It was in summer when Hugh's body floated to the top of the Goddess pond. Lady Lumina of the mansion in the northernmost point of the Valley found the body as she tarried at the edge of the pond. She screamed, alarming those who heard her down the trail. When the others found her she was laying on her side weeping. Cody threaded into the water slowly to retrieve the small body. Hugh was floating face down and bobbed like a log on the currents. His only motions being from the water. Cody lifted him out of the water with his big arms and trekked back to the edge of the pond. Lumina's cries, which had softened into a sob, had heightened when the body was set at the edge.
Gustafa who had been in the field near the pond when Lumina screamed, was trying to comfort her. He was kneeling beside her as she wept into his chest. He kept her head turned from the body. She didn't try and steal any glances of the boy. Gustafa did though. He winced at the sight of the dead child. Hugh often ran passed his home early in the morning as he jogged. Gustafa would he playing his old beaten up guitar. Hugh sometimes stopped to hear him play with wide eyes. Gustafa even let him have a shot at it. Hugh would smile and claw at the strings like a cat stuck in a net. Still Gustafa was able to teach him a few simple melodies. Now Hugh was dead on the ground.
It was in the afternoon that Pete came down from his farm. All the corn and tomatoes were planted and the onions re-planted in the soil. He clapped his hands so the caked on dirt would burst like a cloud around his gloves. He was heading into town to talk to Vesta, mainly Celia, about basic agriculture, water-runoff and irrigation. He had just gotten off the phone with Karen, who works for the supermarket, to buy more seeds and some rice balls. They were a quick meal that kept him going. He brought one with him. As he came down from his farm he saw people conjugating outside Wally's home. This was unusual. Wally and his wife Chris weren't the talk of the town or the most popular people in town despite their youthful energy. He took a quick glance down the way to Vesta's. No one was around, he thought he'd check out all the commotion a few houses over at Wally's. He pushed the rest of the rice ball into his mouth and headed over.
He began his trek to the house. A crowd had formed around the home. From the looks of it, nearly the whole town was there. As Pete approached he could see the door was open and some villagers were standing in the doorway. Muffy's red dress caught his eye. She was a gorgeous woman. Drop-dead gorgeous- a real blond bombshell. Pete was taken aback when he found her bartending here in the tiny Valley. He didn't mind though. He soon found himself as a regular in the Blue Bar. Many of the men seemed enthralled by her beauty. Kassey, a villager with a penchant for firework making, has harbored a crush for her since her arrival-or so Pete has heard from Patrick, Kassey's identical twin brother.
He has also heard that Griffin, the bar owner, possibly has an itching for her too. Pete can see why, she is definitely good-looking but she also knows how to make a man feel good. Her flirting probably is her strongest skill. She has certainly made him feel manly as she would feel his biceps and say all his hard work on the farm made him a real man. Pete liked that. Kassey would then interject and try and arm wrestle him, claiming he is the true man. Muffy would giggle but he could see the internal eye-roll.
"Oh Pete!" Muffy ran over. She stopped him a few feet from the crowd. "It's terrible" her face was downcast with a dash of panic. "Yeah? Wally's exercise machine break?" He laughed and took some more strides to the house. Muffy tried to stop him, she was pushing back against his chest as he went forward. "No, Pete, something terrible has happened" Pete thought her hysterics were kinda humorous. Muffy has a funny definition of terrible. He can remember her lamenting over the loss of her curler. It's terrible! She complained as he got drunk off the Moo-Milk. When her mascara was bleeding from an onset of crying, she screamed It's terrible! Oh, and he shudders at the memory of her embarrassment when she took a dip in the ocean and found her bikini-top backstrap had somehow snapped. Rock sure was happy about that and received a hard slap when he brought it up at the bar the next day.
He moved her to the side with his arm. "What is it? I'm curious" He grinned. As he got closer, he noticed the troubled expressions on the people standing about. "Guys, what is it?" He asked, looking to Van hiding behind his glasses at the doorway. He was sweating in his spot. For being so early in the afternoon, it was blistering out.
His grin dropped as soon as he turned into the house. Wally was sitting inside crying with his palms to his eyes. His sobs were loud and strained. Chris held his shoulder in her small hand. There were more people around the room, lining the walls. "Why? Wh... How?" he continued to sob. Pete wasn't sure what to do.
A small puff of a grin appeared on his face as the awkwardness set in. His smile was the only one in the room and it dimmed out quickly when he saw Takakura there against the wall. His face was sullen. Takakura was like a grandfather to him, he showed him the ropes on the farm and comforted him when a date with Muffy ended with a stiff slap to the upper jaw. Takakura shook his head slowly as if he knew what Pete was thinking.
Pete wasn't sure if he should ask or wait to be told what was happening. Chris had a cloth and gave it to her husband. Wally tried to compose himself. "Hello Pete" he sniffled and wiped his nose. "Come on in" he sniveled. In his grief he managed to turn to Pete with a hand on his hip, the other bent on his knee. "How are you, Pete? Is the farm doing well?"
Pete was breathless. He glanced around the room quickly. All the faces were looking at him. "Um... what's happened...?" Inside was deathly silent. Kassey and Patrick were inside. Kassey cleared his throat with a few quick coughs. "Hugh... was found in the pond this morning" he said. His expression unchanged from the deep scowl he usually wears. "Oh..." Pete heard himself say. He turned back to face Wally. Small tears lined his eyes, a meldrop at the nose. He was forcing a smile.
Pete tried to tug his own lips into a smile but it all felt so wrong. "I...I'm sorry Wally" Was all he could muster. Everyone was looking at him and he felt like a jackass at the way he just burst into the room like nothing was wrong. But he didn't know a child had drowned. Wally didn't really answer instead he just seemed to stare at the floor. Chris spoke then. "I think it would be better if we just had some time to ourselves now" She held his shoulder.
The room remained still for a moment but Takakura was the first to head out, saying if they needed anything then just ask. A lot of I'm sorrys and We're here for you's were said. Pete felt like a ghost as everyone passed him through the doorway. He was the last to leave and heard the wail of a man breaking down as he closed the door.