How deep does the earth go? What kind of flight does the bird take when it’s alone? How long is a ladder? How far is the ocean? Who knows who spoke first?
As he sat scribbling on to half sogged pieces of paper Iker Jose’s mind raced with hundreds more questions. The pages got wet when he bathed that morning. He forgot they were in his pocket and he cursed himself and the creator on high for such misfortune. “It’s always me,” he said, “it’s only me, I suppose.” Iker Jose was alone and had been for quite a time. He knew that there was a world outside of his oasis but what was in that world was a question he couldn’t answer, hence the scribbles on paper left over from the previous watcher. By that point Iker Jose had all but forgotten the image of his parents and his brother. Memories of a sister would slip into his dreams every now and then but there was always uncertainty as to whether she was just a phantom or his real and true sister. He’d spent every one of his days there in the same way, as was instructed by the piece of paper that was attached to him when he arrived. Wake up with the sun, bathe in the pond, eat from the coconut tree, be careful of sand storm, keep watch for Facundo. The desert where he was placed was huge beyond all comprehension. He always thought that the outside world must be years away. He’d tried to escape two times and both times he nearly died, after which Iker Jose decided that he’d best wait for Facundo. Surely he’d come and release him soon and he must be super human or a king. Iker Jose’s faith in Facundo, of course, faltered, but most of the time he believed in Facundo, whoever he may be.
Page 92 of the 1986 Mens Lifestyle magazine that was left by the old watcher was Iker Jose’s wife. Her name was Margarita and she was beautiful. Dark, thick eye brows, beautiful brown wavy hair down to her thighs and a figure that’d make a good man swear. She was everything to him. She had a slight lisp when she spoke and Iker Jose cherished it above most things. She was understanding but never critical, romantic but never soppy. She was stern when needed but never more than necessary. She had opinions on Facundo; as to who he might be and when he might show. She surmised that he was as tall as an old tree and forgetful like a fish. He’d got lost years ago and was still swimming around trying to remember where he turned left or what the right next right was. When Iker Jose’s mind was weak he’d agree with Margarita and other times they would get into tempestuous debates as he swore blind that Facundo was the greatest hero that ever existed and he would come with an army of 300 men to free him.
Iker Jose had lived a strange relationship with time. He had really no idea how long he’d been there in the desert living from the oasis. He’d only started counting the days around 18 months ago on account of his wife giving him hell for forgetting their anniversary. He’s set on it being some twenty odd years but memory weakens with age and the heat. Margarita would always tell him he looked young for his age so he thought he still must be young and that would help with his sleeping peacefully.
An evening in month nineteen from when he started counting, the sun was the hottest it had ever been. The heat stuck around well through the night and Iker Jose slept in a dreadful sweat. It was the first night that old spirits of the oasis came to speak to him so in reverence and sweat he bowed and listened. They asked him if he knew which would be the real and true Facundo. Iker Jose replied through the humidity that he assumed he’d just know when Facundo showed up if he was the real and true Facundo. The old spirits coughed and spat at him. They called him a fool and argued amongst themselves whether he was truly ready to fulfil this sacred job. They told him that other imposters would come and swear that they were the real and true and only Facundo and that he would have to decide whether they indeed told the truth. Iker Jose could feel the heat waking him from his dream and tried to ask more questions but the old spirits said nothing and kicked him out of his sleep.
For three days and three nights Iker Jose sat awake. He didn’t eat from the coconut tree and he didn’t hide from the sandstorms. “I will know him when he comes,” Iker Jose said to himself over and over, “I will know him when he comes.” As the sun set on the fourth night a shadow appeared on the horizon. It was the first living shape that Iker Jose had seen in his whole time of being in the desert. The shape wobbled with the heat that was leaving the sand and he could see no distinguishable gait. It looked as though the shape were floating above the ground. As the living thing moved into sight Iker Jose saw that it was a fish as big as a tree. He fell to his knees in joy, “Facundo. You have come to save me.” “Yes, I am Facundo The Morning Star and I have come to save you.” Iker Jose got to his feet and moved to hug and kiss the fish but stopped short, “Are you the real Facundo?” he asked, “Yes, I am Facundo The Morning Star and I am here to save you.” “I want to believe you,” Iker Jose said, “but I have been filled with such doubt by the old spirits that came to me in a dream. How can I tell if it’s really you?” The fish swam backwards, gathered up an ocean of sand and blew it in Iker Jose’s eyes. “How dare you question me? Get back on your knees you ant and worship me or you will stay here forever.” Iker Jose cried in pain as the sand glued his eyes shut. He screamed at the fish, “IT IS NOT YOU NOW LEAVE MY OASIS.” Iker Jose’s words were sandpaper to the fish and as quickly as he arrived he left again, swimming without stopping all the way out of the desert.
Iker Jose was left blind and he cried. It hurt when he did and Margarita held him close. “You will know him when he comes,” she whispered to him over and over, “you will know him when he comes.”
Another day passed and Iker Jose had still not slept. The sun was going down and he heard a chiming bell in the distance like that of a pet’s collar. The chiming moved closer until it stopped just in front of him. “Facundo? Is it you?” he asked as he could not see, “Yes, I am Facundo The Shining One and I am here to save you.” “Oh, Facundo, I am so glad you’re here, how I wish I could see you.” Iker Jose felt a softness on his face and then a relief. He was able to open his eyes and as they focused he saw, in front of him, a feline so big he thought his heart might stop. “Facundo,” he said, “I want to believe that it’s you. If you speak the truth can you answer all of the questions I have ever had?” The words had barley left Iker Jose’s mouth when the feline moved backwards and bellowed, “How dare you question me. Your body is not yours it is mine. It is mine and with you I will do what I please.” The feline shook his head and the great bell around his neck boomed with a noise so loud that it burst the eardrums of Iker Jose and left him deaf. “IT IS NOT YOU NOW LEAVE MY OASIS.” The feline couldn’t stand the strange and guttural noises Iker Jose was making on account of not being able to hear his own voice and recoiled in horror. He left the desert just as quickly as he had arrived, shaking the earth with his great paws as he fled.
That was the last that Iker Jose saw of any living thing for sixty years. He spent his days in silence and dreamt of great floods, fires and pestilence. He saw the world that he once knew crumble inside his own head. Margarita could no longer get through to him and his oasis became a sty. Iker Jose’s heart broke further with each new day that Facundo didn’t come. He had lost all hope and felt as alone as he had on the first day that he awoke there. On the last evening of his life he said goodbye to Margarita. He kissed her and she cried and he cried too. There was nothing else left for him here so he hung his belt around the coconut tree. He kicked out the wooden box that was beneath his feet and the air stopped.
“Iker Jose. Today is not the day.”
The belt around his neck loosened as he was lifted up, straddling a great force.
“You knew I would come so why did you try to cut your time short? Can you tell me?” “Facundo?” Iker Jose asked. “Yes, I am Facundo.” “How do I know it’s you? How do I know you are the real and true Facundo?” “You will know because I will show you. I will answer every question you have ever had and I will carry you all the way home on my back.” “You’re a bull. But a bull of normal size. Why aren’t you the size of a tree or as big as a mountain?” “I don’t need to be the size of a tree or as big as a mountain. There needs not be anything spectacular about my appearance because my heart is true.” Facundo blew from his nose and kicked up the sand with his front hoof. “I will drink from the oasis and then we will go. Are you ready?” After all this time Iker Jose was not ready to go. “I can see you have fear, Iker Jose. I understand. But you are needed in the place outside of this desert and I will keep you safe.”
Iker Jose knew that the real Facundo had come. That the old spirits had been right to trust him. He folded up Margarita and put her in his bag. “Ok. Now I am ready.”
Iker Jose was old then.
About the Creator
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Paradiso
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