A Trip into Town

Several days pass as we reassemble the hut. Each day blending into the next, though with each passing day I see Nadya increasingly lost in thought. Eventually, I make a trip into town to sell off some local herbs and mushrooms to the town market for Nadya. It's been a while since I've seen the world outside the jungle and the island town seems different now. There are symbols I remember from high school history and Latin class on the town buildings and some of the townsfolk look... off.

I send some messages to family letting them know I am alright but get no real sense of concern from their responses. I had long made it a habit to fade in and out of people’s lives. The one interaction of note was with the shopkeeper in town. The shop itself was a old, weathered post and beam farmstand. The timbers were weathered cedar wood and a subtle scent of cedar underlaid the general smell of herbs in the shop. The shop keeper herself is a middle-aged woman named with the barest hints of grey throughout her sun-bleached hair.

While dropping off the delivery, I look around the shop. The hanging dried herbs, stones and weathered secondhand books on the unvarnished wooden shelves of give the place a rustic 'new age' appearance. As I look over a tray of semi-precious stones. My eye lingers on a small sphere of polished granite. I hear Penelope speak up, "Interesting choice, most people gravitate towards the gems."

Penelope watches as I look back over the other stones. I do see an emerald that reminds me of Nadya's eyes, and my gaze briefly lingers on it. But... something about the granite pulls my gaze back. The flecks of mica in the stone shine just a bit too brightly given the shops lighting.

I hear Penelope chuckle, and with some frustration respond, "Is it that weird to prefer a rock?"

Penelope's chuckling turns to laughter, "Yes, but it makes so much more sense why she picked you now. That girl has always been tough as granite; figures she'd land a guy who is into that."

I feel my face heat as I'm at a loss for words. Once her laughing dies down, she takes on a look of good-natured guilt.

Penelope says, "You know, keep the orb. Not right of me to laugh at you like that. I'm glad you came, I was a bit surprised Nadya made her delivery this month, with what happened."

I respond with some surprise, "I didn't realize that word of the damage from the storm made its way into town."

Penelope raises an eyebrow, "I meant what happened with the seven sisters..."

"What do you mean?" I ask with some confusion.

"She didn't tell you. Hmmmm..." Penelope looks conflicted. "It's not really my place to say... but you do deserve some warning. The short version is she was part of a falling out."

"Why?" I ask.

Penelope gives a small, almost apologetic smile. "I'm sure you could dream of several reasons. But, I think you should ask her about it."

The rest of the trip is a blur as I process Penelope's words. The way back to the hut is contemplative, the shadows of the lowering sun in the late afternoon mirror the worry in my mind. The pastoral refuge of the past several weeks seems suddenly fragile. When I arrive back at our huts clearing, I see no initial sign of Nadya.