Chapter 74 The Choice

There was no choice. There had never been a choice. The deep was the ground, and the ground was the foundation, and the foundation supported the world, and the world was the deep's home, and the home was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice had been the great-grandfather's, the choice to carve the symbols, to draw the circles, to map the lines, to build the house on the hollow's edge. And the choice had been the father's, the choice to deepen the symbols, to maintain the wards, to keep the door, to tend the root. And the choice had been Eli's, the choice to watch, to listen, to tend, to keep, to open the door. But the choice was over now. The choice had been the keeper's way of saying to the deep: I hear you. I see you. I know you are there. And the deep had heard, and the deep had answered, and the answer was the root, and the root was the deep's hand, and the hand was the deep's way of reaching the surface, and the surface was the deep's destination, and the destination was the sky, and the sky was the deep's home, and the home was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. And the choice was gone. The choice had been the keeper's way of participating in the deep's nature, and the participation was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here, and the deep had always been here, and the deep would always be here, and the here was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. And the deep spoke, and the speaking was the choice, and the choice was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here. The choice was not a choice between two options. The choice was the recognition that there had never been two options. The ground supported the world as it always had, and the supporting was the deep's work, and the work was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice was the great-grandfather's, the choice to carve the symbols, to draw the circles, to map the lines, to build the house on the hollow's edge. And the choice had been the father's, the choice to deepen the symbols, to maintain the wards, to keep the door, to tend the root. And the choice had been Eli's, the choice to watch, to listen, to tend, to keep, to open the door. But the choice was over now. The choice had been the keeper's way of saying to the deep: I hear you. I see you. I know you are there. And the deep had heard, and the deep had answered, and the answer was the root, and the root was the deep's hand, and the hand was the deep's way of reaching the surface, and the surface was the deep's destination, and the destination was the sky, and the sky was the deep's home, and the home was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice was gone. The choice had been the keeper's way of participating in the deep's nature, and the participation was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here. And the deep spoke, and the speaking was the choice, and the choice was the watching, and the watching was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice had been the keeper's way of saying to the deep: I hear you. I see you. I know you are there. And the deep had heard, and the deep had answered, and the answer was the root, and the root was the deep's hand, and the hand was the deep's way of reaching the surface, and the surface was the deep's destination. The choice was gone because the choice had been fulfilled. The choice had been the keeper's participation in the deep's nature, and the participation was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here. The choice was the great-grandfather's. The choice was the father's. The choice was Eli's. And the choice had been made, and the making was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. And the deep spoke, and the speaking was the choice, and the choice was the listening, and the listening was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice had been the beginning of the conversation. The choice had been the first word spoken between the world above and the world below, and the word was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here. And the conversation continued. And the conversation was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open, and the deep was here. The choice had been made. The choice had been made by the great-grandfather, who carved the symbols. The choice had been made by the father, who deepened the wards. The choice had been made by Eli, who opened the door. And the choice had been made by Nora, who kept the conversation going, who listened to the deep's voice, who tended the root when Eli could not. The choice was not over. The choice was ongoing. Every morning, the choice was made again: stay, watch, listen, tend, keep. Every morning, the choice was: be present. And the being present was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. And the deep spoke, and the speaking was the choice, and the choice was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. The choice was not a decision. The choice was an acknowledgment. The choice was the acknowledgment that the deep was here, and the deep had always been here, and the keeping was the deep's way of being known, and the knowing was the keeping, and the keeping was the door, and the door was open. ---