Behind the Waterfall - First Three Chapters

Chapter One

My name is Ossana Mil.  I am third heir in the line of my Mugud (moo GOOOD).  What I am about to share with you has never been told.  If you find my story to be of value and you believe in the ancient ideas of hope and love, tell and retell this story where ever you can as often as you can.  People hunger for hope and love.

In the world of my people, our grandmothers raise us because the maturity of their wisdom exceeds   that of our mothers.  We know our mothers but our mothers apprentice under their mothers to prepare to raise the next generation’s children when we give birth to them.

All of my people’s grandmothers, the Mugud are the wise ones.  Our fathers and grandfathers, the Magid (mahk EEEDd) serve different tasks.   They counsel with each other to design best ways to provide for our families, our culture, and its continuing.

Our mothers and fathers live together in the same dwellings.  They spend time with each other and family.  All of us are responsible for what we do.  We trained from small children for tasks.  We express our love and care for each other through our giving of ourselves to each other as we serve each other.  Peaceful joy results from our way of life.

We celebrate what life has given us early in the morning with songs of thanksgiving for Life’s love for us.  We sing.  Some dance.  One of the Mugud tells a story.  One of the Magid expresses our thanks.  We enter the quiet to listen.  We eat and then we work.

It is this point of departure that my story becomes very different.  Please hear my heart talk to yours.  I would not tell you this long guarded secret did I not think it important.

The task handed to me by my Mugud is to save our world when our world is threatened. I must do so in such a way that no one ever knows what I have done or that anything happened at all.  When my Mugud believed I was ready to take on her work she returned to the oneness of all that is.  The elder Magid distributed her personal as she wished to the family and to all the people to share.

One thing she left behind for me was so secret I received it alone away from the presence of all others.  A small box sat on a small table in a dimly lit room. Inside laid a small bottle. It was like the ones from which I used to see her drink.  A simple note directed me to go to the place she sang to me as a child.  I was to go there; drink from the bottle, sit, wait, and listen. The note ended telling me there would be one other delivery to arrive on the day of infinity, just one other.   

Chapter Two

My Mugud was the most mysterious loving one.  You felt the ecstasy of her love just to be in her presence.  I always felt safe with her.

I often accompanied her on long walks when we she would go to God’s Mountain. It went so high into the sky we often could not see the top on cloudy days.

My Mugud would lead me into the mouth of the mountain just behind the waterfall.  There we walked together into the darkness of the mountain.

She never held my hand.  She said it was unnecessary that I should experience the knowing of her touch to know I was safe.  I was with her. She was with me. Never once had I questioned her.  Never once had I felt alone. Never once had I been afraid.

The journey to God’s Mountain was a four-hour walk away from Nautis, our small village town.  Today, I make the journey alone for the first time. I have never been to God’s Mountain alone.

I walked slowly to prepare myself but also to make sure I make this journey alone.  Whatever my Mugud has planned for me, I want this experience as she has designed it for me.

When I arrived at the waterfall and entered the mouth of the mountain behind it, I could hear her tell me.  She never held my hand before.  She was certainly not going to be holding it today.

The walk in was no different than any other time.  It was as if she was still present as she had been all the times we had come.

Now, I must find the place where we sat and take my place.  When I got there and began to sit where I always sit, I heard her voice say, “You sit there no longer my child; the place I sat is now yours to sit.  When you sit, remember.  You are Ossana Mil.  People will be looking for you.”

What was most strange about this was that it was not strange at all.  I am in awe of this moment.  I am now to sit where she sat.  I am alone but not alone.  She prepared me to be ready for this but what is it I am to be ready for?

I sat and comforted myself.  I open the bottle.  I remember my Mugud.  I put the bottle to my lips.  I remember I am Ossana Mil.  I drink all of it.

Chapter Three

I could hear voices calling my name, “Ossana, Ossana.”  I could hear them but not see them.  In the darkness inside the mountain, I cannot see myself.  What is this experience?  I hear voices I do not know.

“Ossana, thanks be to the great ones.  We are here as you directed,” a very big dark man said.

I did not see this coming.  This giant and excited to see me ebony man looks at me like he knows who I am.  I have never seen him before.  Mugud, you said you prepared.  I choose to believe you.  I will see where this goes.

“Ossana, it is Magi (MAAJJ – eee). Don’t you recognize me?” he asked.

“She’s not the same one.  We were told another would come soon.  She does not recognize anything yet.  She will.  They always do,” a woman’s voice said.

Three people sat down with me in a place I do not recognize.  My clothes are different.  I feel different.  Who are these people?  There is a woman and another man.

The second man said to the other two, “She doesn’t wear the ring yet.  She hasn’t seen the book.  She does not know.  We get to initiate her.”

The woman said, “She is here.  She must have been chosen or we would not have been called to be here for her.”

Then she spoke to me, “Ossana Mil, my name is Ailith.  This is Magi and this is EMahn (M- aahhnn).  There are others.  We are your servants here.  You are sent to us.  We are sent to you.   You protect us.  We protect you.”

Ailith realized I was trying to process it all.  What she cannot totally know is that my Mugud has prepared me and said I am ready.  I believe her.

I spoke up and said, “I am Ossana Mil, the apprentice of My Mugud.  What is the mission?”

They all looked at me and laughed.

EMahn told me it was not that simple.  Because I do not yet possess a book or wear a ring, this time I am here will determine what happens next for me. I dot recall my Mugud wearing a ring or having a special book.

I asked, “Then why am I here?”

Magi spoke, “Because she, you believed, you are ready, she sent you.  You sent you.  All of you who come are Ossana Mil.”

There must be an inappropriate word for me to say but I do not know any. I could utter only on me word.

“Mercy,” I said.

Ailith continued, “Think of this as a training run to determine if you are ready to take on the mission or whether we must wait another 50 of your years for another to come.”

“Do we really all look the same?” I asked.

Magi said, “Down to the size of your….”

Ailith and EMahn interrupt him and EMahn says, “Ossana, we apologize.  It is who he is.”

Ossana reached out to touch Magi and said, “It feels good to be appreciated.  For the record, my Mugud taught me about being a woman from very early.  I like it.  Now, what about the size of my….”

Ailith and Emahn interrupt again and Ailith says, “Not yet!”

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