Pearls of Boba and Wisdom for Rhian Oran
The trio sat in the living room, Rhian Oran in the blue armchair clutching a chipped mug of chamomile tea with agave nectar and wrapped in a fleece blanket. Enki was perched on the back of the chair, preoccupied with concern for Rhian Oran. "Are you really okay? I know it wasn't a long fall but…Jesus how did you even get up there?" asked Clea, soothingly. "Like I know? I just, closed my eyes and tried to calm down, I was meditating, and then all of the sudden I saw…God it's so weird…" shuddered Rhian Oran, still shaken by everything. "What? You saw what? That stalker?" asked Binx, rushing forward towards her friend. "No, no. Okay…you're going to think I'm nuts." Said Rhian Oran, nervously, "but I guess this week has been crazy already so…I floated up, and I saw myself? Like where I was sitting, on the ground. Then…I looked around, and I saw like me, the up me, but I was all see through, and patterny? With colors and shapes. I don't even….I don't know dude. I don't know what that is." Rhian Oran looked up, making eye contact with Binx and Clea. She waited for them to say she needs to be hospitalized. Binx looked shocked and confused, but Clea was calm as always. "I might know what that is, actually." Clea said, gently setting down her teacup and striding over to the bookshelf near the window. She returned with a small, gray paperback. It was old and worn, with cracks in the spine and folded pages. The cover had a strange picture of a translucent person hovering in space, below the title "Astral Projection and You". "Astral Projection? What kind of hippie nonsense is this?" said Binx accusingly, always wary of Clea's obsession with the paranormal. "It's not nonsense. Many people study for decades to do what Rhian Oran did tonight. I think you should just read this, and we can talk about it later. It's a hard concept to explain, but the book can do it better than I can." Assured Clea, gently pushing the book into Rhian Oran's lap. "I think for tonight though, you should just rest. We should too, it's nearly midnight! Don't you need to go to work early tomorrow anyway Binxie?" Clea added, turning to her cousin. "Don't call me that! I'm not a baby. And yeah, I do, good night Rhian Oran. Shout if you need anything okay?" Binx said with a hug and a hop down the hallway. Clea left too, but not before giving Rhian Oran a gentle pat on the shoulder. Alone in the living room, Rhian Oran stood clutching the book, still wrapped in her fleece blanket. As Enki followed, she poured her teacup out into the sink, refilled the chao's water dish, and made her way in the dark hallway to her room.
Closing the door behind her, Rhian Oran placed the book on the nightstand and shut off the lamp. She tried to close her eyes, tried to shut out the noise in her head, but after what felt like hours of fretless twisting and turning, she reached over for the light next to her. She'd read on Buzzfeed or something that when you can't sleep it's better to try and do a quiet activity, and god knows she wasn't sleeping. So many questions spinning in her brain. How did she fly? Was that what that was, flying? What about the other day, the crystal thing? Was that the same? Does it have to do with…that person? Why can't things be normal? When will things be normal again? Maybe never. She remembered, for a second, she was still unemployed. Ugh, push it away. With everything going on, she wasn't going to lose time thinking about that. An activity, what's a quiet activity. She scanned her room, a pile of yarn topped with a partially knitted scarf was resting in a chair. No, not that. It's a complex pattern of waves and ripples, that's too hard right now. A movie? No, the blue light isn't good at nighttime. Scanning still, her eyes fell on the book. "Astral Projection and You". Well, maybe she could at least answer a question or two, maybe that would help her find her way to a restful night. Gingerly, Rhian Oran picked up the cheap paperback, and opened it up to chapter one. Inside she first found an anecdote from the author on the history of astral projection. Apparently this was something even the U.S. Military had experimented with during the Cold War! As she read further, she found the general principle is that one's consciousness is the true living entity, separate from the body. Once you learn that all consciousness is linked, you can remove yours from being bound to just your physical form, you're free to travel to all other connection points of consciousness as a free-floating entity. So…. what? That doesn't answer anything. Sure, Rhian Oran had been meditating on the concept of connectedness, but that can't be enough on its own to accidentally project your consciousness out of your body. Can it? No, Binx was right, this is hippie nonsense. Rhian Oran shoved the book in a drawer and rolled over. She traced around the tiny bumps on the wall for what felt like forever, until finally sleep overtook the turbulence in her subconscious.
The next time she opened her eyes, it was light out. Rolling over, Rhian Oran glanced at her alarm clock. 11:45, half the day gone. That was fine with her, every new day meant new pressure. It was a new obligation to get her life together. Need a new job, need to make rent, need to be an adult. It all felt so impossible. Rhian Oran shuffled to the kitchen and put together a quick fruit salad for her and Enki, scooping a small portion into the chao's little bowl. While her coffee brewed, Rhian Oran retrieved her laptop from the bedroom and pulled open some job listings. She quickly edited her resume to say, "Reason left position: differences in management styles." This seemed the quickest way to explain away the embarrassing departure from her last position. It was true, in a way. Their managing style was to manage things…Rhian Oran was mismanaging life in every way possible. The listings didn't seem…promising. "Lead Cashier/Keyholder, 5 years management experience necessary $8/hr." said one, what a joke! "Internship, $15/hr." said a second one, a promising start followed by "Note: This will be a reverse-paid internship, meaning you pay $15 pe hour in exchange for experience from a widely recognized industry leader." What in Karl Marx is this?! Finally, on page three Rhian Oran landed on something that looked like a good fit. "Stocker/Bagger Nights and Weekends, $12/hour at Kyra's B&G" Oh, it must be Cascade's old position. Well if they hired him, they'd have to hire her! Rhian shot off her application and made a mental note to call in after a couple days to make sure they received it. Clea always said this was a good way to get noticed. She stood with a quick stretch and took her dishes to the kitchen before giving them a little rinse in the sink. After a shower it was time to get on with the day, well what was left of it. Shuffling through her wallet, Rhian decided she had enough money to pick up an afternoon latte from the coffee shop downtown. It was right between Binx and Clea's workplaces, so she could stop in to visit them. Binx would for sure be towards thee end of her shift at Egg Plants, but Clea might not even be at work yet. She wasn't here though, and Rhian Oran had questions for her after the late night reading she had done, so it was worth taking a chance and dropping into Seacrest.
She got dressed in a fuzzy pullover, it was a bit of a dreary day. The sun was out, but it was chilly and rainy. Orphan's tears, Rhian Oran had heard this type of rain called. She slipped on her boots and grabbed an umbrella before locking the door on her way out. A sweater was the right call, even her fingers were chilled through her gloves in this weather. Rhian pulled her phone and a pair of earbuds from her messenger bag and plugged the cord into the port. Scrolling through playlists, she selected BTS's latest album Face Yourself. Listening to Jimin and the others, Rhian Oran let her mind drift as she wandered the city. She genuinely adored living here, the wet pavement shined like silver ahead of her and the neon lights of all the shops looked like pastel and dayglow stars hanging in the now-darkened sky. Clouds had rolled in, no more orphan tears here, only regular tears. No, shake that thought away. We're having a good day, no crying, on our way to get yummy coffee and see kind friends. Rhian Oran snuggled her arms in even closer, now holding herself tightly to brace against the heavier droplets of water. The umbrella was unhelpful now against the wind blowing the rain towards her. The muted color palette of the city as somehow even more romantic, Rhian Oran thought. The deep gray of the cement and asphalt, the rusty beige of the buildings, and the cobalt of the cloudy sly. The world finally felt as turbulent as her life had lately. On her left was a small corner suite with a minimalist sign hanging over the light wood exterior. The sign read "Armand's", though the owner was rarely in. Rhian Oran hoped a little that she would see her favorite barista Mina today. Mina was the cutest, always smiling just enough to maybe be perceived as kind, or a little flirtatious. Rhian Oran pulled her hood up as she closed the umbrella, and swiftly rushed to open the door. The café was lonely, even on this chilly day only a few patrons were scattered around. Some hunched over their coffee cups, leeching warmth through the paper. Others clearly enraptured with their laptops, buried in tasks. Rhian Oran jabbed her wet umbrella in the black metal stand near the door and attempted to shake off her wet shoes before making her way to the counter. Just as she was reaching to ring the small silver bell on the register, Mina appeared from the back room carrying a small stack of mochi boxes to display under the glass cover of the counter. "Oh hey! How's it going?" she smiled at Rhian Oran, before adorably stumbling a little and placing the boxes on the back counter. "What can I get you?" Rhian blushed and hoped Mina hadn't noticed, averting her gaze she saw a small chalkboard proclaiming "NEW! Boba Tea" accompanied by a little doodle of a smiling cup of pink liquid. "Oh, you guys have boba now? What flavors?" Rhian Oran asked eagerly. "Strawberry, Mango and Milk Tea. The first two are vegan, I can see if I can make the third one vegan too. They all have just tapioca boba, but if this takes off we can get more kinds! I'm really excited, it was my idea!" Mina beamed. "Oh, strawberry sounds great! I'll just get a small though." Rhian Oran said, thinking of her light wallet. "Oh shoot," said Mina "I'm really in the mood to make a large. I guess you'll just have to put up with me giving you extra." She smiled with a wink and turned to make the drink. "Oh geez, well thanks!" Rhian laughed, turning away quickly before she ruined the moment.
She found a seat near the large window; this spot was colder but also had the best view of course. Today wasn't a great day for people watching, Rhian Oran wanted to be alone for a while. Returning to her phone, she lazily checked social media until Mina returned with a tall cup filled with pink tea, milky white boba and a large pink straw. "I know you usually prefer it without a straw, but for the boba you kind of need it." Mina said with a smile "Stay warm out there!" she added before heading back to arrange the mochi for display. Rhian Oran tucked away her phone and earbuds in her purse again, then picked up the drink and her umbrella to head across the street to Egg Plants. Binx would be there, "I should have gotten her something." Rhian thought, before realizing she wouldn't have been able to AFFORD IT ANYWAY. Hopefully Kyra's Beans and Greens would call her for an interview. Maybe it would be Kyra herself? Was there a Kyra? Rhian was unsure and thought about it just long enough to rush across in the now pouring rain and ring the bell on the doorway of the small flower shop. "Hell, how can I—oh it's you!" Binx said excitedly, turning the corner from a display of baby's breath she had been arranging. "Ooh what did you bring me?" She said excitedly, reaching for the strawberry boba tea. "Yeah, sorry I couldn't get two! It's boba tea from Armand's!" Rhian Oran said, looking around the shop absentmindedly while handing over the sweet drink. "Ooh looks like it came with a free gift!" said Binx, turning the cup to show Rhian Oran where a phone number had been scribbled in marker on the cup, along with a small heart. Rhian Oran blushed, "Oh my god, I didn't even see that." She whispered embarrassed. "Were they cute? Was it Mina?" Binx asked excitedly. "Yeah, it was. Wow I thought maybe but…wow." Rhian answered, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Realizing her friend was entirely unprepared for this conversation, Binx led her to her counter and changed the topic. "Well you're not my only visitor here today! You just missed Clea, she was running some errands I guess. She said the thing that happened yesterday, you…floating or whatever? That made her think of some other books you could read. I think she was going to Merle's Pearls."
"Well, I'm glad she has any idea what happened because I sure don't." replied Rhian Oran, poking at a fuzzy looking bloom gently, "I wish she wouldn't go to that stupid place though. She's the only customer who isn't going there for stoner junk." Merle's Pearls (of Wisdom) was the local pagan supply and head shop. It was a dingy little hole in the wall, decorated by as many psychedelic banners and posters as a single person could fit into one room. The sign really said that too, "MERLE'S PEARLS" in huge letters and then "of wisdom" underneath, much smaller. Who knows why? A mystery for the ages I guess. "Yeah she probably is, I don't know, you shop there too right?" Binx answered back, already sucking air through the large straw of the boba cup. "I mean yeah, but only because Clea told me that's the best place. I really should see if there's anywhere else near here." Rhian Oran said, "Hey, how much longer is your shift?" she added. "I put in an application for Kyra's today, I kind of want to go check on it." "Well shouldn't you wait? Like even a day?" Binx said tossing the empty cup into the garbage. "Yeah I know, I'm just…nervous. I really need a job." Rhian answered, fishing the cup back out of the plastic bin. "You just threw away my soulmate!" she teased, pointing to Mina's number. "Oh shoot, I'm sorry! Well, that'll be a good story for your wedding!" Binx laughed, "Actually I'm off in 20 minutes, do you want to just hang out?" "No, that's okay," said Rhian Oran, "You said Clea is at Merle's, I might try to catch her there. Want to just meet up at Kyra's? Text me when you leave?" "Yah okay, that sounds good! Are you gonna…carry an empty cup around for the rest of the day?" Binx asked, "I could give you a bag for it.?" "Okay yeah." answered Rhian, handing the cup back to Binx as a customer walked in. Binx gently tucked it into a paper sack, "Thank you for your purchase ma'am! Visit us again soon!" she teased as Rhian Oran left with her garbage bagged up. Opening her umbrella again, Rhian set off on her trek a block away to Merle's Pearls, hopefully she would find some wisdom there.