Merriton

“My God, you’re running again! I thought you…” The words were sucked out of Mira’s mouth when she saw the shame on Sierra’s face. Sierra mumbled and hugged Mira, “This isn’t about me. This is about you. What are you doing in Emigration?” The worry about her emaciated friend washed away with the memory of why she was here. “My dad died last month and I’m the executor of his will.”

Mira pulled Sierra into her parents’ house and motioned toward the furniture. “I’ve been dividing everything up according to their will. I’ve done this a hundred times for other people, but for me…” It was too hard. Too hard to divide up her childhood into separate piles for each sibling. “I thought that I would just fall into work mode, but I’m just completely incapable of doing this without remembering EVERY little memory for each item.”

Mira watched Sierra survey her work. God, she was bone thin again. Hadn’t she kicked that running thing yet? Mira listened to her struggle for words, “Where’s… Oh, I forgot his name…” Sierra put her hand to her forehead and tried to remember. Mira answered, “Jacob is home. He stayed with me for a while, but this is a bigger project than I thought it would be. The big question is why are YOU here?” Sierra sighed, “Randy and I live in Merriton now.”

She saw Sierra hesitate. “Well, Kevin used to take us skiing up here all the time, so when we wanted to escape San Francisco, the first place Randy thought of was Merriton. I didn’t know you had family here, though.” Mira felt her mouth tighten into a little frown. So, Kevin still came here to ski long after the breakup. “I used to bring Kevin here to ski.” Sierra laughed, “So, if I hate it here, I can blame you?” Mira’s brow crinkled. “You hate it here? I wouldn’t blame you.” Sierra shook her head, “Oh, no! I’m actually a lot happier here than I expected. I’ve decided that the key to happiness is low expectations. We have good neighbors and I have a friend. I’m surprised we’ve stayed as long as we have. You know, next week it will be a year.”

Mira was shocked. “A year? Has it been that long since I’ve seen you?” Sierra nodded. “Yeah. You called me on my birthday. It was funny. I ran out of the barn so you wouldn’t hear my goats. I’m building a new barn right now. Elvis said that the only thing keeping the old barn together was the termites holding hands. I’m still imagining a bunch of little termites stacked up like Chinese acrobats.” Mira put her hand to her forehead. “Elvis?” Sierra laughed, “Oh yeah. Elvis is our neighbor. He has been so helpful.”

“I know who Elvis is. He owns Lancaster Woolen Mills. My daddy worked there his whole life.” She could feel the tears coming and tilted her head back. Sierra shook her head. “No, he’s just a sheep farmer who lives next to us.” Mira shook her head. “You must be in the Bowen house.” Sierra nodded and looked at Mira, confused. “You live next to Elvis and Vesta Lancaster. They’re the most powerful couple in the Mount Zen area.” Sierra shook her head. “It’s not called Mount Zen.” Mira nodded, “I know. That’s what Kevin and I used to call it.”

Sierra’s spidery limbs fidgeted awkwardly. “He’s here, by the way.” Mira watched her thin friend. “Of course he is.” There was no where to sit. All of the furniture was covered with the divided personal effects. Mira moved her father’s broken watch that he received from Lancaster Woolen Mills at retirement off the fainting couch and offered Sierra a seat. “I don’t know how long it will be until Kevin finds out. I can’t really keep a secret, and Randy was about bursting out of his skin when he saw your update.” Mira placed the watch with the broken ceramic figurine all wrapped up in bubble wrap. “My update?” Sierra nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I called you. Randy saw your LinkedIn update about Emigration and showed it to me. I told Kevin I was going to check on the goats.” Sierra clicked together her boots and Mira stared at their dried mud.

“You really are running a goat farm? You’re a lawyer!” Mira’s old friend laughed. “So are you, but the minute you married that Jacob guy, you quit. Which is worse? Quitting for a man or quitting for a goat farm?” Mira shook her head and held back a chuckle. “Don’t fool yourself. You quit for Randy just as much as I quit for Jacob.” Sierra’s gaunt smile returned, “Yeah, but I don’t like to think about that.”

Mira remembered why she and Sierra had been such close friends. “Why don’t we ever see each other anymore?” Sierra shook her head and focused on her boots again. “Because Kevin got custody of us in the breakup.” Mira frowned, “Well, I thought I got Mount Zen in the breakup, so I guess all bets are off.” They were both quiet for a while before Sierra spoke again, “He’s still crazy about you. I haven’t seen him with another girl since you left him.” She whispered, “I even heard that he went Up North with his friends and they all got lucky but him.”

Mira smiled. “Up North! I remember going Up North with Angie and A.S. when I was a kid! Oh, my God, I had the funnest time Up North!” Sierra softly smacked Mira’s arm. “You know Angie?! She’s my only friend in Merriton!” Mira plunked down on the fainting sofa and gushed, “You’re kidding! I haven’t seen her since she and Curly got married! I heard she got really fat!”

Sierra’s face fell and her spindly arms wrapped around her bony body.