Escaping Nowhere: Chapter 9
Zen Blossom Cabin, Takemizu Village
“Couldn’t sleep?” Jenny asked between mouthfuls of cereal when she heard footsteps coming from the upper floor.
Mary-Sue dragged her feet to the chair beside Jenny. “Not really. My insomnia’s acting up again.”
“Yikes, that sucks. Want some tea to calm you down a bit?”
Mary-Sue shook her head. Not even tea, or a pottery session would help with lifting the numbness on her chest, which could only mean one thing...
Just then, Goneril popped out from her room, sporting a much shorter cut from last time. “Well, looks like today’s an early day for us.”
“Wow, look at you!” Mary-Sue complimented. “You look great, Gon.”
“Thank you, Mary.”
“I bet Linea would love that.”
Goneril’s face fell at the mention of that name. “Uhh, she kind of dumped me last night.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Mary-Sue mustered up the biggest smile she could and tried to cheer Goneril up. “At least that’s… more time to go around the places we’ve missed so far, I guess?”
“I was hoping to take her to the garden today, but clearly that’s no longer happening.”
“Then we’re going to the garden!” Mary-Sue declared, giving both Goneril and herself a pep talk.
Immortal Zen Garden, Takemizu Village
Immediately after sunrise, they headed for the zen garden to take advantage of the peace and quiet before more tourists arrived. Mary-Sue didn’t speak to a single soul the whole time, instead focusing on distracting herself from the self-deprecating chatter in her head.
So much so that she didn’t even notice Jenny sitting beside her at the food booth at one point.
At the back of the garden, Jenny and Goneril had a little chat. “Look, Jenny, I’m sorry for snapping at you last night. I figured you were probably just looking out for me, and I appreciate that.”
“I owe you an apology too,” Jenny said, “I shouldn’t have jumped into conclusions about your whole situation without knowing all the important facts.”
“Apology accepted.” Goneril said.
“By the way, I love the new hair.”
Goneril mouthed her thanks.
On the bench beside them, Mary-Sue stared into space deep in thought. The end of this leg of their road trip meant they were getting towards the end of their trip. The closer they came to that end, the closer the return to reality approached.
Which meant returning to a life mediating between two daughters biting each other’s heads off, the gruelling search for new employment, and facing the reminders of the facade she desperately tried to maintain shattering in front of her face.
The worst part was, she couldn’t even bring herself to cry for all of that.
That evening,after they got back to the cabin, Jenny entered the living area reciting what appeared to be a bedtime story to Jill over the phone. Mary-Sue didn’t like to admit it, but she was jealous of the relationship Jenny had with her family: a husband who was clearly devoted to her and kids who obviously adored her.
It was then when she realized that neither Angela nor Lilith had called her the entire trip. She contemplated calling them up herself but, knowing Lilith’s reaction especially, she couldn’t even bring herself to do it.
“Then again, it was my own fault this happened.”
Soon enough, it was time for dinner. Goneril cooked some blackened catfish, one of Mary-Sue’s favorite dishes, which she had she had bought at the grocery.
But even then, she couldn’t bring herself to take a single bite. “Sorry, but I’m not hungry.”
Once the coast was clear, Goneril talked to Jenny in a hushed tone. “I’m getting really worried about Mary. She’s not been herself these past few days and I’m starting to freak out.”
Jenny sighed.“Me too. I’ll check up on her.”
“I’ll be right behind you, right after Iwash all these dishes.”
Jenny proceeded upstairs and knocked on Mary-Sue’s door gently, before letting herself in.
“Hey.” Jenny said. “Just checking to see how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine.” Mary-Sue snapped, “just do whatever and leave me alone.”
Instead of leaving, Jenny sat on the bed beside Mary-Sue. “I’m just getting worried about you. You’ve barely said a single word since this morning.”
“I told you, I’m perfectly fine.” Mary-Sue insisted.
“Mary, I know something’s up. If you need any help, or just someone to talk to, just tell me.”
Mary-Sue sighed in resignation. “I think my depression is rearing up again. After the divorce, I couldn’t even drag myself out of bed, or eat anything but chips, or even call my daughters.”
She then looked at Jenny as if waiting for a response.
But before either of them were able to speak, Goneril burst through the door. “Mary! I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Depends on what your definition of ‘okay’ is.” Mary-Sue replied.
Jenny and Mary-Sue scooted to the right side of the bed to make room for Goneril to sit.
“...Can’t keep even a low-level internship, can’t make my husband love me enough to not cheat on me with the damn maid, can’t even get my daughters to talk to each other without fighting. How anyone could still put up with me is anyone’s guess.
I know what you’re going to say. I’m a terrible mother who’s now the reason my kids will be in therapy for the rest of their lives. Go on, just tell me and go.” Mary-Sue continued.
Goneril glared at Jenny, as if sending a warning to her.
“Making what appears be a string of bad decisions doesn’t automatically make you a bad person, and definitely not a worthless one.” Goneril said. “Your passion is infectious, your humor is on point, and I definitely consider you one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
“You’re only saying that to make me feel better.”
“No, Mary, I mean it.” Goneril insisted.
“Hey, if you need to talk about stuff more, I’m always be here to listen,” Jenny reassured her, “And if you need some recommendations for professional help, I’d be happy to give them to you. I think I still have some contacts over at Pleasantview.”
Mary-Sue felt a tear trickle down her cheek. “That would be great, thank you.”
They spent the rest of the night drinking tea together, just as they did when they first set their foot in the village.
Takemizu Pagoda, Takemizu Village
On their last day in Takemizu Village, they visited the shrine at the city center and paid respect to the gods.
In return, the gods smiled at them and gave them good fortune to take before they set off.
Time had indeed flown by, and it was now time for them to leave Takemizu Village and journey to the sunny shores of Twikkii Island.