At first, I just found it funny and amusing seeing each other every morning. We mostly do our own thing. I find the best places to exercise and take pictures. Samuel often has fishes in tanks following him back to his tent. Once, I was swimming in one of the rivers and he was further ahead, emptying a tank into the water. I waved and he waved back. This was the extent of our interactions aside from sharing meals.
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Eventually, I look forward to seeing him every morning. We’d have a short chat about how the ring looks beautiful at dawn. Our gaze lingers before we go about our day. This morning, I approach him as we both exit our tent.
“Hey, would it be fine if tag along? I’ve been wondering ‘bout what you do with those fishes.”
He seems at ease, “Yeah, sure! I’m monitoring these freshwater species. Most people think these are exotic, but their lineage actually trace back to Earth.”
“What? No way!” Earth is such a distant memory that some doubt it even exists.
He tells me more on our way downstream. I don’t pretend to understand most of it and it must be clear on my face because he elaborates. Samuel is an encyclopedia of fish trivia.
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Every morning I go with him to collect samples. He has these mechanical capsules that carefully catch fish without hurting it. Back in his tent, he has a huge tank with holographic displays of info that’s beyond me. I start to spend as much time with Samuel as I do with my family. We’d invite him to go hiking and he’d go on and on about fish which I find oddly endearing. He also helps us catch the fattest and juiciest fishes which we’d share during meals.
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Then we spend more time alone together. Our conversations start to become personal; which system he’s from, what work I do, whether or not we have partners- which we both don’t. Samuel often compliments my cooking and photography; I compliment his intelligence and practicality. And sometimes his smile and timid chuckle. I learned he was leaving a day early, which I always forget when we’re together.
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I steel myself as I helped him pack, “Will I ever see you again?”
We were both quiet for long a moment.
He slowly smiles and holds my hand, “I’ll be back next season.”
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and then Add to home screen.