“Yield, Prophet, before the next wave.”
“Whatever for, Child?”
“You’re moving much too fast.”
“Let the waves carry you.”
“I don’t want the waves to carry me, so yield.”
“Step on the waves and pick up your momentum.”
Reluctantly, The Child obeyed and stepped on the waves and came up beside The Prophet.
“Prophet?”
“Yes, Child?”
“What’s momentum?”
“That you know, Child.”
“Velocity?”
“You tell me. Why are you stalling?”
“Everything’s coming at me.”
“Not everything, Child.”
“And what if I decide to yield?”
“The compiling exigencies will force you to handle.”
“Prophet, what are exigencies?”
“That too you know, Child.”
“I need to yield for a moment.”
“You don’t have a moment.”
“But you said…”
“Look, see the land ahead. Isn’t the coastline beautiful?”
The Child closed her eyes to the beauty of the coastline.
“Open your eyes, Child.”
“I don’t want too.”
“I thought you told the lily pad, Mr. Whale, and Mr. Eagle that you’d see them around the bend.”
“Then let’s go around the bend,” said The Child.
“The way around the bend leads through this territory.”
“Isn’t there another way? Can I yield and check out my bearings?”
“Your bearings are correct.”
“Going this way, how long will it take me?”
“It depends.”
“On…?”
“How often you yield.”
“You mean it’s possible to yield here?”
“Of course, it is. Many travellers have been persuaded to yield; self-debasement, self-hate, self-pity, self-deception, self-complacency, self-reproach, self-criticism and their friends have prevented many from getting around the bend.”
“Oh. This looks difficult.”
The Prophet chuckled and began skipping from wave to wave, spattering The Child with water.
The Child broke out into laughter and playfully spattered him back.
“If I don’t yield,” she said between chuckles, “What happens, Prophet?”
“I’ll meet you around the bend.”
Shalom,
Pat Garcia
