Away from Home
One day, Father announces plans to travel to Granite Falls. The reason? Aunt Journey has come of age and my parents hope she might find a spouse there.
There are eligible men closer to home, but Aunt Journey has rejected them all. Many of them are elders, or close to it, and the others have less than desirable traits.
Mother says traveling has a way of generating new possibilities, whatever that means, so off we go.
Fortunately, Mother and Father don’t seem to be in any hurry. It looks like we’ll be staying awhile.
After setting up camp, Father and I go fishing.
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The next day, Aunt Journey and I collect insects.
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Then I collect native plants, many of which I have never seen before.
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Father is fascinated by this large statue. He studies it intently.
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I meet a hermit who teaches me how to brew herbal remedies. I may have found a new passion.
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A few days later, Mother thinks she has found a suitable young man for Aunt Journey.
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His name is Shingo, but everyone calls him Go. Journey and Go. Sounds poetic, doesn’t it?
Journey and Go get to know one another under the watchful eye of Mother.
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The meeting goes well and soon Father is having a serious discussion with his younger sister about her future.
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While Father talks to Aunt Journey, I am left alone with Go. I have to admit, I find him a little odd. He’s family-oriented and neat, but also childish. I don’t quite know how to react when he picks up a rock and starts playing with it.
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All too soon it is time to leave Granite Falls. Otto has developed a case of homesickness, and Mother says it’s about time for us to go back to school.
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Go is invited to visit. He and Aunt Journey are soon married and she moves out.
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I’m going to miss having Aunt Journey living here. The bees are going to miss her, too.
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I guess I will have to help Mother in the garden now. My siblings are still too young. I start by planting the herbs I collected in Granite Falls.
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Notes: The last time the family visited Granite Falls (in Low Tech) it was Spring. Now that it is Summer, Avery was able to collect all of the herbalism plants.