First Time Outside

By Margareta Tommos

Brienne wanted to go off on a grand vacation to another planet to broaden her horizons. She should have been more careful what she wished for.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margareta Tommos
• Release date: Jun 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301761364

Margareta Tommos

I live in the Pacific Northwest with my spouse and a boa named Anyanka. In between writing stories, I maintain a vegetable garden and play video games.

Book preview

First Time Outside

by

Margareta Tommos

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Margareta Tommos

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard workof this author.

Acknowledgements

To David Lewis, my spouse, for his patience and support and to Darnell, my biggest fan for keeping me motivated.

Chapter 1

It was her last day at work and she was so excited, she had had trouble sleeping. She was up and out the door in the morning, earlier than usual. Walking her bicycle out of the secured parking lot, she looked up and saw the clear sky. Taking a deep breath as she headed for work, she felt it would be a good day - cool, sunny, and a good omen. Work was a mail depot where business mail was sorted. She was one of many couriers who picked up the packets and delivered them to companies. There was no personal mail and there was one set of companies in the morning and then another set in the afternoon. It was a job. Brienne had been doing it for several years now. Vahnt had asked her if she wanted to do anything else. He asked funny questions like that every once in awhile; she would never be anything more than a mail courier on Patos.

Pedaling at her normal speed, Brienne compared the buildings in Scanlon to the buildings in the pictures she had seen of Bethwayne. Scanlon's buildings were all boxes - tall boxes, short boxes, all gray or black, with one building taking up the block even though there might be multiple shops on the first floor with their own entrances. Bethwayne's buildings were wide, narrow, tall, short, black, blue, green, any color she wanted; the brochures had even said that some levels were underground. Some blocks were open and not filled up with buildings; there were parks inside the city. There were different types of architecture; she had seen pictures of buildings with ornately carved columns and on the next block there would be a building made out of glass. Tomorrow was the first day of a month long vacation to Bethwayne. She had saved up for a long time to pay for a cruise to another planet and Bethwayne was the capital city of the Intragalactic Alliance. She was excited and was going far too fast.

She heard the sharp whistle just as she managed to stop in front of the police officer and almost hit a pedestrian. The police officer was arresting a handful of street people who were shouting and gesturing. One of them waved at her when she stared. She hastily looked away to avoid the man's gaze. Mail couriers were often hailed by street people and in some cases accosted by them. The police generally had those street people removed by the end of the day. Most people kept staring straight ahead and went on with their business but then she saw the police officer glaring at her. She blushed.

He waved for her to keep going then turned his attention back to the police van that was pulling up so that the street people could be loaded onto it.

Hoping no one she knew had seen the incident, Brienne pushed forward and started pedaling again. She was slower and paid far more attention to her cycling. It was so rare that she attracted the unwanted attention of the police.

When she reached her first destination which was one of the many companies in the city of Scanlon that utilized couriers and one of the taller buildings in the city at ten levels, she parked her bicycle and rummaged through the large side trunks which had their own supporting wheels - she liked to call her bicycle a fourcycle because of it.

Brienne opened the door of the building and walked in. In the lobby that wasn't much bigger than her living room, she walked up to the huge desk, her steps echoing, and put the mail in the tray to her right. Then she took the pile that was waiting for her on the left side. The woman at the desk barely glanced up to watch her. As was customary, Brienne was silent. There were times when she wished it were okay to talk. She had seen the woman almost every morning for two years but it was not considered appropriate for her to even greet the woman. That was something else that Vahnt thought was unusual. She tried to explain to him that that was the way it worked. Mail couriers were not family, friend, or fellow employee so no one would talk to them. It was not appropriate. She sometimes wondered where he was from that he didn't know that.

When she got back outside, she put the new bundle into the waiting box on her four wheeled bicycle and then, after mounting, headed to the next office. Silently, she hummed to herself. Her manager had informed her customers that there would be a replacement for the next month. She was still protective of her route and even though she didn't talk to any of them, she felt responsible for delivering their mail and wanted it done right.

She dutifully dropped mail off and picked mail up from the next locations. At noon, she went to the Guran Cafe where other couriers from her company met to exchange mail and have lunch. She looked around the café and noticed that the three she was meeting were already seated. They saw her coming toward them and stopped talking.

Brienne sat down at the last setting, picked up the menu pad, and perused the menu. Once she had decided what she wanted, she entered her order into the menu pad.

Talya was sitting across from her and was the oldest. She usually looked grumpy and her short, wavy hair usually looked as if she hadn't brushed it for a couple of days and today was no exception; she had already told Brienne that she disapproved of this vacation. How's your last day going?

Brienne shrugged. Same as usual.

At least the weather is holding up. I would hate to do the deliveries in the rain. I had four large packages to deliver this morning, Talya said.

Brienne nodded.

Nadia, who was to Brienne's left, looked smug. I heard a police officer whistled at you this morning.

Brienne blushed. I wasn't paying attention.

They are going to arrest you next time, Nadia predicted. You are going to end up in one of the compounds where they put undesirables.

Brienne's mouth was open. All I did was go a little fast. I didn't talk to anyone.

You always were a bit strange, Talya said, disapprovingly.

I just was going too fast and not looking where I was going. No one got hurt. There were some street people.

This time, Talya shook her head. Next time, you might end up in the middle and be touched by a stranger. And then get arrested. She shuddered.

That won't happen, Brienne said, firmly.

So you say, Talya responded. I am not the one going on a cruise to a completely different planet.

Brienne, why are you going on this trip? Callie said. She was on Brienne's right. She didn't always agree with Talya but she didn't want to seem disagreeable so it was sometimes hard to pin her down.

To do something different. Brienne wasn't sure why she wanted to go on this vacation either. It was a matter of creating a memory.

You still don't have a computer. Why don't you buy one of those first? Talya asked.

Because if I bought everything I wanted first, I would never go on this trip. And this trip is a once in a lifetime thing. Brienne smiled, staring into the distance.

Once in a lifetime. It's strange, Nadia said.

Rich people do it, Brienne said, defensively.

You're not rich, Talya snapped.

The waiter brought the food and they waited until he had put all the plates and drinks on the table before continuing their conversation.

I know I'm not rich. But I want to do this. I have wanted to do this for years. Brienne studied her food before beginning to eat.

But why? It's a strange place with strange people with strange customs and strange foods. Who knows what kind of strange diseases there are. And the cruise! Being in close quarters with people you don't know. It was Nadia's turn to shudder.

Callie and Talya both shuddered as well.

Brienne slowly chewed her food. Curiosity. I guess I am just curious. I deliver the mail to the Intragalactic Alliance sector. They seem to be nice. They talk a lot.

Talya looked as if she were going to vomit. I hope they don't talk to me. They better not expect me to talk to them. She stared, horrified, at Brienne. They don't try to touch, do they?

They talk a lot to each other. But they do notice when I come in. And, no, they don't try to touch. Brienne cocked her head. Though they will touch each other.

Talya's face went white. She took a deep breath. I will try to accept it while I am your replacement. Then her face went slack. Horrified, she whispered, They are human like us, aren't they?

Nodding, Brienne answered, Oh, yes. Of course they look like us.

Putting a hand across her mouth, Talya mumbled, They don't act like us.

Everyone was quiet as they continued eating.

Callie was the first to break the silence. Maybe in my wildest dreams, I would go to Bethwayne, she mused. But only in my wildest dreams.

Brienne raised her eyebrows. I might come back thinking it was the worst trip I have ever taken. And not ever want to do anything like it again.

Talya grimaced. I don't need to go to another planet to know that. She added with a sneer, Or moon.

Brienne shrugged. She kept her eyes down to avoid looking at Talya.

Callie cocked her head. You're from Eritrea, aren't you, Brienne?

Brienne nodded.

Are your parents still there?

Brienne sighed. My parents are dead. But, yes, they are buried on Eritrea.

Nadia shuddered again and inched away from Brienne.

That explains some of it, Talya muttered as she focused on her sandwich. Stupid Eritreans not wanting to cremate their dead.

Brienne stared, speechless. It had been a long time since she had been faced with the prejudice against people from Eritrea, the inhabited moon of the two circling Patos. She had not expected her fellow couriers to feel like that. This was Scanlon, the capital city of Patos, not some backwater town.

Talya looked up and saw Brienne's expression. What? People from the moon always want to travel. It's why they don't fit in.

Talya, that's not nice, Callie rebuked.

Never mind. Let's get off the subject. Talya picked up her pack and put it on her lap. Anyone have anything for me to deliver?

They each went through the mail they had already picked up and handed out the packets to the appropriate person. Anything that was to be delivered by someone else would be taken to the main depot at the end of the day. Plates were taken away and the table was covered with envelopes and papers.

Callie sighed as she looked at her pile. Just one of those days where most of the packets need to be taken back to home base. I hate it when that happens.

Nadia giggled. You're always complaining, Callie. Too many packets, not enough packets. Are you ever satisfied?

Callie tipped her head. Maybe. More often than you, I bet.

Nadia gasped; her eyes opened wide.

Stop it, you two. Let's get this done, Talya admonished.

Brienne was sorting out her pile when she came across a thin tan packet that was the same size as the others but this one had her name on it. Turning it over, she didn't see anything else - all it had was her name.

What have you got there? Talya asked when she noticed Brienne handling the packet.

Something for me.

For you? Callie asked, shocked.

No return address. No address. Just my name. How odd. Brienne looked at the packet and turned it over and over but she couldn't even say when she picked it up.

Talya's eyes narrowed. That is very unusual. You should give that to your supervisor when you get back to the main depot.

Brienne nodded. She put it in her personal pack in a safe spot and went back to sorting.

Talya saw what she had done but she didn't say anything. She just frowned.

Once all the mail had been sorted, they paid their lunch tabs and went their separate ways.

Brienne was the last one to leave and she left the café a bit despondent. It had been several years since she emigrated from Eritrea but it kept coming back to haunt her. She lived and worked in Scanlon because she had heard that the prejudice was less in this city unlike other cities, though she admitted to herself that less did not mean non-existent.

Her next stop was the visitor's center in the Intragalactic Alliance sector. It was fenced so no one could freely walk into the area. The guard at the entry checkpoint waved her through with a smile. She wondered how Talya would react to that. The visitor's center was near the front gate.

Halfway up the short flight of steps to the front door, there was a man who had been walking up them. When he heard her behind him, he stopped to turn around. When he recognized her, he preceded her inside the building and held the door open for her - a custom unheard of on Patos. Hey, look who's here! Our mail courier! The one who is going to Bethwayne tomorrow!

Brienne blushed at the attention.

Tozol, now you've embarrassed her. Do you have any mail for us? the woman behind the desk asked. She stood to move around to the front.

The walls were covered with paintings and little shelves filled with knickknacks so footsteps didn't echo.

Brienne handed the packet of mail to her at the same time wondering how Talya was going to handle the woman coming toward her.

Today, we don't have anything for you. Mail, that is. We do have something else though. The woman bent down to pick something up from behind the desk.

Brienne's eyes widened; and, she felt that if her face could go any redder, it did.

When the woman stood again, in her hand was a small wrapped package. From all of us. She extended it to Brienne.

Brienne gingerly took the package and bowed her head.

You'll like Bethwayne. It is much bigger than Scanlon with lots of things to do and see. The Alliance members meet there. The tourist package you picked covers a lot. The woman went back behind the desk. And when you get back, you'll have to tell us all about it.

Brienne shyly looked up at her.

One thing you'll have to promise me, the woman said.

Brienne silently questioned. Her eyes wide.

You will need to talk to people. You will be amazed by what you'll discover. Promise me that? You can't spend the whole time just staring at people.

Brienne nodded and stammered, I must finish my route.

Of course you do, said the man beside her. He opened the door for her. Take care.

Brienne cycled away not knowing what to think of that altercation. She was sure the man was close to almost touching her. The woman gave her a gift; she wasn't family or close friend. She wasn't even sure of her name and yet she gave Brienne a gift and she said it was from all of them. Brienne had an urge to throw it away.

The police whistling at her in the morning and now this altercation unsettled her and she made it through the rest of the afternoon acting as if she were an automaton. When she got back to the depot, she discovered that she was one of the last ones back. She turned in all the mail but she kept the packet that was addressed to her and she did not tell her supervisor though she had a feeling that he was expecting her to give him something since he hovered longer than usual.

It had a been a long day and all she wanted to do was to get home and take a hot, long bath. She was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole trip.

Chapter 2

As she climbed the stairs to her third floor apartment, she was toying with the idea of canceling the trip and just staying home. Her home was a small, one bedroom apartment in one of the cheaper parts of the city. She couldn't afford anything better and probably never would. Despondent, she unlocked the door; she wanted Vahnt, her boyfriend, to be there, to fix her dinner and tell her that things would work out. Shocked at her own thoughts, she froze. She had only known him a few months; she blushed as she thought of what people must think of her for letting him enter her apartment when she wasn't there. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. Vahnt? she called as she stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. The place felt empty.

A face surrounded by brown, curly hair appeared followed by a body at the far end of the hall. He had been in the dining room. Thought I heard the door. You're finally home. Not paying attention or just that busy? He waited and did not move toward her.

I was daydreaming this morning and a police officer whistled to stop me. At lunch I was told I shouldn't go and that I was strange for wanting to go because I was from Eritrea. And the Alliance people almost touched me. She hung her coat in the closet next to the front door.

He sighed. Then, I was right.

She stared at him with wide eyes.

I decided that for your last meal before your grand adventure, that instead of me making your favorite meal, we would go across the street to Bernard's.

It's not a grand adventure. It's just a vacation! Brienne almost whined.

Vahnt held her hands in his and kissed them. Grand vacation, then. Anything else happen today? You seem a bit more tense than usual.

Someone gave me a packet, Brienne said.

A packet?

Uh-huh. A packet. Just my name on it. That's all that was on it.

That's odd.

You're telling me. Talya wanted me to tell my supervisor.

And did you?

No. Brienne wasn't sure but she thought Vahnt was pleased she hadn't.

Well, let's get to Bernard's since he's expecting us and you can tell me about it later. He went to the closet and took Brienne's coat out of the closet along with his, then steered her out the front door. Let the day fall away.

She felt the tension loosen as Vahnt took over making the decisions. Will you be able to take me to the port tomorrow morning? I know you said you may not be able to. Should I cancel the trip?

He shook his head. Sorry. The job has me going in early tomorrow. But I will be there when you get back. He stopped to look at her. I hired a cab to take you to the port. I didn't want you to have to deal with that on top of everything else. And, no, you should not cancel the trip.

She slowly smiled; her eyes softening. Thank you. What is Bernard fixing?

Your favorite. I said that already.

And what do you think is my favorite?

A mixture of thinly sliced meat with thinly sliced vegetables all slow fried in a buttery herb sauce. He smiled at her; his eyes twinkling. Did I get it right?

Yes. Brienne brushed her hand against Vahnt's. Since they were going outside, they would not be holding hands. There were times when she wanted to change those customs. She wanted to hug him. Her grandparents had warned her about how cold and distant Patosians could be but she wanted to go to the big city. And now she was stuck.

Bernard's wasn't actually across the street. His bar and grill was several streets over and several blocks toward the center of the city. However, it was the closest café to her apartment. She had met Vahnt there a few months earlier. He was constantly going on business trips but they kept seeing each other at the café and eventually they were sipping tea at the same table. Some people, like Talya, would have thought the relationship had developed far too fast but Brienne was lonely as well.

As Vahnt opened the door to the café, Bernard came over and greeted them. My favorite customers. Come, everything is prepared. I have made a meal that will make anything you eat on Bethwayne pale in comparison. He led the way to a private table.

The other patrons ignored them. The café was filled with soft murmurs and soft music. Vahnt and Brienne sat on opposite sides of the small table that Brienne almost felt was theirs because of how often they had sat at it. Bernard bustled around the room, giving orders in a low tone, and shooing some into the back.

Soon hot, steamy dinner plates full of food were brought and set in front of them.

She forgot about the day as she and Vahnt ate their dinners. She didn't want to discuss the packet or the gift in public; it was too embarrassing. And she was too distracted to hear Vahnt talk about a city she had never been to or seen even though she loved hearing about the long grass bending in the wind and the house his parents had. Vahnt didn't say what they did, but then Brienne wasn't sure what Vahnt did either.

In between bites, Vahnt said, "Have you thought about what you will do