The North Castle Journal - Chapter 24

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, but I was feeling terribly nervous. What would his mother and sisters think of me? What should I wear? I tried on several outfits and was not satisfied with any of them! I was beginning to get lost on a worry windmill but I caught myself just in time. I decided I would just be myself. If Lord Pyr liked me, then I had some hope that his mother and sister might like me, too. So I wore my favorite outfit: a light blue georgette dress with white polka dots, taupe hose, and white shoes. 1

This time "Andy" (I made a mental note to remember to not call him Lord Pyr or Master in front of his family!) picked me up in his sleek, navy blue Land Rover. He told me I looked very nice and from then on I felt more at ease. Now, since we were going into Queens, we left somewhat early although we had been invited to lunch. 2

At last we came to the area. Lord Pyr weaved us through the residential streets with ease and at last he stopped before a charming old-fashioned house with a brick front. As we approached the front porch I could hear ladies bustling inside.3

"¡Mamá, ya llegaron!" I heard a woman's voice say in Spanish. I had taken Spanish courses in college, but decided I would be safer sticking to English. All I needed was to commit some stupid gaffe trying to show off! 4

A beautiful young woman with a distinct family resemblance to Lord Pyr opened the door and greeted us effusively. "¡Hola hermanito! ¡Pero qué puntual!" she said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. 5

And to me, in English,"Hello! I am so happy to finally meet you! Andy has told us so much about you! Come in! Come in! I'm Kimi; this is my husband Ramón, my son José, and my daughter Carmencita."6

I shook everyone's hand with a "pleased to meet you".7

We entered and Lord Pyr first went to greet his mother who was fussing over the flower centerpiece. "Bendición, Mamá."8

"Dios te bendiga, hijo," she said blessing him. "Tráeme acá esa novia tuya, para yo ver si es verdad..."9

Lord Pyr came to me and led me by the hand into the dining room.10

"Mamá, this is Matia. Matia this is my mother, María del Carmen." She welcomed me to her home with genuine affection. I knew enough about the Spanish language to address her as Doña María and we got along fine. A couple of minutes later I heard another car pull up to the house. It was Tangie, and another round of greetings ensued. 11

Lunch was a fascinating adventure for me. I had never tried Puerto Rican food. I had eaten Indian rice pilaf and Italian rissoto; baked beans and Mexican refritos but I had never had the opportunity to taste the national Puerto Rican dish: rice and beans. Lord Pyr explained to me that they used several varieties of beans but red kidney beans were the most traditional. I found the combination of white rice with beans cooked in a savory sauce absolutely delectable! 12

"Andy, you just have to give me this recipe!" I begged. "It's wonderful!"13

"Of course. In fact, I bought you a gift; a famous old Puerto Rican cookbook by Mrs. Carmen Aboy de Valdejuli called Cocina Criolla."14

"Oh, thank you! Did you know tomorrow is my birthday?"15

"Yes... and it's also my birthday."16

"What? That can't be!"17

"Yup, and here's my mom to prove it. Mamá, when's my birthday?"18

"Tomorrow and that's why I baked a cake!" his mother announced with a smile, and in came Tangie and Kimi with the cake, singing Happy Birthday! I couldn't hold back the tears! Having grown up in a dysfunctional family, the way these people enjoyed each other's company touched my heart deeply. I had such a wonderful, happy time!19

We left Lord Pyr's mother's house for Long Beach around 2 o'clock. His home was a place of understated beauty. The property had a nice lawn and was dotted with different species of evergreen trees. As we approached the front door I noticed a gardener was doing some weeding in a corner. Lord Pyr called out a hello. When the man turned around to hello back my mouth dropped open... It was Jamie, my caretaker back at North Castle! Lord Pyr chuckled and tapped my shoulder. My mouth snapped shut.20

"Just so you know... Kaylee is also my maid. She comes here on her days off from North Castle to do my cleaning and laundry. I usually eat out, but I do enjoy cooking. I like to try out new recipes and exotic ingredients. Whenever I go on arts and crafts gathering trips I always sample the local cuisine of the countries I visit."21

"I see."22

The house had 2 floors and an attic (the basement was a given). The windows were large, French style, admitting lots of light. There was a detached, two-level, double garage to the right.23

Like most men, Lord Pyr was very fond of motor vehicles, so before entering the house, he took me to the garage. I was surprised to find that he also had a motorcycle!24

I came close and started searching for a make and model somewhere but there was none...25

"It's what they call a chopper, little one. I selected the components and put it together myself."26

"Oh," I replied appreciatively.27

"Someday soon I'll take you for a spin, huh? Whaddayasay, lil-one?"28

Smiling, I replied, "Just as long as you promise to not go too fast!"29

"It's a deal."30

We exited the garage and went around to the front door, which he very politely opened for me and wow! Everything from the Oriental carpets on the dark hardwood wood floor to the window treatments was magnificent! However, what I found most interesting were the artifacts displayed, not only on the walls and on bookcase shelves, but on strategically placed tables. There were masks, sculptures, wood carvings, and native musical instruments from all over the world! (A lot of very careful dusting for Kaylee...)31

"This is my 'showroom' so to speak. I have this selection for my clients to see. Of course, I also have catalogued photographs. I couldn't possibly display my entire inventory. Also, there are items that are rare and one of a kind. When a client wants something special I have to make the trek to locate a craftsman who will agree to hand-make the item for me. My living quarters are upstairs. Come, I'll show you."32

We ascended the magnificent mahogany-banister staircase into a living room decorated with impeccable taste. He showed me the "sound room", the dining room (exquisite furniture; beautiful white china with a silver border was on display inside a stately cabinet), two bedrooms, three bathrooms, one with a sunken Roman bath, and finally his study with a most breathtaking view of the sea. "This man sure knows how to live!" I said to myself.33

Finally, he took me up to the attic. It had a lovely skylight right in the middle. Here he had a workshop furnished with quality tools for any project he might want to tackle.34

"Would you like something to drink, little one?"35

"Well, this has been a long tour. Some water would be very welcome!"36

He took me back down to the kitchen we had overlooked on our way up. It was as well stocked with cooking utensils as his attic workshop with tools. I particularly loved the pot, pan, and utility rack hanging from the ceiling over the ample butcher block island.37

We enjoyed our water.38

"So, what do you think?" he queried.39

"Perfect!"40

'Thank you. So now you know who I am, where I live, and what I do. There is one more area in this house."41

"Yes, I know; the basement. Let's go!"42

The basement looked similar to the one at North Castle; stone walls, a cobbled floor, and a "throne" chair exactly like the one at home, only it was set up on a raised mahogany dais and against the opposite wall was what I took to be a sort of shrine with Native American artifacts. There was a stone hearth and bundles of herbs I was not acquainted with. I guessed this had to do with the cultural inheritance he had received from his father.43

He waved his hand slightly and a chair appeared for me. I smiled a thank you and sat.44

"Do you know what a vision quest is?"45

"Vision quest... Isn't that sort of a rite of passage for young men?"46

"Yes, but it is more than that. A person of any gender or age may seek a vision for guidance when they feel the need. My dad helped prepare me for my vision quest. You see these bundles of herbs? They're made of sweetgrass."47

I walked over to the bundles. He handed one to me. It smelled somewhat like vanilla!48

"Mmm. Smells wonderful!"49

"It's a special plant used for purification and other rituals."50

"I see."51

"Traditionally the vision quest ritual requires purification in a lodge with sweetgrass."52

"Is a purification lodge the same as a sweat lodge?"53

"That's what some people call it, but it's not accurate. You see, the goal is purification, not sweating in itself. The Lakhota word is inipi."54

"I see. Is there any similarity between a purification lodge and a sauna?"55

"Well...they both use hot stones and water to make steam for sweating, but this has less to do with physical health than with mental or spiritual health... even though all these aspects are connected. To continue, after purification the quester remains alone, fasting and praying until the vision comes. So really, a vision quest is just a period of fasting when a person looks inside his soul to find answers. The answers are inside of you because you are a part of that Being that is the Universe which is always and everywhere present and therefore is aware of all things. When I was 15 years old my dad took me to the Rez where there was an elder who helped me perform all the rituals properly. The purpose of the rituals is to get your mind focused because what brings the vision is separating the mind from everyday concerns in order to turn your attention fully within."56

"That sounds a lot like meditation."57

"Yup. That's exactly what it is."58

"I see. Why have you brought me here and told me these things?"59

"A couple of weeks ago I ran into you coming out from St. Paddy's. You were looking for answers, no?"60

"Yes, I was."61

"Did you receive any?"62

"Not really. I mean, I certainly didn't receive any visions!"63

"Would you like me to tell you about my vision?" he said with his voice full of kindness and understanding. 64

"Yes, please do."65

"My questions were different than yours. I was young, quite confused, and needed to know who I was and what I should do in life. The answer I received was really simple. I just suddenly became aware that the Universe is a Being; that the Universe is alive just as a human body is alive, and that everything that exists has its being within this Universal Being in the same way all our cells, tissues, organs, and systems have their being within our human bodily form. I immediately understood who I was and what my purpose was. I am a cell in this Being's body and I am seeing, breathing, tasting, hearing, and touching 'God' all the time. Of course, I undergo recycling like everything else but I can never be separated from the Universe because I am an indestructible part of it. This Universal Being is, for want of a better term, 'made of' Conscious Energy and you may remember from some science class that energy can't be created or destroyed; only transformed. In short, my narrow viewpoint of myself as a separate entity was exchanged (remember our here and now and our emptiness and form exchanges?) for the Big Picture and all my stress and anxiety were replaced by a deep peace and certainty. I was also given the gift of remembering all my past lives and what I had learned from them. I am nobody special, little one, but I do know who I am." 66

After hearing him, I realized that his words coherently summarized the results of all my soul searching, but I still felt there was something missing. The only inkling I had of any past lives was the hydrogen atom experience and the dream of being a patch of dirt protected by a rock. Not very convincing, I thought. 67

"Could you help me go on a vision quest, Master?"68

"I thought you'd never ask! Of course I will, little one, but you have to make preparations. You'll need at least one week off."69

"Oh, that is easy. This coming week the singers are having their finals and school will be out after that."70

"Great! Your basement or mine?"71

"Mine is easier for me. I can give the staff the week off and will be undisturbed. Will you be with me?"72

"Only to prepare you. This is something you must do completely alone."73

"I see."74

And with this we ended our serious conversation for the day. It was twilight time as Lord Pyr drove me back home; another lovely day to add to my tiny box of good memories. If my luck continued to hold, very soon I would be needing a steamer trunk instead!75