The king was drinking more than usual and the captain had noticed. She approached the King and invited him for tea and food that afternoon. The King agreed and said he had something he needed to share with her. Something had been troubling him and he wasn’t sleeping too well.
The Captain arranged for special tea and food to be brought to her cabin at lunchtime. She informed the cook that her special tea was to be made for King Parucha. The cook nodded her head she knew exactly which tea she meant.
The King paced up and down the ship drinking rum and trying to block out this recurring dream he’d been having it was driving him to insanity. Every night he would wake up at the same part of the dream and he couldn’t move on from it. “Why, oh why am I having the dream?” the King shouted in a drunken roar! Everyone looked at him. “What are you all looking at? Have you never seen a tormented man before?” The crew carried on with their duties cleaning the deck, fishing, mending the sails, navigation,and lookout!
The King felt lost and alone. In his head he felt worthless. “If only I hadn’t got drunk that night and agreed to take my family on this damn trip! We would all be together and not on this God-forsaken ship. It’s all my fault!” he shouted out again. Stumbling around he fell and hit his head. He was out cold.
The captain had him taken to her cabin. She called for Salhuta and gave him charge over the ship. Salhuta was doing very well under her charge and this was his opportunity to step up as an acting Captain. He was ready for it. Salhuta had changed and grown into a fine young man because of this trip. Yet his father couldn’t see that just now as he was dealing with his own demons. The crew liked Salhuta and they all wanted to see him succeed.
Back in the captain’s cabin, the King was out cold. The Captain took the opportunity to look into his mind. She could see this vision of a storm at sea and not like any storm she had ever seen. There was a tornado swirling and a boat stuck being sucked into the storm. As if it could get any worse a huge whale appears and swallows the ship. Then blackness. She could see why he hadn’t been sleeping well.
While in his head she spoke to the whale asking it why was it swallowing the ship? The whale spoke back to her saying I’m the King’s consciousness and the ship is his guilt. The storm is him punishing himself for what has happened to his family. It’s out of control because he can’t see a way out of it all. Nor can he forgive himself. He needs to find peace and forgiveness and he needs to make a plan. He needs to feel like a King again.
Just then there was a knock at the door, it was the tea and food she had requested. “Come in” she shouted. The cook entered and set out the food and tea. She made sure the captain knew which was the special tea then she left. The King was coming around by now and the captain was pouring the tea. “Welcome back,” she said ” you really need to stop drinking yourself into a state like that! I know you have been through a lot and I know of your guilt. I’ve seen your dream. I’m going to tell you what it means. Then we’re going to do some meditation time after we’ve had tea and food. Then we are going to make a plan to get your family back together.” said the Captain.
After she had explained the dream and what it all meant the king understood why it was recurring. They ate the food and drank the tea. The King started to feel very heavy and couldn’t move. Reaching out, the captain spoke to him in a reassuring voice. “Trust me”, she said.
While he was out she once again connected with his mind. This time she stood side by side with him as the dream played out once more. “Look,” she said ” You are the ship and the storm is your guilt the whale is your conscious. You need to forgive yourself and see that none of what has happened was your fault. You didn’t plan to be ship wrecked and separated from your family.” She then shared a vision she’d had while when she had connected with Maye. It was of Maye being with the Queen and finding out that she was pregnant. She shared their happiness.
Then turning to him she shared some of Salhutas thoughts of him feeling proud of who he had become and how he was glad that came on this trip. She shared Bruandi’s happiness. Then turned back to the King. “You see, so many good things have come out of this journey. Stop feeling guilty and start seeing the good. You can’t change what has happened but you can forgive and make a plan for the future. She then disconnected from the King and he slept for many hours.
When the King woke up he felt a sense of peace and happiness. He had this feeling that all was well. He looked around and smiled saying to himself – “Today is a new day, a day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!” He felt like a massive weight had been lifted. He got down on his knees and prayed for forgiveness and a safe journey home
♫ Relax & listen to music from this story ♫