Tomahna

20 Leebro, 9482

Dear Cousin,

I hope you don't mind that I call you Cousin! You haven't visited us in so long, I miss you. Sometimes I feel like calling you Cousin brings us closer together. And I think that except for Mom you're the best friend Dad has in the world.

Anyway, Daddy says he's inviting you to visit, so I'll be seeing you soon. He's sending you an image recorder so I hope you'll take lots of pictures while you're here.

You asked me how things are in Tomahna and how I spend my time. Usually I try to get up about the time it's getting light. Lately I've been climbing up on the natural bridge east of Dad's work shop and watching the sun rise. I have a long pannaramic picture of the horizon on the East and every few days I mark on it where the sun first appears and the date. I do the same for the sunset when I remember to, but sometimes I'm busy and forget until it's too late.

I just looked that word up. It's panoramic. Sorry.

Then I come down and wash and get dressed. Mom says I'm not old enough yet for long skirts. I don't mind because I can do some things more easily in a divided short skirt.

Breakfast is usually bread and fruit or whatever is left from the night before and the morning hot cup. Dad likes his hot cup sweet and Mom always wants to know how he can stand sweet things first thing in the morning. I put milk in mine and sometimes a little honey.

The morning is for hard work, before it gets hot. Dad and Mom are putting a new bathing room alongside the guest chamber, so when you come you will have a private bath! I help them some, but I have a project of my own which I am working on. Dad helped me to put a glass window along one bank of the northern pool (below the waterfall) and a platform from the top of it extending back 3 or 4 meters. The window is anchored in the earth at each end. Now I'm excevating the earth from behind it. It's very hard work. The platform will have soil and plants on top so it will look like a part of the bank. There is a tunnel to crawl into from several meters away. When I am finished there will be an observation space big enough for 2 people. It will be like having a window right into the water so I can observe the fish from their own level without disturbing them. I hope it works.

Around midday whoever gets hungry first (usually me!) goes to find something for lunch. I like to cook some noodles in broth or pick something in the garden and make sallet. Whoever gets there first leaves some out for the next person to arrive. If Dad is busy or concentrating he forgets about lunch so sometimes Mom or I will take him a roll or a piece of fruit. He says lunch is hap hazzard and I think that's what he means. Or he will come in and say Did you find anything for lunch? and if I say Yes he will have some of it too.

After that it is hot and we do quieter things. Right now Mom thinks I'm studying, and I will as soon as I finish this letter. She is in her garden. I think Dad is mending a shirt.

No. I can see them on the porch of their room. They are not standing together. They are talking very quiet. Now Mother has gone into their room and Dad to his work shop.

My cousin Anna's parents shout at each other when they are mad. Sometimes I wish my parents would shout at each other. At least it would be honest and they would not have to pretend they are not argueing and I would not have to pretend I don't know they are.

I respect their privicy and they respect mine. So they don't read my journal and I know they will not read this letter. But I think I will put a seal on it before I give it to Dad.

Anyway! Late in the afternoon there is time for rest and a bath. I have my own bathing room now (Mom told Dad I was old enough to need one) but usually we go to the pools. Water from the hot spring mixes with water from the stream so there are warm pools and cool ones. Also in the stream there is a long channel with slippery moss which is fun for sliding. I can even get Daddy to do it sometimes although persuading him is extrordinaraly hard. Mom teases him and says it does not befit his paternel dignity. Then usually they slide down together.

After that is dinner. Dad is a very good cook when he pays attention. Mom and me have learned not to let him pick up a book or a pen while he's supposed to be cooking! That is how pans get ruined! He is teaching me how to make bread. Mom always says her bread is never good enough. She says it's because she grew up in a place that did not have grain crops. I think her bread is good but different from his. He also keeps a pot of soup cooking all the time in the oven so it won't burn. Every day he puts different things in it so it always changes, but it is very good.

Sometimes Mom goes to the end of the lakes with her fish hooks and a net. She is always gone for a day or two and then comes back with fish. When there's fish she always cooks it although she's teaching me how. Dad never cooks fish. He says it's for the same reason Mom usually doesn't make bread. Mom says it's because he doesn't like to touch wet fish.

You said in your letter to tell you what books I need that you might have. Can you bring me an English dictionary bigger than the one I have? I want to look up some words. Right now I want to look up squeemish.

Washing up after dinner is always my job. If a pot is burned I make whoever burned it help me! Then there are night tasks like taking care of the plants. After that I study a little more and Dad writes his journal, but mostly we relax and do fun things. He is teaching me to play chess. I am not very good. Mother is teaching me three-tables, with dice and without. Sometimes we sing. Dad can't sing at all but he likes to listen and he has a dulsamer and is teaching himself to play it. He is very bad at it.

Sometimes we go up to the telescope in his work shop and he shows me stars. Or we walk out into the desert. He has a fire marble in a red glass that does not ruin your dark adaption. His eyes always dark adapt quicker than mine, he says it's because he has more D'ni heritige.

My brother asked me if I was proud of being D'ni. Or ashamed of being part D'ni and part surface person and part Rivenese. I had to think about it but I decided I'm not proud and not unproud. I'm taller than my cousin Anna although she's older than me. I'm not proud of that or ashamed of it. It's just the way things are. I hope that makes sense! I'm not sure my brother understood it. I told him think about this, Daddy is so short sighted, without his spectacles he can't see my gecko even when it's right across the room. You see better than he can without spectacles. You're glad of it but it would be stupid to be proud of it.

He is calling me and telling me to finish this letter so he can put it in with his. So I will not get to copy it over. It's long! I'm sorry if the spelling is bad. I hope you will be able to come and see us. Daddy wants to see you a lot. Please do come soon.

Your loving cousin, (sort of cousin),

Yeesha