I’ve procrastinated on quitting my job for days now. I don’t know what’s held me back. Maybe it’s the fear of what my parents will say. Or perhaps I’m a little afraid of putting my financial future entirely into my own hands. Either way, I pull out my phone with shaky hands, dial the number to my job, and tell my boss that I quit – then and there.
With one burden behind me, I can now concentrate on building my Simtube and doing well in my college courses. I have a presentation due today, and I feel more confident about it now that I don’t have menial work assignments strapped to my back.
I change and go down the stairs to start my day. But there’s a foul smell in the air, with Hiro’s name written all over it. I have to find out what it is.
I step out of the door that separates the kitchen from the courtyard to a smelly surprise left by Hiro. Although it is technically outside, it’s still too close for comfort. I sign heavily, grab a plastic bag, and pick it up, concluding that having a dog around is like having a baby without the benefit of diapers. And now I’m wondering who used to clean up after our dog Belle back home? When Gran gave us Belle, Dad said it was supposed to be my job, but I never actually did it. It’s funny how jobs like that just get done when you live with your parents. Either way, it’s a disgusting task that I’ll never get used to, and now that it’s entirely up to me to do, I have the sudden thought that maybe I owe my Dad some thanks.
I’ve almost lost my appetite for breakfast after Hiro’s mess. But, after washing my hands compulsively a few times, I start cooking anyway. Soon, the smell of bacon overrides my disgust, and I’m suddenly hungry again. Just as I’m finishing up, I see from the corner of my eye that Hiro has made another mess. At least now I can confirm that it’s just water from the rain, not pee. Ugh, there’s always something to clean around here. Maybe I can eventually make enough money to hire a maid.
After a quick once-over with the mop, I leave the house for the Foxbury Satellite campus feeling more annoyed than nervous. However, once I arrive on campus, I put all my negative emotions behind me and focus on my presentation. I’m sure I nailed it, and the feedback I receive afterward confirms it.
After I return home, I put Hiro on a leash and go out for a jog. But this one won’t be long because I’m supposed to meet Maia on Deadgrass Isle in less than an hour for that lighthouse tour.
The easiest way to get to Deadgrass Isle is to take the ferry, which is a bit adventurous on this rainy, overcast day.
Maia is waiting for me when I arrive. I guess she took an earlier ferry. She’s casually dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and an oversized jean jacket, making me slightly overdressed. But then I remind myself this isn’t a date, so I shouldn’t have expected more from her.
Wade: Am I late? Have you been waiting for a while?
Maia: No, I had some things that I needed to take care of, so I came early.
I can’t imagine what she had to do here. There isn’t much around, and the rain rules out our planned visit to the lighthouse.
Wade: So what’s there to do here?
Maia: With this rain – maybe we should check out the museum first. If lucky, the rain will stop soon, and we can finally visit the lighthouse.
Wade: Sounds good to me.
Maia leads me into the museum while giving me an overview of the history of Deadgrass Isle. Once we arrive at the first exhibit, she continues.
Maia: This is a miniature model of the Isle. You can see the museum, which was once the lightkeeper’s residence. *Maia points* Right there is the lighthouse and the famous pet cemetery at the Isle’s edge.
Wade: Why would a pet cemetery be famous?
Maia: A ship crashed during a storm and sunk near the shores of Deadgrass Isle. The only survivors were a lifeboat full of cats and dogs; the descendants of the crash are the stray cats and dogs you see wandering around today. When a pet dies in Brindleton Bay, it’s tradition to bury it near its ancestors in the cemetery. One of the cemetery’s most known residents is a dog named Captain Whitaker that once belonged to a man also named Captain Whitaker. Residents say that the ghosts of both Captain Whitakers haunt the graveyard at night.
Wade: Is the man buried there too?
Maia: No, just the dog, but he still wanders the graveyard, searching for his long-lost pet. Others say that if you visit the cemetery at night and find the ghost of Captain Whitaker’s dog, you can befriend him, bring him back to life, and adopt him.
Maia seems to get a lot of joy from reciting this history. She sounds like she has lived here in Brindleton Bay for years. Although enjoyable to listen to, her story is obviously fiction.
Wade: What? I call bullsh*t.
Maia: Yeah, well – some long-time residents believe that myth.
Based on Maia’s conviction, I’m wondering if she believes it. She pauses and leads me to another exhibit within the museum.
Maia: Remember, I said the museum was once the lighthouse keeper’s home? Over several centuries, the lightkeepers of Dreadgrass Isle were responsible for maintaining the lighthouse as a beacon for ships making their way into Brindleton Bay.
Wade: If there was a shipwreck, they must not have been very good at their job.
Maia: Maybe, but this small corner is all that remains of the original residence.
Wade: What happened to the rest?
Maia: They tore it down to build this museum.
I turn my attention back to the exhibit.
Wade: It looks like the lightkeeper was paid. How does one become a lightkeeper anyway? And how do they make a living?
Maia: The job is unnecessary nowadays; I’m sure they were paid government employees.
Wade: But that wouldn’t be enough to own an island. Maybe they intentionally shut the light off from time to time to cause shipwrecks and collect the treasure.
Maia: Assuming that there was any treasure. Most of the ships that arrived in Brindleton Bay were cargo ships carrying materials for the factories.
It amuses me how Maia turns my bad joke around and uses it to deliver more facts. It’s cute and shows she can conjure something profound from even the silliest responses.
Wade: I guess you have a point. What’s next?
Maia: Can I show you something I’m proud of?
Something that she’s proud of? Heck yes. I want to see whatever it is.
She guides me to the aquarium room and stays a few steps behind while I slowly look around at the fish. What’s to be proud of here? Is this like a game of hot and cold? Will she tell me when I get close to whatever she wants me to see? It makes me slightly anxious because I don’t want to overlook whatever I’m supposed to see, so I try to turn my discomfort into another joke.
Wade: Let me guess – the ghost of the late great Captain Whitaker and his dog caught all of these fish.
Maia: Ha! Not exactly.
I turn a corner, and what she wants to show me is as blatant as a hard slap.
I’m looking up at a large picture of her.
Wade: That’s you!
Maia: *humble smile* It is.
Wade: But why did they hang a picture of you here?
Maia: Because of the frogs. I caught each one of them.
I look down at the many tanks in front of us. There are easily over a dozen. I follow them down the row and up a short flight of stairs where even more frogs are displayed. I’m not into frogs, but obviously, somebody here is if they made room to show them all.
Wade: So, no shit. You caught all of these frogs with, like – your bare hands?
I want to add ‘ew’ to that statement, but judging by her big smile, that wouldn’t go over well.
Maia: I did! It took some time, but I finally found and completed a collection of all these frogs. There are more, but the museum only wanted the rare and uncommon varieties.
Wade: So, is that what you do? Hunt down and collect animals?
Maia: No. I work as a freelance crafter, but from time to time, the museum pays me to come and teach visitors to the museum about the frog collection. That’s why I was here early today. They wanted me to speak to a class on a field trip. I give them fun facts and dispel myths, such as the common belief that frogs cause warts.
I’m glad she cleared that up before I made a fool of myself by saying it. I look around at the extensive collection of frogs again. You couldn’t pay me to touch one, warts or not – but this collection is impressive.
Wade: Wow! That’s what’s up.
I can see why she’d be proud of it.
We leave the aquarium and step back into the lobby. There’s a sign pointing to a coffee shop upstairs. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but maybe I can order a hot chocolate.
Wade: Want to grab something before we go?
A funny look crosses her face.
Maia: No thanks! Let’s see if the weather has cleared up.
(Generation 4 Chapter Summaries)
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