Banks Dynasty – Day 52

Sometimes I wish I could be more like Mama Nadine…waking up the house with song while cooking a professional-quality meal. But I’m stuck being me and I’m lucky if I don’t burn the eggs. I still think about those early days though and I often find myself missing them.

It’s fall here in Oasis Springs, but it’s still hot like summer. Q decides to move the treadmill inside for his morning run…although he was born and raised in the desert – even he’s not totally immune to the heat.

Peri comes upstairs dressed and ready for school. I check in while I continue preparing breakfast…

Alida: Did you finish up all your homework?

Prosperity: Yes…daddy helped me finish it yesterday. Remember?

Alida: Oh…yeah. Sorry, I forgot.

I bring Peri a plate and sit down next to her with my own food.

Alida: How are you feeling about going back to school today?

Prosperity: Uh…greenish yellow. I can’t wait to see my friends.

I’m curious about the whole color thing.

Alida: Why did you say greenish-yellow when I asked you how you feel?

Prosperity: *confused* What do you mean?

Alida: If you ask me how I feel…I’d say happy or sad or maybe even mad. But you always mention colors. Why?

Prosperity: I don’t know…

I can feel Peri shutting down a bit. Maybe she doesn’t realize that describing feelings with colors is unusual.

Alida: It’s not a bad thing, Peri. Mommy just wants to know more about it. Do you want to talk about it?

Prosperity: I don’t know how.

Alida: Can you try?

Prosperity: Everything has colors…I see them everywhere and I feel them inside.

Alida: So a green day is a happy day?

Prosperity: Not all green though. Only bright green like the trees. There are some icky dirty greens mixed with yellow that makes me feel shaky inside. Like when the monster was under my bed.

Alida: So shaky…as in afraid.

Prosperity: Yeah…I guess. I don’t know.

I can sort of understand what Peri is saying, but I’m having trouble translating it…just like she is. If Q and I want to better understand her, we have a lot of work to do. I’d like to talk more with her about it, but for now…it’s time for her to go to school. She heads outside to wait for her bus.

I think more about Peri’s colors as I jump on the treadmill. It can only imagine what it’s like to feel in color. Like right now, I’m feeling a bit exhausted. I wonder what it would be like to see that in like a purple or maybe a gray.

Lost in thought, I accidentally set the treadmill on too high of an incline and fall flat on my face. The running belt continues to turn rubbing against my cheek in a painful way. This has to be red…I can’t imagine it being anything else. I turn off the treadmill and get off immediately after that.

While I get cleaned up and dressed for the day. Q finishes another beat, then picks up a new hobby…guitar.

It’s time to find another freelance project to work on, so I join Q in the office. Finding jobs is easy, but sometimes the actual job can be a pain…especially if the instructions aren’t clear. I have an opportunity to earn § 6,250 for my next job, but it won’t be easy…at all. I’m so stressed about it that I think I may need my old anxiety-relieving bubbles to get through it.

Peri comes home feeling a mix of colorful emotions. She’s slowly discovering that school isn’t necessarily about fun, but more about doing a bunch of work that she’s not necessarily interested in. It doesn’t help that art is reserved for the very end of the day…and only if the class behaves and finishes all of their assignments during the early part of the day.  Today is one of those days where that didn’t happen.

She immediately goes to her block table to make up for that, but can only stay out there for a little while. She’s not immune to the heat at all.

Luckily Peri has a backup plan that involves the art table inside her bedroom. She goes inside and works hard at creating a colorful scene. She feels much better.

I’m barely able to get started on my next job before I’m forced to take a bubble break. This job is going to be a big headache and I regret choosing it, but I refuse to give up. I’m definitely missing the bubble lounge in Strangerville where Q and I spent a lot of time while we were still dating. I may have to pay our old stomping grounds a visit soon. It’ll also give me a good excuse to visit Michelle.

It’s been a long day and we’re all tired. I start dinner early. We sit down and eat…then head to bed – although Q and I spend a bit of time doing other things that don’t immediately include sleep.

(Generation 1a Chapter Summaries)