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Chapter Four
July 17, 2009 | Filed Under River | Leave a Comment
River walked briskly against the San Francisco chill.
“Five more minutes, c’mom, ‘mon.” she murmured to herself as she impatiently pushed the crosswalk button.
She glanced up at the the towering First National Bank digital clock. 4:56 PM. If she wasn’t at the organic produce stand in four minutes Eduardo wouldn’t hold her standing order. The thought of another family enjoying her pesticide-free rosy mangoes made her ill.
As soon as the light changed River broke into a run and dashed through the farmer’s market almost knocking over an elderly woman and unattended lightweight stroller.
She spotted Eduardo. He was mid-transaction, handing a large paper sack to a waiting customer…was that her bag?
“WAIT!!” she yelled, attracting the attention of all within a 50-foot radius.
Eduardo, startled, turn to see a frazzled River, one hand up as if saving the world from annihilation.
He immediately dissolved into bellowing laughter so vigorous he doubled-over, his white apron strings coming undone.
River stormed the stand. “Did you give away my fruit?”
“No, loca!”
Eduardo reached behind a wooden crate and pulled out a medium-sized paper bag nearly bursting with brightly colored, fragrant produce.
River didn’t even appear sheepish as she breathed a deep sigh of relief and handed Eduardo a $20 before transferring the goods to her bags.
“Thank you! See you next week!”
She didn’t seem to notice how he shook his head in disbelief.
Later as River was seated on the packed subway BART train leaving San Francisco for the more spontaneous streets of Berkeley she giggled recalling the look on the assumed fruit-napping customer’s face. She’d probably given the woman a story to tell her friends: a frightening interaction with an obvious “crazy East Bay-er.”
The train dipped out of sunlight and River was engulfed in darkness as the passengers whooshed through the tunnel underneath the Bay waters. River closed her eyes and pretended, as she always did, that she was being born. While others gripped their seats and clung to the metal poles, River let her body grow limp against the bumpy contractions and waited for the transportation labor to bring her home.
Black turned red as she felt the light hit her eyelids. She scrambled to gather her belongings before jumping onto the platform. Before she could turn to find the stairs a strong arm grabbed her and a man’s rough cheek met her soft one.
“Welcome back to reality,” the voice whispered in her ear.
She turned to kiss her husband, Oliver, who was dressed casually in faded denim. In his free arm, Naomi, their daughter sat perched, supported by a deep green hemp sling.
River’s heart swooned. She loved to see him babywearing.
“I missed you, two!” River gave her squirmy 15 month-old a hug before planting a smooch on her cheek. Naomi smiled coyly at her mother and contently leaned into the comfort of the sling. River didn’t feel offended by her child’s subdued greeting.
As they came above ground, River was immediately energized by the sight of students sauntering into coffee shops, bicyclists riding comfortably alongside vehicles, and the familiar grit of unmanicured life, or reality as her husband called it. She loved living in San Francisco during college but Berkeley definitely spoke to her heart.
Oliver kissed her hand as they walked. “How was the city?”
“Oh you know, perfect and fast.”
“Just how I like my women. Except the perfect part.”
River playfully slapped him in the chest.
By the time Oliver unlocked the door to their garden-enclosed duplex, Naomi was fast asleep, probably lulled by her father’s heartbeat as they’d walked in silent contemplation. Being in Oliver’s presence was just as soothing for River, she often called him a walking meditation.
River placed the grocery bags on their secondhand kitchen table while Oliver disappeared into their bedroom to put Naomi down. Gently placing the fruit and vegetables next to containers of pad thai and curried tomatoes she felt enveloped in homey peace.
When she rose to her feet and shut the fridge, Oliver was standing next to her. He turned her towards him, wrapped his arms around her middle and the two lost themselves in an embrace. He sighed, echoing the happiness she felt. “How did I get so lucky?” she wondered silently. She burrowed her face into his warm shoulder, not waiting for an answer.
