Born To Love Again, Again, and Again, Part 2

My sister Helene was one year younger than I was. When I reached twelve and Helene was eleven, our parents announced to us that Helene and I would be betrothed to the Molineau brothers, Pierre and Henri. She was so excited to know that she and I would be married to brothers. My mind screamed out "This is not my destiny."

In my teens I grew closer and closer to Kenyon. He was my best friend and my confidante. I could tell him anything. I shared more dreams with him. I had begun to dream whole stories, each dream being a chapter of a novel. I was there. These things were happening to me, but I did not have the same family. I did not live in this country. The sea and the giant forest -- they were always there, and faces of little children looking up at me as I read them stories. Sometimes when I woke up after a dream my leg would hurt in the area of my birthmark.

Finally at age eighteen I began to dream of a man with long blond hair, but his back was always to me. I could not see his face. "Kenyon, help me to understand," I pleaded with him.

He nodded and said, "It is time to take you to the sorceress who lives in the high mountain. It will be a day's journey, and we must ride fast."

"We must tell my parents that we are going to look at new foals that will be put up for sale in a few months. They will not ask questions because I am always trying to talk Papa into buying more horses. They will be glad that I am occupying myself with something other than daydreaming and sketching pictures of trees out in the orchard."

The next week we made plans to take our trip to the mountain. We left very early and rode hard. We reached the sorceress Sybella's home by noon. I was excited and frightened all at the same time. She did not look like I had pictured her. She was not like a hag or a witch, but she wore a long white robe tied with a purple sash. Sybella served us tea and cakes in her cozy kitchen. A kitten purred around my ankles and I felt very comfortable. I told her about my dreams and my vision in the orchard, and how I was afraid to tell my family, and I told her about the arranged marriage to Henri.

Then she said, "Come, close your eyes and relax. Give me your hand and I will help you find answers to your questions."

Sybella held my hand and instantly I was transported to a small village by the sea. There were the fishing boats and the nets. A woman came out the door of a modest little hut. I said "Mama". A man came to the shore in a boat. I recognized him. Tears streamed down my cheeks.... "Father" I said. Instantly I knew that was my home. Then a tall, slender, handsome young man with sandy hair came up to me and kissed me on my cheek.... "Seamus" I cried! He was my husband.

Then the scene shifted to the seashore. My mother and I huddled with other women looking out at the sea before us. The fisherman had gone out, but a sudden storm came up. A few boats were coming to shore, but not my father and Seamus. My mother and I knew they had perished at sea. We had lost our husbands but we had each other.

Next I was inside a small building and all around me were children sitting on the floor. I was teaching them to count and to read. This was a happier scene because my heart was filled with so much love for these little ones. Then I was on a mountain and in the distance I saw smoke. "Marie, you come back to the present with us. You have seen enough for now," said Sybella.