From Night On: Pathways

Chapters 5-6

Chapter 5:

Mother and the Station

March 9th

(Hessa)

Yael and I read the chapters together, completely enchanted by Les' encounter with Lu Dongbin and Zhang Ling, but I was confused. Was he heading to The Dalai Lama or was he going to Australia? It's been over a week since I've seen him and we had only received a full day of what he's gone through, meaning that he's been in the spirit realm for about a month or two in his time, if he hasn't found a way out.

The philosophical value of Les' encounter had Yael and me in deep contemplation. Finally, without any warning to myself, I blurted out, "You never said HOW you got your gift or what happened to Norm during that time you were with the yogi." Perhaps, my subconscious screamed for a change of subject. I know that I didn't want to overthink or get my hopes up that I would find Les at McLeod Ganji. I needed to listen to Zhang Ling and Lu Dongbin just as much as Les needs to and have faith in the paths we are on. My suddenness shocked us both out of our stupors and made me feel a little foolish. I waited for Yael, who had turned to stare out the window, but I just wanted for her to continue her story. "It's just that you had such a great story and I wanted to hear the rest of it." She began to fidget in her seat and looked very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," I said. "I'll shut up now."

She sighed and turned to me, "I'll tell you about my story, but Chuluun's story is his to tell."

"Completely fair," I agreed.

"Okay," she started, "but let's move to another seat. I don't know what languages this family speaks and I don't want anyone overhearing this." We moved to the back of the plane where we ordered some drinks and snacks and she began telling me about how she gained her abilities.

"I was asked by my father to retrieve some water," she began, "but the well was dry, so I had left to retrieve a bucket full from the creek. There wasn't anything different about that day. I didn't feel any strange presence or have any suspicions. It was a beautiful day. Although the well was dry, the creek was rather deep. I had walked to an area where few people would go, so I could enjoy some peace and quiet. I exposed my feet and legs and was soaking them in the waters when I heard a scream from the other side."

Although the incident happened over two thousand years ago, Yael's body language spoke of it as a recent event. "I stood up just as a woman, beaten and bloodied with her clothing half torn from her body, ran through the brush and into the water. I yelled to her to come to me and she panicked, thrashing her way across. I could hear who was pursuing her. Four men were whooping and hollering to her and laughing."

Yael's anger was growing and her mistrust for men was clearly compounded by generations of continued rape culture. "Just as she reached my side, they came out of the brush and pushed their ways through the water. She was too panicked and kept tripping and falling. One of the men managed to grab her just as she reached me and I swung the bucket, hitting him in the head," she made a wide sweep with her arm, reliving the brief moment of triumph. "I helped her to her feet and we began to run, but we weren't fast enough. The other three men were right on top of us, grabbing and clawing at our bodies. I kicked one in his balls and scratched another's eyes, but the woman had already been taken to the ground as one of the men continued to tear at her clothes and mounted her. I tried to get to her, but I was grabbed from behind and punched in the stomach. I couldn't breathe. The man who punched me began tearing my clothing away, exposing me," she grabbed her own clothing and pulled it in tightly around herself. "The man I had hit with the bucket was back up and then punching me in the face. I couldn't see. My head was spinning from the hits and I began to black out. I tried to stay awake and keep fighting." I almost stopped her from telling me more.