Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

116: Aubrey

116: A

I sat on the cloth covered bench, in the semi-light of an unlit chapel and kept my eyes on the speaker who I could barely understand, his Spanish dialect was so difficult for me. Rafe was beside me, nodding now and then, and Ben beside him, just looked lost.

My mind wandered back over the wonderful day we'd spent yesterday, not one thing to mar its perfection. The weather was pristine, warm but with a nice steady breeze off the ocean almost all day. We'd taken plenty of water and some fruit, and bought some kind of churros from a vendor as we tootled along on the mosaic pedestrian pathways that lined the entire shore. Rafe and I had split from the rest of them, and gone up to the lighthouse, there to observe the lovely view of the city, spend fifteen minutes making out, and finally talking to another American couple who had driven up the steep grade to the top.

The concert was incredible. I sat with several local celebrities in the same balcony box reserved for us. Rafe had not wanted me to come, but I insisted I was not afraid, and wanted to see all I could. He was flattered, I think, and performed excellently because of it. And last night we had gone night surfing, just the two of us, and then relaxed in the bungalow, playing music with the guys.

Rafe had not said a word about not going to church, and attended good-naturedly, along with Ben who was interested, but couldn't understand even as much as I could. However, you could sing the songs, they were all the same songs... didn't matter what language you sang them in, if you knew them, and I did.

And we stayed for all three meetings, and Rafe and I went to Primary, and I volunteered to substitute teach when they were short a teacher. Hearing the familiar lessons in broken Spanish, and then the very familiar songs in perfect flawless Spanish was the height of my day today. I even taught some sign language to my five year olds. All in all, a lovely experience. As if it happened every Sunday.

We walked to the mermaid statue after church, took some pictures, read the history and all in all, simply enjoyed each other's company.

Rafe took a nap, and I read that afternoon, and that evening we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, a very exclusive and expensive place, and then went back to our bungalow--- packed, and got on the bus.

I had done our laundry and bedding, but Mack had changed all the sheets anyway. Everything was spotless. I told him so, and thanked him profusely. He was pleased with the praise, and the little snacks I'd brought him for the short four hour drive to Durango.

I went back to the rear lounge where the guys were hanging out, and found a clear space on the floor between Rafe's legs. He was playing his acoustic guitar, flat across his chest with one leg up on the recliner arm, and the other bent. Ben had his guitar out as well, and they were accompanying each other silently. Dylan eyed me furtively, and then looked back at his phone. Apparently there had been talk before my arrival, as I sensed the tension in the air.

We rode quietly for a couple of hours then, Rafe announced he had a headache, and we two exited the group. He stripped down to his shorts and lay on the bunk, and I prepared my essential oils to massage him, and get rid of the headache. He laid there with his feet in my lap, and his head on his pillows watching me, and finally removed the pillow, and lay flat. His eyes closed and we said nothing.

I ventured far up his calves. Rafe had fairly heavy legs for such a slim guy. He worked out quite heavily, and it showed. His upper thighs were hard. I started gently working my way up, feeling the stiffness, and the hard knots he carried. He eventually rolled onto his stomach and I was able to massage his lower back, surprised to find exactly how much tension he carried there. I checked his spine, and couldn't find anything out of place, but his neck was really tortured by knots, and thick ligaments deeply tightened.