Perdita

A word you have always known is just at the tip of your tongue, but you can’t remember “whatsit” in a conversation? And a couple of hours later the elusive word is back, as easy to recall as ever.

Have you ever experienced this? Then you might have met Perdita already- even if you’ve never seen her.

Perdita is a memory guardian. Whenever words, thoughts and ideas escape a memory, she tries to catch them with her net. If she can make you out as the owner, she will restore them to your memory. It might take a while until she has found you, but you’ll get the word back.

For her and those who are like her thoughts give off a faint glow. That’s how she can see them.

Memory guardians stand watch when somebody is about to leave the world of the living. They save the life memories of those who pass and store them in a huge cave. The cherished happy memories glow a little brighter, those go into the treasure vault. Trivial memories of no significance to the owner just fade, but the important memories are redirected to inspire artists and all sorts of creative people. They might be found in a painting, a novel or music. Nothing is ever really lost.

Of course not all memories are happy ones. Memory guardians are very careful with the sad, frightening and nasty memories. They might be passed on to artists as well, but mostly they are stripped of graphic details and transformed into fear. Small doses help to make people more careful and sensible and protect children from being too reckless.

Perdita doesn’t like to catch the nasty memories. They glow greenish, and she needs to wash her net very carefully to make sure no residue taints the next catch.

She’s still a very young memory guardian, and she doesn’t need to look at the sad and frightening memories. She just has to bring her catch to the memory cave. But she will have to help with the sorting eventually. Perdita’s favorites are happy childhood memories and those of fantastic landscapes she has never seen.

Perdita was born as a memory guardian, like fairies or gnomes or any otherworldly creature she was born with the ability and vocation to do what her people do. And she is a very clever little guardian, she is very good at finding the “owner” of a thought that has gone astray.

Perdita enjoys to put the missing piece of the puzzle back to complete the recollection. When she gives the piece a little enthusiastic shove you’ll feel a spark when it’s back – whatever you’ve been thinking, the returning memory will get your attention. The startled face of the owner lights up when the missing piece hits home, and Perdita always has to giggle when she watches that sudden change of facial expression. She might perform her duties a bit more energetic than necessary on occasion. She knows she isn’t supposed to do that, but sometimes she just can’t resist. I hope you don’t begrudge her this little bit of fun when it happens to you.

Perdita loves music, she is always singing or humming a tune. When she’s giving back a thought you might catch that tune as well by accident. You will be humming for the next couple of days, depend on it!