Part Fifty

Peggy was a little saddened to discover that the soft light illuminating her front yard when she stepped outside was moonlight. At 5:10 in the morning it was dark enough for a half moon to light up the landscape. Gone, she realized, were the brightly lit mornings with blue skies overhead and brilliant orange skies in the east. Winter, and short days, were approaching fast.

But as the ferry departed and made the turn into Puget Sound, Peggy was relieved to see a smudge of reddish brown, like rusty chalk, in the eastern sky, and a jagged line marking the Cascade Range. At least she would get to see some hint of morning on her way to work.

"Paula, that blouse looks familiar," said Peggy as she poured tea from her Thermos and noted Paula's beige top with the distinctive geometric pattern. She also noticed Luke was more attentive toward Paula; the lunch outing must have melted away some of the frostiness that had lingered from the party.

"I bought this cloth after we had lunch at Pike Place Market," said Paula, holding open her jacket so that Peggy and Florence could get a better look at the blouse. Luke turned his head so sharply that Peggy thought he was going to fall out of his seat.

"But that was yesterday," said Florence. "You made it in one night?"

Paula looked embarrassed. "I get obsessed with these projects."

"That's really impressive," said Luke.

"Thanks," said Paula

"I'm surprised Kelly hasn't gotten a picture of it," said Raoul. "He's going nuts with his new camera."

"As a matter of fact I got some great shots of the market," said Kelly. "Here's one of the old produce stands."



"Those stands have been there forever," said Peggy.

"And check out this produce. It's perfect," said Kelly.



"When did you start going to the market?" asked Paula, looking at Peggy.

"We moved here when I was in my twenties, about your age," said Peggy. "In fact, I remember when the first Starbucks opened at Pike Place Market in 1971. It was just a little coffee shop."

"That one still is a little coffee shop," said Kelly.

"But I'm annoyed that they don't sell the lavender Earl Grey tea anymore," said Peggy.

"Where did your family move from?" asked Paula. "I hope I'm not asking too many questions. I'm always fascinated with how people get where they are."

"I like the way you put that. I guess we're all trying to figure out how we got where we are. My family moved to Ballard from California."

"I didn't know you were one of those California transplants," said Florence.

"I try to keep it a secret."

"Where did your family live in California?" asked Paula.

"Sonoma County, near Sebastopol. My father was a chicken farmer, and he grew some grapes, too. My mother was a photographer."

"Peggy showed me some of her mother's pictures," said Raoul. "They're quite interesting."

"What sort of photography did she do?" asked Kelly.

"Nudes," answered Peggy.

"No," said Florence, raising a hand to her mouth.

"It was quite a sensation, even by California standards. She did all of the shooting right on the farm, so I never knew what to expect when I took my friends over to my house."

"Did you, uh, appear in her pictures?" asked Florence.

"No. In fact the few pictures of me that I have were taken by my father. That was because my mother refused to take snapshots. She had an elaborate camera for art photography and a dark room which I was never allowed to enter until I was about fifteen. That didn't bother me, I didn't like the smell of the chemicals anyway."

"I couldn't resist this shot," said Kelly.



They all laughed. "One never knows when such a service might be required," said Raoul.

"Raoul, how did you end up in Seattle?" asked Paula.

"My parents moved to Seattle from Connecticut. My father was in banking and my mother was a Spanish teacher. My father got transferred here when I was a teenager. I was in high school and I remember having a very hard time with the move. You know, leaving friends and all that. I think big events like that have a lasting effect on you."

"I agree," said Paula. "My father was in the Army and we moved all over the place. I wanted so badly just to settle down and make friends in one place."

"Of course, I can't go to the market without getting a photo of the local musical talent," said Kelly.



"I remember him," said Paula. "He was singing a real sad folk song about itinerant farm workers. It was so timeless."

"Maybe we're all itinerant to an extent," said Raoul.

"And if we could we would retrace our steps to figure out how we got where we are," said Peggy.

"Our how we became what we are," said Kelly.

"You're giving me a headache," said Florence.

"I'm still trying to figure out where I'm going," said Luke.

"Or, do you mean, what you're becoming?" said Paula.

"That's too scary," said Luke.

"This requires significantly more coffee, or something stronger," said Florence.

"Is anyone taping this conversation?" said Peggy.

"What happens when Fate brings people together?" said Raoul. "Do you ever get the feeling that your path and someone else's were destined to cross?"

"But the timing matters," said Peggy. She felt him doing it again. He loved to operate at different levels at the same time. Saying one thing to the group, but saying something silently to her.

"Of course," he said. "Think of someone you've crossed paths with. A year earlier or a year later might have resulted in a different outcome. Because your circumstances might have been different. But when it happens at precisely the right time…Bang. It clicks into place."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Florence.

"Yes, so do I," said Peggy. "But sometimes it takes a certain perspective to see it. It's like the forest and tree problem. You have to take a step back to see what's really there."

They looked at each other and then Peggy looked past him and the city looming into view. The sky had brightened considerably and now it was a hot, burning orange color.

They had just reached a silent understanding, she realized. They were taking a step back to see what was really there. And what, she wondered, did she hope she would find?