Of Night and Dark Obscurity

“Caroline. You’ve gone through much. You’ve lost a dear friend, a sister, I understand you were saying things in the heat of the moment.”

Caroline shook her head. “That doesn’t make it right. I can’t harm you to make myself feel better. To demean you, to call you names, I’m ashamed of myself.”

Val moved toward her and touched her cheek. “You don’t need to do this.”

“I do. I need to tell you. I’m sorry Val. I’m sorry for taking it out on you and for saying those horrible things.” She felt the tears well up and he pulled her to

him.

He kissed her temple and she closed her eyes. “It’s forgotten Caroline.”

“You’re not angry?” She asked.

“Not about that.”

She pulled back to stare at him. “What then?”

“I think you told the Superintendent there was absolutely nothing between us.”

“I did.”

“Well that’s a lie.”

Caroline smiled. “What is there between us?”

“Admiration. Respect.”

She nodded in the darkness when suddenly the lightning and thunder echoed in the night and she trembled.

“Wait here.” He told her.

He returned quickly holding his heavy wool jacket. “Come.”

He settled himself into the window seat stretching out his legs. “You can lay next to me. We’ll listen to the thunder and lightning together.”

Caroline moved to stretch out next to him as he lay reclining behind her. He covered them both with the heavy jacket and immediately Caroline felt a sense of being safe and warm. Val smoothed her hair back from her forehead and her breathing softened.

“Do you know about Norse Mythology?” He asked.

She looked up and shook her head. “Not much.”

“Then I’ll tell you a story. Thor is one of the most prominent figures in Norse Mythology. He is a God but not just any god. He is the thunder god. He is known for his courage and physical strength. He has a most prized and famous possession that everyone envies, do you know what it is?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“His most famous possession is his hammer called Mjolnir which means lightning. For the Scandinavians, lightning was the embodiment of his hammer, slaying giants as he rode across the sky in his goat-drawn chariot.”

Caroline smiled at this. “Goat-drawn chariot.”

“Thor presides over the air which governs the thunder and the lightning, the winds and rains, the fair weather and crops. His wife Sif is golden haired which is a symbol of grain,” his hand sifted through Caroline’s hair. “Their marriage was a union of the fruitfulness of the land and prosperity of the people. A union of the sky and earth.”

“A union of the sky and earth. I like it.”

“So, there’s no need to fear the thunder or the lightning. It’s just Thor.”

“It’s just Thor,” she said echoing his words.

She tilted her head up to smile at him and in the darkness she could see his eyes on her.