The Past Recedes

Chapter 39

Nika was so engrossed in watching a documentary on Nazis and the occult that she didn't notice John frowning as he listened to Anthony on the phone. "Okay, I'll take Nika to get breakfast. We'll see you guys later", he said before hanging up.

"Dad, the Nazis tried to create their own pagan religion and they were obsessed with Wagner", she said.

"Nika, I don't want you to watch that. My grandma was Jewish and Josh is Jewish", he chided.

"Why not, it's interesting. And Josh is half-Jewish", she replied.

John winced when he saw Hitler on TV, shouting in German and saluting the crowd. "Nika, please change the channel. Anthony and Yolanda are going hiking with us later, they're having room service breakfast. I don't like this", he said.

Nika huffed but she changed the channel to local news. The perfectly coiffed hosts with their helmet hair and pearly white teeth made her think of robots or androids as she watched John get ready. He wore jeans and a red t-shirt over a black long-sleeved pullover as he brushed his hair. The long dark brown curls fell halfway down his back and shone with golden and auburn highlights in the morning sun. Nika looked down at her own dark brown curls and noted with satisfaction that her curls had the same kind of highlights. She hoped Anthony and Yolanda joined them later, since the blond was very nice to her.

John finished brushing his hair and gave his reflection one final look in the mirror before going back to the room. "Dad, these people look like robots", she said.

"I know, but that's how you have to look if you want to be on TV. We're walking around the lake, it's huge and there's some good trails", he said.

Nika followed her father out of the room and downstairs to the dining room. She was relieved there were few people and the fearful knot in her stomach dissolved. A waitress led them to a small table and handed them menus. "Order whatever you like", he said.

Nika wrinkled her nose at the big breakfast fry up as she ate her own fruit and yogurt. "I need my protein, I'd grill a steak for breakfast at home but this'll do. Since we're hiking, I need more protein and I have more of a macrobiotic diet on the road or at home", he explained.

From the massive windows that encircled the room, they could see the wide blue expanse of Lake Tahoe. The big lake sparkled underneath the morning sun like a finely cut blue topaz, surrounded by lush green forests. The sky was a brilliant azure blue the color of a robin's egg without clouds, almost blinding in its intense blueness. "As a kid, when we still lived in New York, we'd go up to the Catskills or the Adirondacks on summer weekends. The mountains are lower than the Sierras but they're gorgeous in the fall when the leaves change color. Leaves don't change color like they do back east", John mused aloud.

Nika wondered in Persephone would have liked the leaves changing color. She knew her father needed to eat more protein but the big breakfast made her frown. Instead she focused on her own breakfast of fruit, yogurt and oatmeal. "Anthony is an on and off vegetarian, I used to be one a year ago but my doctor said I needed to eat more iron and protein, I'm too fragile to be a vegetarian. But anyways, we need to fill up for the hike", said John.

Nika understood and hoped it wasn't too hot, glad that she had her big straw hat. She still wished Josh was here since he'd read so many books and didn't think her tastes were weird, still upset that John had told her to change the channel.

"Hey, glad you guys could make it", said John saw Anthony and Yolanda in the lobby.

"It's a gorgeous day to go hiking in Tahoe", said Anthony with a laugh.

"Have you been here before, Anthony?", she asked.

"Yeah, that and Yosemite. Flea and I used to go to Tahoe or Yosemite with Hillel, just camping or squatting somewhere since we were broke teenagers. Now I don't need to camp, it's not appropriate for my lady", he joked as Yolanda giggled.

Nika saw how Anthony and Yolanda interacted with each other and wondered if her father would ever get a girlfriend. She glanced in his direction and mused that he wasn't bad-looking and in fact, could be considered rather handsome. He was a bit short but wiry and fit with long curly dark brown hair like hers, high cheekbones and full lips, his deep hazel eyes full of intelligence and thoughtful. She figured that some woman had to find her father attractive and hoped she would be kind and smart.

Nika was glad that the trail to the lake wasn't very crowded as she held John's hand. He gave her a kind smile which she returned shyly, his face beaming with joy. The simple touch actually felt nice and Nika mused that perhaps she would let him hug her. The path to the lake was paved and she was glad there was no loose gravel to get in her shoes and for Yolanda's sake since she wore sandals. The big straw hat covered her face and kept the sun off her head as they walked towards the lake, the scent of grass and earth surrounding her. It was pleasant and barely noticeable unlike the sprayed perfume at the mall Clara had sprayed on her, thinking it was a good idea to spray all sorts of tester bottles on them at once. The stink nearly choked her, nearly passing out from being unable to breath. However, she rather liked natural aroma and resolved not to wear perfume, even if adults did.

The trail moved lower and the air was cooler, the soft murmur of the wind through the trees and the gentle lapping of the waves growing imperceptibly louder. Through a clearing in the trees she could see the blue waters of the lake, a slightly darker blue than the sky above them. The blue of the lake got bigger and bigger until the trees cleared and they could see the whole lake.

Nika gasped in delight and he eyes went wide, the lake nearly big as an ocean. "Yeah, Tahoe is huge. There's no natural lake this big in southern California", said John.

She nodded in agreement. The lake from this angle was so vast she couldn't see to the opposite shore, a brilliant royal blue that shone under the sun's rays. From the restaurant window the water had been shiny, but up close it resembled a vast cut and polished blue crystal. The sun's ray's twinkled on the little waves and dips in the water, like the lights of a slowly rotating cut diamond's facets. Occasionally there was a small sailboat floating lazily on its surface, resembling kids' toys on the surface of a massive bathtub.

"When I was younger, I could have swam to one of the islands. But I'm too old for that, and I prefer surfing anyways", said Anthony.

"Maybe I'll join you guys one day at Big Sur, I haven't gone swimming in the ocean for years", said John.

"You should, it's good for your back muscles", said Anthony.

John gave the singer a sad smile and rubbed the long sleeves of his shirt. "I don't want people to freak out, our fans know but not everyone", he whispered.

Without thinking, Nika reached for his sleeve and yanked it up. She recoiled in horror when she saw the shiny, scaly skin on his arms, a patchwork of different skin tones that resembled a mosaic made of human flesh. "Dad, did you get burned?", she asked.

John sighed, an ashamed look on his face. "Nika, it was worse than that. When we get back to the hotel, I'll tell you", he said softly.