Wheeling Gull Isle September

ana was sick and ava did not know what to do.

the adults crowded around her, speaking in hushed voices. ava was urged to play. to go somewhere else, that ana would be okay and to stop fretting. to go play with her other siblings, to go find this or that. these small errands kept her busy and out from underfoot.

god was invoked. god did not answer.

besides herself, ava went to the beach to find psalm. if nothing else in this world, psalm's presence could sometimes soothe the girl. the turtle was indifferent to her. the turtle was a sea-strider, and came ashore in her tiny world to eat. the turtle was a symbol of another world -- an eye into another world.

instead of psalm, ava found judah. judah's gaze was transfixed across the narrow swath of ocean-water. what did he see there? what did he think?

ava stilled but did not approach. she cast her gaze across the choppy waves and wondered if the mainland had their own psalms and gods and anas -- and if they did, what were they like?