and I was out of reach.
“What do you know? Knowledge is not wisdom unless it is proved, Safi.
You have not been given this power. You have other gifts.”
I remember how his eyes, his whole being, seemed suddenly cast in
shadows as he stared back at me.
“If you loved me as I love you, you would do this for me.”
The pain swirling in my belly froze at his words, anchoring me to where
I stood.
“I would never ask you to be anything other than who you are. I have
loved you since I was old enough to know what love was – just as you are.
I would never ask you to change. How can you ask this of me?”
“I want you to belong to me! Only me, as a wife should.”
The words were like lightning in my ears, burning away something
between us forever.
“I don’t belong to anyone. Even in the Amasiti, we choose to be Mothers.
Our first duty is always to be in possession of ourselves. It is the one thing
we can never give away.”
The Goddess was in me and I was my own center. Safaro walked away
from me that night full of anger and hurt, and though I cried where I
stood, I did not reach and I did not waiver.
He left the next morning. I did not see him again for many years, but I
always knew that I would.
~
After Safi left, we continued on, understanding our gifts and sharing our
wisdom with those we served. Within the villages, there was no need for
jealously. All we had was shared. Because of our reputation as healers,
we were rarely -- if ever -- feared. But for some, the events of
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