Chapter Two
Sk'lar and Julsey had gone to Festival dressed casually, not looking for nor expecting to meet anyone. Festival was a great was for late high school to college age people to meet members of the opposite, and sometimes the same, sex, so people going to Festival would normally dress in either their regional colors or in trade or guild or collegiate clothing so people knew where they were from or what their vocation was. It was considered a form of introduction, a way to give people a subject matter to discuss to break the ice among strangers, like wearing a name tag at a party, and was also a showing of pride for on'es home, trade, or school.
If people weren't interested in finding companionship or talking much, they wore loose fitting clothing in plain colors, if they were, they advertised. There were signs people would wear that described them to others. Women would wear light pink if they were interested in dating and red if they were taken. Men would wear something light blue if they were looking and dark blue if they were taken, or they could also wear yellow, meaning they weren't looking necessarily but were open to making new friendships. A rainbow band was for someone who was looking for someone of the same sex, and a green band meant someone was interested in casual conversation but nothing more. Wearing colors were common mostly for those 35 to 40 or younger, and very common at Festival for those 15 to 30 more normally. No color displayed or something white or light and neutral meant that a person did not want much interaction and didn't have their hat in the ring. These were basics of social interaction.
Julsey was dressed simply in a long flowing cream colored jacket which was almost as long as the skirt underneath. It hid the more voluptuous contours of her body. Sk'lar had on simple, thick fabric tan jeans, almost the same design as standard classic blue jeans had been, just in a different color, and built with utilitarian pockets like pre-collapse tactical pants or cargo pants had been. He had on a thick flowing off-white cotton shirt and a gray shark hide vest he had tanned himself with his father's help when he was 16. It gave him a sense of his being tied to the sea, but was still simple enough to be considered as “not advertising” wear. The custom was similar to the Amish men using beards to advertise if they were married or not, or the use of rings on left hands in the past. These two were going to Festival because they were being dragged to it to a degree, and they both just wanted to hear music, and eat and drink, that was the extent of it for them.
The Festival of the Harvest, which was simply known commonly as “The Festival”, was the biggest regional event of the year, an there had to be 50,000 people there. Sk'lar went into a spirits shop to get Lawrence and himself a few icy brews for the concert on the green. While he was choosing a beer he turned to his right and their she was. Their eyes met and the two were simply locked in time and space for a moment, it was one of those magical “love at first sight” meetings everyone always romanticizes about, but which in fact is much more rare. There was a emotional nakedness and sense of recognition that was mutually exchanged between them. Colors and the social custom of colors just didn't apply here. Each knew immediately that there was more than just a physical attraction, but a familiarity that felt like like looking into a mirror and knowing one's own face. The part that was humorous about all of this was that these two were both well guarded individuals, and with one glance that was gone and the personal quest to find someone special that completes a person was over for them; that each had completely surrendered to the other, and both knew they had won by doing so. The fact that this happened when they were dressed so simply would confused everyone but them. They word their ribbons in things seen on a much deeper level.
“Hey Yo, most 'mazing eyes I've ever.” were his first words to her. As much as he felt awkward he was overwhelmed by the need to say something not to allow this moment to pass.“Hey, I'm Julsey, eh?” she introduced herself, glad he had started talking to her. “Sk'lar.” He introduced himself and continued. “C-c-coolness. Like to hit Festival with me?” he asked. “Yusss, think 'dat sound nice” She answered as she lit up to a glow, dipping her shoulders and looking upwards a little with a gesture or happy anticipation. They automatically knew they were right for each other, felt the mutual attraction, that the person and personality before them was a perfect fit, and that the other particulars of likes and dislikes, and habits and beliefs, were just finer details that were nuances to be discovered, enjoyed and shared, or known and respected; that the root of who each other truly was on the inside seemed as if it had been custom tailored to fit each other.
They had each come with friends, each of whom had witnessed this exchange and just watched in absolute amazement from about 6 meters away. “Your friend o'er there big brotherin' us?” Sk'lar asked. “Yussss. Beth; that dude next to her.....” “Yeah-yeah, that'd be Lawrence. Waay tight him n- me, like a brother.” There was a brief pause as they slowly turned away from this distraction, a break in interaction like taking a breath before diving again. “Ditto for Beth” she turned further to face the clerk, pulling out some coin to pay for the bottle of wine she went there to buy, then she cocked her head back and looked him dead in the eyes, no longer playing the eye darting game of bashful contact. “Hope they find common ground and can speak, yo. I wanna invest some time witcha.” Translated, she just said that basically that she hoped they both would like each other and could find something to talk about, that she hoped her friend would be busy with his friend talking and getting to know each other so she could have some time with Sk'lar. Sky smiled like a Cheshire cat. The manner of speech, the language, even the accent all were basic American English, but the grammar, slang, inflections and colorful use or words were like a colorful dance, and they danced well together. The flamboyance of interactive speech when first meeting was a way of showing interest, and they was no mistake they were doing that.
They finished their business with the spirits merchant and walked together to the friends they had come to Festival with. “Lawrence, meet Julsey, eh? This-is Beth, her bud. Yo Beth, I'm Sk'lar.” Sk'lar banged it out so names made it all the way around the foursquare circle there near the front door of the store. Julsey added from there. “Lawrence, straight-up cool t'meet ya.” Then Beth and Lawrence looked at each other and one said “yop” and one said “hey”, but who said which is a forgotten mystery that doesn't matter anyway. “Let's catch some sounds” Lawrence suggested, happy his friend had found someone, he even found female companionship for him in the process. “Yusss” Beth responded, followed by a “way yessss” from Julsey. Neither friend had been consulted about this change in plans before it happened, but what could they say? One look at the pair and anyone would assume they had been together for a while despite having just met less then ten minutes earlier, and you'd have an easier time stealing a meaty bone from a starving dog than separate them from each other.
On the walk to the green in the park, with a love ballad playing in the distance, their hands sort of just fell into each others' and they easily just started telling each other stories about who they were, where they came from, what they believed in, what their likes and dislikes were. The conversation of the afternoon centered upon their interaction or maybe a brief comment on whatever song was playing; Lawrence and Beth only being able to insert little bits of conversation or comment here and there, each one of them like a third wheel. Finally Beth said to Lawrence in a low tone “We're not wanted in any of that conversation, right?” Lawrence shrugged his shoulders and said “Oh, well, is what it is..... so, you've been to Festival before I take it?” They started their own conversation.
They found a place to watch the pianist on stage, and Sk'lar put his spontaneous date upon his shoulders so she could see better. He stood above the crowd and she below. Lawrence thought obligated to do the same for Beth but she was taller and help up her palm and shook her head “no”, and they stood side by side with Julsey and Sk'lar a little in front and to the left of them. They both noticed how Julsey was using her index finger to trace little circle above
Sk'lar's thumb as they held hands with her perched on him. They both smiled as they stood or sat and watched the various musicians together. The afternoon of listening to music and drinking wine evolved, and their suspicions about each other were confirmed more and more, that they fit each other really well. Lawrence and Beth also had a kind of chemistry between them. They were both on the slightly rude and arrogant side, so they were playfully confrontational with each other. From then on for some time no one would know if they liked or hated each other.
Festival was over at sunset, and Mark posed the question on his mind. He didn't want this to end, and made a bold, spontaneous suggestion. “Just got some land sideby Navesink Bay. Think maybe coming down and investin' time with me there, yo? Week or two maybe.” The response was instantaneous. “Yussss, just need some things ta-go with -nd let my ma and daddy know first. Yous come ta my home meet'em first? Then we go down the Shore, yo?” Sk'lar couldn't contain the happy expression on his face. “Excellent, coolness, waay..” he said, slight pauses inbetween, and they started their way back to The Great Falls in Patterson to meet her parents and for her to pack a bag.
After the short street tram ride across town to the Hub, Sk'lar bid goodbye to Lawrence and Sk'lar joined Julsey and Beth on the ride back to her her home in the North Jersey Province. The train passed through small villages and towns which had sprung up amidst the ruins of the urban sprawl which once was spread out through the entire region. They fell asleep and missed their stop, and disembarked when the train reached the end of the line in Ridgewood. They used a “go car” to get back to Patterson. Go cars were small electric cars a little bigger than old golf carts used to be and were free to use so long the privilege wasn't abused.
After they got off the train, their speech became a little less inflected with the flamboyant style of youth. Colorful speech was very popular with the young, it sounded cool and used inflections of tone and conjunctions and abbreviations which made it fun, but there was a more academic form of speech which was much more common. The codes of dress and trends in speech were social tools the young put on and served the function of a peacocks feathers of a songbird's song or dance in mating. It was designed to impress, to dance through conversations, to have a fluid almost poetic tone to it and to impress. It worked well. The use of wit was equally important in this process. This nuance of custom worked to impress by being artful in conversation and human intercourse. There didn't seem to be any need to impress each other between them though, no reason for a protracted courtship. Verbal interplay could seem forced, but they found they were just simply on the same page automatically.
“So, check it; I'm vested in this project now, been working to restore a fish called salmon to the ocean and rivers. A-lantic ones been gone since the Reset, and I got Pacific ones sent from university out there. If done right, loads of fish 'ill be swimin' upstream every year, just net the rivers and save eggs from females for next generation, and it keeps repeating.” Mark explained the gem of his many projects to them.
“Like that, sounds sharp. I'kin skip classes -nd do others onweb and not slip much. I'll spend some time n'see how it all fits, how we fit.” Julsey stated clearly. “I've got a few things I want to see come from what I'm doin', but it's like I've known you forever and belong with you. This is blowing my mind, I don't do this impulsive stuff. It's not my normal.” Julsey was amazed at herself making such a rash decision that was so out of character for her, and it almost sounded as if she was second guessing her decision aloud. Sk'lar looked away for a moment, then back at her and smiled. Beth just sat silent, this was waaay tooo serious for her. They both didn't even seem to notice she could hear everything being said, they just were honest enough not to need to hide anything.
“Never though for a fraction of a second I'd meet anyone and feel so much so fast. I wasn't lookin', don't need n-ny 'stractions in my life either. Lot's ridin' here, but it is what it is. Up to meetin' you at Festival it felt like somethin' was missin' and I didn't know what. Makes sense now.” Sk'lar admitted. Julsey smiled as they were pulling into the driveway of the gocar parking lot, which ironically was right next to the train station they had slept past, all about a kilometer away from her home at the Great Falls Generating Station. In addition to hydroelectric, Marcus Paul had the vision to build wind turbines to store energy in the form of hydrogen which generated by the excess energy generated by hydro or wind which went unused in non-peak hours. He had them erected wind turbines on nearby Garret Overlook just to the south of their home, and Julsey, with the help of her mother Lucinda, had been trying to restore seed stocks of rare plants and plants which were endangered, rare, or no longer common in agricultural use inbetween the turbines. The hydrogen was produced from water above the falls, and was starting to be stored then shipped to more rural farms and villages that wasn't part of any electric grid, and for hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles, which were replacing the last of the combustion based engines.
They walked a block north diverting a little to walk Beth home. Beth had felt like a fly on the wallpaper pretty much since the two hooked up at Festival, even moreso on the train ride, and now especially as Julsey and Sk'lar were walking her wrapped upon his right arm. Sk'lar noticed Beth and sensed she felt left out, so he shrugged Julsey off just a little and looped his arm and elbow, then looped his left so his hands were on his hips at his sides turning him into a human sugarbowl. “Yo, over here and sideby” he told Beth with a demanding smile. “Apologize for stealin' this'un here all day, but I had to, couldn't be helped. Striaghtup fits, ya think.?” Sky concluded with a playful smile. Julsey leaned her head forward to look Beth in the face and smiled. “Yusssss.....” she beamed. Beth tilted her head and smirked. “K.” is all she said, forgiving them for basically ignoring her the whole way home and the bulk of the day. The conversation went to the songs and musicians they had heard and seen that day, like a review and recap. All Beth said as she kissed cheeks goodbye to her friend was “yous guys look good together”.
The walk to the old keeper's cottage was made at a much slower pace, as if neither one wanted to see the moments of shared solitude end. Julsey was explaining to Sk'lar how all this might upset her parents, and to wait until morning to tell them that she was heading out the next day to spend at a minimum of two weeks away from home with someone she had just met earlier that day. She could see her father up reading through the large plate glass window as they approached the old stone, wood, and slate cottage. She opened the heavy, old, Kelly green oak door and they went inside. “Daddy, this is Sk'lar. We met at Festival and I 'sisted he come home with to meet you -n mom. I 'vited him to spend the night.” Marcus looked surprised, but not at all upset.
“Honored, Sir...” Sk'lar let out eagerly as he extended his hand.
“Same, call me Marc or Marcus, or Mister Paul, whatever.” Marcus Paul set out how he wished to be addressed as he took Sk'lars hand and grasped it in a firm shake, looking him over, and noticing the young man presented himself without flinching.
“Yes, Sir...... Mister Paul.” Sk'lar said with humility and respect.
“Preich, but not Sir, please. I already feel like I'm getting' too old, too fast.”
Sk'lar smiled and shook his head in acknowledgment of the request.
“Sounds like this one was raised old ways, Jules. How'd ya' find him?” Marc asked jokingly.
“We just found each other, daddy. Turned and he was next to me and we been sideby since 'cept for bathroom breaks.” Julsey explained with a little laugh as Sk'lar seemed to ever so slightly blush. He said softly so the young man wouldn't overhear, “Met mom that way, Jules. Took my breath from me, still does.”
Julsey rose her right hand to her father's left cheek and with her hand somewhere between an open cup and a loose fist brought the tips of her fingernails and knuckles sliding slowly and softly down from his temple to his chin. Open displays of affection were common in their home. She did this with her head tilted in admiration. “Don't ma
ke your daddy into a mush pot” was Marc's only protest or defense. He was uncommonly bashful at the moment. She reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek, and when she was done she reached up her lips to his ear and whispered, “Don't worry daddy, that secret is safe. I love you.” Not to break his attempt at a harder persona, Marcus simply excused himself for the evening. As he started walking up the stairs to rest by Lucinda's side he leaned back to watch the young man sitting in the breakfast nook at his little girl began making them both tea. He for an instant had a vision of the mannerisms and positions of the two, and realized this was a mirror vision of Lucinda and his' first night in this cottage, which had been his home for 16 years now. He felt very comfortable with this young man. His little girl was growing up, and he realized she was a woman now.