My Harvest Moon Story
Written by: Deion Terrence Michael Simmons
Chapter 1 Here is a key to find out who's POV the story is in: Ethan Ann Karen Popuri Elli Mary Kayla Blue Orange Purple Red Olive Black Green I stare relentlessly at the aqua-colored ocean below me. The ferry gently slicing through the water with it's large keel. The other people onboard are doing the same. That's all you can do, all you can do is wait until your stop comes up. By the way, my name is Ethan Horne and I'm moving to Apple Blossom Village. Why? I chose to buy some farmland there. Farming has always been my lifelong dream. Well, I graduated from college last year and I had worked for a year in a restaurant to save up money. Apple Blossom Village is supposed to be very quaint with a beautiful atmosphere. Just what I need after living in the city all my life. Now for the description, I'm 23 years old with short, spiky brown hair that has golden highlights in it. I'm tall and have a pretty muscular body; I guess all that working out paid off! I have cerulean blue eyes that sometimes change color; sometimes they go from gray to blue to aqua. How they got like that? I think it's genetic, most likely it is. I've been on this robust ferry for about an hour and frankly I'm getting sick of waiting. It's as if every minute I wait, my palms sweat even more. I'm just so excited! The very thought of arriving just makes me want to jump for joy. A load speaker booms, "APPLE BLOSSOM VILLAGE IS UP AHEAD!" I clutch my bags and wait for the ferry to dock at an old pier. It looks a little worn and as if it would collapse at any time. Maybe I should offer to rebuild it. I can see a sandy shore just a few feet in front of the ferry. The sable grains of sand glisten in the morning sun. A few people are waiting for their own family members to arrive, with faces of excitement. I decide to put on my jean jacket because the air had suddenly gotten cooler. There was a loud boom as we docked in. "On behalf of the Ocean Ferry, we hope that you have enjoyed your ride and we hope you choose Ocean Ferry in the future." The speakers boom. I get in line with the other passengers so we can unload. For about a minute, all you can hear is footsteps. When I step of the ramp, I move out the way so I can take in the scene. The birds chirp softly and you can hear the sound of waves gently lapping up against the shore. Lauren should be here any second, I think. Lauren is my first cousin on my father's side. She is the same age as me and she has lived here with her family all of her life. I decide to walk along the beach and collect some seashells or something. I love the sea and all the things it brings. I walk at a brisk pace so I can cover a large area. Along the way I find some scallop shells, clam shells, a silver dollar, and two conch shells, one big one small. I see a sparkle in the sand and rush over to find five crystals. They look valuable so I just put them in a pouch along with my other collections. "Luggage!" Shouts a stout man with a deep voice. He's wearing some faded jeans with a plaid shirt. I then walk over to the pile of assorted bags and suitcases. I lift up two small bags and one suitcase. I look over my shoulder to see Lauren strolling over to greet me. She jumps into my arms. "Hi Ethan it's been ages since I've seen you!" She cries. I hug her even tighter. "It's nice to see you too!" I say. I haven't seen Lauren since I was ten years old. She still looks the same, but only more mature. Her black hair was shoulder length now and her eyes were still the same. Just like mine, as a matter of fact, everyone in my family has the same eyes! I We end our embrace and begin to walk towards her house, which are only a few blocks away. "So," she says. "How was the ride?" "It was fine just a little cramped in. It wasn't that long." I tell her. "After we drop your luggage at home I'll give you a tour." She tells me. "That would be great!" I exclaim. We continue to walk down the cobblestone streets with little cement sidewalks. It's so rustic! Lauren's house is at the next corner. It's a cute house with an old chimney and a nice lawn. A white picket fence surrounds the house and a flowerbed with Toy Flowers in it. Her house is simply beautiful. We open the gate and walk up the stairs to the wooden door and Lauren opens the door. I glance around the house. The living room is very nice with plaid furniture and hardwood floors. There is a fireplace in the corner. All along the room are pictures of family and friends and other tapestries. "Mom, I'm home!" Lauren yells. "I'm coming!" Yells her mom from the top of the stairs. She starts to walk down the stairs and when she gets to the bottom, she runs over and gives me a hug. "Oh, Ethan you've grown up so much!" She tells me. "It's nice to see you Aunt Caroline!" I tell her. "How was the trip?" She asks. "I'm doing fine." "How have your parents been doing?" "Fine." I tell her. "Well dinner will be ready at six so why don't you go unpack upstairs?" She suggests. "All right." Lauren leads me up the spiral staircase to my temporary room. I look at the other rooms too. We walk to a room at the far end of the hallway. I look inside to see a full size bed with a plaid comforter on it. I saw a wooden desk at the corner with a small lamp next to it. There were also some dressers, a closet, a bathroom connected to the bedroom. It was a nice bedroom. I especially liked the bed. "Well, why don't you unpack and be ready by noon?" Lauren suggests. "Sure." I reply. I sit on the bed and lay back and stare at the ceiling. I groan and pull my suitcase onto the bed. I undo the metal latch and start pulling out some clothes. After I sort them out, I put them in the dresser and then put my toiletries into the bathroom. I finish by 11:00 and decide to take a shower. I lather my body up with some soap and wash my dirty hair. I dry off and put my clothes back on. I was wearing some jeans and a t-shirt. I comb my hair and walk out the bathroom. I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. I decide to make a sandwich while I wait for Lauren. I eat the egg sandwich and drink some milk to wash it down. It was great! Lauren walks into the kitchen and pours some milk in a glass. She downs it, then rinses it out and put the glass back in cabinet. "Are you ready?" She asks me. "Yeah!" I reply. *** "This is the hardware store." Lauren tells me as she points to a medium sized store. "The blacksmith and carpenter work here. You'll probably be here very often." We walk down Blossom Road and pass a few houses. Then we come across the animal farm. "This is the Blossom Ranch; you can buy animals from here." I see a girl with carrot colored hair pull into a long braid that is wrapped into a bun. A few wisps of hair dangle off her face. She approaches us. "Hi Lauren!" She tells her. "Hi Ann!" "This must be Ethan, hi Ethan!" Ann extends her hand. I shake it. Her hands are quite soft considering the type of work she does. Her blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight. Man she's cute, I think. "Well Ann, I'll call you later. Bye!" Lauren says. "Ann waves and yells, "Bye Ethan!" *** We turn right at the end of Blossom Road and onto Berry Avenue. There are three houses along this avenue and Lauren stops and tells me that the Crystal Greenhouse is behind one of the houses. "At the greenhouse, you can buy things like seeds and flowers. My friend Karen lives and works there, let's go say hi to her." We walk to the large greenhouse and see a pretty girl with long brown hair with to golden highlights in the front. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail and she is watering some flowers with a blue watering can. She's wearing a purple vest with some blue jean shorts. She turns around and it seems like her green eyes light up the whole room. "Hi Lauren! Is this your cousin Ethan?" She asks. "Yes." She replies. "Hi, I'm Karen. It's nice to meet you!" She tells me and then we shake hands. "Yeah. Nice to meet you too." "What are you guys up to?" She asks. "Well, I was just giving him a tour of the village." "Oh. Do you want any juice?" "Sure!" Karen rushes off to the house and comes back with three glasses of fresh grapefruit juice. We all drink the juice. "Well we still have to get to the rest of the village. See you later!" Lauren tells her. "Bye Lauren, bye Ethan!" Karen tells us as we walk away. *** Lauren shows me the library; which is a colonial-style building that has a great selection of books. While I was there I met a shy girl named Mary. She had long black hair that was kept in a loose braid that was kept in a ponytail. She wore a blue dress and white stockings. The dress was like a shelf at the top and got looser the further it went. We visit the clinic and meet Elli and the Doctor, whose name were David. It was a nice facility. Elli was a pretty young woman with cocoa brown eyes and chestnut brown hair. She seems very nice and caring. She gave me a box of things like alcohol, peroxide, Band-Aids, and some Tylenol in case I was hurting. We also went to the Supermarket where we met Popuri, Lillia, Basil, and Rick. Popuri is a cute girl with long pink hair and wears a white sundress with flowers on it. But she seemed mean so I didn't bother talking with her that much. Basil was Popuri's father and Lillia was her mother. Her brother, Rick was nice and cool. After that, we walked to the Horse Farm; that is where you can buy horses. The owner's were Kate, a middle-aged woman with violet hair, and her daughter Kayla, who was a beautiful girl with lilac hair and wore a crystal headband over her hair and was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a floral tank top that had spaghetti strings. She was very spunky and intelligent. After I met the girls, I was taken to see the mayor, Mayor Thomas, Anna, Manna, Harris, Barley, Stu, May, Duke, Kano, and a few other people. Luckily, we made it back for dinner; which consisted of Miso Soup, crackers, and water. After dinner, I went up to my room and took out my architectural design for the house that I'm supposed to start building tomorrow. "Ding-Dong!" Chimed the doorbell. "I'll get it!" Lauren yells and rushes to the door. "Oh... It's you." She says flatly. I hear footsteps approaching my bedroom. In the doorway I see my best childhood friend, Cody. I jump up and give him a hug, and then I pat his back. "Cody! I haven't seen you in ages!" I exclaim. Cody has been my friend since we were four years old. We did everything together. But he has changed in appearance so much. He is taller now; him and me are the same height. He is also more muscular and much better looking now. All the girls must like him! "I know! It's been forever!" Cody exclaims. We reminisce for hours and he agrees to help me build my farmhouse, the barn, the hen house, and the stable. If we work hard enough then this could all be done in two months. My other friend, Cliff is going to help too. After he leaves, I decide to put on my pajamas and hit the sack. After all, I'm going to need a lot of rest for tomorrow! Chapter 2 The buzzer on the alarm clock wails. "Ugh." I groan, then I roll over to turn it off. I take a nice long shower and put on some jeans and a red t-shirt. I bring a small backpack filled with the designs, tools, and some lunch. This is it! I'm going to be working on my farm! I'm just so excited! Aunt Caroline made us breakfast. It consisted of cereal, toast with jam, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Then, I leave and walk down Coral Road, which is a road that runs the ocean. The land itself has its private beach. That is where I'm going to build the house. I arrive on the land after a half-hour of walking. Cody and Cliff are waiting for me when I see them. "Hey guys! Are you ready to start working?" I ask. *** For a few hours, we cut the wood with our saws and clear the land. We dig a rectangular space into the ground and fill it with stone so that it will have a strong foundation. After that we build the frame of the house and to my surprise, after working for two weeks, we finish the frame. A week later we do insulation and the hardwood floors. I choose a fine grade of wood and polish it. So far my house is coming along great! On the 3rd week, we start plumbing and individual rooms; such as bedrooms, the kitchen, the bathroom, living room, and the dining room. We make frequent visits to the hardware store and the home store. By the 4th week, we have completed the house with decorations and all. I'm happy that it is finally done and that my friends helped me build it. I promise them that when I get a lot of money, I will pay them a lot of money but they say that I don't have to because they know I would do the same for them. The house has two bedrooms, a living and dining room, an up to date kitchen, a nice bathroom, and a rustic fireplace in the living room. My room is equipped with a homemade desk with a full size bed. Dressers and many more goodies. The guestroom is made the same way. Over the next month, I build a large pentagonal henhouse with ten roosts for them to rest in. I think that it is very creative. You must be wondering how I learned how to build these things. Actually, I graduated from college with a degree in architecture. I also build a barn for cows and sheep complete with feeders and stalls. There is also a water trough located in the back of the barn. The barn leads to a beautiful green pasture and so does the stable for horses that I also built. I decided to make this a traditional horse stable. The last things I do on the farm are make a mailbox and a pond for fish. I make stone paths to different parts of the farm. My farm is finally complete! All I need to do now is buy some animals and start planting! *** It's the end of the 2nd month I've been here at Apple Blossom Village. I'm so relieved that all the building of my farm is complete. I wake up at 6:00 a.m. to go explore my farmland. It is only about 3 acres so it won't take me a very long time to get to the other side of the farm. So I get dressed and slip on my windbreaker. After that, I eat breakfast and walk out the door. To my surprise, Zack, the produce collector is at the door. "Hi Zack. How are you?" I ask. At this point, I know everyone in village and am quite friendly with them. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I have to tell you a few things. Every week I'll come by to collect your produce. If you need some extra money, there are wild fruits and veggies up in the mountain. Oh and I don't come by on festival days." He tells me. "Thanks for the info Zack. Bye!" I say as he walks away. I check my mailbox and pull out a letter from my brother, Eddie. Eddie is 16 and he was mainly telling me how life was back in the city. Our parents were doing great and he was doing well in school. It was all-nice to hear. I walk across the field and along the stone path. I haven't really been on this area of the farm so I explore. I see a lot of apple, pear, orange, and grapefruit trees along the way. Most of the fruits are even ready for picking! I see a lot of wild mushrooms and a few truffles. Hmm, I'm going to come back with my basket later. I jog back to the house at noon for a sandwich and decide to go town. I walk down the stone stairwell that Cody and I carved into the small cliff that leads to the beach. It takes a half-hour to get to the Crystal Greenhouse. I say hello to Jeff and Sasha, Karen's parents, and walk into the greenhouse. Karen is watering the plants in a cute t-shirt with a teddy bear on it. "Hey Karen." I tell her and start to glance around the shelves. "Oh, hello Ethan. How are you doing today?" She asks. "Fine, and you?" "Great!" "What are you looking for?" She asks after she finishes watering the plants. She walks up to me and wash her hands off in the sink. "Can you tell me where I can find some cabbage, potato, cucumber, and turnip seeds?" I ask her. "Oh. All the spring seeds are over there." She points to a cart across the room. "Thank you." I say as I walk over to the cart and buy some seed bags. Karen goes to the cash register, types in a few keys and tells me the price. "It all comes up to 3,000 Gold." I pull out my money card and hand it over to her. She slides it through the machine and it automatically deducts the money away from it. "Thank you for coming Ethan. So I heard that your house is complete. Is that true?" She asks. "Yes, Cliff and Cody helped me." "Maybe I'll come see it later on." She tells me. My heart thumps. "That would be great!" I barely manage to get out. I can't believe that Karen is coming over! Yes! "I'll see you then Ethan." Karen tells me. "O. K. Bye!" I say and then I leave the greenhouse. I then travel over to the Blossom Ranch to check out the prices of the livestock. Ann is at the gate, repairing a broken piece of wood. She looks cute today in her overalls and yellow t-shirt and her orange hair braided down her back. "Hello Ann, how are you today?" I ask politely. She looks up at me and blushes deeply. "Fine. What brings you here today?" She asks. "I wanted to know how much cows, sheep, and chicken cost." I say as I scratch my head nervously. "A cow costs 6,000 Gold and sheep cost 4,000 Gold. Chickens cost 1,500 Gold and chicken feed cost 10 Gold per serving. But you can buy a bag of 100 servings of chicken feed for1, 000 Gold. Fodder for the sheep and cows are 20 Gold per serving and well you get the picture." She tells me with a laugh. I laugh also at the little joke. At least she has a good sense of humor. "Will you be buying any animals?" She asks. I think about this for a second. I have enough money to buy one of each animal plus food and still have enough money left over. "Yes, I'll buy one of each animal and 20 servings of each type of food." She walks over to the cash register and I hand her my money card. She deducts the money away from the card and hands it back over to me. "I'll give you and the animals a ride in our truck!" Ann tells me. We walk over to the animals and I pick out a brown hen, a white and black cow, and a white sheep. We put the larger animals into a Motor Stable and the hen into a cage. We climb into the truck and Ann turns on the ignition and we pull off. "So how do you like our village and the people?'' Ann asks. "I love the village and the people are great!" I tell her, and I meant every single word. This village has really found a place in my heart. "That's great to hear Ethan!" Ann exclaims. We make our way to Coral Road and we drive up to where the cliff ends. "Well you can explore the farm while I put the animals away." I tell her. "All right." She replies and walks into the house. *** After Ethan tells me that I can explore his farm area, I go over to the beautiful house he and his friends created. He has a lot of architectural skill that's for sure! I open the ruby door and peer into the house. Wow it really looks nice in here! I walk into the cozy living room where there is red plaid furniture and a TV set. I see pictures along the mantle of the fireplaces. I check out pictures of his family and of him. Ethan sure is a nice guy! I walk into the state of the art kitchen and check out the well-stocked fridge. I help myself to a spring apple. Hmm, it tastes so sweet! I take a quick glance at the dining room and then make my way up the spiral staircase. I see two bedrooms and I decide to go into the most lived in room. I look at his neatly made bed and all the other bedroom furniture in his bedroom. A bathroom connects to his bedroom so I go inside and check out the bathtub and shower fixture. The marble sink with the golden faucet is a nice touch to the bathroom. I check out the medicine cabinet and find some Tylenol, toothpaste, soap, floss, peroxide, alcohol, and some Band- Aids. I leave his room and go to the guestroom that is like his and also has a bathroom connecting to it. After a quick look around the guestroom I walk down the stairs and out the door. Ethan is putting the sheep and cow onto the pasture that he has. I decide to walk over and lend him some assistance. "Do you need any assistance?" I ask him sweetly. "Actually, I do. The sheep won't move!" He complained. "Ethan here is what you have to do to get them to move. Do you have a brush?" I ask. "Yeah, here it is." He hands me over the wooden brush. I stroke the sheep's fur and then gently pat its bottom. The sheep automatically walks onto the pasture and starts chewing some grass next to the cow. "See how simple that is?" I say with a laugh. "Yes." He replies dumbfounded. "You should really give them names." "Okay, since you've been nice to me from the start, I'll name the sheep Annie. The cow's name is going to be Genevieve. As for the hen, I'll name her Chestnut." "Those are great names!" I tell him a pat him on the back. I look at my watch. Sadness washes over my face. "What's wrong Ann?" He asks with caring in his voice. "My dad is going to kill me! I have to leave see you later!" I say and run out to the car. Ethan sure is a cute guy... *** After Ann left, I went over to the field and cultivated the land with my golden hoe. I had spasms in my shoulder each time I brought the hoe down on the fertile dirt. I was exhausted after I finished cultivating the entire field. Then, as if that wasn't enough, I sowed the seeds and then turned on the sprinklers to water them. I walk back to the house and take a long hot bath and soak for an hour to ease the pain. I never knew farming would be so tiring! Oh, I have to make dinner for Karen and I! I dry off and wrap a towel around my waist. I walk down the staircase and into the kitchen. I open the fridge and look inside. I see some fish fillets, veggies, and some noodles. I decide to season the fish with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper. I chop some peppers and boil the noodles. Then after it is all complete, I add it all together and drizzle a little olive oil over it. It's a masterpiece! "Ding-dong!" The doorbell rings. I rush to answer the door and open it. I see Karen, as she looks over my body, flabbergasted. I see the excitement on her face and then remember what I was wearing. "Oh, sorry I'll go put on some clothes." I run upstairs and throw on some khakis and an olive long- sleeved shirt. I ran back down the stairs. "O.K. Let's try this again. Hello Karen." I say slightly embarrassed. "Hi Ethan." She says while blushing. "Come on in." I gesture for her to come inside. "This is my charming estate." I begin and then I give her a tour of the house. "Wow it's fantastic in here!" She cries. "I know. We all did a great job." "Are you hungry? I made dinner!" I ask. "Yes I'm famished!" I pull her out a seat at the table and she gladly sits in. I go over and fix our plates. She looks around curiously. I place the plates onto the table. "Voila! The dinner!" I say in a French accent. She laughs and eyes the dish. "This looks great!" She cries. "Thank you." "Let's eat!" I say. We start eating the delectable food before us. In the middle of dinner I ask, "would you like any wine?" "Would I? Of course I would, I love wine!" Karen exclaims. I pour us two glasses of wine. We drink silently. After dinner, we talk about ourselves and things of the sort. By 7:00 p.m., she gets up to leave. "I have to leave Ethan, thanks for inviting me over." Karen says. "The pleasure is all mines; can I walk you home? It's getting pretty dark." I ask her. "Sure." Karen tells me. We put on our jackets and walk out the door. Streetlights align the road as we walk together. A half-hour later we arrive at her doorstep. "Thanks for a wonderful evening Ethan." "You're welcome." "Good night!" Karen says and she leans over to kiss me on the cheek. "Good night." I say as I touch that part of my cheek. Wow! She kissed me! I run back to the house and jump into the bed. I put on my pajamas and fall asleep. *** Oh, that Ethan, he's such a nice guy. Maybe we should start dating! I don't know, but I think I'm starting to fall for him... Chapter 3 "Cackle doodle do!" Chestnut crowed. I guess I'll have to start getting used to that. I get out of my bed and take a shower. I wrap a towel around my waist and walk down the winding staircase to the spacious living room. I grab the remote and sit down in the reclining chair. I turn the channel to the Weather Channel so I could see what the weather is going to be like. Today is going to be a high of 70 degrees F. I decide to go back upstairs and slip on my blue overalls and a white t-shirt. I go to the kitchen and pull out a bowl for some cereal and milk. After I eat the cereal, I wash the china bowl and pour a glass of orange juice. I quickly drink the tasty liquid and walk outside. It's breezy right now but I run to the henhouse and feed Chestnut. I look under her roost and I see six eggs there. I decide to keep to and put them on the incubator. I take the rest and put them in a wooden crate. Zack should be here today; this is the day when he collects things. Zack comes by on Wednesdays and today was Wednesday. After I take care of Chestnut, I walk to the green pasture to brush the animals. Annie is near Genevieve chewing some grass. "Hi Annie, you seem in a good mood today." I say as I brush her wool. I pull out the shears and cut her fluffy wool. I put it in a container for washing and then I walk over to Genevieve. "Hey Genevieve, how about some milk?" I say as I brush her fur. I put the milker under her udder and it clamps down on it. Luckily, it doesn't hurt her in any way possible and a long stream of milk is poured in the pail. I can't help but smile realizing that this is like the first true day that I'm a farmer. "Thanks a lot girls!" I say as I walk out the pasture. I walk to the field and check the plants; some have just sprouted. There must be something in the soil because I've never seen things grow so fast here! I turn the sprinkler back on. Just then, I remember the orchard. I know! I'll go ask Karen if she wants to help me gather the fruits! I run to the greenhouse. Karen is talking to Rick, Popuri's brother. I guess he's just buying some seeds. And he was. He turned around and walked away. "Hey Ethan! How's it going?" Rick asks me. "Fine and you?" I reply. "Great!" "See you later!" I say as he walks back to his house. I walk up to Karen, who was putting the money in the cash register. "Hey Karen!" I say. "Ethan! I didn't know that you were there!" She blushes in excitement. She really looked beautiful when she blushed! "Well, Karen do you know about any flowers that might look nice in the front of my house?" I ask. "Yes. Come over here!" She beckons for me to come to the Plant Nursery. I follow her. It smells good in here, like perfume. She points to a patch of white flowers. They were Toy Flowers. "These would look great on your farm. You should buy these Moondrop flowers too." Karen suggests. I think this over and decide to buy the yellow Moondrop flowers also. "How much would this cost Karen?" I ask. "I'll give them to you for 200 Gold!" I hand her over the money card. "Um, Karen." I say shyly. "Yes?" She asks as she examines a little sprout. "Would you like to come to the farm with me so we can pick some wild things in an old orchard that's on my farmland?" I manage to get out. "Sure! Let's go now!" Karen tells me. A sigh of relief comes out my body as she goes to ask her parents if she can take a break. They agree and she walks with me to my farm. I hold the flowers in each hand. We arrive at the farm a half-hour later and I put the flower in the flowerbed near the front door. They really do add a nice touch to the house. "Are you ready Karen?" I ask. "Yeah!" She replies. We grab our baskets and walk to the orchard. *** I can't believe he asked me to come gather with him.
"Oh I just love mushrooms!" I exclaim.
"Why don't you take some home with you?" He suggests. That's so nice of him!
I stoop down and pluck some mushrooms out the ground. They look so succulent and tasty. I put those in a pouch. I look at the ripe fruit dangling off the trees. I twist some apples off the tree and put them in the basket. We do this for a few hours until it's 3:30 p.m. We had just about picked a fourth of the fruits that were ripe.
"Thanks for helping me Karen." Ethan tells me.
"You're welcome." I tell him.
"I have a question." He begins.
"What is it?"
"Well, I wanted to know if we're like officially dating. Are we?" He asks.
I blush at what he just said. Us? Dating each other? That's what I wanted the first day that I met him!
"Yeah. I guess we are." I tell him, trying to sound nonchalant.
"That's great! So do you want to just stay here and we can go sit down at the beach?"
I blush; "I would like that a lot!"
"Great!" He says.
We walk back into his house so he can start dinner. I'm not a very good cook but I'm sure that he could win the Cooking Festival that is later this month. But the Goddess Festival is next week, I'm pretty sure he'll take me.
"Ethan?" I say.
"Yes?'' He says while chopping some meet for stir-fry.
"Will you take me to the Spring Goddess Festival next week?" I ask.
"Of course!" He exclaims. Yes! Now I have a date!
Ethan goes to the stove and heats up a wok. He pours a little peanut oil in there and then puts some baby corn, peppers, cabbage, carrots, and beef in there. In minutes it's all done and he puts some in two dishes. He delivers the steamy plates on the place mats.
"Let's thank the Goddess!" We do and then we start to eat. I can't believe how wonderful this is!
"Ethan! Where did you learn how to cook like this?" I ask.
"My mother is a chef and I've always loved to cook!" He tells me trying not to brag.
"You should open up a restaurant!" I suggest.
"Maybe in the future." He says.
We eat seconds and then there is a ring. Ethan goes to the door. I see Zack collecting his produce and Ethan handing him over his money card so he can add the money to it.
"You shipped a lot of produce in one day! Keep up the good work!" Zack says.
"Thanks!" Ethan says as he shuts the door and put the money card in his pocket.
We finish dinner and have a drink of wine to wash it down. The wine here is so awesome!
"Are you ready to go to the beach?" He asks as he takes my hand and pulls me up. All I can do is nod. Why does he make me feel this way?
We walk down the stairs to the beach and Ethan lays down a towel. We sit there and stare at the sea. I love the ocean; it's so... relaxing. I decide to tag Ethan and run around so he could chase me. We run like this for a few minutes him trying t catch me. Splashing water, kicking up sand. I see him closing in on me so I run faster, laughing the whole time. My foot hits something and I fall onto the ground, Ethan does too and he lands right beside me. We look into each other's eyes, his eyes going from blue to gray. His eyes look like the Earth from outer space. Some magnetic force pulls us together and we stand up. He puts his strong arms around my waist and I wrap my arms around his neck. Our lips meet, for the first time and it was great. We kiss like that for a long time. Slowly and passionately. Sensual and tenderly. His lips feel great on mines and chills run through my body. When the stars come up he walks me home and we kiss again at the doorstep. I wave good night and I go to my room and fall asleep. Dreaming about him and me...
***
I walk home, feeling as if I was on top of the world. I can't believe what just happened, me kissing Karen was like the best feeling in the whole world! When I get home I pull of my clothes and put on my pajamas so I can go to sleep, and have a dream about Karen...
***
A week pasts, and Karen comes over everyday so we can go to the beach to talk and to kiss. I think I'm starting to fall in love with Karen. Today was the Spring Goddess Festival so I quickly took care of the animals and took a shower. I put on some khakis and a brown sweater, it was sort of chilly today.
At 9 a.m., I walk to Karen's house so I can pick her up. When I arrive I ring the doorbell. Sasha answers the door and smiles when she sees me.
"Hello Ethan. How are you?" She asks.
"I'm fine Sasha, how are you?"
"I'm great!"
"Is Karen ready?" I ask. Suddenly, Karen walks down the stairs carrying a pink purse. She looks great, with her pink dress that fit perfectly in all the right places. Her hair was down and it glistened in the light. Flowers and crystal beads were in her hair. I stood there in complete awe.
Karen walks outside and faces me. "Are you ready?"
"Yes." I say stunned.
We walk to the Town Square; which is where most of the festivals are held.
"Karen you look beautiful!" I say and then I blush.
"I know!" She says with a laugh.
When we arrive, most of the townspeople are talking with the girls. Karen walks away to talk with the other girls which include Lauren, Ann, Popuri, Kayla, Elli, and Mary. They all look wonderful!
I decide to go and chat with Kayla, whose lilac hair was pulled up into a curly ponytail with crystals and flowers in it.
"Hello Kayla, you look stunning today." I tell her.
Her blue eyes sparkle with delight, "Thank you Ethan!" She says.
"Come to my house tomorrow, I have something to show you!" She tells me. I wonder what she wants to show me?
I go chat with all the girls and villagers. It was just the basic conversations, like how was the farm doing and things like that.
"All right girls! It's time for you to do the Goddess Dance!" Announced the Mayor.
All the girls lined up, Mary, Elli, and Popuri in the front and Ann, Kayla, Lauren, and Karen in the rear. Then flowery music starts and the girls do a series a swirls and twirls. Karen was really getting into it! They looked like goddesses when they danced. It was perfectly choreographed!
After the girls finished dancing we had a party with refreshments. There was a dance so I danced with Karen to a salsa beat. Then it slows down to a slow dance and me and Karen along with some other people dance slowly.
At 6:00 p.m., the festival was over and Karen showed me the Goddess Waterfall and pond.
"Sometimes I come here when I have to think." Karen tells me.
"But right now, all I can think about is you." She adds.
"I feel the same way." I tell her. I wrap my arms around her and she does the same. I kiss her and run my fingers through her hair. Kissing Karen is the best thing in the world. Her lips are always soft and tender, you can't help but kiss her. After we kiss, I walk her home and then I walk home and go to sleep.
***
I wake up because of Chestnut and I quickly go take care of the animals.
Then, I walk over to the field. Yes! The turnips and potatoes grew in! I decide to bring some to the villagers. First, I went To Lauren's house and gave her and Aunt Caroline some turnips. I then make my way around the whole village, finally arriving at Kayla's house. I walk over to the stalls where I see Kate and Kayla feeding the horses.
"Hi everyone!" I say as I walk up to them.
Kate has her hair in a bun and is in some riding gear. Kayla is wearing Capri pants and a spaghetti string tank top. Kayla always looked great but I'm with Karen so I don't think about that.
"Hi Ethan!" They say in unison.
"So what is it that you wanted to show?" I ask.
"Come around to the pasture with me." She says. I look at Kate and she just smiles at me.
I follow Kayla to a rolling pasture with lush green grass. It looks like my pasture a lot. She leads be to a beautiful young honey brown mare with a blonde mane and tail.
"Wow this is a beautiful mare you have!" I say.
"I know but we can't keep her here right now until we get the farm expanded. After some careful thinking, my mother and I have decided to give you this horse. We just bought her last week, and I know it's late but here's a farm-warming gift!" I can't believe what I just heard. They're giving me a mare? I'm so happy that I jump for joy. Kayla giggles as I do so.
"That's the nicest thing anyone has done for me since I've been here! Thanks a lot!" I hug her tightly then I let go. Her cheeks turn crimson.
"Here's some equipment we have!" She hands me some riding equipment and a brush.
"Take good care of this mare okay?" She asks.
"I will!"
"I'll deliver her in a few minutes you should go prepare for her." She suggests.
I walk home quickly considering her house isn't that far from mine.
I fixed up the stable with some hay so she could lie down if she chose to. Twenty minutes later I hear a horn and I walk to the entrance of the farm. Kayla hops out the truck and slams the door. Then, she beckons for me to help her unload the horse.
I walk over to the back and Kayla unlocks the trailer. She grabs the reins and urges her to come out.
"You're such a good girl!" Kayla says.
I lead them to the pasture with the other animals. Kayla looks around at the farm.
"You and your friends did a great job on the farm, keep up the good work!" She says. We release the horse in the middle of the pasture.
"You should give her a name Ethan."
"I know I'll name her Belle, that's French for beautiful, and that she is." I say as I brush her. She seems to enjoy this.
I put her equipment on her, then I mount her. Kayla watches in surprise. I set off in a canter around the pasture, then a trot, and finally a gallop around the whole field. I loved the feeling of the wind blowing my hair. Belle was a magnificent runner and she was so at ease when she ran. After a few minutes of galloping I slowed her down and stopped where Kayla was.
"I'm in complete shock! I didn't know you knew how to ride!" Kayla said dumbfounded.
"You never asked." I say with a smile. I dismount off of Belle and I give her an apple from the orchard that I saved for lunch.
"Well, I guess I better get going. See you around!" Kayla says as she walked to the truck. She gets in and drives away. I wave as she leaves.
I decide to go get Karen so she could help me gather some more fruit. I lead Belle down the cliff and once we reach the bottom I mount her and we walk along Coral Road. Then we turn down Berry Avenue. I see Jeff and Sasha talking to Lillia and Basil. I wave to them and they say "nice horse". I dismount Belle and lead her to the greenhouse. Karen comes out and waves. When she gets closer she runs up and hugs me.
"Hey Ethan where did you get the horse?" She asks.
"Kate and Kayla gave it to me as a farm-warming gift!" I tell her.
Karen strokes Belle's mane.
"Do you want to help me gather some more fruit?" I ask.
"Of course!" I help Karen up on Belle. Then I mount her.
"Hold on Karen." I warn her. Karen hugs my waist and rests her head on my back.
I set Belle into a canter as leave Berry Avenue, when we get on Coral, we start galloping down the beach and we climb up the small hill to get up to the orchard. This was a shortcut I found sometime last week. I dismount and then pull Karen off of Belle. Belle jumps into the pasture from the fence that ends at the beginning of the orchard. Karen and I walk to the trees and start picking and gathering for an hour then we walk to my house and put the produce in the shipping bin. We eat a late lunch and watch a movie together. I sit up while Karen lies on my lap watching the movie. At 6 p.m., she gets up to leave.
"I have to go Ethan; will you walk me home?" She asks.
"Of course I would." I say and I take her hand as we walk out the house and onto the beach. When we arrive at her doorstep, we kiss goodnight and I walk back home.
***
I rubbed my eyes and arose from my small bed at our house. My little brother, Stu was on my bed frantically jumping up and down.
"Why?" I say groggily.
"You know how much I want to go to his farm, May does too! Right May?" He asks his twin sister.
"Yeah Elli!" May shrieks.
"Okay I'll take you guys to see if you can play over at his farm." I tell them.
"Hooray!" They cry in unison.
I get out the bed and take a shower; today was my day off so I was free to do whatever I pleased. Not saying that I couldn't on any other days. It's just that I have responsibilities. I decide to put on my olive green dress with the sinuous skirt. I also put on my green hair band to match it.
I walk to Granny's room. I see her in her rocking chair knitting away at some sweaters for Stu and May.
"Good morning Granny." I tell her.
"Oh Elli, I see you're taking the children over to Ethan's house." She says.
"He's a fine young man Elli you should consider marrying him." She says. I hate it when she talks like that!
"Granny you know that I'm in love with David, Ethan is not my type!" I tell her.
"Oh Elli, I just was trying to be helpful." Now she's trying to lay the guilt trip on me.
"Granny I can love whomever I want to love!" I say and then I walk down the stairs and fix the kids a nutritious breakfast. They eat it all up and rush out the door.
We walk for about fifteen minutes before we come across the private beach he also owns. We walk up the stairs etches into the small cliff that his house lies on. I haven't really seen his farm before so now I guess that I'll check it out.
When we arrive at the top of the cliff we see Ethan painting a sign for the farm. He turns his head to see who is coming. He smiles and waves when he sees Stu and May running up to him. Maybe he was smiling at me too!
"Hi Stu, May, and Elli! What brings you guys here?" He asks.
Stu and May can barely contain themselves, they shout, "We came here to see if we could play on your farm!"
"Children!" I say I say.
"Ethan is it okay if they play here for a day?" I ask him politely.
"Of course it is! Stu and May are very nice kids, you can go exploring while I do farm work and I'll make lunch at noon!" He says. He must love kids! I find that extremely attractive!
"Hooray!" They cry.
"I'll pick them up at 6:00 okay Ethan?" I ask.
"That's great." He tells me. I wave as I walk to Goddess Lake for the picnic with David...
***
Suddenly, he walks in with his hands behind his back.
"Why are you late Kai?" I ask irritably. It hurts me to see the way his eyes droop that way but I don't want him to notice anything strange, so I purposely make his life a living hell.
"I was late because I picked these for you.'' He pulls out a bouquet of spring flowers. My heart melts at the sight. I absolutely love flowers! I can't believe he would do this for me after how hostile I act towards him!
"I love these! But try not to be late again, my parents grow angry whenever someone is late!" I tell him, nicely for a change.
I walk into our house and put the flowers in a vase on my nightstand. When I walk back out, Kai is at the baskets stocking produce from the farm that that goody-goody Ethan owned. I really despised him, I guess because he came from the city and buys up all that land. I hope his farm rots to pieces!
After Kai finishes stocking, I walk over to him.
"Kai, I'm sorry for all these years that I've mistreated you. I just did it to hide my affection towards you, I think I'm in love with you! Please forgive me!" I start to weep. Kai hug me and dries my tears.
"Popuri, I feel the same way about you and I didn't care about the way you treated me. Deep down I know that you're a good person. Popuri let's start dating!" He tells me.
"Okay!" I say and suddenly I don't feel so sad anymore.
***
"Hello Mary, could you help me find a recipe book?" He asks in his dreamy voice. Oh my! My heart stops thumping. Why does every time I
See him my heart thumps like a jackhammer?
"Yes Ethan." I rise up out of my chair and lead him to the cookbook aisle.
"Exactly what type of cookbook are you looking for?" I ask.
"I'm looking for a gourmet cookbook so I can find a recipe to use for the Cooking Festival." Surprised at his response, I quickly stoop down and grab the only gourmet cookbook we have. I hand it over to him.
"Do you need anything else?" I ask.
"Actually I don't. Thank you for being helpful Mary." He says.
We walk to the computer and I check out the book.
"You have to return it by the day after the Cooking Festival." I run my fingers through my long hair. I'm glad I wore it down today!
As Ethan walks out the door, Gray comes in looking very handsome in his Dockers and white shirt. I blush in delight.
"Sorry I'm late, are you ready to go on our date?" He asks.
"Of course Gray!" I say as I take his hand.
***
"Wow, thanks Ethan!" They both say as they help themselves to the sandwiches and orange juice.
"That was excellent Ethan, I wish Elli could make sandwiches like you!" May tell me.
"Yeah." Stu says with sandwich still in his mouth. Kids are so cute!
"Can we go play with your horse?"
"That's too dangerous but I'll let you brush her and ride her. How does that sound?" I offer them.
"That would be great!" They exclaim.
We go out to the pasture with the equipment. Belle is chewing some grass.
"Hey Belle!" I tell her. She neighs in excitement.
"This is Belle, my horse. She is called a mare because she is a female horse."
"Wow she's pretty!" Mays as she looks up at her.
I hand them each some brushes. We start brushing Belle. I lift May up so she can comb her mane and she braids the mane but leaves the front tucked over her ear. Then she braids her tail into a flowing ponytail with a pink bow tied to it at the tip.
"Let's let May ride her first okay Stu?" I ask him.
"Why?" He complains.
"Because it's always polite to let girls go first." I tell him.
I mount Belle and then I lift may onto her. I put her in front of me and I grip the reins. First, we walk around the pasture, then we trot, and on the third time we gallop. May screams in excitement I do the same for Stu. They both enjoyed it and I think Belle did also. I enjoyed it too.
6:00 comes faster than I anticipated and Elli comes to the pasture smiling and with a flushed look to her face. I wonder what happened.
"Can we come back tomorrow?" The children ask.
"Sure, you can come everyday unless it's raining!" I tell them.
"Yea!" They squeal in unison. Then they run home.
Elli walks up to me. "Thanks for letting them stay Ethan I really appreciate it."
"It's no problem." I tell her.
She reaches for my face and kisses me softly on the cheek. She hurries away. I just stand there in awe, holding the spot where she kissed my cheek.
***
"Cackle doodle do!" The rooster wails. I guess its time to wake up. I lift my legs over the bed and rub my eye. Ewe...what's this hard stuff in the corner of my eye? I frantically rub it out and go straight for the bathroom.
I look at my reflection in the mirror. Then I start brushing my teeth with some mint toothpaste. As I brush my teeth, I hair some stirring from downstairs. My dad and Gray were probably up watching the Weather Channel.
I jump in the shower and scrub my skin with some Ivory soap and then I towel dry. I wrap the towel around my thin body but before that I examine my features. I really have changed over the past few years. My once boyish features were now gone, leaving a slightly curvy figure.
I walk over to my closet, today is Saturday and we're closed. I put on some Capri pants a whit tank top and put a pink plaid shirt over it. I decide to brush my long orange hair and make a braided ponytail.
Then, I walk downstairs to the living room where I see Gray and Dad sitting on the couch watching TV as I had expected.
"Good morning Dad! Good morning Gray!" I say.
"Good morning Anne!" They say, still watching the TV. I make some coffee and pull out a blueberry scone that I made yesterday. It was delicious!
"Dad I'm going out for a while, see you later!" I say as I walk out the door, then out the farm. Maybe I'll go see what Lauren is doing today. So I walk to Lauren's house and ring the door. Caroline answers the door.
"Hello Ann, what brings you here?" She asks cheerfully.
"I came to see what Lauren was doing. How are you today?" I ask.
"Oh, I'm fine! Come on in and go upstairs!" She invites me into the house. I walk up the stairs and into Lauren's room. She's on her bed reading a magazine.
"Hey Lauren!" I tell her. She looks up surprised that I was there.
"Hi Ann, what's up?"
"Nothing much just came by to see what you were doing today." I tell her nonchalantly.
"Actually I was going to walk to Ethan's farm and see how he was doing." She tells me. I blush at the thought of us going to the farm.
"You have a crush on him don't you?" She asks then smiles.
"Well yes, but I know that he's dating Karen and I don't want to cause any trouble! Karen's one of my best friends!" I tell her.
"I knew it!" She says haughtily and adds a laugh.
"It's not funny!" I playfully punch her arm as I lay out on her bed.
"Okay, I'll stop tormenting you!" She tells me, and her laughing comes to a cease.
I se a male body in the doorway. Who could that be? Lauren goes to the mirror and combs her hair. Then the blonde haired boy rushes up and puts his arms around her waist.
"Cody what did I tell you about coming here?" She yells. Oh it was Cody! I haven't seen him in awhile!
"Hey Cody where have you been?" I ask.
He turns and looks at me with his green eyes.
"Oh Ann, I didn't notice that were you. You've changed a lot since I've last seen you." He comes over to the bed and stoops down to give a hug.
"Where are you guys going?" He asks Lauren.
"Somewhere without you, now get out of my room." She yells. Everyone knew that Lauren secretly liked Cody.
"Ann could you tell me where you were going to go?" He asks me sweetly.
"Yeah, we were going to Ethan's farm to check up on him." I say, trying to hide my feelings.
"Ethan's farm? I'm going too! I haven't been there since I helped him build it!" He boasts.
"You see what I mean? He just invites himself along for everything!", Lauren tells me.
Fifteen minutes later we're walking along Coral Road with Cody tagging along. He pesters Lauren and one time he tripped her so he could look down her shirt. We see a sign that says 'Welcome to the Sea Breeze Farm and Orchard!" It's a wooden sign painted with white paint and it has a drawing of a tidal wave in the middle of the sign. That's so cute! Then we walk up the stairs that lead up to the farm.
When we arrive we see Ethan grooming a beautiful mare, looking great in some chaps and a wife beater shirt. That must be Belle, Ethan had called me and told me he got her the night after the Goddess Festival.
He turns around and smiles at us as we approach him. Oh! My heart melts as he smiles that dazzling smile of his.
"Hey everyone, like my new horse, Belle?", He asks patting Belle's shoulder.
"She's beautiful Ethan!" We all say in admiration.
"What brings you guys here?" He says and then wipes his hands on his chaps. He releases Belle into the rolling pasture. She runs confidently around the field and neighs like crazy.
"Just checking up on you. Need anything that we could help with?" Lauren asks him.
"Well I have to finish gathering the wild stuff in the orchard, could you help me?" He asks.
"No problem." We all say.
We gather all the fruits and wild herbs in his orchard. It wasn't hard work, actually it was quite easy.
We walked back to the farm to see Stu and May come back from wherever they were.
"Hi Stu and May, what are you doing here?" I ask them.
Stu clears his throat; "we come here everyday to play on Ethan's farm."
"That's so nice of you Ethan!" I say.
"Wow, thanks! They're not any trouble so I don't mind." He tells me.
A minute later I see a brown head rising up the cliff. When she gets closer I notice that it's Elli to pick up the kids.
"Hello Elli!" We all greet her.
"Hi everyone, what brings you all here?" A look of surprise washes over her face.
"Just hanging around." We tell her.
"Oh, well come on children, we must leave. See you later!" She says as she walks away.
"I have to go see Karen do you want to come with me?" Ethan asks.
"Why not?" We say as we walk to the Greenhouse.
We see two figures in a corner of the greenhouse giggling as they hold each other. I wonder who that is. We advance towards the smooching couple. I see long orange hair; it looks like it could be Rick. Then I see the two signature blonde streaks and my heart drops.
Ethan turns red with anger, "What the hell is going on!" He yells.
furiously...
To be continued...
So what do you think? Should I continue on with part two? Please review the story and tell me what you think.