Hope and Faith

TWENTY SIX: HOPE

It was Monday morning and Hope was in her bathroom brushing her hair. She had so much on her mind, as usual. But on this particular morning, her mind was focused on one sole thing, and that sole thing was the upcoming month of August. There was only one week of July remaining, which meant that they were officially at the halfway point of summer. And Hope knew that the halfway point was just another step closer to the end.

It both saddened her and excited her at the same time. She was enjoying camp so much, as well as the warm weather, which wouldn't last for long. She loved being able to lie on the grass, swim in the lake, and wear dresses. Summer had always been her favourite season, although she tried to find something to appreciate in each season. Fall was nice because of the scents, everything so crisp and ripe. The aromas of cinnamon and sage in the air, pumpkin pie and apple muffins baking in the kitchen. Warm colours, like burgundy and navy. Not hot, but not freezing. Warmth.

Winter was probably her least favourite if she had to rank them, but there were things to enjoy about this season as well. The bright blue sky contrasted against a white landscape. Snow covering the grounds of Meadow. The lake freezing over. Skating and snowmobiling. Hot chocolate by the fire. Warm slippers and fuzzy blankets. Christmas.

And then there was spring, which was essentially just a sneak preview of her favourite season; a look at things to come. There was rain, but there was also growth. And with each raindrop came hope for the future. Flowers blossoming from the ground. Easter weekend with her family. Putting away the winter boots and finding new clothes for the nicer weather. Spring cleaning.

As Hope stood there, fixing her hair behind her ears, she couldn't help but think of the repetitiveness of it all. The cycles. The four seasons. Year after year, notable changes, nothing subtle, but nothing drastic. Each year brought something new. Each year was just another stepping stone to something bigger to come.

______

Camp went by quickly that day. Felicity brought good news that her grandfather was being released from the hospital. He was doing much better and everyone felt relieved. It was Sister Mary-Anne's birthday, so Emma Pearson baked a cake for the staff. It was rainbow in the centre and covered in vanilla icing with sprinkles on top. Hope was beaming.

The first person she wanted to see when camp was finished for the day was Faith. She had spotted her that morning in prayer, but didn't have the chance to speak with her due to hectic scheduling. She wanted to find out how her weekend was, what she did in the city, how she was feeling. She needed to make sure that everything was alright in Faith's life in order to feel at ease.

"There you are," Hope said once she found Faith at the end of the day.
Faith smiled. "Hey you."
They stood there in front of each other, staring.
"Sorry I didn't get a chance to find you earlier," Hope said. "It's been super busy."
"No worries."
"How was your weekend?"
"It was fine, actually," Faith said as she began to walk.
Hope fell into stride next to her, mirroring her steps. "What did you guys do?"
"Lots of things. Mainly just went around the city, ate dinner, hung out."
"So you had a good time then?"
"I think I did."
"Good," Hope smiled. "I was worried about you." The words left her mouth before she had time to consider what that even meant.
"You were?" Faith looked at her. "How come?"
"Because of your apprehension to go there. I know how you felt. The resentment you hold to your father."
"Well, thank you. For thinking of me. It went surprisingly well."
"So do you think you'll go back again?"
"Maybe," said Faith. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves."

They walked through the town square and got sandwiches from the bakery, then headed down to the lake to enjoy the sunshine. There were a few families gathered by the waterfront, watching their children swim in the water, some fishing off the docks.

They sat on the grass next to each other. Hope unraveled the wrapping that held her sandwich. She took a bite and looked out across the water as she chewed. "I had a dream last night."
Faith chewed her food, then swallowed. "About what?"
"It's weird – I just remembered it. You know when you completely forget about a dream, but then you see something or hear something that triggers it? Well, that just happened."
"What triggered it?"
Hope nodded ahead. "The lake."
"Okay, so what was your dream?"
Hope placed the sandwich in her lap. "You and I were riding bicycles. And we were going to the beach. Except it wasn't this beach. It was a different beach. The sand was so white and the water was turquoise blue, like we were in another country or something. There was a bunch of people at the beach. And I was pedaling so hard, I remember that. I got to the beach, but when I turned around, you weren't there yet. So I wandered around, walking in the sand, waiting for you. But then you still hadn't turned up and I was beginning to worry. So I waited and watched for you. And then finally, you showed up, pedaling on your bike. Then we walked around the beach and watched the turquoise water."
Faith stared at Hope, a smile creeping onto her face. "Seriously? You dreamt that?"
"Yes," Hope said. "Why, is that weird?"
"No," Faith said. "It's cute."
"How's that cute?"
"Because you were worried about me. And clearly that worry manifested itself through your subconscious."
"What does that even mean?"
"You do know that's what dreams are, right? Manifestations of our subconscious?"
Hope didn't respond.
Faith tried to explain. "Like, if you're subconsciously thinking about something. Say, being worried for example. Or you have a fear or anxiety about something, then you will dream about it. Not out-right obvious or apparent dreams. But like, little things. You really have to look at the dream and analyze it to properly understand."
"Strange."
"It is. It's interesting how the human brain works though. Like, did you know if you have a dream about eggs, you could be pregnant?"
"Really?"
Faith nodded. "The human psyche," she said. "Strange."
"Very strange."
It was quiet for a few minutes as the two finished eating. They sat there staring out at the water, watching the children play in the lake.
"Hey, did I tell you about this weekend?" Hope suddenly asked, turning to Faith.
"No – what's this weekend?"
"The Leslie Fox Mother Daughter Dance."
"What the hell is that?"
"It's a dance. For mothers and daughters. It takes place on the last Saturday of July every year."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Because you should come! My mother and I go every year."
"Yeah, that's not really my style."
"Come on, it will be fun. I'm sure your mom would love to go."
Faith thought for a moment. "She probably would..."
"Ask her!" Hope said. "Tell her about it tonight. She'll be so excited."
"Maybe."
"Come on, Faith. Have some fun. Live a little."
Faith laughed. "You're not going to stop until I say yes, are you?"
Hope shook her head and smiled.
Faith sighed loudly. "Fine. I guess I'll go."
"Yay!" Hope clapped her hands together. "It will be so much fun. We can go into town on Friday and get you something to wear."
"I don't need anything new to wear. I have a whole closet full."
"But do you have dresses?"
"No."
"Well then, Faith, we need to get you a dress."