The vibrations on her leg feel nice, but Lara's stomach tightens. The alarm was going off, the sun was still so far away. The hum of the heater was no guarantee the air is warm, and the locust wood floors were always a cold wake up. The room was still pretty empty, two boxes flanking the bed were all the possessions she had, including the slippers she prefered. Peeling open the canvas cover, she tosses her left rabbit and right rabbit to the floor. Getting up at this insane hour was almost never justified, even when she had the energy to rise and shine. Now was not the time though, as there were many things to be done. “Why did I agree to this?” she grumbles, kicking off her blanket. She slinks out of the comfortable nest of blankets she had made, and quickly flies over to the restroom.
She spits in the bathtub, and checks herself in the mirror. She punches in a quick code for warm water on the panel on the wall next to the spicket jutting from the recycled concrete walls. The water at night turned warm slowly, as the hot water heater in the basement had less demand. I could grab coffee on the way to the park. Her mind trails off as a small icon flashes yellow on the panel. Drawing the water, she carefully washes her face and shaves some unsightly facial hair.
"With the grain, Lara" Grandma Kirchfeld implores, guiding Lara's little hands around the circular board. She always let Lara participate in her daily routine, and after supper was craft time. A thin coat of gouache blows into a cascade of little white clouds as the old woman dusts off the sanded board.
"Who are you making the hexaboo for?" Lara watches with interest while she lightly draws out a septagram. Her wrist twirled as she gave form to a hideous old goat rising on its feet.
Grandma winks, "You'll need one in Canada, just for good luck"
"Mama says Canada is more fortunate than us." Lara looks up to her grandmother whose face turned bitter.
"Your mother couldn't tell luck from unluck, dear. I don't know if the dutchies up there use hexaboos" she etches out seven horns on the goat, and a gaping wound in its neck.
"Grandma, is that the Devil?"
"No, it’s Jesus."
"But Jesus looks like Uncle Samir"
"Sometimes"
"Sometimes?"
"Sometimes we need Jesus the man. But I've found he doesn't always come to you as a man. We find God in mysterious places. The Goat is a symbol of protection and safety, guidance and protection in hard times"
"Mama says we're gonna have a better life in Whistler. Are we gonna have hard times in Canada?"
"My Mother told me many things she had no way of knowing about. I pray you'll have a better life but I wish to keep faith." She dabs a brush into the paint, a vivid red outlining the goat.
Lara is the only person on the bus to Nanaimo this Saturday morning. She'd have caught a cab, but waiting for the thing to arrive once it had been summoned would've left her with so little time. So onto the Vancouver Island Transport she goes.
Sitting in the front seat was her favorite. Safer. The yellow seating is looking its age, and the roomba eagerly roams about the floor, chirping every so often.
"Vito, silence roomba"
A blue light flashes at the back and the roomba silently rolls to its home under the back bench.
The bus lurches left onto Hammond Bay Road, the coffee in her lap nearly tipping over. Securing her drink with both hands Lara sees the roomba peeking from its base. It slinks deeper, disappointed in her success. In the window above, Nanaimo, the last of Old Vancouver's sisters is glistening with towers and lights. She's heading into the darkness of the suburbs. These were still very wealthy neighborhoods, and the police were much more keen on making sure this area stays as it has been since before the war. Pines still fill much of the region, though mature bamboo, ailanthus, and locust trees are edging into the scene. It seems like wilderness to her.
They're waiting for Lara at the entrance of Neck Point park, cloaked in a black synthetic raincoat, a wool scarf wrapped tight around their neck. As the bus approached, she could see between the ushanka and scarf, two bright eyes and a welcoming smile.
"Mary!" Lara exclaims leaping off the bus.
They embrace warmly, Lara holding her coffee over Mary's shoulder.
"Lara! I missed you so much!"
"I miss you too, babe."
With a peck on the lips the two begin walking towards the sea.
"How was the family about returning home?"
Mary rolls her eyes, "Aunt Suh-yee is still on about Canada 'Evil Empire' like I know. Its not like we aren't trying to get out."
"They're still not sold on Africa?"
"Kun Woo really said 'they hate us in Africa' and that was all I said about that for the trip."
Lara shrugged. That's still not an uncommon opinion here in the West either.
"Well, we have friends to warm our home, old and new."
"Did you get to talk to your brother?"
Lara paused, a balance dropped in her heart with a ringing tumult..
"He's in the Mandate working with Scott Detwiler on 'mission’ work. Dunno about him."
"Reach out, he'll be excited to hear from his older sister."
"I'll give Angela a ring after I go back to sleep."
"You've got to stay awake for this though"
At a little opening in the hedges and bramble looking out to the Sound, the sky was turning a cherry pink just beyond the peaks of the distant shore.
"Close your eyes, dear"
A warm ray creeps up her whole body in the freezing air. Sunlight pierced her eyes, even closed. The whole of her was bathed in sunlight.
Lara casually glanced towards Mary, beaming and radiant in the growing light. Their eyes swallowed the sun, reflected in the edges of her irises. Their smile is thin and peaceful. A warmth spreads over Lara’s body, and she closes her eyes again.
“This is the Sun of the Winter Solstice. Cosmic hump day. Miri it is, wile sumer ilast.” Mary says after a few pleasant minutes.
“Is it all downhill from here?” Lara jokes, with love beaming from her eyes. Mary shrugs and plants a kiss on Lara’s cheek. Lara doesn’t mind the sensation of doubt, but Mary was too close for her to voice her doubts. The pair hold hands as they turn away from the sun.
