The White Line to Eternity or How I Learned that Snow is Warm

I have always felt that there is a calmness to cleaning—feeling the furniture gliding over the wooden floor and the soft sound of the broom as it sweeps—it is even lighter and brighter, becoming a place that invites deep breaths and for the thoughts to slow as if one had just awoken. The hardest thing for some might be not knowing where to start. It can be very intimidating to clean a place as huge as this dining hall, especially if it's been a disaster for quite some time. You may find yourself getting overwhelmed. Well, in my experience, I have had the best results just by following three very simple steps, which include creating a good cleaning environment, getting organized, and finally polishing everything up.

I felt bad for my fellow partner in this endeavor. The petite girl was struggling where to even begin, even after I left her a very specific side of the hall that didn’t require much effort. After all, this upcoming event has to be absolutely perfect for Her Excellency. Her asymmetrical clothing was getting in the way, as well as her long pale persimmon colored hair. Her eyes of mulberry dye winked and looked at me, faintly smiling with a nervous chuckle. Slowly, she perked up and tried her best, like she always did.

Me, on the other hand, was almost done. Everything was sparkling, and the twelve chairs were in a single line. Now, all we had to do was to wait for the long table to be finished. Another girl was in charge of it, and Her Excellency had asked for it to be custom made. I let out a delicate sigh, my short white-blond hair swaying with the breeze that entered through the opened tempered glass window. The doves that were engraved were absolutely stunningly pure.

“So, I was thinking that maybe one of the entreés could be oven-baked fish. What do you think?”

The light of the sun makes them see as if they could become alive at any second…

“However, Tear would freak out if we added something new to the menu out of nowhere… but eating fish sounds so good right now, with some wine… My, so romantic!”

Shining so ever brightly, just like a flower when the sun finally kisses its petals, like the touch of Her Excellency…

“Okay, now I know I must buy the freshest fish I find in the market, although if I buy it today it won’t be as good as if bought the same day… Why must this supper be in like, a month? Now that I think about it aren’t we prepping up everything with a little bit too much anticipation? Don’t you think so too?”

Suddenly, my broom was stolen, bringing me back to my senses.

“C’mon I was talking here!” There she was, now with two brooms on hand, with a slightly annoyed face. “Liven up a little! When we started you were engrossed on your duty as if seeing a single speck of dust was a sin in itself to the floor, and now you are daydreaming. I know we all want this hall to be all sparkly but let’s talk a little!”

She was right. It had to be perfect.

“My apologies.” I did a small bow, and my gaze went back to the clear sky.

“Ever since you joined the Twelve Ashes you haven’t talked a lot with everyone, and I’m worried you might become an outcast!” The girl blinked thrice. “Well, now that I think about it, that wouldn’t happen, everyone is so nice!”

My eyes suddenly catch a glimpse of what seemed to be a white trail in the sky. What was it? Someone baking? A lost cloud? It seems never-ending.

“Where does this white line lead to?”

“Hm?” Still, with both brooms, she leaned closer to me and raised up her sight, catching the same view I did. “Maybe it goes all the way to the next town? You can be such a poet.”

“Or perhaps it never breaks and goes far off into the future, just like Her Excellency.”

“You know she’d get sad if she heard you calling her like that.”

“Her Excellency deserves the utmost respect,” I replied bitterly.

“See? This is why everyone thinks you are too uptight. Loose up a little… Oh, I know! Come shopping with me!”

I was taken aback.

“But the cleaning isn’t done yet.”

“We have a whole month left, Revya.”

“R-Revya?”

“Yup, cute nickname, am I right? We’re all friends here! Plus, thinking that I’m the only one who managed to nickname you is pretty amazing if I do say so myself. It’s like a privilege! Oh, I know! Since we’re all chummy now, how about you call me one too?”

Things were escalating ridiculously fast, so much I was unable to comprehend how from cleaning, we went to intrapersonal relationships, shopping and nicknames. She let go of both brooms, both making echoes in the hall when they fell into the hard concrete, and took my right hand, guiding me toward the great doors that lead outside.

“Miss Hanon, please wait—”

Yet my plea was unheard when she opened them, going to who knows where.

💧

There was an expansion of the colors of the town, brightening as the day strengthened beyond my reach. Even if winter was approaching, every building and cottage was taking it easy due to the light-blue hues that painted the sky. Usually, during this time of year, everything would be put to sleep under a blanket of white. The boughs would glisten with frost; the air hanging silent and cold. It was supposed to be dead-quiet except for the interminable chirping of birds that created artistic musical notes echoing in the mountain range. However, the cheers of people and the laughter of children were the tunes of this season.

During our walk, me following Hanon without knowing we were going—probably the market, she mentioned something about food I think?—we were greeted and revered. Citizens bowed down to us as if we were Her Excellency herself. It made me sick, being seen as her grace. We of the Twelve Ashes are nothing more than maids, furniture, preachers, followers, anything except Her Excellency. It baffled me how people bowed down to us, not knowing it’s an insult to Her Excellency.

I want this outing to be over and done with, Hanon is taking her sweet time between stores asking for fresh fish and how actually fresh the upcoming batch would be in a month, something the poor seller would be unable to reply. Bombarding each stall with questions, Hanon ended up buying a couple of things that wouldn’t expire soon. From what I could discern, the pale persimmon haired girl had at least bought several kilograms of potatoes, onions and carrots.

Bashfully smiling, she seemed content even if, according to her, it was less than half of the list that Tear had written.

“At least I bought some extra goodies for tonight’s dinner. Everyone will be surprised!” She giggled.

Without noticing, we were soon making our way back.

I want to keep on cleaning.

“Are you listening to me, Revya?” Hanon suddenly stops, a little bit upset. “You’ve barely replied to me when I’ve tried to chit-chat.”

Has she been talking all this time?

“Oh, I can see it written all over your face. Yes, I’ve been talking up a storm all alone and not a single word came out of your lips! You’re a tough nut to crack!” In defeat, she slumped her shoulders. “At least we’ll be back in time before the Lady returns.”

“We need to hurry up for Her Excellency.” I swiftly replied.

“Yes, because the Lady is… very excited to see us.”

“Affirmative, we must move forward.”

“Yes, yes, the Lady is waiting for us.”

“Pick up the pace, Miss Hanon.”

“Alright, hold it. What have I been saying?” She extended her hand, making me halt.

“That Her Excellency’s food supplies must be swiftly delivered, since she is expecting them to be there before she comes back, thus we need to hurry in order to bring excitement to her eyes,” I stated matter-of-factly.

“...Did you seriously make up all that just by the few words I said just because I mentioned the Lady?”

“Wasn’t that what you were saying? Lying is bad. According to—”

“Okay, I can see that the Lady is everything you think about, I got it quite clear now!” Her hair ribbon fluttered in the wind. “Sure, we all adore the Lady. The townspeople love her, we are her followers, but remember that to abide by her teachings, we must never forget to be ourselves and live, becoming who we want to be instead of waiting for what life has ahead for us. By thinking about the lady twenty-four seven you are not doing that.”

“I know that notion and cherish those words with all my heart. Her Excellency is everything to me, and as one of her followers I am being myself.”

“Sure… let’s leave it there.”

I was about to go on, unsatisfied with her reply until we heard some sort of commotion down ahead.

The sunshine was brilliant but not yet with the approaching winter. The fields were no longer swathes of rutted mud, each one was softly verdant, the new stems ruffled by the light breeze. Amidst the sea of people, a familiar voice made its way to my eardrums. A sweet melody I recognized immediately.

The hustle and bustle of chatter; the tantalizing smell of a sweet primula perfume, the warmth of the sun, and its blessing of heat; reddened cheeks and a blazing joy. After racing through the crowd, I saw Her Excellency.

“Little girl, you have done well. Now it’s time to get up.”

A rush of emotions unraveled inside of me by watching said miracle being performed in the middle of the street. Her Excellency never showed her powers like this unless the situation compelled, even more, her already kind, compassionate heart.

Her Excellency’s delicate pale rose hair in those cute low pigtails danced with her graceful movement once she stretched her hand to the little girl. Her father was sobbing and crying, unable to bear witness to such an incredible miracle. At least, that must be the reason for everyone to be on the verge of tears. A pair of loving pink diamond colored eyes transmitted pure love toward the family of two. With such purity, her lips opened.

“Why all this confusion and sobbing? The child was never dead. She was only sleeping, right sweetheart?” Her Excellency patted the girl’s head and ruffled her hair.

I am sure it only took a few words for Her Excellency to raise the girl. This shouldn’t surprise us too much, because it was Her Excellency's spoken word! Of course, the girl’s father, and the rest of the townsfolk were completely amazed. I knew that Her Excellency had power over sickness. And all the Twelve Ashes knew that Her Excellency had power over nature and evil spirits as well. But now, this handful of people knew that Her Excellency had power over death. How blessed they were! Not only was this man’s daughter fine, but they had also come face to face with a miracle!

Just like that time, where she extended her delicate, warm hand against my cold body covered in snow. A tiny spark ignited at that moment, knowing I had finally found it. That feeling I had been searching for all along, and it was…

“Good tidings, Maitreya. What brings you here?” Her Excellency had left the family alone for them to have time for their own, and the crowd slowly dismissed.

I brought both hands toward my cheeks, heat spreading. My eyes were cloudy and all I could think about was the disrespect I was showing at this moment by not following my duties and being outside.

“Here you are!!! Revya, you suddenly ran away where the mass of people was and I couldn’t find you!” Hanon appeared, untimely as ever. It took her quite a few seconds to take notice that Her Excellency was right in front of her. “Lady Esther, my most sincere apologies!”

“Now I understand,” Her Excellency gracefully smiled. “I see it’s all Hanon’s doing. It’s good to be relaxed once in a while, Maitreya. Devotion is not everything in the world.”

That saving smile of hers in the snow.

Was now right in front of my face.

“Aw shucks, I see my intentions were transparent all along! Yup, I want Miss Maitreya to lose up a little. See, Revya? Even Lady Esther thinks so too!”

“I accept any punishment you seem fit.” I blurted out, bowing down on the floor.

I heard both of them giggling. I didn’t understand Hanon’s but her casual approach in regards to Her Excellency was bringing me shame, while the one from Her Excellency made me want to regret leaving the building.

💧

“Well then, I have to go and let Anael know I’m back so Tear can start making dinner.” Hanon excuses herself, finally leaving me at peace inside the dining hall.

I began to arrange some chairs, as well as a couple of mannequins. Her Excellency designed all of our clothes there, as well as our hats and flower arrangements. After some extra swiping, I sat on one of the chairs, noticing a very peculiar detail.

“Thirteen? Weren’t there twelve earlier today…?” The trail in the sky had not vanished yet, embellishing my view. “I’m surprised it isn’t gone yet.”

I extend my fingers toward the open window, where no wind blows.

“It cannot go that far, do you want to come?”

Her Excellency’s voice almost made me faint from my seat. When did she arrive? How many minutes had passed? I only know one thing, though.

“My apologies for not continuing my duties.”

“You never take breaks, Maitreya. It is completely fine to slack off in moderation.” A graceful giggle made echoes in the dining hall. “Not everything in life is devotion.”

Taking my hands, she dragged me outside. Me, with a body unable to comprehend what was happening, was guided by her brightest melody.

She walked and walked, me following dumbfounded.

Suddenly, I realized we were not going into the village but instead, somewhere else.

“Can you feel nature speaking to you?”

In this expanse of green, there are more hues than anyone has ever named, yet here they are for any eye to see. The land rolls as it always has as if it feels that time and space are one thing, that it rolls through the ages as much as to the horizon. The sunshine was still brilliant. The fields were no longer swathes of rutted mud, each one was softly verdant, the new stems ruffled by the light breeze.

My senses were soaking in the changes since I had last walked this way in winter. The air had more warmth and more fragrance.

I nodded.

Her Excellency seemed quite content.

“Were you performing miracles again today?”

“They are not miracles, I was capable of helping that girl by not letting her be stifled and become what she wanted. And see? Now she can walk and play again with her friends.”

It seemed like my not replying made her a bit disappointed.

“You see Maitreya. This little girl’s father was deeply worried about her daughter. He even thought she was dead. I was enjoying a leisure walk until out of the blue he stopped me in my tracks, he begged and begged for me to come to his aid. A handful of people were already becoming onlookers, so it made no sense for me to keep it under wraps. Kindly, I asked the man to let me see his daughter. Bringing the little girl to me, I could clearly see she was only in a deep sleep, probably dreaming about wonderful things.”

Birds chirped, while we walked under the cloud trail.

“My little daughter is dying. Please place your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live. He said to me. As much as I wanted to keep it a secret, it was already too late. However, I am sure that the people that gathered to see what happened today will keep quiet after seeing the little girl smile. After telling his father she needed as much food and water as possible, all I could think about was what will the little girl do first. What game would she play? What friend will she see? She can now become herself instead of being shackled to a dream.”

“Even still, what Her Excellency did is dangerous. Your miracles must be kept as a secret due to—”

She pressed two fingers against my lips.

“Look, the trail in the sky is still ongoing.”

And so it was, perhaps going into a hidden school in the grove, with no wind strong enough to blow the pages of the textbook. Children would run with the field in sight, searching for a new world beyond the trail in the sky.

Where will it come to an end? Even if all roads have disappeared on the horizon of hope… There is no way I can stop myself from this ache.

With so much sweat spent, it’d be good to have even one wish come true. But in the end, all dreams are simply left behind. Everyone's the same. We all try hard to match Her Excellency, yet is it fine to comfort ourselves with the excuse of having tried hard as her followers? She gave us a meaning, a life purpose. At least, that’s what Her Excellency did to me.

“The white line cannot go that far. At a place nearer than the end.” I finally spoke back, with my hand still aiming into the sky.

She reached toward my hand.

It looks like the outstretched hand will be put down after all.

“Is it really fine to end here?” Her Excellency asked. “There must still be dreams and roads left for everyone to follow. In other words, I think that the eternity that no one has reached is just before us.”

“Does anything eternal exist beyond this point?” I ask again under the sky.

“Of course, you silly.”

“I… see.” I stopped walking, extremely worried. “Maybe you should not have performed that miracle. What if… what if…”

“It will be fine, you believe in me right?” I immediately nodded. “Even if we want things to stay the same, sometimes we need change. Eternity is an interesting concept, things are immovable, things last for a lifetime yet, it’s sad when it’s put into action instead of staying as a pretty word. The world stifles, there’s no movement, the world itself stops spinning and time never flows. We cannot evolve and dictate our destiny.”

“I do like the concept of eternity. That way I could… we could all always be by your Excellency’s side.”

“As much as I’d love that, bigger things await and are in store for you, and everyone. Become who you want to be.”

“Then…” Our eyes meet, yellow greeting pink. “What if I want to be like an immovable God?”

She pondered, her cute rounded face captivating me.

“Well, that would be a bit impossible don’t you think? It’s true that Gods are immovable to a certain extent, but at the same time, they are everywhere. Quite a paradox. Talking with you is always an amusing experience Maitreya.”

My cheeks burned.

“On the contrary, I… love hearing about all these interesting topics.”

Once again stretching her hand, she led me into a silent dance, where only the two of us were under the sky’s silent watch. Memories flooded my mind, of a similar snowy day.

The day that same hand was extended toward me when the snow was cold and freezing my heart. After touching it, and taking part in an eternal fanfare below what seemed an eternity, I learned that snow can also be warm, just like that saving touch of hers.

Where will it come to an end? Even if all roads have disappeared on the horizon of hope… There is no way I can stop myself.

In front of us, is the white line to eternity.