Oganda and Nisa happened to meet each other about five years after both of their stories ended. They met face to face in an American super market. It all began over a bottle of Excedrin. Two different hands belonging to two different women reached out for the same bottle of relief and touched one another. ..

"I'm sorry, but I had it first," one of the women said, with a fake smile and false sweetness in her voice.

"No&emdash;actually I was here before you," the other retorted.

"Well this is the last bottle, and I need it more than you do," the first argued.

"Please! First, you are saying that you got here first, which is so far from right it's unbelievable, and now you are assuming that you need headache relief more than me? This is ridiculous. Do you have any idea what I've been through these last few days? My son has just gotten kicked out of his sixth school in five years. I can barely control him&emdash; he is so much like his father&emdash;such a monster! All the world needs is more men like Hameed! I can barely keep my job as a waitress. I just can't do this anymore!" The other woman was screaming know, almost in tears.

The first woman, seeing that this lady was clearly not trying to cheat her out of headache medicine, immediately tried to console her.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm sorry about the way I spoke earlier. I'm just in a hurry. My name is Oganda."

"I'm Nisa," the other said through sniffles, and forced a weak smile.

"Well, it sounds like you do need some Excedrin," Oganda thought aloud. "Look, there's a sandwich shop outside. How about I buy the Excedrin, and we can share it and go get lunch and talk about what's obviously really upsetting you. Does that sound OK?"

Nisa was a little taken aback that someone would be so kind to her. She hesitated for a few moments and then said yes. The two women proceeded to the cashier, paid for their groceries, and before long were seated in the small sandwich shop next to the grocery store.

An hour passed and Nisa had almost finished the story of her escaping Hameed and going to her mother's house.

"What happened to Karim and Safia after you went to your mother's house?" Oganda asked, wide eyed with interest, perched on the edge of her seat.

"Zarina brought them over a few days later, sporting a bruise around her left eye. She said that Hameed had tried to hurt them in order to get back at me, but that she had endured the beating for them."

"That's awful," Oganda said, sadness written on her face.

"Yes. And after a short while, the four of us became too much for my mother. I decided that we needed to start from scratch. So we moved to America," Nisa explained.

"I see," Oganda replied. And since then, you have been having trouble with Zafar?"

Nisa sighed. "Well, all the children, actually, but Zafar has been the most trouble. He really misses Hameed."

"Why? What is there to miss?"

"I have no idea. He has become so rebellious; he's just so out of control! He didn't like the grade he got for his last assignment, and he cursed the teacher and slapped her in the face. That's why he got expelled."

Oganda was shocked by this. "You need to lay down some rules. There is a time and place for rebellion," she stated, smiling to herself. Her thoughts glossed over how she and Osinda had defied the Gods and run off together. "But this business about slapping and swearing at your teachers is just insane."

"I know&emdash;but he loves me, and he doesn't mean to hurt me this way," Nisa reasoned.

"Ahhh...just like Hameed loved you, and he didn't mean to hurt you that way," Oganda said in a matter of fact way.

"But. . ." Nisa started and then trailed off. "You're right," Nisa realized with wonderment in her voice. "Well, what should I do?"

"I think you should tell him what happened with you and Hameed without edited details, just how you told it to me. And then ask him if that is the type of man he wants to become, because he is well on his way," Oganda suggested. "It sounds harsh, but then again I think this boy needs something to really blow him out of the water. Someone can save him, and it's you."

"You are completely right. I really need to do that. And I really needed someone to save me from my own insanity," Nisa said. "Thank you so much for saving me and perhaps also my son," Nisa smiled gratefully.

"Not at all. Believe it or not, once, I thought that there was no way out, and I was about to jump off the deep end; but then someone came along and showed me a new perspective, and it saved my life," Oganda said.

"How do you mean?" Nisa asked.

"Never mind; another story for another day," Oganda replied. "You'd better get going. You have a young man to reform." Oganda finished her sentence with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'd better." Nisa stood up, said goodbye and was almost out of the cafe when she turned on her heel and called back, "Hey! Oganda! Thanks for the Excedrin."

CT Journal: Write a dialogue between Nisa, the main character of "The Spell and the Ever Changing Moon", and Oganda, the main character of "The Rain Came". Your dialogue should involve these women talking to each other about their stories, not telling their stories. You may invent a reason that they meet; as the writer you control such circumstances.

Dear Nisa,

It has been a month since Osinda and I ran from our people. I am grateful that my people have received rain, regardless of the fact that I was not sacrificed. Osinda and I risked a lot that day, not only our lives, but the lives of the Luo, our people. I am confused, Nisa. According to our legends, my people should be dying right now, but yet they are alive and happy, believing that my death has given them this gift of rain. But then again, I am dead to them; I live with Osinda in the unknown land. Never again will I see my family, my friends, and my people. No longer am I a Luo, but then who am I?

-Oganda

Dear Oganda,

I too have learned of failure in legends and superstitions. Talat was a fraud; she never had any magical powers. I wouldn't have been able to bind Hameed is such an indecent manner. But yet, Talat changed me, perhaps without even knowing it. I found power, strengths, and rights I never thought I had. It took many moons, but finally I walked out and away from him back to my mother's place where I would be safe. I do not know of the rules in your culture, but I believe that even if you are no longer Luo, you are still a woman. And hear this, if your husband mistreats you, you have the right, as a woman, to leave. All you have to do is be courageous enough to do so.

-Nisa

Dear Nisa,

I hear your advice and I will always remember it. However I do not feel that Osinda would do such horrible things to me. After all, he left the Luo to save me from the lake monster. I didn't want to run from what I thought was my destiny, but he gave me the courage to do so. I had already accepted my death along with all the other villagers, but he did not. Because of him, I had the courage to change. In a twisted sense, the same is for you Oganda. If it wasn't for Hameed you might still believe that women hold no power and no rights. It was because of Talat that you found the possibility of change, but it was because of him that you found the courage to change on your own, without magic.

-Oganda

Dear Oganda,

It is sad to say, but you speak the truth. I know in my heart that my decision, along with yours was right, but yet I feel as if I have committed a great evil in walking out on my husband. It is the same as you felt as you fled to the unknown lands, Oganda. I feel as if I'm in the wrong; that I should be patient and wait for Hameed to change his ways when I already know he won't. No, Oganda, we were in the right in our decisions, both of us. We both saw a flaw in our beliefs and found the courage to do something about it. I refused to accept how my beliefs demanded women to be, entirely submissive to the will of our husbands so I took charge of my own life by learning self-worth and pride.

-Nisa

Dear Nisa,

I believe that I have taken control over my life too. When I first discovered my destiny, I believed it. But Osinda helped to realize I had the power to be in control over my own life by running away and finding new life elsewhere.

-Oganda

Dear Oganda,

How I wish Hameed had remained the same good man who wooed me into marriage. Hameed has done the opposite of Osinda and taken away my power to have any control whatsoever. Things have changed for both of us. I pray that you and I will find a better life now that we have harnessed the power to change and taken control of our lives. Live your life to the fullest, Oganda. For now, we make our own destiny.

-Nisa

CT Journal: Dialogue between Nisa and Oganda

Oganda and Osinda escaped, and crossed paths with Nisa, who was also on the run to seek refuge at her mother's house. At Nisa's insistence, Oganda and Osinda now live with Nisa in Nisa's mother's home. This dialogue takes place on a women's night out once again; but instead of being on the eve of Seema's marriage, it is the eve of Oganda's marriage to Osinda. Nisa and Oganda are speaking of their pasts, and what brought them together, as the night grows old and Oganda's marriage quickly approaches.

Nisa: I can remember how at the last time we held a night like this for Seema's marriage, I was so miserable amongst the rest of the girls, who were "all in high spirits, the singing was buoyant and loud." (546) I remember "the lies they told of marital bliss, of loving husbands and contented days." (546), and how it bothered me so!

Oganda: You had every reason to be so annoyed, for having been through such a miserable ordeal with your not-so-loving husband. But look at you now! If it hadn't been for that "unpermitted" trip you took seeking consultation from that sorcerer Talat, you would have found yourself tonight in the same mood you had been in on Seema's night! No, on second thought, you wouldn't even be here tonight! No one would've, for if it hadn't been for Talat, we would have never met! Perhaps she does have some sort of magical powers, and can see the future, and had the power to alter and play with our fates by making sure our paths crossed.

N: I never thought of it that way, but it's a possibility! I still haven't decided whether Talat was really genuine, or really a fraud.

O: Well, I guess it doesn't really matter any more, for all that matters is here and now; but I know I believe that Talat, and of course dear Osinda, was ultimately responsible for bringing us together.

N: Actually, I believe that Zarina deserves more credit than Talat; for she was the one who inspired me to go see Talat in the first place. As I see it, Zarina to me is like Osinda to you. Whether or not Talat really had powers and adjusted my fate, Zarina is really my saviour, even though I had initially questioned it, but knew all along she had meant well (543).

O: You're right, I guess the real magic involved here came out of love: Zarina's love for you birthed from her concern; and Osinda's love for me.

N: Yes, I'm just very grateful that we each had at least someone out of everyone who cared enough to want to do something, to change our fates to our advantages.

O: True; I can recall so clearly the despair I felt that day, from the moment I had received the dreadful news, until Osinda came to save me. I had gained new feelings of being a stranger among my own people, and wondering, "if they love me as they had always professed why were they not making any attempt to save me?" (579) From the time I received the sad news, I had also been expecting Osinda to appear any moment (579), and by the time he found me, I had already lost all hope.

N: I know exactly how you felt! But it was worse for you, since after assuming your people were discussing your marriage, you find out you are to die instead! But I can relate to how alone you felt, under different circumstances though. My mother "had always stressed the dignity and value of reserve'' (543). I had felt like a failure knowing that my neighbors on all three sides knew my "dark secret''; but was proud of the fact that my own family did not know (543).

O: This just proves even more that sometimes, in order to survive and when life and death are involved, you must defy your culture. Even though you may be unwilling, or even if it takes some assistance to make your decision for you, the fact remains. You defied your culture by the fact that your neighbors were aware of how your husband was mistreating you, and because of this one of them, sweet zarina, decided to take action and help make things better for you. You then accepted her help and defied your culture's beliefs by going to see Talat. I, on the other hand, had Osinda to help me see that defying my culture was the only way I could survive.

N: I'm impressed! For one so young, you are surely a deep thinker

O: I suppose I should take that as a compliment?!

N: Of course! I meant it only positively, for you know how age automatically bestows
supremacy and status on everyone in our world! (541)

O: Yeah, I'm aware of that! But you know how twisted and constricting cultural beliefs can be.

N: Yes, we know that all too well!

O: Like whether or not people really can have magical powers, and if they should be considered evil or not; and someone needing to be sacrificed to a lake monster by sunset for a village to have rain, and so forth.

N: Speaking of, I hope that it doesn't rain tomorrow at sunset, or else it'll ruin your wedding!

O: Well, you know, it is a full moon tonight, and you know what that means! Change is in the air!

N: Yes, and to celebrate that, I have a small gift for you. (She hands Oganda a delicate fresh flower, its petals still wet with dew)

O: I'm glad this little flower got to enjoy the morning dew! (580)

Note: I do not claim any ownership over any of the characters used in the following written piece. (See end note.) Nor do I plan to use this document to attain any kind of money.

First Scene: A group of people are sitting at a table engaged in intense competition

Sai-Saichi: Hey bro, got any 3's?

Heero: Access denied. Go f1sh.

Sai-Saichi: (Frowns) Ah man, that's such a drag . . .

Pegasus: My turn! Oh goody, won't this be fun? I ask Sai-Saichi for the 7 of clubs that he has just drawn.

Sai-Saichi: What!? Fine bro, here ya go.

Pegasus: Thank you for your donation to the cause. (Puts down 4 sevens)

Vegeta: Damn it! You must be cheating somehow!

Pegasus: Oh? Or can't your puny brain conceive of the great powers you are up against?

(Millennium eye glints in the light)

Vegeta: I'll show you power you pathetic little human!! (Raises a hand)Powering Up, Super Saiyan form! (FINAL FLASH!! !!)

(Blast of energy fires from Vegeta's hand, Pegasus' Millennium Eye deflects the blast,
which leaves nothing but a smoldering crater of the left wall. Lina walks in through hole in wall)

Lina: You . . . singed . . . my . . . hair! DIE!!!

(Sun is blocked out by a giant shadow, other characters quivering in fear under the darkness. Giant Mallet falls on all the other characters, various limbs seen twitching from under the mallet's edge. Lina brushes hands.)

Shinobu: (Walking in after Lina) Anyone want cookies? (Stares at the giant mallet) Ouch, that looks like it hurts.

(Suddenly, an all-penetrating VOICE shakes the walls of the room.)

GIANT VOICE: ENOUGH!! IT IS TIME FOR SOME WORK!!

All: Aw. . . (Groaning)

VOICE: OH BE QUIET. I AM SPARING YOU THE HUMILATION OF MSTING A BADLY WRITTEN INTERNET FANFIC. I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND . . .

All: Thank you Lord!

Sai-Saichi: So, what's up bro?

VOICE: WELL . . . YOU SEE . . . UM . . . WE HAVE SOME GUESTS . . .

Shinobu: (Face brightens (yes, even more)) Guests?

VOICE: YEAH . . . UM . . . I GOT . . . SOME ENGLISH HOMEWORK, AND WELL, I
GOT TO BRING THESE 2 FEMALE CHARACTERS TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THEIR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS . . .

Heero: Mission unaccepted. Parameters unacceptable, I have a warrior's honor, and will not be used in such a worthless manner.

VOICE: THEN SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES! ! !

(Flash of Light, Heero disappears, reappearing in Barney Land)

Barney: Hi! Do you want a hug?

Heero: (Pulls gun out of his pocket and blasts Barney's head off)

Barney: (Head grows back) Do you want a hug?

(Back in between the dimensions of Japanese Anime)

Lina: What . . . did you do to him?

VOICE: HEH HEH HEH . . .

(Heero's screams are heard from a distance and all characters cringe)

Pegasus: Well, let us receive our guests.

All: (Nodding)

VOICE: I KNEW YOU'D SEE IT MY WAY . . .

(Flash of Light, Oganda and Nisa appear)

Oganda: What? Where am I?

Pegasus: Yes, such interesting stories you both have . . . Do not worry, you have nothing to fear from us, though we require you two to have a discussion about your, interesting circumstance.

Nisa: Oh and what do you know about me?

Pegasus: (Grinning) Magic exists not in bodily functions my dear woman.

Nisa: (Looking aghast)

Oganda: All right, let us hurry, for we have our own lives to live.

Sai-Saichi: Yeah, and please explain what we're talking about, sis, you know, for those of us who don't have a golden eye-ball that lets us see into other people's minds.

(The two woman explain their tales, as in the book.)

Lina: All right, now that we all know each other, let's get on with it. So, what do you two think about men?

Nisa: Men, they are creatures with little stability, and are not tamed by time or devotion.

Oganda: You may be right, that they are not easily tamed. But I think that part of their strength lies in this. If it weren't for the man's unwillingness to be tamed, I might not be here to explain my tail. An offering to the river, but my man's denial of our own culture saved me from its treacherous flows.

Nisa: You are both so young, you shall see with time, for all things with men begin with beauty and righteousness. But as they age, once they have you, they are not always the same. A man can be appealing and intriguing when he still tries to have you, but once he does, his honoring of you may fail . . .

Oganda: And yet my man gave up everything he ever had, and could have had, in order to have me. It cost him his whole life, completely uprooted from everything he had ever known, just to follow me. How can you say that this being could be foul?

Nisa: I can see that your man is different. We all are, and the difference is in how it started. My man had me for his wooing, and had our children to show for it. Your man had you since your life was already forfeit, and he forfeited his own to be with you.

Oganda: I am sorry though, to have heard of your suffering.

Nisa: Mine is also a story of strength, and do not despair for me, for though my own life may have had its suffering, all our lives do. I had my children, and in the end, children are more important to a woman than any man could be. We bear them for themselves, and it is for them that I can bear any turmoil life may throw me. When things became unbearable for me, I did not leave them be. I acted, I did not bear the unbearable, and resulting from my actions did I find how much stronger I truly am.

Oganda: Are children truly so important?

Nisa: Yes, though my story is about myself, they are still the actions of a mother, and in the end, I made sure that my children would be safe. I took my smallest son with me, when I fled to my mother's house, for I am still her child, and a wise woman once told me that a mother can never close her doors to her child in need.

Oganda: Then where was my protection? Where was the mother I could run to?

Nisa: You were given, so that other children could live. Is it not appropriate to send a woman to offer herself for the children?

Oganda: My life should be mine to live!

Nisa: Words that my own heart can embrace.

Oganda: Peace, I am of myself.

Nisa: Truly, this woman is her own.

VOICE: THANK YOU LADIES, I SHALL RETURN YOU TO YOUR OWN TIME
LINES.

(Flash, they disappear)

VOICE: WHOOPS, IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO BRING BACK
HEERO! OH WELL.

(Flash, Heero reappear.)

Heero: I am utterly chastened, I apologize for ever offending the ultimate master!

Vegeta: Well at least we didn't have to deal with a stupid fanfic, one more pokemon cross-over and I think I would have puked . . .

Sai-Saichi: Toge? Togepi?

Vegeta: (Screams in pain, grabbing his head)

VOICE: (LAUGHING AS EVERYTHING GROWS DIM)

(MST Characters (from Japanese anime cartoon series):

Sai-Saichi: G Gundam

Heero Yuhi: Gundam Wing

Maximillium Pegasus: Yu-Gi-Oh

Vegeta: Dragon Ball Z

Lina: Zoids

Shinobu: Love Hina