"Be careful, Emilia. The next step is slippery." Their mother cautioned them as the metal step groaned beneath the combined weight of her younger brother and her self. Emilia adjusted her hold on Mateo before she edged closer to the wall, avoiding the small puddle. Behind her, a man lost his footing but was able to hold on to the railing, making the narrow staircase shake. Mateo huddled closer to his older sister, wrapping his arms around her neck. The sudden tremor had scared him.
"It's okay, little treasure." Emilia whispered in their native tongue. Their mother had forbidden them from speaking in it once they had boarded but it was the only way she could console him. Mateo was only five years old and despite being familiar with certain English words and phrases, he still had a long way to go before he could communicate in it fluently.
"We will only speak in English once we reach Ferngill Republic." Their mother's voice sounded tired and she was sure her children were as well. "Understand?"
"Yes." Emilia replied while Mateo only nodded. She knew that he didn't fully understand yet but he would have to if he wanted to live a life free from the Empire.
The three of them reached the deck of the ship and saw that there were many passengers aboard. They bustled about, looking for family members or a warm meal to eat. Emilia shifted Mateo in her arms and quickly followed their mother who made her way towards a short line. A stern looking man with half-moon glasses was checking papers and giving directions on which cabin they would be staying in. In a gruff voice, he informed them that they would be sharing their cabin with a family of four.
Their mother thanked him before leading the three of them down below.
The cramped corridor was humid and the voices of children playing around and adults talking loudly to one another was too much for Mateo's ears. He sniffled and covered his ears. He didn't like being down here.
Emilia noticed her brother's discomfort and began to shush him, fingers threading through curly black hair. She didn't quite understand what their mother had meant when she told her that Mateo was 'special' but she did know enough to know when he was experiencing what he thought was unpleasant.
With a grunt, their mother pushed open the heavy door of their cabin. The sound of metal scraping against metal made Mateo whine, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. The three of them stood at the entryway and took in the sight of the small cabin. Windowless with a single florescent light illuminating the room and two bunkbeds opposite each other on either wall.
There were two children on the top right bunk while their parents were seated on the lower bunk. The parents nodded to their mother who returned a nod in kind. Their children, two little boys who were wearing identical knit caps, peered over the railing of the bed. They looked to older than Mateo but younger than Emilia.
Emilia set Mateo down on the bed and wiped away the tears with her sleeve.
"Everything will be alright." Emilia reassured him. She moved towards their mother and helped her with packing away their bags. The two boys watched them with curiosity sparkling in their eyes.
"Why is he crying, mama?" The older looking one asked.
"Is it because he's hungry?" The younger boy sat up.
"Why don't you ask him yourselves?" Their mother, a portly woman with kind eyes, told them. "Why don't you give him some of those biscuits that we made?"
The younger boy inched closer to the edge of the bunk, grabbing on to the railing before swinging his legs and landing on their parents' bed. He rolled off and sat next to Mateo. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief-covered biscuit. He unwrapped it and unveiled a partially crumbled up biscuit. It had three different kinds of berries baked into it and was topped with small bits of goat cheese.
"It tastes good even though it looks like that." The older brother pointed out.
"Thank you."
X
The pouring rain sounded like bullets hitting the roof of the bus and even though the AC was turned down to its lowest, it still chilled Elora to her core. Her children had taken the right seat opposite hers and Emilia was asleep with her head on Mateo's lap while the younger boy was content to lean against the window, puffing warm breath on the glass and drawing small people. Elora had tried to coax her son back to sleep but the rain bothered him too much.
A lot of things bothered Mateo ever since they fled the Empire.
Elora sighed and looked down on the faded letter that was sent to her a year and a half ago. It had once contained a dried flower (a fairy rose, the letter specified) but was now long lost. The writer was a former lover of hers, the father of Emilia and Mateo, who went back to Ferngill once the Empire started cracking down on non-Gotoro citizens.
This was when a war was beginning to brew in the heart of Gotoro. He had promised Elora a safe haven for her and her children to go to. His hometown in a place called Stardew Valley. He had written that if they were ever to look for him, they should go to Sunrise Farm. He wrote down that he would be eagerly waiting for them and reassured Elora that his parents would love Emilia and Mateo.
Holding the letter to her chest, Elora released a sigh that she didn't realize she was holding. Amidst all the promises and sweet nothings he had written her, the only thing that mattered to Elora was that their family would be complete once more.
She always believed that a person dreamt more sweetly if they had simple dreams.
The bus driver, a lady in a pink tracksuit, slowed down and announced their stop.
Elora stood and woke Emilia. Mateo helped his sister get up while their mother took care of the bags. Emilia stumbled her way off the bus, holding Mateo's hand tightly in hers. Elora noticed that her son was sucking his thumb again. Another habit that he needed to break out of.
Before stepping off the bus, she asked the driver where she could find Sunrise Farm. After the directions were given, she thanked her and half-jogged towards her children who were huddled close under an umbrella. It could easily fit the three of them but a medium sized hole made staying dry a difficulty.
They sloshed through the rain and mud, Emilia and Mateo sticking close to their mother. Following the directions given, they easily found the farm. Making their way to the small farmhouse, the children noticed all the lush vegetation covering the area. They saw some barns and coops as well, Mateo grinning at the thought of seeing animals. Once they reached the porch of the farmhouse, Elora shook the water off the umbrella while her children continued to gawk at the farm.
When the umbrella was sufficiently dry, she turned and knocked on the door.
X
The bright light from the monitor made Teo's head pound. The sounds of his co-workers tapping away at keyboards and exchanging office gossip didn't help his migraine either. His fingers itched to open the drawer and pull out the letter that his grandpa had given him years ago. Maybe today would be the day that he finally opens it.
X
R&R