Scout campouts and slept under the stars as a child. But I’m content here,” she reiterated.
Goa was worried. What were all these questions about? Had he done the wrong thing bringing them here to request a bigger apartment? Should he ask or might that anger Sompel? Gods, what should I do? What should I say? Help me!
The words came out of his mouth without him even thinking them. “Sompel, why are you asking these questions? Forgive me if I haven’t followed the correct protocol by coming here.”
“No, no, not at all. In fact, you may have come just at the perfect time. Do any of you know old Ugyen?”
“He’s just gone to live in The Grandparents’ Garden. He likes to sit in the courtyard and watch us work there,” said Shiloah.
“Ah, a very old man, almost bald with just the faintest fluff of gray hair above his ears. I remember him. We had some good conversations about the vegetable garden there. He’s friends with Grandfather Lim,” added Goa.
Stan was nodding. “Why do you mention him?”
“One of the farms on the outside belongs to him. He’s the only child of one of the original settlers. But as an only son, he refused to marry, saying it was unfair for a woman to have only one husband and that he didn’t feel qualified to care for a woman alone. Usually when that happens, a man will join with another only son to share a woman, but old Ugyen remained single all his life.”
Goa was nodding. He’d heard of such a situation before. But what did that have to do with the three of them and their request?
“For twenty years now, other people have watched over his land for him, but he chose to stay on in the house where he was born. When he heard about The Grandparents’ Garden, and when his oldest friends moved there, old Ugyen moved in, too. He wants his house to be lived in again, new crops planted on his farm, the land made productive again. Because you have all lived outside, you would be ideal to do this, and your farming skills”—he nodded to Stan and Goa—“would enable you to trial some new crops.”
“That sounds wonderful. But what about the people who are already farming his land? Won’t they be upset if we just move in and take over?” Goa’s heart was pounding so hard it was almost beating its way out of his chest. To be outside on the land again would be wonderful. To do that with the support of a community who followed the traditional ways would be beyond anything he had ever dreamed of.
“Much planning will need to take place. You will have to be introduced to the people of Green Ridge, and Orna, too. Although our people live almost separate lives, there is always a certain amount of interaction. I will have to coordinate things with Ugyen and with George and Wang. To answer your question, Jim, Sam, and Paul have more than enough to deal with maintaining their own farm. Anyway, their role has been more caretakers than farmers in regards to Ugyen’s land. They, too, are recently married, and Sam and Chevaunne also have other jobs as well as the farm. It would be good for all of New Thimphu, not just fulfilling the old man’s wishes to have a family living in that house, to bring the land into full production again.”
“I’d be living near Chevaunne? Oh my, that would be awesome,” said Shiloah. “Could we plant more roses? Mama and I would like to expand the business. We could sell far more ointments than we can make at present, and establishing a new rose garden would be the perfect tribute to my fathers.”
Goa felt a smile break out across his face. Shiloah was happy about the plan. He would fulfill his dream to work outdoors on the land again and still live in the traditional ways. He looked at his brother and saw a goofy grin on Stan’s face, too. Never in his wildest imaginings had he anticipated anything like this happening. He’d thought when Shiloah had agreed to let them enter her body, his life could never get any better. Well, it just had. The