CHAPTER 6
Sunlight shines into my eyes, partially blinding me for a second. I breathe in the clean air and replace the old house air from my lungs. It's been one week, and I'm finally able to come back outside. I hear the familiar sound of my mailbox alerting me of new mail. I walk over to it. It's red, and the blue alerting symbol blinks and makes some ring noise. The only way I can describe it is like one short, one long - like in Morse Code. I open it up, stopping the blinking and the noise - the mail flag goes down. I take out the only envelope in there. It reads Tom Nook.
Great. I know where this is going.
I examine the envelope. It's white with a red wax seal keeping it closed. The specific address reading is:
To: Decco
House 1
Rainhill
Acre B-3,
The return address is Nook's name, as well as his store name.
I open the wax seal and pull out my message.
Decco,
Although your injury has happened, I am told that you are back on your feet. Please come back to my shop for your "volunteering" as soon as possible. I look forward to your arrival.
Nook
"You asshole…" I mutter. I grip both sides of the letter as well as the envelope and try to rip them apart. But something keeps me from that… I sigh and look at the writing again.
"Fine," I mumble. "Fine Timothy Assnook. I'll play your game. I'll come and work."
I stomp inside my house and slam the door. I twirl around again to change into my clothes - a red shirt and a matching red horn hat. When I run outside again, I quickly run to an orange tree - our town's native fruit. I shake it, and three oranges fall down. I pick one up, and examine it. I run my hands around its slightly bumpy texture. I quickly dig my finger into its flesh. It's been a week since I've had anything that's not bread or soup. I dig my fingers into the hole and stretch it apart. I then place the opening over my mouth and squeeze the fruit. Sweet juice flows into my mouth, and I'm so desperate for something good to eat that I cough on the juice. Once I regain my breath, I sit down, and tear the fruit apart, and eat its insides. I slow down multiple times - when I rush, I bite the rind and the sweet taste in my mouth suddenly turns sour. When I gulp the rest down, I simply dispose of the orange carcass and stand up.
I walk into the lion's den. "Hello, Decco!" Nook says. "Glad to have you back! So, did you meet everybody in town? Quite a motley crew, yes? But variety is the spice of life, you know?"
I nod.
"If you don't get along well with the folks here in Rainhill, you'll never fit in, you understand?"
I nod one more.
"But never fear! I have a good feeling about you, hm? Now then… what should I have you do next? Ah, yes, I need you to deliver some furniture, hm? At last, it's like you're actually working in the shop! Take this to Egbert in Acre B-1, yes?" Then he takes out a leaf and hands it to me. I've actually heard about these! Furniture is displayed as leaves so they're easy to carry around. When you throw them on the ground, they transform! Pick them up, and they're a leaf again!
I grab the leaf and put it in my pocket.
"And don't stop to sniff the roses on the way!" Nook says. "Go straight there, and then come straight back, hm?"
And then I leave.
I waste no time. I run to Acre B-1 as quickly as possible. When I get to the acre, I walk around the house there and see a chicken - who I'm guessing is Egbert. Ha, Egbert. Egg… chicken. I swear I wouldn't be surprised if his parents were crack addicts when they named him. He is a yellow chicken with striped, orange legs. He has a short orange beak, as well as black rings under his eyes, which give him a tired appearance. His comb is red, and he has a slightly dazed expression on his face. He wears a shirt with a mix-match of large, multicolored diamonds on it - colors are around the red to yellow scale.
"A hearty good afternoon to you!" He says. "I'll say howdy just as often as you'd like, doodle-duh. Anyhoo, you probably want something, don't you? So, what is it, doodle-duh?"
"Delivery!" I say. I pull the leaf out of my pocket and hand it to him.
"Whoa!" He exclaims. "What's up with this?! What're you doing delivering stuff? You lose a bet?" He asks. I smile and shake my head. "I didn't have enough money for my house. So I have to work to pay it off."
"Ohh, so that's the story. You're in a bit of a bind, huh?" He then laughs. "That's the way it goes in the big old real world! Gotta get by somehow! Don't worry about it, doodle-duh! Tell you what! How's about I hook you up with this blue cabinet as a little housewarming gift!"
"Oh, no n-"
He takes out a leaf and hands it to me. I take it without arguing.
"Hey, no big thing!" He says. "It's brutal to live in an empty house, doodle-duh! Besides, you can use it to deck out your place. You know, move it around, see where it fits best."
We the both smile at each other, and he runs away. I do as well, back to Nook's Shop. As I'm running, I kick forward a nearby black and white soccer ball. And as soon as I get a letter from someone I know, I'll tell them what happened today.
"I made a friend."
