((
))
So here's a chronicle, a historical account of events, of probably the best summer to date. I didn't really go anywhere, but rather stayed close to home, and tried to dig out the wonders and beauty of the local area. Following are the things and people that I've found, the ones I owe my summer to.
Let me introduce most of the players of our game:
Aygul
My sneaky lil fuckin KGB agent of a sister. I owe most of the shenanigans that have been perpetrated this summer to her. She's my point in the canoe, and she's my climbing buddy. Without her screaming at me about the upcoming rocks and sunken trees, I would have been screwed.
And she helped me with my wardrobe, so I don't look like a $2 bum constantly. No matter what high and low points have come and gone, she's stuck it out with me this summer, and damn if I'm not proud of her for that.
We both set out this summer to make it as not lame as possible, and I think we've done a pretty damn good job.
Thanks, kiddo, and I'm glad you're sticking around, at least for a little while.
Luis
This limey brit zebra riding bastard has been through damn near all of it with us this summer, from flipping Dad's canoe to getting busted up against the tree trying to push it out to getting run off by park rangers.
Luis is kinda brilliant, even though you wouldn't expect it with how much his short lil ass mouths off, and has been a constant laugh throughout the summer. He's doing chemical engineering down at the University of Kentucky right now, probably making LSD or some chemical warfare shit.
Please, World, don't piss Luis off.
He's always been there when my car needed a jump or my fridge needed a few less bottles.
Thank you, Luis, look forward to seeing you again.
Kelsey
Ohio born and raised, and for all the craziness that that type of situation might instill upon a person, none of our summers would have been the same without having her along. Put her and my sister together and you'll have a scene more entertaining than the circus. The circus, while on FIRE. She, along with my sister, have kept me pushing forward, trying to find the next point of entertainment or relaxation, something to be shared.
Because I'll be damned if her company isn't something that everyone could use a little more of. Well spoken, smart, thoughtful, she's been a true comfort in the rough patches, and I hope I've been a bit of the same in her own.
There will be a lot of pictures in this one, and if there's one that strikes you as 'holy shit this is beautiful', it's probably a picture of her, or by her. She's a wizard with the lens, and it's even named! (and by D&D rules, that's gotta be like an automatic +1 to Clarity at the least. Maybe some soul capture properties vs. undead? I dunno.)
Kelsey has been a constant reminder to laugh, to enjoy myself, and to try and not worry so much. She's been invaluable to us all.
Thank you, darlin, I'm not sure Georgia's gonna be ready for the likes of you. :)
Jason
My roomate, in absentia, hailing from the island of Okinawa. He's stationed over there with the USMC, keeping the streets a little more safe (read: drunk) for us all. Since, you know, how often we all go to Okinawa and whatnot.
No matter how much we might have missed out on over the past year of his deployment, it always seems possible to pick right up where we left off. He's a hilarious bastard, and whenever I walk into O'Brian's and settle down at the bar for a pint, he's often missed.
This guy knows how to make the best out of life, something to go out and do is always at the forefront of his mind, and damn if the month he was back wasn't action packed to say the least.
Thank you, Jason, the second bedroom is always open to you.
Cristian
Cristian is a lil punk, cheats at pool races, smart as hell (on a good day), and takes so much abuse from everyone I almost feel sorry for him. If he didn't cheat at pool races, maybe that would change, but guess what?! That's right! He cheats!
But in all seriousness, Cristian's made it out to a good number of the things we've done this summer, canoed with us, crossed swords with Luis and I on the volleyball court, a lot of good memories.
If I ever see you again Cristian, you still owe me a drink!
Thank you, Cris, and if you're ever in the area, it'd be great to see you again.
All the butthurt people who didn't get a personal write-up.
No offense is intended by this, I'm listing major players. But you've all been a part of my summer, and you all are appreciated. It would not have been the same without you, and it's been great to see every single last one of you.
J & Ben, I'm glad you two are out of the house now, and I hope you guys enjoy the shit out of the apartment.
Alissa, I'm glad you're done babysitting the hellions, and you're going to be a wonderful teacher.
Adam, I didn't meet you for long, but your unicorn loving ass was fun to hang out with.
The rest of you, well, shit, try to make it to more stuff next summer. I'll see y'then.
And off we go...
So the summer kicks off with a canoe trip, just four of us: Aygul, Luis, Kelsey, and myself. Aygul and I drag dad's canoe down to the bank and wait downstream for the others.
In the distance I can already hear Kelsey screaming at Luis to watch out for the bridge, and I can hear Luis laughing as per usual. This is Kelsey's first canoe trip, and one that she won't soon forget.
So as they drag ass over to Aygul and I, we hop in and begin to set out. It's a gorgeous day, the clouds that threatened to cancel our trip have left the sky open to the sun, the birds are out, and the water is parting around the bows of our canoes as we slip through the water. Droplets pool and fall from the tip of our oars, flinging on the passenger in front of us as we change sides, and the chill is welcomed.
We stop, swim, explore, laugh, push, throw.
We smile, smoke, think, enjoy that moment of silence on the river. That one point where the current takes over and nobody has to paddle for a minute, you're just moving with the natural course of things, enjoying the scenery that rolls by.
There's a heron, there's some fish, there's some foam.
And we enjoy the company, Aygul in the front of mine, Kelsey in the front of Luis', chatting back and forth, talking excitedly about...I dunno, girl stuff probably. Luis and I meet each other's gaze.
"Why didn't we put them into the same canoe?"
Foreshadowing.
But not too much for a story, that'd take forever to get to the high point.
So, further down the river, on a nice shallow stretch, a cry escapes my throat.
"Ramming Speed!"
And the kid's oar and mine dig into the water, churning up the depths as our canoe rockets towards Luis and Kelsey. We catch them broadside, perfect for a good strong jarring push.
Except they lean a bit too much.
The water begins to rush in over the edges.
The canoe loses its occupants.
Screaming and laughing and threatening to do bodily damage to me, they emerge from the water, soaked and a little shocked.
I laugh and help Kelsey into our canoe, and go help Luis empty out theirs.
Again, I catch Luis' gaze.
We hop in, and start paddling. Everything's going swimmingly for about a quarter mile until we get to a bend with a strong current and a large tree covering about 3/4 of the river. Luis and I skirt around the tree and beach the canoe, and wait for the girls to catch up.
They catch up, but are a little too close to the curve, and the current sweeps them and dad's canoe straight for the tree. Thunk! A backpack, a cooler, and two girls are spilled into the water.
We rush to catch the backpack and the cooler.
Aygul and Kelsey come up, and we help them over to the beached canoe, set them down, make sure they're ok. Luis and I trudge back through the current to the now upside down canoe, trapped under a tree in about 4 feet of moving water. Our hands feel out the contour of the canoe, and find an odd right angle that didn't used to be in the middle.
"Oh shit."
Laughing and grunting and losing grip, we push and pull on that bastard until we can't anymore. My hip takes a hell of a beating, and Luis' stomach looks like he tried to make love to a feral cat. Scraped and bleeding and tired, we still manage to pull out a few jokes while we go about our work before finally coming to the conclusion that 100,000 gallons of water is a bit much to pull against with our bare hands.
We pile into the rental, missing a shirt, some glasses, and a little bit of pride, and make it back to the drop off point.
Weary and worn from the exercise and the sun we pile into the parking lot of Wendy's, and enjoy some of the best damn food I've had all summer. We earned it.
But I guess the foreshadowing remains. We started off well. We overcame some stuff. We left some stuff behind. And at the end of the day, we were all smiling and had a story to tell.
A few days later I get a call from Dad, saying someone had managed to cut the log away enough that the canoe slipped free. Was a little perturbed, as I had a plan that involved some come-alongs to exact revenge upon that treacherous tree. But I go and pick up the canoe, load it onto my car, and take it to Dad's. There are worn lines here and there, seats need to be refitted, and some new cross beams would be a good idea. But it's a sturdy canoe, and been through a lot.
Still sorry about the canoe, Daddo. I'll get it fixed.
So after my hip healed up, we went climbing some, wandered around aimlessly looking for any excuse to hang out, went on another canoe trip with more people and less accidents, and started to see where the summer took us.
Lotsa laughs, flirting, name calling, the kinda stuff that makes you feel like the world is at peace for a moment.
And the summer continues. I try to juggle responsibilities, schedules, emotions. I try to fit all the puzzle pieces together, so whatever we do, we do with the most people, those closest to us, those that make damn sure the time we have is the time we enjoy.
I'm already spending the summer with that handful of people, but I want to make sure they have their own along as well.
And the summer continues, and we become closer knit, banding together for the next great adventure. I start to spend more time with Kelsey, and decide maybe everyone isn't such a dickhead after all.
Excerpt from my personal notes:
Backyard street lights and the shadows of a venetian blind cast across a face I want so desperately to be closer to mine.
And we continue to climb.
Movie nights for everyone, going out to eat with a group of friends, chilling on a back porch while the mosquitoes chip away at our blood.
Meeting a new corgi and getting lost in a new neighborhood.
Sitting in a hot tub, inhaling the thick chlorine vapor that wafts up with every bubble, rejoicing as the breeze rolls through, bringing a shiver down my spine.
Relaxing by the river, smoking cigarettes and chatting, burning the time away after my sister's graduation and waiting for the movie to get close to starting. A moment of peace, even with the noise of cars driving across the bridge to our right, we still watch the river foam and geese and ducks and fading light over the levy. Nothing is urgent at this moment, nothing out of place. She's just accomplished her first milestone, and is dead tired, but is humoring me, letting me get her out of the house and out of her mood. I smile.
Curled up on a couch, the dog lying across the carpet sighing deeply into the tan fibers around her black little nose.
Drunkenly swinging my sword right into Luis' face, Cristian attempting to take advantage of the brief opening. They knew I was down, and decided that they just weren't having that. I owe them for this act of kindness.
I had spent three hours sitting in the light rain, propped up against my car in the parking lot of the Y. Sorting out thoughts, emotions, the entire rainbow of my feelings. I was right, it did rain that night, it just took a long time for the water to hit my face, to clear away the grit obscuring my vision.
Seeing her climb up that wall warms my heart. She's so damn stubborn, so persistent, it's a Page thing I guess. Pride won't let her stop. She swings in the saddle for a moment, plotting just how to get over this problem. I'm not even sure if she hears the directions I call up to her skinny Russian ass, but one way or another, she always grabs on to the nearest hold and hauls herself up, pushing with her feet, and truly dancing up every single step of the way.
When you're submarining a canoe, swimming underneath, feeling along the bottom side to an open spot where you can make your entrance, you can't help but feel fucking awesome. It's like I'm Jaws, or Cthulhu, some deep dwelling beast about to scare the living shit out of these trespassers. I find my spot, a large bulb of light amidst a corona of green and brown, and push up, screaming, hoping to god they don't hit me with an oar. RARGH!
Leaning out of a car window with a battle axe, screaming for a wench to get in the car, life has never felt so free.
Jason arrives and the party begins, but I'm so exhausted that my body cries for sleep. I still feel terrible, leaving a man standing, but christ if his tolerance hasn't been fortified. Maybe next time. But I'm always up in time to make breakfast, always there with the platter of Mana on which all should nourish themselves.
Forgive me?
The moments of silence where you're afraid to say anything for fear of setting someone off, making the situation worse. When you wish you could find the right words to say, to heal a bond between two people you care about. When there's active resistance, when there's passive aggression, when you just want to scream. But you can't. You can't let that go, you can't let that break, but you keep working on it, because you know you need it.
Excerpt:
I see her arm hanging out the window mimicking the wings we all wish we had.
R O Y G B I V
And I crash into bed, face down onto my pillow, and inhale the aroma deep into my lungs. My shirt ruffles up and the thick, mouth watering smell of wood smoke rolls over me. Fires are beautiful, warm, and comforting, but nothing beats seeing their reflection in someone else's' eyes.
I keep walking into my bar, smiling and hugging the people I know, catching up on the week's activities. They tell me how good I am, and I tell them how lucky they are. We are a loving, symbiotic creature, and that's why I feel at home there.
Four of us stand outside of the bar, laughing and catching up and getting to know each other, the windows on my car rolled down so that we have some music to set the background for our conversations. Jason and I slur the words as we wait for the effect to leave our blood, but enjoy its presence while we can. Aygul and Kelsey roll their eyes, and poke fun at the both of us, even though they know that we know that they enjoy our idiocy.
I sing a song I didn't really concentrate on, and find out that those small bits of perfection are the ones that were never planned.
We jump from the falls at one point or another, cursing the freezing temperature, and getting run off by the park rangers. Jason tries to give his address as 'Okinawa, Japan'. Nice try.
I see her wade out through the water, and hear Kelsey's camera begin to record the process, each shot adjusted, planned, perfected, and captured as according to the image already in her head. She's beautiful, if not a bit angry, holding her sandals up out of the water as she glances down to watch the rocks below her feet.
We wander the Celtic festival, my fancy new kilt allowing me the freedom of movement and the gentle cooling powers of the odd breeze or two. I snatch up the camera, and take a photo, and hope to remember these two just like this.
We wander into an abandoned drive in, and I'm told to look away. I fume, a bit put off seeing as how I'm the ride, but hey, artists, actors, and their peculiarities. I begin to think of all the quirks that have popped up. I become red.
Kelsey stands on the edge of the falls, no doubt feeling the rush of cold water swirling around her ankles as it spills over the edge into the pool below. She keeps telling me 'no' as I stand on the tree across from her, coaxing her closer to the edge, closer to that moment of freefall and adrenaline. We stand there, words travelling back and forth over the frosty surface of the water, soft, gentle, encouraging, challenging, laughing. Then the moment comes, and she jumps.
I'd like to think, that after the fact, and while I was wrapping my towel around her shivering shoulders, that she was secretly glad I conned her into this.
I wake up to get a glass of water.
I play with my Ka-Bar, and make an ass out of myself.
We play with our swords, and make asses out of ourselves.
We refuse to play with others hearts, and make a place for ourselves. Welcome forever, seats that have meaning and purpose, seats reserved for those I hold dear. Your neighbors, your compatriots, your partners in crime, I toast to you, and thank you fully for a whirlwind of a ride.
---
Luis is in Kentucky right now, moved into his apartment with his roommates, probably living it up and seeing what life has to offer.
Cristian has long since drove back home, south then north, and hopefully getting along better with a girl none of us have ever known.
Aygul starts college soon, stepping into the classroom with a new situation and purpose behind her footsteps.
Kelsey leaves for Georgia in a bit, to wander along the coast and capture the essence of the air with her brush and her lens.
Everyone's moved on, moved in, moved up. I'm sitting in a quiet room now, my dog not around, staying at Dad's while I recuperate. I fidget in my seat, trying to make my back more comfortable.
There's no more laughter rolling down my halls.
No more drinks spilled on my floors.
No more quiet conversations in the dark.
But that's ok. That's how life flows, and this is just the ebb.
But if there's one thing that I could hope, and hold in my mind, and maybe find true one day, is that each and every single one of us came into this summer as we went out: looking forward to what comes next, and smiling a little at what we've accomplished.
I love you guys. :)
