Chapter 2
Meeting the Oracle
As the rooster sounded his alarm, Peter was the first
one up and making breakfast for the entire family. He was
so excited to meet with the Oracle, but his parents
weren't. They never let Peter see the fear on their faces,
and went about their morning as usual.
Sam was out in the plantation talking to the workers,
letting them know that they might be gone for a long time.
He told them he would sign his will over to one of his
trusted workers and his family. He and the worker he picked
began to debate back and forth about taking over his land.
The worker told him that he was a poor Negro, and no
colored man had ever owned anything this successful without
being hung. Still, Sam insisted.
He gave his worker, Mr. Jones, a bag of magical seeds
and told him to spread them along the property line and he
would be protected. Sam let Mr. Jones know that he chose
him because he was one of the workers who was always
truthful, fair and honest with everyone. Though Mr. Jones
was afraid, he took the bag of seeds and hid them in his
pocket.
Sam patted Mr. Jones on the shoulder and let him know
that everything would be all right, and that he would be
watching. As Sam finished his business affairs, he went
into the house where his wife and Peter were waiting on him
to eat breakfast.
No one said a word. Reality was finally setting in on
what they were about to do. Everyone took deep breaths and
began to eat very slowly. Finally, Peter started a
conversation and asked his parents what to say to the
Oracle.
Sam replied, "Don't say anything until you're asked."
As breakfast finished, Sam began moving things around
the house telepathically. Socks were flying through the
air, and even Jane's underwear got caught on the lamp
shade! She was so embarrassed; she jumped up and snatched
them off the shade with a smirky grin at her husband.
Once Sam got everything packed, they walked around the
house touching and feeling everything they would miss, but
Peter didn't. He was so excited that he could hardly wait
to leave. He began to pull his parents by the hand urging
them to leave, but they were filled with so much emotion,
they had to take a seat.
As they were saying their goodbyes, Peter was already
in the wagon ready to go. After a long time of waiting, he
yelled from the wagon, "Come on!"
Then the door slowly opened and his parents walked
out. Peter could tell Jane had been crying. Her eyes were
puffy and swollen; her nose was red and her face was
disheveled.
They jumped into the wagon and said goodbye to their
workers. Sam pulled Mr. Jones aside and told him to never
let anyone know that he had gone, and if anyone asked, to
tell them that he had some business in Paris he was taking
care of. Mr. Jones nodded, and they were on their way.
They made sure not to look back at the home and
friends they were leaving behind to go to an uncertain
place where they might no longer be welcome. The carriage
ride was long and hot. Everyone was sweating.
"Are we there yet?" Peter asked.
"Soon, son," his father replied.
As the Carrot-Tops left their plantation, they were
hailed and greeted by all the people of the town. Sam was
sad to leave his home, but what he was doing was for his
family, not for himself. Suddenly the carriage turned off a
dark road.
It was so pitch black Peter became afraid and yelled
out for his father, "Father!"
"It's okay," Sam replied, letting his son know that he
was right there with him.
Then there was light again, a big burst of brightness.
It was so bright they could hardly keep their eyes open.
Then it went dim, and Sam told Peter and Jane to get out of
the wagon, and to follow him closely, out of the bright
light.
There was a beautiful forest like nothing Peter had
ever seen before -- the plants were moving and talking.
Peter was startled for a minute but then regained his
composure.
"Good day!" yelled the plants.
Peter stopped to inquire about the plants, but his
mother pulled his hands away telling Peter that they had
important work to do. Even the animals in the forest were
glad to see visitors.
Then a rabbit the size of a wagon came up to Sam and
shouted, "Well, well, well! The traitor is back!" with a
smirk on his face.
"You're gonna get it now!" a squirrel replied.
Sam did not let it bother him. He kept walking to his
destination, but Peter was amazed at the beauty and wonder
of the forest.
"Pay them no mind, Peter. They all were once our
friends," Jane said, but Peter was not listening. He was
too in tune with the singing waterfall.
He watched as the waterfall turned into different
shapes, from a woman, to a dog, to a big roaring lion. This
was all exciting to him.
"Where are we?" Peter asked his father.
"This is the portal to Baja" Sam replied.
"We're moving on," said Jane.
Peter replied, "I am so excited to see home, somewhere
that I fit in."
As they walked the long forest pathway, there was a
cottage made of golden bricks and rubies, and birds flapped
their wings vigorously when they saw Peter and his family
coming. The tension in Sam's eyes showed fear as he came to
the gate of the cottage. He hesitated to knock.
His hands began to sweat and shake out of control, so
Peter walked in front of him and knocked on the door.
Suddenly, the door opened, but there was no one to greet
them! They walked in quietly and stood in the middle of the
hallway.
"Oracle, it is I, Sam. I have brought my son to you
with a gift so powerful; it must be a sign from the elders."
Suddenly a burst of fire came from the chimney, and
swirled across the room knocking down Peter and his father.
"Why have you come back? You have brought nothing but shame
on our kind."
As Sam began to answer, a woman appeared in the form
of a snake with eight arms. Her fingers were covered with
gold and diamond rings that glistened in the light. She had
a crown on her head that was 9 feet tall, and in that crown
were souls crying to be free. They were in a wax-like
bubble.
The crown was made of gold and silver with
hieroglyphic writings on the top and sides. The oracle was
a 12-foot snake, dressed in the finest of linens. Her upper
body was human, and the lower body a snake with a huge tail
and a long rattler. Her fingernails were long and made of
ivory like an elephant's tusk, but the most irritating
thing was that she made this hissing noise that pierced
their eardrums.
But, oh, what a beautiful creature! Her skin was like
white flour
. Her lips were like rose petals, and she had
the most adorable face they had ever seen.
Sam quickly bowed down to the Oracle, asking her to
hear him out. Jane did not bow down. She refused; telling
the Oracle that she knew Sam was set up and did nothing to
stop it, and now wanted to treat them like peasants.
The Oracle quickly threw a small fireball at Jane. She
quickly ducked her head and the fireball missed her face by
an inch! Peter quickly defended his mother and created a
massive hole in the center of the house where the Oracle
was standing.
Suddenly the Oracle fell down the hole, letting out a
hideous scream as she fell.
"Peter, what have you done? That was the Oracle!" said
Peter's father.
"Served her right!" shouted Jane.
Suddenly a hand came out of the darkness and the
Oracle crawled back to the top of the hole.
"What a powerful boy! I must speak with him," said the
Oracle.
"No! Only if you get us back into Baja," Jane replied.
The Oracle hesitated and said, "Very well, but you are
on your own once in Baja. You and your husband are hated by
many. They blame both of you for the fall and destruction
of Baja."
Then the Oracle went to Peter and told him to rise up
and say nothing. Suddenly he levitated off the ground and
floated toward the Oracle. As she placed Peter in her
oversized hands, she closed her eyes and saw into the
future. In her vision, Peter had a crown on his head. His
father and mother were old and gray, but they also had
crowns on their heads. The Oracle saw a great battle were
Peter defeated the evils that plagued Baja.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and told the Carrot-Tops
that they must head straight to Baja right away.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
The Oracle told Sam that his child, Peter, was the
savior of Baja. Sam and Jane were in disbelief and began to
laugh and cry with joy.
"Our son has saved us!" They cried, and threw Peter in
the air and twirled him around in circles.
"Go now," said the Oracle. "I will make a way for you
to travel. Tell no one of this secret or his life will be
in danger." The Oracle repeated it to Sam and Jane over and
over, until they got it in their heads. "Trust no one until
they have earned your trust!" shouted the Oracle and off
they went.
As they were leaving, the Oracle pointed the Carrot-
Tops toward the kitchen, where hot food was waiting for
them to carry on their long journey. The Oracle let them
know that they must walk on foot and only use the resources
of the forest. "Hurry along, Baja awaits you," the Oracle
replied over and over again until her voice slowly
disappeared.
Peter was very excited to go on an adventure. His feet
began to swing back and forth, and his eyes lit up with
excitement. Peter asked his father why was he so special.
Sam explained that after the eighth key was lost and
the elders could no longer stay awake, no child born would
be blessed with a gift, and in Baja everyone had gifts.
After the evil curse, no child born in Baja was blessed
with a gift or talent, and therefore Baja was at the mercy
of the evil dwellers.
"But then you came along, Peter." Sam looked loving in
his son's eyes, "and all our fears and defeat seem to have
dissolved away."
Sam went on to say that years had passed without a
child developing powers in Baja, and therefore there was no
one to fight the evil spirits that came upon the land. He
explained that Baja needed a new generation of fighters.
"So, yes, son; you are special," Peter's father said,
as the Carrot-Tops walked through the forest.
It was a magnificent experience. The birds began to
fly overhead with their 10-foot wingspans and they sang,
"The prince is coming, the prince is coming."
Peter was in awe of the birds' beauty. Their wings
were so long that he could see no end. Their tails curled
up like the locks in a Southern belle's hair. Their
feathers were like a rainbow, every section of the birds
were a different color. They flew in lines of five, giving
shade to the Carrot-Tops.
On the ground, the flowers protruded out of the Earth
at least 20 feet tall. They dropped down big petals
covering the Carrot-Tops. Peter and his family just laughed
and indulged in all the attention. Sam looked at his wife
and told her how good it felt to be adored again, and how
great it felt to be going back home.
The flowers danced in a synchronized routine. One by
one they waltzed and turned. Their petals were so huge,
they looked like ballroom gowns. The flowers were so tall
that from way, way up above, they looked like humans
dancing.
"What a wonderful sight to see!" Jane said.
The forest animals now were so much more welcoming of
the Carrot-Tops than the first encounter, and they took
great care of the Carrot-Tops. Suddenly a turtle came by
and asked the Carrot-Tops if they wanted a ride. Peter
jumped up and said yes, and they climbed in.
The turtle shell was so big it was the size of a
wagon. The inside had carved-out windows; the seats were
made of the finest gold threads, and the floor was padded
with the softest cushions. It was like heaven. On the wall
of the shell was a picture of a young prince with bright
orange hair. Peter and his parents stared at it.
Rabbits came offering the family honey tea and
crumpets. Oh! The rabbits were so excited that they could
barely keep still to take the Carrot-Tops' orders! Each one
kept asking, "Could this really be the boy king?"
They zipped back and forth, running with the highest
speed, bringing the family everything that they could
possibly cook. First were the tea and crumpets, then sweet
honey rolls. Next came roasted pig. Then they brought pork
chops, steak, shrimp, fish and so forth until Sam told them
lovingly to stop.
The poor rabbits were so out of breath that they
collapsed on the floor. The Carrot-Tops laughed
hysterically, until milk came out of their noses. Then the
rabbits joined in on the fun.
"Oh, yes! This is our royal family," one rabbit said
to another.
Peter looked out of the window and saw little elves
waving and getting their first sneak peek at the boy prince.
"I see the word has spread," Jane said to Sam.
"Yes, indeed, my dear. The word has spread," Sam said.
One of the elves came to the window and took out a
mirror device that glistened in the sun and captured a
picture of the family, and then he ran off. The device
mystified Peter. The handle was made of pure gold. It lit
up with secret codes and had writing Peter had never seen
before.
Peter could see himself in the image, but it was of
something or someone he did not k
now. The image showed a
young boy with a crown on his head, clothed in the finest
attire. Then it was gone.
"Oh, don't worry, Peter. You will get to see them
again," his mother said.
Peter was so mystified by the elves that he kept
looking for them out of the window, but they were gone. Sam
told his son that the forest of Baja was so mystical there
wasn't enough time in death to discover it all.
"Why are we dead?" Peter asked his parents.
His parents said that everyone dies, and moves on to
other worlds, according to their deeds on Earth. They said
no one knows how many levels there are to death, but to be
on a good aura, you must do good things before you move on.
Sam went on to tell Peter that sometimes worlds collide
causing a clash of auras; sometimes it's good and sometimes
it's bad.
"Is that what happened to you, Father?"
"Yes," replied Sam, "I got caught up in the power of
self and all the finer things that came with it. Because of
this, I was sent back to the living, never to see Baja
again."
Sam began to get teary-eyed, and Jane held his hand
tightly and rubbed his shoulders, letting him know it was
okay and they were on their way back home.
"Whatever you do, Peter, be a good person," said his
mother.
"I will," Peter replied.
Suddenly the turtle made an announcement that he would
be stopping for a rest, and Peter and his family could have
a stretch. When the ride came to a complete stop, Peter
jumped off, and his parents quickly followed.
There was a river made of dark chocolate next to them.
Peter began to drink and drink until he saw a tree that
produced strawberry cupcakes. He ran and plucked a few off,
until the tree began to talk and it startled Peter.
"Wellllllll hello," said the tree in a deep voice.
Peter was too afraid to talk. He clutched his cupcakes
and crawled back.
"Ha, ha, ha!" said the tree.
"Who are you?" Peter asked.
The tree told Peter he was just a tree, and it was his
pleasure to serve him. Suddenly the branches on the tree
turned into a face, one that was happy and jolly.
"I am so happy to be the first to serve the prince,"
the tree said in his husky voice.
Peter was amazed of all the wonders of the land great
and small, from the tiny ants that lined the dirt path
wearing their golden shoes on each leg, to the gigantic
pelicans in the sky that flew people from destination to
destination. It was such a wonderful sight to see a land of
milk and honey that dripped from the leaves of the trees.
Peter started to appreciate the world he was in. He really
felt like he belonged, there were no regrets in him going
there.
"Mother, Father! Come quick!" he called out.
Hs parents came running. Peter showed them the talking
tree and the ants with golden shoes.
They cracked wide grins. "Yes, son, we know all about
them. They are your family. Baja is your family," they both
said together.
The tree just let out a big laugh, "Ha! Ha! Ha!
Welcome to Baja, my Prince!"
Suddenly a horn sounded and the turtle let the Carrot-
Tops know that he was almost ready to get back on the road
again. Peter and his parents watched as the turtle got his
shell washed by two octopuses, and then polished and shined
by a herd of small spider monkeys.
"Oh, that feels good!" laughed the turtle, as the
monkeys polished under his belly.
Rats and rabbits brought fresh food. One by one, the
animals catered to the Carrot-Tops. Clean clothing and
sheets for the long trip were hauled back and forth. There
were five old lady rabbits taking the measurements of Peter
and his family. They measured the Carrot-Tops from head to
toe, back and forth. They went on, not saying a word; they
were busy in their duties.