last day of class

Now Playing: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack by Howard Shore. Track 1, "The Prophecy".

9 May 2008.

In some ways, just like every other day, and not really very exciting, though there was banana bread for breakfast this morning. I went to my last class at ten o'clock, ENG309, and sat through a two-hour lecture about William Tyndale and his translation of the Bible. Then I went to the gym to run, though I got some horrible shin splints.

Walking back through the Gardens was eerie in some ways. Earlier this week the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny, in the 70s Fahrenheit. The Gardens have been absolutely packed with people, the bowling green giving off the same murmur as would come from a crowd, and people in every nook and cranny. Today, though, was still and overcast, like walking around under a thick comforter, so there was hardly anyone on the green. The rhododendrons have started to bloom in full force, profusion of red and white flowers.

Back in Renwick, I found EMM, Rachel, and Andy M. sitting in the kitchen, talking. When I came back from my shower, they were still in the kitchen, though this time Andy M. was showing them cricket techniques (Andy L. would have been shocked and horrified, but it kept us laughing). I ate lunch. Nathan showed up to do small group planning with EMM, so I took my laptop and notes outside to the table that was left in the car park after Monday night's barbecue. It wasn't as pleasant to sit outside today as it was earlier in the week, but quiet at least--pigeons fluttering in and out of the attics of the flats across the street, and seagulls wheeling slowly against the grey sky. I worked on my papers until about half three, until I could hardly see straight, then went inside.

EMM, CMAM, and I ended up going to Cafe Renoir, down Botanic. The cafe was unusually quiet. It's a very large place, occupying a couple of the row houses, and going up three or four stories--all sorts of levels, and odd nooks, and dim, cool spaces, low-lit lamps hanging over wooden tables, richly-colored upholstery on chairs and benches. We took our food upstairs and sat at a table in a back corner. We basically just sat and talked nonsense quietly for an hour.

I worked a little bit more on my papers back in Renwick, then at half five went down to the kitchen to help Emma and EMM cook tea. Tonight Ken Ham was speaking at the Waterfront, and Emma, EMM, Robert, Steven, and Jonny were all going to hear him--the boys were coming round at half six for tea before the talk, and Emma had agreed to cook for Andy L., Samuel, Matthew, Rachel, Daphne, Rosemary, CMAM, and me as well. We boiled pots and pots of rice. We had creamed peppered chicken, rice, and bread, all of us sitting around the common room. Matthew's laptop was out, and we looked at marathon pictures and discussed the times of the various teams. There was ice cream for dessert, and then one by one, people started to leave--the group going to the talk; the boys about their business; CMAM up to study; Daphne and Rosemary, after awhile, to go home to Donegall. I left Rachel miserably trying to motivate herself to study. I listened to Chris Thile and washed dishes.

I went upstairs at nine o'clock, intending to work, but didn't get much done. I sat and thought for a long time. Read through the black book that my friends in the States had made for me before I left. Holding three places together in one's head is so hard.... It's like staring at a maths equation, trying to make the factors reconcile, when they just won't (like the allusion, Emmaline and Rachel? :o).

CMAM came downstairs to see if I wanted a cup of tea at about ten o'clock. We made tea for ourselves and Rachel, and heated up slices of banana bread. Rachel was buried in a sea of notes and binders in the common room. CMAM and I stood in the stairwell, talking for about half-an-hour. Poetic symmetry: As we had begun our time in Renwick way back in September, talking about Heaven, the night when it was just the two of us and Andy M., watching CSI, in the house, so we ended our time in Renwick, now, talking about Heaven again.

At about eleven o'clock, the group came back from the talk. Robert and Emma made tea and found biscuits somewhere for everyone to share. Simon, Matthew, and Dean appeared from somewhere, and we all sat around in the common room, talking. EMM and I nearly fell asleep in the corner. Robert, Steven, Emma, and EMM left to go home to Culleybackey/Coleraine at about midnight, and I, dodging Dean's threats to interrogate me about America, escaped upstairs to go to bed.

And, to finish, a good quote: "Sleep in peace! Do not trouble your hearts overmuch with thought of the road tonight. Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them." - Galadriel, The Fellowship of the Ring