Mesa Vista - my BaCC for fun: Week 3, Part 2(b)
Back at Takemizu...
"No, I'm sure she's fine," Diane said.
"Why were we talking about them again?"
"Because people with problems are interesting and happy people like us are boring?"
Stephan laughed. "That must be it. Should we see if that girl will take our picture?"
"I'm so happy you thought of this for our honeymoon!"
"Hey, me too, me too!"
"Ahhh, this is the life."
"Mmhm."
Awww, the first night of their honeymoon.
"What do you feel like doing today?"
"I thought we could play mahjong and do some souvenir shopping?"
"Sounds good."
Diane already had souvenirs from her first visit, but she wanted to buy a couple for Laura as a thank you and because she was becoming rather fond of the girl. She also found some pretty earrings for herself. Hopefully she would remember to wear them.
"Are you having fun, Stephan?"
"Of course."
"Have you ever been to the Pagoda in the Shadows?"
"Nope, you need a treasure map for that."
"I found a treasure map the last time I was here. Have you seen a Ninja before?"
"Nope."
"Me either. Stephan, do you think we really might be... sort of boring?"
"Impossible, we're eating chirashi, aren't we?"
Diane laughed. "I'm serious! I always play it safe. I think we should be more adventurous."
"Okay, you've got the map, let's find the Wise Old Man."
"And learn to teleport! I know we have to find a Ninja, but I've never seen one. Have you?"
"I think we've already covered that."
"I have," confided the guy sitting next to them.
"You have?" the newlyweds asked in unison.
"Sshhh, keep it down."
"Sorry," they whispered
"See, he comes and goes real fast. He likes remote areas, so you have to really watch for him and greet him in a hurry before he disappears."
"And then what?"
"And then he'll... wait, you said you want adventure."
"Come on!"
"Just watch carefully for him and be quick, that's all you need to know."
"Okay, thanks."
"This wasn't too hard to find."
"No, it's easy with the map."
"What're we supposed to do here?" Stephan asked.
"No idea."
But when Diane saw the Wise Old Man, she instinctively knew exactly what to do.
"You know our customs well," said the Wise Old Man, sipping at the tea Diane had poured for the three of them.
"I feel completely at home in Takemizu Village. I think it's the most beautiful place in the world and, well... it is where I found my Stephan."
"I wish Takemizu was more than a destination. I always feel so... right here, that my life would be perfect if only I never had to leave," Diane admitted with tears in her eyes.
"Takemizu will always be a part of you wherever you are planted, but your true home is wherever your love is."
"Thank you," she whispered.
"It is time for you to hear the Dragon Legend."
Diane watched with rapt attention as the Wise Old Man told the legend, even seeing herself in parts of it.
She also imagined she could see the little store she had built in Mesa Vista, and for the first time, she felt in her heart that Mesa Vista could be her true home now, as long as she had her memories of Takemizu and her love, her Stephan, alongside her.
She was feeling a newfound confidence in herself after her encounter with the Wise Old Man, and she loved her husband more than ever for helping her find it.
She felt liberated, and pulled Stephan down and gave herself to him with abandon, more abandon than she had ever thought herself capable of. Complete abandon...
The next morning outside their villa, Diane sized Stephan up and with his face framed through her fingers, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
"What's our adventure for today?" he asked.
"The only things left are tours and teleporting."
The boat tour they took had a good outcome and they even got a financial reward.
Their walking tour through the bamboo forest only rewarded them with a bad case of poison oak.
"Do you think that guy knew what he was talking about? We've been to, like, three lots and no sign of a Ninja."
"Sweetheart, I could really use some calamine lotion."
"Okay, let me check the perimeter first and then we'll find a drug store."
"Yitch, stupid poison oak..."
"Oh wow, finally. Hi there!"
"I will ask you a question, and your answer will tell me if you are worthy of my instruction in the mystical art of teleportation."
"Okay, shoot."
*Paraphrasing* "Who must you know more, your enemy or yourself?"
"That's easy."
"Uh-huh, mmhmm."
"I, Diane Shin, do solemnly swear not to tell a soul our secret, not even my Stephan."
Poof! "I'm back!"
"OMG, I hate it when they do that!" cried the short-order cook.
"Hehe. Okay, let's find some calamine lotion."
"So, what's the secret?"
"Can't tell you."
"What's the secret?" Stephan asked drowsily.
Diane kicked him under the covers. "Go to sleep."
What a day. What a honeymoon, she thought contentedly before drifting off to sleep.
Stephan continued to pester her for the secret until she finally told him to go find his own damn Ninja.
Instead of a distant, almost inaccessible corner where Diane had found hers, this one landed conveniently across the street from the lot they were visiting.
"Which came first, the Ninja or the sword?"
"Um... hmmm..?"
Now, the answer to the question posed to Diane seemed obvious to me, but this one wasn't so easy, so I asked my son
who very astutely came up with the correct answer. He's way better at that philosophical kind of stuff than I am. Yay, two for two!
With a poof! Stephan's Ninja was gone.
Stephan was a quick study, though...
"Surprise!"
"You almost made me choke on my rice!"
In four days, the Shins had collected all the mementos Takemizu Village had to offer.
"We still have reservations for three more days."
"Let's save our money and go somewhere else next time."
"Who knew I would end up married to an adventurer," Stephan said proudly.
And so, the Shins' honeymoon came to an end.
The Takemizu phase anyway...
That's it for Part 2. I hope to have Part 3 up fairly soon, so stay tuned and thanks for reading!