The Story of the World, the Sand and the Snow: Chapter VI

Loimi sang a song after dinner.
She slept on the deck afterwards on a small pillow, her pillow which made her feel safe.
The stars were glowing bright and she prayed she would meet the Biranorr one day.
But then the Biranorr was sitting on the railing, waiting for her to sleep.
Just when her eyes were tightly locked, the Biranorr jumped down beside her.
A jelly like body it had, more than three meters long, devoid of limbs yet unlike a snake but with crests and troughs built beautifully across its whole length.

The Story of the World, the Sand and the Snow: Chapter IV

“I am 52 and Loimi is 7. Why do you ask?”
“Come now with me. I am like your big brother and I would help you both live if you promise to help me find the Biranorr.”
“Fine, we will help you though I am not sure how well I can do that?”
“You can and don’t worry about that. You can.”
They all moved to the ship in another hour. There was not much to carry, some clothes, some food and some toys for Loimi. There was a torn mat and Loimi took it too, some vessels and that was all they had.
In the evening, the first time the mother ate fish to her full and felt revived. Her thin bones were still protruding from beneath the layers of skin but then her face had a glow, a glow that comes from having a nutritious, full stomach meal.
“I bore Loimi when it was already too late to be a mother. I am always late for everything. I have never lived on the front and I never wish to live on the front.”
“Don’t worry I have seen all kinds of pain. But the Biranorr stole my heart, renewed and revived it as though I was never wounded. I am ready to seek it and see its world.”
“Golmak look, into the water; there is an eye staring out of it. A big eye!” exclaimed Loimi imagining having the Biranorr even when it wasn’t there.

The Story of the World, the Sand and the Snow: Chapter II

“Yes, yes, like a ghost. Now come, the food is ready, the fish fry is amazing when the stomach is empty enough to heal. It will give us more time to keep talking into the evening.”
“Why did you save me when I was in the Sea?”
“Your death has not come. You vicious kid; born of soft clay and wax, little lady. I mean your mother should not have sent you to the Sea to wash clothes.”
“No, but she is tired and alone. She has no one except me. I have to help her. Now, she must be hungry by now.”
“Hmm I see. Where is your mother now?”
“In her hut in Kiribati. Very few people live there, people are leaving those lands, no one saves it. The water rises every day and reaches our homes. My Dad left her here and went off to Hong Kong with another woman, my mother says, I was very small then.” She stressed on every single word and spoke like she understood everything.
“Let’s pick her up. The Sea is her home and if she can love it, the Sea can be her home.”
“Great. Let’s do that.” Loimi smiled.
“You eat your fish while I turn the sail and in another three hours your mother can be with us. The Sun is still not very low.” Golmak sat to turn the sail and Loimi sat to eat her fish, fresh roasted and brown. The smell was awesome. Loimi had not had fish in a long time. She was just having rice and barley for all her meals.