by J.T. Twerell
Chapter 7
Year 6
Wind ran the hair-pull through Eve's thick wet hair. They had discovered that the short stiff hairs from the water animals took out the knots in their hair when pulled through it. The little ones barely tolerated the hair-pull, but Eve always sat quietly and seemed to enjoy the feeling. They used the sharp stones Adam had made to cut hair short. Dawn liked hers short, but Eve kept hers long and often pulled the hair-pull through her hair herself. "Do you think of him a lot?" Eve asked Wind.
"Think of who, Eve?" Wind asked.
"Think of your Adam."
Wind stopped pulling the hair and sat down next to Eve. "What a strange question. Why do you ask me that?"
"You never talk about him, yet he is part of River and Moon." Eve replied pointing to the two little ones who were running with Dawn, playing at some game they had thought up for the day. "Do you ever think that he may be looking for you?"
Wind looked back at Eve, stared into those beautiful eyes she had, and felt like she was talking to someone who knew her deeply. "Yes, I think of him, Eve, and wonder where he is and if he is well. He was different from Adam, as he was hard in his thinking, like a rock. But he was also part of me and I often wish he was here."
"Did you have a fear feeling with him?" Eve asked as she handed Wind the hair-pull and turned so her hair could be pulled again.
"No, I did not feel fear with him; I just did not want to be one of his sheep." Eve turned for a moment and looked at her quizzically. "I mean, he did not want me to do anything on my own, he wanted to have me only do what he thought was right. I often left to explore and was gone for a while. When I got back, he would talk loud and tell me not to do that again. That is why he called me Wind, for I was always wandering off to see new things. One day, I just wandered away and did not go back. I went for many moons and then found your group. That is now many moons ago, but I do wonder about him. Why do you ask me this?"
"Your Adam gave you River and Moon and they are here with us, and you have no other little ones now. I see you watch Adam and Sun when they come together and I feel something empty inside. If you do not have your Adam, then you need to come together with our Adam and have more life in you. Sun is again filled with life, and I watch you with her and feel your love for her. Do you not go to Adam because of Sun?"
"You always ask big things for someone so little," Wind laughed, but then saw that Eve was waiting for an answer. "I don't know Eve, I have always thought of Adam and Sun as being together and I was not part of them. I love them both and know they love me, but somehow, I am still not one with them."
"Wind, I think you need to think about this all some more," Eve said as she stood and faced Wind. "The God of All Good Things works with what we have and you need to think about what you want for your time here." Saying this, she turned and walked out to the edge of the clearing to join Star as he cut at the trees with his sharp stones.
As Eve walked away, Wind once again had the feeling that she had been talking to someone who knew much more about living than anyone else. Where was her Adam now? He was a good being and she knew he cared for her, but he didn't understand what she needed. The last time they talked, he had hit her like an animal that he punished. She remembered looking at the pain in his eyes as he realized what he had done, and she knew he wanted to take it back. However, she also knew she could not stay and would rather be alone than be with his way of doing. Now she was not alone, but, as Eve had said, she was empty. Sun and Adam always treated her well and she was very happy being together with them, but she was still not one with them, nor one with her Adam.
She watched River as he chased after Dawn, and saw in him so many of the things she remembered about her Adam. The boy was strong for his age and understood things quickly. Moon was quieter, but she was also a reflection of her Adam’s goodness. Moon is always so happy to be with people, and goes out of her way to find someone just to be with for a while. Her Adam was like that. He would work hard, but always found time to sit and be with her. When she was gone, he had told her he felt so alone that it hurt. Yet, she could not stay and sit. Even here, with Sun and Adam, she would be gone for a while. She loved to explore and enjoyed being alone. Truly, she was like the Wind.