Xiomara took in a deep breath feeling nature, she hasn't been to that part of the city even though she has heard of it a good number of times.
The car stopped at an old bungalow built at the center of the mountain with trees surrounding it.
“We are here,” Yvette said and Xiomara stared at her.
“Here,” she had expected something more befitting and way better than what she was seeing, even though she didn't believe in shamans, she has seen a lot on television and know what their temples look like.
“Yes, the Pronoia temple,” Yvette said
“Let's go in, a booked us an appointment” Yvette added, she alighted from the car and waited patiently for her boss to do the same.
“Pronoia temple, what sort of name is that?” Xiomara looked from Yvette to the temple.
Well, she needed to get rid of those dreams. Inhaling deeply to get enough breath on her nervous system, she alighted from the car.
“This is going to be one bad experience for me,” Xiomara thought, trailing behind Yvette who lead the way into the shaman shrine.
First, it was a dark room that had candlelight circled in the middle of the room, and then a lady was seated facing whatever she was she was serving.
That's what Xiomara observed as she walked into the temple, Yvette bowed and began to remove her shoe.
The nervous look on Xiomara’s face was visible enough for everyone to see, maybe she really didn't think this through at all.
Yvette touched Xiomara gradually and stared at her shoe “Take it off, the temple guardian won't let you in with them on” Yvette said those words only to Xiomara’s hearing.
Xiomara hesitated for a while before she finally took off her shoes.
“How may I help you?” the temple guardian said turning to them.
“Erm” Xiomara turned to Yvette, she was the one that brought her here so she should do the talking.
“We are here to see Shaman Helga, I'm Yvette and this is my boss, Xiomara,” Yvette said.
“Welcome, Young Mistress Helga is waiting,” He said drawing the curtain open, giving them access to the main temple.
The sight was better than the previous and the soft flowery scent coming from the candles gave the temple good air to breathe in.
The temple guardian drew the temple down closing the entrance, Xiomara caught sight of a lady, busy with whatever she was writing, she was putting on a white robe and her black hair packed in an old Chinese style, and she wasn't wearing any makeup but she still looked pretty and young.
Xiomara stared at her wondering what a pretty lady was doing wasting her life as a shaman.
Is she the....”
“Don't speak, this is a scared temple, you are not allowed to talk unless you are told to” The hushed whisper came from the temple guardian
Xiomara forced herself not to make any move. “Do not take any action, you are here for a reason and you are already close to it”
Saying those words firmly in her head helped him suppress his instincts_which ran from tearing ... apart for daring to cover his mouth, down to dealing with Yvette for bringing her to such a barbaric place.
The temple guardian walked towards another closed curtain bowing lightly before drawing it to a corner gradually.
The sight of an old woman was beheld, she was putting on a white robe, her shoulder-length gray hair was left unpacked, and her eyes were shut as she used an old Chinese hand fan to blow air to herself.
Xiomara snickers making Yvette, the temple guardian likewise the young temple maiden gave her a weird look.
“It must be very funny, you are free to laugh all you want” Shaman Helga said, her eyes still shut.
“We are sorry Sha_”
“I wasn't referring to you” Shaman Helga snapped at Yvette even before she could complete her sentence.
Yvette touched Xiomara giving her a sign to apologize but Xiomara was less interested in doing so, why would she apologize, she had done nothing wrong, the Shaman looked funny and it was very much normal to laugh.
Shaman Helga opened her eyes to see her visitors, she recognized Yvette since it wasn't her first time coming to her temple, and Xiomara was new.
“You can sit,” the temple guardian said and they sat down facing the Shaman.
Xiomara cleared her throat, Yvette had done her part of the job and the rest was up to her and the Shaman.
“You have an interesting name for your temple” Xiomara couldn't find any possible way to stir up a conversation between them.
“It was named after Pronoia, an archon angel that helped make mankind and that's what we do here, we help serve mankind,” the temple guardian said, he was seated close to the young maiden who was still busy with her writing.
“I see that's good,” Xiomara said looking around.
“I will appreciate it if we get a moment to our self” Xiomara said.
Shaman Helga curved her lips in a smile “This is an open space Ursula, nothing is hidden here” Shaman Helga said, Xiomara raised a brow at her at the mention of her first name.
Not even Yvette knows much about the name so she can't say Yvette told the shaman about it, besides they came on very short notice.
“I can see you did your assignment well” Xiomara smirked.
“Are you suggesting that I'm a con artist?” Shaman Helga stared at her
“Your words not mine”
Shaman Helga smiled dropping her hand fan, she picked up a rose flower close to her and smelt it closing her eyes.
“The question should be, Are you ready for what is to come?” Shaman Helga asked, opening her eyes.
Xiomara kept mute staring at her, she wanted to see how good she was, and only then will she believe anything she has to say.
“Those dreams? you no longer have them, it happened a couple of times, the ones you've been having over the years is called a phantom dream, you created them for yourself”
“You really are a con artist” Xiomara chuckled.
“How can you say I've been the one creating those dreams for myself, it's tormenting me” Xiomara yelled.
“Then stop it”
“How?”
“Only you would know, they are the product of your phantom imagination, you created the dreams, only you should be able to stop them”
“You don't know how right?”
“Do you have the answer to my question Ursula?”
Xiomara sighed, what were they having, a question versus question tournament?
“You have come a long way dear, I think its time to retrace some steps, running away from the past won't let it less true”
“I'm not running away, I'm just preparing for it”
“If you keep waiting until when you are ready, you will never be ready because life doesn't work with anyone's schedule, it throws events at you and you should also reciprocate by throwing your events at it”
“Are you lecturing me on how to live my life right now?” Xiomara asked stunned at her words.
“I'm not lecturing you, I'm telling you, I help mankind, so let's just say I'm helping you” Shaman Helga corrected shutting her eyes again.
“I guess it was a bad idea coming here, I should go,” Xiomara said standing up, Yvette who had seated there along with them but kept mute also did the same.
“Before you go, Ursula, I have one last piece of advice for you” Shaman Helga stopped them on their track.
They turned to look at the old woman, her eyes were still shut and she had the rose flower beneath her nose.
“Be aware of the uncharitable fist and frenemies” Her voice came with so much authority and seriousness.
“Allow me to worry about that” Xiomara stomped out of the temple, Yvette made a monetary sacrifice at the temple before she left.
The drive home was very quiet and it was raining heavily causing traffic, Yvette would have preferred if her boss shout at her instead of keeping her quiet, she feared she must be planning out a terrible way to kill her.
The traffic wasn't helping matters they already sent more than the normal travel time home and the car was turning hot for Yvette despite the cold weather plus the air conditioner which was switched on.
“About the Shaman” Yvette started, she couldn't keep quiet anymore, the dead silence was shocking her and she needed to clear the air.
She stole a glance at her boss from the car mirror, Xiomara was looking outside the car and seemed to not have heard what Yvette said.
“I think you should try and open up to yourself and know what is actually bothering you and also know if you are ready to face it” Yvette went ahead regardless, she felt relieved after saying her mind even though she didn't know what the outcome would be.
“I guess that's what Shaman Helga was trying to say, you need to free your mind, relax and free your consci_”
“Yvette” Xiomara's voice came cold and somewhat scary.
“Yes,” Yvette was quick to answer.
“Switch off the air conditioner, put on some blues_” Yvette nodded at every command she made. “Concentrate on the road and shut the fuck up” the pitch of her voice increased at the last two orders.
“Okay boss,” Yvette said and did the needful
Xiomara exhaled deeply feeling very exhausted and frustrated, the Shaman’s words kept ringing in her head, she didn't know what any of those meant, and more importantly, she was a shamanist so any of those shouldn't bother her.
“Calm down, she's just a con artist” Xiomara used those words to calm herself down, she closed her eyes, deciding to sleep it all away.