The Bizaare Bazaar

Synopsis: A pop up market with unusual gifts. A curious collector of antiquities, Hakim Afriz, is searching for the rare and unusual.

You may wonder exactly who I am and how long I have been traveling. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself. I am Hakim Afriz. I am what many would call a ‘gypsy’. A free spirit, a traveler. I go wherever the bazaar takes me and indulge in its exotic mysteries. I have been able to procure many unusual things, particularly treasures of the orient. My favorites come from Morocco but as an Egyptian, I have found something that piques my curiosity. As an architect and curator, I find myself at many digs and leading tours. The other capital I have I make in trades and buying and selling oil stock which I inherited from my papa, Mostafi. Mostafi since died and I am by myself on this side of the veil, but the tour groups, the stray animals and the mysticism of this place always remind me I am never alone.

Allow me to tell you the story of a bazaar I have been following just simply to understand it. It isn’t of this world. I’m the appraiser, always looking for, selling and haggling but this caravan was unlike any I had seen in Cairo.

I’m a simple tour guide. I have my hobbies and maintain a small group of friends. I have one cat, Bast, who has adopted me in my shop and she is highly devoted to me. I am unencumbered by a wife or children and such matters don’t enter my mind. I am having far too much fun embracing and living my life and I feel complete alone.

Though, seeing such ultra-dimensional objects like this bazaar just ping into existence makes me question all I know and understand. Yes, I fear God and I do my best to be a God fearing man, going to mosque every Friday. I follow this manifesting bazaar where it leads. I have heard it holds many secrets and that its head merchant, who is only known by the enigmatic letter ‘L’, can answer most of the questions I might have running rampant about my mind.

Part II

The proprietor of the bazaar was a woman, but not just any woman. She wasn’t of this world. I could clearly comprehend that by the way her skin shimmered in the light. I knew she was a salamander by how she absorbed the sunlight and the glittering of her skin.

‘Fire witch !’, I stated, in a sacred whisper.

‘You know of our kind ?’, she said. She was ‘L’, I knew it immediately !

She could read my mind and she leaned to murmur in my ear.

‘My real name is Lydia. As you ascertained, it is true I am not from your world, let alone your universe. I am a multiverse traveler. It’s far too complicated to explain to anyone but I wanted you to have possession of something I know I can trust you with.’, Lydia stated. She directed me through the hustle and bustle of buyers, sellers, tourists, the usual rabble. She directed my eyes to a teardrop shaped pendant. It had the haunting glow of a Labordorite. I was entranced by it.

‘Legend says that there is only one human who can use this teardrop to travel through space and time. I need no such trinket for all the higher vibrations are part of my physiology.’, Lydia explained. She resembled a cuttlefish with pulsating fibers speckling her hair. I found my heartbeat accelerating at seeing her authentic nature being revealed in tiny portions to me. I knew I was viewing something no other human had, but I had the onus of humility upon my shoulders.

‘Why come to me then ?’, I said. I didn’t feel equipped for such a Herculean onus.

‘Because you are going to help humankind reach their best potential, Hakim. I’m going to help you.’, Lydia said. Her prismatic fingers began to interlace with mine and I could feel her mind interface with mine. Any fear or trepidation I had was completely decimated. All I could feel was ultimate nirvana in my heart. Anything and everything made sense. I still didn’t feel confident that I had been the one ‘chosen’ by this beautiful multidimensional extraterrestrial but I had an inner ‘knowing’ that she was indeed my red thread. I just had to trust her, her expertise and her direction and see what traveling through time would teach me, whether good, bad or both.

Part III

Lydia used a crystal to time travel as well as her mind, concentration and utter discipline. Again, I wasn’t certain I could calm the static in my mind long enough to travel back to see my grandfather. Lydia told me to exert caution due to the grandfather paradox.

‘I’m aware that if I should do anything out of the ordinary around Khalid, it will jumble my current timeline.’, I said, acknowledging the dangers. Lydia smiled. She trusted me intently and she was aware I would do no such thing and cause an irreversible chaos effect that not only would harm me but everyone connected to me and others indirectly associated with me. In other terms, it would have a vast reaching consequence that made my head throb just trying to make sense of it all.

I did meet Khalid and he was as my parents had described him. He was like a lion, especially in his build. He was strong but warm and tender. He had a deep, throaty laugh. I could understand I got my eye for appraisal from him because he could see value or flaws in anything. He knew how things worked and had a logicians mind. He wasn’t only an appraiser but he also worked fixing cars, clocks, anything mechanical. He came highly recommended and even had an engineering degree. He didn’t use it fully but only in part and that analytical brain came in handy in many situations.

I saw him fall in love with my gorgeous grandmother, Layla, who is still alive and kicking. I became worried when she caught a glimpse of me even though I was hooded. No one could see my facial features.

‘Did you see someone, Layla ?’, my grandfather asked during the biggest and most jovial day of his life. Layla, looking pristine in her white hijab, said,

‘No, it must’ve been Sirocco.’, she said. I can recall a story she once told and it dawned on me, it had been I who wrote my own tale. She had seen me but remarked I was only the wind in the desert, as rare and unusual as it was.

‘This is why I wanted to take you here. It may be an unorthodox way of asking and I know I will be uprooting you from everything familiar.’, Lydia began. I realized her proposal was something more than I could ever comprehend. Before she could explain any further, I already knew my reply was to be ‘yes’ and we were to be together, forever, across space and time. We were meant to keep everyone on track. We could allow for variations, since time really has no ‘structure’ but we knew that we were to be Immortal and uphold balance until our spans winded down and we were to take our retirement.

Part IV

We have seen many civilizations rise and fall. We do know that mankind always finds a way, although unconventionally at times. Yes, there will come a day where the era of man will end entirely. Where we go afterward is anyone’s guess but I’d like to think we head to Paradise. I have my own family now in what I like to call ‘Overlook’. It isn’t a very creative term, but it suits our involvement and innovations we gift your prophets and visionaries with. I cannot think of a time anymore spectacular than now in the ‘Overlook’ and I tend to laugh at any misgivings I had. Yes, I had fears. Of course I was anxious, but I surrendered. I allowed love to enter my life and I am all the better for it. If only others saw that agape truly is the answer to many of our problems we wouldn’t have the issues that plague us today. I am only one man, though. I simply dole my works to those with open ears and receiving hearts. It is not up to me to have you believe my tale. I’m simply the messenger, the traveler among dimensions. Next time you see a bazaar though, you may see me, selling wares. Don’t be afraid, come and see our variety. You never know what you might uncover.

~~Hakim Afriz

Circa: Common Era, real date unknown