relieved not to have to find her way to the other side of town.

Destiny noticed Edwin’s demeanor change once they arrived in her neighborhood. He rolled up his windows and kept locking the doors.

Destiny had Edwin park a few blocks away from her apartment so that he wouldn’t know exactly where she lived.

“Thanks for the ride.” She said.

“My pleasure. So when can I see you again?” Edwin asked. He was staring intently at her with those dangerous green eyes.

“I work at Roxanne’s tomorrow. Maybe I’ll see you there.” She said. Edwin nodded.

“Okay. Maybe you will.” He said coyly. “Do you think I, uh, can maybe...get your phone number so I can call you sometime?” The only cell phone Destiny had was the one she used for her customers buying weed. She didn’t feel comfortable letting Edwin have access to it.

“I don’t have a cell phone.” She lied.

“Ah. I see. I’ve heard that one before. I know what that means…”

“What one? I’m serious. I never felt the need to have a cell phone.”

“Right, okay.” Edwin was skeptical.

“Anyway, thanks again for the ride.” Destiny hastily changed the subject.

“Let me at least walk you to your door.” He insisted.

“No, really. It’s okay. Goodbye, Professor.” Destiny unbuckled her seatbelt. Edwin clumsily hopped out of the car and rushed to open her door before she could reach for the handle. In the process he tripped over the curb. Destiny chuckled.

“Such a nerd.” Destiny said to herself. Edwin opened her door and held his hand out to help her out of the car. She took it.

“I’ll see you.” He said. Destiny stood up. They were still holding hands. The warmth returned permeating through her chest, her face felt flushed. Edwin kissed her on the back of the hand. “Goodnight.” He said. He was still looking up at her with those big green eyes.

“Goodnight.” She echoed. His lips lingered on her hand a second longer but he still hadn’t let her go.

“Goodnight.” Edwin said again. This time, seductively.

“Goodni--” Edwin’s lips were on hers before she could finish saying the word. His lips were soft and he tasted like peppermint and almonds. He smelled like fresh rain. He gently opened her lips with his tongue. He grabbed her firmly around the waist and pulled her closer to him. Suddenly an image popped in her mind of a tree engulfed in blue flames. Inside the tree was Destiny’s face. Save her! A voice screamed inside her head. It was then that Destiny pushed Edwin away.

“What are you doing?” She asked. Her excitement was building. She felt incredibly drawn to this man but she felt she had to stop herself.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I just felt…” He didn’t have to explain it because Destiny already knew what he was feeling because she felt the exact same way.

“Well, don’t. How dare you just assume I wanted you to kiss me?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Stay the fuck away from me, you...you...you pervert!” Destiny stormed off leaving Edwin standing there watching staring after her. She expected Edwin to chase after her but he didn’t. He stood there looking lost and confused, holding his hands out as if beckoning a hug or willing her not to walk away. There was something utterly pathetic and endearing about it. Destiny walked the three blocks to her apartment wishing she hadn’t acted so rashly. When she got to the building she noticed a dark figure leaving the complex but she couldn’t make out who it was.