Just Listen - Prison Secrets - Part 2 of 2

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The 26 eclectic-genre short stories for my #AtoZChallenge are excerpts from travelogue notes by
novel character Gahlen, who first appeared in SHARDS OF MEMORY – Oral History in a Heartbeat.

Each A-to-Z daily post is a complete, stand-alone tale - partly true, partly fiction.

By Jebulon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10480913

JUST LISTEN

(PRISON SECRETS Part 2 of 2)

Genre: Religious Peace

(386 words)

“Ah, the dangers of possessing what others desire,” the elderly man said. “Everyone knows of a certain king, far in debt to powerful knights. Undermining their longstanding role as good Samaritans, the king attempts to imprison or kill all of the pope’s Templars.”

Stifling a groan, I prepared to hear yet another theory about lost fortunes of ancient knights.

“Below this lighthouse lay tunnels, connected to towers meant to guard what knights valued most: not golden chalices or splinters of crucifixion wood; nor chests overflowing with coins. Hidden beneath those towers . . .

Screeching tires followed by a thud startled us. Only the elderly man remained peaceful, in yoga pose. The car rested against a rickety barricade, its bumper revealing a history of collisions. The driver introduced herself as the storyteller’s daughter. She assisted her father to his feet then escorted him to the battered vehicle. He paused to offer a final comment.

“By treading this soil now, you leave footprints, guaranteeing an everlasting connection to your ancestors.”

“Well, um, merci for your time, monsieur.” I said, still feeling no connection to ancestors.

Back in the heart of Rue St Jean du Pérot, we located a restaurant with sidewalk seating. After taking our order for ice cream with fresh strawberries, the waiter asked what we were celebrating. I detailed our tour of ancestral lands. My sisters described our encounter with the elderly historian who had rambled on about tunnels under brick towers.

“Did he mention the underground carvings?” the waiter asked.

“He started to,” I said, “But his daughter disrupted the conversation.”

“Smashing into the barricade?” The waiter laughed. “That has become quite the tourist—

A slamming car door distracted him. The elderly man and his daughter walked slowly to our table. “He insists on finishing his story,” she said.

He spoke softly, abruptly returning to the vehicle while we pondered his words.

“Beneath the towers, on nature’s underground rock walls, are carved prayers. Each knight of old, ancestors to all, recited these in request of treasures such as kindness to others and peace of mind for all. The constant heartbeat of earth’s inner core transmits these messages daily to all living beings. Those receptive to this gift benefit most its priceless rewards.” He had paused before adding, “Listen. With all your senses, just listen.”

*****