The Priestess (The Way in marked cards #1)

by Andreia Koslowski

  The man paid the bill and left the coffee shoop, saying goodbye with his hands, and tired smile. At the end of the day Isadora went home, when saw Madam Helena asked, puzzled.

  “ Do you speak vasque?”

  “ Sure!”

  “ Yesterday you said something about it, but would like to know a little about the origin of language. Would you have the time to explain myself?”

  “ Sure girl, sit there while we take a coffee!”

  “ It all starts with the origin of the Vasque ancestors, which are still unknown even for us, as well as the origins of their language. Some consider the "Vasque" a isolated language. According to history, the Latin inscriptions on the "Aquitaine" preserve several words with cognate proto-Basque.” - she continued. - “ This proposed language is called "Aquitanian" and say that existed before the Romans take the Latin into the west of the Pyrenees. The Roman neglect these distant lands allowed Vasque Aquitanian survive while the Iberian languages and tartessiana disappeared.”

  “ I have a lot things to learn ...” - Isadora said, listening intently to the explanations of Madam Helena.

  “ In addition, based on evidence to conclude that the Vasques are the only survivors of a large family scattered over Europe and would have left their mark on the current Indo-European languages.”

  “ Spain is an unknown ... and it's worth understanding its mysteries.” - Isadora continued. - “ I think all of this, including a different dialect was one way to protect the territory and its people, without losing the essence of his roots ...”

  “ Exactly. It was a protection and even until today the region wants to be independent from the rest of Spain.” - explained Madam Helena.

  “ They want their individuality patriotic, and want more... they want this place. I feel that I need to find something ... tomorrow is my day off and I'll see what calls me.” - Isadora said rising lively.

  “ Tomorrow you wake up early and we had breakfast together. Go get what call you... can be important ... good night girl!” - said Madam Helena, smiling.

  XII

  THE HERMIT

  It is important to meet yourself before make a choice.

  Shine with the hidden wisdom of new experiences and

  pay attention in the spiritual tests and

  divines counsel.

  A period of loneliness can revealing the aspects of a special situation.

  The green mountainous landscape, surrounded by the imposing Vasque Sierra Cantabria in the South, were a breath of that morning's big news. Isadora walked and her eyes devoured every bit of that place. She wanted enjoy every minute to know the city and understand a little of its history.

  The population was older compared to Malaga, like said the decline of the birth population caused a setback. The downtown streets was pretty new and busy. Near the bridge had the Church of St. Nicolas, very old with statues of angels, but it was closed.

  She thought in all things that Madam Helena had explained and observes everything around. Many political and religious issues that made the world go around were born of this continent. She kept walking around looking at that overflowing novelty. It cross the bridge and then saw the Guggenheim Museum. Many tourists walking around and snapping photos. She stopped and looked at the museum, its curves and brightness of the metal structure.

  "A stunning work!" - she thought.

  It was late and was walking home, that rented room was her home in that moment. A soft voice give her one direction. Looked away and saw a drawing of a shell and an arrow. It was the Way of Santiago. Had heard about this way, and about the voice that calling the people.

  They say that some pilgrims preferred start crossing the Pyrenees or the Vasco Country to avoid the rigors of Roncesvalles, very dangerous in winter.

  Came home and Madam Helena invited Isadora to drink a coffee and asked her if she knew anything about the Way of Santiago.

  “ Sure girl, is a very famous way in Spain. You've heard of him?”

  “ Of course! Even in my country have a lot of people that doing this way.”

  “ Oh, yes? How interesting! I always wanted to do it but now I don´t have a favor age ...” - said Madam Helena, looking down at her legs...

  “ Imagine...the people said that there are many older people that overcome the young.”

  “ But they are more prepared than me, my daughter...” Isadora listen and knew that was better than to argue, she was convinced that would not.

  “ I go to sleep , my friend tomorrow arrives from Malaga.”

  “ Good night girl. Relax, I know that the work is hard.”

  “ Good night!”

  Isadora went to the room and wondered on the way, what if hide there ... the mystery was impressive. She fell asleep. In your dreams was walking a lot, going through huge fields and contemplating lush landscapes. She was carrying a heavy backpack and discovered the way that she needed to continue to follow your life without the burden of remembering the past. Suddenly she woke up surprise.

  “Where am I? Uau.. I need to do the way ... when I'm finish my contract in Bilbao! Is where I'll find what I'm looking for!” - she said to herself, decided. She rested the head on the pillow and went back to sleep.

  With the sunlight streaming through the bedroom door, one woman's shadow approaching with light steps broke the silence. Startled, she lifted.

  “ Hello Isadora, good morning! Sorry for the noise, did not want to wake you up, I'm clumsy.”

  “ Hi Claudia, I'm glad you came, I thought it would come later.” - Isadora said, surprised.

  “ The train arrived on time, wanted to surprise you. I think that I can... ” - Claudia said, laughing.

  They hugged and went drinking a coffee of Madame Helena whose scent was inviting. Isadora introduce Madam Helena to Claudia, but both had talked before. As she was leaving, the two were alone and talked a lot.

  “ Miss Helena rents rooms and has left a vacancy, if you want you can talk to her.”

  “ Great, I was planning on staying in a hotel, but if I can stay here, better!” - Claudia said, happy with the news.

  When Madam Helena returned, Isadora spoke with her and Claudia rented the room for two weeks, so she has time to decide what to do. Isadora went to work and Claudia went to rest.

  That morning was pretty hectic in the cooffe shop. Two girls came and made your request for Isadora. She realized they was a Brazilian accent.

  “ Are you Brazilian?”

  “ Yes, and you don´t? This accent doesn´t mistaken.” - said one of them.

  “ I am, of course! With proud!” - said, smiling.

  “ What is your name?”

  “ I'm Priscilla.”

  “ And I Ana.”

  “ I am Isadora! Nice to meet you! Now... tell me girls, what do you want to eat?”

  “ Two coffees and two toasts.”

  “ I'll provide.”

  When Isadora took the request at the girls, they began to explain their stories. They living in Spain for three years, Priscilla was a student of Arts and Ana had a Brazilian bikini shop in Madrid, and were passing in Bilbao to regularize the legal situation in the country.

  “ I am almost two months here and three will soon, if it were possible it would be interesting if I could stay longer ...” - Isadora said, interested.

  “ You can go contact our lawyer ... I have a card here.” - Priscilla said, looking into the pouch.

  “ Great !” - Isadora said, smiling.

  “ Note my phone number too. Let's stay here for a week so, we can match something and we can know us better!”

  “ Sure!” - Isadora said, insure the phone's card.

  At the end of the day, when he got home, Isadora met Claudia and told the news.

  “ I met two Brazilian girls that are doing a visa extension. My visa ending at the end of next month ... Maybe would be interesting to stay longer ... What do you think?”

  “ But we can see the value and veracity about this information. If ev
erything is correct, why not ?” - Claudia said, cautiously.

  “ I want to do the Way of Santiago, and if I have more time, better! The time here pass very fast. ”

  Isadora was thinking about the arrow sign and shell sign.

  "The girls at the coffee shop could be a sign ... I'll call them tomorrow! " - She thought.

  Isadora went to sleep at night, and heard the voice and a sense of security, feeling it could be a great idea. The next morning opened the window and saw the lush landscape, along those mountains the blue sky with the sunshine, without any cloud. She felt the morning breeze kissing your face as if were in a tableau. Thought about the decision that was taken and, once again, had the feeling to do the right thing.

  Claudia woke up early and then asked suspiciously:

  “ Do You know those girls ? Do you trust them ?”

  “ I don´t know, but let's call the lawyer and check the information.”

  “ We need to check everything. We are in a foreign unknown country. And that is very delicate!” - Claudia said thoughtfully.

  “ I'll call them today!”

  In the afternoon, when the coffee shop was less busy, Isadora called to Priscilla, but Anna answered. Asked to meet in the coffee shopp at the end of the day to explain more about the visa procedures, and they agreed. When was more late, they arrived and could explain in detail the entire process.

  “ You can call him tomorrow, I had commented already about your interest and he knows about this.” - Anna said, with one firm voice.

  “ Great, my friend and I probably will doing the extension.”

  “ Talk to him and tell us if everything went right ... if you have any questions, they can talk to us!” - Said Priscilla helpful.

  “ Deal !”

  At the end of the day, Isadora was call to the number that the girls gave to her. An Italian accent in a friendly tone caught your attention.

  XIII

  THE DEVIL

  The smile of the devil is arrogant.

  Your countenance is machiavellian.

  He is happy destroying to the others.

  His work is the bad and does not care

  about the law of cause and effect,

  with acquiring a constant karma.

  Giovanni was very friendly and helpful for a lawyer, but the girls had assured a very good reference. He explained the whole process of visa extension and the payment of 500 euros per person, was the honorary's fee.

  “ Let's think and give you an answer until tomorrow.”

  “ I await your answer. But be quickly, cause every day that passes is one day less for you here ...”

  “ Thank you Giovanni. We'll talk tomorrow!”

  After talking with the lawyer Isadora returned to work. A man dressed in black, with a mysterious air chooses a table and sits down. Isadora went to answer it, and realized that the man kept looking so much at her.

  “ Anything else?”

  “ Are you left or right ?” - asked the man.

  “ I don´t understand your question ...” - Isadora said, disguising the tension.

  “ Yes...you understood. Now go get what I asked.” - said the man, rudely.

  Isadora realized the tone of the man indicated that he was one left-wing radical, who the Madam Helena had commented. Chose to remain neutral and doesn't cared about the rudeness of that man. She was to the kitchen to deliver the request, after back to the table.

  “ You are very smart!” - Said the man.

  “ What are you talking about? I'm just a clerk in a coffee shop.” - Isadora said calmly, looking into his eyes.

  The man looked at her seriously and said nothing. Isadora returned to the counter and continued to serve customers that arriving without showing nervousness.

  She had remembered it what Alessandra had said before going to Bilbao. "Listen more and talk less, and would have no problems." Finally the man was gone. In the afternoon came a group of 5 boys very mysterious, they sat and was smoked a lot, talking down and looking around.

  “ Today is Halloween??” - Isadora said for Venezuelan chef.

  “ Don´t bother with anything that you see here. Simply serve tables without caring on anything, without hearing and without seeing nothing. Be a neutral girl! You are here to make money and back to your country. Do not get yourself in trouble!”

  “ You can rest assured, I see, no hear, no speak!” - Isadora said, gesturing with her hands.

  “ Good girl!” - said the cook, smiling.

  Crossed your mind that could be some "ETARRAS", like they called the members of ETA, some of them lived in a building in another side of the coffee shop.

  Isadora took the tray with the requests without looking at anyone's eyes. If show fear they will find that might know of something that didn´t even know, it was better not to arouse any feeling in those people.

  - "Better to be invisible!" – she thought.

  One boy who was called at that table, asked for more coffee and asked the account. When he returned, she realized that left a big tip. - "The reward of the description and the good service." - She thought.

  At the end of the day Ana and Priscilla went to visit Isadora. Claudia called and arranged to meet at a bar to talk about the visa procedures. Priscilla and Ana ensured that Giovanni was an excellent lawyer and showed all the papers to them. After talking a lot, said goodbye and went to their homes. On the way, Isadora questioned with Claudia.

  “ What do you think ... let's do the visa extension?”

  “ Well, what do you think about the girls?” - Claudia said thoughtfully.

  “ I think they're a bit mysterious, but I explained to John about this case and he said that had heard about this lawyer and would not have problems, it was a normal procedure.”

  “ I thought a lot, and concludes that to me is not the right time to return to Brazil, but I'm not feeling well in this city.”

  “ I'm also not liking some things. I had an idea! Let's make the extension of the visa and leave from here. I can work in another city, if you want to accompany me, would be great! But I will continue my work in the coffee shop. You may be keep traveling and walking around.”

  “ In which city can you work? Do you thinking to go back to Malaga?”

  “ John showed me a town called Valencia. They say it is a very beautiful and rich city.” - Isadora said, explaining.

  “ I've heard, I have an artist friend who lives there.”

  “ So let's set!” - Isadora said, excited. “ Now we must provide these documents.” - said Claudia showing the paper with the list of documents. - “ Call him tomorrow and we will continue with the process!”

  The next day, after talking with Giovanni, Isadora and Claudia went to the bank to deposit the money and sent the necessary documents for visa extension.

  “ We're in this together!” - said Claudia.

  “ Be what God wants! It's our choice, we are changing our way right now!” - Isadora said.

  “ I feel we are doing the right thing!” - Said Claudia.

  “ Me too! I'm just going back to Brazil when I find me !”

  “ And me ... when I finish my money!” - said Claudia, in a relaxed tone.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon having fun and making plans for the future, to know other cities before they going back to Brazil. Claudia will have an exhibition in Italy next month, and will enjoy from this moment to get away from her ex boyfriend and know the country.

  “ Do you want come with me to Italy, for the exhibition?”

  “ When?”

  “ In the next month.”

  “ I don´t know if I can, I have to work ...” - Isadora said, staring at the floor.

  “ But his work is not the coffee shop ...”

  “ What are you talking about?”

  “ I know that you are an artist! I know artists, and found some of your doodles, paints and the screen concealed behind the bedroom door ... why don´t you say so?”

  “ I was an artist,
but not anymore ...”

  “ Honey, no one ceases to be who really is ! I would like to see your painting , perhaps you can go with me make one exposition in Italy.”

  “ I do not know ...”

  “ What happened? Why did you stoped to paint?”

  “ I think that I don't have more talent ...”

  “ Try to paint something, I promise I'll be honest !

  “ I promisse ! But I need inspiration ...”