One string, many knots

"Did you know nets are strung from one continuous string?" Dumpling's composure seemed to need the question to hold her together. She asked it of the air, the walls, Stan Costa. Still holding the tray of cinnamon toast quickly cooling she didn't stay long once she say Skeena. She hadn't asked for explanation. Aka signaled a give us a few ...  Dumpling thought about telling the loyal sister there was no answer at Maha's. But let the thought pass.

Stan looked up to answer Dumpling's question. "I did know. Tata made nets. My grampa's nets dangling over the handles of old shovels in his gardens. The shuttle of string. Fine cotton before there was nylon. Making knots in patterns. 'Big eye, small eye.' The old time fishermen had more than one kind of net. Tata never rode boat to catch fish, always threw from the beach, or from the reef." It was surprising how questions could tickle all sorts of memories from a person.

The teapot of hot water and peppermint filled the room with the clean scent. Dumpling thought she saw the covers move. A small sound maybe. She set the tray on the nearby table, opened the aster-colored napkins.

"There was no answer at Maha's. I left a message on her answering machine." The gardener and gypsy woman remained old school. No cellphone. No roving technology. Of course the telepathy that was finely tuned made cellphones and ipads redundant. "Have you tracked her instead?" Stan rose from the bedside and crossed the room to join Dumpling. "She's elsewhere ... by the feel of things she and her old friend needed a moment together."

Stan and Dumpling sat at the table. Dumpling poured two fresh mugs of hot peppermint tea. The warm of the smooth ceramic was doing its job. The comfort moved. The toast was buttery and familiar. Delicious, crunchy and filled with just the right number of plump raisins the couple ate toast. Dumpling savored the taste of a good toast, dunked the tips into her tea. When her napkin was empty of toast she finally described the net next door.

The covers on the bed shifted, the bed creaked, Shine was awake.