“Walk cautiously”, he warns, daring her to miss a step. She moves with quietness and grace, carefully avoiding the eggshells. She’s wearing dainty, satin slippers. Trying her best not to soil her well-kept appearance. She knows how to step delicately. With one small foot in front of the other, the path is predictable. It’s second nature to see the shells and prevent their breakage. Tiptoeing serenely, she maintains the stagnant tranquillity. When the rain pours, it washes away the carefully laid straw. The farmer improves the area by filling the path with thousands of white seashells. He says it will be easier to keep things inside. She must continue walking as quietly as she did while walking on the straw. Ridges from the new shells are slicing through her satin shoes. Obtaining several cuts, her feet start bleeding. Binding her wounds, she rests for a time before wearing her new boots. Time passes and she is moving swiftly. The farmer informs her to stay silent, lest she wake the others. Instructing her to not break the silence. Looking up towards the sunlight, she lands deliberately on a shell. The farmer looks startled. Turning her back towards him, she begins marching down the path. Crushing the eggshells and smashing the seashells with fervor. Her new boots protect her feet, but she’s finding new light within to make some noise. Listening she hears the sounds of others breaking the silence. She knows she isn’t alone. Others are trampling as the bells of traditions ring. She moves forward, continuing to walk differently on the shells.
Jessica Noel Grissom currently lives in a small Texas town with her husband and rainbow baby who is now an active preschooler. Her passions include books, writing, chocolate, traveling and drinking artisan tea. She obtained an MBA from Dallas Baptist University. She has aspired to become a writer when at nine-years-old she read Little Women. Her story, Ascensión, focused on the legacy of her grandfather who immigrated from Mexico to the USA. The story was published in SAGU’S journal The Image. In her spare time, she records The More You Know a podcast focusing on practical tips for living: https://anchor.fm/jessica-n-grissom.