"I'm going out to Queen Esther's place in Bayshore this morning. I want to get some custom tea. You want to ride with me?" These were the words Ms. Wonder said to me when I emerged from the dream machine one weekend morning.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not quite fully awake and I thought I heard you say something about Queen Esther?"
Here we go again, I thought. So many things in so few words. You know how I like to get things right. I mean, Queen Esther? As far as I'm aware, there was only one Queen E., and 'she came to her position for such a time as this,' according to King James. However, I doubt the original Queen Esther came to her position by brewing custom tea blends for her husband.
The Wonder had me at "ride with me." I never refuse an opportunity to ride shotgun when she drives--I was all in. Beyond that, I happen to know that Bayshore is just off Ocean Highway, and that highway is the most scenic on the coast.
It's difficult, if not impossible, to choose an ocean route that isn't scenic. In fact, you'd have to deliberately drive with your eyes closed to avoid the scenery, which I don't recommend for reasons I don't recommend riding bicycles using no hands.
Fortunately, I'm discovering there are times to speak up and there are times to shut up. This time was one of the latter. By the way, are you impressed with my personal growth? I know I am, even if I'm alone in thinking it.
The scenic route took us to Queen Esther's Apothecary, where the namesake provided us with a jarful of sea moss and a couple of bags of custom tea tailored to our individual needs. Mine was labeled "Shut Up and Listen Blend"--apparently Esther is not just an herbalist; she's also psychic.
As we exchanged goodbyes, Kendel and Buster entered the shop. Buster held a placard (I think that's what it's called--maybe it was a poster or even next week's lottery numbers for all I knew). He began urging me to hold the thing and pose for photos. Then, swinging a hidden camera from his hip like some sort of artistic gunslinger, he began focusing the lens and giving me directions.
"Yeah, that's it," he said, snapping the shutter. "Now smile--give me a big ole' smile. Right there! Perfect." It seems I'll be the model for next week's social media campaign, called 'Just Make Art.' I couldn't help but think Buster might just as well have said, 'Just stand there looking confused.'
Finally, he put the camera away and took the placard out of my hand, and Kendel held up a swag of t-shirts. "Help yourself to a free shirt," he said. "Which one do you like?"
"I'll take the red one," I said.
"Yeah," said Buster. "Red is good. The green might be too much color for you."
It was the first time I'd heard that green is more colorful than red. You may be better informed about the color hierarchy. It's a mystery to me, but it didn't matter; it was a free t-shirt and who am I to question the color philosophies of someone who gives me free clothing?
"What a great day," I said to Wonder as we drove away.
"Let's stop at River Pottery," she said. "They're going out of business and selling everything at discount prices. "Well, you heard her--I had no choice; she was driving. The words "discount prices" have the same effect on Wonder that "free food" has on a college student.
She decided to walk the store in one direction, and she sent me in the other. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, but apparently, it's better if I don't accompany her when she's shopping. Something about my sighs being "too dramatic."
As soon as I turned the first corner, I heard someone yell, "Genome!" But I ignored it, thinking I hadn't heard correctly--the thought never entered my mind that I might stumble over someone I know.
"Genome!" said the voice again. This time I assumed there was another Genome in the store and kept walking. Because what are the odds of running into someone you know in a pottery store? Now I think about it, the odds must be about the same as finding two people called Genome.
But the voice didn't give up easily. He circled around and headed me off at the pass. It was my old friend Cisco from Chatsford, proving that either the world is smaller than we think, or I'm not as invisible as I sometimes want to be.
You may not remember Cisco—he's mentioned in some of my older posts—but I'm sure you remember Chatsford. I wrote some of my best work there and have fond memories of the place. We had a great old meetup at the Pottery, and he agreed to meet Island Irv and me at Egret's next Sunday.
What a day! It began as a simple tea run but turned into an impromptu photo shoot, a lesson in color theory I'm still trying to understand, and a surprise reunion. Some might call it just another day in paradise, but I call it another adventure with Ms. Wonder--where even a "quick errand" becomes a story worth telling.
I'm beginning to suspect, between my "Shut Up and Listen" tea blend and my apparently-not-too-colorful red t-shirt, the universe might be trying to tell me something--she often does try, but I never understand what she's talking about. I'll ask The Wonder about it, I'm sure she'll have some useful insight to share.