As I noted in a previous entry, I have returned to my childhood home for Christmas. This time last year it was much quieter, but this year several distant family members, most of which I have never met, were staying for the holidays. They were amicable enough I suppose, although Mother had already given my room to one of them by the time I arrived.  It was no issue however, as I simply have been staying in one of the unused guest bedrooms.

I didn’t think Marge would be up for taking care of so many people, she looks unusually frail this year. She was cheerful as ever though, with all her usual energy and volume intact. She was delighted to have more people to take care of.

That woman’s maternal instincts know no bounds.

Yesterday evening I took Green Dragoon’s advice from my previous entry and decided to share with mother my journeys. I’ve taken many more photographs than I have kept in this journal, but I showed her only the best ones. I told her of the Third Age and of T. I showed her my sketches and she laughed at my foolishness for taking the camera into the Age. She didn’t even blink when I explained linking to her. Perhaps she doesn’t believe me, otherwise she does not fully comprehend it. She complimented my sketches of the natives of the Third Age, saying my life studies have gotten much better since I was a child and I refused to go to my after-school art classes.

I suppose I never had anything interesting to draw back then..

Her reaction when I admitted to her about my testing experience in the ruins of Ae’gura was altogether unexpected, as she only laughed louder! Mother, the overprotective matriarch, only laughed at me, and told me what I did wrong, and what I did right. She countered with a story of her own about getting lost in the mountains in some unpronounceable country when her native guide disappeared in the night with all their supplies! I didn’t find it quite as amusing, but maybe I should have..

My mother scolded me for taking such a huge risk, climbing the Ahnonay spheres for the shot of the waterfall. She said it was “a silly risk” for a photograph. I completely agree, but who else can say they have done the same? I’m still proud of that one!

Father, as usual, stood across the room from us as we shared stories. He seemed on edge, and was overcompensating to hide it. Perhaps he is jealous? I don’t think Father ever looked at the world as Mother and I do. He sees things in a very specific way. A way he felt it appropriate to remind me of when I mentioned the empty Cavern.

“Those damned fools wasted so much money on a silly dream,” he huffed, “Well, you’ve spent your inheritance already, son”.

I should have felt insulted, but I was surprised to find I was simply happy to hear him call me “son”.

Back to the Cavern after New Years. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I know I said that exact phrase almost exactly a year ago, but a Journey tends to take its own path. The mistakes I’ve made, and the successes too, have taught me that.