Chapter Four
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Today is Luke's first birthday and the Lars home is full of people. Obi-Wan had intended to spend Luke's birthday the way Jedi usually spent theirs—or the way they had before the War—in meditation and introspection. However, when Mrs. Sunber discovered that he had no plans for Luke's "special day", she organized a small party to be held at their farm.
The Sunber's are there, of course, with their son Janek. Also, to Obi-Wan's surprise, is Huff Darklighter with his wife and young son Biggs, whom is Janek's age. His neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Marstrap are there too with their son Windom, whom is a month younger than Luke.
He serves them dust crêpes and nausage with pallie wine, all grown in his hydroponic stations. The women compliment him on his cooking, the men on his wine. There is the usual talk about crops and weather along with a good amount of joking and teasing. He feels Luke's presence humming cheerfully through the Force as he uses Obi-Wan's chair to help him stand.
"Daddy!" he cries happily.
"I swear, that's Luke's favorite word!" Mrs. Sunber says laughing.
"Yes!" the boy says—this is the latest word he has learned—and everyone around the table laughs.
Picking up the youngling and putting him in his lap, Obi-Wan realizes that for the first time in a long while… since before the war… since before the death of his master… he feels content. The anguish he felt at Anakin's betrayal, the pain of the deaths of his friends and their way of life... The sorrow is still there.
But he no longer spends each day thinking about his regrets or what he might have done differently. He has finally learned what his master was always telling him: live in the present. Looking down at the child—his son—he knows this is his doing. There is little time for self-recrimination when one has a Force sensitive infant to care for. It reminds him of something his master once said.
"All of life's most valuable lessons are learned by way of sorrow."
To Obi-Wan's mild surprise, the three families have brought gifts for Luke. The Sunber's give him a brown package that contains some of Janek's outgrown clothes. The Darklighter's present is a stuffed bantha only slightly smaller than Luke. And the Marstrap's gift is a soft, homemade cloth ball that is bantha milk blue. Touched, he thanks them profusely and promises to be at Windom's birthday next month.
The suns are setting by the time everyone leaves. The Sunber's and the Marstrap's have to get back to their farms, but the Darklighter's, who live in town, linger over tea. Mrs. Darklighter is attempting to placate a tired and fussy Biggs who did not get his nap today, while Mr. Darklighter and Obi-Wan obliquely discus the rumors of a rebellion being formed against the Empire.
He almost flinches when he hears that it is being led by two men called Ferus Olin and Garen Muln. Olin had been his friend's apprentice, one whom had often been in contention with his own. Not, he muses, without reason. He had also left the Jedi Order soon after becoming a knight over ideological differences.
Garen had been his good friend since they were children in the same clan in the Jedi crèche. A thrill of hope races through him. Garen is alive! He has not thought any of the Jedi Generals survived Order 66. And forming a rebellion? He wants to laugh. That is just like Garen; and from what he can remember, is rather like Olin as well.
Obi-Wan thanks Darklighter for the information and bids them farewell. He walks over to where Luke is climbing over his new toy bantha, giggling happily. For the first time since his arrival he is contemplating leaving. It would be fairly easy, he knows, to sell his farm and take Luke with him as he finds this rebellion. And perhaps even more of his friends are alive.
"Daddy!" Luke chirps to him, brows furrowed in frustration.
"Yes, Luke?" he answers, knowing that the boy does not expect a reply.
"Daddy!" he says and points to his new ball that has rolled under the table, the Force vibrating with the youngling's frustration.
Yes, it would not be hard to leave here. Luke is too young to have friends and if he is to be the one destined to defeat Vader, would it not be better for him to be reared among other Jedi? It would be dangerous, a voice whispers in his head. The Empire is not looking for them now but if word spreads that General Kenobi has a young child with him whose age indicates that he was born not long after the Jedi had fallen…
The wrong people might take notice.
Luke's Force presence suddenly changes from frustration to triumph. Obi-Wan turns to see that Luke has crawled as close to the table as he can with all the chairs in the way, and with one small hand reaching out, is levitating the ball to himself. Obi-Wan watches, still and silent, until the boy grasps the ball in his hands and laughs.
He lets out a breath he had not known he was holding. Such power at that age… human Jedi did not usually start levitating things until they were at the least six standard years of age. Infants might telekinetically pull things, yes, but full, sustained levitation? The only person who might have been able to do that was… Anakin.
"Daddy!" the boy screeches, offering Obi-Wan his ball.
He sweeps the boy into his arms and cuddles him against his chest, savoring the contentment and safety the boy transmits through the Force. No, as much as he desires to see his friend it would be too dangerous. And what would the Sunber's think of him leaving before the harvest is in?
Holding the boy in his arms, he tries to teach Luke a new word.
"Home," he gestures around the room.
"Home," he repeats.
Luke is a quick learner, especially when he can sense Obi-Wan's intensity through the Force.
"Home!" the boy shouts.
"Yes, good boy, Luke." He boy smiles and looks up at him.
"Daddy home!"
