Chapter 7 Meeting of a Supernatural Kind of the Female Persuasion

As soon as Nuala's eyes meet the newcomer's, the newcomer laughs. Her laugh is unexpected. She laughs as a young laughing child, with white teeth, and sparkling eyes.

She is a beautiful ghigau maiden, with braided hair. She is dressed in a tasseled buckskin tunic and skirt, with multicolored beads. Her midriff is exposed, and what it reveals is also unexpected. The outline of her midriff is that of a nubile woman, but her skin is riddled with stretch marks, as if she were an old woman who has borne countless children. She wears corn husks behind her head, corn cobs around her neck and bracelets of multicolored maize kernels for beads.

"Beloved Woman!" She cries out as a manner of salutation.

Nuala blushes furiously at her laugh and attempts a clumsy bow.

The newcomer will have none of that. She clasps Nuala's shoulders, then, just as Pah had done, as a matter of greeting, she kisses the left corner of her lips, the place of her third eye in the forehead, and the right corner of her lips.

At this Nuala flushes even more furiously, is left gazing at her shoes and fidgeting and muttering vehemently.

"That honor is due my maternal grandmother."

But already the newcomer has noticed Pah approaching. Pah finally steps close enough to recognize who the newcomer was.

At this Pah's appearance transforms. Despite the constantly flowing silver tears of her tattoos her expression transmutes into that of someone who has found a long lost friend.

The two young woman whoop and run to each other and embrace an effusive embrace, twined around each other as if dancing, each face pressed into the other's shoulder blade. The as by accord they clasp each other's forearms and stare hard into each other's eyes. At this the newcomer's eyes grow more sparkling and Pah's quick silver tears start flowing more copiously.

"Selu! Corn Woman! What a happy surprise!" Says Pah to the newcomer.

"Pah! Moon Grandmother! Long time no see!"

They embrace again, hard.

Then they unclasp and turn towards Nuala, though still hand in hand and standing within each other's personal space.

Addressing Nuala, Selu exclaims:

"But haven't you performed caring, nurturing, and healing, this very night? The very functions that define a Beloved Woman?"

Nuala actually starts to scrape the sidewalk with her shoes, as if indeed trying to dig a hole in the ground to hide herself in.

At this Selu stares enquiringly at Pah, who stares dispassionately at Nuala.

They move so as to be facing each other, still well within each other's personal space, still clasping hands.

"I take it that it is not going well." Opens Selu.

Pah frowns in frustration: "She seems to be too locked inside herself. Nothing seems to touch her, and nothing seems to touch her enough to wake her from that state where nothing seems to touch her."

"She does indeed seem to need all the help she can get…"

At this Pah flinches.

"… in that regard, I was going to continue, but…"

Pah frowns deeply in preoccupation.

"So. It really is going to be so bad."

Pah nods vigorously, more to herself.

"So. She does indeed seem to need all the help she can get."

A single nod from Pah.

At this Selu is serious for a moment.

Then once again a child like laugh, sparkling eyes, and she actually rubs her hands in anticipation.

"Well, the night is still young, after all."

This draws a smirk from Pah, something that attempts to be a smile but stops short, before it ceases to be a frown.

"Well, isn't it?"

The thing in Pah's lips succeeds in becoming more of a smile.

"Come on!" Says Selu, punctuating the words with punches in Pah's shoulder.

This actually draws a laugh from Pah, which sounds like the peal of a silver bell.

"And look!" Whoops Selu "A taxi, all ready to take us to our next destination!"

Everybody else turns in the direction of the taxi stop to confirm.

And so there it is.