Background
If John Morgan were a tree, he'd be an oak; others find shelter from his strength. A character firmly rooted, drawing others to his circle of family and friends: under the shadow of the Eden Tree.
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There was no agenda or minutes taken. We were not debating business changes. The proposal that Sean was to make would, however, have major implications for us all. On Sunday morning we met.
Over the weeks Colleen took her prescription medication, and visited by our GP, but grew weaker. A rasping cough resounded at the top of the stairs. Walking weakly to the bathroom her weight loss worried us all. The whole of the Morgan household shared Sean's concern for his aunty. A family meeting was called: our practice whenever issues that affected us all needed to be discussed. I had welcomed Josh into our gathering; believing him to be virtually part of the family. His Israeli background and patriarchal knowledge would be hugely useful. Goliath had taken Wesley, Ignacio, and the dogs to fish.
"I've got to go and look at least," Sean pleaded. "John, Liz, you know the reality of the leaves. This is Colleen's last chance." We were moved by Sean's plea and strong argument that he must travel to Israel to obtain leaves from the Eden Tree.
"And of course I'll come," I said, "you may need me." Sean looked relieved. "We'll need the photo-copied maps, drawings, and notes from my safe." I ran upstairs and brought all the documents into the Lounge and spread them on the carpet. Our blue Axminster carpet looked like we were playing musical mats.
Sean and Rachel sat cross-legged on the floor; James and Aly were half sitting half lying. Liz and I picked up papers individually and read them leaning back in recliners. Becky and Josh relaxed on a settee, papers rustled and shone under the lounge lights as we passed them around. Each person studied the sheets with interest, with gasps of fascination: the first time Rachel, Josh and Aly had seen them.
When I had realised that Colonel Barak, Josh's superior in Mossad, would demand St. Peter's box and its contents, I had surreptitiously made copies of everything on the Hilton's photo-copier Caleb, the uncle of our Jewish friends Simeon and Joseph, had left us a wealth of his research on his laptop; which James had copied by mirroring his hard drive. With copies of the original manuscripts and Caleb's detailed research papers there were dozens of items to examine. I made notes on an A4 pad.
"I don't think we can doubt the leaves power," I said, "Wesley and Simeon would both be dead without the leaves. If they were not given to the disciples by Jesus where did they come from? We've got to decide if The Garden of Eden existed at all. There are alternate views. An overarching fact was that the box given to me had a bag of mysterious leaves that had wrought two miracles of healing."
James argued strongly the same convictions he held on our flight from Israel.
"Jesus was an alien, a superior life-form, "he stated, Aly nodding. "The parchments are maps and details of where he'd landed, leaving a sort of encampment with a tree from his planet." he said. We all gathered around his and Aly's laptops as they showed the photos Sean and I already had seen: Images of pyramids, large stone figures, maps of locations.
"OK," I said, "if we accept your view we still need to ascertain where the garden is."
Josh cleared his throat. "I believe much of the stories in the Pentateuch - the first five books of the Bible - were partly historical and partly religious. Debate has raged for centuries about the Cradle of Humanity and the Genesis account of early man. The location of the Garden of Eden is as elusive as that of Atlantis: the sunken island." He said. "I'm returning to Jerusalem. I'd like to come with you. You may need official backing for this quest: a presence that I can give." Becky stroked his hand.
"There ya go," James said, "Atlantis is another site. It may still be under the sea."
"Like in the film 'The Abyss'," Aly added.
James sat up, "Exactly...nice one... an alien city miles down, with a superior species. There could be gardens under the sea."
"Yes, James," I emphasised, "but the garden we're looking for isn't." I felt we were going off at a tangent.
Becky said, "I'm travelling with Josh... So count me in. I'm meeting his parents. Mum's OK with minding Wesley." She looked across at Liz who nodded and smiled. "Now regarding the leaves - for which I'm very grateful, as you know - I accept some of the validity of religion but am wary of myths and legends. I am open-minded about their origin and a Tree of Life."
Liz stood up, her raven black hair falling over his shoulder. "I agree there is much we do not know, but we do know the healing virtue of the leaves. And why would anyone bury a box in Joppa in the very house where Jesus' disciples met? The original parchments and scrolls, Caleb told us, were very old. I think the whole story could be true, and if so it's possible the maps will lead us to The Tree."
Liz sat down with heated face. "That's what I think," she added. "Anyone want a cold drink?" I was bursting with pride at the eloquence and clarity of my wife. There were more debates to have, but as she served us all with fresh orange juice I knew we were on track.
A debate ensued - as painful as it was to Sean - concerning who has the right to prolong life or decide who lives and who dies. Rachel stressed that people make those decisions every day by medicine or surgery. Some countries did not have the advances of others, and children died needlessly of illnesses that immunization, mosquito nets, or condoms would prevent.
At lunch-time we adjourned to the Dining Room. Rachel took a tray up to Colleen's room. When she returned we knew a decision had to be made.
The conversations in the meeting after lunch took on a different tone. We were no longer debating where the leaves came from or whether they should be used, we were deciding who would go to Israel with Sean, when, and where exactly would the team go?
