Elder Abraham's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Elder Abraham closed the lesson early. The other children scattered into the afternoon, but the small rabbit lingered at her bench, tracing a knot in the wood with one paw. He could not rush this. Forty-three years had taught him that the first conversation mattered most. He sat down across from her, leaving space between them. She clutched something against her chest — a small cloth doll, patched together from scraps of fabric in mismatched colors. The stitching was uneven, clearly done by young paws. "Did you make that?" he asked. She nodded, holding it out for him to see. The doll had long ears like hers, but one was shorter than the other. "I wanted them to match," she said quietly, "but I ran out of the same cloth. So I used what I had." Elder Abraham looked at the doll, then at her. Most children her age would have hidden the mistake or started over. She had accepted the limitation and finished anyway. That told him more than any question she could ask. He handed the doll back carefully. "What is your name?" he asked. "Cassie," she said. He nodded once. "Tomorrow, come back after the others leave. We have work to begin."