Casual Day
“Having a casual day, Dear?” Laura asked Fenestra.
“Oh, I almost always wear pyjamas at work. Especially now that I am ‘great with kesh’, as they like to say here. I guess you haven’t seen me because I have had other Screenies first.”
“Poor dear. At your age and position. I can’t imagine. It is hard to believe you get any respect in that condition.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem here. They respect pregnant women here. I get all 243 sorts of solicitations. No, if you wish to commiserate with me, speak to me about my daughter… the one you said has gone native. She is a ‘ska’ now.”
“Oh, so she and her boyfriend are finally overnighting?”
“Overnighting in our house, every night, and he is in charge of her every step… or so it seems to me.”
“Well, you are in the same condition.”
“Yes and no. Iloh largely leaves me alone… except for the annoying teaching and constant physical attention. There must be something in the water on this planet. But I do my work, and I am there for him in the evening, ensuring he is well fed and the like… and that is all.”
“But my poor daughter, just starting out in life, being taught that some male is supposed to tell her what to do all the time, and that she is to be physically available to him at all times, and he dictates how she dresses…”
“Yes, I remember that.”
“Oh, that’s not an issue anymore. She enjoys that now. But whether she wears her red skirt or her plaid skirt… he actually will have her go up and change if he doesn’t like what she put on! And food… if he doesn’t like something, she won’t even buy it!”
“She buys your food?”
“Oh, yes. We have a rather nice division of labour. I keep the rest of the house clean, and she does everything having to do with the kitchen: cooking, shopping, keeping it clear. It is a matter of pride for her, you see. Her girlfriends are always exchanging recipes, and if they come over, she had better be the one who has prepared the meal. Why, they came over for Screenies the other day, and she talked about what she was going to make for days beforehand. And did quite a good job, too, as all attested.”
“How is her career doing?”
“Oh, fine. She has that job, I told you, serving at a big park, and she does quite well there. It’s all tips, but they tend to tip well. If you don’t, apparently, it gets known. Good luck getting service. So she is building quite an investment portfolio… which her mother, not because I am her ska-drek-a and in charge of her funds as I would be on Ephemera, but because I have access to such good investments, invests for her and have doubled it several times.”
“And she has her eyes on being a ‘soil engineer’; which I don’t know where she gets it. Well, yes, I do. Her progenitor was quite a brilliant man. It’s why I chose him. Certainly not for his other qualities. Anyway, it is quite a significant field for a developing colony.”
“So she won’t be coming back with you when you graduate from this job, I reckon.”
“Well… I’m afraid not. I’m not even sure that I will leave. I change my mind from day to day. Some days I spend an hour in tears before leaving my bed… not actually, but it feels like it; and other days I am practically in heaven.”
“Well, well, it doesn’t sound like heaven to me. However, I would give a good deal to have your income and home. I play that screeny you sent me from time to time, that tour of your house and yard and the park that you and Jellia put together for me, and I quite envy you.”
“Well, yes. That… and the fact that I am a master trader… is what keeps me going.”
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
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Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:
The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid
and
As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.
Arthur also has a substack, and a website.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Clouds on the horizon...