Ancient Things We Hold

Chapter 22

When the Only Salt was from the Water

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Hodaya had never left her village before. For her, it was just the shambles of a town she called a home and the surrounding woods she longed for. Meanwhile, Aldwyn had travelled around the kingdom all his life. He had seen the jewelled lakes of the east and the endless pastures of the midlands. He had climbed every sort of tree and seen creatures of snow and sun. However, he still left the lands of Carreg Llwyd for the first time, perhaps because he knew it was the last.

When she was young, all Hodaya did was dream of faraway places. She adored learning of their religion and cultures. In Elisentev, tradition was the bedrock of all they knew. Therefore, to be exposed to something even the least bit different was exciting.

Oh, how she marvelled over stories of Egypt in the scriptures. Could sand really last for so long to be perceived as a golden sea? And what of buildings that touched the sky from a single point, all the while burying history within its stone walls through tombs and jewels.

The Promised Land also appealed to her beautifully. Unlike with the other places she learnt of, she knew not what this would look like. Therefore, it was something she could imagine using inspiration from every corner of the known world.

Despite this fascination with all that went beyond the reach of her little home, it was always the sea that called for her most. Even though many told her, she simply could not believe that the sea tasted of salt. Why did it so? Was the sea not formed from rain and was the rain not always fresh?

Every now and then, a seagull would fly over the village when the weather was cruel and hence the seas too horrid to bear. Hodaya would stare at them with envy, deciding they were tantalising her with a taste of the seaside that she would never have. She wanted to climb up her tree, outstretch her arms and fly away with them so that she could see the expanse of liquid crystal. She wished herself lighter so that the air could carry her away.

Once she decided not to eat just so that she could be light enough. However, after a scolding from her mother and considerable protest from her stomach as well, that plan failed after just a few hours.

"You can swim in the lakes and pretend they're filled with salt and pretend the dirt and grass at the bank is sand," said her mama as Hodaya begrudgingly picked up her knife and began eating her meal.

"I do. That's all I've done since I was a baby, but when one is as old as I am-"

"-You're only seven years old, Hodaya," pointed out her mama in amusement.

She shook her head as though the fact brought her nothing but anguish. "Seven years with no way of knowing if my imagination over the sea is correct. Have you really never seen the sea? Is there nothing you can tell me just to help me last a little longer without being near it?" she begged.

"No, indeed. I am sorry, but you'll have to ask the rabbi in those lessons you go to. He is from a seaside village, you know. I'm sure he would be pleased to tell you once he has taught you of more important things," said her mama. Hodaya's eyes lit up in excitement, causing her to add, "Oh, your head is filled with such dreams. You ought to be more practical, like Hadassah,"

But how could she when she knew the sea could be found by following the clouds that hovered above her at that very moment? No. One day, she decided, her dreams would do good for it would lead her to the scent of salty air.

Her siblings laughed at her when she wanted to place salt in the lake and pretend she was at the sea. Nonetheless, as there was little else to do when the day's work was done with, they were amenable in saving as many scraps of salt as they could for the next month.

They hid it in her keepsake box yet, even after weeks of doing this, they had hardly any. Salt was somewhat of a luxury after all. Nevertheless, she decided it would be enough for just a moment if she was as quick as possible. Her impatience was too great in such a situation.

After thanking her siblings endlessly for their help, she and the other four of them rushed down to the furtherest lake clad in their underthings covered only by their shawls. Fortunately, they did not pass many people on the way and those that they did smiled at the gaggle of children rushing about so indecently.
At five and four  years of age, Tamar and Elchanan were tripping over their little feet at every instance in desperation to keep up with the older three, making for a very amusing sight indeed.

Hodaya held her keepsake box high above her head as she stepped into the water. She requested that the others first step in the far end of the lake to save  the waters she was in from being disturbed so that, upon placing the salt in the water, they dispersed as little as possible away from her.

Her steps were so very careful. She barely even allowed herself to tremble from the coldness of the lake in fear that it would somehow ruin the salt. Slowly, she lowered the box so that it hovered above the waters. Then, with the swiftness of a hunting trap in the woods, she snapped open the box and poured the salt in the water, all while submerging herself beneath the surface and gaping her mouth open.

Through all of this, she was careful to close her eyes so that she could easily pretend she was at the edge of the world as she so longed to be. She felt the salt fill her mouth and the wind caress the top of her head that still rested above the water. There, she thought, I am in the sea- I could swim away from land and never reach dryness again.

Of course, the salt soon fell away and her siblings came charging towards her asking her incessantly if all was successful. Her blissful moment had lasted just a second before it had slipped away, but she did not resent its fleeting presence. Instead, she treasured it so that it could last longer, until she truly could go to where the ground disappeared forever.

Although it was not so easy at first, eventually it became much less of a burden to be grateful of what one had had rather than be bitter it had gone. Hodaya was fortunate. Despite poverty and danger, she had lived through a childhood of love. She had had twenty years of happiness, even if it had been riddled with troubles. She looked back at it with such gratitude. Thank you, G-d, for allowing her that when so few had even that opportunity of joy. And thank you for again offering her a chance of a life when so many had perished and the few that had not were consumed by melancholy.