The life and Times of Little Obi: Installation 3
Obi in FrancePrevious Life and Times:
Obi being the adventurous type likes to escape the borders of his beautiful island home for a taste of civilization. Although he finds the life outside Isola fascinating, he cannot fathom the idea of living there. He is needed on his island. He is an integral part of his civilization. Though he is not old enough , by laws set forth by the "
Great Laws of the Land", to marry or have children, he is an adept carpenter as well as a scientist. But there are times he wishes to escape to another world. Escape to somewhere exciting. Somewhere new.
Today when we look in on little Obi, He has finished building a hut. Fairly close to the ocean, this hut offers a relaxing atmosphere. With it being fairly close to the central fire pit and fresh aromas coming from the stew of the day, and the gentle lapping of the tide ebbing in and out. Obi feels this will be a hut for future generations to come.
After finishing the hut, taking a quick swim in the lagoon, and eating a little lunch, Obi finds himself refreshed, full of energy, somewhat bored, and ready for adventure. After excusing himself from the fellow villagers gathered around the food bin, Obi sneaks over to the ancient mosaic. Standing in the middle circle he closes his eyes. He feels himself getting sleepy but does not feel the need to sleep. He listens and he hears the giggling and screaming of the island children playing tag slowly fade away to blissful silence. His body becomes lighter until he has no sense of touch. He doesn't feel the ocean breeze on his face nor does he smell the familiar scents of the island he calls home.
A sense of conscious unconsciousness befalls our little adventurer when all of the sudden and quite abruptly he awakens. Where will he be this time. What will he see, Obi wonders. Slowly he opens his eyes. Letting them adjust to light he lets out a gasp and a little scream. He cuts it short for he fears he will bring attention to himself for he seems to have landed in the den of terrible monsters.
After he gets a hold of himself and swallows his heart, that seems to have leapt into his throat, Obi notices they are not aware of his presence. Without moving a muscle or even taking a breath he examines the huge monsters one by one. They are all made of stone. This didn't do much for Obi's heart. It still beat wildly from within.
With a trembling hand, he reaches out, slowly, and touches one of the monsters back. As quickly as he makes contact he withdraws his hand for fear it will either get bitten off or he, himself, will be turn to stone as well. Nothing happens. He stands there for a minute or so and with as much courage as he can muster, he gently clears his throat. Still nothing happens. He decides that right now, at this point in time, he has nowhere to run and he cannot stay here frozen in fear so he yells "
HEY!".
Once again nothing happens. The monsters seem frozen in time. Obi thinks to himself and comes to the conclusion that these had to be put here by the tribe of the land just like the Great Encasement was put in his own village. They must be here for the a reason. Maybe, like the Great Encasement, it is a source of great magic. Maybe these creature look down from their perch high in the sky to protect these villagers.
After examining the Gargoyles of Notre Dame, Obi scrambles from there to the safety of the main building. Slowly climbing down the staircase from the main bell tower Obi finds himself in the main sanctuary of Notre Dame.
Obi is overwhelmed by the vast structure and its internal beauty. "This must be the place where these villagers worship. It doesn't look like anything we have on at home", Obi thinks to himself. After taking in the massive room he moves about. Admiring the stained glass windows and the rich wooden pews. Before long he finds himself at a table, bathed in the glow of many candles.
What a sensory overload for our little traveler. Obi wonders what the outside must look like. In a hurried pace, Obi makes his way to the front door and walks outside. He is suprised to see so many villagers outside that he gets slightly disorientated and makes a break for a slightly less crowded area.
From the outside looking back he is able to see the outside, although noat as colorful has its own beauty. It stands tall in the middle of all. Standing there, majestically, commanding, yet inviting.
Being outside now, Obi takes a stroll through the streets of Paris. There many things to see and do but he is of little means and is chased away due to lack of funds. On his travels he happens upon a fountain. It is the fountain of "le Square de l'Observatoire" on the grounds of the "Palais du Luxembourg". So he borrows a pair of shorts from one of the tourists and takes a quick run through its waters.
The water is cold and does not seem to have the same effects on him that the lagoon at home does but it is refreshing all the same. He wades in the fountain for awhile and enjoys the people laughing and having fun. This makes Obi a bit homesick so he returns the shorts and leaves.
Upon leaving the grounds of the "Palais du Luxembourg", he finds yet another large building. It is called "Le Louvre". He unintentially gets in line with a bunch of students on a fieldtrip and is able to gain access. Inside the museum he sees many statues. Some look so realistic it frightens him a bit. Some carvings seem to tell a story. A story Obi doesn't seem to decipher but enjoys the detailed work.
As he walks around he sees statues of different sorts along with many paintings. He stops to watch one of the local artists paint. He is intrigued by the artist's ability to copy one of the paintings hanging on the wall.
As the day wears on, Obi finds himself tiring, hungry and eager to tell his friend Salak, who is still the only villager who knows the secret of the Ancient Mosaic and its powers and the adventures Obi takes. Salak is still afraid to try it. Maybe one day Obi will have a story so grand that it will even entice Salak to go....
To be continued at a later date...
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