Chapter 4: Prime
And then, after Ben and I bathed in another river, the moment that I had longed for above all other moments came and #6 arrived. With her in front of me, it was as if there was no in-between, as if all my waiting had been a dream. We slept, we ate, we were merry; we trolled about Mount Saint Helens and made frequent trips to Tanglewood in order to connive and cajole #6 into agreeing to stay a second night and leave Sunday morning.
It worked. She stayed. And one moment led to another and another and all the worrying I had done, all the pessimistic mumblings of a malcontent mutterings evaporated in the effervescent glow of romance and love and it was wonderful.
DAMON: Soon the clouds parted; Mount Saint Helens came into view; Mount Adams came into view; mount rainier came into view later in the day. It was amazing and continues to be: amazing. So much so that Ben and I continually question our existence on the East Coast — often. #6 came up. We had a relatively good time. Especially me. Having #6 up here, of course, makes the trip oh that much better. Ben, I think, likes having #6 up here too so he doesn’t have to look at me. And he has someone much prettier to talk to. More often. Who’s a lot more animated and funnier. And in all ways, actually, a better person than me.
BEN: Did you mention better looking?
DAMON: And did I mention better looking? And in all ways a better person than me except that she would never go on this trip. Which makes me the only man for Ben. That’s the end of this note.
4 Comments
Comment by Oswald Moseley
April 24, 2006 @ 1:48 am | Link
Another perfectly lovely chapter. In fact I’d say that chapter 3 is the perfect successor to chapter 4. I hope chapter 5 comes next.
I hope you’re not planning to cycle to Alaska. Watch out for the Yeti.
Comment by Damon
April 24, 2006 @ 10:26 am | Link
I suspect if Ben and I come to Alaska with our bicycles it will be to run the Iditarod — of course, we will have to perform some slight modfications to our trusty Cannondales to keep them above the snow, however, I suspect there are so few roads to ride on in Alaska anyhow, we would have to make those modifications regardless of the path chosen.
Comment by Ursula
April 24, 2006 @ 11:34 am | Link
I am, evidently, poorly suited for serialized books. I tend to plow through 1-4 (regular) books per week. This waiting to see “what happens next” is not befitting my nature. Hurry up and write more.
Comment by Damon
April 25, 2006 @ 12:37 am | Link
Well, I am, obviously, poorly suited for writing. I tend to get depressed when it takes me 4,659 hours to write something that can be browsed through in one sitting (clever as it may be). My only suggestion would be: read slower. Perhaps at the same pace it takes me to write it or even slower still. Read one word, and then read that word again, and then share a pensive moment considering the etymology of that word and how it might be best translated into Cantonese.
That’s the best I can offer. Other than my time-travel machine which can take you into the futute but, as of yet, cannot return you in one piece. It’s your choice.
To be honest: I’m so excited people are reading it I may stop writing all together. Especially when I can spend my time composing replies to comments (which is my real passion).
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