Twice in a Lifetime Chapter Eleven: The Fair
"All right, but I get to make dinner for you and Emily afterwards, or no deal." She wasn't about to take complete advantage of the offer. Baron's eyebrows shot up.
"I see. And the downside would be what exactly?"
Haru giggled as Muta jumped onto her lap and patted her cheek with his paw.
"Yes, Muta. I'll make your dinner too."
He purred at her again, obviously remembering the caramel rolls. A dark crow perched on the top of the stall, protesting with caws. She hadn't been too hot about feeding a crow human food when she made the rolls, but Baron apparently did it all the time without side effects, so she included Toto in the deal too. Baron and Emily spent the first half hour of the fair at Haru's side, carefully noting how much each item sold for. She sneaked a page from the back of her log to make a cheat sheet for Baron, and then stood back to monitor his selling techniques for half an hour.
They began to switch off every hour, taking Emily everywhere around the fair grounds. Haru paid for her and Emily to take a horse ride, and then Baron would challenge various medieval jocks to duels, and take a stuffed animal as a prize for one of the girls to show his victory. They kept their souvenirs in the empty boxes in the back of the stall, and the tickets for the quilt drawing ran out far sooner than even Haru hoped. At about three, she and Baron took the other half of the tickets and placed them in a clear plastic ball. After playing soccer with it for ten minutes, Haru opened the latch and picked a single paper. A sizable crowd had gathered to see the number Haru wrote in big letters and placed in plain view. Kail joyfully stepped forward to claim her prize, producing the matching number from her purse. Some of the other bidders applauded her, while others walked away grumbling about a fixed outcome.
"It's about time I got my hands on you!" The silver haired woman squeezed the plastic bag her new quilt was in, an ecstatic look on her face. Haru laughed.
"Well, you certainly took enough chances!"
The woman nodded happily.
"Isn't that the way of life? You can't get what you want without taking a few chances." She nearly skipped away with her treasure, Baron smiling at her retreating back.
'You have no idea.' The chances he had taken during his life, and the one he was taking now…
A tanned hand gripped Haru's shoulder, making her turn around before Baron could do anything. She smiled in recognition, but the look faded at seeing the man's facial expression.
"Tsuge, is something wrong?"
The man had a haunted look, and he looked like he hadn't paid too much attention at football practice, if the bruises were any indication.
"Yeah, and I'd really like to talk to you about it. Alone." he added, looking at Baron. The masked gentleman stiffened.
"It's my shift next anyway." He sat down in the chair behind the stall, but gave Toto a secret look that made the crow fly to the secluded corner where Tsuge had taken Haru. He settled comfortably in a branch that the brunette wouldn't see him in, and looked down at the man studying his feet, unable to look her in the eye.
"Did Hiromi ever mention any trouble with us? I mean, as a couple?"
Haru thought a moment.
"After I got back from England, she didn't look as enthused about you taking her out, and she started to say that something was off when we got distracted."
He sighed, clearly hoping for something more specific.
"She dumped me."
Haru's eyes widened.
"She what?"
Tsuge looked down at his feet again, his eyes beginning to water. He pulled a small silver ring set with a sapphire from his pocket.
"I tried to propose to her, and she flipped. She said we were too young to make a commitment like that, so I tried to say that twenty-five is plenty old enough, and she dumped me without a further explanation. Are you sure that she didn't say more about us?"
She shook her head sadly and gripped his shoulder for comfort. He sank to the ground, the ring still balled up in his fist as he struggled not to cry.
"I wish I didn't buy this thing." He growled, looking at a nearby trash can. "Maybe if I return it, I can get most of my money back."
A sweet feeling welled up in Haru, spilling out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"Don't do that."
He looked up at her, confused. Blinking a bit, she smiled and leaned down to look at him at eye level. She placed one hand on his shoulder again and squeezed it comfortingly.
"I know you and the other two in our little group don't believe me when I try to talk about my sixth sense, but you need to trust me on this. You'll meet another girl who loves blue, and you'll want to keep that ring for her. One year is all I ask."
He stared at her, not quite sure how to take the words.
"Take the time to heal, Tsuge. The right one will appear before the year is up."
He gripped her arm.
"How can you be sure?"
"Have I ever been wrong when I use this tone of voice?"
"Well, no."
"Then trust me. If she doesn't appear by this time next year, you can hit me."
"Hah, like Machida or Baron would let me."
"True," she laughed.
He smiled warmly at her while getting to his feet.
"Even if she doesn't appear, it still feels good to hear you say she will. I knew I could count on you, Haru."
She smiled at him again, and he hugged her in thanks. He looked over her shoulder.
"Hey, the dancing started! Care to join me?"
She grinned at him again and took his arm.
"Angry at your feet for some reason? Because you know what will happen."
He laughed as he pocketed the ring.
"You walk around in time with the music; I would be impressed if you messed that up." He led her to the grassy field where a long line of people started marching around itself in a complicating pattern.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Toto flew back to the stall and landed on Baron's shoulder as he handed a pair of teenage girls their change.
"Have a pleasant day." He bade them warmly, making the girls giggle as they walked to the next stall. Toto whispered into Baron's ear.
"The guy's girlfriend broke up with him, and needed Haru to comfort him."
Baron nodded in understanding as Muta snorted in disgust.
"Wish Haru would follow the girlfriend's example. I'm tired of beating around the bush."
Baron sighed in agreement and watched the swirling dancers. With shock, he realized that Haru was with Tsuge, both of them laughing hard whenever Haru stumbled. Emily hopped off her father's lap and ran to the woman.
"What are you doing?" She started running low on breath, so Haru picked her up and kept going.
"Dancing with Tsuge."
"He's not your boyfriend though."
"No, but he is a friend."
Emily thought about this as Haru leaned over to go under a bridge one couple made with their hands.
"Does that mean you'd dance with Daddy?"
She laughed, knowing that the tiny girl would ask that.
"If he doesn't mind sacrificing his feet to the cause."
She squealed with delight and jumped out of her arms to tell her father. Tsuge chuckled with amusement.
"I don't think you'll be getting rid of those two anytime soon, Haru."
She smiled at him, not bothering to vocally confirm the fact.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Emily excitedly hopped back onto her father's lap, Muta looking up at her in annoyance, since he was trying to nap.
"Haru said she'd dance with you if you asked her!"
Baron forgot about his hurt ego and looked out to see her nearly run into the long line. That most certainly wouldn't do to make the right impression. He looked over to the musicians, and was pleased to see one accordion player in the band.
"Mind the stall for me, Sweetheart?"
She nodded enthusiastically and got off his lap so he could get up. Emily took his seat behind the stall and tried to look as professional as she could. Baron grinned at his daughter and kissed her hair before approaching the musicians for a special request.