The Abyssarian Merchant By Cupideros
A sun-tanned female merchant tried her hand at several different fields but failed. One day she reconsidered her options and decided to make some money from the only thing she had available. She had a traveling tent, all the religious books of her day, food supplies and her two parrots, a male and female. The female Merchant was an Abyssarian—That is to say–she believed in The Void, The Abyss that created all the 10,000 things as revealed by the Last Prophet C.E. At this time, Christianity was fading fast, Islam also was fading fast, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Shamanism, and other religions still existed. She studied them all. But Abyssarianism was the dominant religion. Now you wouldn’t know an Abyssarian from any other religion in that Abyssarian can use any truth to live Abyssarian truth. As long as it matched it up with the truth: Our purpose is to return to the Void—The Abyss. This female Merchant also studied philosophies, sciences, and all the other Isms. For the Last Prophet, C.E. had said, “Whatever people loved was their religion, their Ism. All this, the female Merchant taught first to her male Parrot.
“Okay said the female Merchant one day to her male Parrot. The female Merchant dressed up like a businessman, mustache, and all. She walked out of her tent, waited a few seconds, and opened the door-flap and came in; She walked up to the male Parrot’s birdcage and waited.” The male Parrot looked the female Merchant up and down. Then the male Parrot sang out, “Greed is Love.”
The female Merchant said, “No…No…No. You have to be diplomatic. Tune into the person. You must consider your relationship with the person. Be like Jesus and Lao Tzu. Okay,” the female Merchant said, “We will try this again.”
“Try again. Try again!” sang the male Parrot.
The female Merchant got a bad feeling in her gut when she heard those words. But she needed to make money. What could she do but try to make her male Parrot tell wisdom in the right way? The female Merchant came back as an Atheist, spouting “There is no Truth or God, all is Nilhism. She scowled at the male Parrot.
The male Parrot looked the female Merchant up and down. After a few seconds said, “Hating Goddess and God is love.”
Shocked, the female Merchant dropped her head. “Say the truth in the right way. I’ve taught you all the truths, Isms. You know them,” said the female Merchant.
“Again, you try. Try again!” sang the male Parrot.
Again the female Merchant went out, and this time came back dressed as a policeman. She walked up to the birdcage.
The male Parrot sang out, “Abusing Power is Love.”
“That’s not what you were taught to say. I read you every text of Abyssarianism. You know a better way, to tell the truth.”
The female Merchant shrugged her shoulders and said, “Well, I’ll try the female parrot.” The female Merchant completed the entire education process again. She trained the female Parrot in all the religions of her day, and all the Isms, and read everything written by the Last Prophet C.E. She finished at last. Now she tried the female Parrot.
“Okay said the female Merchant. The female Merchant dressed up as a businessman and donned a heavy mustache. She walked out of her tent, waited a few seconds, and opened the door-flap and came in; she walked up to the female Parrot’s birdcage and waited.” The female Parrot looked the female Merchant up and down. Then the female Parrot sang out, “Money is Love.”
The Merchant clapped his hands, excitedly. “Yes! Yes! Then she cast the male Parrot a glare. “See diplomatic. Tuned in. You must consider your relationship with the person. Okay, the female Merchant said we will try this again.”
The female Parrot remained silent.
The female Merchant got a good feeling in her gut. Oh, my, this is going to work marvelously. She came back as an Atheist. She scowled at the female Parrot. “All is nihilism, no truth, no purpose, and pure accident!”
The female Parrot looked the female Merchant up and down. After a few seconds said, “Not believing is love.”
“Wonderful. Wonderful.” said the female Merchant.
The female Parrot remained silent.
Again the Merchant went out, and this time came back dressed as a policeman. She walked up to the birdcage.
The female Parrot sang out, “Stopping Chaos is Love.”
“Splendid.” The female Merchant clapped heartily. “Now, all I have to do is find a friendly size city to set up the business, and hire some strong men and women to carry all the money I make to the local bank.
The female Merchant caught a train to the nearest large city, one mile away, and set up her tent in the local market. “Lots of people means lots of money.” When she was ready, she covered up the male Parrot’s cage, so he stayed quiet and could not see what was going on. The female Parrot stood on her tiny round wooden swing in the middle of her clean golden birdcage. This horizontal wooden peg the female Parrot loved standing and swinging on. Off on the right side, standing on its tip another wooden dowel she could fly and rest on. A mirror placed behind her kept her company in between customers. The female Parrot also had fresh water and food. “Remember, you are an Abyssarian Parrot. So you know the truth. You know what to say,” spoke the female Merchant.
“Abyssarian!” sang the female Parrot. “Abyssarian.”
The female Merchant went outside and hung her sign over the tent: FEMALE PARROT KNOWS ALL RELIGIONS, ALL ISMS! Come Hear! Come See! She hired two strong men and two strong women to guard the empty sack where she would place her golden coins. People began to line up behind the female Merchant’s long wooden table with words and symbol pictures of all the religion names printed in pink on a black table cloth.
“This is going to be fun,” said one little thirteen-year-old girl.
“Oh, I bet it’s going to be a joke,” said one guy who looked like a sailor.
Everyone made their little comments as they lined up. The female Merchant could see professors, soldiers, businesswomen and men, artist, dancers, old, young, and in between. The female Merchant explained the rules: “I’ve taught this Parrot everything she knows. Soon as you enter the tent, walk up to the birdcage and wait for your answer. If you don’t like your answer, I’ll refund your two gold coins.”
But an Agnostic was the first person in line before the thirteen-year-old girl. The Agnostic man paid his two coins and proudly went in. “I’m always willing to listen to the truth he said strutting up to the female Parrot’s cage in the tent’s center.
The female Parrot studied him. “The Unknown is Love.”
“What? Wait? What do you mean by the Unknown?”
“You love what you don’t know for sure?”
The Agnostic man stood baffled, but he admitted the female Parrot was right. The man scratched his balding head as he slowly opened the back door of the tent.
The female Merchant had a wireless earpiece where he could listen to the bird’s answer from outside the closed tent. She did this to see if the customer was satisfied or not. She also wanted to know if the female Parrot said the right answers. It would come in handy also to know when the customer had left by the back door tent because a tiny little bell rang. The ringing bell served to reward the female Parrot, too.
The thirteen-year-old girl went inside the tent. She walked into the center of it where the female Parrot sat swinging in her birdcage.
The female Parrot looked the young girl with two natural roses on her cheek, up and down the female Parrot looked and said, “School is Love.”
“By the Abyss. How did you know! I just love school. I’m super curious about all kinds of things.” The thirteen-year-old girl left very excitedly and amazed.
The female Merchant smiled after receiving the two gold coins and sent in the sailor.
The sailor laughed and walked up to the birdcage. “I had a parrot like you once.”
The female Parrot remained silent as she studied him. “Sailing the seas is Love.”
“By my pirates’ family blood! I love to sail. I’m stuck on this land now, and it’s awful.”
The little bell rang, and the Merchant sent in the next customer an old woman.
The female Parrot looked into the old woman wrinkled face and down her frail body and sang, “Family is Love.”
A Christian woman came in. She wore a cross around her neck.
The female Parrot noticed everything about her and sang out, “Jesus is Love.”
A Catholic man came in.
The female Parrot chirped, “Peter is Love.”
A scientist came into the tent and eyed the Parrot skeptically. “Never doubt
What you have not tested. What do I love Parrot.”
“Proving things is Love.”
Before the female ballet dancer could waltz into the tent’s center,
The female Parrot sang, “Movement is Love.”
The ballet dancer was astonished.
A Buddhist came to see the female Parrot.
His robes swished as he went inside the tent.
The female Parrot looked him over and said, “Buddha is Love.”
The bell rang, and a politician came inside the tent and stood before the female Parrot.
“Promises are Love,” said the female Parrot quickly.
A female scholar holding several thick research journals entered
“Knowledge is Love,” sang the female parrot
“Cute,” said the female scholar. However, she had a friend behind her who hated her job, but was also a scholar, professor, but wanted to be a painter.
The second female scholar came in. She, too, had research journals in her hand.
“Painting with Words is Love.”
The second female scholar gasped. “That so true. Uncanny.” The little bell ring and the female Merchant could hear the two ladies discussing their answers.
A boy went in.
The female Parrot said, “Toys are Love.”
An older boy went in.
The female Parrot said again, “Toys are Love.”
A depressed teenage girl came inside the tent. She expected the Parrot to be bigger and was disappointed. “Whatever … What do I love?” said the depressed girl.
As if matching her moods, the female Parrot moved really slow as she examined her and then rose on her legs excitedly and said, “Boredom is Love.”
“I so do not love boredom!” argued the teenage girl.
But the female Parrot refused to get into a relationship argument with the girl and remained silent for a minute, before replying, “Love is Being Bored.”
The girl found this answer more acceptable because she had often been told, ‘You Love Boredom.’ Now happy, the girl left the tent, and the little bell rang.
An Actor went to see the female Parrot that knew all religions and Isms. Once inside the female Parrot sang to him, “Being Fake is Love.”
An inventor didn’t know what to expect. For she didn’t realize her Ism.
The female Parrot did; She sang out, “Creating Things is Love.”
The female Merchant sent in a man dressed as a military General’s uniform.
The female Parrot looked at him and sang, “War is Love.”
A Security Agent was allowed in after paying his fee.
The female Parrot said, “Secrecy is Love.”
A famous painter came into the tent, and the female Parrot did not recognize her.
It didn’t matter, the female Parrot said, “Colors are Love.”
A second Security Agent entered after giving his two gold coins.
The female Parrot sang, “Sneaky Acts are Love.”
A male porn star came into the tent. He wore a black satin shirt opened to his navel.
The female Parrot looked him up and down and sang, “Sex is Love.”
A female porn star in a micro mini dress entered the tent. She was the wife of the previous male porn star. It didn’t matter; the Parrot sang out, “Money is Love.”
A third Security Agent went in after the Merchant received her gold coins.
The female Parrot sang, “Lies are Love.”
A CEO came into the tent after paying his two gold coins.
The female Parrot guessed correctly, “Managing large businesses is Love.”
A banker came into the tent.
The Parrot studied him and said, “Saving is Love.”
A Shinto believer came into the tent.
The female Parrot hopped from her swing to her vertically standing peg and stood still. Then she jumped back onto the swing.
“Oh, how wise said the Shinto Master,” as he left the tent.
An Architect came inside the tent. He noticed the structure of the tent.
The Parrot noticed and said to him, “Building things is Love.”
A Lawyer entered the tent and walking in his confident straight poise stood before the female Parrot.
“Redefining words is Love,” sang the female Parrot.
He laughed. “So true.”
A Doctor entered the tent. He was dressed in regular clothes.
The Parrot quickly diagnosed him, “Stopping Suffering is Love.”
A Psychologist entered the tent.
The Parrot sang, “Mind is Love.”
A Psychiatrist entered the tent.
The Parrot shouted, “Trying the Mind is Love.”
A female fashion designer came in wearing some old 20th-century clothing.
The female Parrot, after studying her, said, “Fabric is Love.”
An actress came inside the tent.
The female Parrot sang out, “Fame is Love.”
A Taoist believer came inside the tent.
The female Parrot said, “Nameless is Love.”
An Athlete came to see the female Parrot.
The female Parrot said, “Fast Action is Love.”
A Groupie came in, that is to say, someone who loves movie stars, singers, and sports personalities.
The female Parrot announced, “Loving Famous People is Love.”
A Nanny came inside to see the Parrot on her day off.
The female Parrot said, “Baby is Love.”
A Tired Mom came in. She was alone and trying to relax.
The female Parrot said, “Sharing Energy is Love.”
A Male who loved trekking outdoors and camping came inside the tent.
The female Parrot said, “Nature is Love.”
His female partner came in wearing her beige hiking outfit, and the female Parrot said, “Saving the planet is Love.”
A cat-store owner thought this would be amusing and entered the tent.
The female Parrot said, “Dangerous Animals Are Love.”
At first, the cat-store owner didn’t understand.
The female Merchant listening rushed in, concerned. “I’m sorry. She’s done so well up to this point. I can understand you wanting your money back.”
“No … No.” Thought the woman. “I have a cat shelter business. I guess from the Parrot’s point of view—those are dangerous animals I love. I do love all my cats no matter what horrible or beautiful places they come from.
“I see said the female Merchant.” She smiled. “I trained her is all the Isms. Whatever you love, my Parrot can tell you about it.”
The amazed cat-store owner opened the back tent door triggering the little bell.
An accountant came inside the tent.
The female Parrot sang out, “Numbers are Love.”
A young mother, holding her new infant came inside the tent.
The young mother immediately held up the infant.
The female Parrot called out, “Bundle is Love.”
The young mother frowned.
The Parrot nodded her head and said, “Baby Loves Mom.”
The woman smiled and was satisfied.
A writer came inside the tent.
The female Parrot sang out, “Groups of Words are Love.”
A poet came inside the tent.
Out came the female Parrot’s words, “Word on Word is Love.”
Another Agonistic entered the tent. He thought he confused the female Parrot.
The female Parrot looked him up and down. “Doubts are Love.”
The little bell rang as the Agnostic left.
But quickly, the little bell rang again, and the female Merchant heard the female Parrot cry out: “STEALING THINGS IS LOVE! STEALING THINGS IS LOVE!”
The female Merchant motioned with a finger for one strong man inside the tent and spoke over her hidden mic to the one strong female outside the back door of the tent. Sure enough, they caught a man trying to steal the female Parrot. She was flapping around wildly in her cage, clinging to the gold sidebars. Her water spilled half out, and some of her food crackers lay on the floor of the cage. A strong woman caught the guy as he tried to exit the tent. She pushed the man back inside the tent where the strong man captured him. The strong woman gently placed the bird’s cage back on its table in the tent’s center while the strong man took the thief to jail.
The female Merchant went inside and talked quietly with the female Parrot. “You did well. Good bird. Merchant loves you.” After about three minutes, the Parrot was calm, and all was good again. The female Merchant went outside and started letting in more customers.
An Islam believer entered the tent. She was very skeptical and wanted to change to Abyssarian but had not done so yet; so, she still wore a veil from head to toe.
The female Parrot looked her up and down and said, “Allah is Love.”
Two female girls about fifteen years of age wanted to go in together. The female Merchant allowed them because they paid four gold coins. The giggling, naive girls entered the tent. They stood before the female Parrot. “She smaller than I imagined,” said the outgoing black girl.
The female Parrot considered their ponytails, T-shirts, skinny jeans to gym shoes and said, “Boys are Love.”
The two girls squealed and left the tent.
Two Islam believers entered. They paid their four coins but kept arguing, for one was a Sunni, and another was a Shiite.
“We will see who is right?”
“Yeah, we will see who is right?”
Both approached the female Parrot studied them carefully. Then she said, “Mohammed Loves Allah.”
The two stood in silence. Neither one could disagree with the female Parrot’s answer. The female Merchant listening chuckled to herself as the two Islam believers left the tent and the tiny little bell binged.
This the Merchant kept saying every so often, “I’ve taught this Parrot everything she knows. Soon as you enter the tent, walk up to the birdcage and wait for your answer. If you don’t like your answer, I’ll refund your two gold coins.”
The female Merchant had sent the strong man and woman away three times already with a bag full of gold coins. She placed an empty sack down, flattened it to drop her coins. When she looked up and noticed an Abyssarian Priestess standing in line with her black robe and her hood over her shoulder length blonde split-end blonde hair. She could barely make out her pale blue eyes, but she seemed friendly enough. She stood behind another man. The female Merchant knew well, Abyssarians don’t have traditional teachers. There are only female Priestesses as required by the Last Prophet C.E. All Abyssarians believe you only have two teachers one, the Supreme Ruler Mother Goddess in Heaven and two, the Supreme Ruler Father God in Heaven. You read the Abyssarian Book and keep asking those two teachers, the only ones who know perfectly what they all, mean for answers. Thus, she was surprised to see the Abyssarian Priestess standing in line. But then again, Abyssinians can gather if they want. Where there is one Abyssarian, there, too, is the Supreme Ruler Mother Goddess in Heaven and the Supreme Ruler Father God in Heaven. The Abyssarian Priestess read the sign over the tent as the female Merchant sent in the man. A minute later, the little bell rang, and the female Merchant hearing it in his wireless earplug sent the Abyssarian inside.
The Abyssarian Priestess walked without noise up to the birdcage. She stood silently in front and waited.
The female Parrot looked the Priestess up and down. Then she turned her left eye to catch the Priestess’ eyes and then the female Parrot turned her right eye to stare into the Priestess’ eyes. Then the female Parrot nodded her head and stood straight on her round wooden swing.
The Abyssarian Priestess watched and waited. Then slowly, she held out both hands and said softly, “Okaaaay!”
The female Parrot repeated the cryptic gesture. She turned her tiny black left eye to look at the Abyssarian Priestess and then turned her small black right eye to view the Priestess’ pale blue eyes. Then the female Parrot nodded her head down.
The female Merchant listened and began to worry. What is taking so long?
The Abyssarian Priestess said again, “Whenever you are ready parrot?” The Abyssarian Priestess looked round toward the front of the tent. Then suddenly the female Merchant rushed in.
“Polly, give this Abyssarian Priestess her answer.” She motioned her open palm toward the waiting Priestess. Her split-end blonde still hung outside her black hoodie.
Polly turned her head to her left, showing the Abyssarian Priestess her tiny left eye, and in a casual turn, Polly positioned her head to the right, showing the Abyssarian Priestess her small right eye. Then Polly nodded and stood still.
The female Merchant said, “What is this, Polly?” Then turning to Abyssarian Priestess, the female Merchant said, “I’m sorry I’ve taught Polly all the Abyssarian scriptures written by the Last Prophet C.E., the poems, stories, novel, essays. I can’t understand this. Wait!” The female Merchant gave a big smile. “I know what is wrong,” she cooed. “It’s been a long day hasn’t Polly? My lovely smart, sweet bird.” The female Merchant rush to the left side of Polly’s birdcage behind the white sheet covered male birdcage and got a fresh bottle of water. She came back and emptied the old water out.
The female Merchant thought quickly, “Yes.” She rushed again to the left side of the tent, picked out two fresh crackers, and crushed them in her hands. These she put inside the small food bind of the Parrot’s cage. “Ah Let’s clean out your cage said the female Merchant,” as she reached in and grabbed the wax paper and carefully folded it up and took it to the right side of Polly’s cage and placed it in a trash bin. “There! Polly!” the female Merchant cooed. Turning to the Abyssarian Priestess, the female Merchant said, “Polly will give you your answer now.”
But Polly did not eat any of the new water or food and remained on her tiny wooden swing. As the Abyssrian Priestess waited, Polly turned her head to her left, showing her small left eye and in a smooth turn positioned her head to the right, showing her tiny right eye. Then Polly nodded and stood still.
The female Merchant held out the two gold coins for the Abyssarian Priestess to take back. The Abyssarian Priestess took back the two gold coins and began to walk out. Just then, Polly, the Parrot said, “Silence is Love.”
The Abyssarian Priestess looked around suddenly at the Parrot.
“There! That’s it! Good girl” said the female Merchant. “That’s what I taught you! See Abyssarian Priestess.”
The Abyssarian Priestess slowly walked back. Deep inside her black hood, the female Merchant could see a wry smile on the Abyssarian Priestesses face. The Priestess handed back the two gold coins into the hands of the female Merchant. “Polly had it right the first time,” she said, coldly. “Any words stray from the truth of Abyssarianism. Sitting in silence is the one Abyssarian truth. I now know that you did not teach Polly this answer. That is the only reasons why I came to your tent, Merchant. For if you had taught Polly, you would have realized you are possibly perpetuating falsehoods. But, and the Abyssarian Priestess smiled under her black hood, her eyes brighter, “Now we both know only The Supreme Ruler Mother Goddess and the Supreme Ruler Father God taught Polly Abyssarianism.”
Polly, the Parrot, looked at the Abyssarian Priestess and turned her tiny black left eye to her and then turned her small right black eye towards her and then nodded once and stood straight on her tiny wooden swing. The Abyssarian Priestess nodded silently to Polly and left the tent.
The End.