This is a contest entry for The Village Square. I do not own Harvest Moon!
It was a day like any other. The day before, the weather man had predicted a hurricane, and it was terribly gloomy outside. There were no birds chirping, the ground was muddy, and everyone was inside.
Ramona was rocking back and forth in her rockig chair, doing her knitting as usual. Thomas, her siamese cat had followed her into her room and he was now sitting at her feet, playing with a ball of yarn as cats do. Ramona watched as Thomas push the yarn from paw to paw.
"It must be nice to be a cat, Thomas. You can do whatever you want without a care in the world," Ramona said, leaning forward in her rocking chair to get a better look at her beloved cat. Thomas stared back at her and let out a low mew. Ramona smiled and leaned back in her chair to relax. She loved that cat like a son, especially since her real son, Charles, got married and moved away. It was a lonely life, but it was peaceful. Not only that, but she had Sebastian, her butler and friend. Ramona's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," Ramona said as she leaned forward in her chair again.
Sebastian opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Ah, Sebastian," Ramona said with a smile, "Hello." She looked at his face and could immediatly tell that something was wrong. She had spent years with Sebastian. They practically grew up together, so she of all people would know when Sebastian was upset. Instead of his usual soft smile, his eyes were puffy, glassy, and red as though he had just been crying, and his entire face radiated sadness.
"Sebastian?" Ramona asked, sitting on the edge of the rocker. "What's wrong? You look so sad."
Sebastian breathed in, trying to hold back tears, and began twiddling his thumbs. He looked at Ramona and said, "I fear that I may not be the correct person to tell you this, Miss Ramona, but I just got a call from the hospital in the city..." He paused to wipe a tear from his eye and continued, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but... Master Charles and Miss Grace have both passedaway in a car accident."
Ramona watched Sebastian sob as she let the news sink in. Her san and his wife couldn't have possibly died! Not in a million years would those two ever die before she did! They were both perfectly healthy! He was too strong and she was too pretty to die young! No. no no no no... That couldn't be it. Sebastian must have been playing a joke. Yes. That's it. It was just a joke.
Sebastian looked up a Ramona as she started to chuckle.
"Hahaha! Sebastian, you really had me going for a minute there, but you can't fool these old bones!" Ramona said while slowly getting up from her chair.
Sebastian sniffled and said, "I wasn't joking, ma'am."
"Oh, but surely you were! My son is too strong and lively to go off and die in some silly ole' car accident!"
Sebastian stood there staring at Ramona. He knew that she would not take the news lightly, but he never expected this. He furrowed his brow and began to worry for Ramona. Was she okay?
"Here! I'll go call the dumb ole' hospital and prove to you that he and his wife were not in a car crash at all! They just had the wrong Charles and Grace Romerez."
Sebastian followed Ramona out the bedroom and into the kitchen to make the phone call. Ramona picked the phone up off the reciever and dialed the number for the hospital. The phone rang a few times before a woman picked up and said, "Eastside General Hospital. How may I help you?"
Ramona breathed in and said, "Yes, is ther anyone by the last name Romerez in this hospital?"
"Yes ma'am. Are you related to her?"
"Her?"
"Yes. Lumina Romerez?"
"Oh... Yes I am her grandmother. May I ask what happened to her parents?"
"I'm sorry ma'am, but the parents died in an accident last night. The father died on the scene and the mother died this morning in ICU."
Ramona startedto cry. It was true. Her son and his wife really did die. She would never again see Charles' bright smile, or Grace's long flowing hair. She was about to hang up the phone when the lady on the phone said something.
"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Ramona asked.
"Yes. I said that Lumina Romerez is ready to go home. She is perfectly fine. No cuts or bruises. She is a little shaken up from the accident and has asked for her parents a couple of times, but the laywer came this morning and said that she is in your custody. Will you take her?"
"Oh! Yes of course! I'll leave right now! Thank you,"
Ramona hung up the phone and wiped a last tear from her eye. Sebastian put a hand on Ramona's shoulder, waiting to hear what the lady from the hospital had to say.
Ramona turned around and smiled at Sebastian, who was now looking at her like she was crazy. "Wipe that frown off your face, Sebastian! We need to go pick my grandbaby up from the hospital!" Ramona said, hobbling out of the kitchen.
Sebastian followed her to the front door and tried to ask, "Wha-"
"Well, I'm the only living relative the poor child has left! Lumina is coming to live with me in the valley! Oh, she'll ahve so many friends, like that boy of Tim and Ruby's. He's not that much older than he is! And rumor has it that Chris is pregnant! Oh! Lumina will have a wonderful life!" Ramona exclaimed.
She opened up the doors to reveal a sunny sky. The birds were chirping, the ground was completly dry. The flowers were blooming, and there was a big, bright rainbow in the sky.
Sebastian looked at Ramona and started to laugh.
"What's so funny, huh?"
"It's just like you, Miss Ramona, to take a basket full of lemons and make sweet lemonade."
Sebastian continued to laugh as the two locked up and started to walk to the beach to cathch the ferry to the city. However, Ramona had a very confused look on her face.
"I don't get it... where are the lemons?"
Sebastian laughed again and said, "Thank you, Miss Ramona. I needed a laugh on this sad day. Now let's go and get Miss Lumina."
The two continued to walk down the path as Ramona said, "Alright, but I still don't understand all of this talk about lemonade and whatnot."
Ta-da! Wasn't that great? I never even noticed that I used the title of the game until I started to type this up... punny eh?