A SECOND CHANCE

The storm had been fierce. All about trees both large and small lay upon the earth like fallen soldiers on a battlefield. All over the village itself leaves were thick upon the ground. Yet, the stone houses of the villagers were still standing intact. Every edifice of wood was blown to bits.

Slowly the villagers emerged from their stone houses to greet the new day that had dawned revealing to them the changes wrought upon their corner of the world. Generations ago the Elders had shared a prophecy about just such a storm that would come one day to cleanse the world. That was when those who believed the prophecy began building stone houses, and those first stone houses had weathered countless storms with nary a scratch. Now, those same stone houses had weathered the greatest, wildest storm anyone had ever known. No experience of any previous storm prepared them for the devastation that now greeted their eyes. Some clung to each other crying and wailing. Some stood silent and still. Some fell to their knees and kissed the ground.

Then silence fell upon them as they waited remembering as one mind the words of the oft told prophecy that they had heard and believed. That story was their only guide now and they knew it. From Younglings to Elders, they knew it. They began to speak the words together while moving to form a circle. They joined hands and chanted over and over:

“You only see destruction

 Underneath is creation.

You only see destruction

 Underneath is creation.”

First Elder stepped into the middle of the circle. She raised her arms to the no longer darkened sky and the people stopped moving and again fell silent. She spoke the words of the full prophecy:

“You only see destruction.

           Underneath is creation

           Awaiting to materialize

Upon discovery

Of a new life-form

That you will welcome

And thus, will be rewarded.

A youngling shall seek and find.”

As prophecies are want to be, it was lacking in details.

First Elder was unperturbed by the lack of details and continued with instructions saying, “Younglings of the stone houses will meet with me to receive the sacred instructions while the able-bodied among you clear away the wood leaving all the fallen leaves in place where they have come to rest. Work with deliberation and extreme care. We see destruction before us. Creation has yet to be revealed. What has yet to be discovered by one of our own, will be precious. Go to work.”

The able-bodied dispersed and went to work as instructed.

First Elder waved her arms about her and said, “Younglings, gather round to receive your sacred instructions. Please form a Circle of Seekers here at my feet.”

Amongst the younglings was a girl called Serena. She was a cripple because she was born under the Moon of Changes and her left foot had not fully formed. She was a sweet youngling who always tried to do her best. She had received the gift of song at her birth, as well as the challenge of her unformed foot. Songs sprang from her lips unbidden in times of sorrow and joy. Now, as she listened to First Elder’s call, she began to send wordless song into the air as she made her way slowly to answer First Elder’s call to join the Circle of Seekers and receive their sacred instructions.

Serena listened closely to First Elder’s instructions. When she heard First Elder’s words, “Go forth and seek,” she did just that. Carefully stepping so that she would not crush a single fallen leaf, she began turning over leaves one by one and stacking them neatly as she steadily cleared a path through the piles of leaves. The other Seekers were doing the same thing.

After a while, the rest bell rang and all the Seekers retraced their steps along the paths they had made back to where they had started to rest and refresh themselves. Not a single overturned leaf had yet revealed anything.

Serena sipped from the cup of spring water handed to her by an acolyte to First Elder and smiled her thanks. After munching a bit of honey bread and a few more sips of spring water, she smiled and nodded at her fellow Seekers. Then, unbidden, song spilled forth from her lips. She sang of the prophecy and hope. As the last note of her song floated away in the air, she, and all the other Seekers, rose to resume the search.

Serena walked along the path she had created stopping now and then to turn over and stack a stray leaf on her path. When she reached the end of her path, she could see the heads of other Seekers. It seemed to her that all were heading toward a central point, and she wondered if it were only a mind-trick. She turned her attention to the leaves before her. She reached down to turn over a scarlet leaf and paused startled by what looked like a few strands of silver hair showing from underneath the leaf. With trembling hands, she carefully lifted the scarlet leaf and there it was, a small breathing life form with golden wings enfolding it like a blanket as it slept peacefully on a bed of silver hair.

Serena knelt down barely daring to breathe. She knew this life form was the promise of the prophecy. While she was kneeling there stunned, the being stirred and stared back at her with two brilliant sky-blue eyes.

The Winged Being chirped like a little bird, but was no bird. Oddly, Serena understood the chirping to mean, “Good morning.” The chirping continued with a question, “Do you sing? I was told my Finder would be a singer.”

Serena nodded.

The Winged Being chirped again, “Then, please sing of me.”

Serena nodded and began to sing of the moment of finding. From all around, came shrieks of joyous surprise as other Seekers were discovering more of these Winged Beings underneath leaves.

The villagers gathered round. The Winged Beings whirred around them air-dancing in time with Serena’s song.

One of the Winged Beings landed on First Elder’s outstretched hand. The Winged Being chirped and First Elder listened and then spoke, “These Winged Beings are our new friends. They will help restore our world. Within each one of them lives the Spirit of Love and by caring for them, we will be caring for the Spirit of Love which will care for us through good times and bad forevermore. They tell me we will soon see evidence of their healing, creative power.”

Serena stood near first Elder and burst into song that soared. The Winged Beings air-danced and the villagers clapped and danced and sang with joy along with Serena’s song. As Serena sang, she felt a tingling where her unformed foot had never had feeling before. She kept singing clear and true. No one was paying attention her. Something was happening to her foot. She knelt down and felt her familiar fully formed foot and then tenuously sought out the source of the tingling. Toes, bones, firm flesh, and a heel met her probing fingers! She stood up on both her now fully formed feet and kept singing while tugging on First Elder’s robe. Unable to contain herself, Serena swirled around First Elder in her first dance steps with two feet ever.

First Elder raised her arms in the air. All the villagers stopped dancing and waited breathlessly. First Elder reached out and took Serena’s hand and called out in liquid tones, “See before us living proof of the prophecy. The healing has begun.”

One by one, the villagers dropped to their knees with gratitude and awe at being witness to the power of the Winged Beings amongst them. All joined in song. They knew that no matter what happened next, they were not alone.

Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled. Of course, it was up to the villagers what they would do with this second chance to create a better world for themselves and their posterity. Would they? Only time would tell.