There are only two things that I can hear right now: the fire in the stove and the wind outside. It's amazing! The amount of noise that usually fills the house is sometimes more than I can take: two televisions in close proximity playing two different channels, a game being played on the computer right next to one of the televisions, two children and their incessant noise, "our grandmother" making as much noise as the children telling them to be quiet, the cats meowing at "our grandmother" for food, sounds of food preparation or clean-up, Koba and his friends playing cards, and some animal outside making itself known. There is almost never moment of quiet in the lower house.
Until today.
For various reasons, Tea shipped everyone out first thing this morning. When I got up at 9:15, Koba had already left for town (the car he bought was supposed to be ready today -- a long story I'll tell in a later post). Tea was just putting coats on the kids to send them via marshutka to her mother's house. She had also sent her brother-in-law who is visiting for the weekend over to his other sister-in-law's house. When I sat down at the kitchen table for some coffee, I heard something wonderful.....nothing! Don't get me wrong -- I love being around people. I thrive on interaction with others. But I also like to have a bit of quiet in the day, especially in the morning. Living in Georgia does not allow for much quietness -- not at school (most certainly) and not at home. Listening to the water in the tea pot simmer away was a great way to begin this day.
A quiet day allows for good conversation. All day long Tea and I have talked off an on (uninterrupted, wonder of wonders!) about school, our students and how to teach them better, the family, the English language, computer skills, and anything else that popped into our minds. And we have had long minutes of shared silence, each of us enveloped in our own thoughts or focused on our own work -- ironing, washing clothes, making bread, working on our computers, or reading. We are such similar people with similar personalities and we value similar things -- like peace and quiet. Several times today we commented to each other how nice it was to have a quiet house for a few hours.
"Silence is golden." It's also detoxing! The quiet of today cleaned out the built-up noise that has cluttered my mind and ears for months. Quiet moments today, precious and rare, were a fleeting gift that will make it possible for me to stand the next round of relentless noise that is going to start in about an hour when I go with Tea and Koba to a wedding reception....... oh, never mind that -- it is going to start now -- Koba, the kids, and brother-in-law all just got home, and one of "our grandmother's friends came to visit. There's nothing like listening to two old ladies who don't hear each other very well yell their conversation.
Until the next quiet day..... maybe in a few months!
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