The Journal of Katherine, Entry 48

I was called by my superior to tell the group here about a person that had a positive influence on my life.  I would choose my mother, but I knew her only until I was ten.  I remember more of my father after mother died, but the memories were so terrible.  I want to write about Keith.  He taught me the songs while I was at the priory.  But it was he, that got me into so much trouble.  Then there are Trevor, Brute, Kull, and Ohm Uri.  They all have had a positive influence on me, but I cannot tell a story about them when the chapter is not finished.  I might choose Puck.

Brother Puck is a cleric of my same order that I am now.  He found me shortly after I ran away from my father.  I was just thirteen.  I tried to get some food from a merchant.  All of my money was gone.  I had not eaten for a few days.  I watched the merchant, like a wolf hunting prey, waiting for a mistake.  I noticed only an older woman.  I thought it was only the two of them.  But I didn't know that he was watching me.  I found my time to be right, slip in, get the bread and run.  I could easily out run the merchant just for a few blocks.  But the merchant had two boys, bigger and older than me.  I did not see them, till after I took the bread.

The chase was on.  Confident of my running, I made to get away, to loose them in a crowded street.  And I lost one.  Now, to slip into the alley and to my hiding spot.  I turned and ran smack into the older taller boy.  He gambled on my route and got lucky.  I thought they would rough me up, for at first I looked like any other street boy.  But when I ran into him, we were entangled, and he could feel my developing body being a bit odd.  He grabbed my arms, and knew I was not a boy. 

This next part I have not told anyone about yet.  It has been many years to look back on this and only now I have the courage to remember it again, and to write about it.  I thought I would die in this alley, violated.  Then a bright light flashed, followed by a force of deafening sound.  I almost past out, or maybe I did.  The tight grip loosened.  His body slumped to the ground, or was it mine. 

Then I felt a whole energy fill me.  It was bliss.  My emotions went from the depths of the darkest cave to the highest mountain, in seconds.  I squinted my eyes because I had to know what happened, for the ringing in my ears defended all other sounds.  I saw a man emerge from the light.  He said his name was Brother Puck.  He was old and stout.  And the two boys were on the ground, still.  I just slid down in the alley and cried, I am alive and fine.  I sat there, still.  I had to know they were gone, never to see me again.  Then I found myself shivering.  When I got the wits back to me, Brother Puck took the stolen bread and me to the merchant.  He gave a coin, a nice coin, to the man and made me apologize.  Which I reluctantly did.

After this, Puck took care of me and he and I moved about, from village to town.  He taught me many more things while spreading the Word.  Eventually, he took me to the priory.  There are so many more memories to tell about us during those wandering days.

For my story to my superior, I told of Brother Puck.  And what I learned from him: to help the ones that cannot help themselves.  But to also know there are two sides of the story, and people are full of all shades of gray.  Be patient and tolerant, for people can change for the better.