Arrhazon society was one of rigid gender roles. Women worked outside of the home, but aside from careers in the arts, particularly music, most who worked were consigned to menial endeavours, well away from positions of authority and power.

Saehressa chose to work outside her own home, employed part time by their neighbourhood school. She was tasked to teach music to younger students, and no other resident of their area knew music as well. In the informal setting of this school, with an administration that understood the issues facing a young mother, Saehressa was encouraged to bring 18 month old llhaesa along with her as she went about her workday. Day care was available for more involved moments demanding her full attention, but otherwise llhaesa roamed the class, making friends of all the students who sought to learn and play music.

There were 15 students in Saehressa’s first class. Chairs were placed wherever the student felt most comfortable, allowed to move them at the beginning of class as they wished. Once they were comfortable, Saehressa started into her assignment for the day, some fun exercises learning to read music. Saehressa did not devote more than 20 minutes to this task, as she did not wish to lose the interest of her students, hoping and wishing what was taught might register and remain in their minds for longer than a few minutes or hours. After this portion of the class ended, the students moved on to hands on work with musical instruments.

By necessity, the instruments were mostly of the electronic variety, allowing the student to remain silent, excepting what they alone would hear in their headset. While they fiddled and diddled with whatever musical instrument attracted their curiosity, Saehressa sat down at the baby grand piano located off to the windowed side of the room and began to play. Students could easily hear her play, and they were encouraged to try to find the right rhythm and pitch, and then play along.

As Saehressa played, llhaesa toddler-waddled at toddler speed to Saehressa’s piano bench, and set to work on scaling this rather tall obstacle. With some effort, she succeeded in pulling herself up. After dragging her right leg over the top, she continued her upward mobility using her left hand to push herself upward to a standing position, eschewing setting for a more active and interesting vantage point from which to watch her mum play.

Llhaesa was quite used to seeing her mum at the piano, and frequently sat with her at home as Saehressa sang and worked the keyboard and foot pedals. Llhaesa tried to sing along with her mum even before she was able to form and pronounce words. Of course, she did so using a language all her own, or at least common to all those of her age, but there was no doubt the little one was very much into the music. Saehressa would enjoy showing llhaesa the videos as the little one became not so little.

On this occasion, llhaesa decided to extend her arm, using her right index finger to tap the keyboard. As she pressed down and received a sound feedback, she giggled and looked to her mum for reinforcement. Saehressa stopped playing, reached for llhaesa, and placed the little one on her own lap, making it easier to play with the keys.

Taking llhaesa’s hands, Saehressa held them in her own, using them to play a simple song. As the mother and daughter tandem act played away, one of the other students dropped a guitar on her foot. The child went to the floor in a sitting position, reaching for her foot to hold, sooth, and comfort. She started to whimper, but Saehressa could see the child trying to push back the tears.

Saehressa placed llhaesa on the floor, walked over to the injured student, and sat down next to the child. She tenderly placed her hands upon the injured limb, held them in place, and closed her eyes. In a very low voice, she called out names no one else there would understand. After a few minutes, the child sprung to her feet as if nothing at all had happened, unknowingly the recipient of healing energy via Saehressa.

Letting loose a deep sigh of relief, Saehressa’s hearing finally gained mental sway, signalling her conscious self that music was being played. Looking over to the piano, 18 month old llhaesa kept repeating the same five notes – notes that Saehressa had been playing with llhaesa’s hands just prior to the student’s injury.