Chapter Ten
I stared out over the grass of the prairie before me. We had landed only a couple of hours ago, but somehow this day had stretched forth into seemingly eons of time.
For the best way of putting it I self-diagnosed myself as being in a state of shock. I didn’t know what to do to break free of it.
I felt lost and I didn’t really know why.
I knew were my mother was. Indeed I was actually happy for her.
We’d won the battle and suffered far fewer casualties than could seemingly be even believably possible, but still I felt just devoid of the ability to function. I was burnt out. Utterly burnt out with no fuel left by which to maneuver through life with.
A hand intertwined with mine. I glanced to the side at Lathartha and noticed her worried gaze upon me. I tried to smile, but it was beyond me.
“Come let’s take a walk.” She said softly.
Urgingly she coaxed me to step forward. I moved stiffly at first and then more freely.
“I think we need to work on getting you to forget everything that happened up there.”
My lips came unglued, “I’ll never forget.”
She nodded, “Yes I know, but that doesn’t mean the past needs to step with you through the grass right now. Come feel the wind and the feel of what I think is rain in the air. Rain. Imagine it Siringo! Clear beautiful water falling down from the sky washing away all the dark memories of the past and bringing new life to the ground beneath our feet. Isn’t it grand?”
It was and yet I still felt helpless inside to partake of the joy of all that lay around us. It was raining even now. Warm rain.
I looked around at the grass bending beneath its weight. We were getting drenched, but I didn’t care.
I was actually starting to thaw out from whatever deep level of coldness had held me locked up in non-reality. Lathartha saw it and smiling she asked, “I bet you could never guess what I have in my pocket.”
Taking a wild guess I asked, “A wrench?”
“No!” She laughed, but then added, “Granted that was a good guess as I usually do. Now guess again!” She challenged.
I shrugged as if to say I was done playing. She wasn’t put off though. Reaching her hand into her pocket she brought out something white and holding it up she pressed it into my hand with both of hers.
Whatever it was smelled good as its essence dispersed into the rainy atmosphere we stood completely drenched in. I opened my palm and looked at what I knew to be a bar of soap.
My eyes were drawn from it to Lathartha who with a sparkly look to her one eye was already half unclothed before me. In a few more moments she stood as bare as she had been at birth and with a bashful look she stepped closer as the warm rain pounded down harder and said, “I could really use a bath Captain. Would you do me the honor of scrubbing your first mate down?”
Smiling I said, “You are completely incorrigible.”
Smiling endearingly her arms looped around my neck as she teasingly said, “That’s why you love me isn’t it?”
I shook my head no and her look turned concerned, but vanished away as I said, “I love you because you put the song back into my heart and show me the way to go on. I love you because you’ve opened your heart and unselfishly shared of its treasures with me. I love you because I see every reason for living and enjoying life because of your desire to be with me through it all. I love you Lathartha with all my heart and yes I would love to give you a bath in the rain.”
Glancing into my eyes as tears streaked down her cheek she whispered, “Don’t forget to wash my hair.”
“Never. My only fear is that this bar of soap won’t last long enough for the eternity of time that I want to run my hands over your soap clad form. Heck, I could use a bath myself!”
Smiling cheekily she said, “Oh don’t worry honey. You scrub as hard as you want with that little bar of soap. I got another bar in my other pocket that I’m going to use on you darling.”
“Since when does a Captain submit to a first mate?” I challenged.
“What’s this Captain business? You’re retired honey and that means your mine to order about to do as I please.”
“Oh yeah?”
“If you have to ask honey I think it’s already a forgone conclusion of having lost control of the ship to a mutiny uprising.”
“Well if it has to be I do have to say you’re the most beautiful pirate that I’ve ever seen.”
“Or ever will.”
“Is that a fact?”
“It is honey. It is.”