Malachi...
Today we climbed to the top of pigeon island again; it has become our 'Saturday thing...'
As we walked along the road we looked out to sea and saw a dolphin leaping, we saw it blowing its old air out ready to breathe new air in before splashing its tail and disappearing, we stood gazing at it for some time...
We walked on and we met a guy walking the other way...
'Not running today' he said as we passed one another
'No, a rest day today' we said... On reaching the gate, we found our special lady was on duty, she was taking the money from a group and signalled to us to go through behind them... The ticket lady at the end, looked down, having seen what her colleague had done, and so we were allowed to slip into 'our park' for free...
We clambered up to the top of the world to 'our place' under the tree, and here we sat talking about the veil between all the dimensions... How thin it is, wondering at what might be all around us that we cannot see because we do not recognise it... In the same way the story goes that the Indians did not see the boats carrying Christopher Columbus, because they didn't know what boats were...
We only knew it was a dolphin because we have been shown dolphin. What are we not seeing because we do not recognise it or have never seen it before...
It is always worth seeking to suspend what we 'know' and let it go. Coming from a 'not knowing stance' allows us to keep the curiosity of a child, open to wonder and magic and all possibility...
Brunch beckoned us and so we made our way to the restaurant by the waters edge... As we rounded the corner there was Malachi, sitting on the ground by his table of jewellery...
We met Malachi last year, he has a pink boat which he uses to travel about the island, taking people on journeys and adventures and new destinations... He can get to the south of the island in forty five minutes... It took us nearly two hours by road....
And he sells his jewellery too... It is beautiful, made from shells and coconuts and volcanic stone. When he takes people on a trip he leaves his jewellery unattended on the table he displays it on, because he trusts that God is looking after him... 'God brings me the people for my trips too, things just happen' he said 'magical things happen, God has the plan, and knows'
As we approached I said 'Malachi' in delight... He looked up at us, and then lit up like a child and leapt to his feet... 'Brother, Sister he said, hugging us both... 'I'm sweaty', I warned, as he embraced me, 'sweat is the good vibes man' he said... He was very pleased to see us, and we were so happy to see him too. 'You see' he said 'God always brings the medicine...'
'I have taken your name' I said to him - he looked at me quizzically, but listened... 'I married Anadi last year here' I said 'I know I remember' he replied...'WelI' I continued 'I didn't take his name then... And then in July I said to him, I am married to you, I want to take your name, but when I do that I want to change my middle name too...'
Malachi was listening intently and fully present to everything I said... It made me very aware of how rare that is; to feel that the person opposite is totally there. I do experience that with Anadi all the time, but it often isn't easy for people to be fully present to another, because there is too much that is going on internally which distracts them...
This is where practicing listening is a precious gift, one of the biggest gifts we can give is to listen to another without projection or judgement....
So with my attentive 'audience' I continued...
'So, Anadi asked me what name I would like as a middle name...
I said to him 'I like the name Malachi...'!
Malachi was smiling a lot by now.... 'And so I decided on Chi' I finished, smiling a lot too!
'Chi, Chi' he said excitedly, 'my friends call me Chi... Sister!' And then we did the putting our fists together thing... And smiled a lot more.
I suddenly remembered that in morning I had seen my business cards in the bedside drawer... I haven't been carrying them with me, but something told me to put them into the bag today...
I got one out to give to Malachi - on one side it says... 'Julia Chi...'
Later on we were eating lunch, Malachi came in to get some tea, he sat down and joined us.
He spoke to us of freedom, he spoke of following where the spirit moves, that God would always look after us. He spoke of being free from the constraints of society... He told us of how he meets people from all corners of the globe who he takes in his boat. he told us that he sees many are trapped, even those who have millions in the bank, and that sometimes they do not know that they are trapped. He said that some will take time to discover, and that some are already free.., 'It is in the eyes' he said, 'they are from the same tribe, they are free, they speak the truth, but society does not like truth speakers....'
He told us that being with the tourist was his gift, that he had started out selling his jewellery on the beach when he was thirteen years old, that God had lead him this way.
He said that God knew we would meet today, and so he guided me to put my cards in my bag...
He stood up, gave us both fists again and then put his had to his heart, 'peace' he said... 'We will see each other again...' and then he was off to take some tourists on a boat trip...
And then Megan arrived, a little local girl of six or seven. Her hiar was braided into many short plaits with different coloured bands at the bottom of each plait..
She waved and said 'hello'!
Later she came in to wash her hands... She didn't know where to go, so I took her to the bathroom, and we did hand washing. She told me that she can do handstands and carts wheels!
Then she came over with me and sat where Malachi had been sitting... She talked to Anadi and I about her dog, her life at home, she told us her four names, until her mother came looking for her...
'Let me stay and speak with them' she wailed pulling away from her mothers hand...
'We don't mind' we said... 'She is lovely...'
'You can come back later when they have finished eating', her mum said...
So later when they came in to settle their tab, little Megan came back and sat with us for a while longer, and then, before they left, she showed us her cartwheel...
And then a handstand!
