Chapter Ten | Island Spirits page | Chapter Twelve

Utel was getting along far worse than Nork. Instead of spending all their time fishing, she had a huge garden to tend, kids to watch, and meals to cook. Now, with Nork gone, all the handiness tasks also fell to her. Which included the broken toilet. After Nork had discovered how to make one, everyone had decided they were too good to use the bush, so the toilet seemed to break all the time.

While the kids worked on breakfast, Utel finally took advantage of the quiet to go work on her garden. There always seemed to be something to do out here, and some of the plants needed extra care because Nork never had gotten to build the rest of the raised beds for them to be re-planted into.

Luckily, Saazul had decided to stay home for few days, sensing her mother's distress and clear need for an additional pair of hands around the house. Even Gnaar was pitching in with the "women's work" by helping to collect the trash and try to keep the twins occupied and out from underfoot.

Speaking of those twins, they had finally been freed from their bassinets, and were causing trouble all over the campsite. Khiad, the oldest by a few minutes, was incessantly curious and into everything he could reach. Before too long, he was certainly going to be into things Utel thought he couldn't reach as well.

Icre, the youngest, was also a troublemaker, but she was more into being playful than actively looking for things she wasn't supposed to play with like her brother was. Niraa tried to keep up with the twins, but it took both her and Gnaar to wrangle them to stay inside on stormy days.

With Saazul staying home, Utel did finally manage to find some time to work on her painting skill, and finally finished the portrait of her and Nork. She looked at it sadly, then hung it up on the wall to dry.

Gnaar and Niraa didn't have to watch the twins all the time, of course, so they still had time to socialize and work on their aspirations. They had become best of friends, and partners in crime. They even tried pranking their big sister's bed with a fake monster, but Saazul was too old to fall for that nonsense, and merely removed the fake monster and went back to sleep.

For Utel, the days' work was never done. On top of taking care of everything else, she had to focus on teaching skills to the twins, as well. Khiad, as independent as he was, seemed not to appreciate her hard work, though.

Stubbornly, he would refuse most things he was told to do.. and it drove poor Utel to unbelievable heights of frustration. She even pulled out her old language and cursed the watcher for putting her in this situation.

While Utel tried to talk a recalcitrant toddler into potty training so she wouldn't have to change so many diapers, Saazul was outside teaching young Icre some new things, too. Unlike her brother, Icre was always willing to learn things, and was, in general, a pleasant toddler to be around. At least, until it was past nap time. But then, that goes for more toddlers.

While working on potty training with Icre, Saazul noticed that - once again - the toilet had broken. She made a mental note to tell her mother, and cringed inwardly at having to make more work for the older woman.

Now that the painting was complete, Utel sat down at Nork's handiness bench and tried to figure out how he'd made those raised beds for the plants. Having them would make her life so much easier, it seemed worth the trouble to learn how to make them. It was going to take time... but it wasn't like she didn't have all the time in the world now to learn.

In the kids' room, Gnaar and Niraa were hatching new plans to try to mess with their older sister. Clearly messing with Mom was a bad idea, she had enough to worry about, and the two never once considered making more trouble for her. Saazul, however, seemed to be fair game.

Now that Utel was busy at the handiness bench, Khiad finally decided to do some learning. On his terms. Without help.

Finally, exhausted, Utel fell into bed and tried to rest even though the sun was still up. She simply couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

Saazul made sure to still catch her quota of the village's fish consumption, but she usually did it at the fishing spot closest to home so that she could hurry back if she was needed. Luckily, one or another of the other fishermen were more than willing to come pick up the fish and take them to where they were needed.

As the sun set, and awake from her nap, Utel told Saazul she was going to take a walk. Saazul agreed, reluctantly, to be the "sim in charge" for a while, but Utel could see that she was confused. It wasn't like Utel usually "took walks" on her own. She didn't usually have time.

Utel walked away from the camp, taking a moment to mourn her dead cowplant. If only she had been able to keep up with feeding him while the twins were tiny.... if only. Sadly, Utel glanced at the sky, and epiphany struck. Perhaps she could go to the Temple and ask the spirits for guidance. It seemed to help others - maybe it was time for her to try it, too.

With a determined air, she walked towards the volcano, eyeing it warily. By the time she arrived at the Temple, it was full dark, and it was, understandably, deserted. Utel wondered silently how one asked the Spirits for help and wandered around a bit, looking for somewhere to lay offerings or the like.

Suddenly, a green ghostly figure blocked her way. Astonished, Utel stopped short, and looked at the ghost with a slack jaw for a moment before finally blurting out, "Saelua?"

"Of course." Saelua replied, smiling at her friend.

"What... what happened?" Utel stammered, confused.

"It was my time, child. Do not worry for me. I am in a place of peace. And you, it seems, are not. Perhaps I should ask you what's wrong instead of the other way around?"

Saelua may have instantly regretted her question, but she didn't show it as Utel launched into the full story of the last week. Saelua only had to make sympathetic noises, because there was no time to get a word in edgewise until the story had, finally, reached it's end.

"Child, I understand your pain. I know you have never been one to shrink away from hard work, but this is more than that. This is simply madness. How can you care for all your children by yourself?" Saelua finally asked.

"I.. I.. I have Saazul!" Utel stammered, confused once more. Why was Saelua calling the situation "madness"?

"How long do you really think she will still be with you?" Saelua asked pointedly, "She is getting older, you know. She must begin to think of her own future, and start her own family."

Utel looked stricken. "What shall I do, Saelua? What do the Spirits want me to do?"

Saelua paused a moment, then, finally continued, "Did you ever think of this argument from Nork's point of view?"

Feeling her anger rise once more, Utel bit out angrily, "I'm not sure woohooing with any woman he can get is much of a point of view, Saelua."

Saelua smiled at that, but only briefly, then asked, "Did you ever tell him you loved him? That you and he were mates?"

Utel, who had been ready to yell at her best friend, brought herself up short. "What do you mean?"

"Did he ever know how much he meant to you?" Saelua pressed onward.

"Well.. well, I mean.. of course he did. How could he not?" Utel stammered.

"How could he not, indeed. He is not a mind-reader, love. And he is not as willing to talk to Spirits as you are."

Utel's face fell. Finally, she replied, "He didn't know?"

Saelua's chuckle was a rich baritone. "You can't expect him to know everything, Utel. He is, after all, only a man."

Saelua raised her arm up, twisted around, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Startled, Utel glanced at the sky, and noticed the sky was getting lighter, heralding the return of the sun.

Her mind reeling, she turned and hurried home. She mechanically made some breakfast for the family, and covered the fire pit with leaves. Then, still very much shell-shocked, she started a cozy fire in the chill morning air, and sat down on one of the benches Nork had made.

What was she to do? She had never told Nork the truth. And now, how could she? She'd ruined everything. In despair, Utel dropped her face into her hands and cried.

By the time the sun was peeking over the horizon, Utel had cried herself out, and could hear the stirrings of her family inside the hut .. the hut that Nork had built to protect them. Forlornly, Utel banked the fire, retrieved breakfast from the pit, and went inside to rouse and feed her family. Life truly did go on, even if she wasn't really ready for it.

Chapter Ten | Island Spirits page | Chapter Twelve