Rini's mom, of course, is late. Sometimes I hate carpooling with Rini. Duo is bored. I don't
blame him. We've been doing absolutely nothing for over an hour. I've listened to Rufus
Wainright's "Hallelujah" God-only-knows how many times. My discman says "low battery"
and I know it won't last much longer.
Duo is pacing the porch, grumbling about "not having a damn thing to do." Rini is reading a Harry Potter book for about the millionth time. I'm listening to Hallelujah continuously. Miroku is still in a really whiny mood. Something's bothering him, but I can't figure out what.
"I'm sooooooo bored!" Duo flops down on a bench on the porch beside Rini, "How much longer until we leave?"
She shrugs. "I don't know."
I look up from my CD player. "With Rini's mom, one never does know. It's best to just pray that it'll be soon."
Rini's mom, who we call "Big Cheese" or just plain "Cheese" finally shows up after every one else has been gone at least two hours. "Sorry I'm late," She begins, "I was ready to leave on time but then..." Out comes the string of excuses, same as always.
We introduce her to the boys, then gather our things to go. Cheese drives a Durango and I love riding in it. It's so comfortable.
Duo hops in up front, claiming the passenger seat. Rini climbs into the back. Miroku looks at me skeptically. "What is this thing?"
"It's a car...Kind of like a Horse and wagon, only it runs on gas rather than being pulled by a horse." I attempt an explanation.
He looks confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
I don't understand mechanics enough to make him understand. "Just get in."
He nods and climbs in. I hop in on the other side and we're on our way.
"Oh, yeah...That's nice...I've missed air conditioning." Duo leans back in the seat, a smile on his face.
Miroku looks around him. "This is very unusual." He comments, "It's so cool in here. How is the air different from that outside?"
"AC, my good man." Duo twists around in his seat, "It's all about the AC."
"What?"
"Duo...don't confuse him. He has no clue what you're talking about."
"Oh...Right. Sorry."
"Hey," Rini says from behind me, "Buckle up, Miroku."
"Huh?"
Poor boy....we're all so used to this we take for granted that he doesn't have these luxuries. I show him how to use the seat belt. None of us need to be buckled -we're all over fourteen- but Cheese is one of those people who likes every one to be buckled (my mom is too).
Mom is a little confused that I brought a strange boy home with me. Mainly she's confused because, well, it's a Girl Scout camp and in all the years I've been going there, there have been maybe seven boys -tops- working there. She's also a little confused, I'm sure, by the way he's dressed. I think the robes look wonderful on him and he is oh-so-cute, but Mom...
"Who is this guy?" She asks me.
"This is Miroku. He's a...friend...of mine from camp. He couldn't go home for the weekend, his house is too far away, so I brought him with me. I didn't think you'd mind." I'm making up a sort of truthful explanation.
"Well...I don't mind, but give me a little warning next time."
"Okay."
She looks at Miroku. "How old are you?" I know she's dying to ask about the way he's dressed, but she's too polite for that.
"Nineteen. It's very nice of you to let me stay at your house, Lady." He smiles pleasantly.
She gives him a funny look, but I usher him upstairs before she can ask any questions. "Look, if you're going to be here on weekends, we need to get you some normal clothes. or else you'll be getting a lot more looks like the one my mother gave you."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Nothing...If you're in Feudal Japan. Unfortunately, this is 2003 and people don't dress like that any more."
"Oh."
I take him to my room. It's all done up in a blue stars-and-moons motif and I have a lot of clutter. My TV is in one corner, my stereo next to my (unmade) bed. I have stacks of notebooks, mangas and magazines all over the place. Strings of icicle lights adorn my walls. When my room is clean, it's very cool looking.
"You have a very nice bedroom, Michelle." He looks around, observing everything. At this point, he knows what a TV is and what it does. He looks at my stereo ponderously and at the icicle lights.
I smile. "It's unlikely that Mom will let you stay up here with me. She knows I wouldn't do anything, but you...For now, we can hang out though. I really want to take a shower, so make yourself at home."
Mom makes tacos -my favorite meal- to celebrate my first week at camp. Shawn wolfs his food down, but Petey looks skeptically at Miroku. My brother is only a year older than the monk and I can tell he's puzzled about Miroku's little quirks.
The dog and cat have no problem with him, neither does my dad. Sandy, our yellow kitty, really seems to like him a lot. We're sitting on my bed later in the evening and she comes trotting in, jumps up on the blanket and proceeds to curl up in his lap.
"Wow...I've never seen her do that before." I comment.
He strokes her and smiles a little. She begins to purr.
We go to church every Sunday and this Sunday is no different. Saturday I'd taken Miroku shopping and he is dressed more suitably for the time period by today. He sits next to me in the pew, soaking in every part of the Catholic Mass with great interest. Mom had asked him if he went to church and he'd told her he's Buddhist, but wouldn't mind observing another religion's practices.
After mass it's time to pack up and leave again. Mom is driving us out this time, so we won't be late.
I can't wait to go back. Camp is my life...
Duo is pacing the porch, grumbling about "not having a damn thing to do." Rini is reading a Harry Potter book for about the millionth time. I'm listening to Hallelujah continuously. Miroku is still in a really whiny mood. Something's bothering him, but I can't figure out what.
"I'm sooooooo bored!" Duo flops down on a bench on the porch beside Rini, "How much longer until we leave?"
She shrugs. "I don't know."
I look up from my CD player. "With Rini's mom, one never does know. It's best to just pray that it'll be soon."
Rini's mom, who we call "Big Cheese" or just plain "Cheese" finally shows up after every one else has been gone at least two hours. "Sorry I'm late," She begins, "I was ready to leave on time but then..." Out comes the string of excuses, same as always.
We introduce her to the boys, then gather our things to go. Cheese drives a Durango and I love riding in it. It's so comfortable.
Duo hops in up front, claiming the passenger seat. Rini climbs into the back. Miroku looks at me skeptically. "What is this thing?"
"It's a car...Kind of like a Horse and wagon, only it runs on gas rather than being pulled by a horse." I attempt an explanation.
He looks confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
I don't understand mechanics enough to make him understand. "Just get in."
He nods and climbs in. I hop in on the other side and we're on our way.
"Oh, yeah...That's nice...I've missed air conditioning." Duo leans back in the seat, a smile on his face.
Miroku looks around him. "This is very unusual." He comments, "It's so cool in here. How is the air different from that outside?"
"AC, my good man." Duo twists around in his seat, "It's all about the AC."
"What?"
"Duo...don't confuse him. He has no clue what you're talking about."
"Oh...Right. Sorry."
"Hey," Rini says from behind me, "Buckle up, Miroku."
"Huh?"
Poor boy....we're all so used to this we take for granted that he doesn't have these luxuries. I show him how to use the seat belt. None of us need to be buckled -we're all over fourteen- but Cheese is one of those people who likes every one to be buckled (my mom is too).
Mom is a little confused that I brought a strange boy home with me. Mainly she's confused because, well, it's a Girl Scout camp and in all the years I've been going there, there have been maybe seven boys -tops- working there. She's also a little confused, I'm sure, by the way he's dressed. I think the robes look wonderful on him and he is oh-so-cute, but Mom...
"Who is this guy?" She asks me.
"This is Miroku. He's a...friend...of mine from camp. He couldn't go home for the weekend, his house is too far away, so I brought him with me. I didn't think you'd mind." I'm making up a sort of truthful explanation.
"Well...I don't mind, but give me a little warning next time."
"Okay."
She looks at Miroku. "How old are you?" I know she's dying to ask about the way he's dressed, but she's too polite for that.
"Nineteen. It's very nice of you to let me stay at your house, Lady." He smiles pleasantly.
She gives him a funny look, but I usher him upstairs before she can ask any questions. "Look, if you're going to be here on weekends, we need to get you some normal clothes. or else you'll be getting a lot more looks like the one my mother gave you."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"Nothing...If you're in Feudal Japan. Unfortunately, this is 2003 and people don't dress like that any more."
"Oh."
I take him to my room. It's all done up in a blue stars-and-moons motif and I have a lot of clutter. My TV is in one corner, my stereo next to my (unmade) bed. I have stacks of notebooks, mangas and magazines all over the place. Strings of icicle lights adorn my walls. When my room is clean, it's very cool looking.
"You have a very nice bedroom, Michelle." He looks around, observing everything. At this point, he knows what a TV is and what it does. He looks at my stereo ponderously and at the icicle lights.
I smile. "It's unlikely that Mom will let you stay up here with me. She knows I wouldn't do anything, but you...For now, we can hang out though. I really want to take a shower, so make yourself at home."
Mom makes tacos -my favorite meal- to celebrate my first week at camp. Shawn wolfs his food down, but Petey looks skeptically at Miroku. My brother is only a year older than the monk and I can tell he's puzzled about Miroku's little quirks.
The dog and cat have no problem with him, neither does my dad. Sandy, our yellow kitty, really seems to like him a lot. We're sitting on my bed later in the evening and she comes trotting in, jumps up on the blanket and proceeds to curl up in his lap.
"Wow...I've never seen her do that before." I comment.
He strokes her and smiles a little. She begins to purr.
We go to church every Sunday and this Sunday is no different. Saturday I'd taken Miroku shopping and he is dressed more suitably for the time period by today. He sits next to me in the pew, soaking in every part of the Catholic Mass with great interest. Mom had asked him if he went to church and he'd told her he's Buddhist, but wouldn't mind observing another religion's practices.
After mass it's time to pack up and leave again. Mom is driving us out this time, so we won't be late.
I can't wait to go back. Camp is my life...