W.I.N.D

Before the leaves on the trees swayed and rustled or, the ocean water rippled, things were calm. The stale air was all people knew. There was no breeze. In fact, that word didn’t even exist. For no one knew how miserable things really were. They were clueless. The simple task of opening windows had no relevance. Hot sticky days were just that and nothing more. There was no release from the heat. Nothing to ease the sweat, nothing to whip your hair around, tumbleweeds sat motionless. If people didn’t know any better, it could have been considered pure hell. Until one marvelous day, but I’m getting ahead of myself. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m talking about wind. If you didn’t know, well then, that’s an entirely different problem that I don’t have time to deal with.

The wind is the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction. I know how boring, but I hope your taking notes. Just kidding. That’s the way the wind is defined these days, according to Google, anyway. My story, which is most definitely true, is the real origin of the wind.

Back many, many years ago, so far back, I probably can’t even count how far. The world was like, I said, calm. Even the rain was weird. I know what you’re thinking. How can rain be weird? Well, imagine it now, and then imagine it with no wind. It only fell straight down. There was nothing to blow it sideways and smack you right in the face. Dark clouds just stayed in one spot. Indeed it was a strange phenomenon. The science doesn’t add up, but I’m getting off track here.

It all began with four women. No, they weren’t witches or Gods, just four plain Jane women. All of whom were best friends. They had no special powers or magic. All though people claimed it was magic, maybe even a miracle. In a sense, I guess, it was simply a miracle.

Let’s begin with Wrenna. She was strong, not like lifting five hundred pounds strong, but emotionally. Her life was hard. It started out perfect. A loving husband and a great house. Even a beautiful blooming business. That all went to crap, though. Wrenna’s husband and I can’t stress this enough, was a Loser. Too bad she didn’t find this out until it was too late. By the time she realized all she had left were the clothes on her back and her wedding ring. While Wrenna was out of town caring for her sick mother. Her husband did some cold and heartless acts. Before she left, he somehow tricked her into signing divorce papers. He sold off their business and house, then ran off with the milkmaid. Yes, the milkmaid. She was homely, and if you didn’t know, homely means ugly. Wrenna’s husband was only interested in the milkmaid's dowry. Fueled by greed, he wooed that homely girl with Wrenna’s jewels and fancy clothes. Then they were off, leaving Wrenna with a broken heart. Wrenna persevered, sold off her gaudy wedding ring, and bought a small cottage. She then started a small vegetable business with her friend.

This brings us to Iona. She was beautiful but lonely. She loved love. Iona longed for her Prince Charming to come along. Her choices in men were, let’s just say, bad. Losers far and wide sought Iona out, for her beauty did not compare to anyone. Fat, short, tall, and skinny, each tried their best to win her hand. Some men were handsome, oh so very handsome. Iona would melt at the sight of them. She knew it had to be true love. Wrenna saw through the men’s fake smiles and lies. Iona would get so mad when she chased them off. All she wanted was a man at her side, but Wrenna wouldn’t let her settle for scum. So, day after day, Iona waited and searched for the love of her life. She tried so hard to keep the loneliness from consuming her heart.

Now we move on to Nyla. Her story is truly sad. She loved so deeply but lost the one who made her whole. The pain of her husband’s death followed her around. The few years they had together were nothing short of amazing. He was everything to her. The day he died was a horrible tragedy. I’ll leave the gory parts out, but he was mauled to death by a bear. Nyla knew she would never find love that way again. Shortly after his demise, Nyla found out she was pregnant. She was filled with grief and happiness. Her son mended some of her sadness. She held on to the fact that within her son, a piece of her husband still lived on. The days were long and hard for Nyla, but she had some pretty great friends to help with the extra bad days.

The last and final woman was Devora. She was the only one of the four who had a husband. He was her protector and hero. Devora had grown up with all the riches and finery a girl could want. Unfortunately, with that came a grave loss. Her father's fortune was so large that thieves fought tooth and nail to obtain it. One frightful night they managed to get past all the guards, slaughtering them on the spot. The thieves captured Devora, killed her father, and claimed the palace as their own. She became a slave girl, bidding and doing whatever horrible tasks the thieves thought of that day. Devora’s life was miserable, and she lived each day in fear. But one day, a knight with great strength and courage killed the thieves and rescued Devora. It was love at first sight, and soon after, the two were married. That fear still lingered within Devora. She would never leave the house without her husband and at least one guard. All she wanted was to feel at ease and shove the fear out.

The woman’s lives were busy, but they always made sure to make time for each other. Once a week, no matter what, they got together. Wrenna, Iona, Nyla, and Devora helped each other mend all the wounds they each suffered. Sometimes they talked for hours. Other times, they sat in silence, holding hands just to feel the comfort of one another. It was enough for a while, but they needed more, something else to release all their pain. Wrenna suggested screaming. She explained that it had been freeing to her. The others thought it seemed peculiar, but they finally gave in. They each stood up and got in a line. One by one, they grabbed each other hands.

Wrenna explained that with the scream, set an intention of what you want to let out. So, that’s what they did. Wrenna wanted to let out her heartbreak. Iona wanted to let out her loneliness. Nyla wanted to let out her sadness. Devora wanted to let out her fear. At that moment, at the exact same time, they liberated themselves, each saying what ailed them and letting out the loudest and most powerful scream.

The world changed that day. Behind all heartbreak, loneliness, sadness, and fear came the wind. It wasn’t an insignificant gust. No, it was commanding. Almost as if it had been waiting for its freedom, waiting to unleash its magic to send relief out. All the women were shocked by what they had just unearthed. The air had made its way around the world and back. They all felt it whoosh behind them. Their hair flowed as if it took all the pain away when it rushed by. Everything that kept them down or held them back was gone. They had one problem to figure out. What would they call this thing they released?

They deliberated for hours. Naming off silly names, and finally, they found the perfect word. Iona had suggested using the first letter of each of their names. W for Wrenna, I for Iona, N for Nyla, and D for Devora, which turned out to be W.I.N.D.

The air was no longer stale. The wind refreshed the world. Its howling scream cascaded across the lands. The ocean rippled. Ships sailed the sea. Trees swayed, and leaves rustled. Tumbleweeds did what they did best. The first big storm was scary, but after a while, the people grew to love them. Well, except for one loser. Wrenna’s ex-husband suffered a “terrible” loss from the winds. All his belongings and his homely wife’s jewels and possessions were scattered throughout the lands. Free for anyone to pick up, but that’s a story for another time.