From that moment, Nuszka began to think that something was wrong with her. Everyone in the village was so captivated by the Magnificent, and it seemed that only her and grandma witnessed her surprising behavior. With a restless heart, Nuszka decided to turn to Jadzia, with whom she spent the most time.
She started the conversation, lying next to Jadzia in the grass and looking for the first stars in the sky. She felt better knowing that this position wouldn’t show her face clearly. She recounted a story from the previous day and expressed her mixed feelings about it. Having listened, Jadzia leaned on her elbow and said.
– You know, Grandma is a good woman, but she’s weak… It’s strange that some people stay at the side of Magnanificent, and they’re still stuck in their… miserable lives – she uttered the last word with obvious reluctance – don’t you think?
– Uh… well – confused Nuszka only nodded
– What, are you afraid? – Jadzia asked – you’re still learning, so don’t worry.
– But what would I be worried about?
– That she will send you on a journey outside the village – Jadzia replied unceremoniously – if someone deserves it, she sends him on a journey, so I’m surprised she hasn’t sent grandma yet.
– But everyone seems to love her
– Grandma herself decided that she wanted to be like this. And since she consciously made such a decision, Magnificent allowed us to use it. A strong person has dignity…
Despite the lying position, Nuszka felt nauseous. Has she just heard the voice of the whole village that she herself had not been able to observe until now? She had never known a being as good as grandma before, and she was very surprised by those words. She looked at Jadzia to make sure she wasn’t joking and asked, already afraid of the answer:
– How do you use it?
– We treat her as she allows us to. She has to find her strength on her own, otherwise she won’t learn. You have to be strong in this world full of monsters and all. – she recited the last words like a rule that someone had hammered into her head years earlier.
– But what can grandma do when someone treats her badly? She’s an old woman.
– That’s none of my business, let her worry about it. You have to deal with life.
Nushka blinked. Jadzia sounded more and more as if she was repeating the lessons learned once. Although she grew up in the same, and perhaps even more dangerous, world of monsters, Jadzia’s words were a big surprise to her. Nuszka’s world may have been cruel and ruthless, but in fact it was also simple and primal. In her world, nature decided about most things. In a situation like this, she was grateful she’d been raised to listen to her own instincts rather than clever theories. “Is this what the human world looks like?” she thought.
– You’ve been living here for almost a month and you haven’t noticed anything? You’re not very smart, you know? – Jadzia laughed sweetly, combing Nuszka’s hair with her fingers
– So this is normal in every other village?
– How would I know? I grew up here. But I know it’s best here. how was it in your place?
– At my place? … hmm … there was no one like grandma. so good. Old customs were respected and…
– Old customs – Jadzia snorted, interrupting Nuszka – if we maintained them, men would have been in power. We have women and it’s better.
– I thought it was normal! In my village there were no men in power either, in fact, there were no men at all – Nuszka laughed, then, having realized that she had gone a little too far in confessions, she fell silent.
– Really? – Jadzia was surprised – where are you from then?
– Everyone here says the past isn’t important in our village, right? – Nushka replied
There was silence, during which Jadzia watched the interlocutor so carefully that her concentration seemed to thicken the air.
– Indeed, it doesn’t matter – confirmed the girl, then got up slowly, announced to Nuszka that she was going to sleep and left.
Nushka sat down on the grass and looked at the blackness of the forest for a long time, this time wishing with all her heart to see Baba Yaga there, whose visit she had not been happy about not so long ago. She would have asked her so many questions… Instead, she saw a flickering, moving light that looked like one of the well-known will-o’-the-wisps. She even heard the rustling, soft voice saying “come, come” a few times. After a while, Nuszka was snapped out of his nearly hypnotic state by the sight of Yurek walking towards her. She quickly got up and ran away.
