The Mountain Is Calling

Everest woke up and knew she had a deep dream. A dream that would call her to action. She got up and began to put her clothes on for the day. She heard a grumble from her sister in the bed across the room.

“Why are you getting up so early? It’s Saturday, no school!”

“I am being called,” she answered her sister.

“Mom and Dad are still sleeping,” her older sister replied.

“No, True Way,” (her sister’s name), “I am being called by the mountain.”

“The mountain, what mountain is calling you? It’s Saturday, why don’t we sleep in a bit longer?”

Everest found her sneakers under her bed. They were slip-ons so she didn’t have to bother tying the laces. It had been warm lately, so she put on her light blue jacket.

“True?” she called out, “I don’t know when I will be back. Tell Mom and Dad for Me?”

True sat up, “What?” she asked, “What mountain, where is it?”

“I’m not sure,” Everest answered, “I just know it’s calling me. I got to go!”

“But you don’t even know where you are going?” asked True, “How will you get there, then?”

Everest zipped up her jacket, “Why don’t you come with me? After all, your name is ‘True Way’,” she asked and then laughed and added, “If I follow the True Way, surely I will get there, surely both of us will get there.”

“Okay, okay, I’m in,” True Way threw off her covers and got dressed. They both wrote a note to their parents. It read, “Be back later.” Everest thought they might add “going to the mountain”, but True didn’t think that was a good idea.

“They won’t get it because I don’t get it either,” she laughed, “Anyways, they sleep in on Saturdays.” True thought they would probably be back before lunch. Neither of the girls knew that it would be quite some time before either of them made it back home.

“Which direction, True?” asked Everest.

She thought she had no idea, but to her surprise she said, “Let’s take the right and head west. Evie, I have an idea. Want to take our bikes?”

“Okay, True, let’s take them.” Evie hopped on to her bike and so did True. True loved riding her bike and she pedaled hard and fast. Everest struggled to keep up with her.

“Slow down, True! I’m getting tired.”

“I’m getting hungry!” answered True.

“I brought my babysitting money. We’ll get some groceries.”

The two girls bought some yogurt and bananas and sat down at the bench outside the health food store. True licked the plastic spoon; she just loved the blueberry yogurt.

“Are we still heading on this road, going west?” asked Everest as she folded up the banana peel to throw it away.

“Could you tell me why we are going to some mountain?” asked True.

“Well, True, I had a very deep dream. A mountain was calling me over and over. It said, “You must come!”

True was used to her sister and her dreams. She had amazing dreams and True was a bit jealous of her for that. She almost never remembered any dreams, and if she did, they were usually about very ordinary things, like getting to her classes on time.

“Why do you think this mountain we are looking for is calling you?” asked True.

Everest thought for a moment, “I think it wants to show me something, something I need to know.”

True wondered what a mountain could possibly want to show Everest or anyone. What does her sister need to know that a mountain could show her? “Oh, Everest, are you always going to be following your dreams?” she asked, “Mom thinks you are weird for that.”

“Maybe she does,” answered Everest, “but Dad gave me the name Everest after the tallest mountain in the world.”

“And your middle name is Bodhisattva. He named you Bodhisattva too. That’s kind of weird too,” answered True.

Everest smiled and laughed. She liked her names. They were big names that suggested her life had a bigger purpose.

“And you should talk, your name is True, middle name Way. That’s got to be special too,” added Everest.

“Yeah,” both sisters laughed. Everest handed True a chocolate square, “For later,” she suggested. The day was warming up as the two sisters got on their bikes and pedaled past the city limits of their town.

The mountain that had been calling Everest knew she was on her way. How did the mountain know? A fragrant breeze was sweeping over her rocky cliffs. Fragrant breezes always hold a message in their movement. This mountain breathed it in all the way into its depth, its heart. The message she breathed in said, “She is coming.” The mountain was very excited. This excitement woke up the lions and tigers that were napping on its ledges. They all got up and stretched and looked out towards the East. All the excitement drew a very old man who was in a deep state of meditation to open his eyes. What is all this excitement about, that has drawn me out of the depths of my meditation? Unfortunately, this yogi did not take lightly to his meditation being disturbed. The lions and tigers and, yes even the mountain, never disturbed the meditating yogi. The last time he was disturbed, there was an earthquake that sent many boulders flying down the mountain, destroying a few lion dens and the village below. The mountain tried not to shake even with laughter so as not to disturb the yogi’s meditation. But could she contain her excitement? She was on her way, after all.

The yogi stood up. His limbs were stiff and withered from lack of use. A mighty thirst overcame him. A very kind and wise lion had retrieved a gourd and had filled it with water from the last rain, in case the yogi would ever awaken. The yogi, fumbling with his stiff fingers, reached for the gourd and slowly sipped it. After his thirst was quenched, a mighty hunger set in. He was disgusted that he had been disturbed and called out from his meditation. He was also disgusted and unnerved by the demands of the body. Again, the same wise and caring lion had left some nourishing plants and nuts by the water gourd. The yogi also ate freely, and the nourishment revived him.

“Now who is to blame for taking me out of my meditation?” he asked.

All the lions feigned sleep and the tigers blended into the tall grasses.

“Who disturbed my meditation? My meditation is my work—it’s very, very important as you all know.”

The mountain knew she would have to respond and handle the yogi very delicately. She knew his work was great, very important, but she also knew that he needed to know that she was coming.

“Benevolent One, I believe you would want to know this. She is coming and her sister is coming too.”

“Who are you referring to?” asked Yogi Ben, short for Benevolent.

The mountain sighed, sometimes the Benevolent is so forgetful, she thought. “The girl, she is coming to learn of her purpose, so she can begin her service. A very important service, almost as important as yours,” the mountain added, to placate the yogi.

“Oh, now I remember. You say she is headed here?”

“Yes, she and her sister have begun their journey. They are heading here from their home on the coast.”

“Yes, yes, we must assist them here. It’s a very long journey to arrive here from the coast,” Yogi Ben added.

Yogi Ben’s heart fluttered with excitement too, and he forgot about punishing the mountain or the breezes or the lions and tigers for taking him out of his meditation. Everyone sighed with relief and waited expectantly to see what they could do to help the young girls to arrive. Lioness Aliyah returned to her rocky ledge above the yogi’s seat and scanned the lands below for any signs. All were alert and their hearts were waiting for this very special meeting to arrive.