I awoke the next morning to the sound of footsteps above me. I mumbled sleepily and sat up, hit my head and groaned before falling back over and remembering where I was. An airy and relaxed voice answered. "What was that? Are you alright down there?" This is not how I wanted to meet my first person on Waffle Island. I didn't answer and tried to stay as still as possible so that I could not be heard. Maybe if I just didn't say anything, no one would look for me and I could try my first meeting again later on in the day. No such luck. After a moment had passed, I heard the sound of someone walking back up the pieer then pausing above me. I heard someone kneel, then a head popped upside down over the side. "Well, hello. You're new here. My name is Toby."

Toby. I don't think I ever could have told him what an effect he had on me that day, though in the coming years I would certainly try. The morning light glinted off of his silver-grey hair and surrounded him in soft light. His smile was brighter than that, radiating a sort of calm that I reminded me of floating out in the lake at the base of Mother's Hill in the middle of a still summer. He was not an energetic happiness that demanded you jump up and take part, he was the tranquil calm of sunbeams on a river. He was my first love, and I didn't even know him yet. Instead of voicing any of this, of course, I just answered: "I'm Joanna. I've come to start a new life."

"Well, it's probably not going to be found under there. Come on out and I'll show you around." I crawled out, rolled my sleeping bag, and packed everything back into the bag I pulled it out of last night. I stood, shouldered my pack, and smiled. "What time is it, anyway? I hope I didn't sleep all day." "Only about seven in the morning, don't worry. Let's go look around. I'll introduce you. It may seem overwhelming at first, but it's peaceful here. Everyone knows everyone, it's pretty much just like a small village would be." "Great". I tried not to let the sarcasm leak into my voice, but I guess he must have noticed something. "I mean, umm, 'great, that's fantastic'." "Not a people-person? That's fine. I tend to prefer the company of the fish, too. But everyone here is really close to nature. Come with me, I'll show you my favorite spots instead." He smiled, and I could not say no. We walked for a while in comfortable silence, except when he would pause point to a building or a sign and tell me where we were. We meandered through all the districts, pausing at Caramel River and a few other spots in the woods and in the mountains. We passed through the town portion pretty quickly and he nodded at a few places without really paying attention to them. There was something mentioned about an inn and the town square, but I don't actually know where any of it was. I was focusing on the slight changes in his behavior as we walked towards more and more crowded areas. He seemed out of place and aware of it, but determined not to let it get to him. We walked towards the beach and as soon as we reached it, he was more relaxed. Back into nature, back into his element. We eventually ended up at a place called On the Hook. "Here" he told me "is the best place to buy fish, if you don't have time to catch them. They're all fresh daily and all prepared with care. I work here with my uncle Ozzie and his little boy Paolo. Let's go meet them."