Of Lorenz Theory & Love

JHMD: Niceties of a Nonagenarian

35 JHMD: Niceties of a Nonagenarian

6:30 am PDT/1:30 pm, Two Weeks Later, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 23

Harry and Macy woke up early and orbed to Epicenter Pico No.23 to further spruce up the condo, which, up until previously, had been rather sparsely decorated. Macy had been too scared to put any valuables in the bedroom, but Maggie had texted her links awhile ago to mixed-fabric pillows that were a bold color, contrasting with the neutral wall's paint. Macy's genetics business was doing quite nicely, so she purchased a few of those pillows with her hard-earned cash, along with various other bedding items. She had read awhile ago that the color blue was healthy to have in one's bedroom, due to its calming sense of ambiance; it reminded her of the ocean view from the balcony.

After Harry's interrogation, neither Maggie nor Mel expressed any interest in visiting Epicenter Pico No. 23 ("he called it a sex dungeon—TMI," said Maggie to Mel). They were perfectly happy to let Macy and Harry have their intimate space; as long as the couple didn't disrupt Vera Manor with loud, raucous wall-banging activities, the girls felt Harry and Macy were grown adults who could very well do as they pleased. Truth be told, Mel was extremely relieved that Harry and Macy weren't going at it in the shared bathroom shower, as she was, after all, a self-described germophobe.

2 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 23

Once the pillows and cozy bedding were arranged in the bedroom, Macy and Harry unpacked a teakettle and a few different selections of tea from the extremely heavy duffle bags they had brought with them. Harry filled the teakettle with water, and Macy retrieved peppermint tea bags, steeping them to make peppermint tea. She gathered tea biscuits (Harry liked the cream-filled ones), fruit (both grocery and tropical), nuts, bread, peanut butter, kitchen utensils, and disposal bags from her own duffle bag and placed them where they belonged around the kitchen; at the last minute, she sliced a piece of fruit to go with the peppermint tea. Macy wasn't sure whether to transport meat and other perishables, since she didn't know how often she would be coming to Epicenter Pico before it was completely suitable for long-term habitability. Was this a preview to married life? Macy wondered to herself, thinking perhaps she would title a new journal entry as "2 pm, Azores: Moved in, sort of, with Mr. Harry Greenwood." She grinned and continued unpacking.

2:30 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 23

Macy and Harry heard a faint knock at the door and heard a whoosh. They hurried to the front door and opened it, but nobody was there. Just then, Macy crouched onto the floor, spotting the source of the sound. It was a plain white envelope, addressed simply to "Macy & Harry." "Open it," urged Harry. So she did. The letter read as follows, in shaky, arthritic handwriting:

Dear Macy and Harry,

Thank you for the birthday greeting, and for reaching out. I have led a simple life, here on the islands. Dora and Della were wonderful parents to me. Your account matches up. I would like to meet you—would today work? I know it's sudden, but I work at the outdoor market and my hours can be long. Let me know by knocking on my door.

-M

3 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Outside Epicenter Pico No. 22

Macy and Harry each counted to ten silently, then knocked crisply a couple of times on the front door. A second or two passed, perhaps a minute more, then—

The door opened. It was Matias.

He had closely-cropped silver hair that showed the hint of a distinctive curl that seemed familiar to Macy, was of a healthy size and build, likely from hoisting up crops and herbs all those years, and his eyes were a startling slate grey that caused Harry to have a double-take. His complexion was a deep tan reminiscent of the Greek Mediterranean populace. He had a warm smile, and he enveloped Macy and Harry in a tight hug. There wasn't a dry eye.

Once they said their greetings, Matias bade them come in; he strode past his nondescript carpeted living room into the unadorned yellowing linoleum kitchen, bare save for a stained-glass religious relic nailed to the room's threshold ("from my niece during her Madrid trip," he said). He reached under the kitchen table and pulled out an old canvas satchel and purple-brocaded sling. "My aunts told me that you, Harry, dropped me off here with both."

For several long minutes, Harry stared hard at the satchel and sling, as his memories flickered like a View-Master within his eyesight, akin to cinematic format. "I was getting ready to use a marble to transport myself to your aunt's place; I held your late mother's body in a dark purple tapestry," he stated, stroking the aged linen with his fingers slowly. "You were a tiny baby, sound asleep as I ripped a piece of curtain to hold you in a sling against me, to make sure you were safe while we portaled."

"The canvas bag," Matias said. "What was that for?" Harry picked up the bag, now wrinkled and creased, running his thumb down the coarse stitching, ruminating for some time, as Macy watched the two interact.

"The canvas bag held mixed powdered milk in a thermos in case you grew hungry." He turned his gaze toward Matias. "I didn't know what I was doing back then—all I knew was that I had to keep you safe at all costs."

Matias nodded. "My aunts told me. And thank you for keeping me safe. I've led a good life here. Europe was bomb-riddled back then, so I'd heard."

4 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 22

"Speaking of your life here, I've heard that you sell your wares at the local market?" Harry asked, inquisitively. In response, Matias gathered his dried spices from a hook-locked kitchen cabinet, showing Macy and Harry how he would de-stem them and lay the delicate fronds on the kitchen table, with pre-cut twine for making individually wrapped bundles he knew would charm the mainland tourists.

"I sell these; tourists love to buy them to show folks back on the mainland," Matias mentioned. Harry reached over and hugged Macy's shoulder.

"Matias, I wish I knew to visit you, all these years—" Harry began.

"You're both here now, and that's what matters," Matias said simply. "I don't have many years left, but I'd like to get to know you and Macy with the ones I do have."

"I have two sisters, Mel and Maggie, who would like to meet you too. Would you be open to that?" Macy asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I would," Matias smiled. "Besides my marketplace pal and childhood neighbor Morgana, it's been a very quiet few decades here."

"That can be arranged," Harry murmured quietly. He orbed back to Vera Manor to pick up Mel and Maggie, and returned several minutes later in the doorway, (it wasn't polite, after all, to orb directly into another's home without explicit permission).

4:10 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 22

Mel and Maggie cautiously stepped forward and made as though to shake Matias' hand, but he hugged them straightaway, and they reciprocated. They noted that he had hair similar to Macy's, with eyes that appeared somewhat familiar (where had they seen that particular color before?), and looked as though he were of Southern Mediterranean descent, with his olive-toned skin. Strong genes, Maggie thought to herself. If this is what Darcy's baby grew up to be, Macy and Harry's future babies would be robust, she was sure of it.

6 pm, Madalena Village, Azores, Epicenter Pico No. 23

After Macy, Harry, Mel and Maggie spent time at Matias' house ("please come and visit me at the market soon!" he had said), they walked next door to Macy's Epicenter Pico No. 23 condo. She promised Mel and Maggie that "no it was not a sex dungeon," and "yes she needed style expertise in person."

1 pm PDT/8 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

The entourage of four orbed back to Vera Manor to have a late lunch. Maggie gathered Macy in a corner of the (now somewhat scrubbed) kitchen table to excitedly discuss Pinterest decorating ideas for the condo, curtains, sconces included, as Mel and Harry watched from a distance.

"Is this the end of the Charmed Ones as we know it?" Mel wistfully asked.

"No—quite the contrary," said Harry knowingly. "It is just the beginning."