Birgitta the Nun

Part 50 - The Peasant

Incidentally, a peasant and her giant combine harvester decided to meet the travelers on the otherwise deserted road. It was a monstrous vehicle, broad as a field, steadily creeping closer. Birgitta pulled the reins and the cart came to a halt. But the peasant kept at her pace and didn't seem to mind their vehicles meeting. It was as though, to her, the small gravel road was an ample boulevard - a generous avenue where meetings were a happy occasion - and there would be room for all. She smiled as the two vehicles crossed paths.

A giant claw, belonging to the harvester, reached out for the cart as it went by, and scraped its side mercilessly. The impact released a screeching sound and every one of the travelers shuddered. The peasant finally stopped. She climbed down the harvester and went to have a look at the damage.

It turned out to be the most harmonious of peasants. She had a remarkably kind face and walked with a sway, almost wobbling. The sun lit up her countenance and gave it a warm glow, inducing trust in anyone watching it. Her clothes were old but not shattered, also somewhat too small, but otherwise in good harmony with the bearer. She bent down and inspected their wounded cart.

"Aye well—mishaps spring about," she resolved.

That was all. She lifted her hat apologetically and remounted her vehicle, very much ready to continue her journey.

Charlie and Birgitta didn't know what to say. They observed the funny peasant without interfering.

This was the kind of peasant that was not very intelligent, but certainly very wise. She possessed that kind of knowledge half scientific, half peasant - the result of a combination of reading too little and experiencing too much. She was not interested in learning new words, but more occupied with being rational - making safe and sound decisions in real life was her field of expertise. And how right she would be: she would always be on time and at the exact right place. Maybe to save a poor cow in distress, getting itself stuck in a well. Or perhaps to clear the harvest just in time before the big bad downpour. She could separate small matters from big ones better than most people could separate apples from pears. And a scrape in a cart was indeed a small matter.

Hence, "mishaps spring about," was the verdict Birgitta and Charlie got. And sure, they could take that. To argue would be foolish. They didn't even think about how to explain the damage to the merchant. They simply clapped the reins and continued on their way, while the peasant and the harvester continued on hers.

After a few moments of silence, the nun again pulled the reins. The cart came to a halt.

"So that's it then?" she said and turned to Charlie. "I'll just return to the monastery and do nothing?"

"I believe so," the wizard replied. "But I'm not sure why you're asking me for advice. I'm no good with relations."

"But you're good with your owl."

"True. I don't seem to get rid of it," the wizard added a stiff laugh.

"Right. So then, let's go home, each in her own way."

"Good." The wizard took a deep breath, "I'm tired of going places I don't like - to meet people I don't care for."

The journey was over. They no longer had any reason for staying on the roads. Neither of them were a merchant with errands to run. Nor did they have any other business to take care of. Even the simplest task was out of their reach.

"Are you keeping the cart and the horse?" Birgitta asked.

"Haha, no—" the wizard replied. "What do you take me for?"

"You've already had a talk with the nag, haven't you?" Birgitta continued, ignoring the denial of the wizard. "And she won't cooperate?"

"Correct," the wizard admitted.

"I thought so—well, we can jump off here, and let the horse go. She'll manage, won't she?"

"Yes, she will, all too well. She has the radar of a bird."

Birgitta and Charlie didn't really say good bye, but simply went in different directions. Their first meeting had been anything but warm, so why make things complicated and name their farewell a sentimental matter? The horse watched the nun and the wizard separate, neither of them taking the road but following some invisible footpath into the terrain. Then she continued ahead with the cart, for the first time in weeks making it into a trot.