Capítulo 13: Mornings
Over these last few weeks, mornings have become a comfortable routine.
Wand Division has an independent research mandate, but all churchmen must rise at the dawn horn, clean our quarters and take breakfast before the first hour is over.
After cleaning, my routine has me waiting outside the women's dormitory door on the way to breakfast. This is because their rooms are on the way to the mess and I simply enjoy their company. Lately I realised there is something relaxing about hearing the muffled bickering and clattering of my colleagues as they get ready.
Meila, of course, always anticipates my loitering. Inside, she usually immediately starts to loudly call out embarrassing observations, not for my benefit but to tease Lissa.
Yesterday, I wasn't really paying attention and Meila shouted out something raucous. Lissa squealed in response and a moment later, her head popped around the doorway to find me gazing at the ceiling. She withdrew immediately in shock and I heard her scream, "He IS there! Why would you say that, Meila!? Why!? Oh God!" I wondered what Meila had said.
Today though I have resolved to arrive a little later for Lissa's sake. I rap on the wall panel and shout "Good morning!" I hear Meila cackle with glee and shout back, "Lissa, your escort is here! Hurry up!" I can't quite make out Lissa's reply but it is punctuated with the crack of something hard being thrown.
While waiting, I've come to imagine I know exactly where they are in their quarters. Sometimes I think Lissa is directly on the other side of the thick wall that I rest against though other times she is moving around and distant. I get the sense now that Kona and Meila are standing together somewhere in their quarters, probably getting ready together. It's a comforting if slightly mysterious sense.
*
Lissa and Meila are walking ahead of Kona and me. As usual, they smell nice. Lissa is lecturing Meila on the cleaning rota, and I turn to my side to look at Kona who is watching them both warmly.
I think Kona is the kindest person I have ever met. Though she can be a bit vague and is a little slow at understanding some things, she's definitely unflappable, so Meila does not even bother trying to bait her. Instead Meila and Kona treat each other like respectful sisters.
Lissa clearly adores Kona, probably because Kona always returns Lissa's enthusiasms with smiles and supportive words.
As we enter the mess hall, I notice Kona is restraining herself. It's because unconsciously she wants to link arms with whomever she is walking with, but this attracts reprimands from the barracks duty-churchmen.
I am used to her arm-linking while in Juqus 4. Actually I quite like it, and the commander does not seem to mind it in the practice den. We all work closely, and I've come to believe that this is just how Kona is.
We pick up trays and join the line for the morning ration. On Sundays this hall is a place of enforced silence, but on most every other day, such as today, it is uncomfortably loud. Churchmen and officer clergy alike fill the tables and shout, laugh and greet each other with coarse appeals. We four can't really converse in the noise so we load up our trays and leave the queue.
We manage to get our favourite table today. It is behind a wide structural pillar that blocks most noise, and is near enough to an open window that the cool river breeze freshens the atmosphere.
Lissa complains again about the colour of her foamed eggs, and Meila cheekily asks her if she would like some coffee. This is a reference to when Meila splashed coffee onto Lissa's eggs "to improve their colour". Lissa gives Meila "the look", and I try to defuse the situation by asking Lissa what she is up to today.
Lissa's face quickly turns to joy. She smiles at me with such twinkling eyes that I flinch. "Today you and I are going to try my stage two variants!" she radiates. She proceeds to enthuse proudly about the details she has worked up.
Like Kona, Lissa's hair is up in a bun for breakfast. However, a large number of golden threads have escaped to sparkle in the light. Her animated hand and head movements and bright eyes accentuate the strays, and I am mesmerised. My chest becomes light and I don't understand what I'm feeling.
Helpless, I watch Lissa cheerfully explain her trial design details, replete with what Meila calls her "mad hand" gestures. Meila and Kona happily watch us both as they quietly eat.
Status de energia semanal
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