My task for Her

I opened my eyes slowly. I was in an unfamiliar clearing, and there was a small stone mound in the middle of it. The sun shone down on it, forming a clear, golden circle around it.

I crept away from it, not wanting to be seen. I would follow my instincts now, for I had learned to trust them thoroughly. As I scanned my surroundings, it seemed as though all the brush and tangle were merely there to cover up the dangerous animals, like wild bears, that I knew lived here. I slid to a standing position, leaning on a tree so that our shadows blended. That way nothing would be given away. I saw that there was a hollow not far from where I stood, and that, close to it, there was a small tangle of a berry patch. I walked to it and ate my fill. Then I lay down in the hollow, telling my mind to  stop whirling around so.

But you have to think about it! Otherwise you will never learn to accept it! 

“I will not!”, I whispered out loud, not caring how many bears there were in the forest. “You know as well as I that to think about it might only make it worse!”

Maybe so, but you’ll never go on unless you try.

Nothing would get rid of that little voice unless I did what it commanded me. I lay there, in my little hollow, shivering a little as the night came on, and thought. 

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A week before, the fathers of our tribe, old and young alike, were crowded into the elders’ tent. There, they held council for two days. On the third day, they came out and told all the people of the village between fourteen and nineteen years of age to go into the tent. One of us would be chosen for a special task. 

We all went in and the elders sat us down on the earthen floor and started to ask us questions. Questions about our people, our time, our animals, even our gods. With some of us, they nodded their heads and looked at each other happily; with others, they let their heads drop as they passed on to the next person. 

When they reached me, they whispered to each other as I answered, and later in the evening, I saw them looking at me; well, it was a type of looking that I had never seen before. A searching look, as if they were trying to reach to the depths of my soul and mind. 

After questioning us all, the elders retired to a dark corner to hold council. Their ancient voices rose and fell with a maddening regularity. I believe that I nearly fell asleep before they finished, for the moon was high in the sky by that time. I felt more than heard their faint stirring, which indicated that they were walking to, I supposed, the one that had been chosen to do the task. At last, they stopped. I opened my eyes, scratchy from the little sleep they had gotten, and looked up to see... the elders... in front of me.

“My child”, one of them said in a deep, guttural voice, “It has been foretold that you will take this special task by the birthmark in the shape of a milky white star on the back of your left hand. Had it been on your right hand, we would have passed you completely, for it is said that any mark on the right hand makes the wearer despised by his tribe, for the right hand is meant for work, not exaltation, service and courage, as is the left hand. And so, tomorrow we will tell you the task that must weigh heavily on your shoulders until it is finished.”

So saying, he made some lines into the ground in front of me. The other two elders added their own and they departed to their houses. The rest left, leaving me stunned about the news I had just received. I stood up and walked to the tent’s entrance. Then, as an afterthought, I glanced back at the drawing the elders had made. By the light of the moon, I saw a star with what looked like snakes surrounding it.

That night, my family and I joined together for our last supper as a complete family. Mother had prepared a steak with spices and herbs, and Brother had found some wild fruit which Sister put in a bowl at the center of the table. It all looked and smelled wonderful, but it did not take my mind from my task, or my family’s.

 I had finally been told what my task was. I was to be an offering to our god Naleli, ‘Star’ in our dialect. I had to go to the forest and stay there until Naleli did with me as the supreme being deigned she must do. I knew not if she would kill me or decide whether I must live; if she would appear as soon as I entered the appointed spot in the forest or if she would leave me for a year or more; I knew not if i would have prepared food there or if I would have to scrounge for it. All I knew is that I had to go with nothing but a slingshot, a piece of braided rope and some incense to offer unto the goddess. And go I did.

The next morning, as the first rays of sun appeared over the far-away mountain range, I was well on my way to the forest. I half-closed my eyes to see better in the glaring light and went on walking lightly. 

As soon as I entered the woodland, the first glimmer of fear entered my heart, but I banished it away almost as fast as it had appeared. I could not, would not be frightened by something which I knew to be kind to those who obeyed. And so I entered, expecting nothing but dreading the worst. That was when the branch hit me. 

-------

Enough. You remember what you must do now?

Yes, I did. I was to wait for Naleli to come, whenever it was that she deemed the correct time to come. I must wait. But for now, sleep was necessary.

-------

I woke up with a start. The sun in the clearing was gone, but there was enough light to see around me. The brush moved ahead of me to my right. I remained lying down, for I could easily see in that direction without moving and remain hidden.

“Yoohoo! Anyone here?” The brush moved again, closer to where I lay this time. “I declare, these humans are starting to get late to their meetings! We’ll have to do something about that come fall. Human? Are you here?”

The voice was like clear, silver bells in the almost-night sky, but haughty and elegant too. I knew right then and there that this was Naleli, the goddess I had been sent here to do as she pleased with. I stood up slowly, not raising my eyes from the ground, and keeping a humble look about me.

“I am here, O Mother of the Stars.”

The brush ceased to move for some seconds, and I thought that the goddess had changed her mind about seeing me. But then I heard the silvery bells talking to me. 

“I like what I see, Human, but... can you tell me why they sent you to me and not another?”

As I answered, I held out my left hand to her.

“This is why, O goddess of the Night Sky. This star has been implanted into my simple skin and the fathers took it to mean that I was destined to meet you, and not another.”

I heard her murmuring to herself in pleasure. “How thoughtful of them! This will make my task much easier indeed.”

Her task? But... I had been sent to do a task for her, not her for me!

“Oh, no, simple being. You see, this is not the first time that this happens. Usually, I let the Humans try to survive in the forest with little gifts I leave for them. Sometimes I take one with me to keep me company, but when it dies, I must have another one to replace it. I do so hate talking to myself, with nobody to listen to me. You will serve me quite well, I believe.”

I know I must have looked shocked, and, even though I couldn’t see her face from my position, she saw my face. 

“Well? Aren’t you pleased that you are not going to die?”

“Why of course”, I stammered, “I just did not expect you to-”

“Read your mind? I do it quite often, you know, I need to keep up with all the gods. All of us have a gift of some kind. Well, it’s time to go off. Did you enjoy the berries?”

Yes, I had, and they had been quite delicious. I turned to the hollow to see if there were any more left, but the bush wasn’t there anymore. It wasn’t there? Neither was the hollow! Or the clearing! Instead, there was an everlasting light that seemed to have no shape or for, but just encompassed us completely. It was yellow, then light yellow, it turned white, then softly merged into a deep blue which in turn changed to purple. 

The goddess say my complete confusion and tried to explain. “We have traveled all the way to যে উচ্চারণ করা যায় না, the place where I live.” She held a glass full of a liquid that looked very much like the light around me. “Drink this and you will see it all as I do.”

And so I did. I’ve been happily living with Naleli and her entourage ever since, and have nothing to be sorry for. We have traveled to the worlds of many other gods and goddesses, for Naleli insists on keeping all her social lines open. But I have noticed that recently we have been visiting one world more often than the rest, even though the night sky goddess has told me time and again that it is only because of the wonderful nectar he serves to his guests.

But I wonder. I wonder.