Chapter 68: Have You Ever Seen the Rain
With my thoughts of having my goodwill appearing as a taunt, I set about doing my normal morning routines. Even though I had never assumed that my offer to release Vezena would resemble a baited trap, I had to push that out of my head. There was nothing I could do to change what has happened.
I have had to experience trying go to the outhouse when the weather was inclement several times before I decided to do something about it. During the summer, it was just getting a little muddy going to and forth from the house to the outhouse, but, during the winter, if I wanted to use it, tracking through snow for that short trip was uncomfortable, to say the least.
I ended up building a sloped roof between the two buildings. Along with that, I dug out a ditch on both sides of the path which I lined with simple, textured, clay tiles. It was a lot of work at the time when I did the work, but it made my life a little bit more comfortable from then on. I think it was worth the labor involved.
After doing my business in the outhouse, it was finally to stoke the dead fire in my oven, as it had completely extinguished from the previous night. While I did have a tool designed for starting fires, I rarely used it. My powers allowed my the convenience of get the fire going much quicker than trying to do it the way most people do.
Even though I did build some grates into the oven, to let the ashes fall into, I still needed to empty it every once in a while, just so that there might not be the chance that it reignites, even though I am not sure that it is possible. There are, though, some smaller pieces of wood that do fall down in there, and those can catch on fire. So, every once in a while, I do need to empty that drawer. And today, was one of those days which I needed to take care of that chore.
When that was done, I needed to clean up a bit before I could even start to work on breaking my fast. Years that I have lived in this life, has never completely removed my desire for cleanliness. I will not say that I am as fastidious as I had been, I just feel better when I am not completely dirt. And with working with as fine as a particle as ash is, I could only have gotten dirty enough to need to wash up.
Relatively speaking, I was now clean enough, that I could start on breakfast. Like with most breakfasts, I started with a bean flour gruel, with some herbs added to it, since they were still not done for the year. If the rain was only a light misting, I might have checked some of my fish traps to see if anything was caught, but alas, it was raining too heavy for me to even consider doing that. So for a meat, I boiled some water and added some salt cured meat to eat.
The water will help to reconstitute the meat, along with leaking out some of the salt. The liquid the is produced by doing this, will become a soup base for a meal later on today. The meat itself is not the most appealing of foods, but it does give some of the nutrients that I believe I do need. I am a physically healthy person, I eat meat on a regular basis, so either it is good for me, or it is at least not too harmful for me.
Though the crops are almost finished for the year, there are still some still producing that I had harvested yesterday, and have yet had time to preserve. So I cooked them off on the top of the oven, where the rest of my food was being cooked. And when finally the bean gruel was finished cooking, I mixed in the cooked vegetables and meat to it. Breakfast was ready, other than needing to finish brewing a bit of tea.
I have been trying to find a couple more blends of local ingredients to expand on my variety of beverages. I do seem to recall that there are some trees where the bark or some of the root bulbs are edible, so I have been trying them out. As of yet, I had not found a single tree that produces something palatable, and that includes what I brewed today. Unfortunately, I need to brew some more tea, that I know I can drink, this time.
All said and done, food and beverage is ready for consumption.
Unlike most days, Vezena had not awoken while I was finishing up cooking breakfast. Usually by this time, she was normally sitting at the table, patiently waiting for her portion of the meal. While, to some extent, I am happy that she is not there, as it has allowed me from having to face my ill conceived decision from the previous day, I miss having the vitality that she exudes.
In my head, I am debating on whether I should get her, and let her know that breakfast is ready, or should I leave her to her own self. She could still be asleep, as the sounds and feelings of morning are covered up by the storm outside. Or, she could be silently raging against me, for having tricked her into thinking that she was free.
I have alluded, multiple times, at least to myself, I am no wordsmith. My speech patterns are blunt, telling what I need to say and very little else. Along with that, after my training, I mentally understand what emotions are, but I care very vaguely feel them. There is no way I know that I could be able the empathize with Vezena.
The decision, at this moment, is if I should leave her alone and eat by myself, or I should request her presence to join me for the meal.
I decided to silently rap on her door and alert her that the meal is ready.
*Knock Knock Knock*
"Vezena, come and eat." (Rehor)
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ApollyonDais
ApollyonDais I am thinking about starting a new volume. Writing in first person is very limiting, and I am almost at a break in the story, which might be a good time to change some things up. I am not sure.
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