Chapter 7: Where Do I Go?
The sun was just rising when he finally woke up. He was still hiding in the bushes, hugging his guitar case like a teddy bear. It was lightly raining. He slowly stood, shook the water out of his fur, picked up his guitar, and trotted along the path, still half asleep and completely disheartened.
It had been the worst night of his life. By no means did he feel he was worth fame or fortune, but he never expected to be hated. He dragged his feet through the muddy path, holding his aching stomach.
He felt completely lost. He walked for ages, the rain growing heavier. He finally stumbled upon a small village and headed for the nearest shelter he could find, which was the train station. He used the last of his money to buy a ticket and hopped on, figuring he'd just get off when he felt the time was right.
As the train began to move, he stared out the window, watching the blur of trees rush by. He closed his eyes and drifted off, still cold from the rain, still sore from the fight.
He'd just get off at whatever stop he woke up to.
xxx
"We used to live in this tiny forest. Only maybe ten families there. We had this old turtle mayor who used to play cards with me in the park. I really liked it there…"
"So why did you leave?"
"Lots of reasons, but I can't really say them."
Totakeke and Lyric were lazing about outside. She was laying backwards in his tire swing, gazing up at the leaves. He was watching a ladybug inch along a blade of grass.
"It was fun, though," she sighed, "Dad taught me how to fish and catch bugs. I could tell you the name of any bug around here, guaranteed!"
"That's not super impressive. I mean, I know this little guy's a ladybug," he said, pointing to the little grass climber.
"Didja know lots of ladybugs are males?" she asked, eyeing him mischievously.
"Then why are they called ladybugs?"
"They're named in honor of Lady Mary, or so I've been told. They eat aphids, so they've saved farmers' crops on many occasions."
"Lady Mary?"
"One of the first animals to ever roam the world. There's a legend about her."
She hauled herself up and climbed to the top of the swing, holding the rope as she shifted her weight around, making it move.
"She was called Lady Mary back then," Lyric explained, watching Totakeke's eyes follow her as she swung, "They called her that because she found a lot of orphans outside of her village. She was older and lived alone, so she enlisted some villagers to help her expand her house. She made room for all of the orphans to move in, and she fed them and kept them warm. It was a farming village, and a lot of the older kids she had sheltered started helping on the farm, and the village got really prosperous."
"What a nice lady," her friend remarked, holding out a paw so the ladybug crawled onto him.
"She was real nice. Anyway, after a little while, the crops were in trouble. A buncha aphids were eating away all the crops, and none of the villagers knew what to do. Everyone was at a loss until Mama Mary noticed one of the little kids watching a little spotted bug. She noticed the little bug was eating the aphids. She the other children ventured to areas with lots of flowers and foliage, and they found and gathered a small army of them. They released them onto their crops, and the bugs ate all the aphids."
The tire came to a stop, and she grinned at Totakeke as her fur settled.
"The bugs didn't have a name, so the villagers were debating what to call them. One of the orphans said, 'We should name them after Lady Mary.' So they started calling them 'ladybugs.'"
"How do you know this?"
"My dad."
She hopped off the swing and sat beside him. The ladybug buzzed away. He glanced at his finger and noticed a little bit of yellow liquid.
"Oh, wipe that off," Lyric warned, "That stuff's pretty gross."
"Oh. Alright," he said.
When he returned from washing up, Lyric was lying in the grass, staring at the clouds. He lay beside her, his hands folded onto his chest, glancing back and forth between her and the ocean of blue above him.
"Tota?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think is up there?"
"The sun, the clouds, rain…"
"No no, I mean beyond that."
He looked at her. Her face was wistful, the clouds seeming to float within her eyes.
"Well, there's outer space…"
"Beyond that…"
"I have no clue."
He heaved a sigh. She shook her head.
"Do you think Heaven's up there?"
"Heaven?"
"Y'know, the place you go…after."
"I know what it is, but I never thought it was a real place."
She gazed at him in confusion.
"What else could it possibly be?" she asked, "Dad always told me if you were good, you'd go to Heaven. That it was a massive place, bigger than any village or city, and everyone lives in harmony and has all they could ever want."
"I'm sure it could be that," Totakeke said, "but I also think it can be more."
"More?"
"I think Heaven is an 'inside your heart' kind of thing. I think Heaven becomes whatever you desire for it to be, what you want most in your heart. So if you wanted it to be a big golden gates community, you could totally have that, but not everyone will."
She thought for a few moments, then sighed and continued watching the clouds.
"I wonder what dad wanted Heaven to be," she murmured.
"I'm sure you can ask," he replied.
She glanced at him for a moment, her expression illegible, and then returned her gaze to the clouds.
"Yeah…I'm sure I can ask."
They spent a few moments in silent thought until they heard his back door open, and his mother called, "Tokee! Lyric! Dinner!"
Lyric smirked and looked to her friend.
"Tokee. Ha."
"Call me that, and they won't even find your shadow."
xxx
"What is this place…?"
It was night when he woke up. He got off the train at a small village station, even smaller than the village he'd left. It was full of trees and small bugs. He sat outside the station, not feeling the urge to explore, various little thoughts and dreams still roaming around in his brain. He took his guitar out of its case and began to strum, oblivious to the world until soft footsteps snapped him back to reality.
"Um…hi…"
She was a younger lady, barely eighteen from what he could judge. Her eyes were wide, and her hair was long and deep brown. She sat on her knees in front of him and listened to his strumming.
"Uh…hmm…"
He didn't really know what to say to her. He didn't really want to play any of his songs, fearing another protest.
But she seemed so kind.
"…Do you want me to play you a song?"
She smiled and nodded, clapping her hands.
"Not one for words, huh?" he asked, "Well…I guess I could play a little something for you. You seem…kinda cool."
He began to play a song, one of his softer tunes. She listened in quiet awe, rocking along to the beat. He began to softly sing, and she looked so happy that he slowly let his nerves fade and sang more naturally, like he'd used to. When he finished, she politely clapped and smiled.
"Huh…you were kinda into that, huh?"
She nodded.
"…Want me to play another?"
She nodded again.
"…Alright then."
He lost track of the time and pretty much played an entire concert for this girl. As he finished the last song he knew, an older shelled gentleman slowly walked up to them, his cane clanking against the cobblestone. After the song ended, both he and the girl clapped. She rose to her feet, shook his hand, and ran off towards her home.
"Well…I see our newest resident has taken quite the shine to you, young'un," the elderly man said, "She's still pretty shy, you know. Hasn't talked to many of the other residents yet…but maybe she can start coming around now…"
"Ah, I see. So that's why she was so quiet…"
The elderly turtle thought for a few moments. Totakeke gazed at him, trying to place why he felt like he should know this gentleman. He was quite wrinkled, his glasses a bit askew, and he wore a really colorful shirt. He was sure he'd never met anyone like this man in his life, yet he felt an odd bit of familiarity.
"Hey…you know. I'm the Mayor of this little village. I know it isn't much…but, well, you seem like you've fallen on some hard times."
"…I've faced harder."
"Even so…if you would like a place to stay for a little while, you're more than welcome."
"You're very kind. If it's alright…um…maybe I will take you up on that. I can't really offer any money, though…"
"Not a problem, young'un. Just keep playing that wonderful music for our residents, and I'll consider that payment enough."
He smiled and began to walk away.
"W-wait…"
"Yes?"
The old mayor turned to face him, his kind old eyes like a grandfather's. That's when it suddenly struck him.
We had this old turtle mayor who used to play cards with me in the park. I really liked it there…
"Do you…remember a girl named Lyric?" he asked.
"Oh, little Lyric," the mayor answered, his eyes lightening up in fond memory, "She was a cute little pup. Tragic, though, what happened to her father."
"Her father?"
The mayor studied him for a moment, his mouth curved into a frown.
"How…do you know Lyric?" he asked.
"She lived next door to me," Totakeke answered, "We were best friends…"
"Hmm…I see."
He pondered for a moment, gently spinning his cane on the spot, then looked back to his guest.
"Why don't you come by my office in the morning and we'll talk?" he said, smiling.
"Yeah, sure."
"Go get some rest in the meantime. Just follow that path. Tell them Mayor Tortimer sent you."
"I will. Thank you."
He turned and trotted off, leaving only the soft clank of his cane in his wake. Totakeke packed his guitar and headed down the path, wanting nothing more than a warm bed and a steaming cup of coffee in the morning. He stared up at the stars as he walked, and he wondered what Lyric's Heaven had become.
He hoped he had a place within it.
