Davide drove their van behind Yileen's small pickup and grinned at Zoe. "Looks like Source has guided our footsteps to another Indigo child. How did you feel when you found out you were one?"
Zoe stared at her folded hands in her lap and sighed. "It wasn't until after my mother died that I realized how different I was. Early on, she knew I was experiencing some of the same phenomena she was, and she tried to guide me through the process. I don't know if she knew about Indigo children, but she always told me I was special. It wasn't until after she died that I realized how special I was. Seeing auras took a distant second to the voices I was hearing. The voices intensified to the point that I would scream for them to leave me alone. I'm eternally thankful Fawn came into my life; not only for me, but for Dad. She helped us understand what was happening. She said I had the ability to hear into another dimension." Zoe looked at Davide and laughed. "When I told her I could hear a pretty voice behind the ugly ones talking about a prince, her eyes got really big and her aura expanded. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I knew it was important. Later, I learned about you, and the first time I saw you, I knew you were special too."
Davide laughed. "Yeah, Zoe, looks like you and me are destined to be 'special'." He dropped his hands from the steering wheel and quickly made quote marks with his fingers. Zoe grinned at the endearing habit. His tone turned serious. "I'm not so sure I want to be special."
"I know what you mean."
Yileen slowed and turned off Stuart Highway and onto a dirt road, kicking up red dust with his tires. In the distance, buildings could be seen on the flat plain.
Before reaching the village proper, Yileen made a right turn onto a side road and drove past several small wooden houses, each built in a basic rectangular shape. Pulling before the front porch of the home at the end of the road, he exited his vehicle and motioned for Davide to park behind his truck. An old Aboriginal woman opened the front door and stepped to the edge of the small porch and she never took her eyes off Davide.
Davide acknowledged her with a nod when he and Zoe reached the porch. Yileen said, "Davide and Zoe, I'd like you to meet my grandmother, Pengana." He then said something in his native tongue and Pengana jerked her eyes to her grandson, and then back at Davide, before sliding her gaze to Zoe.
Davide said, "We're pleased to me you, Pengana."
"Please, you come in my home," she said sharply.
"Thank you," Davide replied.
Inside, they followed her to a small kitchen and sat at a tiny, somewhat wobbly table.
"I boil the billy," said Pengana.
At the confused look on his guests' faces, Yileen explained, "She's going to make tea."
"Thank you," Davide and Zoe replied in unison.
Yileen cleared his throat and said to his grandmother. "Davide and Zoe have asked me to take them on a walkabout."
Pengana jerked around from the metal pot she had placed on the stove. She pursed her lips and directed a question at Davide. "Why you go on walkabout?"
"It's kind of a long story. But it's something my family believe I must do," Davide responded.
Pengana wrinkled her brow and turned back to the stove.
"I'm going to take them to Kata Tjuta," said Yileen. His grandmother stopped her motions and said without turning around. "It is long walk if you not used to walking."
Yileen explained to Davide and Zoe, "It's thirty-four kilometers."
"Okay. About twenty-one miles," said Davide.
"Your wife stay with me?" questioned the elderly woman.
Davide did not correct her misbelieve of their relationship.
Zoe said, "Thank you, but I will go with them."
Pengana placed large mismatched cups in front of her guests and grandson and then poured tea leaves into the boiling water on the stove.
For the next hour they sipped tea and discussed the meaning of a walkabout.
"It is a sacred journey that follows the songlines," said Yileen.
"Please explain songlines," said Zoe.
"Songlines were made during the dreamtime. Dreamtime is when the creators left behind the vibrations for plants, rocks, mountains, valleys, animals, people. Following the songlines is feeling the vibrations and following them. The songlines will lead you safely over long distances that are both natural and spiritual."
"That's beautiful," Zoe responded.
While Yileen talked she'd watched his aura shift into shades of bright purple, and Davide's aura become so dazzling she'd almost had to shield her eyes. She glanced at Pengana to see her watching them intently.
Eventually, the conversation turned to the practical aspects of the trip and they decided to inventory their supplies. Yileen said, "I will not lead you on this walkabout without proper gear. You are not used to our climate and desert. Let's see what you've brought."
When they rose to walk back to the van, Pengana touched Zoe's shoulder and she remained behind. The old woman posed a question. "You have gift of seeing people's colors? I watch your eyes."
Zoe did not deny her observation. "I do."
"I see them, too."
Somehow, Zoe wasn't surprised by her revelation.
"You see my grandson's beautiful colors?"
"Yes."
"His colors same as you. Davide's colors different. Never seen so beautiful before."
Zoe smiled. "You're the third person I've met who can see the colors." After a slight hesitation she confided, "My mother could only see the ugly ones and she died when I was very young. Her brother could see all the shades, but he was evil and died doing his wickedness. It makes me very happy to meet someone who sees what I see. Can Yileen see the colors?"
"No, but I tell him about them. Yileen dreams. His name means dream. All his life he see Davide's face. This week, dreams grow strong. My grandson is good man. You be safe with him."
An unexpected lightness lifted Zoe's heart and she hugged the elderly woman. Now she knew Yileen's gift. "Thank you for telling me."
Later it was decided that Davide and Zoe were, indeed, prepared for a walk to Kata Tjuta, and they spent the remainder of the afternoon listening to stories by Pengana and Yileen. For dinner, Pengana prepared broiled fish, bread called damper, and bush tomatoes, and more stories were exchanged. The day was enjoyed by all. At bedtime Pengana urged them to stay the night in her room and Yileen also offered his room, but Davide absolutely refused. He said they were comfortable in the van and would not impose on their guests' hospitality. Zoe agreed, and no amount of arguing would change their minds.
As Davide and Zoe settled into their sleeping bags for the night and found themselves once again staring at the ceiling of the van, Davide sighed and said, "It's been a good day, Zoe."
"Yes, it has." Exhausted, she immediately drifted into peaceful sleep. It seemed like she'd just closed her eyes when she felt Davide's lips against her ear. "Time to rise and shine, princess." She jerked upright at his words and bumped his forehead.
"What did you call me?"
"I called you princess. Honey, I think you're still half asleep."
In the dim light she could barely see Davide rubbing his forehead.
"I'm sorry. I'm awake now."
"There's a light on in the house."
Zoe stretched upward to look out the window just in time to see the front door open and a figure approach carrying a flashlight. Davide slid the van door open and Yileen greeted them. "Good morning my American friends. Today we will follow the songlines. My grandmother prepared a meal for us to eat now and food to take with us. And as I said, I would not guide you on this journey if I did not believe you were ready."
"We understand and thank you for your consideration, Yileen," said Davide.
Within the hour, the group had eaten the meal prepared by Pengana and now stood watching the sunrise over Uluru. As before, the mysterious mountain captured Zoe spirit of adventure and she glanced at Davide to see the same expression of wonder on his face.
Yileen said, "Are you ready?"
"Absolutely," replied Davide.
"Yes," agreed Zoe.
With backpacks carrying only necessities: bedroll, water, sunscreen, trail food, and toiletries, they followed Yileen as he started across the open desert and toward the distant domes of Kata Tjuta. He also wore a backpack, but it was much smaller than Davide's and Zoe's.
The still frigid morning caused goose bumps to rise on Zoe's arms, but they soon disappeared as she worked up a sweat walking across red sand dotted with scrub brush. By noon her feet hurt and she was sweating profusely. Yileen had switched backpacks with her hours earlier.
Sitting under the meager shade of a desert oak, they drank from their canteens and Yileen said, "We'll reach Kata Tjuta late tomorrow afternoon. I'm taking things slow."
After resting a short time they started walking again and Zoe was thankful for the lighter backpack. She walked sandwiched between Yileen and Davide. In the distance, the thirty-six domes of Kata Tjuta beckoned from afar but never seemed to come closer. Zoe adjusted her baseball cap and mentally straightened her shoulders. She might be tiny, but she was determined. She glanced back at Davide and gave him the thumbs-up sign to assure him that she was okay. Whenever she faltered or stumbled, however, he was immediately at her side.
By early evening Zoe felt like she had blisters on top of blisters. The heat had become almost unbearable and Yileen stopped for another break. The trek didn't seem to faze him. He looked like he could walk into the next day.
Davide helped her out of Yileen's backpack and then slipped out of his own. She sat on a rock as he retrieved her canteen and then knelt beside her.
"Are you okay, honey?"
"Davide, I'm fine. Please don't worry about me."
"It was a crazy idea for you to come with me. You're a violinist, for God's sake, not a marathon walker."
"Davide, you make me sound like a wimp. Stop fretting."
Yileen said, "We will walk a little more and then camp for the night."
An hour later, with their bedrolls prepared and a small fire started from scraps of wood retrieved during their walk, Zoe sat on her sleeping bag and applied a balm to her feet that Yileen had retrieved from his backpack. Davide came over and sat beside her and lifted the tin from her hands. Without a word, he placed her feet in his lap and gently massaged the soothing ointment into them. She closed her eyes and relaxed under his ministrations.
Yileen set the billycan, a metal can with a wire handle, over the fire in preparation for boiling the billy. Zoe smiled at the quirky term for making tea. At sunset the domes of Kata Tjuta flamed with an otherworldly glow and the sand of the outback turned a deeper shade of red. In companionable silence they ate the food Pengana had sent and sipped tea. Zoe had never felt so exhausted in her entire life and the last thing she remembered was Davide zipping her into her sleeping bag. Sometime during the night she felt strong arms encircling her and pulling her close. She smelled Davide's scent and sighed contentedly, burying her head beneath his.
Another scent woke her. It smelled suspiciously like coffee. She stretched and opened her eyes. Davide and Yileen sat around a campfire sipping from tin cups and Davide was watching her over the rim of his cup. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I'm ready to continue on…after coffee," she joked. She stretched again, sat up, and reached for a fresh pair of socks in her nearby backpack. The Aboriginal salve had helped her feet immensely and she only slightly winced when she put her shoes on. Grabbing her backpack and canteen she looked for some place with privacy. An outcropping of low bushes caught her attention.
"I'll walk you to the bushes," Davide said.
"You don't have to."
"Yes, I do. I want to check for snakes or other unwanted visitors."
"Oh, okay." Zoe shuddered at the thought of snakes.
After Davide had checked the bushes, she took care of nature's call and then quickly washed her face and armpits. The freezing morning made her rush back to the warmth of the fire where Davide handed her a tin of coffee. It tasted wonderful and she moaned in ecstasy with the first sip. After munching on trail food, they quickly packed up and headed toward Kata Tjuta. Zoe's stamina seemed to have increased since the day before and she kept up a good pace. And although her calves hurt and the weather became increasingly hot, she was able to view her surroundings with less discomfort.
By late afternoon, just as Yileen had said, they reached the base of one of the domes. Like Uluru, it rose proud and mysterious, surrounded by pools of water from a recent rain that invited birds and scuttling lizards. Giant seams in the stone mountains, eroded over eons, allowed entrance into the interior valley surrounded by the domes of Kata Tjuta.
Zoe knelt beside a small pool and splashed water on her face. A large lizard skirted from beneath a rock beside her and she shrieked, jumping backward. Davide rushed to her side, and Yileen grinned. "It is harmless." She felt embarrassed. She'd been trying so hard to appear brave and stoic and she'd blown her cover.
After resting a short time, Yileen said, "There's a place I want to take you." Davide reached for Zoe's hand and helped her up. They followed Yileen into the interior of the "blushing" domes—named as such because of their red color. Unlike the desert, the land inside had a different habitation. They skirted lush bushes and more pools of water, and their trek took them deep inside the enclosure of domes. After an hour's travel, Yileen paused and pointed. "That is the entrance to a cave I found many years ago."
The small opening, about as tall as Zoe and almost as narrow, would have been missed had Yileen not pointed it out.
Davide laughed, "That's going to be a tight squeeze for me."
They followed Yileen to the entrance and he entered first, and then turned to assist Zoe. Davide pushed through last. Pausing, they waited for their eyes to adjust to the dimness.
"Come this way." Yileen motioned forward. Small cracks overhead allowed for enough light to traverse scattered rocks, and about fifty feet into the cave, Yileen stopped. Zoe glanced around and shivered. Davide stood close behind her.
Yileen pointed to a scattering of large stones. "I think we should sit and meditate on the dreamtime." He pointed to a stone directly below a shaft of light. "Davide, you sit there." He gestured to another stone a few feet from that one. "Zoe, you sit there."
Davide and Zoe did as he asked and Yileen sat on the other side of Davide. Because they were sitting in a straight line, Zoe could not see Yileen. She peeked around Davide to see that their guide had closed his eyes. She looked back at Davide and her eyes widened. The shaft of sunlight hit him directly on top of his head and his golden aura was expanding. She started to reach her hand toward it, but paused. Instinctively, she knew that something was happening that she shouldn't interrupt. Davide's eyes were closed so she lowered her lashes.
After several minutes a lovely lethargy suffused her limbs and she no longer felt the cool dampness of the cave. In her mind's eye, she saw Davide kissing her in the midst of a lightening storm. His kisses were not platonic, they were arousing and sensual and she let herself flow with the visions because she was helpless to stop them.
She opened her eyes and wondered how long she had been entranced by her vision. Was it hours, minutes, seconds? She almost gasped aloud. The golden glow from Davide had expanded into the cave. She looked around in awe, seeing the beautiful hue permeate every crack and crevice, lighting areas previously in darkness. She glanced back at Davide. He remained in a meditative posture with his eyes closed and a smile tilting his lips. His countenance portrayed pure bliss.
What's happening? She leaned forward to look at Yileen. His eyes were open and he was glancing around the cavern with his mouth gaping. He met her gaze and slowly an incredulous smile lit his face, and with his expression he silently asked, Do you see it? Zoe nodded and sat back again. For a long time she watched the golden swirls emanating from Davide suffuse the cave. Occasionally, Yileen would lean forward and they would stare at each other in amazement. She listened to the absolute silence and strained to hear any sound, but nothing penetrated their haven. She was afraid to move, but eventually discomfort caused her to change her position. The scraping of her feet against stone interrupted the atmosphere and the golden glow began to recede. She wanted to kick herself.
Davide moved also and opened his eyes. He breathed deeply and passed a hand over his face before glancing at Zoe. For a long moment he stared at her, the only illumination now being the narrow shaft of light straining through the crack above him. Finally, he said, "It's time to leave." He stood and reached to assist Zoe and the sizzle of his touch made her gasp. She tilted her head up to look into his eyes and saw that he had felt it too.
Circumventing rocks, Yileen led them from the cave and back in the open. They followed him from the interior of the monolithic domes and back to the eroded gap leading to the desert. Before leaving Kata Tjuta, they again paused near the sparkling pool and sat on stones facing each other. No one said anything until Yileen broke the silence.
"I must confess something to you, Davide."
Davide stopped drinking from his canteen and looked at him.
"I have dreamed of you from my youth." He paused.
"Go on," said Davide.
"In my dreams, you were always in that cave. The night before I met you at Uluru, I dreamed the strongest dream yet, and felt the pull of the mountain. When I saw you at Uluru, I was scared. But when you asked for a guide on a walkabout, I knew fate had brought us together. In my dreams we were always in that cave and I knew someone sat on the other side of you, but I didn't know who it was. Now I know it was Zoe." Yileen picked up a pebble and tossed it into the water and the three of them watched the ripples until they ebbed. Yileen said reverently, "Never have I seen what I just saw in the cave."
Davide looked questioningly at him, and then at Zoe. She nodded, indicating that she had seen it too. He searched her eyes with his, but directed his question at Yileen. "What did you see, Yileen?"
"I saw the cave lit with golden light. It reached to every corner. It…" Yileen choked and ducked his head. "It was beautiful and…and…it was coming from you."
Davide directed his next question at Zoe, "What did you see?"
"I saw the same thing, Davide. What was happening to you? What were you feeling?"
Davide picked up his own pebble and tossed it into the water. "I felt…" He paused and pointed at the ripple. "I felt ripples of joy, ecstasy, and at the same time I heard the music of nature."
Yileen sucked a sharp breath. "You heard a song!"
"No, Yileen, not one song…many songs."