One more part to the finish!
Part XXXV: Naming Day
Date: Amanela 19th, 114 A.U.
A low hollow note sounded on the gong and Jroldin nervously shuffled his feet as he peeked out from behind the door at the small group of people gathered in the Great Cathedral. His heart was still racing a bit from nearly getting killed after a gunman tried to shoot him before the gunman realized that he had shot all of his bullets already.
After that hadn’t been any less chaotic either. Between scourging the hideout of the gunmen, meeting up with his dad and learning that his dad had actually remembered about Naming Day, and being rushed out here, his heart was still racing. Brother Tomas was beside him, and Jroldin spotted Astrid and Monty out in the audience. Brother Tomas had wanted them to come to try and talk with them and Governor Astrid later, after the Naming Day ceremony. He was pretty convinced that Astrid was part of the prophesy. Jroldin watched as the doors to the sanctuary opened and Governor Astrid came in, followed by four guards and… an elf!
Jroldin remembered what Governor Astrid had said about finding an elf that possibly was a member of the prophesy, but still, to have an elf for his Naming Day ceremony… This fact only made Jroldin more nervous.
Jroldin slowly turned toward Brother Tomas who was standing beside him, waiting with him. “I’m so nervous,” Jroldin said.
“Such feelings are not uncommon,” Brother Tomas said.
“Yes, but…” Jroldin said, and he sighed. “I don’t even know what I want my new name to be.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Brother Tomas said. “Most people generally have some idea or another, or…”
“I never talked about it with my dad,” Jroldin said. “And I don’t know… I don’t really have any good ideas…”
“Well, a name is a serious thing…” Brother Tomas said.
“Thanks,” Jroldin said. “That’s real encouraging.”
“I’m sorry,” Brother Tomas said. “I would give you some help, even some personal experience, but, being a human…”
“Yeah, I know…” Jroldin said, and he leaned back against the wall. “I just hope I can figure something out in time…”
“I’m sure you will,” Brother Tomas said reassuringly. Just then, Oldin came around the corner of the hall way on his left. Jroldin glanced to the right at the door leading to the sanctuary before turning back.
“Hello Jroldin,” Oldin said, wiping his brow. “Sorry I’m a bit late; I was meeting some people at the door.”
“That’s okay,” Jroldin said, and he pursed his lips. “I just…”
“What?”
“I dunno…” Jroldin said. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do up there—what I’m going to say, what name I’m going to make for myself, I…”
“You’ll do fine,” Oldin said kindly. “I myself didn’t come up with my name until I was asked to give it, and then it just came out of my mouth. Perhaps it will be the same for you.”
“Maybe…” Jroldin said, still a bit unsure.
“You’ll do fine,” Oldin said. He turned to Brother Tomas. “Are you ready?”
Brother Tomas nodded. “Everything in place.”
“Then if it’s fine with you and you’re ready enough,” Oldin said, gesturing to Jroldin. “Then we’ll begin.”
Jroldin breathed softly, for once actually enjoying every bit of a ceremony. But, throughout it between the dripping of oil upon his head and the long-winded speech by Brother Pietre, his mind racked for a possible name to give himself. Finally, Brother Tomas gestured to him, and Jroldin’s heart pounded. It was time for him to give the traditional speech. And at the end of it, to give his name.
“Greetings, all,” said Jroldin. “I… I’ve been thinking a good bit about what I should say here, and what I should give for my new name…” Jroldin paused. “I confess that I’m a bit frightened with choosing a new name, a name that will stick with me for the rest of my life. And I suppose the previous events of today between being kidnapped and being rescued and all of that doesn’t help with my nervousness.” Some people in the crowd laughed. “But,” Jroldin continued. “I suppose that I’m not just able to procrastinate here with my name like I have done so often with my homework.” A lot of people laughed in the crowd this time, and Jroldin smiled. “But I suppose that this isn’t something I can procrastinate like my homework. It’s something I need to do. And looking ahead to my future, seeing as a good many people think that I might be the dwarf in Xavier’s prophesy, I suppose that it looks like it is time for me to really grow up and become a man. And that’s what this day is supposed to be for a dwarf. To become a man. To grow up.” Jroldin paused. “And to be honest, I’m not ready for this. And not because I don’t want to become a man. But because I’m not there yet. I’m ready, I think. But I’m not there yet.
“But I suppose that perhaps it doesn’t matter,” Jroldin said. “Perhaps the Naming Day is just supposed to point one ahead to something, even though he isn’t there yet, and so…” Jroldin took a deep breath, and in that moment he decided. “And so I will give a name to point me ahead for the thing which I seek. And so, as is customary with this Naming Day ceremony, my name is no longer Jroldin. This day my name is Jacob.”
“However, if you look at me, I am not a man. I am not close to being one. The Naming Day is to point me ahead… But how can I have a new name when I am not yet a man?” Jroldin paused. “Therefore, I look ahead to the day when I can inherit the name Jacob, but until then…” Jroldin paused. “Until then my name is Jroldin. Just Jroldin. Until the day cometh when I will inherit my new name. Then I will be Jacob. But for now I am Jroldin. Just Jroldin.”
Question of the Day:Who will win the comment contest?
Part XXXV: Naming Day
Date: Amanela 19th, 114 A.U.
A low hollow note sounded on the gong and Jroldin nervously shuffled his feet as he peeked out from behind the door at the small group of people gathered in the Great Cathedral. His heart was still racing a bit from nearly getting killed after a gunman tried to shoot him before the gunman realized that he had shot all of his bullets already.
After that hadn’t been any less chaotic either. Between scourging the hideout of the gunmen, meeting up with his dad and learning that his dad had actually remembered about Naming Day, and being rushed out here, his heart was still racing. Brother Tomas was beside him, and Jroldin spotted Astrid and Monty out in the audience. Brother Tomas had wanted them to come to try and talk with them and Governor Astrid later, after the Naming Day ceremony. He was pretty convinced that Astrid was part of the prophesy. Jroldin watched as the doors to the sanctuary opened and Governor Astrid came in, followed by four guards and… an elf!
Jroldin remembered what Governor Astrid had said about finding an elf that possibly was a member of the prophesy, but still, to have an elf for his Naming Day ceremony… This fact only made Jroldin more nervous.
Jroldin slowly turned toward Brother Tomas who was standing beside him, waiting with him. “I’m so nervous,” Jroldin said.
“Such feelings are not uncommon,” Brother Tomas said.
“Yes, but…” Jroldin said, and he sighed. “I don’t even know what I want my new name to be.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Brother Tomas said. “Most people generally have some idea or another, or…”
“I never talked about it with my dad,” Jroldin said. “And I don’t know… I don’t really have any good ideas…”
“Well, a name is a serious thing…” Brother Tomas said.
“Thanks,” Jroldin said. “That’s real encouraging.”
“I’m sorry,” Brother Tomas said. “I would give you some help, even some personal experience, but, being a human…”
“Yeah, I know…” Jroldin said, and he leaned back against the wall. “I just hope I can figure something out in time…”
“I’m sure you will,” Brother Tomas said reassuringly. Just then, Oldin came around the corner of the hall way on his left. Jroldin glanced to the right at the door leading to the sanctuary before turning back.
“Hello Jroldin,” Oldin said, wiping his brow. “Sorry I’m a bit late; I was meeting some people at the door.”
“That’s okay,” Jroldin said, and he pursed his lips. “I just…”
“What?”
“I dunno…” Jroldin said. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do up there—what I’m going to say, what name I’m going to make for myself, I…”
“You’ll do fine,” Oldin said kindly. “I myself didn’t come up with my name until I was asked to give it, and then it just came out of my mouth. Perhaps it will be the same for you.”
“Maybe…” Jroldin said, still a bit unsure.
“You’ll do fine,” Oldin said. He turned to Brother Tomas. “Are you ready?”
Brother Tomas nodded. “Everything in place.”
“Then if it’s fine with you and you’re ready enough,” Oldin said, gesturing to Jroldin. “Then we’ll begin.”
Jroldin breathed softly, for once actually enjoying every bit of a ceremony. But, throughout it between the dripping of oil upon his head and the long-winded speech by Brother Pietre, his mind racked for a possible name to give himself. Finally, Brother Tomas gestured to him, and Jroldin’s heart pounded. It was time for him to give the traditional speech. And at the end of it, to give his name.
“Greetings, all,” said Jroldin. “I… I’ve been thinking a good bit about what I should say here, and what I should give for my new name…” Jroldin paused. “I confess that I’m a bit frightened with choosing a new name, a name that will stick with me for the rest of my life. And I suppose the previous events of today between being kidnapped and being rescued and all of that doesn’t help with my nervousness.” Some people in the crowd laughed. “But,” Jroldin continued. “I suppose that I’m not just able to procrastinate here with my name like I have done so often with my homework.” A lot of people laughed in the crowd this time, and Jroldin smiled. “But I suppose that this isn’t something I can procrastinate like my homework. It’s something I need to do. And looking ahead to my future, seeing as a good many people think that I might be the dwarf in Xavier’s prophesy, I suppose that it looks like it is time for me to really grow up and become a man. And that’s what this day is supposed to be for a dwarf. To become a man. To grow up.” Jroldin paused. “And to be honest, I’m not ready for this. And not because I don’t want to become a man. But because I’m not there yet. I’m ready, I think. But I’m not there yet.
“But I suppose that perhaps it doesn’t matter,” Jroldin said. “Perhaps the Naming Day is just supposed to point one ahead to something, even though he isn’t there yet, and so…” Jroldin took a deep breath, and in that moment he decided. “And so I will give a name to point me ahead for the thing which I seek. And so, as is customary with this Naming Day ceremony, my name is no longer Jroldin. This day my name is Jacob.”
“However, if you look at me, I am not a man. I am not close to being one. The Naming Day is to point me ahead… But how can I have a new name when I am not yet a man?” Jroldin paused. “Therefore, I look ahead to the day when I can inherit the name Jacob, but until then…” Jroldin paused. “Until then my name is Jroldin. Just Jroldin. Until the day cometh when I will inherit my new name. Then I will be Jacob. But for now I am Jroldin. Just Jroldin.”
Question of the Day:Who will win the comment contest?
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