Mysterious Destiny Bright Lights and Thunder Part I

by D. J. Holmes

  ***

  After a few days, Running Deer, who is getting used to being called Pierre, is finally adjusting to his new family. Walking out to the barn, he tells Jehanne, “I love horses. Why don’t we go for a ride?”

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean? You don’t know how to ride a horse, or you aren’t supposed to ride it.”

  “Both. I don’t know how to ride a horse, because our society doesn’t believe that women should ride horses.”

  “…Why not?”

  “I actually don’t know. It’s just not my place to ride a horse.”

  “Would you like to learn how?”

  “Yes, but how can I do that?”

  “Is there any reason that you can’t ride one of your sheep?”

  “No, there’s nothing wrong with that, but no one rides sheep.”

  “Well, you’re going to.”

  “Now, why am I going to ride one of our sheep?”

  “It will help you with the basics of riding an animal. Then your next step will be to ride a horse.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought of that Pierre,” she says, as if a great idea has exploded in her mind.

  After Jehanne and Pierre take the sheep to the common grazing area, Pierre brings the subject up again.

  “All right, let’s pick out one of your sheep.” Looking at the flock, Pierre points to one and says, “What about that one?”

  “Do you think it’s big enough?”

  “It’s not the size. Besides, the closer you are to the ground, the softer your fall will be.”

  “I’m going to fall?” she questions as her face reflects fear and she backs away.

  “Well…you probably won’t, Jehanne. I was saying that, just in case it happened that way,” Pierre says hiding a crooked smile.

  “Oh, let’s get started then.”

  “Now just to let you know, sheep don’t like to have people on their backs. So we have to sneak up on them.”

  “Ah, I just thought of something, Pierre.”

  “What?”

  “How am I going to do this wearing a dress?”

  “Hummm…” Pierre cups his hand around his chin while he gives the dilemma some thought. “Bend forward, grab the middle of your skirt in back and bring it to the front in between your legs. Then tuck it into your front waist band.”

  “That should work, Pierre. I’ll try it!”

  After tucking the back of her skirt into the front waist band, she walks behind a huge boulder, and quietly climbs up onto the rock. Pierre is shocked to see her suddenly on top of the rock. She immediately jumps down, trying to land on the back of a sheep which is quietly grazing on the grass around the boulder.

  “Haaayyyyyy,” she yells as she falls toward the back of the sheep below her. Instantly the sheep moves. “No, no don’t move,” she says panicked at the thought of the ground coming up so quickly, landing face first in the dirt.

  Running to her side, Pierre asks, “Are you all right?”

  “Ouch! What happened?” Jehanne moans as she lifts her head.

  “You warned the sheep when you yelled. You have to be as quiet as you can. Just sneak up on it.”

  “Fine,” she answered wiping the dirt from her face, and rubbing the pain she felt in her side and back. Walking with a slight limp, she makes her way behind the boulder and waits until the sheep feel comfortable enough to begin eating the grass again.

  Whispering, Jehanne says, “Pierre, here they come again.”

  “Good. Just be quiet this time. And rather than climbing to the top of the boulder, why don’t you run around the side of it?”

  “I’ll try.” Looking over all the sheep, she asks Pierre, “What about that one?”

  “Great. Try it again!” he encourages her.

  Quickly running from behind the boulder, Jehanne jumps onto the back of a sheep, which is standing with his back toward her. Landing on its back, she reaches out her arms and grabs around his neck. She is hoping this will help her, which it does…for a second… until the sheep darts to the left, and Jehanne slides off to the right onto the ground, rolling over and over again.

  Pierre begins to laugh. “That is the funniest thing I have ever seen,” he thinks to himself. “This could turn out to be a great joke that I can play on Jehanne.”

  Phillip, a neighbor, is taking an afternoon walk and looks over toward Pierre. He continues to watch from afar, as Pierre continues to help Jehanne pick out different sheep to try to ride. He then watches as Pierre begins to laugh each time she begins her ride. Walking up to him, Phillip asks, “What are both of you doing?”

  “I’m helping Jehanne, so that in time, she will know how to ride a horse.”

  “How can riding sheep help you learn to ride a horse?”

  “It can’t.”

  “So, why are you doing it?”

  “…Watch!”

  He watches as Jehanne tries again and again, always being thrown off. Yet, with great determination, she continues to pick out one sheep after another.

  Phillip says to Pierre, “So, this is all a joke to you?”

  “Yes, it is,” Pierre answers with a smile on his face.

  “Pierre, you should be taking care of her, not making fun of her! Jehanne has been nothing but kind to me and to my family. In fact, Jehanne always does kind things for everyone in the village. Has she ever done anything mean to you?”

  “No, she has always been kind.”

  “Has she ever told you a lie?”

  “No.”

  “Then why are you lying to her?”

  “I’m not lying, I’m just joking around.”

  “Are you being completely truthful to her?”

  “No.”

  “Then you are lying to her. If it is not completely truthful then it is a lie!”

  Beginning to feel bad, he says, “I understand, I’ll stop her.”

  Just as Pierre turns around, Jehanne lands on another sheep to take another ride. This ride is longer, but finally, she is thrown very hard and lies on the ground not getting up.

  Running over to Jehanne, Pierre quietly asks, “Jehanne, Jehanne, are you all right?”

  Jehanne’s body is limp, her breathing is shallow.

  Kneeling on the ground, near her head, he begs for her forgiveness, “I’m sorry Jehanne. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me. I was just having a little fun with you. Please, Jehanne, look at me.”

  One of Jehanne’s eyes open half way…then the other slowly opens. “You were…just…having fun…with…me?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry, Jehanne. I’m really sorry. Are you all right?”

  Quickly getting up, and brushing herself off, she says, “Of course I am! I saw you laughing, and realized what you were doing so I decided to teach you a lesson.”

  “Well, you did a good job, you scared me half to death,” Pierre says, relieved that she isn’t hurt.

  “Oh…I do forgive you, but only if you never do anything like this ever again, Pierre.”

  “I promise. I’ll always be truthful to you from this day forward.”

  “Thank you…. Now for one more ride,” she says, slightly bending over and rubbing her hands together. While Jehanne is getting ready to pick another sheep to ride, Phillip walks up to her. Putting his hand on her shoulder as she looks up toward him, he says “Jehanne, why don’t you rest for a moment and let Pierre take a ride?” He winks his left eye so that only she can see it.

  Understanding what he is suggesting, she says, “That’s a good idea, Phillip. It would really be great to rest while I watch Pierre take a turn.” Looking at Pierre she says, “I was just thinking Pierre, I’m having a hard time getting the hang of this, would you show me how to do it?”

  Knowing that he would never live it down if he didn’t take his turn, he says, “Why, yes, I’d be glad to show you, Jehanne.”

  Looking at the flock, and trying to pick the perfect one, there is a strange feeling that seems to be emanating from the flock to
Jehanne, and back again.

  “Jehanne, are these sheep smiling?” Pierre asks.

  “I’ve never seen a sheep smile, have you, Phillip?” she answers trying to sound serious.

  “No, can’t say that I have,” Phillip says, waiting to see how Pierre fares in the same situation he had put Jehanne.

  Slowly most of the flock, stroll away, leaving one of the largest of the sheep within Pierre’s reach. In his mind he says, “I can’t just stand here…herrrre I goooo.” As Pierre jumps into the air, the lone sheep quickly turns around. Pierre lands directly on its back. “Good job,” he says to himself. “I’ll show Jehanne that I can ride…wait a minute…where is its head? It feels like I’m going backward!” A plume of sour air seems to be rising directly below Pierre’s face, as he is just in the middle of taking a huge breath. “Oh, now that is reallllly bad,” he says, trying to keep his concentration on his riding.

  Finally, as the sheep makes the sharpest turn that any sheep has ever made, Pierre finds himself sailing off into the middle of a puddle of mud. The sheep then prances off with his head held high. Jehanne and Phillip are laughing so hard, they can barely stand.

  “That is the funniest thing that I have ever seen, Phillip.”

  “I’ve lived a lot longer than you have Jehanne and I will agree with you. That is the funniest thing that I have ever seen in my whole life!”

  Pierre sits up in the mud, and looks over at Jehanne and Phillip. “So you think, that was funny, huh?”

  Trying to respond while still laughing, Jehanne ekes out, “If you saw what we saw, and the way that you look now Pierre, you’d understand why we are laughing.”

  “Fine, come and help me out of here.”

  “I will Pierre, as soon as I take another ride,” Jehanne states as she takes a breath trying to stop her laughing.

  Looking at Jehanne, Phillip asks, “You’re going to ride again?”

  “Yes, I think that I’ll be able to do it this time.” Picking out a sheep, sneaking up on it, running and landing squarely on its back, Jehanne raps her arms around its neck, her legs around its sides, and holds on for dear life. The sheep runs here and there making sharp turns. Finally it begins to slow down, and a few minutes later, the sheep stops running. Jehanne slides off of its back. Looking at the sheep, she pats its head. “I’m sorry you’re so tired, but I finally did it. Thanks, little one.” Looking over at Pierre, who is still sitting in the mud, and then over to Phillip, she begins to jump up and down in excitement, with her hands in the air saying, “See, I told you that I could do it!”

  Walking over to Pierre, and holding out her hand to help him out of the mud puddle, Pierre firmly takes her hand saying, “I’m getting to know that you are able to do anything that you put your mind to Jehanne.”

  “And don’t you ever forget it, Pierre,” Jehanne says with a huge unsuspecting smile. Suddenly, Pierre yanks on her arm. “Noooo, Pierre….” she cries as she flies through the air, landing in the mud puddle right next to him. Scrambling to get some air, she throws both her arms up, almost ready to cry. “Look at me!” she says, so frustrated that he would do this to her.

  Pierre says as he continues to laugh, “I am looking at you. You should see yourself.”

  “Do you think that you look any different?” Jehanne states as she calms down and begins to smile. Looking at Pierre, and listening to his laugh, she begins to laugh also, as she throws a handful of mud at his face.

  “You want a mud fight do you?” he asks.

  “No. NO, PIERRE!” She holds her hands up to guard her face. “I have enough mud on me.”

  Turning to walk home, Phillip shouts to both of them, “YOU HAD BETTER GO HOME AND GET CLEANED UP BEFORE IT GETS DARK. IF ANYONE SEES YOU WALKING AROUND THESE