I've decided to publish a my false start for NaNoWriMo... This is a complete first draft. I just want to get it out there on record. Chapter 4
All three women had often wondered about their names and the connections (or disconnection) to themselves. Families held a place of honor and power among the village, so it came as no surprise that Hestia found names very important. What was weird was Lucy's fascination. The girl who never felt a connection to the village or her family, wanted her name to mean something. And Kalliope acknowledged the importance of her name and yet tried to deny her given name.
Hestia came from a long line of strong Greek names. Her mother was named Galene which meant "calm seas." It was said that on the day of Galene's birth, the wind stopped blowing and the seas looked at still as glass. This was after a week long rain with almost gale force winds which lashed at the fishing boats and the villa. Galene's birth was seen as a good omen as it came with the return to the calm. Her mother, Athena, took her name from the famous goddess. She ran the family with military precision. Everyone was taken care of and loved, but from a distance. And so Hestia beleived even at an early age that her name would determine who she would become. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and fire, became the center piece of the family. She prided herself at nourishing the family's hearts and bodies. They gathered around her for warmth and comfort. Her sister was named Amaltheia which means "to soothe." She took on the task of advice giver. Together they made quite a pair in their youth. Hestia continued to be the center of the family into her later years and finally into her bed. The villa was still the epicenter of family and even village life. Any who appeared on the doorstep were given a bowl of food and a listening ear for their troubles. No one was turned. And so Hestia was broken when her only daughter turned her back on the family.
Kalliope or the muse of epic poetry was given that specific name when she was a week old. The story goes that she was silent at her birth and silent for the next six days. But on the seventh day she made such beautiful sounds taht everyone thought she would grow up to have a beautiful enchanting voice. In a way, she did, but not in the way everyone thought. Kalliope could use her words to convince anyone of anything. She was a smooth talker. That was how she convinced the boy to take her with him to America. Once, across the seas, Kalliope vowed to sever all connections to her family and village. And so she changed her name to Kallie. Never again would she answer to Kalliope. It was too Greek, too old, too small. Plus, she desparately wanted to fit in with the other young women in America.
When Kallie gave birth to a daughter, she wanted to give her a name that menat something, but not something Greek. She looked through book after book for a name. Finally when the baby was a month old, she stumbled upon a Peanuts cartoon and found the perfect name: Lucy. Lucy, the English form of Latin Lucia which means "light" was perfect. It was not a Greek name. It was completely Anglicized, just how Kallie wanted to seem.
Lucy grew up having an English name, living an English life, wishing for something more. She wanted an exotic name, some like Katerina or Marianna. Lucy was so plain. It said nothing about who she was. Light... what was that supposed to mean? Was she bright? Did she bring goodness? Nope. She was just plain Lucy. Every time she visited her grandmother, Hestia would lament that Lucy lacked a proper name. Lucy wanted that proper name. She wanted a proper place, even among the dirt and salt of the village.
Names. Important to some, thrown away by others. The women of the village prided themselves on their names. Now to work on those lost souls...