09/18/2023
MangoLassi
3 Reviews
Translated
Show original
MangoLassi
1
The desert dream
I spent three days and three nights alone in the desert. My eyes have already become accustomed to the endless horizon. The last night was so cold that the water in my water bottle froze. When the scorching heat of the sun's rays woke me up, I set off again in the cool of the morning. Surrounded by endless desert, I search with my eyes for a change. What is it? A stone? A carcass? Or do I see a palm tree? The closer I get, the more trunks I recognize. I walk through an avenue of palm trees until I reach an unguarded gate. I enter, an oasis in front of me. Further in is a palace. As I approach, a young man hurries past me with a raffia basket full of vanilla pods on his back. When I reach the magnificent building and step through the entrance into the hall, I pass finely carved wooden furniture with resin hanging in the air. An anteroom leads over marble steps into the hammam. Scents of essential oils rise up. In the next room there is a brass table standing on wooden legs decorated with ornaments. Date palms reach up to the ceiling of the dining room through the high windows overlooking the inner courtyard. Pomegranates, peaches and young figs shine on a crystal glass etagere. From the kitchen, there is a tart, aromatic scent of saffron and a subliminal, spicy nuance as I walk through the stairwell. Once upstairs, I am greeted by an open door to the bedroom. On the wooden parquet floor, a Persian carpet leads to the four-poster bed, where a naked woman sleeps on mother-of-pearl-colored silk bed linen behind fine white linen sheets. Her smooth brown skin glistens and smells of macadamia nuts. Her black, wavy hair falls loosely over her delicate shoulders and breasts. Her neck is scented with a drop of oud elexir. Her lips taste of chestnut honey. A mango wood jewelry box stands open on the ivory bedside table. In it, golden chains and rings with precious stones gleam in the warm sunlight. Through the open window, the wind carries moist air over the wooden doorstep. Suddenly the wind picks up, bringing cold air with it and blowing away the scent of the Orient. The woman contracts and her chest begins to tremble. Suddenly the woman flinches and looks at me, startled. She has discovered me. Shame overcomes me and I shrink back, stumble over the banister and fall down the stairs. Leaden fear pervades my consciousness. The impact on the floor makes me wince as I wake up in my tent. The moon glows silver and blends with the black and deep blue of the night. Outside, icy gusts whip thousands of grains of sand against the tent canvas. The memory of a dream blossoms in my head, so warm and comforting. How sweet and rare it tasted... This desert dream.
TheBark
