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"The Windows of Your Home"
Eiléan Allery wrapped her shawl
around her shoulders and went outside,
wading through the ankle-deep snow.
Her son Kanosak was not in his bed,
so there was only one place he could be.
In the sky.
Eiléan looked up.
Sure enough, the gray clouds
overhead were lit by a ball
of brilliant white-gold light.
"Kanosak, come down!"
called Eiléan. "You need
to eat before the bus comes."
The ball of light did not budge.
Eiléan sighed and went back
into their little log cabin.
"Not ready to come in yet?"
Fireheart said, leaning on the table.
It was so good to have him here.
Eiléan appreciated the fact that,
even though her husband had never
come home from the war, his cousin
had come to the reservation to help
with her son's exceptional gifts.
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Eiléan said.
"I suppose he will come in
when he gets hungry."
"Probably so, but it
must be frustrating for you
in the meantime," said Fireheart.
"I love my daughter, but sometimes
Aurora drives me up a wall."
"I live far enough north to appreciate
the sunlight, even if it comes from
an unusual source," she said patiently.
"I just wish that he'd come inside and
eat his breakfast before it gets cold."
"Try opening the window," Fireheart said.
"But it's freezing outside!" Eiléan protested.
"I only have so much firewood, you know."
"I'll warm up the house, and help
chop more firewood," Fireheart said,
hands glowing red for a moment.
"Go on, now, give it a try."
So Eiléan opened the shutters that
held in the heat and kept out the storms.
Icicles glinted along the windowsills.
A minute later, dazzling white-gold light
spilled through the kitchen window and
flowed into the dining room, where it
coalesced into a naked little boy.
"Good morning, Kanosak,"
Eiléan said calmly. "Go put
your clothes on before you
sit down at the table."
Kanosak scampered away,
and Eiléan moved the pans
from the stove to the table,
setting thick slabs of bannock
and back bacon on the plates.
Fireheart brought out the bottle
of maple syrup in its leaf-shaped glass.
"How did you know that would work?"
Eiléan asked, turning to look at him.
Fireheart just winked at her and said,
"Don't let the windows of your home
be so small that the light of the sun
cannot enter your rooms."
* * *
Notes:
Eiléan Allery -- She has fair skin with many freckles, brown eyes, and long auburn hair usually worn in a braid. She married a man who was part Quebec Inuit, and they soon conceived a son. However, her husband was deployed overseas and killed in battle before Kanosak's birth. When the boy manifested Sun Powers, Eiléan called on her husband's cousin Fireheart for help.
Qualities: Good (+2) Dexerity, Good (+2) Mother, Good (+2) Naturalistic Intelligence, Good (+2) Patience, Good (+2) Weaver
Poor (-2) Widow
See a map of Inuit territory.
Kanosak Allery -- He has light copper skin, downturned brown eyes, and dark brown hair cut into a short scruff. He is the son of Eiléan Allery, and his father was killed in battle before his birth. Kanosak loves to play outside by turning into sunlight. Fireheart, a cousin of Kanosak's father, is helping the boy learn how to use his powers safely.
Origin: His abilities manifested in childhood.
Uniform: Play clothes. His favorite colors are sky blue and gold.
Qualities: Good (+2) Cheerful, Good (+2) Energetic
Poor (-2) Hates Taking Baths
Powers: Good (+2) Sun Powers
Motivation: To explore.
Sun Powers include Solar Form.
* * *
"Don't let the windows of your home be so small that the light of the sun cannot enter your rooms."
-- Eskimo Proverb
See the Allery log cabin.
Windows can lose a lot of heat. Window treatments such as shutters minimize this problem.
Read about the components of a Canadian breakfast.
Tags: cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, family skills, fantasy, fishbowl, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
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