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Opera, growing up, had been Eidora’s escape from the endless duty of looking after her younger siblings. At the Opera House she wasn’t the responsible one to be handed tasks, or to be a good example for her siblings, she didn’t have to hear babies crying, she could just be a member of the choir. As much as she could, she would head out to practice and develop her voice. Though her practice became less peaceful as her siblings grew enough to start developing their own musical talents, eventually that only made the Opera house more joyful.
She had not been surprised, after all her practice that she had become highly skilled. She was surprised however, that even after her breaks for illness during pregnancy, that the gods had seen fit to allow her voice to be known beyond the bay of waters.
As an adult, however, the influx of other Mdang’s into the Gorjo City Opera house meant that sometimes, she, her husband Vinyo, and their children, needed a break from it all. The gap in the Opera performance schedule after the Prince’s court left to visit Jilkano, combined with a shift in the fishing schedule so that Vinyo could take a break was fortuitous, and they had arranged to a trip to stay at an empty family held house by Tahuna, a cove on the far side of Loaloa.
It was going to be a quiet and, by Mdang standards, near solitary break with only Eidora’s favorite sister Oura and her three children, Zemius, Quintus and Dara, joining them. Zemius and Quintus were of an age with Kip, and Dara, aged eight, with Navalia. Vinye would fit in the middle and flitter between feeling like a girlish and grown up six year old among the eight year olds or bossing the four and five year olds into some complex game of make believe.
They had taken Vinyo’s yacht across the Bay of Waters, the children with varying levels of excitement, ranging from Quintus constantly trying to “help” Vinyo with the boat’s steering, Vinye sulking about not being allowed to bring her new cello and Zemius discovering an unfortunately predilection for sea-sickness. Kip kept running about and had to be caught multiple times from slipping overboard. During the day Oura would tell everyone about the birds flying past, and during the night Vinyo would show the children the stars. Eidora would teach them all songs, making the children giggle when she showed off operatic prowess by jumping quickly from notes high and low.
Tahuna cove was a sheltered expanse of golden beach. Almost a lagoon, it was hard to pick out its entrance among the cliffs of the outer ring if you didn’t already know what you were looking for. Loaloa rose up steeply and thick with trees away from the beach, and there was a grove of breadfruit trees which had been planted by her great-grandfather. It was her great-grandfather who had first built a hut in the traditional style here, and her own mother and father who had built a slightly more modern building with space to host more family, and beds instead of mats, nestled into the trees next door.
As the boat steered from the choppier seas of the open ocean to the quiet lapping of waves in the cove, Eidora felt herself relax in a way she hadn’t for many years. There were no imminent problems to deal with, no worries over her youngest being slow to speak, or her eldest being prone to coughs, no admin at the opera house, just her and her family having a quiet chance to swim in the cove.
Vinye insisted she be allowed to jump off the boat and start swimming as soon as it was safe enough to do so. The likelihood of Kip and Quntius (who were not yet the safest swimmers) trying to join in after her made Eidora insist that they not do so until they were close enough to the shore for one of the adults to stand. The beauty, one of the many beauties, of Tahuna cove, was that the beach sloped gently enough for even Navalia and Nara to stand more than twenty meters out from shore.
Eidora slipped into the ocean to help the children who were sick of not being allowed to jump off the boat while Vinyo dropped anchor and Oura helped him load up the dingy to take to shore. Kip and Qunitus splashed around, deciding when to race to the shore while the older girls practiced underwater handstands and anxious little Zem (who did not want to be seen as not as adventurous as his siblings and cousins) stuck close to Eidora.
She had not always been sure if she wanted children - she had gone through enough work helping to raise their siblings. Vinyo said he would be happy with whatever she had decided, but had also laughed with a lack of surprise when she admitted to be jealous of her siblings who had already had babies of their own. Since then, her children had become the lights of her life, another ke’ea in the constellations of her dreams.
Once their supplies had been transferred into the house on shore Vinyo swapped in to watch the kids at the beach. Oura threw Eidora a clean towel as she stepped out of the water and headed up to set up the house before all of the kids started running around them as well.
It was not until they had started setting up the beds for the children that Eidora realised that Oura had had a hidden reason for inviting herself along on this trip.
Oura said: “I heard that there was a real offer this time.”
Eidora placed the bedsheet down with concerned concentration, pursed her lips and gave an unimpressed look at her sister. She had gone on holiday to avoid this questioning.
“Oh, come on! I remember you telling everyone that you would become the best soprano and play for the Emperor one day.”
“And I remember you insisting you would become a mermaid,” Eidora said flatly. “Pass me that sheet.”
“And if Ani would grant me that boon I would take it!” Oura said, making no attempt to continue the housework. “Maliana said that there were no stipulations. That the costs would be covered by monetary tithes and that you would be allowed to take whoever you wanted with you.”
“Maliana is still mad that she’s an alto.”
“Maliana was concerned for you. I’m concerned for you.”
“It would be a two year trip, Oura. I’m not missing out on my children for that long.”
“Would the Prince not let you take them with you?
“Oh yes because they would thank me for being stuck up in ships and carriages for nine months each way.” Eidora pushed past Oura to grab the final sheet. “It is hardly like this will be the only time a cultural tithe will be requested from the wide seas.”
Oura made a questioning noise.
“Apparently, there is a schedule. For exceptional talents. Just imagine how much more excellent I will be with another decade of training.”
Oura helped with setting the sheets on the final bed. Outside they could hear excited shouts coming from the beach. It was Nara and Navalia running towards them.
“Mama! Auntie Oura!” Navalia exclaimed with joy. “There are sea turtles on the beach! Dad said you should come and look!”
Eidora did not need to race to Astandalas to follow her dreams, especially not when there were so many other dreams close to home.