Remembering Grandma's words

Honestly meeting that girl, Cianna after getting beaten to a pulp was a surprise, because she didn't just leave me to rot, but she did remind me of what my grandma had said so many summer nights ago, my grandma was known for being a tad crazy before she passed, but I remember the last thing she had told me.

It had been a cool summer night with lightning bugs filling the sky, we had lemonade and cookies and I had been perfectly content with my life, with my future when my grandma called me over. I walked over and sat close to her. She looked me dead in the eyes and cleared her throat. 

“Miles, what I’m about to tell you is something I never want you to forget, unless you want me to be twisting and turning in my grave, you understand me boy?” I only nodded knowing better than to disagree.

She took a deep breath before taking a swig of the fresh lemonade like it was some alcohol and then looked at me, “do you know what it means to sacrifice?” I didn’t get a chance to answer before she spoke “to sacrifice means to make others a thief, because you are giving away things, things you need, but things you give and things they take that they don't know you need to live, to be you” she looked at me before looking out at the lightning bugs and then at me.

“The things you have to give, to sacrifice can be many things, happiness, time, love, work, your mind, your ears, your body, your spirit, your everything and I mean everything”

She took another breath before looking out at the sky and lighting bugs, “I have had to sacrifice everything for my family for my spouse and for my best friend and I don’t regret any of it” she looked sad before fixing her eyes on me “you better listen good boy, do you know the story of Hades and Persephone?” I only shook my head.

“Hades is said to be the god of the underworld and Persephone is said to be the goddess of spring, very different and very different worlds, one life and one death, but they fell in love, Persephone is the daughter Demeter, goddess of the earth. Hades, the brother of Zeus, who stole away the young goddess one day as she was gathering flowers and herbs and other plants of sorts.” Where was this story going?

“Boy don’t give me that look, I’m not done telling the story” she said, but could she blame me?, kidnap and then love? Seemed more like Stockholm syndrome to me.

“Hades had taken Persephone and Persephone fought back, they started out rocky, they didn’t meet like most normal people, but learned to truly love each other, but even though they did love each other the world was dying without Persephone and spring… Hades even though He didn’t want to lose her, he made the sacrifice and let her leave to save the earth” how was I supposed to respond to that? But before I could even try and respond she started to speak again. 

“Here's another story for ya, have you ever heard of Damon and Pythias?” I shook my head no again she sighed “Damon and Pythias were true friends, Pythias'  had been taken one day and Damon offered himself to save Pythias, other things had happen, things you are to young to understand, but the point I am trying to is that one day….” she took a deep breath and I reached for the cookies, before eating one whole.

“The point boy I am trying to say is that one day you will have someone in some way, that at first may seem strange or odd or wild or the opposite, but you will meet someone and all you will want to do is sacrifice everything, for them” 

“Gran...why would I want to sacrifice for someone else?” I asked she grabbed my cookie and took a bite before handing it back and rolling her eyes “You will want to sacrifice everything for this person, because you will love them, you will care for them, you may not know why, but you will feel it, and just know without really knowing” 

I looked at my bitten cookie sadly before she spoke once more “and hopefully this person will sacrifice just as much, and will care for you in some shape or form”

I walked away back to the field with the lighting bugs and the stars when my grandma stopped speaking, back to thinking that my grandma had been crazy and just an old lady off her rocker, but now….with Cianna...

My grandma had told me that the night before she passed away, I never forgot it and meeting Cianna, she helped me without thought, she cared for me without thought, I don’t know if Cianna is the one and only,  I don’t know what Cianna is to me, but I want to see, I want to try. 

My grandmother's words still ring in my ear as I look at Cianna, she was strange, she was curious and always acted like she was in control even though it seemed more like she was out of control, she would always offer me food and would always walk near me like we were trusted friends and not strangers that had only met only a day or so ago, she was blunt and bold and I loved that, but still if I try and see what she is to me, what if it hurts more than it's worth it?

I don’t know if Cianna will even be a friend to me, but when I look at her, I just see someone who my grandma had talked about, not one of the gods or goddesses, but that person I might want to see….see if I will sacrifice for. 

I remember the words of my crazy grandma that now doesn't seem so crazy. Her words all those summers ago are something I won't forget, and now I will just have to trust in them now, I will sacrifice my time, my effort, my mind, my might and my soul for this girl, this girl I don’t know, but just know without knowing.