15. You Betta Work B!^&$ #5
“Two teams are dashing across a polished court cradling curling stones like rugby balls. They’re modified with rubber edges for safety, I guess?
Though they still look like they’d hurt if one dropped on your toe.
Quite a few of the players have bruises on their shins and are limping so I guess it’s a contact sport.
At mid-court, the athletes drop low into a curling lunge and then do a kettle-bell swing and launch the rocks into the air.
Their teammates are sweeping and everyone is screaming and oh!
There’s a big basketball net and one of the players sunk the shot.
Incredible. Oh! Oh geez. Get outta the way!
Oh. Oh, no. Okay, so I think I know how the bruises happen.
There’s a stretcher coming onto the court now and… wait, the vision is changing again.”
“Curlketball, hmmm. I think if Pickleball has a future, then Curlketball has one too,” Carrington mused.
“We’re on the water, I think it’s Lake Ontario.
Ronald and Carrington are on the Ark, fairy lights twinkling along its railings and the water lapping against the hull contentedly.
They’re wrapped in a plaid blanket large enough to host a family reunion.
Carrington’s hand is resting in Ronald’s; fingers interlaced in easy intimacy.
A tiny table at their knees is covered with apple slices dipped in peanut butter, chocolate-covered blueberries, candied pecans and flutes of sparkling wine.
They’re laughing, soft and warm, the kind of laughter that comes from knowing exactly when you’ve found the person that feels like home.
As the Ark bobs gently, Ronald leans his head onto Carrington’s shoulder and Carrington tilts their head to rest atop his.
They look destined for a lifetime of sparkle and sport.
Of couture and chaos. Of togetherness–chosen, cherished, and joyful,” Rebekkah exhaled a trembling sigh and whispered, “Oh, they’re going to be so happy. This one? This vision is locked in.”
“Hear that, Ronald? We’re locked in,” Carrington nudged him.
“I’m here for it. Can we get some black liquorice on that snack table, too? Black liquorice goes great with chocolate-covered blueberries,” Ronald noted for his future self. “What about us Rebekkah? Anything you can see through your future goggles about Trinity?”
“Going through a bit of turbulence,” Rebekkah shouted. “Why is it so dark? There’s so many people here! What is going on? Oh geez! Now it’s so bright. Okay, I see Trinity, it’s all three of us and we’re in some kind of dark, wooden structure. And there’s teenagers all around us.”
“It’s a concert!” Japheth guessed. “We’re huge, it’s a stadium concert!”
“The teenagers are all dressed up, like it’s Halloween.
And they’re coming out now, two by two, holding hands.
Two koala bears, two sheep, two Dalmatians, there’s Darth Vader and a zebra,” Rebekkah explained without explaining.
“I think we’re on a movie studio lot. Oh, my goodness, there’s an explosion!
But I think all the pairs of costumed teenagers got out of the Ark.
Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Mmmmkay. I don’t think I was supposed to see that. ”
“What? What happened?” Ronald and Japheth stumbled over each other. “What about the Ark? Why was Darth Vader there? Why are we on a movie studio lot?”
Rebekkah gasped and seemed to emerge from her prophesizing.
“Are you okay? What happens to Trinity?” Japheth asked in alarm.
Rebekkah exhaled and opened her eyes, looking from Ronald to Japheth, “I honestly don’t know what I saw. It wasn’t clear, it was utter confusion and chaos. All I can say with certainty is that we were all there, we were together and there were a lot of teenagers with us.”
“A youth group?” Japheth guessed.
“A basketball team?” Ronald hoped.
“You said a movie studio,” Carrington said. “Maybe you’re gonna be in a movie?”
“Probably a deodorant testing facility,” Suwarna surmised.
“Scientific labs and movie studios are pretty interchangeable; they’re both warehouses essentially.
And all those teens? My hypothesis is that in the future, Trinity may be broke, starving, and as a last ditch effort to scrape together funds for a reunion tour has signed up for an aggressive hormone regulatory review where you’re possibly kept in the dark, paired up randomly for chemistry tests, and your sweat is harvested to gauge effectiveness for the latest Teen Spirit antiperspirant. ”
Carrington squeezed Rebekkah’s shoulder. “Visions are like first drafts,” they said. “You’re allowed to edit for everyone’s safety and sanity.”
“I’m going back under to see if I can see anything else,” Rebekkah said and her eyelids began to dance again as she submerged into a future realm.
“I’m seeing water. Lots of water. Not like a dark river under a murdery bridge. This is… pretty water. Postcard water.”
She sucked in a breath and continued, her vision gaining clarity and the rhythm of her words gaining momentum, “It’s the Thousand Islands.
I can tell because there’re so many trees and the rocks are mugging at me like, ‘we’ve been in a Group of Seven painting.
’ The sun is full golden hour, like it has a crush on everything.
The sky looks airbrushed with pinks and zesty orange hues. ”
Everyone held a hushed quiet, listening intently to Rebekkah.
“There’s a dock, it’s large, wooden and has those bright red lounge chairs that somehow look fancier by a lake.
People are gathered, so many people! All dressed up nice, like the invite read ‘church but make it heyyyy!’.
Linen shirts, floral dresses, a few sequins scattered among the crowd.
Everyone is smiling. Some are crying, but it’s… happy crying. Like tears of confetti.”
Rebekkah squinted with her eyes pressed closed and leaned forward like she was trying to see something a way off. “There’s music. A string quartet, they’re on a boat. Like in Titanic! But in a good way. I’m not worried about them.”
She took a deep breath and brought a hand to her chest, not with sadness, but with something that looked like pride.
“Japheth. He’s out on the water, standing?
No, wobbling, he’s on a paddle board! He’s barefoot, in white linen pants rolled to his calves, a cream shirt open enough to show off his summer tan.
His hair is a little wind-blown and someone’s put a flower crown on him: tiny wildflowers and cedar, like the forest decided to be betrothed to him first. The light is…
oh my God, you guys, the light. It’s magical.
His eyes are huge and wet and sparkly, like he’s both terrified and so excited and so in love with all the love that’s surrounding him and that he knows he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be. ”
“What’s he doing out there?” Ronald couldn’t help but ask. “Does he need help?”
“He’s paddling. Paddling toward… oh.” Rebekkah’s voice softened to a whisper. “Toward Rino.”
“Rino!” Ronald gasped. “What’s he doing there? Is Japheth okay, does he need our help?”
Rebekkah continued without acknowledging Ronald, it wasn’t quite clear how lucid she was to the present moment when in this trance.
“Rino is on his own paddle board, a few yards away. He’s in tailored navy trousers and a white shirt rolled to the elbows, suspenders hanging loose at his sides like he gave up halfway through getting dressed.
There’s a sprig of rosemary pinned to his shirt like an aromatic boutonniere.
His hair is a little longer, there’s a little grey at his temples making him look very distinguished.
He looks… I don’t have the words. Like a man in a cologne ad who took out his paddle board for an afternoon sail because the stock market performed exceptionally well that week. ”
“That was very specific actually. I can see it. She really does paint a nice picture with words,” Suwarna said appreciatively.
“And he’s smiling,” Rebekkah continued, unawares of the compliment.
“Not the ‘I own three dealerships, let’s make a deal’ smile.
The real one. The one that makes him look like someone peeled his armour off and underneath was just…
heart. The two paddle boards drift closer.
The lake laps against them, a gentle encouraging shhh but it doesn’t quiet the guests on the dock and on the beach and from… oh, my God! There’s a houseboat!”
“Of course there is,” Carrington nodded in approval.
“Huge! Two-story, twinkly lights everywhere, potted flowering hibiscus on parade, aunties and uncles hanging over the railing throwing rice like it’s their job. The houseboat is decked out like… The Love Boat and an Italian wedding magazine had a baby!”
“A bambino!” Carrington cooed.
“There’s a big banner strung on the side: Just Married! Appena Sposati! in gold letters. And on the front of the houseboat, Suwarna is standing on the bow in a flowing, white… cape,” Rebekkah revealed.
“My priestess cape!” Suwarna exclaimed. “It’s ceremonial.”
“The cape is doing a dramatic flap in the breeze and Suwarna has her arms out, like she’s blessing the river and the trees and the boulders and the people and this very happy couple. She looks incredible. Like pragmatism meets paganism.”
“Finally,” Suwarna whispered.
“The houseboat is anchored and everyone on the shore is facing the water. Suwarna is giving a little speech to Rino and Japheth as their boards bump together in the middle of this sparkling aisle of sunny water. They steady themselves, a hand on each other’s arm for balance.
The boards wobble just enough to make a few aunts on the dock gasp.
And then, they start exchanging ankle safety straps. ”
“Come again?” Carrington asked.
“Very clever,” Suwarna nodded.