A Julius Journey

This is a story about an old man named Julius August, a man that relished long hikes through the profound depths of the Amazon alone within its peace. Julius embraced the clashing sounds of waterfalls, and watching it cascading down the Amazonian’s marvelous height. He enjoyed the beauty of nature so much that he sold his house, and had a tiny home built away far from all things that he was used to; Julius only brought items that mattered most… items such as books, nature equipment and two very important boxes that he as not open since he was a young chap. He built his tiny oasis on the spot that his father and mother took him camping to every year, allowing Julius to experience natural serenity at a young age.

As Mr. August snaps out of deep thought while smiling upon the most pleasant memories. He then continues to prepare his survival kit and supplies for his weekly hike. Feeling refreshed after his yoga routine from last night, he then takes a relaxing breath while grabbing his hiking bag. Julius walks to the front door towards his father’s old walking stick and from there he noticed a tiny red envelope on his front steps from the door window. While turning the knob a weird feeling comes over Julius and the curiosity hits him like stones falling on a rose bush. This all feels so odd because all of his mail is to be sent to a PO Box that is located hours from his tiny home in the Amazon, and no one knows where he lives; but as he steps forward to pick up the letter, two hummingbirds float with aerobatics between his hand and the vibrant red envelope with only Julius August written upon it in familiar calligraphy.

Mr. August then drops his hiking bag while looking around trying to identify any traces of tire marks or footprints, and none was seen as he gently sits in his favorite chair as the sun springs through Amazonian trees. He then used his hunting knife to open it… while releasing a scent of his mother’s favorite flower flowing from the envelope, and the smell of his father’s handmade linen grade paper. Julius slowly pulls a handwritten letter from its opening, while taking his glasses from his pocket; it was a short letter written in his mother’s elegant calligraphy, with words that bring tears with a joyful smile as he reads it out loud with a quiver in his voice.

Dear, Julius… our peaceful son

If you have received this letter far beyond I and your mother’s transition into an eternal slumber, then you must have gone to a place we assumed you would always come back to in some form of way. We had this letter set up to reach you without interrupting whatever serenity you have found beyond the camping trips we have taken you since you were young. We always wanted you to master being at peace with yourself before you share what adventures your heart and soul could gift another.

Your mother and I never believed in standing in the way of anyone’s destiny or path… but yet motivate more positive obstacles to help you to continue to find new tranquility, and not become clingy towards one peaceful moment that makes you temporally happy. The one thing we wanted for you is to discover you’re commitment to what makes you complete not what we force your life to be. Julius, continue to live in the pursuit of a glorious quest… we are sad that we got old on you son, and stop traveling. We should have never stopped having endless adventures but now it’s your chance to reach beyond all of what you love on this day, and share that same energy with what needs the harmony you have found.

The one request we have for you is a Last Will and Testament that you must open our past to value many new perceptions of your presence; today we want you to finally open the box marked dad and moms traveling gear. Take your mother's favorite copper compass and my buffalo leather satchel, and from there you will reach into my satchel to pull out a small black notebook. Son, from here we shall leave you to peace… we love you to life Julius, be safe while taking the right risk upon your quest.

Sincerely, Mom and Dad

Mr. August then stands calmly while his tears slowly slide into his beard as he smiles with joy. The nature breeze gently pushes open his door further, and he looks back while stepping over his hiking bag to rush towards his closet. Julius then pulls out one of his parent’s boxes and then works up the nerve to finally open it to grab the compass and a small black notebook. As he opens the notebook the first page is doodling along with two elegant signatures from his mom and dad; Julius turns the first page, and it reads we love you son, and please be safe. Also, don’t forget to enjoy some of the places deep in the amazon… we drew three places we want you to enjoy, and don’t be afraid to travel further than your own comfort just follow your gut.

Julius turns to the third page, and noticed a drawing of a familiar giant tree that grew into a unique spiral shape that points towards the sun as it hung over a silent lake that set serene; he looked below the picture, and seen the name that his mother gave the tree… “The Beautiful Colossus”. There also was a small note showing that the tiny home was twenty miles from where the giant tree is located.

Mr. August quickly closed the notebook while placing it back in the satchel along with the compass. He then places the satchel over himself as he walked out of his room in a hurry while picking up his hiking bag, and grabbing the walking stick; as he turns around to lock up the house… Julius places the envelope in his back pocket and stepped off the porch into the rainforest of the Amazon. Julius walked fifteen miles into the tropical rainforest while never forgetting that where ever there is beauty in nature, many hidden dangers have made a home of it before we assume that mankind discovered the mass of such wondrous greenery.

Julius understands the possibilities of jaguars, poisonous reptiles, and aggressive tree-dwellers. Being careful as he walked another four miles while looking ahead and wiping the sweat from his neck, and soon after spotting “The Beautiful Colossus” one mile ahead. The more that Julius walked towards the tree it seemed more like he was looking at a wooden skyscraper hanging over the city of fish swimming below the still lake. Julius decided to take a break near the tree, being cautious of his surroundings as he takes out his parent’s small black notebook; he then reads a small quote on the back of page three, “binoculars of the soul always works best when pointed in the right spiraling direction, you may see the tree-hugging the sun or the moon… you will never know until you have stood still to see what might be.”

The rainforest begins to send mist in the wind to cool off the temperature, and Julius feels the relief from the long walk as he drinks water from his canteen; he closed the notebook to look up into the spiral of “The Beautiful Colossus”, and used his binoculars to look further into the height of the tree while recognizing his parent's carvings in the tree’s spiral… reading Mr. and Mrs. August. There were flowers carved around their names, and the sun being held by the tree was a magnificent view of love in nature. Mr. August then opened the notebook to then see page four with the fourth drawing of a fruit named cacao, and my father noted under it that this superfood refuels the body with natural energy along with wonderful benefits for travelers on a long hike. Julius noticed that it’s written down as a twelve-minute walk from the tree’s location, and he begin placing the small black notebook away while using his mother’s compass now and then to keep him on course.

As he walks he starts to hear the raindrops hitting the top of the tree leaves as the sun stands above us all, and sounds of many frogs becoming a relaxing tone ten minutes into the hike; the rain feels relaxing when it’s a sweltering day like today.

Julius can almost see the lovely vibrant colors of cacao pods growing from the trunk of the tree, and it seems to be located next to a large boulder with a hollow cave inside it… which makes it a great shelter to grab a cacao pod and regain his strength while drying off from the rain. Mr. August jogs forward to make up the time and grabs two cacao fruit, and enjoys eating the new fruit while looking through the notebook from his father’s satchel; he looks to see what other special places his parents have been, as he sits on his large hiking bag and stands his father’s walking stick against the boulder. The back of page four has a drawing of the same spot Julius has taken shelter under, but in the drawing, theirs an arrow pointing to a chain locked to the trunk of the same cacao tree; he looked to his left but didn’t see anything… so Julius dropped the fruit, and then put up the notebook to look closer.

Then he saw a rusty chain covered in forest growth and locked to the tree trunk with one end of the chain buried into the soft muddy soil. Julius then pulls the chain as hard as he could… while motivated by his wonder, but it didn’t seem to want to budge until he tumbled while holding the chain; mud flew everywhere as a copper box attached to the pulled chain hits the dirt, and Julius sits in the mud staring at the copper box confused.

He then crawls over to the box as the rain starts to subside, and for the thundering sky to find its blue harmony; Julius then looks around the copper box for a keyhole or a latch to open it but nothing is found on it but a single engraved symbol. Julius gazed at it for a moment as he was cleaning the wet mud from his hands before he searched for answers in his parent’s small black notebook. He opens it to page five, which reads another quote “When you have lost yourself in frustration, and confusion, lose yourself more to possibilities to stumble across a focused path.”

Mr. August calmed his self, and then remembered the compass has the same symbol as he quickly pulls the compass out to hold it next to the copper box to compare them; He then hears gears shifting the closer he holds them next to one another, and Julius takes a deep breath while laying the compass on the symbol of the copper box. He begins to hear gears shift and then it clicks… then he opened it cautiously to see another red envelope with his name on it, and $20,000 in clean bills below it.

Old man Julius's heart begins to drop into his hiking boots as he ripped the envelope open, and smelling the same two scents from earlier with a short later that reads…

Dear, Julius… our peaceful son

We hope that you found at least two of our favorite places in our notebook… the third place does not have a location because it’s more of a state of mind. This money was saved for you because you are forever sincere… we love you son and continue to live.

Sincerely, Mom and DAD

Julius then smiles with adventure.