On a particular day in a season similar to what we call "September," Sally found herself priviledged to be alone in the company of the idealized Chalace.
Pop Quiz
1. Who is Chalace?
A) the story's villain
B) a one-million year old retired millitant
C) a vampire
D) a friend who is teaching Sally about the Perpendiculous and other such spiritual guru yawnings
If you don't already know the answer, please reread page 4.
Under normal circumstances, Sally, and 4 or 5 other groupies followed Chalace around on welfare silo days, but today was different. Chalace had invited Sally to walk to the edge of the property with her while the other volunteers served tables at a Visitors Banquet. The two girls were supposed to be attending to the cheese, but after a little rhetoric, the guru convinced our young protagonist that the cheese could attend to itself.
They climbed the hill that ascended to the property-end fence quickly, as if it was some planned meeting place of secrets. Chalace had never verbalized such a goal, but expected Sally's intuition would be all the communication that was needed. Meanwhile, each of Sally's steps twisted her belly with more anxious anticipation, and blushing. She had caught herself laughing too nervously more than once. "What a flattering moment," she repeated in her mind. "I can't believe that Chalace has singled me out like this."
And then, they arrived. Sally's stomach butterflies were at a rolling boil now. She did not realize, of course that this was the case. People whose hearts are full of desires to please, rarely notice their own physical phenomena.
Chalace leaned comfortably, hips pressed against the fence, hands gripping, eyes distant. Then she sighed a chuckle, and asked in a quizzing manner, "A nice day means more than sunshine and a breeze, doesn't it?"
"Sunshine is knowledge, a breeze is power." Sally stated vaguely in her "smarty-pants" voice. This is one of the acts she goes into when she feels she needs to prove herself.
"Then is there no knowledge on a rainy day?" Chalace retored.
"There is only feigned knowledge in the rain, pride. The difficulties of life drive us to insanity and selfishness, until we find the light again. Breezes in the rain are war and destruction."
"You unzip your wit too quickly, don't you think?" Chalace was smiling in a patronizing manner.
"Why should I keep it to myself? I always give myself to others." No matter how Sally idolized Chalace, in a moment's wordplay, she never played docile. Even when she knew Chalace was just testing her. Of course, sometimes Chalace had tested her without Sally knowing it. A few days prior, Chalace and another silo volunteer had challenged Sally on the topic of freedom for the Forgrath slaves. Hers was the unwaivering voice of mercy, theirs was justice. Sally knew she could not be outdone as far as rhetoric could take her, but when Chalace accused her of insensitivity in debate, she buckled. Under normal circumstances, Sally found boldness more righteous than sweetness--but Chalace's criticism was too painful. She concluded that argument with some meaningless statement that "all opinions were valid." Chalace took this as a type of plea for forgiveness, was pleased, and sought from that moment, to find an appropriate meeting with Sally.
"Hah! I knew you would say that," laughed Chalace. Sally did not know how to take this response. Chalace seemed to mean that she knew a great deal more than what Sally might say at a given moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment