Returning to her own wagons, her heart was saddened by several things. Sitting on the platform of her wagon, her knees were drawn up, arms wrapped around them, and the dark head was lowered, her chin resting on one knee. The pain in her heart was sharp, and did not seem to want to go away. The words that were thrown at her tonight, were hurtful, and what made them even more so, is that she felt they were a simple lashing out by someone that she truly did care for. The woman could not say what she wanted to the warrior, so she had chosen Cana as the target of her poisonous tongue.
As she sat there, she remembered a story that her mother had told her once. One that had made an impression on her at the time, but she had almost forgotten in her conscious mind, but perhaps it had lingered somewhere, buried deeper and that was why it was coming to her tonight.
There were once two young women that had been raised together. The wagons of their families had sat side by side for as long as they could remember. They had been born only a few hands apart, and had been friends for as long as they could remember.
One day, the one woman was feeling testy, irritable and was actually angry with something else that had happened that she had no control of. When her friend had tried to talk to her about it, instead of telling her what was weighing on her heart and mind, she had instead taken her frustrations out on the oldest friend that she had, and had said many hurtful things. The look on her friends face as she walked away, made her realize how wrong she had been, but she wasn't sure how to fix it. You see, she was a woman that was weighed down by pride and of her own importance and saying "I'm sorry." was just not something she did often.
She had taken her plight to Maribu, and elder of the spex clan and sought guidance. The old woman told her that she must follow her instructions exactly as they were given to her. The young woman was so distraught of the thought of losing her friend, she promised to follow them to the letter.
Nodding, the old woman then explained what she must do. This was a situation of atonement, and her instructions must be followed. She asked the proud young woman if she still had the fat, fluffy, feather pillows that her mate had brought her from a raid? Yes, she still had them. There was a quiver in the elder's voice as she told her what she must do.
"You will take those pillows, split them open and you will place one feather from the pillows on every platform in the harigga, and it must be done before cock's crow tomorrow morning." At first the young woman thought the old spex was addled, but she agreed to do exactly as she asked.
Through out the night, she went from wagon to wagon and placed one of the delicate white feathers on each platform. It was a typical plains night, the wind howled, the clouds blew across the faces of the moons, to where there were times she worked in shadows. But finally, just before the sky started to lighten with the coming of the dawn, and the cock's around camp began to crow the starting of the day, she had returned to the old spex and told her......"Old Mother, I have done exactly as you asked, what do I do now?"
The old woman opened one eye to stare at her and calmly said, "You will now go and gather up each of those feathers and put them back into your pillows."
A scream of frustration came from the young woman. "What do you mean gather them up and put them back? They were blown away on the winds as fast as I could put them down. It is impossible for me to get them back!"
The old woman turned her rheumy gaze on her and spoke in a clear, calm voice. "And just as it is impossible to put the feathers back into the pillows, it is also impossible to unsay words once you have spoken. You must learn this lesson and remember it. You must always think on your words, especially word that can wound, before you say them. And it is even more important to think on these words when you are talking to someone you love. You can never unspeak them. You have just learned a bitter, but important lesson, I hope."
The young woman walked away with tears in her eyes as she realized what has happened. In a fit of anger and frustration, she had wounded the one person that she had been closest too all of her life. Her feet could not carry her fast enough to her friends wagon to apologize. To say......I was wrong, and I am sorry.
Did her friend accept the apology? She did, graciously, and they remained friends until the first woman was no more, and rode the sky. Yes, they were friends, but there was never the same level of trust and communication between them. That level of unconditional love between the two women was to be no more, and perhaps they both suffered from it.
So, you must always remember........Before you speak, think of your words and the power of them. If there is spite in them, it is often better to swallow that bitter pill, instead of giving it to another.
As she sat there, she remembered a story that her mother had told her once. One that had made an impression on her at the time, but she had almost forgotten in her conscious mind, but perhaps it had lingered somewhere, buried deeper and that was why it was coming to her tonight.
There were once two young women that had been raised together. The wagons of their families had sat side by side for as long as they could remember. They had been born only a few hands apart, and had been friends for as long as they could remember.
One day, the one woman was feeling testy, irritable and was actually angry with something else that had happened that she had no control of. When her friend had tried to talk to her about it, instead of telling her what was weighing on her heart and mind, she had instead taken her frustrations out on the oldest friend that she had, and had said many hurtful things. The look on her friends face as she walked away, made her realize how wrong she had been, but she wasn't sure how to fix it. You see, she was a woman that was weighed down by pride and of her own importance and saying "I'm sorry." was just not something she did often.
She had taken her plight to Maribu, and elder of the spex clan and sought guidance. The old woman told her that she must follow her instructions exactly as they were given to her. The young woman was so distraught of the thought of losing her friend, she promised to follow them to the letter.
Nodding, the old woman then explained what she must do. This was a situation of atonement, and her instructions must be followed. She asked the proud young woman if she still had the fat, fluffy, feather pillows that her mate had brought her from a raid? Yes, she still had them. There was a quiver in the elder's voice as she told her what she must do.
"You will take those pillows, split them open and you will place one feather from the pillows on every platform in the harigga, and it must be done before cock's crow tomorrow morning." At first the young woman thought the old spex was addled, but she agreed to do exactly as she asked.
Through out the night, she went from wagon to wagon and placed one of the delicate white feathers on each platform. It was a typical plains night, the wind howled, the clouds blew across the faces of the moons, to where there were times she worked in shadows. But finally, just before the sky started to lighten with the coming of the dawn, and the cock's around camp began to crow the starting of the day, she had returned to the old spex and told her......"Old Mother, I have done exactly as you asked, what do I do now?"
The old woman opened one eye to stare at her and calmly said, "You will now go and gather up each of those feathers and put them back into your pillows."
A scream of frustration came from the young woman. "What do you mean gather them up and put them back? They were blown away on the winds as fast as I could put them down. It is impossible for me to get them back!"
The old woman turned her rheumy gaze on her and spoke in a clear, calm voice. "And just as it is impossible to put the feathers back into the pillows, it is also impossible to unsay words once you have spoken. You must learn this lesson and remember it. You must always think on your words, especially word that can wound, before you say them. And it is even more important to think on these words when you are talking to someone you love. You can never unspeak them. You have just learned a bitter, but important lesson, I hope."
The young woman walked away with tears in her eyes as she realized what has happened. In a fit of anger and frustration, she had wounded the one person that she had been closest too all of her life. Her feet could not carry her fast enough to her friends wagon to apologize. To say......I was wrong, and I am sorry.
Did her friend accept the apology? She did, graciously, and they remained friends until the first woman was no more, and rode the sky. Yes, they were friends, but there was never the same level of trust and communication between them. That level of unconditional love between the two women was to be no more, and perhaps they both suffered from it.
So, you must always remember........Before you speak, think of your words and the power of them. If there is spite in them, it is often better to swallow that bitter pill, instead of giving it to another.
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