Date Posted:12:57:19 02/04/11 Fri Author: Fi Subject: Long delayed response>>> In reply to:
Esther
's message, "Yesterday's song >>>" on 12:18:36 01/26/11 Wed
Powerful stuff. The emotional and physical struggle is well rendered, and I get a sense of two strong characters who both need and resent each other. Some good details, like the piece of wood and the glass of icy water.
Not having any context, I assumed that Shadow was mute and was confused when she heard him singing. I also wondered why she had a change of attitude when she found out he could understand English. Wouldn't that have made her more angry?
I also wondered how she knew that she was delivering a son.
>Powerful stuff. The emotional and physical struggle is
>well rendered, and I get a sense of two strong
>characters who both need and resent each other. Some
>good details, like the piece of wood and the glass of
>icy water.
Thanks! Karma was kind of all over the place here so its good to hear that it made sense. I am also thrilled the need and resentment of each other is evident.
>
>Not having any context, I assumed that Shadow was mute
>and was confused when she heard him singing. I also
>wondered why she had a change of attitude when she
>found out he could understand English. Wouldn't that
>have made her more angry?
Shadow is not mute, he’s just very quiet. And since Karma has made no effort at all to communicate with him or learn his native tongue, he doesn’t bother all that much, unless it’s to get her attention or something. Plus it’s been years and years since he spoke English, or heard it, so while initially he might not have spoken to her because he had forgotten lots of it, over the months by allowing her to speak freely he relearned. And it was obvious that Karma would not welcome any conversation with him. As time passed the deception became the norm. Not to mention that it was a long-ingrained habit to keep his knowledge hidden from everyone, especially his people and his father in particular.
As for the change of attitude, negative emotions are draining. Also, Shadow has been pushing her body to its limit, forcing her to travel well beyond her endurance, using her hatred of him to keep her going. Karma is mentally and physically beat, she just delivered a baby, and she doesn’t have the energy to be angrier than she has been for the last eight months. Nor can she hold onto it, witnessing Shadow’s care of her son. She saw a side of him that she didn’t suspect existed, and while he’s still not her favourite person in the world and will never forgive him for taking everything from her, she recognizes that his choices have always been made with her welfare in mind, even as she treated him horribly.
>
>I also wondered how she knew that she was delivering a
>son.
Ah. Yeah. Well…visions come in handy in this tale. *G*
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! Much appreciated!
