Chapter 1
Valor woke early to drive into the Hamptons located in Long Island, New York City. The day was terrible rain fell from the skies and buckets washing out many highway roads and side roads. Mudslides were everywhere, yet something kept driving Valor to this particular estate sale.
He often went to estate sales on the weekends, but there was something at this one he just had to see he was praying the weather kept away the wealthy people with a lot of money.
A college professor without tenure didn't really make a lot of money but valor was renegotiating his contract based on the fact that he was the professor who drew the crowd single handedly blowing new life into a college that was slowly dying from lack of enrollment.
He loved the college he worked for, and many people told him that without him, they would have lost their pensions and other securities promised to them when they started 30 years prior. A lot of the senior professors welcomed him, but there were a lot who did not like him and despised his modern-day teaching tactics.
Finally, Valor sighed, looking up and seeing a wooden sign with a red spray painted arrow that said estate sale one a half miles this way. His eyes lit up, and seeing that sign, he checked the road for track marks of other cars and didn't see any on the mud road leading to the Cobblestone paved road on the estate.
He smiled, hoping it was good news that not too many people showed. Valor parked and went to the backyard, which was huge at least three acres in size. There were white tents set up to examine various lots you may want to bid on. There it was lot 481 he looked at the old rusty bottle no one was paying too much attention to it so Valor put the bottle down as though it was nothing just like everyone else and kept looking at the more elaborate items everyone that was there would seem to bid on although he had zero interest in them.
He sat in the back of the tent counting the number of people that were present 12 he said in his head knowing it meant nothing if one of them were some rich asshole that went outbid him for the tiny bottle. Finally, his lot was up. The auctioneer held the bottle in the air. He acted as though the bottle was nothing starting the bid at only $12. No one bid on the bottle going once , and Valor threw his hand up. To the man in the back with the bucket rain cap on full of university pins $12 sir?
Valor nodded his head, smiling sold to the man in the back for $12. What a great catch sir, enjoy your.....the auctioneer stared your bottle full of black sand. The rich white people in the room laughed at his reaction.
Valor was very happy with the find inside he knew it was a very old relic. All he had to do was research it and find out what it was exactly and or where it came from. Valor finished purchasing the bottle from the auctioneer. There was an additional $125 tax to pay for the bottle, which was nothing being he only paid $12 for it.
The auctioneer was careful with the bottle he boxed it up in a special gold box with a silver bow. You are getting such a deal here, son. I love this bottle even for decorative purposes. We tried to open the bottle so many different ways, and we could not be very careful. You don't want to chip it. Yes, sir, thank you so much for the advice.
Valor carried the box to his car very carefully it sat on the passenger seat of his small Gulf Volkswagen Rabbit he held it with his right hand while steering with his left. The rain was worse. The roads he took in were now completely washed out.
Valor looked up in the sky it seemed as though the Egyptian gods were angry, allowing the rains to put a pounding heavily on his tiny vehicle. Valor looked up, thank the gods, he said to himself, smiling a cheap motel. Valor went to the window to secure himself an overnight room for 4 hours or overnight!? The loud goth dressed attendee asked.
Overnight, Valor answered, smiling with his spare clothes he wore to the gym in his hand, and the box zipped up inside securely.
The attendant looked up at Valor damn you're fine, she said, smiling. Valor looked at her grinning, knowing she was the age of one of his students. Thank you, and he said through the plexiglass window.
I'll give you the room on the end it's quieter down there, the rude people we get in on the weekends we put closer to the office to keep an eye on them. You should have quiet down there. Also, here are some menus in case you want to order some food, but here is my sister's number she makes dinners on the weekends, and man is her food the best.
How is her rib dinner? Are you ready to get your mouth ripped out? Valor smiled it had been a while since he had good soul food this was a black Township right outside of the Hamptons hopefully he will get lucky and get a small taste of his mother's home cooking without going home. Listen you better order two rib plates she only put five ribs on a plate a half a rat I'm telling you by the time you call back to order another plate there will be nothing left make sure you get a side of fried shrimp potato salad and collard greens if she has any candy games left but it get that too and her homemade lemonade or iced tea. Valor smile, I'll be sure to get all that. What about desserts? Everything apple pie, sweet potato pie, red velvet, lemon cake, I say get one slice of each and take some home that's what a lot of people do when they stop here. Hell, the white people come down from the Hamptons to get the food and carry it back into the Hills.
Where are you from? What are you doing all the way out here, sir? Estate sale I'm from the university down in New York City. Which one? Manhattan University is right outside of Ward's Island. Oh yeah, they had the cheapest enrollment prices, and now they skyrocketed. Yes, they have raised their prices up unfortunately, were you able to get registered before they did that? Yes, I am an online student she turned her computer around to him. Well, welcome to the university Valor said smiling, grabbing the makeshift menu she handed him off to her sister's cooking. What classes are you trying to get into? I'm trying to get into Egyptian hieroglyphs and artifacts 101 with Dr. Valor Bellflower I got friends in that class, and they were so lucky because it sold out in under 15 minutes.
I couldn't get away from this crummy ass Motel to get there to register for that class even online they only had 10 slots for reserved it's so unfair how they do online students I swear it is. The young girl looked down at his ID she looked up smiling, jumping up out of her seat, clapping her hands, and yelling out loud, "Oh snap!" Oh my god! Dr. Valor, what the hell are you doing all the way down here? She giggled and laughed, opening the side door to shake his hand.
I swear I must be blessed in the rain this day just to meet you and be in your presence. Your class is the truth man everybody and I mean everyone wants to get in on your next semester. I hear that it's first come, first serve. There is no way I'm going to be able to get in, professor it is so hard.
How about I put you down for one of the seats now so you're automatically in next semester? You can do that Dr Valor, are you sure? Of course, I'm sure I have to try and look out for the African-American students first, don't I? After all, if we don't look out for us, who will? Oh my God, Dr. Valor, thank you so much. I'm so stoked. Listen, you can not tell anyone I put you on that list as far as anyone knows you got it by sheer luck. Are we on the same page, young lady?
Absolutely Professor, we are on the same page. I'll get your name and information before I check out tomorrow morning. Will you be here? Heck, yes, I'll be here waiting on you. Even if I'm off, I will sit right in that chair and wait for you to check out!
You don't have to do that if you want to leave. Just knock on the door, and I'll get your name, okay? Absolutely Professor, absolutely thank you so much. Oh my God, can I at least tell my mom? Of course, you can tell Mom I'm sure she will be just as happy for you as you are, and I am. Here you go Professor anything you need I'm here you just call up front and I will make sure you get it if there's anybody making noise and bothering you I will call the police if I have to you are good here tonight I promise you that.
The attendant gave him free soda and free water along with free fruits from the continental breakfast from the morning. This is for you. If you need anything else, please just let me know. She passed his keys, watching him walk out the door, happy it was moments like those that made Valor's Day helping others , which he loved to do. As soon as he got in the room, he made himself a cup of hot tea out of the items she gave him. He removed his wet clothes sipping as he changed into his dry ones he.
He placed his shoes under an old school radiator hoping they would dry by morning if not he would wear his gym sneakers after all it was weekend and he wasn't working there was no need for formal attire. He always made sure he wore a suit to these estate sales he was often the only black person there and wanted to give off a persona of professionalism because he could not pass as a rich man.
Valor sat with his plate of food he ordered from his potential students sister she was right. The ribs were off the hook. Thank god they ordered two plates as she suggested. When Valor looked down, half of both plates were almost gone. He had not had food like that since he left home, and he was determined to finish every bite.
He pulled the bottle out the beautifully wrapped box and tissue paper he looked at the symbols he could see on the stained glass filled bottle but some of the symbols were covered with dry mud he took a tiny nail file to chisel away at the dry mud or cement he could not figure which it was.
Slowly, the dirt fell to the napkin below the bottle underneath the cheap lamp inside the motel room.
In a hour all the dirt was on the table Valor rubbed it revealing the word symbol combo that wrapped around the bottle from the top to the bottom in a circular motion the words ending at the base of the bottle and beginning at the top of the bottle.
Valor knew how to read hieroglyphics he looked at the bottle, reading from right to left from the top to the bottom. He wrote the words down in his notebook, whichever absolutely made no sense. What the fuck are you doing Valor? He laughed at his silliness it's Egyptian you dummy, you read from the bottom of the bottle to the top left to right it is Arabic or Aramaic you do not read like the English from right to left.
He tried it again from the bottom to the top reading left to right turning the bottle counter clockwise not clockwise slowly reading each symbol. Symbols turned to words then back to symbols it took him 45 minutes to get to the top of the bottle when he finished nothing happened he put the bottle on the table.
Valor sat back staring at his new enigma with a red velvet slice of cake some smothered in homemade cream cheese frosting then she had the nerve to top it off with season fresh organic strawberries.
Jesus he said to himself closing his eyes enjoying every bite knowing he had to get to the gym to subdue a fat boy in him trying to come back out. What is up with you little bottle? Why can't I get the words right? Am I saying the symbols wrong?
Valor looked at what he wrote he went back on the bottle deciphering each letter and each symbol one by one in his notebook he wrote it left to right then he wrote it right to left.
He made sure that each symbol was exactly the way he saw it he crossed referenced it with his software program he created with all the hieroglyphs he ever encountered even ones they could not decipher. This is the problem right here this is the culprit what the heck is this? I have never seen it what is this a bird with a hook in his beak? Aaron looked at the bird you are stopping me from finding out what the bottle is saying little birdie. Valor could not sleep he had to find out what this was he made a few calls to a few Associates that led him all the way to Egypt to the Museum of Cairo.
They were sleeping it was night there while in the United States it was day Valor drew the symbol on a piece of paper sending it to a friend at the Museum waiting for her to call him back anxiously. Valor stared in the bottle at the black sand. He rubbed it clean with soap and water it was old and beautiful.
Valor fell asleep waiting on his call the bottle pulse lighting the room a purple pink hue as he slept the bottle half way alive.