Things remembered.

It's interesting the things remembered about events. Sometimes it's
not the significant things or the fantastic things or things that are
noteworthy at all. Of last week I remember coming back from the cafe
in Lliria and passing under a mulberry tree with a few out of season
fruits on it. I remember someone reaching up to gently pick one for me and
hand it to me. I remember the sour, out of season taste of the fruit
was most beautiful thing I've ever tasted, not because of the flavour,
but because it was picked for me.
I remember a water fight and after futile efforts to get past the
hose-wielding madman, I bit the bullet and walked bravely and directly
towards him. Causing him first to point the hose-gun-nozzle thing at
me threateningly, then to quickly drop it and run in fear.
I remember losing my patience at the completely amateur but
enthusiastic gospel choir workshop that i was facilitating because
every time i asked for quiet it only lasted 5 seconds. And completely
wishing that I could hug and apologise to every single person in the
group for raising my voice as soon as the words came out of my mouth.
I wish I was more patient. I wish I thought more quickly than I act. I
wish...
I remember being in the kitchen, talking with a 15-year-old boy and
feeling completely loved and respected as an equal.
I remember holding a 4 month old baby girl with attentive eyes and a
wise smile as I organised the chairs in an obsessive-compulsive manner
and wishing she was mine.
A heart to heart conversation in Spanish with a recently-widowed old
lady while washing lettuce and chopping tomatoes.
I remember games of chess with an equally unskilled partner. Played
with 10-second limits for each move, so that our mutual impatience was
allayed. I was kicked out of the chess club in school. We had to do a
total of 2 extracurricular activities per year, for which we got
credits. I got all 10 extracurricular credits in the first year, but
in second year I still did 12 more. One was chess club. It was on
Mondays at lunch time. I love the idea of chess. The little men with
their own rules. The queen who can do what she wants. etc etc. I hate
the time waiting for my opponent to think of their next move. I hate
the disorderly nature of my thoughts in that time while waiting. I
hate when they make a move that was completely outside of the realm of
my thoughts and expectations. I love chess. I hate playing it with
other people. In school, they lovingly told me that I could have the
credit without finishing off the year's chess games, but please, no
need to come back. They didn't understand that I wanted to play. Last
week, with our special rules, there was no thinking allowed. Moves
were made whimsically and spontaneously, losses of pieces were borne
with goodwill and victory was sweet. I remember these chess games of
last week and wish all my chess games were like that.
That was summer school for me.