And Small Steam Clouds Formed around the Tops of the Mountain Peaks
After Jessie relished in her victory and newfound status as Saint Francis’s newest celebrity, we had to go to work at the marina and do the regular maintenance on the boat. My Jessie, as was her custom, rested topless on her elbows and watched me while commenting on my work. As usual, she wanted to know every detail of why the task I was performing was necessary. Frankly, I enjoyed being the teacher in my domain, and Jessie the student. She volunteered to help. I said that some of the items on my to-do list were filthy. But that did not stop her. We soon got into a verbal battle over who was going to go first in the marina shower.
I launched the first physical assault. I plastered engine oil over her face and most of the
