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Caroline was jolted out of her reverie with the sound of the door banging open. Turning around, Caroline saw her best friend and maid of honor Lauren bursting into the room.
Caroline was jolted out of her reverie with the sound of the door banging open. Turning around, Caroline saw her best friend and maid of honor Lauren bursting into the room.
“Come on! Time to perk up,” commanded Lauren. “Chop. Chop. Time to get married.”
“Come on! Time to perk up,” commanded Lauren. “Chop. Chop. Time to get married.”
“Whoa, some privacy would be nice, Lauren,” Caroline responded, laughing.
“Whoa, some privacy would be nice, Lauren,” Caroline responded, laughing.
“Oh come on, I know you were just talking to Izzy.”
“Oh come on, I know you were just talking to Izzy.”
“How do you know that? Oh my god. Is this one of your plans? Are you the person who’s been sending everyone in to talk to me?” Caroline demanded.
“How do you know that? Oh my god. Is this one of your plans? Are you the person who’s been sending everyone in to talk to me?” Caroline demanded.
Lauren walked up behind Caroline and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, don’t act like it’s not working, I can tell you're less stressed already. Plus it’s thirty minutes to showtime. I just wanted to talk to my best friend.”
Lauren walked up behind Caroline and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, don’t act like it’s not working, I can tell you're less stressed already. Plus it’s thirty minutes to showtime. I just wanted to talk to my best friend.”
“So you don’t have a story to tell me?” joked Caroline.
“So you don’t have a story to tell me?” joked Caroline.
“Okay, maybe I do, but I think you’re going to like this one.”
“Okay, maybe I do, but I think you’re going to like this one.”
“Alright, alright, let’s get this started.”
“Alright, alright, let’s get this started.”
“This is an ancient Mi'kmaq legend,” Lauren began. “There once was an Indian village. In this village there was a grand lodge where a wealthy and powerful man lived. Many wanted to marry this man, but there was a catch. This man was invisible and only the woman who could see him would marry him.
“This is an ancient Mi'kmaq legend,” Lauren began. “There once was an Indian village. In this village there was a grand lodge where a wealthy and powerful man lived. Many wanted to marry this man, but there was a catch. This man was invisible and only the woman who could see him would marry him.
Every day the man and his sister, who could see him, would walk down to the lake. On the way back she would inquire of every girl they passed if she could see her brother. Every time the girls would respond yes in hopes of marrying the man and receiving his riches. His sister would ask, “What does he pull his sled with?” The girls would often reply, “A strip of rawhide,” or something similar. Then the sister would know they were lying and would get nothing for their troubles.
Every day the man and his sister, who could see him, would walk down to the lake. On the way back she would inquire of every girl they passed if she could see her brother. Every time the girls would respond yes in hopes of marrying the man and receiving his riches. His sister would ask, “What does he pull his sled with?” The girls would often reply, “A strip of rawhide,” or something similar. Then the sister would know they were lying and would get nothing for their troubles.
So it went for many years.
So it went for many years.
Just outside of the village there lived an old man who had three daughters. The youngest daughter was small and often very ill. This led her older sisters to treat her cruelly. In fact, the eldest sister once shoved her hands and face into coals causing permanent scarring. Because of this people called her Oochigeaskw, the rough faced girl.”
Just outside of the village there lived an old man who had three daughters. The youngest daughter was small and often very ill. This led her older sisters to treat her cruelly. In fact, the eldest sister once shoved her hands and face into coals causing permanent scarring. Because of this people called her Oochigeaskw, the rough faced girl.”
“Whoa,” Caroline interrupted, “they burned her face in coals? This is like a really mean Cinderella.”
“Whoa,” Caroline interrupted, “they burned her face in coals? This is like a really mean Cinderella.”
“I know it’s pretty rough, but don’t worry. It gets better,” Lauren continued. “One day the sisters decided it was time to try their luck with the invisible man. They dressed in their finest clothes and went down to the lake. When the sister asked them what the man’s sled string was made of, they both lied and said rawhide. Knowing them to be false, the sister sent them home with nothing.
“I know it’s pretty rough, but don’t worry. It gets better,” Lauren continued. “One day the sisters decided it was time to try their luck with the invisible man. They dressed in their finest clothes and went down to the lake. When the sister asked them what the man’s sled string was made of, they both lied and said rawhide. Knowing them to be false, the sister sent them home with nothing.
The next day the rough-faced girl decided to try her luck. Her sisters mocked her and tore her clothes into rags. With her scarred face and ragged clothes the girl went to the lake and met the Invisible One and his sister. “Can you see my brother?” asked the sister.
The next day the rough-faced girl decided to try her luck. Her sisters mocked her and tore her clothes into rags. With her scarred face and ragged clothes the girl went to the lake and met the Invisible One and his sister. “Can you see my brother?” asked the sister.
“Yes, I can and he’s beautiful,” responded the girl.
“Yes, I can and he’s beautiful,” responded the girl.
“What is his sled string made of?” asked the sister.
“What is his sled string made of?” asked the sister.
“It’s made of rainbow,” responded the girl.
“It’s made of rainbow,” responded the girl.
Excited, the sister asked, “And his bow string? What is that made of?”
Excited, the sister asked, “And his bow string? What is that made of?”
“It’s made of Ketaksoowowcht, the Milky Way,” responded the girl.
“It’s made of Ketaksoowowcht, the Milky Way,” responded the girl.
The sister knew then that this rough faced girl could truly see her brother. The sister took the girl to their home and bathed her. As, she washed her the girl’s scars disappeared. Then she took a comb and began to brush her hair. Underneath the comb her hair grew long and silky. The rough-faced girl became the most beautiful girl in the whole village.
The sister knew then that this rough faced girl could truly see her brother. The sister took the girl to their home and bathed her. As, she washed her the girl’s scars disappeared. Then she took a comb and began to brush her hair. Underneath the comb her hair grew long and silky. The rough-faced girl became the most beautiful girl in the whole village.
The brother entered the lodge and smiled at the rough faced girl. “Finally, I’ve found you,” he exclaimed. The two were married the next day and lived happily in the village.”
The brother entered the lodge and smiled at the rough faced girl. “Finally, I’ve found you,” he exclaimed. The two were married the next day and lived happily in the village.”
“Now let me guess,” teased Caroline, “you have something to give me and a nice little lesson about Michael.”
“Now let me guess,” teased Caroline, “you have something to give me and a nice little lesson about Michael.”
“Nice try,” responded Lauren, “but you’re only half right. I do have a little something borrowed for you. It’s the old comb I wore for my wedding.”
“Nice try,” responded Lauren, “but you’re only half right. I do have a little something borrowed for you. It’s the old comb I wore for my wedding.”
Lauren carefully placed the ruby-embedded come into Caroline’s hair behind the apple bobby pin.
Lauren carefully placed the ruby-embedded come into Caroline’s hair behind the apple bobby pin.
“But,” continued Lauren, “the lesson's not about Michael. It’s about you. The lesson in the story is about honesty and believing in yourself. I need you to do that right now. Be honest. If you honestly don’t want to marry Michael, I will leave with you right now. No questions asked. So, what’s it going to be?”
“But,” continued Lauren, “the lesson's not about Michael. It’s about you. The lesson in the story is about honesty and believing in yourself. I need you to do that right now. Be honest. If you honestly don’t want to marry Michael, I will leave with you right now. No questions asked. So, what’s it going to be?”
Caroline just stared at Lauren. She started thinking about what she wanted. She imagined running away from the wedding with Lauren. Then she thought about Michael standing at the altar by himself. She imagined not having the life they’d planned together. Then she made her decision.
Caroline just stared at Lauren. She started thinking about what she wanted. She imagined running away from the wedding with Lauren. Then she thought about Michael standing at the altar by himself. She imagined not having the life they’d planned together. Then she made her decision.
“No,” responded Caroline, “I don’t want to leave. I want to get married. I’m ready.”
“No,” responded Caroline, “I don’t want to leave. I want to get married. I’m ready.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” smiled Lauren. “Now I think you might have one last visitor waiting to see you.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” smiled Lauren. “Now I think you might have one last visitor waiting to see you.”
With a hug and a departing wink, Lauren left the room.
With a hug and a departing wink, Lauren left the room.
Author's Note: I based this story on a Mi'kmaq Legend called The Invisible One. The Mi'kmaq people are a tribe indigenous to the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, parts of Quebec, and parts of Maine. Today most Mi'kmaq people live on the Canadian side of the border in the Atlantic Provinces region. The Mi'kmaq people passed on their legends, myths, and folktales orally. There are almost no recorded written tales and petroglyphs were very rare. This folktale follows the Mi'kmaq tradition of teaching an important lesson about character. The central message of this story focuses on the importance of honesty and kindness. This particular story does not have as obvious of a suitor test, since the girl doesn't really have any specific traits that lead her to being able to see him. However, I liked that this story was kind of like a Cinderella story. I also like that the girl does separate herself from the other suitors by being honest. I wanted to keep that as the central message to connect the legend with my story about Caroline. The tale I have Lauren tell is pretty much identical to the original story that can be found from the link. For my something borrowed, I wanted to keep the story true to the original.
Author's Note: I based this story on a Mi'kmaq Legend called The Invisible One. The Mi'kmaq people are a tribe indigenous to the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, parts of Quebec, and parts of Maine. Today most Mi'kmaq people live on the Canadian side of the border in the Atlantic Provinces region. The Mi'kmaq people passed on their legends, myths, and folktales orally. There are almost no recorded written tales and petroglyphs were very rare. This folktale follows the Mi'kmaq tradition of teaching an important lesson about character. The central message of this story focuses on the importance of honesty and kindness. This particular story does not have as obvious of a suitor test, since the girl doesn't really have any specific traits that lead her to being able to see him. However, I liked that this story was kind of like a Cinderella story. I also like that the girl does separate herself from the other suitors by being honest. I wanted to keep that as the central message to connect the legend with my story about Caroline. The tale I have Lauren tell is pretty much identical to the original story that can be found from the link. For my something borrowed, I wanted to keep the story true to the original.
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