k_a_webb | October Prompted Fiction: Deities World collection: Callie

Written for [livejournal.com profile] ysabetwordsmith's prompt on 'what Callie would do if she helped Lakshmi on Lakshmi Puja'.

Callie had just put her one hand into her pocket to find her keys, attempting to keep control of the two puppies' leads with her other hand, when a deity appeared next to her.

“Would you like a hand?” the goddess asked, smiling at Callie.

Smiling back, Callie nodded. “That would be wonderful.”

The goddess took the leads out of her hand, which was beginning to protest at the way it was being treated. “Hecate asked me to pop in. I'm Lakshmi, and today I am the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity and a whole other list of things.”

“It's nice to meet you, Lakshmi,” Callie said, trying not to laugh. “You sound like Hecate when she attempts to list what she was to the Greeks.”

Lakshmi smiled. “Some deities get more responsibilities than others. It can depend on the number of deities in that religion. If you take God as an example he is the only deity, so he has responsibility over everything. I can't help feeling sorry for him. Other times it will depend on how many different sects worship you or what your folklore says.”

Nodding as she unlocked the door, Callie put her kets back in her pocket and took back the puppies' leads. “That makes sense. Did Hecate ask you to pop in for a reason?”

“Hecate has a reason for everything she does.” Lakshmi followed Callie into the house. “As it's the third day of Diwali on Earth I'm going to be travelling around giving certain of my followers prosperity for the following year. Technically I should probably say I'm going as Mahalakshmi as that is my name when I am acting as a wealth and prosperity Goddess.” Lakshmi smiled. “I was asked if I would allow you to choose a family who would be double blessed by two deities.”

“Technically I'm not a deity yet,” Callie said, bending down to take the leads off the puppies. “I'll be in training for another few centuries before I'm a true deity.”

Lakshmi shook her head. “You were born a deity and that is what makes you a true deity. The training is important in its own way, but you must never believe that it's the training that makes you a true deity.” She placed her hand gently on Callie's head for a moment. “Believe in yourself, Callie.”

“I try.” Callie looked at Lakshmi. “How did you know to call me Callie?”

“Do you really think that Hecate would send me to you without telling me that you hate being called Callidora?”

“Not really, but some insist on calling me Callidora anyway.”

“It is a beautiful name.”

Callie smiled. “Yes, it is, but I don't want to use my full first name until I feel that I'm a true deity.”

“You're learning already.” Lakshmi took Callie's hand and helped her up. “Do you want to come with me and see what I do?”

“I'd really like that. Just give me a chance to find someone to look after the puppies.” She glanced down at them. “We can't leave them on their own yet because they're still learning how to cope with having three heads.”

© K A Jones 2011

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

October Prompted Fiction: Deities World collection: Callie - Learning from Lakshmi: 528 words

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