rthstewart (
rthstewart) wrote2018-09-03 08:58 am
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The Star Husband, Chapter 2
It has taken all summer but I have finally written a thing. And with this thing done and hopefully my long hiatus over, I can move on to and back to other pressing things, including the NFE and Remix.
The Star Husband (16004 words) by rthstewart
Chapters: 2/3
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Polly Plummer, Lucy Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole, Digory Kirke, Peter Pevensie
Additional Tags: Native American/First Nations Culture
Series: Part 7 of The Stone Gryphon
Summary:
This story began after a visit to Nova Scotia and a visit to a museum in Halifax where I learned about the Mi'kmaq story of the Star Husband. This chapter was supposed to be a thin little thing with Asim musing, as he does, that a magician cannot overpower God. But, the experience of the Chinese in Liverpool has been a part of Stone Gryphon for years. It was the reason I introduced Liverpool and Kwong Lee and Lin Kun's daughter in law and grandson in AW. And that story took on immensely poignant significance this summer as family separation became the official policy of the US Government. Again. Added to this, in-story, were my musings in Flee From Memory that Lucy might have left a daughter behind in Narnia. I still don't answer that here. Did she? This author has had a hard time crossing that bridge and burning it behind her.
And for people of faith, how do you cope with such profound evil and still trust in a benevolent God? And what of people, like me, who are just tired of fighting the same fights over and over, who are depressed and despairing, because resistance is such hard work. What do you do about the bears? As Lucy learns from Rita and Asim, it helps immensely to have friends, good food (chocolate), drink, and to let others bear the burden for a time. (Meds and therapy can help too, if you have access to them!)
And then you get up and try to keep doing what others have been doing long before you and will continue to do when you again tire. The Prophet's instruction is a good guide for all. Feed the hungry, visit the sick, free the captives.
The road to writing this has been tortuous and there were many, many resources. If I got something wrong please, kindly, tell me. Sources include but are not limited to those identified at the story's end:
The Star Husband (16004 words) by rthstewart
Chapters: 2/3
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Polly Plummer, Lucy Pevensie, Eustace Scrubb, Jill Pole, Digory Kirke, Peter Pevensie
Additional Tags: Native American/First Nations Culture
Series: Part 7 of The Stone Gryphon
Summary:
There are many stories about the love between humans and stars told in the folklore of the Mi'kmaq, a First Nations people indigenous to Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. Over 30 years and three visits to the Fossil Cliffs of Joggins, Nova Scotia, Polly, Lucy, Eustace and Jill all hear the Mi'kmaq tale of the Star Husband. As happens, each hears the same story and takes away a different understanding.
Part of the Stone Gryphon story cycle.
This story began after a visit to Nova Scotia and a visit to a museum in Halifax where I learned about the Mi'kmaq story of the Star Husband. This chapter was supposed to be a thin little thing with Asim musing, as he does, that a magician cannot overpower God. But, the experience of the Chinese in Liverpool has been a part of Stone Gryphon for years. It was the reason I introduced Liverpool and Kwong Lee and Lin Kun's daughter in law and grandson in AW. And that story took on immensely poignant significance this summer as family separation became the official policy of the US Government. Again. Added to this, in-story, were my musings in Flee From Memory that Lucy might have left a daughter behind in Narnia. I still don't answer that here. Did she? This author has had a hard time crossing that bridge and burning it behind her.
And for people of faith, how do you cope with such profound evil and still trust in a benevolent God? And what of people, like me, who are just tired of fighting the same fights over and over, who are depressed and despairing, because resistance is such hard work. What do you do about the bears? As Lucy learns from Rita and Asim, it helps immensely to have friends, good food (chocolate), drink, and to let others bear the burden for a time. (Meds and therapy can help too, if you have access to them!)
And then you get up and try to keep doing what others have been doing long before you and will continue to do when you again tire. The Prophet's instruction is a good guide for all. Feed the hungry, visit the sick, free the captives.
The road to writing this has been tortuous and there were many, many resources. If I got something wrong please, kindly, tell me. Sources include but are not limited to those identified at the story's end:
- The deportation of the Chinese sailors from Liverpool after the War are here and here among others. I've had the halfandhalf.org site bookmarked since about 1996.
- The history of the US government removing indigenous children from their families is summarized in numerous sources. You can start here.
- The Magdalen Laundries are here, among other places.
- There are many excellent resources about the Residential System in Canada (and the US, though not part of this story) that was, essentially institutionalized abuse and pedophilia of aboriginal children and erasure of aboriginal culture. Sources include here and here.
- In Australia, the practice of removing indigenous children from their families and institutionalizing them is referred to as the Stolen Generations. Sources include here, and here.