Woven Baskets of Sorrow - Shannon Yang (new ebook reader txt) 📗

/> The three of us walk around a bit and find the map. We realize that we have the same homeroom, probably because the school doesn’t know about our talking problem.
On the way to homeroom, we talk to Angie. She has two brothers, and she had a sister who got eaten by a bear when picking berries, which must have been sad. So Emma and I start telling her about social life to cheer her up, and she seems very interested. That probably means her old place was very social.
I think Angie is very nice and caring. Well, everyone is nice except for Genevieve, also known as Eva. Eva is from Canada. She speaks French and German. When she came here to New Jersey at eleven, her Canadian, French, and German culture was already deeply rooted in her. Even though I guess Canada is not much different from the U.S., every society has its differences, and when blending, it seems that Eva inherited the most foreign parts of each. So she’s really annoying! I hate her! Emma and I are enemies with her.
The next day we meet up with Angie again. The next thing we know, she’s asking, “Do you know Genevieve? She is kind.”
Emma and I exchange looks. How could she? We know something is up with Eva. We start edifying Angie about the dangers of Eva. Angie understands, but on the topic of Eva, we find out that Angie is Canadian like Eva, but not French and German. She is native to western Canada. Their tribe, however, recently–
As Angie says this, she interrupts herself. “Sorry, my head is spinning. I’m dizzy, and I cannot breathe. I feel so horrible!”
Angie passes out and falls to the ground. Luckily, we are walking by the grass fields when this happens. Emma stays with her while I go to a classroom for help.
Angie

Mother shows me that our homeland is a western part of a great nation called Canada, and that we are citizens. She takes out a mini booklet that is made of paper from trees. The outside cover is dark blue and leathery. Inside there is a picture of me when I was smaller; I find it impossible to capture the sight of a moment and keep it forever, beside from memory in the mind. On the cover there is the name of the great nation, Canada. Then there is a confusing geometric drawing with weird, unrecognizable shapes. Underneath the word “passport” and then “passeport” under a horizontal line.
This passport is the most foreign thing I have ever seen. It finally strikes me that, after all these years, we have lived so secluded, alone, and possibly old-fashioned. I ask Mother about this way of life and our passport, but she says that she will tell me later.
We have moved into a town in New Jersey, in the United States of America, the neighboring great nation (using the passports). East towards the rising sun, and south towards the warmth. The people live with “families”, the parents and children. The children must go to schools where we learn things. I am in ninth grade with other kids my age. It is so difficult, and it is just starting! My best friends are Ella, Emma, and Eva. I believe they are all good people. I talk to Ella and Emma about Eva, and right away, instantly, they tell me all the bad things about her and that I shouldn’t like her. Thus now I don’t.
Moments later, I feel like I have no ability to breath or think. I feel horrible! After that, I fall onto the grass field nearby.
I am in a bed, more comfortable than my straw mat. Mother is here. She explains everything.
“Angie, how are you feeling? You were dizzy and breathing funny when you were with Ella and Emma. You fell and they helped you get here. This is a hospital. It helps the sick and injured. The doctors here think you weren’t feeling well because you’re not used to this place, but the can’t quite pin down exactly what it is.
“Now I will tell our story. The Aiklin and other tribes have been living in the Americas for a long period of time. Then, a few hundred years ago, explorers from another faraway land called Europe arrived. They were mainly French and English in Canada. They conquered our homeland territories and subjugated the indigenous peoples. They settled here. Later the descendants broke free and created new countries.
“In their world, things are so modern and technological. They laugh at our shelters, berry-picking, water-gathering, fires, and rags. We marvel at their skyscrapers, agriculture and manufacturing, tap water, stoves, and civilized clothing.
“Now our old way of life ceases from reasons that are better not said and I hope you should understand, Angie.”
I know the reasons.
Mother stays for a long time. After she leaves my hospital room, others visit. First comes Father with Albert and Alan. I can still feel the absence of Alicia when the family gathers around me.
Now it is time for my civilized friends. Ella comes, with Emma, of course. They wish that I get better and give me a card that says that same thing.
Eva. Why? It is midnight. I remember that I am not supposed to befriend her. What if it is right? What if it is wrong? I do not know who to trust, but Eva gives me a long, poignant talk and gives me a handful of green bills and shiny coins. There is something I don’t know about Genevieve.

Cynthia

I know myself that life must go on. The gods must be mad, for they punished the supreme goddess. No, that’s not right. It is pure fate itself and the gods don’t exist. No, that’s not right. I don’t know what to think now. Of course I exist. I’m a goddess, and I live in a different world from normal people. But we are mortals as well. We are born and we die. The gods are just titles, like the king and queen, replaced often. The mortals do not know my name, only that I am here. They cannot know exactly what’s happening up here.
Now the garden is left of the wreck. All I can eat are things I have grown, like fruits. I need to make shoes so I won’t have to suffer the glass-covered grass. I am not perfect, you know. The sacred fruit on the sacred trees are delicious. (I guess everything up here where I live is sacred. The sacred birds, the sacred annoying bear, the sacred house that burned down.)
Aiklin now lives full-time with Jade-Elle. She ignores Ursine and his threats as Jade-Elle always has, since she was little. They are the best of friends, just because Aiklin has humbly decided to move in with her sister. This turns out to be a confusing choice, both because this is a sudden change of mind and because Jade-Elle’s personality is not the best, at least to me.
“Jade-Elle! Jade-Elle! Where are you? Tell me about yourself, and I will, too,” Aiklin seems to say, turning her head towards Jade-Elle.
“Of course I will, my friend. Let me start. I love to fly and eat and live. I know myself like I know a piece of blank paper. And you? You? What’s your story?” Jade-Elle chirps back.
“I used to live over in the corner where the leaves of the trees in the orchard rustle about. In retrospect, I see that life was like a box of cereal. Then I felt as if the plums, peaches, and the heavy pears were about to drop all over me. I moved away, away from the orchard and more towards you. Thank you for being such a great friend since my arrival, which I will now explain...”
Aiklin falls down as we are anticipating the climax of the story. She lies peacefully on a heavy pear. She is having trouble breathing, and is feeling dizzy. Quickly, with bare feet, I run across the glass-covered lawn, my feet bleeding from the pain. Quickly, with bare feet, which doesn’t really matter, I shout. Jade-Elle is with Aiklin, and she waits for me. Then it finally dawns on me: Jade-Elle is beautiful and caring. Why have I hated her for such a long time? I decide to forgive her for the nothing that she did wrong.
Aiklin is dying. I take her to my makeshift shelter where Jade-Elle often hangs around, which Aiklin must find marvelous since she has none but a cute little birdhouse.
I fawn on her. I treat her until there is nothing left to do. Finally, I go treat my own bloody feet. As I make shoes and bandages, I think. I actually think. Mostly about why Aiklin suddenly collapsed. Maybe she was sick in the first place. Maybe a heavy pear had fallen onto her. Maybe there was something in the air that Aiklin wasn’t immune to. These things seem unrealistic, though. I strain my mind to think, to expand further, and after a blank brain the idea comes to me. She was not used to her new home. Yes, that’s it.
I go back over to where Aiklin rests and tell Jade-Elle about this theory. “Ever since she moved to you place after the fire, your sister has been very...you know, different. I don’t know what it is that she’s not used to over there, Jade-Elle. Aiklin doesn’t have much longer to live. Good-bye,” I whisper. But Aiklin lives.