The day that never seems to end is a mockery up here on the moon. Here, on the shores of ?Lake- With-No-Water', the day simply never ends. Never. I knew all about ?the dark side of the moon' before we made the move, but I never understood exactly what it meant. I'll explain.
A single orbit of the moon takes 27 and a bit earth days, the same amount of time it takes for it to rotate once on its axis. As a result, half of the Moon's surface is always facing the Earth. In other words, half of the moon is in sunlight 24 hours a day forever. The other half is dark. It has always been dark and it will be dark forever. No one knows what's on the dark side of the moon. One can choose to live in one of 2 suburbs - Nearside or Backside.
Perpetual sunlight is great for our solar-operated things, like my laptop. But on the whole, it's a nuisance. Like when do we sleep? Drawing the curtains helps, but not enough. So for a really good night's sleep, we crank up our moon buggy and drive to a point that is almost, but not quite, on the dark side. Sort of like the end of twilight, but darker. And then we sleep. All of us. My wife and the five children. Like logs. But we wake up in pitch dark, and we have to drive into the sunny side for light. Once we piled into the buggy in our rush to reach the light, and when we got there we discovered that we had left our youngest, Danny, behind. Not a pleasant thing for a small boy. Alone in Backside?
After looking at each other for some time we both decided that there was no danger. We tried to talk to each other, but it was very difficult. His language seems to be words made up only of vowels. We are friends now and he has even brought his family to meet us, but we cannot communicate He keeps pointing at the antenna on his head as though it is a translator but what comes out isn't English. He is interesting and friendly. And he has solved a few problems for us. Water is the main one. We were on strict rations on the tanks of water we had brought with us and my ongoing feeble attempts to build a condensing machine. And along came Joe.
He has remained Joe and after a while even answered to his new name. I managed to tell him that we needed water and where could we find some. He nodded and led us through a series of canyons and passes and finally into an underground tunnel where there is a stream. It is not water. It tastes like that peach-flavored iced tea that one can buy on earth. It's fine to drink and a little sticky to wash or shower with. I laid a long pipe with a sand filter to our sunny-side house so we would have water on tap. And we are used to it now. We all have a peachy deodorant smell about us.
As for food, we are Vegans. Moon-vegans actually. We grow all our food; wheat, nuts, corn, potatoes, peas, carrots and other kinds of food. All came from seeds that we bought with us and which flourish in the moon's atmosphere. If you ever travel to here, ask for our moon-hummus. Great stuff. Moon-beans and oil.
I work as the ?Voice from the Moon' for a syndicated bunch of newspapers. You can see my articles, all written by our ?Man on the Moon'. I write about life on the moon, the weather on the moon and the food on the moon. I have strong connections with earth and answer many questions from readers about life here. Payment for my articles is deposited in my old bank account on earth. I don't need it here. There is no money on the moon. One thing that I don't miss is the taxman, who, despite his various attempts to reach me, hasn't made it across 240,000 miles to collect. The children enjoy their home-tuition lessons delivered by my wife and this keeps her busy and happy too.
We play various games of course. We have a sandy soccer field, a sandy tennis court, a 9-hole golf course with sand greens. The games are exciting. Gravity on the moon is about one-seventh what it is on earth. So a service on the tennis court is never returnable. A full-blooded golf drive is the end of your golf ball ? it's a mile or more away from the tee and if it's offline, it's gone forever. Lately, I've been thinking about putting down a swimming pool. This would be great for the kids. The thought of digging it by hand in loose sandy soil is daunting, but there is no other way. Perhaps I can make something that will fit the back of the buggy and enable me to drag the sand out? It bears thought?
The sound of the tickling of the clock in his room woke him up from his deep slumber. "Oh... My God... It's already 7:00 o'clock" cried Doff as he kiced off the blankets and jumped out of the bed. It was a Summer day and the weather was hot and scorching. By that time everyone were seen busy and preparing for the picnic. "Come on Doff, give a helping hand.. " shouted Jessila, his eldest sister. Doff still in his slumber mood and was yourning at the same time, came forward to help Jesiila. By this time everything was ready and the picnic was about to start. But young Doff, was reluctant to go. He could feel that there was something inside of him blocking him to go. It was a surprised to see him reluctant to go for a picnic as he himself was fond of picnic. But this time he was reluctant and decided not to go. "What's the matter my boy... " cried Silvia his Mother. "I don't want to go for a picnic mom" said Doff. By this time half of the family had already occupied the car and the music too was blasting and jaring for the picnic. "Leave him alone mom.. Let him stay back and look after the cattle at home.. " shouted Joshua his eldest brother. Silvia approached Doff and wiped bis eyes as tears began to run down his cheeks. "I just don't want to go Mom... I'll stay back, please go ahead. " Replied Doff in his sobely voice. "Stupid Doff come fast yeahhh, we have no time, we have so many sites to visit. " Shouted Joshua who was packed with gadgets and ready to blast off with the music. But Doff would not go and no one could persue him to go. Silvia thought that the family picnic would be incomplete without all participating. So Silvia announced a strong announcement declaring that the picnic would be called off. At this Joshua and the rest reacted greatly and infact shouted bad words at Doff. For they knew the reason for the cancelled picnic. Infact Joshua came out of the vehicle with a sudden thud and grasped the neck of Doff thinking of beating him. He was so angry at Doff for he was the cause of the disaster. But Silvia calmed all of them and promised that the picnic would be postponed to another day.
Lately in the evening when everyone was getting ready for the dinner, a news was shown in their TV where the picnic site where they supposed to go was bomblasted by some terrorists. Those who went for the picnic that day were killed and blasted by the bomb. It was indeed a shocked incident where no one expected it. There was a sudden shock in the family of Doff at seeing this news. Had the famy gone for the picnic they would have killed and lost heir lives. At this the mother hugged Doff and kissed him continously. "You save our lives Doff... You are our Hero. Thanks Doff" said the Mother. Then at this one by one came to embrace Doff and thanked him. Thus the whole family was saved from the disaster.cried As the family sat down for the dinner there was a complete silence and no one dared to talk anything. joshuwa'shead was down and he dared not to look at Doff for he was very sorry for his gesture towards his brother Doff.
Even Doff himself was shedding tears for the intuition was indeed true. For he would always have like this kind of intuition and most of them happened to be true. Whenever a Doff recalled back this incident he would always she'd tears and cried. Every now and then Doff would always have this kined of intuition.
Another time there was a similar incident regarding Doff himself. One fine day Doff was digging the field getting ready for the plantation. As he ws working, there was something disturbing him and kept on pricking at the back. It would not release him and let him go. Then Doff stopped from his work and investigated the matter. Later he found out that his neck was bledding. It so happened that when he was born, his sister Jessila had a cut on her neck. Then Doff remembered this and thought that something must be wrong with his sister Jessila. For it was indeed a strange incident where he had never have like this before. And besides that there was no sign of getting cut on his neck except that the blood just ouzed out from his neck randomly. So Doff realised that this was another indication that something must be happening in hi s family. His first memory was his sister Jessila So he left everything in the field and ran towards home. Before reaching home, he could sense that really something mus have gone wrong due to the ambience itself. Just before he enterd the door he heard the srceam of his sister as if gasping for oxygen. Doff rushed towards her room and yo his surprised he found her laying on the floor and there was blood all around her. Doff inquired Jessila regarding the matter of hers. But poor Jessila was no where to answer as her hlaf of her blood was already gushed out. Also on that day the whole family had gone for a funeral to one of the neighbours villages. So only Jessila and Doff wre left at home. Doff with all his abilities took Jessila to the nearby pharmacy. Later with the help of his neighbours Jessila wa taken to the hospital and she was saved. Thus Jessila's life was saved by Doff. Jessila wa very thankful to Doff and later embraced and kissed him affectionately. She knew that Doff was a very peculiar hold in their family even though he might look absent mindedness.
From then on Doff became very popar in their family as well as in the village as a whole. This is all because Doff followed his intuition and persevere it. Thesetso memories happening both during the summer would always pumped in his mind now and then. Doff would never stop crying when ever he recalled back this incident.
"Lets go! It's going to be midnight before we get anywhere" I complained.
"Ah ah ah, come now, I'm working on it."
I laughed. "Sheesh, what did you pack, and elephant?"
He gave me a sarcastic eyeroll, jumping out of the large doorway to the camper van, heading to the passenger side
"About time," I teased as he buckled his seatbelt.
"Shh. Eyes on the road."
I laughed, and pulled out of the driveway. I turned on my music, and rolled down the windows.
I pulled into a parking lot, and I woke up Max, telling him that I'm pulling over for the night.
My legs felt weak as I stepped out of the car, and the night air bit at my nose.
I opened the big door, and Max immediately flopped down onto the air mattress that was on the ground, and I climbed into the hammock that hung over it.
I woke bright and early in the morning and climbed back into the drivers seat, stopping once to grab coffee.
We were now in California, and it was beautiful.
The cactus matched perfectly with the pink sky of the rising sun.
Max woke up around 10:30.
"Damn," he said in a sleepy voice, "how did you wake up so early?"
I turned back to look at him, and smiled, trying not to laugh, but a giggle escaped my lips.
"What?," he asked, looking over himself, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.
"Your hair," I chuckled again.
"Oh," he huffed, rumpling his hair. He climbed up into the passenger seat and turned on music.
"Where are we?," he asked.
"Hmm.. not to far from the Golden Gate Bridge, I think."
His eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah, Is there any other places you would like to stop?"
He thought for a second, "Isn't there that Winchester Mansion?"
"I've heard about that! Sure we can stop."
We ended up staying a lot longer in California than we had originally planned, but we saw some cool things. Like the Golden Gate Bridge, and many of the different beaches in the area, then on our way up to Oregon, we stopped at the Redwood State Park. That was amazing.
We finally made it to Oregon, and we were having a blast. We got so many fun memories, and I finally didn't feel like I had to hide anymore, I stepped out of my comfort zone, out of my shell I had been stuck in for so long. He just came in and scooped me out, and I don't know what I would have done without him.
Since Max came into my life, I really noticed a good difference in my behavior. More... open.
We both were now watching the sun rise in Toketee Falls, Oregon.
We continued to drive all day, only stopping for bathroom breaks and road trip snacks.
I handed him a piece of beef jerky and a Twizzler.
"What's this?"
I gave him a sarcastic look. "Food, dummy," we loved to trash talk each other- it was a weird thing of ours.
He gave the same sarcastic look back, "I know, hollow head, but you eat these as road trip snacks?"
I scoffed, "Uh, duh. I was practically raised on these things when we went on road trips with the family. Now eat it," I picked up a Twizzler and put it in his mouth.
"Nice one," he said after he finished chewing, "I'll admit it."
I nodded, "you know I'm right."
We laughed together, a few miles from the Oregon border.
There wasn't many places that we wanted to stop in Oregon, just Silver Falls and Hot Springs.
We were almost to Washington. The sun just sunk behind the horizon for the night and me and Max were laying on top on the van, looking up at the starry sky.
He sighed a heavy sigh.
"What is it?," I asked.
He shot me a glance, then whispered "nothing."
"Not a chance, what is it?"
He said nothing, just another sigh.
"Maxwell..."
"Ew, I don't like my full name, you know that," he gave me a playful smile and punch on the arm, pausing for a second, then speaking again. "I'm not sure how to say it.."
"However you think is best, I won't judge."
"Promise?"
"Promise," I held out my pinky, and we laughed together when he locked his pinky to mine. But to my surprise he didn't let go of it when he spoke again.
"I- I like you, Sammy, a lot, you're a beautiful girl, and I'm lucky to have someone like you."
I was unable to speak. I felt my face get all hot, and I couldn't look him in the eyes, we had pretty much been childhood best friends.
"I... I really like you to, Max," I whispered.
"Really?," he said, his voice colored with happiness.
I was only able to nod.
He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug and kissed my forehead, he whispered into my hair, "I promise to never hold you back, we can go on a million trips like this one, you can travel the world with me, and me, with you." It was hard not to hear the smile in his voice.
I smiled too, "sounds wonderful.." I paused, "I love you," I tried out the word.
He smiled wide, "I love you too."
To soon, the night was over, and the next morning, we were on our way to Washington.
We had a lot more places to go here, now walking hand and hand.
We stopped-in no particular order-in Seattle, Olympia, Vancouver, Forks, La Push, Snoqualmie Falls, Everett, Port Angeles, The Puget Sound...
When we were finished in Washington, we looped back around to Minnesota, planning to do this all over again.
Not all stories have a happy ending, but I can promise you that this one does. Max and Sammy are happy together, inseparable. They will never grow apart, maybe even grow old together, that's up to you...
It all starts with a chance.
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