by Tshombe
Shannon was four months pregnant with their second child when Charles ran away with his mistress. Charles’ father offered to help, but Shannon refused, knowing the curse she carried would only harm their relationship if she stayed. Instead, Shannon took refuge from her mounting pains and increasing pressures at the church. The Reverend became her counsel and she his aid. They worked closely together day and night. Shannon’s belief in religion gave her comfort to face herself. Her God knew what was best and would take care of her. The Reverend was part of the Lord’s plan. Through the Reverend the Lord delivered sermons; the Reverend’s words were spoken from the heavens, each syllable stroked Shannon’s spirit, ushering in a spirit of salvation.
Over time Shannon and the Reverend found love, triumphing over Shannon’s fears; she trusted in the Lord’s will. They hid their secret from the world as long as they could, but it was a love too strong to stay hidden. A Deacon at the church found out and assumed that the child Shannon was carrying belonged to the Reverend. The congregation called for them to leave the church.
The couple purchased a home on a few acres of land in a new town. On the edge of their property, the Reverend built a church out of an old barn and soon people in the small town were attending Sunday service there. All seemed to be well, but the Reverend had grown cold since being forced to leave his previous church. Shannon hoped that once the new church filled up with parishioners the Reverend’s cold heart would melt, but it didn’t. Instead his anger and hatred only grow. He forbade Shannon from leaving the property and bound Eva to the house. Whenever Eva ventured outside, he beat her savagely. Eventually, he’d had enough of her disobedience. He took Eva outside and didn’t bring her back. Shannon begged the Reverend for her daughter, but he refused; saying Eva was possessed by the devil and he would have no part of the devil in his home. The loss of her first daughter tore deep into Shannon’s heart; another part of her died. The curse of the broken mirror was the curse of a broken heart and Shannon paid dearly for it every day.
The Reverend found a different way to rob Shannon of her youngest daughter. The child that forced him from his beloved congregation would be his and his alone. The Reverend used a softer touch with Rio, praising her constantly, and keeping her all to himself. Shannon was not even allowed to touch her. Rio was raised to believe that the Reverend was her father, the only father she should ever know. He kept Rio and Shannon separated, discarding Shannon while coveting Rio. Rio slept in the Reverend’s bed while Shannon was made to sleep in the basement. Only after the Reverend and Rio had eaten was Shannon allowed to come out and eat. Most of the day Shannon was forced to stay in her dark and cold part of the house away from Rio and the Reverend. She spent her time watching rats scurry across the floor and spiders spin their webs. The water heater was her only source of heat in the winter, warmth she shared with the rodents and insects. What had she done to deserve this?
Seeing her young daughter, her heart ached with despair. She wanted to love this young life, but fear of the curse that caged her heart. She watched her young daughter grow as a stranger. The child would call out “the lady,” smiling and waving when she saw Shannon. One day Rio called out in front of the Reverend when she saw Shannon, “The lady! The lady!” causing the Reverend to beat Shannon in front of young Rio. From then on, Rio didn’t call out when she saw Shannon, she simply smiled and waved.
Many nights Shannon cried herself to sleep as she begged the heavens for an end to this suffering. Without salvation she woke in despair, still in the nightmare. She searched her soul to find comfort, only to discover demons dwelling near her spirit. She struggled to find reasons to live; the curse meant she couldn’t be with her children. The Reverend hated her. Even if she ran away the curse would surely follow. There was only one way out. She managed to steal pain pills from the medicine cabinet and poured herself a glass of wine. First the pills, then the wine. The taste of alcohol went down smooth, warming her chest as she swallowed, welcoming her old friend from so long ago. Why had she stopped in the first place? Her drinking in exchange for this? Had she not met Chris, had she not met Claudia, what would her life be? Certainly better off as an alcoholic than an animal locked in a prison of this nature. Cursed because she tried to do good. She laughed at being tortured by a Reverend. Of all the people to be harmed by! A Reverend had broken her spirit into pieces not possible for reconstruction. He had given her comfort, only to take it away. She laughed as tears trickled down her face. All this pain, all this hurt, all this loneliness because of a broken mirror. And that was the funniest thing of all – how had she broken the mirror? Was it her reflection? Or had the mirror been broken the entire time? If her reflection had broken the mirror, then the mirror was correct. She was hideous; her reflection was already cursed. If the mirror had broken some other way, it was a cruel twist of fate. Lying in her bed, the room began to spin. As the world spiraled into oblivion, Shannon reflected on her cruel fate: Every time you encounter love, it is taken away.
“Your vision is beyond the reflection of love.” The deep, raspy voice bellowed from somewhere behind her. She turned over to see Shadow. “Young Shannon, the mirror only showed you the many ways of yourself. Each sliver being a piece of you.”
“Shadow…” She whispered with her last bit of energy. “It’s all your fault! Had I not met you… I wouldn’t be here. I hate you… I wish I had never met you!” She turned away, closing her eyes to stop the tears.
The large Shadow looming above her knelt down to run his fingers through her hair. “We showed you a glimpse of yourself. You’ve always been traveling this path, this detour from love. There is always an opposite or a parallel to all forces in the universe. You run parallel to love. Instead of knowing love deeply, you have only known it though fleeting moments. Intersecting love’s path by crossing it. You’ll have no idea where the intersection is, but it is your journey to find it and feel when to stop.
“In order to enter the path of love, you must find your soulmate. This person will travel the same way as you, yet on a different path. You share an undefined relationship with this person because of your lack of interaction. In the beginning, the moments you share will be less than seconds, but the love you both reflect will be present in every encounter. When you find this person, it will be your duty to guide them. You will have to figure out where and how to consolidate your paths and break this curse. Once you have entered the path of love together, I will come for you and your soul mate. That is how you’ll know you are free. Enjoy your sleep, young Shannon, it’s almost time…”
“WAKE UP! WAKE UP SHANNON!” The Reverend yelled, roughly slapping her across the face. “You will not desecrate my home with your devilish sin. You’re a heathen of life! Possessed by the devil!”
“What’s wrong with the lady, Dad?” Little Rio asked sleepily from the darkened background.
“Nothing, child. Go grab a blanket and lay it on the seat in daddy’s car.”
He lifted Shannon from the bed, still cursing her for her foolishness. His words no longer carried the sting that once taunted her soul. His words no longer made her weak and confused, but now made her strong and able to understand the truth. Shadow had given her something to live for.
She laid on a blanket in the back seat of the car. The blanket was soft like the fur of new life cradling her; it comforted her more than anything had in years. Although she knew she was dying, she felt reborn and couldn’t help laughing at the irony of her condition. She’d never felt more alive than she did now in death.
“Lady, are you okay?” Young Rio asked.
Shannon looked into the girl’s eyes seeing something which used to frighten her, a sight which used to trouble her a great deal. She saw herself, but she was no longer ashamed of the reflection before her. For the first time in many years she was proud.
“Yes, young Rio, I’m fine.”
“Rio what did I tell you about talking to the lady?”
Hearing the Reverend’s
voice Rio trembled and froze in place, still looking back at Shannon from the front passenger seat.
“What did I tell you, Rio?” The Reverend shouted.
Her voice was cautious and barely audible, “You told me not to speak to the lady. I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
The tears that fell from Rio’s eyes fell hard inside Shannon’s heart. The callous Reverend was unmoved by tears and showed Rio no mercy. “You know I’m going to have to punish you for disobeying me.”
“No Daddy! No, I – I didn’t mean it. Please don’t punish me. Please Daddy, please!”
Shannon could not stand to hear her daughter cry any longer. With her last bit of strength, she summoned a power from deep within. Though her voice had been weakened by death encroaching, she hissed her carefully chosen words with clarity and resolve, “Reverend if you harm her, your life will never find peace. You leave my daughter alone.”
The Reverend turned slowly toward her, fixing his eyes on the pitiful women dying in the back of his car. Paying no attention to the road he replied, “Are you threatening me, woman?”
“No Reverend, I’m warning you.”
“I will not argue with a woman intoxicated to the point of flirting with death. Your warning means nothing to me and I will have no more words from you during the remainder of this drive. You understand me, woman?”
Shannon closed her eyes; her last words had exhausted her final remnants of strength. His power had been broken. This day marked the first of many that she would stand strong against the Reverend’s dominance. That which is weak today can be strong tomorrow, for those on top face a constant battle. Shannon’s first fight would be for the home, and then her daughter. The war began riding to the hospital. Through feeling the sinewy tendrils of death, she had tasted freedom and found her life’s purpose.
Once home from the hospital, with clear determination, Shannon crossed every boundary the Reverend had set. She was expected to wait until he and Rio had eaten before she ate. One morning at sunrise Shannon walked into the kitchen and remained there until evening time; only leaving once to use the bathroom. The Reverend was furious and chastised her, but it has no effect. Now immune to his tactics, the next morning she did the same thing; and after only two days of this her point was made. The Reverend entered the kitchen on the third morning holding Rio’s hand. He kept the child close as they ate their breakfast. Shannon knew that Rio was forbidden to speak to her. She did not expect Rio to even look at her, but as soon as the Reverend’s face turned, Rio smiled and waved. Shannon smiled back with a warm heart; the spoils of war.
Shannon’s next battle was to move from the basement into the guest room; this proved to be more difficult. Every time she moved her things, the Reverend moved them back to the basement. So, she decided to leave her things in the basement and sleep in the guest room without them. The Reverend removed the bed. Shannon slept on the floor. The Reverend removed the carpet and littered the floor with dirt. Shannon felt worse than she had in a long time. The guest room now looked as her previous dwelling had. This once prized room of the home lay in ruins because of her touch; a reminder of the curse. Still she could not give up. She ventured outside the house searching for peace, crossing another of the Reverend’s boundaries. The flowers, the trees, the sky, and the sun all brightened her perspective. They seemed to celebrate her life with every step she took, giving her encouragement to continue. This is what she was fighting for. The beauty of the world for her and her daughter to enjoy.
The road leading to the property curved for miles without any crossings. Very few people outside of residence traveled on the narrow dirt road. Shannon had no particular destination in mind as she moved along the peaceful road, listening to the birds singing and feeling the gentle wind caress her skin. It was a beautiful day.
“Hello, young lady,” a soft voice says from behind.
Surprised to hear anyone on what Shannon knew to be an unpopulated road, she turned to see an old woman whose face and body have been molded by time. “Hello,” she responded, “it’s a lovely day for a stroll, isn’t it?”
“Yes, yes, it is a very lovely day; too lovely to be inside. When I was your age, nothing could keep me inside on a day like this. As soon as I got the chance I would gallivant and stay out as long as the sun was out. I guess I still have that bug in me. I just don’t move as well anymore. Do you mind if I travel with you young lady? I won’t slow you up too much.”
“Oh, it’s no problem with me, Ma’am.”
“Please, call me Sheryl. “Ma’am” makes me feel old.”
“I’m sorry, how rude of me. I’m Shannon.”
“That’s a lovely name. I had a friend named Shannon when I was in elementary school. She was a nice girl and we always had a lot of fun together, but she moved away suddenly. We weren’t even able to say goodbye. That was a long time ago.”
“Did you ever find out what became of her?”
“No, I never heard any more about her. Not even rumors. Life is like that sometimes, the things that we truly want are the things that sometimes are never meant to happen. I guess that’s what drives our purpose, the yearning to be more. Without that, life would be pretty boring, huh?”
Shannon replied smiling, “Yeah, I suppose it would… Sheryl?”
“Yes, Shannon?”
“Since your old friend hasn’t returned yet, I would like to become your new friend. I’ll be your new Shannon. Would that be ok?”
The old woman smiled infectiously. “I would be honored to accept your friendship Shannon. I’m an old woman who has outlived many in her lifetime. Company is something that has become of great value to me. Your friendship couldn’t have come at a better time. Now, shall we enjoy this day together?”
“Yes, let’s. Where are we headed, Sheryl?”
“There’s a garage sale up the road. Old man Kelly runs it on the third Saturday of every month. He’s a nice man and he’s been all over the world. He was famous at one time for his art, but he shunned the fame and moved here with his family. A truck from the city comes in once a month and drops off things from his old life. Such virtue in a wealthy man who shuns greed and wastefulness. I think you will like him.” Shannon took Sheryl’s extended hand in hers and the two women traveled on to the garage sale.
Old man Kelly’s estate was massive. The property extended as far as the eye could see. It was a beautifully manicured landscape with all sorts of workings and happenings: a farm, a winery, a ranch, a school, and several living quarters scattered around the estate. In her mind Shannon had pictured a small garage sale when she was told where they were headed, but what she saw did not fit her idea of a garage sale. It was more like a flea market, with music, food, games and people everywhere enjoying the company of the day, buying and selling goods on the lush grass of the estate.
Sheryl led Shannon through the market. The old woman turned into a young girl right before Shannon’s eyes. No longer did she move slowly, nor did she seem feeble or tired; she was vibrant and full of life. They came to a booth containing several beautiful paintings. An old man with brown skin, a lean, shaved head and face who sat writing on paper in the back of the booth didn’t look up as he greeted them,
“Hello Sheryl! It’s good to see you. Who’s your friend?”
Sheryl beamed with excitement upon hearing the man’s voice. “Oh, this is my friend Shannon. She’s new. This is her first time to the market.”
“Please come in and have a seat.” The man said, still looking down. The two women went inside the booth and sat. Shannon chose a rocking chair that squeaked with age. The man finally looked up from his writing. “What can I do for you and your friend, Sheryl?”
“Well I’m fine, but my friend here needs something from the market. She needs something to call her own.”
“I see, I see,” the man said turning his eyes toward Shannon. “Let me ask you a question, young lady. If enough people believe something does it give that s
omething more power?”
“Well, things do increase in power as more people believe in them.”
“Then it is safe to say that one person’s belief in something is just as relevant as a million others?”
Shannon thought for a moment before answering. “Well, even if a million people believe differently than one person, that one person’s belief could be powerful enough to pose a challenge to the masses, and so that one person could change the minds of many; some would call that a revolution.”
The old man laughed approvingly. “You are a very wise young woman, not many are able to understand this power, the power of one. Give me something of value.”
Shannon looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
The old man remained silent, only extending an open hand. Shannon remembered she had a few dollars in her pocket. She retrieved them and placed the bills in the old man’s hand. He smiled at her as he pulled out a lighter and set fire to the money. As the bills burned he dropped them onto a dish saying, “That has no value here.”
Sheryl laughed. “I’m sorry Shannon; I forgot to tell you money is worthless here.”
The old man stared at the burning money and extended his palm. “Just because a million people believe something, does not make that something true. My power as one man states this fact against a billion who oppose it. Give me something of value.”
Having no jewelry and money being no good here, Shannon found herself at a loss. All she could do was take the old man’s hand in hers and say, “Sir, the only thing I have of value is myself. That is my most valued asset. For without this I have nothing. I will share this most valued possession with you, in friendship, if you will accept.”
