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Sofia and The Flying Sofa
A Spiritual Adventure Story
Once upon a
timeless day there was a young girl called Sofia
who had thick black hair and big blue eyes as
deep as the ocean.
Although she was only ten years of earthly age,
she was an old soul and she was definitely not
having the easiest time of her life! Besides
adjusting to school and all the normal things
children of her age have to deal with, her
parents didn’t seem to be getting along as well
as usual lately. They would argue for hours
every afternoon when they came back from work,
and this would upset her very much, for mum and
dad were usually good ‘friends’. But lately it
was evident that something was not quite right.
One such afternoon, after a long and tiring day
at school Sofia asked her mum if she could make
her a warm glass of milk so she could go off for
a little nap. She promised her mother that she
would do her homework later that evening.
Since they lived in a very, very big house with
many, many rooms, Sofia walked and walked and
walked to the furthest corner of the house in
order to leave her parents in peace to settle
their issues.
Her favourite room to take refuge in was the
living room,
which could easily be called The
Travelling Room for Sofia’s mum and dad had
travelled a lot throughout their lives, at first
alone and eventually together, during their late
twenties, and they had collected many things
from their adventurous escapades throughout the
years.
In The Travelling Room one could find lovely
trinkets of deep reds, mustards and blue hues
from Morocco, decorative old coins, mysterious
objects and boxes, as well as leather saddles
and bags. There were statues of Egyptian gods
and the pyramids, as well as bronze statues of
female and male Indian gods, surrounded by silk
drapes, saris and oriental jewellery. One could
also find little auspicious statuettes and
hand-painted chopsticks from China, bells and
chimes from Tibet, multi-coloured woven cushions
and carpets, and earthen pottery from Middle
Eastern countries. Large quartz crystals, pieces
of amethyst and shiny stones of all colours and
sizes, and wind chimes decorated the windowsills
surrounding the room.
Hanging on the walls there was a
rainbow-coloured wool rug her mother had bought
from some little shop in the mid-west of
America, a somewhat terrifying collection of
Mexican death masks against the backdrop of a
bright red wall, an Egyptian painting of the Eye
of Horus, and a few well selected and
beautifully hand-crafted Native American shields
and medicine wheels.
On
the fireplace stood a couple of photos in wooden
and chunky silver frames of her parents, taken
some ten years ago, as they backpacked together
across continents in their shabby, travelling
clothes. They looked sun-kissed, happy, very
much in love, and free.
Sofia drank up her cup of milk and curled up on
the sofa like a cat. She fell into a deep sleep
sinking slowly into the cushions as if there was
a big black hole opening up and sucking her into
another galaxy.
Suddenly:
“SHABANG!”
She had the strangest sensation, as though the
sofa cushions were free-floating in deep space,
stars spiralling around her higher and higher,
whizzing past clouds of stardust!
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
The stars went by at a faster and faster rate,
and as if things couldn’t get any weirder the
sofa curled up on one side and asked her a
question! Unbelievable as it may sound,
sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction!
The sofa’s cushions bunched up to form the shape
of a female smiley face, big lips ‘n all, and
told Sofia:
“Sofia! Sofia! Where do you wish to go?
It
is your choice dear, high or low?
Sofia! Sofia! How do you wish to fly?
It
is your choice dear, low or high?
To
the West or to the East
To
the North or to the South
I
will take you towards the words
Uttered from your precious mouth!”
As Sofia sat up looking just a tad perplexed,
wide-eyed and astounded, her pretty little mouth
did not even utter a slight sound. To her
continued surprise the Flying Sofa than sang a
little song:
“North, South, East, West,
Oh
my Darling you know best!
East, West, North, South
Come on girl, give me a shout!”
Sofia gathered her wits and her skirts about
her, and without thinking much about it shouted
out loud:
“East!”
So the sofa than sang:
“To the East we shall now go,
Flying high and flying low!”
Flying over the East she got a clear view of its
cluttered rooftops, tall coconut trees and
firmly rooted ancient banyan trees, papayas and
jackfruits, and different types of exotic
flowers from white jasmine to red hibiscus.
People with dark skins were bathing in the
rivers, little children begging at the corners,
music flowing from the temples, black crows
flying in a long, straight file, and lots of
cars crowding the dusty streets.
The Flying Sofa landed near an expanse of trees
which were being cut down and there Sofia saw a
big, wrinkly elephant helping the men who were
lumbering the wood by carrying the huge tree
trunks.
A little Indian girl with long,
silky black hair, a golden nose piercing and
anklets at her feet, sat under a tree eating a
small meal of ‘chappatis’
and drinking her ‘chai’,
a special type of cinnamon-brewed tea.
The Indian girl offered Sofia some tea and was
very welcoming, for her people were good-hearted
and always willing to share the little they had.
Sofia ate hungrily and stared at the Elephant
while he worked.
Seeing that Sofia was interested in this amazing
creature, the little girl introduced her to him
while he took a well-deserved break n the shade.
The Elephant was friendly, and when he
understood that Sofia came from so far away he
instantly decided he must teach her something
about his wisdom and the Medicine of his Way. His particular Medicine was that his greatest
power and strength was not in what one would
expect - that is his huge, thick feet, or fat,
humungous belly. For his most precious and
useful tool was his trunk that was able to
remove all obstacles from his path.
He also taught her that although he works very
hard for his people and that sometimes he is
returned with abuse by mankind because of his
precious ivory tasks, he is no fool…no fool at
all but very, very wise! And that man had much
to learn from his persevering and patient ways.
Sofia felt she could speak to him with an open
heart, and told him how she had been very
worried recently because her parents seemed to
have lost their patience, especially with each
other. Upon hearing her story, the Elephant gave
her something in the palm of her small hand,
from the end of his big trunk. He told her it
contained some of his Medicine and that all
those that would hold it in their palm, would
feel the healing power of this charm.
It would remind its keeper and all those they
came in contact with, that Patience is a very
important teacher, which can remove obstacles
from one’s path. She opened her palm to have a
look at the charm, and found an enormous
elephant tooth, which must have come off at the
root. This gift made her feel serene and she
placed it safely in her pocket, feeling ready
for the rest of her journey.
Seeing this the Flying Sofa sang his song again:
“North, South, East, West,
Oh
my Darling you know best!
East, West, North, South
C’mon girl give me a shout!”
And this time Sofia shouted:
“West!”
And the singing Sofa replied:
“Yes, darling that’s right,
West is Best this time!
And to the West we shall fly
Flying free, flying high
And to the West we shall go
Until ‘tis time to take you home”
And over the West they flew.
In the distance Sofia could see some smoke
signals, and then a few tepees came into sight,
for they were about to land in the centre of a
Native American Reservation. Sofia had no idea,
but their landing could not have happened unless
the Natives had already given their approval and
permission for such an occurrence, for they were
very private and powerful people who only shared
their ways with the wiser ones of the human
race.
Upon landing, a young Native American Girl who
had been busily occupied planting herbs and
working the land, looked up and calmly
approached Sofia welcoming her as if she knew
perfectly well about her arrival at that moment
in time. The young Native American girl
instantly led Sofia towards the Chief’s Tepee to
meet their wise and compassionate leader. He was
a bronze-skinned man with a weathered face, a
strong presence and the centred physical
movements of an expert warrior’s grace. He
welcomed the child without a word but an
all-knowing gaze and showed her their art and
symbols, explaining to her in chants and the
silent language of the soul some of their most
secret and sacred rituals.
Although Sofia was so young and unaccustomed to
their ways, and the Sweat Lodge has remained
primarily a male domain, the Native American
Chief decided to give her special permission to
watch while his people prepared for their Sweat
Lodge Ceremony.
Sacred herbs, which they had collected on
special days of the year, were used for inner
and outer cleansing, and spread onto hot red
rocks. The steam hissed and coiled upwards and
the lodge was becoming incredibly hot. The
darkness was dense, as the heat began
intensifying almost beyond endurance. Water was
sprinkled four times to honour the four
directions, and the Chief called to the changing
powers of the Deer. When the heat became too
intense, he led Sofia outside for some cool
night air.
Sofia than explained to the Chief, with the help
of the young Indian girl as their interpreter,
how recently her parents had been arguing
incessantly. The Chief than gave her a small
sachet of sacred herbs in a leather pouch made
of soft deerskin. They were to be burnt
whenever there was some tension in the air,
which needed to be cleared.
Upon the Chief’s orders, the young Indian girl
led Sofia to a Deer who had been standing and
waiting nearby his tepee, so he could teach her
his gentle, nurturing Power and the Medicine of
his Way.
The Deer told her how his power lived in the
force of his own life, and that he loves man so
much he does not mind being sacrificed and even
skinned alive if such man is a worthy warrior of
his tribe. As long as he is killed in a
respectful manner with full appreciation and the
necessary prayer to Great Eagle in the Sky in
gratitude for offering the Deer’s spirit, flesh,
bones and skin to him, he did not mind at all.
The essential thing was that no part of his
energy should go to waste, while he assists the
survival of the human race, and that the
sacrifice of his own offering was accepted with
gratitude.
Once again The Flying Sofa knew it was time to
sing his song:
“North, South, East, West,
Oh
my Darling you know best!
East, West, North, South
Come on Dear, give me a shout!”
And this time Sofia shouted:
“North!”
And the Sofa answered:
“Yes, darling as you know,
To the North we shall now go!
Until its time to take you home”
And as they flew over the North, Sofia saw a
never-ending blanket of crisp snow, and infinite
nothingness in every direction until the Flying
Sofa zoomed over a small group of furry white
animals barely visible within the snowy
backdrop. However, Sofia recognized them to be a
family of Polar Bears.
It
was Mummy Polar Bear and her two cubs, for Daddy
Polar Bear had been lost during a hunt. They
were gathered around a hole of water broken in
the ice catching fish, by plunging their furry
mitts into the cold water beneath.
Mama Polar Bear seeing that Sofia had flown from
so far away, decided she must be there to learn
some of their own special Polar Medicine.
She explained to Sofia that although they were
seemingly slow creatures in appearance, they had
very good survival instincts, and great vision.
They were independent and self-sufficient and
provided food for themselves with their own
paws.
She cared for her cubs and kept them warm with
endless supplies of love, even in the most
extreme conditions of cold. Mama Polar Bear
knew without doubt that they were never alone,
despite not actually seeing other members of the
animal family in the snow, they could still see
and sense their connection to the animal kingdom
as a whole.
Sofia than confided in Mama Polar Bear, her
parents did not seem to be connecting so well
lately. Upon hearing this Mama Bear gave her a
small tuft of her soft white fur, to be hung on
a cord, and remind all who wore it of the
Medicine of the Polar Bear.
Our little adventurer was very pleased and put
her precious new charm in the deer-skin pouch in
her pocket, together with the other powerful
Medicine tools, for she now understood that all
animals are our teachers, and their tools must
be cared for well, if they’re to work properly
when they’re used.
The Flying Sofa sang his familiar
song:
“North, South, East, West,
Oh
my Darling, say what’s next!
East, West, North, South
Come on Dear, give me a shout!”
And this time Sofia shouted:
“South!”
And the Sofa sang:
“Yes, darling as you know,
To the South we shall now go!
Until its time to take you home”
And as they flew over the South, Sofia could see
a vast but ominously bare panorama with heat
waves flowing between land and sky. There were
deep dark cracks in the dry land, as well as
patches of desert sand. Sofia realized this must
be the mysterious African desert she had read
about so many times in her storybooks. A few
birds flew slowly by, and a solitary dark and
deeply tanned man stood by a solitary black
tree. The man saw Sofia and grinned with a
white, wide smile. He had a pointy wooden weapon
in his hand with many a feather fair hanging
from its spear. He jerked and gestured with it
towards what at first looked like a big black
cat.
This imposing creature was really a Puma, and
upon seeing Sofia land he ran instantly and
effortlessly towards her. Sofia stood still and
erect without fear, therefore the puma decided
she must be quite powerful herself, and that he
could communicate and talk to her as an equal
being in the Creator’s Kingdom.
And the Puma said:
“I
am sleek, black and sometimes sly
Yet I am honest and I never lie,
My Medicine is so powerful
It can kill you in the blink of an eye,
But I am not full of greed
And thus I only take what I need,
While the rhythm of the jungle
I
assist and oversee.
From my power
You must learn and heed!”
Sofia told him how at times she felt guilty when
her mum and dad argued, because she thought she
was part of the reason they were continually
fighting.
The puma instructed her that on the contrary, if
she learnt to feel no guilt she could be part of
the solution to their problems and open up
communication between them. He than handed her
one of his long, sharp claws from his sleek
black paws and said:
“Oh precious child
Take this charm as a gift,
To
rest your troubled mind
And to heal your parents’ short-lived rift,
For you only lose your power if
You live and dwell on senseless guilt,
And your own power you do need,
If
you want to help them heal with speed
As
well as all other beings
In
your extended family,
Be
they your sisters or your brothers ye’!”
Chant to the Four Directions &
Medicine of the Power Animals
Power of the East, Medicine of the Elephant
Give us perseverance, patience,
Strength and protection
Remove all obstacles from our true paths
Power of the West, Medicine of the Deer
Allow us to be gentle, compassionate,
And nurturing without fear
Power of the North, Medicine of the Polar Bear
Give us vision, independence,
Vast perspective, and eternal wisdom
Power of the South, Medicine of the Puma
Help to keep us grounded,
And to survive without strife
In
harmony with Mother Earth
And the real Purpose of our Life
The Flying Sofa than sang:
“Oh Sofia! Sofia!
Do you know whereto
We
must both now go?
I
have taken you High,
&
I have taken you Low
Now me think its time
To take you back home!”
And
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
SHABOOM!
They were back in The Travelling Room!
‘My Oh My!’ Sofia thought to herself stretching
gently. ‘That was a deep, deep sleep, and a
strange, strange dream!
Mum and Dad would never believe me if
I said our sofa could speak,
And even fly while I am asleep!
Wow!
Let’s go check out what they’re up to.’
Out of the soft sofa Sofia did climb,
Only to feel something sharp dig into her thigh,
And within the same moment she had shouted
“Ouch!”
She found in her pocket a strange Deerskin
pouch!
Sofia had begun to get used to surprising
surprises so she was not all that amazed when
she found her parents in the kitchen, pouring
quietly over several brochures full of bright
pictures and photos of scenic views, while
sipping some South African wine, and playing
ethnic and ambient music with light, carefree
tunes.
Her mum looked up and seeing Sofia walk in said
to her in a cheerful and warm-hearted way:
“Sofia! Sofia!
We’re so happy to see you awake!
Darling - dad and I
Are planning a break
We
all need to take!
So
Sofia! Sofia!
We
think you may know best,
Help us choose where to go dear,
North, South, East or West?”
The End
Erika Brincat © 18th June 2003
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