Bench

Daphne wandered for another hour, the ancient woods were so gracious a host on that Ash Wednesday, her favorite among the Catholic days of great importance. For her, always a day of self-reflection and gratitude.

Daphne felt embraced by the paths and slopes inviting her to continue deeper into an unfamiliar area, a part of the wild overgrowth all around her. But there was still a narrow, worn path to follow. She had an idea where she was, so no worries.

Daphne hiked up a canyon hillside to its crest, and noticed the clearing down lower- and a most remarkable site: a bench. Out of place in the middle of nowhere, Daphne was mystified, and walked towards the old bench.

Suddenly, the air around her seemed to darken, as if the sun had set all at once. A slow cloud passing, she thought, but at that moment the bench lit up brightly, glowing as if alive and pulsing. The forest canopy above Daphne darkened more, and she first thought her strange vision was some kind of illusion, or some daylight dream awake in real time- she froze where she stood.

The bench's illumination dimmed and slowed, and a voice seemed to come out directly from the air just above. "Be calm. You are safe. You are awake." Daphne stepped closer, remaining silent, afraid. "You have found a special place. Sit, please. Listen carefully as time is limited. Here, once only, you have an ability. You may have one full hour with a companion of your choice. Anyone, alive or not, known or not known, and with only one restriction: no family of any kind. You may choose now."

Daphne was amazed at what she saw and heard, but no longer felt confused or dreaming. She thought safe enough to sit down. She recalled the instructions, but felt suddenly dizzy. Who could she choose?

It must be someone important, Daphne realized. Eve? No, too overwhelming. Cleopatra would be intriguing, or maybe Einstein? Daphne, a lover of poetry, could talk an hour with Emily Dickinson, Whitman, or even philospher Lau-Tzu. Her thoughts ran away with the possibilities, how could she select? The choice, Daphne wisely realized, was actually impossible, meant to unsettle like a perplexing conundrum or koan.

"Your choice, please.", the bench spoke up sharply. Daphne, a very confident soul, never hesitant to trust her own wandering, settled back feeling relaxed, and certain.

"I've considered many, but my best choice is clear- I choose you, bench, for our hour of chat. Tell me about yourself, for starters, we haven't much time!"

The bench was very surprised, but hadn't thought to exclude itself, so had to comply with the choice. And, Daphne learned many secret,  magical, and unrevealable truths that day, somewhere in the ancient woods.