Day 133,

It’s a weird feeling, being in the Village on market day before the market forum is actually set up.  My teaching duties have gotten me adjusted to waking up on time even while in my sunless archive room, which means for once I have a fairly leisurely morning until the farmers begin arriving from the outskirts and setting up their stalls.

Gives me time to think about what I want to pick up for tonight in the way of produce.  Oh, and I should probably get some bread too.  Some manner of spice perhaps.

A side effect of mostly being paid for my services in food is that I wind up doing surprisingly little of my own cooking.  Most of the meal preparation I do at the house is just slicing bread and spreading jams (or are they preserves?) on it.  Maybe pair it with whatever “payment” I’ve brought home with me that keeps well enough to store in the pantry.

Today went well.  An awkward moment or two but positive overall.  And I didn’t burn the food or cut my hand open preparing it, so that’s always a plus.

But, as I so often find myself writing, back to chronological order.

After giving everyone from the outskirts time to arrive ahead of me I made my way over to the market forum where my first stop was with James and family.  I informed him that I was inviting the same group of friends that had gone on the floating island trip over for dinner tonight, and that included Cassandra.  While I was at it I threw in a promise to see her safely back to their farmhouse afterward.  As it happened, Cass had arrived before I did and already gotten permission.  James did ask me though what, if anything, this had to do with her apprenticeship.  I confessed that it was mostly a social gathering, but that I expected there to be discussion of where to go next for further documentive excursions once the dry season comes again.  Also, it could be considered as a “thank you” for how big a help she’s been in the day-to-day running of the library and - more recently - classroom.

That courtesy conversation taken care of and it established that Cass would be accompanying Lin on the walk to my place later in the day, I moved on to the shopping.  It’s funny how paying for things with money has come to feel like a novelty.  The basket weaver (for I realized I needed a second one if Maiko had my usual and I didn’t want to shove the groceries in the backpack with the laundry) actually asked for a promise of telling services at a future date before I even moved to produce coin.  Figuring that was obviously of more value to her than money I went ahead and agreed, even if a specific date hadn’t been set yet.

And so, the morning proceeded into early afternoon as I made the walk back to the house, new basket of fresh ingredients in hand and backpack full of less fresh laundry on my back.  Maiko was nowhere to be seen when I arrived.  Out fishing for this evening I figured.

I set myself to tidying the place in preparation for company, although between my barely being here lately and Maiko being a surprisingly tidy roommate for someone who’s used to living alone in the woods there wasn’t much for me to do.  Then again, I suppose she doesn’t have much in the way of possessions to make a mess with and has a lot of practice with keeping her very existence secret.  Estimating that I still had a fair bit of time before anyone arrived I took the opportunity to get laundry taken care of.

Seeing as it was threatening to rain, I once again took Maiko’s advice.  On the one hand that wasn’t a bad idea seeing as it did end up raining and that made for one less garment in need of drying afterward.  On the other hand, while I didn’t encounter Maiko on her way back downstream from the pool like I half expected to, I did encounter Lin and Cass walking up the path to the house just as I was emerging from the woods.  Well, perhaps “encountered” is a strong word given that we were still a fair distance apart when I spotted them, giving me time to sprint behind the house, drop the load of damp laundry, throw on something dry, and enter the living room in time to see that Maiko had already gotten back and was moving to answer the knocking at the front door.

Lin raised an eyebrow and tried to hold back a smirk as I greeted the two of them, disheveled and out of breath, but thankfully no one said anything about it.

I apologized for running late.  Lin apologized for arriving early.  Cass apologized on Vernon’s behalf for not making it.  Maiko had nothing to apologize for and went back to the fish cleaning that she’d gotten started in my absence.

I told the guests to make themselves comfortable while I lit the stove, retrieved some of this morning’s groceries, and started cooking the fish that Maiko had already finished preparing.  Different types than what she’d brought from the pool recently.

She said that’s because they were from out on the reef, not the pool.  Took her a while to find the types she was looking for.  Saltwater stings the eyes more than fresh.

I noticed she was setting the “extra” fish parts aside rather than devouring them on the spot like she tended to do when it was just the two of us.  Simply too much to eat at once this time, or trying not to do something Lin might find off putting?  Still, from the way she covered them before taking them out back, I suspect she was planning to save them for later rather than dispose of them.

Meanwhile, Lin and Cass continued the conversation they’d been having on the way here about the medical book Cass had borrowed from the archive.  I only caught bits and pieces of what they were saying, focused as I was on getting the food right, but they both certainly sounded engaged.  Actual back and forth discussion rather than one going on about an interest to the other.

Soon enough, the table was set, beverages were poured, and we dug in.  The mealtime conversation started off with (what I imagine is) the usual topic of friends that haven’t seen much of one another in a few weeks; how have we all been, what are we up to lately, etc.  I mostly let Cass speak for me as we’d largely been stuck in the library together with the teaching.  Lin had been going back and forth between checking on the very elderly who didn’t take as well to the constant rain and being cooped up in the house all day with her parents.  The occasional checkup on elders living in the outskirts broke up the monotony but making those trips in the rain while trying to keep a bag of medicinal supplies dry was less than fun.  As for Maiko, she claimed it was much like her usual in the rainy season; wake up, look for food, try to find a place to stay dry if possible, go to sleep.  But now with the dry place more guaranteed if she doesn’t wander too far (as she sometimes does) and there’s things to read when she otherwise would have just been waiting around for either the rain to stop or to fall asleep.  Although most of the reading material left in the house is Priscilla’s notes and those are half-illegible when they aren’t obscure shorthand.

That took us on to reminiscing about that trip followed by talking about other places to go once the dry season returns.  The old castle and the eastern island (I never did get around to tracking down that Tristan guy) wound up being our top two candidates.  I brought up Cloud Tower but Lin and Cass were both more wary of that than I expected, although neither of them could fully articulate why.

By this time it was just about dark outside and I made the suggestion that it was time I be getting Cass home.  She made the expected protestations, but I think she picked up on the meaningful eyebrow motions.  Either that or she was able to put together enough context clues to ask me during the walk if I invited her just so I could use walking her home as an excuse to leave Lin and Maiko alone together.  

I told her that was certainly a side effect I wasn’t above taking advantage of, but no, I would have accompanied her in any case.  She might be a child (and that’s not a bad thing, she ought to stop protesting it and cherish it while it lasts), but she’s also a competent, valuable assistant, a core part of this group we’ve assembled, and practically family to me.  That seemed to have her at a loss for words for once.  The rest of the walk back to the family farmhouse was in silence.

Most of the lights were out when we got there but those that remained cast the motherly form of Antigone in silhouette as she opened the door upon our approach.  I tried not to let my presence intrude upon the motherly fussing and affectionate protestations against such that followed.  Although some bits were hard not to accidentally eavesdrop on.  Her mother never gets to see Cassandra these days.  They saw one another just last week when Antigone came into the Village for market day (huh, I missed out on that).  But she’s hardly ever home.  She’s home now.  Yes, now that it’s time to go to bed.  A protest cut short and rendered to lie by a yawn.

After Cass bid me a good night and see you tomorrow and went off to a bed unused since the rainy season started, Antigone offered for me to come in for a cup of tea before making the walk back home.  My instinctive reflex was to demure from such an offer so as to avoid feelings of imposing on others but as the first syllable of decline left my mouth I recalled that secondary reason for walking Cass home, paused, and changed the course of my answer.

Inside was much as I remembered it from my last visit save dimmer and quieter.  Quieter than my own house at night without the nearby forest.  Louder than the concealed archive bedroom, but then again everything is.

The tea had already been brewed prior to my arrival.  We sat sipping in silence for a minute or two before she began asking about Cassandra and her apprenticeship.  How she’d been doing.  What exactly she’d been doing.  I explained as best I could, having little to say about Cassandra but praise.  The verification of the effectiveness of my new filing system.  The helping of visitors to find what they want.  The organizing of drop off requests to assist my delivery route for the day.  The taking charge of the older kids in the classroom.  The waking me up on some mornings.  The providing practical outdoor experience that I lack when out exploring.  The fact that she can practically do my job as well as I do these days.

Antigone appeared to relax tension I hadn’t noticed until it was gone following my explanation.  It seems Cassandra didn’t talk much about what she actually did in her apprenticeship outside of the “going out and exploring while taking notes” part, and that had her mother concerned.

I confided that I had concerns she might be tiring of it.  Perhaps finding it less exciting than she had originally anticipated.  She had lately taken an interest in certain texts on medicine and been talking with the Village doctor’s assistant.  Perhaps I was just reading too much into a passing fancy.  Or perhaps Antigone’s youngest will grow up to be a doctor instead of an archivist.  I’d certainly miss having her around to help if that were the case, but I’d rather see her do something she has a passion for than have an extra set of hands around the library.  I’d come to think of her like a younger sister and wanted what’s best for her.

I rather hastily added a request that my hostess not mention all that to Cass.  She already has enough older siblings and probably doesn’t want to add another to the count.  Especially one that gossips about her to her mother.

Antigone chuckled at that, said it’s safe with her and thanked me for letting her know all the same.  And for looking out for her daughter.

Speaking of looking out, I felt it my turn to ask a question and inquired as to how she knew to stay up waiting for us.

She didn’t.  Just some nights she can’t sleep no matter what she does so she just puts on a pot of tea and stays up through the next day.  No real reason she’s been able to figure out and it’s been like that as long as she can remember.  Usually not much comes of it, but every now and then like tonight it works out.

I said that sounded rough.

She said you get used to it.  But it is a part of the reason she rarely goes into the Village on market days.  Too busy using those days to catch up on sleep.  Provided the insomnia doesn’t hit on those days of course.

Perhaps she realized the conversation had gotten more personal than she meant, or maybe it was a recognition that the hour was growing late for non-insomniacs, but I was politely told that she “wouldn’t hold me up from getting back home” any longer soon after that.

I thanked her for the hospitality and bid her a good night.  If not this one than the next.

The walk back to the house was quiet.  No stalking sprites or spirits or unknown animals this time.

Back at the house I found Lin and Maiko still engaged in conversation, with the latter describing what it’s like free diving into deep water to catch fish with her bare hands.  I took that as a good sign.

Following the standard pleasantries and inquiries after Cass and the trip to and back from the farmhouse, I made my apologies that I wouldn’t be able to remain up and join in on their conversation, but that they were welcome to keep going while I retired to my room to get in some journaling followed by sleep.

As much as I would have liked to stay up with them (and as much as the tea certainly would have allowed me to) I wanted to keep giving them the time alone together.  Throughout the night as I’ve been writing this I’ve been able to make out their muffled voices through the door and down the hall.  Although now that I write that it occurs to me that it’s actually been a while since I heard them.  I should head to bed myself, yet I still feel surprisingly wakeful.

This tea is strong.