The temperature in late September Seattle usually hovers somewhere around the low seventies. A glance at the outdoor thermometer we’ve nailed up outside our house confirms this for me. It’s around 7, and the whole house is lounging around our picnic table, relaxing. The first week back from school never has any super important homework, and the fall evenings are really just too beautiful to waste on any kind of academics.
Piles of stacked dishes litter the table. It’s a better version of the one my brother and I built last year. I made sure to stain and waterproof this one and, as with all second attempts, this one turned out much better. I’m rather proud of it; Marty and I spent an afternoon and some change putting it together.
He’s lounging at the other end of the table, cigar clenched between his teeth and a Jack Daniels in his left hand. His right is gesticulating wildly, attempting to illustrate some technical point of conflict to Erica, who’s sits to his right, along the side of the table. Heather Wise, our only civilian roommate, watches with a vague look somewhere between amusement and confusion.
Cori Smith and her boyfriend, Jake Greenslade, sit to my immediate right. Both regale me with tales of their summer training down in San Diego. Cori rants about how awesome her cruise on a submarine was, while Jake shakes his head vigorously. “It’s too small; you need mole people to run the damn things.”
Marty pauses mid sentence to interject: “I resemble that remark.” The table erupts in laughter.
I sigh and look around at the green of our backyard, the pile of undone dishes, the friends and roommates I’ve made, a slow grin growing over my face. I love New Mexico, I really do, I love being there and I love the people there. But I’ve also grown to love this place, and the people up here too.
School is going to get hectic soon, ROTC will eat up everyone’s time, the world will turn and turn again. But right here, right now, there are six friends gathered around a table, and that’s a truly great thing.
-Doug
“What are you smiling about?”
“I am content.”
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