Panna had said her goodbyes, and, with a tear-stained face, began to set off alone. Without her sisters and brothers and without her parents. Some had gone days – weeks – before. Others had left only a few hours before her. And, she was the last. She had known it would be this way, reluctant to leave the family she loved. But they were dividing, going their own ways, and she knew – deep in her heart – that she would never see them again. Not unless, by mere coincidence – their paths crossed.
And she would miss them terribly.
Her goodbye to her parents had been the most distressing of all and she hoped, of all of them, that she would see them again someday. That, if she did, they would be parents to hundreds more snakelets. Their kind was diminished in many parts of the land. Nyoka and Janja had bred to sustain numbers and so it had been assigned to their children to do the same.
She would find a mate. Have children. Make her parents proud.
She let herself drift slowly down out of the tree and onto the leafy jungle floor, making swift progress along the vine and branch covered ground. She did not know where she would go. Only that she would search for a place where other snakes lived.
Suddenly, something closed in on her and she glanced to the side just in time to see her father emerging from the undergrowth. He had always been a grumpy, serious type and she dipped her head to avoid looking at him. She felt close to tears again and hadn’t wanted him to see her cry.
“Father…”
“Panna.” He touched his nose to hers, a rare sign of affection for his children. “I’m sssorry to come back and find you, but there’sss sssomething I want to tell you. I wasssn’t going to. But…I changed my mind.” He narrowed his eyes and shook his head, clearly frustrated at himself. “Remember Rokopelli?”
“The goddessss with the rainbow wingsss. Yesss, Father, I remember her.”
“If you ever sssee her, will you tell her…that I forgive her. Can you do that for me?”
“Of courssse, Father. But…why don’t you go yourssself?”
“I can’t. I can’t go back to her now. I’m with Janja and…”
“I underssstand.” She replied softly. “Don’t worry, Father, I’ll ssseek her out for you and I’ll passsss on your messssage. I promisssse.” She dipped her head and then, after a moment, drew back to regard him fondly. “Will we meet again sssomeday, do you think?”
“Perhapsss.” Nyoka said after a moment. “The world isss a big place, but, sssometimesss pathsss crosssss again, even when unexpected.”
“Do you know where Rokopelli might be, Father? Any idea at all?”
The snake looked grim for a moment, his head shaking very slowly from side to side. He was clearly thinking deeply about it and then, after a long pause, returned his gaze to her. “Ssshe travelsss from time to time, but there isss a land where there isss no grasssss and few treesss. A dessert, they call it. A land of gold and heat where the living isss harsssh but the sssun good for the ssscalesss. There are other lionsss there, too, but you will know her when you sssee her.”
“Then I ssshall look for thessse placesss and passss on your messssage, Father.”
“Thank you, Panna.”
She drew back, preparing to depart, feeling her little heart fill with sorrow to say farewell again. She adored her parents but she understood, now, that one had to go alone someday. And today was that day for her.
“The land needsss more sssnakesss.” Nyoka spoke again, his voice serious again. “My sssonsss, I told to find many matesss. For you, daughter, find a male who will treat you well. Lay many eggsss. Hatch many children. Let usss fill thisss land with wissse ssserpentsss.”
“I will, Father. I promissse. I won’t let you or Mother down.”
She turned to go again, but paused, surprised to see the emotion in her father’s usually stern face. Clearly he was sad to see his children go, too. He just…wasn’t very good at showing it.
“We will sssee each other again sssomeday, Father. I know it. Take care of Mother.” And, with that, she turned and went on her way, not daring to look back. Tears of sadness put shining streaks down her face and it was with great reluctance that she left the familiar glades and trees behind, venturing out into the parts of the jungle she had never seen before. And, now alone, she realised that the world was a scary place, even for her with her strong coils and ‘frightening’ appearance. For many creatures did fear snakes, even if there was no need.
The day drew on, the jungle thinned a little and now, ahead of her, between the trees, she could spy slithers of the outside world. Was she really leaving her birthplace? Yes. She was. Panna refused to back down, now. She carried with her the promises and hopes of her parents and she would not let them down.
As dusk fell, she broke free of the confining trees and emerged out into the grasslands at its edge. She lifted her arrow-shaped head to the sky and breathed deeply, her tongue flicking thoughtfully up and down. This land tasted different. It was wide and open and scary, but the ground was warm from the sun, less moist, too.
With a determined air, the young snake set off across the dusty ground, moving swiftly despite having no legs.
It would not be long before she came upon the desert that housed the firekin. And, thinking it might be the home to the Goddess, Rokopelli, there was no doubt that she would spend the time exploring it. But that journey was a day away for her and she needed to find shelter for the night first. After that, she would bathe in the sun and feast on rodents.
It was a simple existence, but she would do all in her power to enjoy it. Food, sun and travelling. Even now, to think of it lifted her spirits and somehow she felt close to her family again, knowing that they would all be travelling too. All of them seeking a place of their own, a family to raise.
Her grief would not last forever.
/fin.
