Re: Flasbacks!
"No, honey, no. Like this, see?"
Yollie watched as Papa took the small bow he had carved for her in one hand and the string in the other.
"It needs to be tighter. That way the arrow can fly far, like the eagle. If we do it like this, it will fly about as far as a fish." He gave her a wink and began to string the bow.
Yollie giggled as she sat on the ground nearby, watching intently. At six years old, she was finally a big girl and Papa had told her that today was to be her first hunt.
"There." With the small bow properly strung, he handed Yollie one arrow - again which "they" had carved together. In actuality, Yollie watched - stuck to her grandfather's side like a shadow - while he carved the arrow and told her stories about the old days. She sat and listened, her imagination burning brightly with the wonders of the old world he described and embellished.
She liked his stories - at least until just before they ended. Most of the time they always ended sad and she didn't like that. Truth be told, she didn't care about Adam or the bombs he made. She was sad that he made them, and even sadder that they hurt so many people, but she was focused on more pressing matters such as what tree she should climb or how many apples she could eat before getting sick.
"You know what we have to do now, right?"
"We gotta hunt!"
"You know what that means, right?"
Yollie looked at him quizzically. Of course she knew what it meant! They had to go catch a critter, then ask it to give them its meat. Then let it go.
"Yes, Papa. We gotta go get food from a critter. I'm not five anymore. I know big people things now."
Papa smiled and handed her the bow.
***
Tears streamed from Yollie's eyes in rivers as she looked down at what she had done. She did exactly like Papa had showed her on the targets back home, but this time the target had been a bunny. A cute, innocent little bunny.
"Yolanda, why do you cry?" He asked sympathetically, his eyes hiding a sadness in being the avatar of his grand daughter's loss of innocence, but knowing the importance in the lesson.
"I... I hurt the little bunny and I didn't... I.." She struggled to finish her sentence through sniffles and more tears.
"I didn't know it would die," she sobbed, running into Papa's arms and trying to bury herself in them like the comfort blanket they were.
Papa held the little girl in his arms, consoling her as best he could. He, of course, had anticipated this moment and while he had dreaded it, he knew it must be. So, he let Yollie cry. When she had finally tired herself out, he spoke.
"Sometimes, people have to do things they don't want to do, sweetheart. It is the way of this world. I know you did not want to hurt this rabbit, but you had to. Do you know why?"
Yollie looked up at her Papa with big, teary brown eyes and shook her head.
"Because without knowing it, you were taking care of your family and your community. The rabbit sacrificed itself to you so that we could eat. It's body will nourish ours. It will no longer be tempted into our gardens to feast on our labors. And the cycle of life will continue. But we have to remember this rabbit; we have to remember its sacrifice and we have to remember that it chose to die so that we can live. In this way, we will always respect life and how precious it is."
Yollie didn't look completely convinced, but she wiped her nose and slowly stopped her sniffles.
"How do you know it wanted to help us?" She asked as she looked back down at it.
"Because it let you hit it with your arrow."
"And it would've moved out of the way if it didn't want to help us?"
"Of course. Wouldn't you?"
Yollie considered it for a moment. "Yeah."
Papa smiled. "Everything has a purpose, Yolanda. Everything exists for a reason and everything eventually dies. This is the natural order of things and when it happens we shouldn't be sad. We should celebrate the life that was. Now, let's get back home before your momma yells at me for keeping you out too late."
With that, Papa and his loyal-shadow Yollie grabbed the rabbit and walked back to East Highland Hills.