There was just a small oil lamp lighting the tent that the women were in. There were just the three of us. I was on one of the rugs, but didn’t have even a fur or a blanket over me. It was cold. I know I had been crying, but it had been calmer than before. I had done stupid things and I was paying for it. I had an hour or so to shiver in that round tent, to cry and come to terms with things.
I decided that trying to sleep was doing no good. I sat up and started to go through a few meditation things one of the teachers at the dojo had taught me.
I heard one of the women turn on her cot. It took me a moment to open my eyes, but when I did, she was looking at me.
“Are you sad?” It was almost strange being able to see most of her face. Her blanket covered her, but she did not have her head covering on.
I think I smiled. One of those smiles that would be called wistful. “I have been sad for longer than this.” I thought of the last few months and felt another tear fall. It had been hard, and good at times, but with the fighting between my Mom and dad, I hadn’t realized how alone I really had felt. I had just kept busy to not let myself know how I was feeling.
She got up and pulled a piece of clothing from behind her cot. She came to me and handed me the dark fabric. “Here. It is better than nothing.”