Chapter 169: Day 168

Day 168,

Morning thought: It’s perhaps a good thing that I’ve recently discarded the habit of copying Maiko’s fashion sense on my days home.  When I first woke up I had forgotten that Lin spent the night, and I can only imagine the sort of embarrassment that would have brought.

As it was, the two of them were already up before me and chatting when I walked in the room and greeted me warmly by their respective standards.  Which is to say a loud, sing-song  “Good morning!” and an animated wave from Lin and a grunt that almost sounded like “Hey,” and a nod of acknowledgement from Maiko.

Comforting to see the mask gone.

Over breakfast I thanked/apologized to Lin for yesterday.  I’d expected her to head out early to make it to market day, but she said she can let her parents handle the groceries this week and asked if I didn’t mind her spending the day out here with us.  She claimed she hadn’t had a break since the last time she stopped by the library and was due for another one and a day with friends sounded like just the thing.

I said it was fine with me if it was fine with Maiko.  Maiko voiced no objection.

With the presence of a guest we’re forgoing the usual morning tutoring session and heading to the spring early.  Lin seemed eager to watch Maiko’s fishing skills in action.  Afterwards, there was some talk of maybe taking Maiko’s boat out to what I’ve started to think of as “her” island.

I started writing this while Lin was going through my closet (at my suggestion) to change into in case anything goes wrong with shoving three people into a boat made for one.  By now I’ve accumulated a handful of garments that I don’t mind their getting wet or muddy.  That said, now it’s me holding everyone up, so I’ll stop here for now.

 

Today was a good day.  We had a spot of sun for the first time in over a week, Lin was her usual exuberant self, and even Maiko was more talkative than usual (which still isn’t much by anyone’s standards but mine, but it was noticeable if you know her).  I hardly had any of the anxious thoughts or mental loops that have been plaguing me worse than usual lately.

The one almost rough spot in the day was when we passed by my old laundry spot with the wide flat rock on the side of the stream.  I must have paused briefly without realizing it because the other two broke their conversation and shot me looks of concern.  For a terrible moment I thought they were going to say something, but then I just kept walking and pretended like their silence was a normal conversational invitation for me to give commentary on whatever it was we were talking about.

At the spring I handled my usual laundry at the start of the stream while Maiko showed Lin around.  Lin said a bit about not wanting to leave me doing chores while she was off having a good time, but I insisted that this was relaxing (normally anyway) in a meditative sort of way, and that I’d be fine with the two of them in sight across the spring.  And so I got into a rhythm with that, smiling to myself occasionally with vicarious excitement at hearing Lin’s shouts in response to Maiko’s diving routine.

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There was brief discussion of trying to light the campfire there and cooking the fish on the spot but we ultimately decided it was probably too damp for that.  Also, apparently there were some signs of other people having been back in the area again, which is mildly concerning for the future, but not a problem for today.

On the way back to the house to cook the catch and hang the laundry Lin said she’d need to come back sometime with proper swimwear to see the view over the center that we’d told her about.  This prompted me to ask why she didn’t take such garments to the lake of stars on our trip out there.  She laughed and said that she’d considered it, and even packed them, but decided that jumping off the boat fully clothed made for a better surprise.  Also, shiny clothes.  Good points on both counts, I’ll concede.

And so, laundry hung, lunch of fresh fish, self-deprecating joke about having a doctor on hand in case I sliced my hand again, and then off to have Maiko show Lin her boat.  Fortunately it was able to support the three of us at once, if only barely.  There was much rocking getting all of us in, and more than a little water came along with us in the process.  We sat low enough in the water that if one of us were to bounce or shift our weight too much it would spill over.  But it was the sort of day where those things were challenges to overcome and fumbles to laugh at rather than anything to fear or stress over.

On the island, on whimsical impulse I got up the courage to try touching one of the lizards.  To my surprise it let me and just sort of chilled there while I stroked its rain-slicked pebbly hide.  I found myself reminded of the cobbles of the Village streets, shrunken down, condensed, and made fine.  Lin seemed less enthused than I was by them, turning down my suggestion to try petting one.  I did notice that Maiko refrained from making comments in front of her about eating them though.

As for the fruits, I didn’t bother trying to follow Maiko up a tree this time.  Lin managed to make it up to the lowest branch, albeit somewhat clumsily and muttering the whole time about how she used to be better at this sort of thing.  We did all manage to partake of the trees’ bounty though.  The fruits were a bit harder to bite into than last time and slightly tart, but still good.  Maiko called them “acceptable” and said they still needed a couple weeks yet for optimal flavor and juiciness.  Lin called it a good excuse to come back out and do this again.

And so the afternoon passed in easy camaraderie among the fruits and the lizards, speaking of light topics and enjoying the silences while we listened to the even lighter shower on the canopy above.  It would have been a shame to see it end had my mind been in a state to worry about the future or dwell on the past.  As it was we drifted back to the boat and back to the house in one continuous present.  

Lin’s spending the night again.  In the morning she’ll leave, taking the long route back to the Village to stop by her patient and in the afternoon I’ll leave as well.

But for now, I think I’ll continue to enjoy this moment while it lasts and sleep easy tonight.

Funny how my best and worst days always tend to follow so close to one another.  I like to think this journal has something to do with that.  Excising the harsher thoughts so I can look back at them with perspective and clarity to allow me to move forward in peace.  Sure, the bad days will come again eventually, but when they do, I’ll be able to look back here and remind myself that I’m not always like that and the good days will have their turn again soon enough.

 

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