48th Ashan, 721
Following the consequenceSome people around Hopetoun have taken to thinking that Vega is a miracle worker. They begin making outlandish requests of her, and at one point a line/crowd of about a dozen or more begins to form, and they all have the most embarrassing and outlandish requests to make of her. given here
This was getting silly.
"I don't really understand," Vega said quietly to the middle aged couple who had asked her to help them, "what it is that you think I can do about it?" They looked at her and the husband, Barry, spoke to her. "Well, we've heard that you perform, you know, miracles."
Vega sighed. "I don't," she said. "Lets be clear. I help out where I can, an' I do what I can. But I don't perform miracles. But," that said, she thought, there might be things that she could do to help. It started simply, though. "I want to be clear. I can't help you. There's no ointment what I can rub on, or bandage to wrap around an' fix things. All I can do is maybe help you to help yourselves, alright?" Barry nodded and he looked at his wife, Freda. "We'll try. I promise you."
Vega sighed. "Alright. Well, we need to have a conversation, an' you're goin' to feel uncomfortable. I promise you, from the very bottom of my heart, that I will be feelin' more uncomfortable than you."
They nodded. "Right. Get us a cuppa, Barry, an' lets talk about it, then."
As Barry did just that, Vega stood up and moved over to where Freda kept the cooking utensils and tools and things.
"I'm told you make right nice food, Freda. While we're talkin' I need to do somethin'. I can't sit still, drives me mad. Will you teach me a recipe?" Freda looked at Vega in surprise, but she thought about it and nodded. "Of course," Freda said, and Vega grinned.
"You any good with the crock-pot Barry?" Barry shook his head. " Excellent. Come on then, we'll both learn an' Freda, you'll teach us."
Barry frowned slightly. "I don't need to learn to cook," he said and Vega nodded her head. "Right you are Barry. But you didn't know where you kept the cups, so I'm bettin' that you don't help Freda much. You two are havin' problems, an' the first thing to do is to start with spendin' some time together. So. You want me to help, I'll help." Calmly, and with a smile on her face, Vega moved the mixing bowl Freda had put down in front of her, to right in front of Barry. "An' I'll help, while we're both learnin' somethin' about Freda's skills. A'right?"
It had to be said, Freda smiled a little, and Vega nodded. "Excellent. Come on then, Freda, pass us over a bowl, an' lets start talkin'. Why don't you tell me what the problem actually is between the two of you?"
Freda put a bowl in front of Vega and glanced at Barry. "We're never intimate any more," she said. "He doesn't want me."
Barry snorted. "You're turning me into a nervous wreck, you are, with your constant demands for attention of a physical kind."
"Righteo," Vega said. Looking at Freda with eyes which swirled a range of colours. "Pass the flour Freda, would you?"
"So, what're we makin'?" Vega asked.
"Some cake," Freda said. "A nice light sponge. We start with the flour, I always sift it, it helps." Freda showed them how to and Vega practiced it, first by shaking the sieve a little too much, and then by controlling the motion "Sorry about that," she said, motioning to the mess. Freda smiled. "Baking is a messy thing, that's fine."
"I don't like mess." Barry said, sourly, and Vega looked at him. She looked at what he was doing, and the expression on his face.
"A'right, Barry, lets be real here. I reckon, judgin' by the way you're bein', you're done with this marriage an' Freda would be best off leavin' you."
Both Barry and Freda looked at Vega with amazement and disbelief. "We came to you for a miracle," Barry's voice was sharper, rising in pitch. "Not for you to suggest that."
Vega put down the sieve she was holding and she looked at him. "When I suggest that Freda leaves you, you get upset. Which means you want her to stay. So, if you want her to stay, stop bein' a miserable sod an' get with workin' this out. If you're not prepared to work for it, why should I? An' more'n that - why should she?" Vega was aware that it was highly likely that no one had ever spoken to Barry like that; she could guess that from both Barry and Freda's faces. But maybe that was part of the problem - he'd fallen into the role expected of him, namely grumpy old man, and no one challenged him out of it.
"So, what's next, Freda?"
Following Freda's lead, Vega put in the sugar and then added some butter and started to mix the ingredients into a crumb . They'd been quiet for a while and then Barry spoke. "I don't want you to leave me, Fred." Vega kept her head down and she concentrated on the consistency of her cake mix.
"I don't want to, Barry, but I need ... " there was a pause and a sniffle and then Freda spoke again, her voice shaking with frustration. "I don't know what I need."
"I do," Vega said. Looking up she looked between them and spoke. "You know what, I don't think it's about sex. Not really. It's about intimacy an' knowin' that Barry loves you an' needs you. " Barry looked rather surprised at that, and Vega considered that she really didn't know why people came to her. All she did was state the obvious. "When all you do is grump at her, an' ignore her, Barry, you make her feel like she's not important to you," she said, sternly. "You don't have to turn into someone yer not, but she's yer wife an' you need to remember that you're lucky to have her. Let her know that." Barry frowned a dark and angry knitting of his brows. He let out a half-sigh half-humph noise.
"An' knock that off an' all, you," Vega said. Freda gasped in surprise. "Wot? I don't know what you think is goin' to happen, but I'm not impressed with yer ability to wiggle yer bushy brows, an' whatever grumpy temper you think you've got, I've got better." It was no surprise that Vega didn't find Barry intimidating - Freda watched with amazement. "It's down to you, Barry. Freda needs more'n you're givin' her, an' it's up to you whether you change or you don't. If you don't, you'll lose her."
She turned her attention then to Freda. "An' you're not blameless here, neither. If you want somethin' say it straight. If you think it would be nice if he held yer hand, hold his. I swear to you Barry, if you drop her hand when she does that, I'm gonna get testy." Freda nodded. "I'll try ... I'll be more clear."
"Good. An' stop pouncin' on him like a she-cat in heat. You know he's not wantin' that right now. Make a pact between you that next time you get yer jiggin' goin' it'll be cos Barry made a move."
"Get our jiggin?"
Vega looked at Freda with a level and calm expression and, for the first time, a ghost of a smile appeared on Barry's lips. He leaned over and whispered to her and Freda blushed. "Oh," she said. "Jiggin. Right."
Vega nodded. "Glad I didn't have to explain that," she said. "Now, I reckon I'm ready to put this to cook, what say you?"
"Yes, but maybe just check there's no lumps. Then, grease the tin to stop the cake from sticking to it, and put the mixture in."
Vega nodded and she took a moment to ensure that the mixture wasn't lumpy. The bottom of the bowl was prone to being mixed least, so she concentrated there. . Then, when she was content with the mixture, she got to greasing the tins. What was important there, Freda said, was to make sure that the corners were properly done. Once that was done and the tins were evenly and fully greased, Vega poured her cake mix in.
"Righteo," she said. "I reckon you two need some time to talk. Freda, you tell Barry what you want an' need from him. Emotionally. Barry, be clear about yer boundaries, an' try an' crack a smile." The pair of them nodded. Vega looked at Barry's cake, in the tin and she grinned. "If it helps, Barry, I reckon you'll be able to say that you can make good cake."
And, with that, Vega left. The cakes would take half an hour to cook and she figured that the couple could use this time to talk. Frankly, she considered, as she stomped out of the place, if no one ever asked her for help again, that would be just fine with her. But even as she thought it, she smiled.
This was getting silly.
"I don't really understand," Vega said quietly to the middle aged couple who had asked her to help them, "what it is that you think I can do about it?" They looked at her and the husband, Barry, spoke to her. "Well, we've heard that you perform, you know, miracles."
Vega sighed. "I don't," she said. "Lets be clear. I help out where I can, an' I do what I can. But I don't perform miracles. But," that said, she thought, there might be things that she could do to help. It started simply, though. "I want to be clear. I can't help you. There's no ointment what I can rub on, or bandage to wrap around an' fix things. All I can do is maybe help you to help yourselves, alright?" Barry nodded and he looked at his wife, Freda. "We'll try. I promise you."
Vega sighed. "Alright. Well, we need to have a conversation, an' you're goin' to feel uncomfortable. I promise you, from the very bottom of my heart, that I will be feelin' more uncomfortable than you."
They nodded. "Right. Get us a cuppa, Barry, an' lets talk about it, then."
As Barry did just that, Vega stood up and moved over to where Freda kept the cooking utensils and tools and things.
"I'm told you make right nice food, Freda. While we're talkin' I need to do somethin'. I can't sit still, drives me mad. Will you teach me a recipe?" Freda looked at Vega in surprise, but she thought about it and nodded. "Of course," Freda said, and Vega grinned.
"You any good with the crock-pot Barry?" Barry shook his head. " Excellent. Come on then, we'll both learn an' Freda, you'll teach us."
Barry frowned slightly. "I don't need to learn to cook," he said and Vega nodded her head. "Right you are Barry. But you didn't know where you kept the cups, so I'm bettin' that you don't help Freda much. You two are havin' problems, an' the first thing to do is to start with spendin' some time together. So. You want me to help, I'll help." Calmly, and with a smile on her face, Vega moved the mixing bowl Freda had put down in front of her, to right in front of Barry. "An' I'll help, while we're both learnin' somethin' about Freda's skills. A'right?"
It had to be said, Freda smiled a little, and Vega nodded. "Excellent. Come on then, Freda, pass us over a bowl, an' lets start talkin'. Why don't you tell me what the problem actually is between the two of you?"
Freda put a bowl in front of Vega and glanced at Barry. "We're never intimate any more," she said. "He doesn't want me."
Barry snorted. "You're turning me into a nervous wreck, you are, with your constant demands for attention of a physical kind."
"Righteo," Vega said. Looking at Freda with eyes which swirled a range of colours. "Pass the flour Freda, would you?"
"So, what're we makin'?" Vega asked.
"Some cake," Freda said. "A nice light sponge. We start with the flour, I always sift it, it helps." Freda showed them how to and Vega practiced it, first by shaking the sieve a little too much, and then by controlling the motion "Sorry about that," she said, motioning to the mess. Freda smiled. "Baking is a messy thing, that's fine."
"I don't like mess." Barry said, sourly, and Vega looked at him. She looked at what he was doing, and the expression on his face.
"A'right, Barry, lets be real here. I reckon, judgin' by the way you're bein', you're done with this marriage an' Freda would be best off leavin' you."
Both Barry and Freda looked at Vega with amazement and disbelief. "We came to you for a miracle," Barry's voice was sharper, rising in pitch. "Not for you to suggest that."
Vega put down the sieve she was holding and she looked at him. "When I suggest that Freda leaves you, you get upset. Which means you want her to stay. So, if you want her to stay, stop bein' a miserable sod an' get with workin' this out. If you're not prepared to work for it, why should I? An' more'n that - why should she?" Vega was aware that it was highly likely that no one had ever spoken to Barry like that; she could guess that from both Barry and Freda's faces. But maybe that was part of the problem - he'd fallen into the role expected of him, namely grumpy old man, and no one challenged him out of it.
"So, what's next, Freda?"
Following Freda's lead, Vega put in the sugar and then added some butter and started to mix the ingredients into a crumb . They'd been quiet for a while and then Barry spoke. "I don't want you to leave me, Fred." Vega kept her head down and she concentrated on the consistency of her cake mix.
"I don't want to, Barry, but I need ... " there was a pause and a sniffle and then Freda spoke again, her voice shaking with frustration. "I don't know what I need."
"I do," Vega said. Looking up she looked between them and spoke. "You know what, I don't think it's about sex. Not really. It's about intimacy an' knowin' that Barry loves you an' needs you. " Barry looked rather surprised at that, and Vega considered that she really didn't know why people came to her. All she did was state the obvious. "When all you do is grump at her, an' ignore her, Barry, you make her feel like she's not important to you," she said, sternly. "You don't have to turn into someone yer not, but she's yer wife an' you need to remember that you're lucky to have her. Let her know that." Barry frowned a dark and angry knitting of his brows. He let out a half-sigh half-humph noise.
"An' knock that off an' all, you," Vega said. Freda gasped in surprise. "Wot? I don't know what you think is goin' to happen, but I'm not impressed with yer ability to wiggle yer bushy brows, an' whatever grumpy temper you think you've got, I've got better." It was no surprise that Vega didn't find Barry intimidating - Freda watched with amazement. "It's down to you, Barry. Freda needs more'n you're givin' her, an' it's up to you whether you change or you don't. If you don't, you'll lose her."
She turned her attention then to Freda. "An' you're not blameless here, neither. If you want somethin' say it straight. If you think it would be nice if he held yer hand, hold his. I swear to you Barry, if you drop her hand when she does that, I'm gonna get testy." Freda nodded. "I'll try ... I'll be more clear."
"Good. An' stop pouncin' on him like a she-cat in heat. You know he's not wantin' that right now. Make a pact between you that next time you get yer jiggin' goin' it'll be cos Barry made a move."
"Get our jiggin?"
Vega looked at Freda with a level and calm expression and, for the first time, a ghost of a smile appeared on Barry's lips. He leaned over and whispered to her and Freda blushed. "Oh," she said. "Jiggin. Right."
Vega nodded. "Glad I didn't have to explain that," she said. "Now, I reckon I'm ready to put this to cook, what say you?"
"Yes, but maybe just check there's no lumps. Then, grease the tin to stop the cake from sticking to it, and put the mixture in."
Vega nodded and she took a moment to ensure that the mixture wasn't lumpy. The bottom of the bowl was prone to being mixed least, so she concentrated there. . Then, when she was content with the mixture, she got to greasing the tins. What was important there, Freda said, was to make sure that the corners were properly done. Once that was done and the tins were evenly and fully greased, Vega poured her cake mix in.
"Righteo," she said. "I reckon you two need some time to talk. Freda, you tell Barry what you want an' need from him. Emotionally. Barry, be clear about yer boundaries, an' try an' crack a smile." The pair of them nodded. Vega looked at Barry's cake, in the tin and she grinned. "If it helps, Barry, I reckon you'll be able to say that you can make good cake."
And, with that, Vega left. The cakes would take half an hour to cook and she figured that the couple could use this time to talk. Frankly, she considered, as she stomped out of the place, if no one ever asked her for help again, that would be just fine with her. But even as she thought it, she smiled.
