Use It All
Ermine lived in the little hut behind the corn field. It was very small but it was enough for her now. At middle age she found herself alone except for her cats and other small creatures that came out of the field for little treats she left for them.
Her life had not gone as she had hoped. She couldn't say planned because that was the problem. She hadn't made a plan. She had just drifted along, year to year, dealing with whatever came along. Life was so different now than when she was young. In these modern times. So fast and so expensive. It made her life feel so tenuous. Used to be you had your job for most of your life. Now you were lucky if you had the same job for five years. Technology made it possible to have all the world's problems delivered to you every day- all day.
Some people liked it, the new caffeine driven existence. Some people couldn't take it. Ermine couldn't take it. So she dropped out. Pulled the plug. Carted her T.V. set to the curb and moved a few times. Each time was to a place a little more removed. Now here she was.
The little hut was twenty feet square. Just one room, open space. It had a wood stove which was what Ermine loved best. It was work but she didn't mind. The hut was built for workers to live in while they worked the cranberry bogs. She made a deal with the owner to live there in exchange for work around the place. His wife was ill and needed help. So Ermine settled into a routine of work and her off time ,which she used to write her stories. She didn't see many people but that was o.k. She had had enough of people and enough of the world.
Part of her work included taking some of the care of the animals around the place. She liked that too. So there were her indoor cats, the farm animals and the wild critters. She made a study of them all. How they differed in their varying states of wildness. How they related to her and to each other. Their family ways. They were much more sensible than people.
Ermine didn't have much money. She made a little from her stories and that had to cover her food and her bare needs. She became very proficient at making do and using up everything. Nothing went to waste.
Ermine learned about death. Everything is born and everything dies. It is just how it is. She became fascinated with the breath. She assisted at births and witnessed life enter the body with the first breath. She was present sometimes when beings died. She would cradle them in her arms the same way, if they let her, and watch the last breath leave taking the spirit with it. Then she would just be holding the empty body. It felt like someone had just left a room or a house leaving it empty. Ermine could never understand people's attachment to the corpse. All you had to do was look at it to see the being was long gone.
So after a respectful period , the body was used up as well. If it was something that could be used for food you dressed it out before the blood cooled. Over the course of years Ermine learned more and more. She learned how to be able to make use of the skins or feathers, the horns and nails and teeth. Everything was used.
In Ermine's house, things she had brought with her began to be replaced with things she made from things that once lived or grew. She learned to carve, to replace cups or plates. She sewed articles of clothing. What she required from the outside world became less and less.
Eventually the farmers wife died. Ermine held her as that last breath passed out of her. The farmer was there but could not give her the same comfort. The two of them dug the grave out in the woods behind the bog. In a little while the farmer wanted Ermine to move into the house with him but she didn't want to. She was passed all that. She continued looking after him though, and the animals.
Sometimes Ermine thought about what would happen if she were forced to go back to the world. She didn't think she could do it. Once in a while some horror story would find it's way back to her about what was going on out there. She knew she would never make it.
One night the farmer didn't come in for supper. Ermine ate her meal and cleaned up. She put his plate in the fridge finally and went to her hut. At nine o'clock she checked the animals. No sign of him. Not much she could do in the dark.
Next morning brought no word. So now Ermine took the dog and started walking the land. She wasn't at it very long before the dog started barking. They found him in the corn field. His body was slumped on the ground. Altho he had hit his head on a rock when he fell, she didn't think that is what killed him. Looked like a heart attack. At any rate he was dead now.
If he was dead and people knew, she would have to leave. She would have to go back. Ermine went into the shed and got the butcher tools. Nothing went to waste.
Her life had not gone as she had hoped. She couldn't say planned because that was the problem. She hadn't made a plan. She had just drifted along, year to year, dealing with whatever came along. Life was so different now than when she was young. In these modern times. So fast and so expensive. It made her life feel so tenuous. Used to be you had your job for most of your life. Now you were lucky if you had the same job for five years. Technology made it possible to have all the world's problems delivered to you every day- all day.
Some people liked it, the new caffeine driven existence. Some people couldn't take it. Ermine couldn't take it. So she dropped out. Pulled the plug. Carted her T.V. set to the curb and moved a few times. Each time was to a place a little more removed. Now here she was.
The little hut was twenty feet square. Just one room, open space. It had a wood stove which was what Ermine loved best. It was work but she didn't mind. The hut was built for workers to live in while they worked the cranberry bogs. She made a deal with the owner to live there in exchange for work around the place. His wife was ill and needed help. So Ermine settled into a routine of work and her off time ,which she used to write her stories. She didn't see many people but that was o.k. She had had enough of people and enough of the world.
Part of her work included taking some of the care of the animals around the place. She liked that too. So there were her indoor cats, the farm animals and the wild critters. She made a study of them all. How they differed in their varying states of wildness. How they related to her and to each other. Their family ways. They were much more sensible than people.
Ermine didn't have much money. She made a little from her stories and that had to cover her food and her bare needs. She became very proficient at making do and using up everything. Nothing went to waste.
Ermine learned about death. Everything is born and everything dies. It is just how it is. She became fascinated with the breath. She assisted at births and witnessed life enter the body with the first breath. She was present sometimes when beings died. She would cradle them in her arms the same way, if they let her, and watch the last breath leave taking the spirit with it. Then she would just be holding the empty body. It felt like someone had just left a room or a house leaving it empty. Ermine could never understand people's attachment to the corpse. All you had to do was look at it to see the being was long gone.
So after a respectful period , the body was used up as well. If it was something that could be used for food you dressed it out before the blood cooled. Over the course of years Ermine learned more and more. She learned how to be able to make use of the skins or feathers, the horns and nails and teeth. Everything was used.
In Ermine's house, things she had brought with her began to be replaced with things she made from things that once lived or grew. She learned to carve, to replace cups or plates. She sewed articles of clothing. What she required from the outside world became less and less.
Eventually the farmers wife died. Ermine held her as that last breath passed out of her. The farmer was there but could not give her the same comfort. The two of them dug the grave out in the woods behind the bog. In a little while the farmer wanted Ermine to move into the house with him but she didn't want to. She was passed all that. She continued looking after him though, and the animals.
Sometimes Ermine thought about what would happen if she were forced to go back to the world. She didn't think she could do it. Once in a while some horror story would find it's way back to her about what was going on out there. She knew she would never make it.
One night the farmer didn't come in for supper. Ermine ate her meal and cleaned up. She put his plate in the fridge finally and went to her hut. At nine o'clock she checked the animals. No sign of him. Not much she could do in the dark.
Next morning brought no word. So now Ermine took the dog and started walking the land. She wasn't at it very long before the dog started barking. They found him in the corn field. His body was slumped on the ground. Altho he had hit his head on a rock when he fell, she didn't think that is what killed him. Looked like a heart attack. At any rate he was dead now.
If he was dead and people knew, she would have to leave. She would have to go back. Ermine went into the shed and got the butcher tools. Nothing went to waste.
posted by minniepeckham at 4:05 PM
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