Friday, September 27, 2019

Sudden Roommate (2) The Valuable Package

Previous: An Old Friend

On the train home, I considered my options again. I had called the police on lunch break, and several coworkers and my boss had overheard the conversation. When I explained, they offered to be character witnesses, in case I needed them.

The police had offered me some sympathy and told me to call immediately as soon as I knew if the package was something illegal. And they had advised me not to accept it if I couldn't examine the contents. But there wasn't much they could do without at least some specific suspicion of an actual crime being committed.

Which, while not reassuring, is quite reasonable. And correct. One of the costs of freedom is allowing the other guy room to do things you don't like.

They did say they would send an alert to the local police box, so that the soonest available officer could be assigned, if necessary. And they also asked me to let them know when I determined which it was, legal or illegal.

Some people think such an approach is both cold and nosy, but it did give me one more excuse to refuse.

I didn't think then to call the congregation leader at church. Not yet. Not sure why.

When I got to the entrance of my apartment building, Jun was nowhere in sight. I punched the passcode at the lobby entrance and entered.

Useless passcode. If you walked around from the bike parking area, you didn't need to pass through the common entryway to get to the apartments. Although, unless you knew to look for the back way in, you wouldn't necessarily see it.

I climbed the stairs to my one-room on the 5th floor and put the cardkey to the door lock. The lock clicked and I opened the door, and an unwelcome sight greeted me through the entryway.

Well, I'll admit some ambiguity in my feelings when I saw Teru.

Jun and his little sister were lounging on the tatami in my combination living/dining/bed room. A small suitcase was leaning against the wall beside Teru, who was wearing some of my exercise gear and an expression that shifted from relaxed to surprised to excited to unhappy as she saw me.

"You lied to me!"

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"What lie?"

I watched the exchange with more than a little dismay.

"But you didn't tell me it would be Ryō!"

"Din't tell ya it wou'n't."

I interrupted. "It won't. I was wondering what kind of contraband I was going to have to refuse, but --"

"Contraband? I'm contraband?"

I fixed Jun with a stare before turning to Teru. "I could probably make a case with the police that he in effect kidnapped you and is engaged in child trafficking."

"No, no," Jun raised his hands in protest. "Not what it is."

"Hey. I'm sixteen. I'm not a child."

"See, things've got really bad back home. I moved out 'n Angel got a new boyfriend. And the guy can't keep away from Teh-chan when Angel is at work, which is mos' nights. She hasta lock th' bedroom door. An' Angel jus' laughs."

Angel is their step-step-mother. Amanoko, but her nickname is Angel, spoken sardonically. She had been warned by the police on several occasions, and child custody assignment had been made probational since before I left for my two years of service. But the kumi had thrown some money and threats around, so that violations of that probation were mostly ignored.

Their natural parents had split up and both remarried just after Teru was born, and then both natural parents died -- under suspicious circumstances. And, except for six years of relative peace with their Aunt Fumiyo and Uncle Nozomu, Jun and Teru spent most of their childhood getting passed around -- along with their house -- in messy remarriages, divorces, and court proceedings.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I really am. But --"

"And Jun didn't kidnap me."

I looked at Teru with raised eyebrows. "You're here willingly?"

"No. Yes. No. Uhm," She pouted. "Not-a-fair question."

"Well, considering you're wearing my shorts and tee, I guess I could have a hard time convincing the police you were against the idea."

Her looks darkened, then she grinned an evil grin. "I could fix that." And she began to lift the bottom of the tee.

I rolled my eyes. "Never mind. I have extra. You can keep them."

She smiled happily and dropped her hands in her lap. "Why, thank you!"

I turned to Jun. "But this is not going to happen. Your kid sister just pointed out why it's a really bad idea. Why can't she stay with you?"

"You know why."

"Why don't you get yourself loose from that crowd?"

"That's easy fer you to say. Teh-chan's not the only one with no place to go. 'N I up'n drop out of the kumi, 'n they're likely to go lookin' for revenge 'gainst anyone close ta me. An' y'know Angel is one of the kumi. An' I don' trus' the police pr'tection."

He paused to give me time to think about the consequences, then continued, lowering his voice and dropping his usual slang. "I'm planning on making a break, but I have to put some space between me and Teru first. We had a very public argument while I was sheltering her from Angel, and she ran away, and in a couple of years they'll forget about her and then I can just disappear."

I shook my head. "I'm sure that's not going to work. But how about if I call the people at church?"

Teru looked very uncomfortable at that suggestion. I guess I knew why. It had once been a shock to me, to see the amount of prejudice some of my church friends had demonstrated towards Jun and Teru. That prejudice was part of what locked them into their relationship with the kumi.

"It's a different congregation here, and I'm sure we could find a family where they'll be willing to let her stay while she finishes school."

"You're planning on not telling them about her connection to her brother's connections?"

"It's worth a try, anyway."

"Maybe I don't think so," Teru muttered.

"And where does she stay in the meantime?"

"This apartment has only one room. No room for privacy, and definitely no room for a man and a woman who aren't married to each other to stay together. And I'm going to have a hard time working so I can pay the rent if I spend my nights avoiding rolling over on top of your sister in my sleep."

"Now I'm a woman?"

"Well, yeah."

"But I'm too ugly to touch?"

I sighed. "Remember, Teru, what my mom used to say about beauty?"

"She said beauty is as beauty does. I'm beautiful if I decide I'm beautiful. And it's still too hard to believe."

"How about what my dad said?"

Jun laughed. "I quote: 'Beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone.' That's a lot of comfort to my sister."

"Well, he said some other things, too, but what that one means is that what videos on the big 'net call beautiful and ugly has nothing to do with real beauty. Real beauty is when people get to know each other deeply and still care about each other."

"See? And that's why I trust ya to treat Teh-chan right."

For a moment or two, I was stuck, and we were all three silent.

"How did you get in?"

"Told the apartment owner I was bringing yer girlfriend for a pro-longed visit. She was only too happy to let yer girlfriend in."

"Well, I'm going to have to have a talk with her. You know, I called the police."

Jun sat up with a start. "No."

"I wanted to make sure I could give evidence that I didn't know anything about whatever you had planned. They said they couldn't do anything until I knew that the package was contraband."

Jun stood up, his guard raised. "Are they coming?"

"Not unless I ask them to, but I'll need to tell them it wasn't exactly something illegal." I stopped and thought. "Uhm, let me check your suitcase, Teru."

"Open it up, Teh-chan."

I didn't really think about why Jun was suddenly cooperative.

Teru sullenly pulled the suitcase out into the middle of the room and opened it, showing me what precious little it contained.

While I was occupied with apologizing for having to look through her underthings, I didn't notice Jun edging toward the door. Suddenly he bolted through, leaving his shoes in the entryway. I moved as fast as I could and also ran barefoot down the stairs behind him while Teru yelled at him from the doorway, cursing him for abandoning her. And cheering him on, too.

He had clearly scouted the alternate route out ahead of time, and was through it and gone by the time I got to ground level.

Climbing the stairs back up to my apartment, I pulled my phone out and called the congregation leader. She had just answered the phone when I got to the apartment door, where Teru was watching me distrustfully.

Sister Asatsuki was sympathetic, and said she'd call around, but she thought the connection with the kumi was going to be problematic. When Teru overheard us discussing that, she muttered something about not being surprised.

I called the police, and they were very sympathetic. They even sent a couple of female officers to talk with Teru while I waited downstairs, so that they could be sure she was answering freely when she told them neither her brother nor I was coercing her, and determine how much need she had for police offers of protection.

Of course they checked her suitcase for hidden compartments.

Since my cooking schedule was shot, I used my cell phone to order take-out pizza and salad while I was downstairs.

When I went back up, we had a discussion with the officers about child custody issues and where she could stay.

Someone at the station had checked with the police back home, and it appeared that an officer there had recently been able to legally terminate Angel's status as guardian, but the officers could not find definite declaration of who now had child custody responsibilities. It appeared she would either be under her brother's care or be a ward of the state, and they couldn't clarify that without contacting her brother.

As to her brother's need to run, they had no idea. His association with the kumi was known, but he was not currently under any investigation.

They said, unless she was in immediate danger, there wasn't that much they could do until the morning. And what protection was available would put her in pretty bad company. And, since Teru said she trusted me, they asked me if I wouldn't be so kind as to put her up for the night --

Which left me to deal with the very valuable but unexpected package sitting in my room in my exercise gear, listening with varying degrees of patience as her fate was being discussed.

"How's the pizza?" Beyond my inviting her to join me for pizza, and my asking grace before we started eating, we hadn't had much to say yet.

"You know I usually like mine without tōfu, but it's okay."

"Yeah, but tōfu is good protein."

"Yes, Mom."

I chuckled at her barb, and she relaxed a bit.

"Hey, if you promise to finish your bath before nine, you can have the o-furo first. I'll step outside while you change."

Teru's face was unreadable, but she nodded. "Thanks. I'll step outside for you, too, if you promise not to lock me out."

"Deal."

We ate in silence for a moment.

"Got any plans for while I'm at work tomorrow?"

"Jun helped me get a job at a local supermarket. We've been living out of capsule hotels for a week, and I've been going to work from there. So I have a job to go to in the morning."

"Morning?"

"Just ten to two. I get off at the same time as the working mothers."

"I'm sure they asked for an address, what address did you give them?"

"Yours."

"And he didn't tell you whose it was."

"Nope. Just said it was somebody I could trust."

"Jun planned ahead on this."

"Yep."

While Teru took her turn in the tiny furo, I went back downstairs and across the street to explain things to the apartment owner. She smiled knowingly and gave me a spare keycard and some free advice about love while I protested that this was just a temporary solution, a favor to a friend. She would not be convinced, and I gave up protesting.

When I got back, Teru had finished her bath and was wearing another pair of my shorts and another of my tees.

"You know, I was planning on running in the morning."

"You don't want me to sleep in my undies, do you?"

I set my jaw and checked my washer. She must have put her work clothes in before I got home. My exercise gear was dumped in on top of that. Even including her work clothes, she still didn't have much. "So your clothes were a mess from working in them and you decided to wear mine?"

"I haven't had a chance to do laundry for a whole week."

So we ran a load of laundry, and I timed my fresh hot water use during my bath for when the washer was not killing the water pressure. When I was done, I pulled the plug in the yokusō so it could drain, and she stepped outside so I could put on my pajamas.

I got dressed quickly and turned on the dehumidifier in the furo room (Okay, it's a unit bath, a full bathroom/toilet in a very tight space with a square tub just barely big enough to sit and soak in.), and when the load finished, we hung the clean clothes there in the unit bath together and set the de-humidifier running, the way I usually do when the weather report says rain during the day.

"You don't mind having a woman's things mixed with your laundry?"

"Whatever. Remember, I have two older sisters. I'm used to it. And if either of them lived anywhere close, we'd have a place for you to stay, at least for a few nights."

Teru just looked at me with a bemused expression.

I rolled out the only futon I had. I was glad I had splurged and bought a double futon, but I thought I shouldn't mention that.

The late spring night was moderately warm, so we didn't need more than sheets for covers, and I had a spare sheet I got out for her. I also got out my summer kakebuton and rolled it lengthwise and put it between us while Teru laughed. I could fit my full frame in lengthwise, but I couldn't stretch sideways much.

Teru had a bit more room, but it was tight quarters for her, too.

"Better than the capsule hotels," she grimaced.

I said my prayers while she listened, and then we shut off the lights and lay down with the mound of kakebuton between us.

"Remember when you used to come for over-nighters at our house?"

"Yeah. Before your brother started trying to teach me how to fight and cheat." And I didn't want to talk about the other reasons the over-nighters had stopped at the moment, either.

"Fumiyo told me your mom stopped you coming over because we weren't good enough for your family."

Although their Aunt Fumiyo and Uncle Nozomu were also members of the kumi, they were one of their better guardian arrangements. Since she had taken care of Teru since she was two, Fumiyo was the closest thing to a real mother she had.

Well, Fumiyo and my mom. After Uncle Nozomu died, also under suspicious circumstances, their step-parents began claiming parental rights, and Aunt Fumiyo was compelled to give them up. Many times after that, Teru and Jun had taken temporary shelter at our house, and they both called my mother Mom.

"No, she didn't say you weren't good enough. When she still had you sleeping in the same room with us when we were eleven and you were seven, Mom thought that wasn't such a good idea any more. When you came to our house, you slept with my sisters, remember. At the time, I didn't really understand, either."

"I wish it could be the same now."

"Sometimes it would be nice to be able to go back to being children again, without having to worry about all the dangers in the world."

"Ryō, sometimes you can be so thick."

I had to think about that for a few minutes, listening to her breathing deepen on the other side of the kakebuton.

"There are just too many dangers."

She didn't answer, leaving me to wonder whether she were already asleep or just put out with me. Again.



Backed up at https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/09/bk-sudden-roommate-2-valuable-package.html.

Sudden Roommate (1) -- An Old Friend


"Ryō Aomatsu! Long time no SEE!"

Even though it had been more than two years, the all-too-familiar voice gave me just enough warning to brace myself for the slap on the back that had once been part of my daily hell, just hard enough to knock a guy over if he wasn't ready for it.

"How the HECK have ya been?" One of Jun's better traits was that he usually moderated his language for me.

Ignoring the tingling in my back, I turned around and considered my options. I had gained the skills to take him on for real during my junior year of high school. But the headmaster had warned me that, even in self defense, using violence against him would put me on the wrong side of the law.

What kind of law is it that leaves the guy minding his own business at the mercy of the hyper-aggressive?

"Whuh? You don't look happy to see me?" His perpetually jocular grin was the same as it had been the last time I had seen him, well over two years back.

"Give me a break, Jun." I looked back at the express train passing behind me.

"Ya got no idea how hard it was ta track ya down!"

"So why did you bother?" The regular train would be coming shortly.

"Whaddaya mean? Yer the best friend I got!"

I didn't have a constructive response to that, so I didn't say anything.

"Two years outa the country servin' yer God 'n ya di'n' say a thing when ya git back. Ya jus' disappear!"

"Well, yeah. I needed to get a job. And start saving up for school." The PA announced the regular. Seven seconds to arrival is a good example of relativity. I ignored it.

"School, huh? Di'n' get 'nougha that?"

"No. I didn't. I like understanding what's going on."

"They jus' teach ya more lies. But tha's not important. What's important is I got a --" I detected a hesitation. "-- valuable li'l package needs takin' care of, 'n yer th' only 'n I c'n trust withit."

The train stopped and I ignored the opening doors. "The last package you wanted me to take care of would've had me serving two years of a different kind of time in a different place." But I did mark the nearest door in my mind.

"An' you talk' me inna makin' shur I di'n' have it long 'nough fer the police to catch m' withit, fer which Uhyam verih gra'ful."

"Why should I expect this package to be different?"

The conductor urged passengers to board quickly. Usually, the very brief duration of the stop would be an inconvenience.

"It is. Promise. I know yuh'll wanna he'p me wi'this."

The door warning beeped and, without answering, I turned and stepped through just as it closed. I didn't look back. I had timed it perfectly, and there was no way he could have gotten on behind me. The conductor was compassionately incompassionate, the doors remained closed, and the train started smoothly forward.

"Thanks," he called through the closed door. "'ll bring 'r t'nigh'!"

"How did he find me?" I muttered under my breath. "I sure hope he doesn't know where my apartment is." I didn't really wonder about the package itself, that question was irrelevant.

The woman standing next to me looked at me sideways, questioningly.

"But if he knew where to catch me on my way to work, I guess he probably does."

She was good looking, and I had seen her and exchanged nods with her somewhere before, and I suddenly thought I would prefer that she didn't think I was crazy.

I faced her and held up my empty hands and grinned sloppily. "No phone. Just thinking out loud."

She sniffed and turned away. Oh, well. Good looks aren't everything. Especially to me.

"I don't bite, promise."

She shuddered and moved as far away as she could on the crowded train, which was not far, and clearly not far enough for her.

I decided there probably was nothing I could say to reassure her, so I shrugged and pulled out my phone to start searching the web for a phone number for the police.



Backed up at: https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/09/bk-sudden-roommate-1-old-friend.html.

Sudden Roommate (Title/TOC)

When a dangerous old childhood friend wants you to take good care of a special package for him, what do you do?

Sudden Roommate

Joel Rees
Amagasaki, Japan
Copyright 2019, Joel Matthew Rees


Content warnings:
Edge philosophy, power abuse;
some chapters contain date violence, nudity, questionable education techniques, child abuse, and/or inconvenient biological functions generally considered not appropriate for general conversation.


Cultural notes: 

This is an exercise in speculative fiction -- a thought experiment. Various cultural elements may appear to be borrowed from Japanese culture, but all names, places, events, laws. and cultural elements are fiction, and are not intended to represent actual people, places, events, law, or cultural elements. 

In particular, note that current Japanese law allows adults to get married without parental/guardian permission, allows minor men to get married with parental/guardian permission at 18, allows minor women to get married with parental/guardian permission at 16, and defines the age of majority to be 20. This changes in 2022, at which time the age of majority will be reduced to 18 and parental permission apparently no longer applies. In this story, the age of majority appears to be 18, and parental permission appears to apply by age 16. So, this is not the Japan of the world you know.


  1. An Old Friend
  2. The Valuable Package 
  3. Running Mate
  4. Ambiguities, Day 2
  5. Bad Date *** content warning ***
  6. Night Horrors *** content warning *** 
  7. The Woman on the Train
  8. First Sunday *** content warning ***
  9. Fumie
  10. Fumie's Family
  11.  


Backed up at https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/09/bk-sudden-roommate-titletoc.html.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

A Heathen in the Kingdom of Peace -- Editorial Discussion

Before the Storm


Maybe too much Hailey?
After all,
she doesn't really play much of a role in the rest of this.

Ah, but she was no small part of the reason 
you found yourself back in the kingdom of peace. 

But just reading her chats and shared journal entries
is a little bit boring,
don't you think?

Maybe for some, 
but I think they will have a certain interest 
to more than a few readers. 
But if I write this as a regular novel I'll have to make interpolations
that I don't want to impose on the reader.
Even if I do that, 
I want to make sure I get your source records translated correctly first. 

Could you start somewhere more interesting?

Interesting how? 
The effect Hailey had on your life was not insignificant.

True, but a middle school student,
or even a college student
is going to rapidly lose motivation to continue reading that.
It's not exciting to watch two people
who once liked each other
break up.

Exciting.
Okay, exciting.
Should we start where you discovered 
you had a new roommate 
who was one of your young female students? 
And the BOE didn't see any reason to change the arrangements?

I guess that requires some explanation to be believable.

I think it does, 
and it isn't the only thing that needs laying groundwork. 
Speaking of the Board of Education,
didn't they call an emergency meeting of sorts?

Hah.
That meeting still makes no sense to me.


The BOE


Backed up at https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/09/bk-heathen-in-kingdom-of-peace-editorial-discussion.html.

Monday, September 9, 2019

A Heathen in the Kingdom of Peace -- Before the Storm

Arrival




$$ resume browse

# # KOP sessions (read only browse) 7D9.02.15 4:70 --

$ journal KOP

# private unshared: 7D9.02.15 4:74:E0

#include "chat/Hailey/7D9.02.15 4:55:87" copy

That conversation could have gone a lot better.

{So it did not go the way you thought you wanted it to go.}

Okay, I guess it could have gone worse, too. At least she's still talking to me.

{And?}

Why do we always seem to get crosswise of each other?

{Search your heart.}

I guess we seem to be heading different directions, even though we have some important things in common.

{Seem to be?}

Maybe we are, in fact. But we both attend branches of the same church, we've both been missionaries, neither of us has apostatized. We both are pursuing teaching careers.

{And how does her teaching philosophy compare to yours?}

But -- I know she'll come around to student-driven lessons.

{Isn't she also hoping you'll come around to planned curriculum?}

These are fundamental principles of Truth! Fundamentals of the Good News.

{Are there not cases where the same true principles apply differently for different individuals in leading them both to greater truth, in leading them both back to me?}

That's my whole point.

{What are the most important things to consider when the two of you choose your eternal partners?}

What's more important than truth?

{Does whether you can work together count?}

Well, I guess that is important. Maybe more important.

Okay, I suppose I should apologize to the BOE here for making an agreement with them that I shouldn't have made, and go home to Hailey, leaving them in the lurch?

# 7D9.02.15 4:7F:4B

(No response?)

If I do what Hailey sees as standing by her I have to break promises to the BOE here and others, and also set aside the promise of financial stability from having an advanced degree for several years. And postponing advanced degree work often means the degree never gets completed, with supervising teachers moving and such. And then we'll end up having to both work, just to afford to start a family.

But if I keep my promises to the BOE here and stay on track for the degree, Hailey sees that as failing to stand by her.

I don't see any path forward.

{Are you married to her already?}

I can't really stand by her if I turn my back on other promises I've made and shut my eyes and ears to the directions and impressions that I believe are from you, Father. She shouldn't demand that I put her above God.

(Now I'm feeling a partial confirmation.)

What am I missing?

{That's something you have to figure out on your own.}

I hate it when you tell me that, Father.

{Whom I love, I allow to use their own brains.}

Heh. Thanks.

Sort of.

Maybe I should take a hike and do some more thinking.

{Might be a good idea.}

$ terminate

# 7D9.02.15 4:8B:7B saved.

$ journal ALT

# resume shared: 7D9.02.15 4:A1:79
# Hailey 9:80 -

So I thought I'd wander around the town and do some thinking and maybe find breakfast. And I checked with the operator to see if it really was okay to leave the luggage. 

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:4F:10 9:80 -:

Breakfast! Stop talking sense! Good for you.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 7:B3:03:

B-/
]

He said it was okay, they'll keep an eye on the luggage holding area. 

#include "pic/0000B1" 3 compressed copy "2nd operator on duty at Deer Isles Bus Terminal on 2.15 --
He agreed to let me take a picture of him."

We got to talking and he told me it's not as much the middle of nowhere as the other operator made it sound, although things are more convenient at Light Crossing where the ferry station is. Most travelers continue on to the ferry station, rather than stop at Shining Springs. 

But, usually, one or two taxis will be waiting for the bus at Shining Springs, and there are several good db&bs within a quarter-hour ride of the bus stop, including the one she mentioned.

He also said it wouldn't really have been a problem to arrive at a db&b before noon. The baths are generally closed until after noon, for cleaning, but I'd probably be able to park the luggage and get something for breakfast, depending on the number of other unexpected early guests and such

And he suggested a db&b near the terminal here where I should be able to buy a good breakfast. 


#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:53:93 9:80 -:

That was nice of him.
]


There's a long-distance bus every two hours, and I'm thinking of taking the next one at 6:28. Or maybe I'll stay a day here and get a good bath in the evening, in case I meet someone from the BOE tomorrow. The operator said they'll extend the fare to tomorrow for me if I want. 

I'll go see about breakfast now.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:55:22 9:80 -:

So now you're coming down with a bad case of common sense!

;-)
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 7:B5:42:

>:|-
]

$ suspend


# 7D9.02.15 4:B5:9F (autosave)
# Hailey 9:80 -

$ resume

# shared: 7D9.02.15 5:33:65
# Hailey 9:80 -

Breakfast was good -- ocean fish, light bean broth, cracked giant millet, baked plantain. 

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:56:63 9:80 -:

That sounds like a good, traditional, KOP-ish breakfast. 
I might even have been able to stomach watching you eat it.

Did they have pancakes, too?
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 7:B6:1B:

Actually, yes, I think they did, with plum sauce for a topping.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:12:61 9:80 -:

Sounds delish!
]

I decided to stay the day, and, no, the female operator has not shown up. 

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:57:81 9:80 -:

More good sense, and you guessed my next question.
]

There's some good hiking parallel to the beach, and I think I could use a swim. And I won't say I wish you were here because you told me not to.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 7:59:C5 9:80 -:

And sly digs like that are cheating!
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 7:B7:74:

By your new rules, which I haven't quite convinced myself I have accepted.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:13:9A 9:80 -:

And if you like talking to yourself, 
you don't have to accept them.
]

$ suspend

# 7D9.02.15 5:38:DC (autosave)
# Hailey 9:80 -

$ resume

# shared: 7D9.02.15 7:B9:D7
# Hailey 9:80 -

After breakfast, they let me pay for a room so I could store my luggage and rest. I said I was interested in hiking the beach and maybe swimming, but they warned me, the season being early, about sharks and floating moons. And no lifeguards. Asked me to promise not to go in the water. 

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:15:36 9:80 -:

Sensible people there. 
Maybe I could get along there better than I thought.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:61:6D:

How can I encourage you to think so?
]

The sea was beautiful, if a bit cold. 
I did do some wading.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:16:9B 9:80 -:

Up to your waist, I'll bet.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:62:B3:

Just to my knees in places. 

Found a nice round rock and sat down to soak my feet a few minutes.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 9:10:BD 9:80 -:

Turning sedentary on me?

I think, 
If I were there, 
You'd be swimming.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 9:12:2E:

You might be right about that.
]

Clear blue water in places, lots of sea vegetables in others. Didn't see any sharks.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:17:F5 9:80 -:

That's the whole point. 
You usually don't see them.
Until it's too late.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:64:31:

I can be sensible, sometimes.
]

Passed several secluded pools that have been augmented with above-ground walls and decks for private bathing. Those were also closed for cleaning. I should have taken a picture.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:1D:1C 9:80 -:

I do not want to hear about those.
Do not want pics.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:65:AF:

There was nobody in it. And it'd be perfectly okay if we were married, you know.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 9:12:C6 9:80 -:

You're being too male.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 9:13:C9:

Sorry.
]

Did a bit more hiking and watching the sea, and a bit of complaining at God, which was answered by reassurances that I'm supposed to respect your right to choose.

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:1E:7B 9:80 -:

I'm glad your God is on my side.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:66:67:

Of course He is.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 9:14:0A 9:80 -:

I wish I could be confident my God was on your side.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 9:14:FD:

She is the same God.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 9:15:C2 9:80 -:

Sometimes you are too cryptic.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 9:17:19:

We need to read the scriptures together more.
]

#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 9:18:E6 9:80 -:

You know I can't keep up with you.
]

Am I pushing you too much?


#$[Hailey/7D9.02.15 8:21:4C 9:80 -:

Sometimes, 
Yes.
]

#$[Jeremy/7D9.02.15 8:69:CB:

Maybe it is a good thing for us to be apart for a while, then.
Forcing you is the last thing I want to do.
]

Came back for lunch.

$ suspend

# 7D9.02.15 7:BF:83 (autosave)
# Hailey 9:80 -

$ chat Hailey

# private: 7D9.02.15 9:1B:21
# Hailey 9:80 -

Do you have time to chat?

A little.
We've talked before
about how you help me slow me down,
when we're reading scriptures together,
right?

That doesn't mean I understand it.

You probably need me 
to help you slow down,
 too.

That seems so wrong.

Some kinds of progress are wrong.

But then it wouldn't be progress.
It'd be pride or something.

I think that's the point.
When we study together,
we can help keep each other humble.

But you still argue.

Discuss?

You say that,
But it feels like arguing to me.

Discussion can include
comparing different ideas,
can't it?

But your ideas are just sometimes 
Too strange.
Like when you say
the straight and narrow is a false concept.
How can scripture be false? 
I don't want to get sidetracked
 on that one again.
Can't we just agree to disagree
about some things?

A lot of things.

Sorry.

You say that too much.
Love should mean
We don't have to say we're sorry.
That's defnitely not scripture.

It is to me.

And so I can't even apologize
for mistreating one of your pearls.

Apology accepted.

Thanks.
Guess what.

Your operator showed up for lunch.

Heh.
 No.
A member of the BOE,
one Mister Feldspar.

A member of the BOE?
How would that happen?

He said foreigners
who speak the language
tend to stick out.

Hah. 
I guess 
I can believe that.
And that the BOEs of the two cities
had asked people
to be on the lookout.

No privacy. 
For us.

For us?
Yeah.

Oh. Watching for me, too. 
Give them my apologies 
For breaking up with you. 

He said it was too bad you couldn't make it.
They were looking forward to having you here.

I've heard people in the KOP 
Have no personal lives. 

Yeah.
That is one of the reasons 
I did not want to go. 

I've asked God 
if I should just break the contract
and go home.

Oh?
 
He doesn't give me an answer.

# 7D9.02.15 9:48:A9

I guess I'm not surprised.

Mister Feldspar said some of the members of the BOE
want to meet with me tomorrow.

Did you ask whether it was required? 


No.
He recommended against it
before I could ask.
Said I should finish my vacation.

He seems to be on your side.
Maybe.  
Did he say having me not there
Would cause problems with the BOE for you?


He said no.

That's good. 



But the expression he used worries me.

Why's that? 

It's an expression they tend to use
when they want to be even less direct
than usual.

Vague?

Vague.

Not good?

Maybe not.

# 7D9.02.15 9:63:4E

I'm not sure what I can do.
Besides pray for you.
And I am.
But I've got to go to bed, now.

Okay,
I'm praying, too,
for both of us, of course.
Get some sleep.

$ terminate

# 7D9.02.15 9:69:E8 saved
# Hailey 9:80 -

$$ terminate browse




[Note(Jeremy): Joel explained to me that the impressions I take note of in my journals may be considered a type of what is called automatic writing in your English literature of psychology and parapsychology. So I should explain. I often note my less concrete impressions in parantheses, and my more concrete impressions in braces. These impressions come from within me, through my own heart, not from the writing instrument under my fingers or anything external.]
]



Backed up at https://joel-rees-economics.blogspot.com/2019/09/bk-heathen-in-kingdom-of-peace-before-storm.html.

33209: Discovering the 6800 -- Parents and Polygamy

A Look at the 8080/TOC "Whoa, Merry, look who's here!" Jim said, sotto voce. He, Roderick, and I were at our lab table ...