178 Seven
“Who are you talking to?” Body asked as she walked past the lounge and the Little Red Haired Girl sitting in a patch of sunlight pooled on the rug yet unusually, she was facing the wall.
“I’m talking to the shadow I can make on the wall” the child answered without looking at Body as she was still transfixed with what she was doing. Body joined her facing the wall “Show me what you mean” as she sat down besides the child.
“Look I can make a bird appear” as she joined her hands and formed a shape with them that made no sense as you looked at the hands themselves until you looked at the wall, where the shadow formed a bird.
“Oh I see what you’re doing” Body responded. “Can you make it fly?”
“A little, but then you see my arms appear and it spoils it.”
Body was transported back in time as she remembered herself as a child doing this and watching it now, she remembered a pair of eyes she created on her bedroom wall with pupils that moved as she moved her fingers. In hindsight, it’s amazing what a child can create to amuse themselves out of nothing.
“What is a shadow made from?” the Little Red Haired Girl asked.
“Oooh now that’s a complicated question” admitted Brain “and even if I could put it into words you could understand, I don’t actually know the answer. I am not a scientific brain nor did I study science or physics, but my understanding is that a shadow is created by an object that comes inbetween a light source like the sun you are sitting in now, and a surface such as the wall you are facing.”
“And how come I can’t catch it?” she asked.
“Because it’s not an actual object like a ball. I think the experts in this field can measure the length and width of a shadow, but it has no substance to it or ‘body’ if you like. It has no thickness” Brain answered to the best of it’s knowledge.
“You mean it’s flat?” the child asked.
“Yes, that’s one way of putting it” Brain agreed.
“There is another meaning for ‘shadow'” called Spirit. “It can be about self reflection or looking ‘inside’ at all the things we dislike about ourselves and shining a light on them so that we can be better”
“Well which is it?” the child asked.
“It’s both” Brain agreed “words are tricksy like that they can have several meanings. It also depends on the context, whole, sentence they are placed in.”
“And the intention behind them” called Spirit.
“There is also another potential meaning” sighed Soul “not that I wish to confuse anyone’s path. ‘Shadow’ can sometimes be referred to in religion as the seven deadly sin’s, when people do naughty things against others or themselves.”
“Like stealing? or lying?” the child asked.
“Yes” Soul sighed “but there are others which you don’t need to bother your fluffy little head about now except to say we all have a shadow and it will be with you all the time as long as there is light.”
“That’s not true” the child answered “What about rainy days when you don’t see it?”
“It just means the light isn’t bright enough child. It doesn’t mean it’s not still there.”
“How can that be?”
“I can assure you it is still there even if you can’t see it” Spirit called.
The child looked hesitant and in the same instant her ‘bird on the wall’ grew faint as a cloud passed the sun outside as if to prove a point.
“Just because you can’t see it or see less of it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t exist” called Spirit.
“Can you see a thought?” Brain asked. “Unless we use Body’s eyes to picture it inside? Although I understand there are some very fancy medical machines nowadays to record and ‘see’ electrical impulses of the brain when we have thoughts.”
“This is getting overly complicated” Body sensed the tension and didn’t want it.
“Can you ‘see’ a feeling? cried Heart “other than within peoples actions and body responses? Can you actually ‘see’ a feeling?”
“Can you ‘see’ an intuition? you know when you feel a sense of danger or need to get in touch with someone but you don’t know why?” called Spirit. “Even when Body responds to it with hairs standing or suddenly bursts into tears when the day and mood has gone well and been happy?”
“No” the child answered. “Are they flat then too?”
“Unfortunately not” cried Heart “they are difficult shapes to see, and sometimes we misinterpret the signs or not understand them very well. They have many sides to their shape.”
“Depends how much light there is or one choses to shed” called Spirit.
“Or the therapy and knowledge one has” answered Brain.
“Or whether ones path is chosen correctly, unknowingly misguided, knowingly or unknowingly changed by others” sighed Soul.
“Or tolerance and enjoyment of others with physical presence, just like the time you spent with Nana and Grandad. You spent quite a lot of time with them didn’t you child?”
Heart burst into tears. “Why is this journey taking so long? I miss my family. Will they be patient and understanding with us? Will they see we needed to be isolated for a while? Intentionally or otherwise?”
“We hope so” sighed Soul. “They will be waiting for us once it’s complete. We will come together if we are meant to. They also have their own path to take. They may not ‘see’ our love or placement at the moment but hopefully, even over the distance they will feel it.”
“As well as hurt and anger?” the child asked.
“None of us are perfect child” Body answered. “They will see why eventually, when the truth comes to light. Hopefully they will forgive us and we will forgive them.”
“The light will be shed” Big voice promised.
© 2025 Jennifer Harris. Free And Alive 555
