Chapter 17: Percy

The renovations of the town square progressed just fine. Red Harding introduced me to a welder, a man called Paul that was dating one of his waitresses, and together we managed to make the courthouse clockwork work again. After that, I offered him to keep working with me. We also repaired the plumbing and cleaned the old fountain. Then, we restored Pioneer Square’s Historic sidewalks.

The Mayor was so pleased with our work, that he immediately assigned me a new project to renovate Middletown’s primary school. I also started getting small jobs from the locals too. People commented about what wonderful work I had done with Molly’s inn and the square. Without even realizing it, I was busier than expected and I had to assemble a local working crew with ‘Paul the welder’, as my new foreman.

The crazy, violent, and distracting big city life didn’t appeal to me anymore. In the city, every time I put my feet on the ground I remained oblivious of the connection I had with the earth beneath my shoes. The concrete and the thick layer of tar obstructed my senses from going deep down.

In Middletown, I experienced myself as a part of nature again. The wild natural setting engaged all my primal senses. The air smelled like pines, lavender, and freshness. I listened to the movement of the trees and grass around me and smelled and felt the energy of the mountains.

When I walked in the city, I walked with heavy, rushed, and unmotivated steps, with a strong desire to reach the destination as soon as possible. In the city, it was considered rude to acknowledge another person’s presence as you were going about your business. In Middletown, it was rude if you didn’t.

Laura and I continued sharing a bed, but we were also sharing our lives. She used to fall asleep in my arms. I’d been awake for the last hour watching her sleep and thinking.

She was an early bird like me. I loved to lie on my stomach, watching her getting dressed. When she finished, she sat at my side and said, “I know you are awake, Percy. You’re not snoring. I want to talk with you before you go to work and I get busy with the inn.”