I was standing on a hillside where the grass was dusty and dried. There was a large group of people milling along the back and sides of a sizeable fenced-in area. Within the enclosure, there was a row of young girls. Each one was dressed in traditional Thai clothing and standing in front of an empty white square that had been painted on the ground at their feet. An older girl, wrapped colorfully in brightly-patterned fabric and wearing a large, square, fabric headpiece, was walking from girl to girl and speaking softly to each in turn.
Suddenly, the shadow of an enormous hawk appeared in the enclosure. I looked up and saw the fierce brown beast, his eyes glowing brightly. At the same time, the older girl pulled out an oversized hand fan, ornate and trailing colored silk ribbons. Slowly, the silhouetted shadow of the hawk began to slowly spiral around the first young girl standing in her row. At the same time, the older girl made fluid and grand movements with her hand fan all around the young girl, almost sweeping up her spirit and gently coaxing her forward. As the hawk's shadow threw and took its relief from the body of the girl, and the older girl danced and wove her fan around the young girl's form, the young girl took a small step forward. Once she stepped into the white box painted in front of her, she began to glow and emit a soft light. Soon, her stance was taller, her face a bit more angular: she was growing up and coming of age right before our eyes.
This happened to every young girl standing in that row of ten or twelve, until the enclosure was full of young women who had officially and magically come of age. Then, the hawk soared off, corkscrewing lazily back up into the sky until we could no longer see him.
Suddenly, the shadow of an enormous hawk appeared in the enclosure. I looked up and saw the fierce brown beast, his eyes glowing brightly. At the same time, the older girl pulled out an oversized hand fan, ornate and trailing colored silk ribbons. Slowly, the silhouetted shadow of the hawk began to slowly spiral around the first young girl standing in her row. At the same time, the older girl made fluid and grand movements with her hand fan all around the young girl, almost sweeping up her spirit and gently coaxing her forward. As the hawk's shadow threw and took its relief from the body of the girl, and the older girl danced and wove her fan around the young girl's form, the young girl took a small step forward. Once she stepped into the white box painted in front of her, she began to glow and emit a soft light. Soon, her stance was taller, her face a bit more angular: she was growing up and coming of age right before our eyes.
This happened to every young girl standing in that row of ten or twelve, until the enclosure was full of young women who had officially and magically come of age. Then, the hawk soared off, corkscrewing lazily back up into the sky until we could no longer see him.
