The Wizard and the Elf (part 1)
It was a cloudy night with just a few stars sparkling in the sky, lights reflected off different surfaces as the barely visible shadows danced over the contours of the ground.
The small elf walked, she was a pretty elf some even considered smart, with flowing elfish hair, at about graduation age, depending on where she learned she was about to graduate or had in the past year or so, one could tell by that curious sign, as all elves of that age displayed. Being popular at times, she also liked her solitude - today though she wondered the streets and the unknown footworn tracks. Similar to many others she seemed to walk the same paths, yet as few people knew, this elf was different. Since many years ago, there were things she thought about, private things that no one really knew, the things she kept to herself. Like the stories she read.
The old Wizard lookout out of the window, seeing the approaching storm, he walked around the house and closed all the windows, just enough so that things would stay safe inside. He was a modern wizard, so looking at him you wouldn’t know all the things he had studied or the many things he had achieved. While he used to teach, he worked mainly now with special friends, those he met on his travels and sometimes those special ones from the occasional classes he taught.
Looking over the mantelpiece, just above the dancing flames, he saw the pictures of many students, fondly they still called in from time to time. Chuckling at one there was a special little stray cat, all scruffy like a homeless in one part of the picture, then all dressed up in another, gowned in that special colour.
A crack of lightning in the distance and the sound of rain drumming on the roof, he glanced out the window and saw the elf, caught unaware, confused and lost.
He opened the door and quickly pulled on his coat as he rushed to the elf nearby, then approaching closer, he slowed. The elf crouched timid under a nearby tree that offered the illusion of shelter, he paused for a moment and waited, still the elf shivered and trembled.
Coughing gently he said, “Hello little elf.”
The elf looked up for a moment, still confused, “Helloo,” she responded automatically.
“It’s very cold out here and wet,” he left the remaining obvious statements unsaid.
The elf nodded and shivvered, then sneezed.
Gently the Wizard took the elf’s hand and lead her back to the shelter of his porch. Then sitting on the seat he was almost at her height.
Still the elf shivvered and trembled, looking around, confused, a bit more comforted.
The Wizard imperceptibly began to swing, every so gently on the porch seat, “Where are you going little elf?”
The elf looked up for a moment, eyes defocusing, “I can’t remember, or I don’t know.”
“That’s okay,” He paused and breathed before speaking again, “you know I have a friend with elf hair, who is about your age.” He watched elf nod, “She is about to get her qualifications but she doesn’t know what to do.”
“Ohh,” said the elf.
“My friend’s name is Lucy and she is a very smart girl. When she was younger people all made fun of her and she felt very alone. One day, her friends played a mean joke on her too and she moved away to a new place never having found out that her friends didn’t mean anything and that the joke was really just an unfortunate accident.
So Lucy found herself in a new place and it was very strange, she didn’t know where anything was, or how to get to even the simplest places. It took her a while to even know her own new street. That’s about the time Lucy and I met.
Soon though she got the courage to get some food and walk around a bit, to learn about her new place. Even knowing where she was though, she didn’t know where to go, just like a boat adrift in the ocean - that’s not a nice place to be.
Day after day she looked around and met new people, just a glance, a hello or similar things. While she was still afraid of making friends. This went on for a while and she began to get comfortable, thinking this is the way I am.
One day, I was out shopping and Lucy bumped into me, I dropped a bag with some eggs in it and one of them went crack-smoosh.
*Lucy was so afraid and apologetic, she offered to buy more for me. *
I just laughed and told her, “it’s ok eggs break, stuff happens, there are bigger things in life to enjoy!”
Now Lucy thought this was very strange, all her life people just yelled at her when accidents happened. Now accidents are okay. This confused Lucy even more and she asked, “So if accidents are okay, it’s okay to be lost, it’s ok not to know where you’re going, it’s okay to feel alone, it’s okay to just keep going not quite knowing, it’s even okay to not understand?”
Somehow this little accident had caused a cascade of thoughts to jenga.
*After that I invited Lucy in for a hot drink and a talk, that was the first of many times we shared. *
You know, Lucy called me the other day and told me all about her new house, and her latest achievement, she really is such a wonderful person, though I’m not sure she can admit that to herself yet. I'm not sure she even realizes what an achievement graduation is.”
The elf seemed to relax after hearing this story and she wondered about meeting Lucy one day, perhaps she had already met her and didn’t know it. As she asked, “Can I come in too?”
The Wizard looked at her and asked, “do you think that’s alright? Do you think that’s proper? Wizards and elves aren’t supposed to be friends are they?”
The elf giggled and said, “silly Wizard, of course, we can be friends!”
