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By the time Nasike was thirteen, she had visited over fifty worlds. There were times when she thought maybe she only dreamt about these worlds, but she knew that she had truly been there across the galaxies visiting wondrous worlds with spectacular beings of such marvel that they made Earth appear dull in comparison.
Her favorite was Tarias with its emerald green skies and three large moons that sparkled yellow in the daytime and glowed a soft purple at night. Senge, a Tarian inhabitant four feet tall with a milk-white complexion and big black eyes had befriended and introduced Nasike to galaxy traveling. Nasike, about a foot taller, had a dark complexion that sharply contrasted with Senge's. They did not speak an audible language. Both seemed to read the other's thoughts and responded accordingly. Despite coming from worlds light years apart, they were the best of friends.
Nasike sat on the porch of her house at sunrise and stared at the nearby mount Elgon. Sometimes she was so enthralled in other worlds that she forgot how beautiful Earth was. Here was a mountain, bluish green with the peaks slightly obscured by fluffy clouds reaching out for the heavens and bushes surrounding its base, presenting a magnificent view. Nasike knew that home was still her favorite place.
She did not tell people about Senge and their planet hopping. She had once told her older brother about it but he admonished her saying that unless she stopped her wild imaginations, she would soon lose her mind. At that point she wondered if she had already lost her mind. Senge told her she was fine. She said they were the chosen ones. The lucky ones who could traverse the universe and learn the magic, knowledge and wonder that lay beyond their respective worlds. They could only observe. The inhabitants of other planets neither saw nor heard them but the traveler could see, feel and hear everything.
They both loved Satya where deep blue rivers flowed suspended fifteen feet from the surface and accounted for most transportation. The inhabitants were a kind gentle people who led a simple life and depended more on nature than industrialization. Satya was a planet of joy, paradise.
On the other hand, Ogie was
an evil planet that they had stumbled upon once and vowed never to return.
Ogieans had fought for over ten thousand years and there was no hope of
an end to the war. Most of the land was barren and so unproductive
they had to grow food on one of its moons. Children did not grow
up happy and playful. All they knew was the fighting; the constant
barrage of firearms, bombs and hand to hand combat. Next to Earth,
this was the most violent world. It reminded Nasike of Earth and
she felt a sadness hoping that the people of Earth would realize war was
a waste of time, resources and human life.
Nasike always traveled at
night when she was asleep. Senge would come and beckon her then they
would both float right out of the house and travel, at speeds unimagined
of, to whatever planet they chose. One of the most amazing worlds
was Tason with its crystalline dwellings that glittered in the bright daylight
making the entire planet shine like a star. Tasonians were a joyous
bunch who lived in peace and harmony. When Nasike thought of heaven,
she knew it looked just like Tason. At times she thought heaven and
Tason were one and the same. She believed that when good Earthlings
died, they went to Tason. There was no violence of any sort on this
wonderful planet. No war, no hunger, no disease. This was a
planet that had truly matured if maturity meant leaving behind petty jealousies,
conflict, differences, and working together in harmony.
They had visited Engo, a planet with floating cities that hung among the clouds. The inhabitants traveled by means of hovercrafts hopping from the surface to the numerous cities in the sky. Engo was the most densely populated planet they had ever seen with a population of over two trillion. The planet itself was large, about a hundred times larger than earth. Still, it was not overpopulated due to the inhabitants' ingenious creation of floating cities. This was a resourceful planet that cared a lot about its natural habitat. It was pollution free and preserved all plant and animal life. Engo was warm, inviting, home.
Vassela was the first planet they ever visited that was fully inhabited by non-humanoid beings. Most of the planets they visited had beings that possessed humanoid features; two legs, two arms two eyes etc. They had varying pigmentation and sizes but they still were humanoid. On Vassela only non-humanoid creatures that crawled, flew and ambulated on more than two limbs roamed the near barren landscapes and red skies. They were still wonderful creatures whom Nasike and Senge observed delightfully. They watched as giant dragon-like creatures flew gracefully through the skies hunting for food.
For three years, Nasike had been deathly ill with leukemia. She had began traveling to other worlds soon after her illness. Her travels had become more frequent as the illness intensified. Her journeys brought about peace and calm. When she traveled, she did not fear death. After a year of travels, death was a welcome alternative to living in pain. She knew when she died, she would go to a wonderful world like Tarias, Satya, Tason or Engo. She would become one of the inhabitants of the planet and would no longer be an earthling. That was fine with her. She was tired of being a weak, sickly earthling. Another body would be wonderful.
When her time came, her mother held her hand and bid her farewell. Senge came and took her away. She was like her guardian angel. It was all very peaceful and satisfying. There was nothing to be afraid of. When they arrived on Tarias, Nasike became a Tarian with a body resembling Senge’s. She could now speak in their language and experience their feelings. It was much better than she had imagined.
After a while, they began their visits again. Earth was the first planet they visited. Now, Nasike could not talk with her family but she could watch over them and still feel close to them. She would visit them frequently and did not miss them at all. She wished her mother would not be so sad. Death was not a bad thing. It was a wonderful transformation where people advanced to superior beings with greater awareness and knowledge. It was a journey to the next phase of evolution. It was an inevitable event.
As Nasike and Senge visited Engo and flew among the floating cites, Nasike smiled, her heart filled with joy. She knew she was home and would forever be happy and content.
