The Rapha and the Firefly by GeAnn Powers

Author:GeAnn Powers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reluctant Firefly

“What’s wrong with her?” Ariel asked after the door had closed behind them and they were halfway to the trapdoor. Thyme stopped, looked at her and looked back at the door.

“She’s dying,” he said quietly.

Ariel blinked, trying to make sense of the therapy session.

“But you said she did better today. She took more steps.”

“She is doing better. Until her next bout with sickness and she becomes weaker again. Then we start over trying to make her stronger again, but she will continue to get weaker and sicker until we can no longer make her strong again. And then…” Thyme shrugged. “In the meantime, we celebrate every step, every smile and every time she gets a little better.”

“But, she’s dying! Why bother?”

Thyme wasn’t surprised by her reaction. Ariel had become the main topic at the Rapha discussion following the last general assembly. Her views on death and dying were now well known by all of them. No, he wasn’t at all surprised. If fact, he smiled sadly, pitying her.

“Until my dying breath, I will remember a little girl struggling to take three steps,” he told her, “and I’ll know that I’m a better person for being there, helping her take those three steps.

“I will always remember her determination, her laugh, the way she’s always ready to give hugs. I will remember her laugh and how her eyes sparkle like the sun reflecting on the water. And many years from now, when she’s long been gone from us and my hair is grey, I’ll look back and remember her. And remembering her, I’ll smile and thank Elyon that I was there, and He allowed my life to be touched by her.” Thyme cocked his head and looked at the flyer, wondering if she understood him. “Don’t you see, Ariel? Helping others also helps to make us strong.”

“You mean, like power?”

“Yes and no. It isn’t power like you’re better than someone else. It’s more like ‘hey, I really did that! That person’s better because of me! He can walk now, and I’ll always be a part of that!’ Do you understand that?”

Ariel scrutinized the idea for a second, trying to get a grasp on it.

“No,” she finally admitted. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Thyme scratched his head. There had to be something more tangible she would understand. He suddenly had an inspiration.

“You saved Basil’s life, right? When he got bit by the spider?”

Ariel nodded. “We had a deal. I brought him food and…”

Thyme cut her off. “Forget about the deal part. That isn’t important. The important thing is that you saved his life.”

“Ok,” Ariel was following his logic so far.

“And now because of that, now you can read, you know about fire, you’ve painted, you’ve learned to sew…”

Ariel caught the jest. “I learned to cook,” she added. “I have two handkerchiefs, I made a teapot…”

“And all because you brought a wounded hopper food and water.”

Ariel stopped, opened mouth, and digested the words, trying to grasp what Thyme was saying.

“It’s like that with us, Ariel. Every time we help someone, we grow inside.

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