Felicity – A Philosophical Fable [Chapter 25]

Ryder was home. And he was more content than he had ever been. His turn at stewardship had been a success. He had fulfilled his aspiration and performed well. Now he was at peace.

He still spent most of his time on his studies, for he hoped to have a second turn, but he joined in the amusements of the others more than ever before. He danced and played without feeling like he should have been studying.

Sunny tossed the little fabric ball to him and he smiled a blissful smile when he caught it. A moment later he tossed it to Wave.

The five of them laughed as they played. It was good to be home.

Mimi was asleep in her room. Ryder observed the same change in her that the others had noticed. She was only in her room when she was sleeping. When she was awake, she was among them.

Ryder explained to them that she was aging. She was more than halfway through her life. Her age was probably the reason for the increase in sociability. The older she got, the less she liked to be alone.

They listened to Ryder with interest. Never before had they been curious about lore, but now they were. Because it was about Mimi.

Ryder reminded them that the lifespan of a Felicity was only about one-third the length of their lives. They knew, but it was easy to forget. She looked the same as she did the day they captured her. They all did.

“She seems more like a sixth than a Felicity,” said Fae.

Everyone agreed. Everyone except Ryder. He knew what Fae meant and he shared the sentiment. But in fact, Mimi wasn’t a sixth. She was a Felicity. Ryder understood this. And he accepted it.

He enjoyed the time he spent with the others. He took pleasure in their painting and poetry, their music and dance. But what he liked more than anything was when Mimi sat beside him reading as he studied. Just the two of them, sitting together, side-by-side. No sound but the periodic flick of paper as she turned the pages of her book.

He tried it once. It didn’t appeal to him. But he liked the sound of it. It was the sound of Mimi sitting beside him.