Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

Konrad frowned when Alexandra told him what had happened and that she would spend the night at Gocha’s place."Is black magic finally claiming you?"Tired as she was, Alexandra lost her temper. Her head was as clear as ever. She was still able to tell true medical resultsfrom glib fakes. Claudia and she had both seen the arthritic man walk from of the school house, without a limp, pain free.If she could learn how to repeat this cure, black magic or not, she could help many people for which academic medicinehad no better remedy than aspirin and hot baths."Are you not interested in seeing the spectacular twelfth-century Tevdore paintings we have discovered in the churches?"She was not to be swayed. Right now she had to learn as much as she could from the old jadukali.Alexandra persuaded Claudia to come along as a skeptical observer, hoping that Gocha would teach them both.Gocha was fidgety and taciturn, Claudia’s presence disturbed her. She demurred that she had in mind to initiateAlexandra into dream work, but she could not do that in presence of the foreign doctor.Alexandra did not translate this complaint. She asked Claudia to sit quietly on the side and then tried to persuade Gochato at least show them both how to quiet their minds and empower their hands, as she had promised. Claudia, althoughshe spoke no Georgian, was a good person who needed Gocha’s power as much as she did to heal people in Germany.Claudia sat in a corner on the floor with crossed legs and closed eyes, being very quiet.Gocha squinted at Claudia and a cunning smile came to her wrinkled face. "She is trying to vanish. I can still see her, buther mind has almost stopped sending out messages. Maybe you are right that she could learn something.""What is her name?" asked Gocha."Dia."Suddenly Gocha shouted, "Dia come back! I want to teach you how to fly."Alexandra raised her eyebrows. Flying? Claudia did not blink an eye, and that broke Gocha’s last reserve."Go tell her that I think she is very good at vanishing."Alexandra, in whose mind the word flying ran circles, very slowly went over to her friend."Claudia, you have won the contest. Gocha accepts you as a student, wake up. She will send us on a dream voyage."Claudia cast off the invisible veil under which she had been hiding and opened her eyes.When Alexandra turned around Gocha had disappeared. They were alone in the dark room.Claudia looked at Alexandra with large, bewildered eyes. Instinctively Alexandra put her finger on her mouth and sat nextto Claudia. They waited in silence. The last light disappeared outside, the room grew dark. Claudia began to tremble.Alexandra put her arm around her shoulders. When she touched Claudia’s eyelids to make her close her eyes, Claudiatook her hand and kissed her fingertips. Arm in arm they overcame their fear.After what seemed a very long time, the sound of low drumming came from the adjacent room. At first Alexandra’s mindjumped in alarm, but nothing happened. The monotonous drumming changed into a strangely soothing tune. She feltimmensely tired.Claudia fell asleep first. She just lost her balance and tilted over sideways. Alexandra made her comfortable as best shecould and lay down close to her, putting her arm around her friend’s sleeping body.A raven appeared in Alexandra’s dream who could talk. He introduced himself quite formally, nodding his head afterevery word as birds do."I am your soul bird. If you quiet your mind perfectly you can hear your soul speak. It knows everything from thebeginning of time and will teach you how to heal people."She was floating high above the snow fields and mountains following the raven. She recognized the valley below, thetowers of the Dadeshkeliani castle, the river and meadows.The raven was heading for a small oak grove along the upper river where she had never been. The sacred grove wherethe tree grew that connected the three worlds.On the stone altar lay the lifeless body of a young woman. As she got closer her heart stopped. It was Claudia."Your friend is dying of fright, she has not yet learned how to fly like you. You have to save her, call her back and teachher."Her love for Claudia overwhelmed her. She hovered over Claudia’s lifeless shape and slowly, first her shadow, then herwhole self merged with that of her friend.As she touched Claudia’s heart with her fingertips, it began to beat again, and the world around her exploded into theblinding white light she had seen when Otto was born. Claudia came to life and dazzled spoke her name.The sun was shining into the room when Alexandra woke. Claudia was sleeping next to her. Alexandra, full of aboundless love for her, repeated the gesture of the dream and Claudia awoke with a strange look in her eyes."Is it you or am I dreaming you?"Alexandra took her into her arms. "It is I, real and full of love and life.""I dreamt that I was dying. At first I was much frightened, but I felt no pain only a great sadness. I saw my mother, andNiko, and Katharina. They were all calling me, and then you appeared floating effortless in space surrounded by a verybright light. You touched me, and I woke up."Suddenly with a cackling laughter a black raven fluttered through the room, the door opened on its own accord, and he152