The Rebirth of Althaus

 

The Rebirth of Althaus

by Dewayne Allday

 There once was a man named Althaus who lived in a swamp.   The swamp hardened him.  Swamp hardness was all he knew and he was a prideful man... as prideful as anyone could be who lived in a swamp and only knew swamp things.

Full sun never fell there and neither on Althaus or his wife Nisha.  There was swamp filtered light seen through thick branches and murky fog.  Since Althaus did not know light, he did not understand light.  But, the shadows, dampness and dangers of the swamp were well known to him.  To Althaus, light was as foreign as love.

There were dangers like snakes and alligators, quagmires and quicksand, but worse were the mosquitoes which tortured you yet allowed you to live another day of suffering.  And, there were very large turtles that occasionally mistook a toe for a snack of worm.  Althaus was particularly lucky because he still had seven toes.  His less fortunate friends told him it was providence but he had no immediate belief in the idea.  And, there was the panther.  Whether black or brown was unimportant but what mattered most were his teeth and claws.   To Althaus and Nisha, these swampy dangers were simply life.

And, then there was the dragon.  It was said the beast had a forked red tongue that extended out like twin serpents and its scales were so dark red they appeared black among the shadows as he walked along the old cypress knees guarding the swamp boundary.  When he steps out into the filtered light a glimpse of his dark reddish-black glossy scales shows forth.  It was said the glossy-slick scales gave better dynamics as he could fly quite efficiently to catch wanted prey. Althaus feared facing the dragon most.... as such a rendezvous with fate he believed himself to not have the courage or the strength.  Everyone in the swamp knew about the dragon deep in the swamp and few wanted to face him.  Those who braved the swamp boundary before were said to have disappeared into the next life... or into his belly. 

Not all things in the swamp were bad, after all, despite the darkness, mosquitoes and misery, there were other swamp people and the occasional deer, Blue Heron, Swamp Sparrow or colorful woodpecker.  He sometimes imagined the old cypress trees as ancient living creatures full of wisdom that he did not have himself. 

Nisha became with child gave birth to a beautiful daughter with pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes - their first child.  When she arrived, he felt joy briefly soon followed by grief.  The birth was difficult and almost as soon as this new life appeared, Nisha's life faded into the dark night.  The entire swamp grieved at the old and rejoiced for the new simultaneously.  Althaus named the girl Etxeberria.

Now, Etxe was stronger than most and thrived through the years despite the harsh surroundings.  Her blonde hair and blue eyes were radiant, and her light permeated all the swamp's darkness and shadows.  She certainly was different.   Althaus noticed she asked honest, yet blunt questions.  Children usually do.

"What is outside of the swamp?" she asked him one day.

"Nothing," he replied.  "The swamp is all we know.  The swamp is all there is."

"But father, I've heard the frogs talk of a new place of light and beauty.  They cannot go because it will dry out their skin but we can," she said.

"The frogs will say anything to tease you Etxe."

"But father, the frogs are not liars like the snakes."

"Have they told you about the dragon who lives near the edge.. near the cypress knees?"

"Yes.  They, also told me we have to be strong and face him," she replied.

"Well, I don't know about that young lady," said Althaus.  "Who is strong enough?  Who has a sword powerful enough?"

"You are!  I am!" she said with youthful exuberance.  "I believe in you!  And you don't need a big sword but instead a big heart!  The frogs said that we would thrive in the light and must not stay in the swamp forever. It's their fate but not our fate.  We have a choice!"

"You cannot pass into the light without first defeating the dragon, perhaps dragons," Althaus said.

"It is said that One defeated the dragon on our behalf years ago and you have to have faith and believe," Etxe retorted.

Althaus considered her proposal briefly.  "What is faith?" he asked himself.  "And, what do kids know?"

"Let's talk about it another day," he told her.  "We must find food for today, not light for tomorrow.  Besides, the frogs have told you they like it here.  I'm sure the alligators and snakes will say the same."

"But the alligators try to eat me, and snakes try to deceive me and the mosquitoes bite me!!  The frogs are friends and tell me of a better place, whereas they cannot go but briefly, but we can!  Please father!   Let us make the trip soon before the dragon grows triumphant in our minds."

Althaus looked down and saw that her smile seemed brighter and her eyes were beaming something... Maybe light?  The old man's demeanor was changing and so was his heart.  If he was to find this faith Etxe spoke of, he must first find some courage.  "Change is scarier than snakes, alligators and dragons," he thought to himself.

"I need you to be strong for me now so later I may be strong for many," she said. 

Althaus thought to himself, "One day she will be a mother.  If she is to be strong later, I need to be stronger now!  Perhaps strong enough to fight a dragon or two! " Etxe's words seemed to lighten his heart.  She was so young, yet so wise - wiser than the ancient beings in the old cypress trees.  He had listened to the snakes too long!

"I do not know what I do not know but I am willing to defeat the dragons for you," Althaus said.

"Go for you.  Go for me.  Go for us.  Go for it!  Have faith!  Father, the strength of those before us will give us the courage we need," Etxe said. "Our ancestors reside inside us.  We simply have to pay attention to their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses.  Ride the strengths, protect and sharpen the weaknesses.  Respect but conquer the vices!"

"How in the swamp would a kid know these things?" Althaus thought.  "It is as if she is as old as time itself."

There was much darkness in the swamp but the light in Etxe's words seemed to lift the fog and lighten the dark.  Instinctively, he noticed a bright star in the east through the dense cypress understory. 

"The frogs say the star is the way but the snakes say we should stay," she said.

"Then, let us listen to the frogs!  Let us follow the star!" Althaus said and clasped her hand as they began their journey.

They waded the water, the traversed the muck, they dodged the alligators and slapped the mosquitoes. 

"It's always easier to follow the old trails than the new.  The old ones are well worn and well known to us, therefore easy.  It's habit.  The new trails are always harder at first because you have to blaze the trail and open them up.  That takes work and time.  But it gets easier, and the old trails grow up with vines and brambles never to be found again," she said.

"Again, how does she know these things?" he thought to himself.

Finally, after days of travel, they began walking on dry ground and soon walked near a serpent who said, "Stop! There's a dragon up ahead.  Why abandon this place?  The swamp is everything you know, and you only know what you know."

"If we stay here, we will certainly die, just as my wife died," Althaus replied to the serpent.

"You will not surely die," the serpent said. "The dragon protects the boundary of his land, and you will certainly be safe within it.  Pay no attention to the mosquitoes, the alligators, the other serpents and especially those pesky frogs!  Stop right there or you will be dead!"

But Althaus just stepped on his head and stuck to his commitment to conquer his dragons and reach the Light.  He would not listen to the snakes any longer.

Once near the edge of the cypress trees and knees, Etxe said, "Father, have faith in the Light."

"I do," he said.  And, this time, he believed her.  It turns out there were several dragons but he valiantly and successfully fought them all.  He did it for her mostly but also for himself.  Together they transcended the darkness into the light.  Rebirthed as they stepped out with all of time in front of them.

And except for the occasional mosquito, the light and new path were good.