Unfinished Puzzle

Piece 1

"The legends of old," she started cautiously, "are indeed guides to daily life. They remind us of what is important and how history is doomed to repeat if we are not careful. However, we must remember the context in which they are told."

I didn't know exactly what she meant, and I stated so. Sometimes, she spoke riddles, and sometimes, she spoke nonsense, and I wondered which of them this would be.

She brushed her hair back, turning to look at me from her place at the window. "Life has become far different than what it used to be, hasn't it? Take a look outside, what do you see?"

I stood up with a small shrug and begrudgingly looked outside through the window she was standing at. "I don't know, people? Dogs? The market?"

She stared at me for a long moment before nodding. "You recall the Tale of the Beaten Drum?"

"Of course," I scoffed. "Who doesn't? It's one of the most-"

"Then," she interrupted, "you should know this. When the drum, which belonged to the sister, was stolen by the brother, she felt the same thing we all would feel. Correct? Jealousy, anger, betrayal, and injustice. In that respect, we are to be aware that the actions we make inflict emotions on others, depending on what we do, and so we must be careful to respect others."

I nodded along tiredly, only half-listening. It's been a long day and I was not expecting a rant just at the end of it. I knew she meant something behind it, but maybe it could wait for a different day, when I'm not so tired??

She frowned at me, knowing full well that I was hardly listening, but continued. She probably hoped I'd remember it so she wouldn't have to ever explain it all again. "But there is a major difference. In the time of the tale, there was conflict all across the land and hardly was there a dispute which had been ended peacefully. The brother gathered supporters, and the ones who hated his supporters stood by the sister, not because of the siblings' problem, but because of the rift between them and the others.

This is what was able to let the whole village fall to ruin, as it is understood. Correct?" She didn't wait for my answer. "But now we see through his glass that our village is brought together, as their village wasn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Still, I didn't. And I told her that. "No, not really. I'm too tired for this right now. I think I'll be too tired for it, for a long time, actually."

Her frown was evident but she didn't dignify my words with a response. "Do not let something get too out of hand, or it will be fixed in bloodshed and ruin. Until the problem is uncontrollable, you can always find a solution."

I sat down on the bed, the floor swaying a little under my feet. "You think you're so smart... But there's not always a peaceful solution to everything, and that's something you need to learn."

She brushed past me, lingering at the doorway to whisper goodnight, and pulled the door closed behind her.