Pursuit Beyond Perception

I decided to enter the forest, placing my right foot forward, then the left, until I found myself amidst a breathtaking natural scene. It made me forget where I came from and where I was going. Suddenly, I heard a faint sound. I felt fear and began looking around but saw nothing. Fear started creeping in, and I hastened my steps. Suddenly, someone was coming behind me, but when I looked back, I found nothing. I decided to climb a tree, despite the height of the trees there. I chose the shortest one, climbed it, and sat on one of its branches. From there, I saw something unexpected – a strange creature I couldn't identify, whether it was human, jinn, or animal. As I sat in the tree, I witnessed a breathtaking natural painting: the green trees embracing the blue sky. I let out a long sigh from the depths of my heart and remembered the words of Mahmoud Darwish: "As you head off to seek an unforgettable life, don't forget to live." Even as I searched for the virtuous city, I stole moments of happiness from reality, getting lost in enjoying the splendid view until the strange creature stood before me. It started speaking, but I didn't understand its words. Through gestures, I understood that it was asking me about my presence there. I told it I was from North Africa, having left my country in search of the virtuous city mentioned by Plato. I didn't know how this happened, but it answered me in a way I understood and said it would help me get out of the forest. I was excited but surprised. My excitement matched my surprise. I cheered up, accepted its help, and it brought a strange means of transportation. It took charge of driving, and I sat beside it. It drove at an incredible speed, and within a few minutes, I exited the forest, finding myself in a small and peaceful village. I questioned whether this was the virtuous city, but as I looked around, I witnessed a quarrel between two people, realizing it wasn't what I was looking for. I searched for the strange creature that accompanied me but couldn't find it, as if it was a message from the heavens that I was approaching the virtuous city. Here, my confusion increased. I sat down to rest and asked the owner of the restaurant where I had eaten for some information about the village – its name and geographical location. To my surprise, I was at the furthest point on the African continent, facing nothing but the sea leading to South America. The countries of Brazil and Argentina crossed my mind. Darkness fell as the sun set, and while I was thinking about what to do, I grew tired and fell asleep.

The sun rose, its rays and hope seeping into my heart. (I always associate nature with hope.) I decided to embark on the adventure of crossing the sea, marveling at the view until the strange creature appeared. When I saw it, I smiled and felt joy and hope because it would help me as it had done before. It brought a small boat that didn't resemble the boats we know. We boarded it and set sail. Suddenly, its sailing speed increased, and we were in the middle of the sea. It was a challenging adventure, but the view was magnificent. After a long time, I began to see buildings and lights. I felt joy, and hope filled my heart. I remained silent until the boat docked. I descended and thanked the strange creature and departed. As I wandered, I saw clean alleys, green trees, and respectful people who interacted kindly. I thought to myself, "I have found what I'm looking for." Yet, my joy didn't last long until I saw a homeless person sleeping on the street. I felt sorry and said to myself, "This isn't the virtuous city." The long road still lay ahead of me.