Journal, Day 106

Sunday was a hearty day for the younger children and the benefactor. The younger children kicked off the afternoon with a quiet reading hour, as the benefactor dressed. When ready, the benefactor journeyed to town square with the children, planning to visit the library and nearby café. Everything was going well until they passed the café, and the younger female began a desperate plead to stop for gelato before gathering books. Tears were shed. It did not matter that they planned on stopping after, merely that they were not stopping NOW. Once she began breathing again, the younger female apologized for her outburst.
 
In the library, the reverberation of drums sounded throughout, which lent a sense of irony. The children and benefactor made their way upstairs to select books, which began the first negotiation of the day for the younger male, who insisted on getting a specific number of graphic novels, whilst the benefactor had a different number in mind. Thus kicked off several minutes of haggling until an agreement was reached. While the younger male picked out his selections, the younger female and benefactor cozied up in a rocking chair to read.
 
After the library, they finally made their way to the café, where the children were delighted to pick out two flavors of gelato for consumption. The younger male went with a confident root beer and vanilla mix, while the younger female chose root beer and watermelon, which she later classified as having a ‘weird’ flavor. They sat outside, enjoying the crisp fall air, until the younger female lobbied to advance down the street to be in the direct sunlight, winning her plea.
 
Once home, the younger female told the benefactor she made her a book and a sheet of ‘emotions’. The book, she described, was a book of happiness for the benefactor to look at if she felt sad. The paper was to be used to determine her feelings. The benefactor was deeply touched by her thoughtfulness.
 
The elder children were MIA all day. Having spent the evening with companions, one of whom was moving overseas, the benefactor tried in vain to contain the older children. They finally arrived home in the early evening, having been on grueling two-hour hike, looking utterly exhausted and miserable. The benefactor felt perhaps this was punishment enough for the moment. In fact, the elder male was so weary that he merely showered and lay down for a short ‘rest’, not seen again for the evening.
 
The benefactor asked the younger male to assist with preparing the ingredients for a special vegetable bread. His one task was to remove the peel of a zucchini. Instead, he took almost half the zucchini flesh with it, claiming he thought the zucchini could not have any green remaining. In jest, he commented that he gave it a ‘circumcision’, where the benefactor had to greater explain the procedure so understood exactly what he had attempted to quip. He then spent 30 minutes searching for his graphic novel, which he misplaced on the baking shelf in his haste to assist, even though he incessantly claimed he placed it somewhere he did not. In light of his stubborn insistence, the benefactor feigned ignorance of its location.
 
It was a lovely dinner and evening, peaceful and lingering. The benefactor felt an enormous sense of gratitude and bliss for such good company, and for such a pleasing day.