Introducing Farhead

"Living in this house, I swear, it's like a war was going on not too far down the road."

"What makes you say that, baby?"

"Well, it's loud sometimes. It's just so loud."

Farhead looked up from his computer screen. "Loud? Honey, Toronto was loud. Sirens, dogs, traffic, construction ... so many voices it was hard to tell which one was mine. Honey, this is quiet. I've never lived anywhere this quiet. How could you ..."

"Yes, well you had to commute. In our home it was peaceful."

Farhead listened, frowning. "What is it you're hearing?"

"You think everything a person hears comes through their ears?" she said. "What do you see when you look out that window?"

"But you're not looking out the window. You're ironing."

"Farhead, I swear, and I really hate swearing, if you make light of me again I'll take the first plane back."

"I see the waves. I hear the surf. But that's a soothing sound."

"Farhead, those waves ... when those waves hit the rock it's like a cannon going off. One that's right under us. The whole house vibrates. Oh, forget it. Get your work done."

Farhead went back to work. When he had done and sent the files off to the office in Toronto, he sighed and shut off the computer and went out for a walk. The spray was high in the air that afternoon. Soon his glasses were spotted. He took them off and with a little chuckle flung them in the sea and said, "So much for seeing clearly."

Underfoot he felt the boom his wife was on about. The sea, he thought, even solid granite can't ignore it. And then he chuckled again and began to hum in a way he imagined put him in harmony with the concussions that had set her off.

He had made it here, by God, and that was all. By God and that was all.

10 January 2022
Texas Jim
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
www.granitecoast.ca