Being Old

Writers: Jane
Date Posted: 31st July 2007

Characters: Ayona, O'rian, Grehga
Description: Ayona's eyesight is tested by Odarian and Grehga.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 12 of Turn 4

"Wow!" Grehga exclaimed when she put the patient's reading lenses on and tried to peer at the reading chart. "How can you see in these?"

The master mason chuckled and glanced at the senior apprentice – one of the former Weyrleader's family by the looks - who looked as if he was struggling with his temper.

"Apprentice Grehga? Please could you just clean the lenses and pass them back to Master Ayona so we can get on with the test."

Grehga turned with the lenses still perched on her nose and with her head tilted back to peer through them. "Woah! I can see why they're only used for reading." She pulled the offending items off her face and rubbed them over with the cloth soaked in a mild solvent. "And I was inspecting them, Senior Apprentice Odarian," she said, her tone lofty and her smile impish. "Here, Master Ayona. They're in beautiful condition. No scratches – and you probably use them in some difficult conditions, don't you?"

"Conditions like what, Grehga?" Ayona asked, amused at being prompted and equally amused that the senior apprentice – Odarian – was being firmly informed that his junior was not just playing around.
Personally, Ayona suspected there was a lot of playing around in the girl apprentice but that it would take somebody fairly quick-witted to prove it.

"Oh, sand, dust, mortar? Rocks and stuff." Grehga waved a hand to indicate she had reached the extent of her knowledge about masoncraft.

"You _do_ you wear them every time you need to while you're working, Master Ayona?" Odarian asked, determined to regain control of the consultation. Every time he ended up working with Grehga she somehow ended up running things.

Grehga rolled her eyes, making the master mason laugh. "Subtle, 'Darian," the girl grumbled under her breath. "Really subtle."

Ayona thought she might not be as amused if she had the irrepressible Grehga in her craft, but seeing the good-looking young man flummoxed was entertaining. "Yes, I do, but I'm careful with them. Some of us take care of our possessions, you know. We don't just assume there's going to be a replacement at hand when we lose or damage things."

Grehga sighed, nodding in obvious agreement and appearing for all the world like an old aunty. "Terribly wasteful, some people."

"But not you, young woman?" Ayaon replied, suspecting she was the tail fork of that mimicry. Did she really sound like a complaining old woman? If young Grehga thought she did then Ayon would have to change her ways. Bad enough being old without _behaving_ old as well.

"She is the worst offender," Odarian grumbled. "Now, if you'd put the lenses on and hold this chart here –"

Grehga took the card from his hand and passed it to the old woman.
"Master Ayona has had lenses for _Turns_. I think she knows how to do the test by now."

Ayona held the chart at the correct distance and read what she could manage, knowing that it was less than last time she had sat in the infirmary for the same purpose. Her sigh was mental, for certainly a little trouble with close work wasn't a huge health problem for a woman her age and with another set of stronger lenses she would buy herself more time.

"As you suspected," the senior apprentice said, taking the chart from her when she handed it back. "Your eyes have deteriorated."

"Either that or your memory's going," Grehga said cheerfully. "I mean, if you'd memorised the text and couldn't remember the last few lines any more ... Then it would be a sign of your mind going."

Odarian shook his head. "What would be the point in memorising the text, Grehga? Why would Master Ayona – anyone – want to pretend they didn't need the stronger reading lenses that would enable them to carry on with their work?"

"I think," the mason said with a smile for the little apprentice girl, "that Grehga's trying to reassure me that there are a lot worse things about being old than a few eyesight troubles."

"Hmm." Odarian looked at the flighty apprentice and couldn't help but return her smile. "The problem is that I don't think many people are ready for Grehga's style of reassurance."

Last updated on the July 31st 2007

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Being Old