The Tale of Sunset Valley

Baba Gene spoke:

"When I was 16, my girlfriend and I got our driving licenses and bought an old VW van for a road trip in the Rockies. We were taking tough routes through the mountains, doing our best not to lose our tempers in the August heat. While I fought with the map, Shunee grappled with the wheel as we wound our way through the slopes of that formidable country. To stay even vaguely human in our metal oven on wheels, we’d bought packs of ice to wrap in towels around our necks. These had now melted down but, mercifully, the sun also decided to call it a day and the twilight began.

These were the times when we stopped fighting and began to enjoy the travelling again. The forested hills outside recovered their rolling beauty and our thoughts turned to where we would camp that night, of what meals we might cook over an open fire.

Good songs came on the radio and we sang along happily as our van climbed a lazy mountain road. We came to the top and a series of valleys rippled before us. It would take a lifetime to explore the mysteries of this land.

"Hey, look." Shunee cried happily, "That's where we're camping tonight." She pointed to a carved wooden sign by the road that read:

This way to Sunset Valley.

It was an obvious choice to make and so we trundled down the stone track to find our home for the night.

We arrived just as the sun was turning red and banks of clouds had gathered in pink chorus. The slope ran down to the shores of a timeless lake that also reflected the play of colour in the sky.

To our surprise, on the first plateau that we reached, there were other vans with small clusters of people sitting around crackling fires. As we got out we smelt soup cooking and the smoke of the marijuana leaf. The twang of guitars reached us at the same time. These were our kind of people. Taking out our own instruments and box of groceries, we went down to join them.

We were greeted at once like old friends and it seemed that no introductions needed to be made. It appeared that everyone could play something or at least knew the words to the songs played around the aromatic fire. The music blended together in a simple harmony without anyone trying to be too ambitious, each musician listening carefully to the others.

We ate and drank in fine spirits, agreeing that soup and wine had never tasted so good. There was always another joint to be rolled or bottle to be opened and the sun never seemed to go down. The amber light showed everyone and everything at their best. All could be forgiven at this time of day and Shunee and I turned to hug each other. We sat hand in hand with no more bad feeling between us. This was the kind of peace for which we had wanted for so long to share together and we wished it could last forever. And it seemed to.

We both noticed this at the same time and realized that the sun had still not touched the horizon line, though it hinted at doing so all the while. Shunee nudged the man with greying hair to her left and asked:

‘Excuse me, but doesn't the sun ever go down here?’ He laughed and replied with a knowing grin:

‘Oh, sure it does - But it's always back up again before you know it.’

I wondered if this might be a dream and I became more convinced as I recognized this man. With his face turned towards us, I remembered him as a famous leader of the poor in some Asian country.

‘Pardon me,’ I exclaimed ‘But haven't I seen your face on television and in newspapers - A few years ago and usually with the caption 'hero of the people'?’

‘You may have, yes.’ He smiled modestly.

‘But no one's heard anything of you for ages - I thought perhaps you'd died.’ He shrugged and said:

‘No, not dead - Just resting here in Sunset Valley where there are no struggles to endure, no wars to be won. Here, take a sandwich.’

He passed over some rolls filled with honey and nuts. A laugh from a campfire by the lake spread up the valley and, soon, we too, were chuckling between mouthfuls. Our hearts seemed perfectly in accord with this place - It was only our minds that struggled with it all. Our new friend perceived this and tried to put our minds at rest.

‘You see, here in Sunset Valley, we have reached the end of the road and it is the close of the day. Here no one makes any plans or bothers themselves about a tomorrow that will never come. We know we won't live forever so we live for today.’ He leaned closer in mock secrecy and whispered,

‘And the really wise ones know that's exactly where Eternity is hidden - In this very moment.’ He chuckled gently and leant back to allow us to digest all of this.

‘But does no one ever leave this place?’ Shunee asked nervously, her hand tensing in mine as she thought of never seeing our family again.

‘Of course they do, my dear. People come and go as they like and it's usually just full of rusted old bastards like me. Even I might leave one day, though, to return to the fray. I receive letters all the time, begging for my help in this cause or that in the places where such things matter.

‘But not yet,’ he smiled, stretching out his arms, ‘I'm not ready just now but maybe after a while...’ The fire crackled merrily as I laid another stick upon it. Shunee and I shared through our hands the idea that we could stay here with this good feeling for as long as we liked.

‘Of course,’ he continued, ‘There are some who were born here and who never leave - But they are few. Mostly people get restless after some time and feel the need to go and build things, to fulfil growing dreams in the brightness of the day.

Here, there is nothing to be done or achieved. There is no one to impress and nothing to change - Only everything to be enjoyed. And now, if you'll excuse me, I feel the need to refresh myself with a swim in the lake.’

He rose and left us with the bottle of wine and unopened wrappings of crackers and soft cheese.

We looked to the red sun and saw in it the friendly face of life, the reconciling smile of Fate now that there were no more troubles to fall upon us. And we enjoyed this amnesty to the full, safe in this oasis from the troubles of the world.

We made merry with the changing camps of settlers in Sunset Valley, seeing many friends and enemies from before - But there was no longer anything to be argued about or fought over. There was enough of everything to be shared and all differences seemed to subside into nothing under the unifying twilight.

But as we laughed and played, danced and feasted, yet we felt a discontent growing in our feet and stirring a tide within us. Shunee was the first to understand its nature. After a swim in the lake, one time, I turned to face her and saw that she had tears in her eyes as we dried off on a warm rock.

‘It's so wonderful here,’ She sniffed ‘But somehow I can't stay. It's like... I feel I'm not supposed to be here now - That I can come here later but at the moment am supposed to be somewhere else. Do you understand?’

She looked up at me , wondering if we might have to part. But her words made clear the unease that had been increasing in my own heart - I had been reluctant to name it, so much did I love it here.

I nodded and we helped each other back over the rocks to where we had left our clothes. We dressed and started to climb the hill back to the van. On the way, we met our friend, the People's Hero. He understood immediately where we were going and said:

‘So you're off are you? Well good luck and maybe I'll see you there or perhaps back here when you're older - This place will always be waiting for you.’

‘It's a pity that we live so far away.’ Shunee complained. But he laughed and explained:

‘It doesn't matter. Sunset Valley isn't just here - It's always just over the next hill from the Real World. If you want to come back then simply pack your things and head off to where the sun is going down.’

We thanked him and drove back to the lands of sweat and tears, where smiles have to be earnt and where we must be strong to stand on our feet.

But that was okay. We could withstand all the storms and struggles because we knew at the end of the day, our reward is waiting for us in the valley where the sun is always setting.

Chapter 25