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Let's roll!

On the first day of March an alarm sounded through the Kirkland house. To no one's surprise it was Alfred's, and with a swift move he hit the snooze button and sat up in his bed. After sitting there for a few moments to stare at the wall, he swung his feet over the frame and got up as the woodwork creaked under his weight. It was now three minutes past six, and he realized that in the span of the past weeks, Alfred felt no closer to whatever goal he had.

Since today marked the onset of spring Alfred had headed to his workday thinking that it would be warm for some science-defying reason, then hurrying back inside to grab his coat. As he wrapped it tightly around his body to shield himself from the unexpected cold, he released a few curses to ride along the breeze. Hopefully, the ten-minute walk to the lake would warm him up. He heard a door click when he walked past the hairdresser and made eye-contact with Lily who had just stepped outside. She smiled, locked the door in a slightly hasteful manner before catching up to the boy who was probably a third of her own height taller than her.

"Are you going to the lake?" she asked and put the keys in her oversized coat's pocket.

"I am! But I didn't expect you were going too!" Alfred grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Ah, well," said Lily hesitantly, "I know it's going to be hard labor, but I'm ready for it."

"Boss."

The two walked the rest of the way, Lily in silence, as she appeased listened to Alfred rambling about what he thought the labor was going to be like. When they arrived at the lake, they both took a step backward along with a little gasp. Towering probably 50 meters above their heads was a tower crane, glistening in the modest sunrise. A wire just as long hung from the jib, its hook dangling above the water.

"I've had longer," came a sassy female voice from behind them. Lily blushed, something Alfred had intended to join in on with a laugh hadn't it been for the noticeable lack of hair on the person who stood there.

So it was true; The brilliance of Elizabeta's curls was now a thing of history.

"Eliza- What the- You look wicked!" Alfred sputtered with his jaw agape and eyes wider than saucers. Not only had she just cut her hair shorter, but being a hairdresser she had shaved one side of her head and left awfully cool-looking stripes, and let a poofy portion fall on the other side. It was uneven, rebellious, somewhat messy… But man, did it make a statement.

"I look amazing, don't I," Elizabeta snickered, "I guess drinking polluted water has its goods."

"Your hair looks so much better than Gil's, I'm tellin' ya," Alfred remarked, cringing at the German's unholy semi-mullet.

"Then more cash for me!" Elizabeta chirped before she sighed and shifted the focus to the lake.

"I'm taking charge here until Gramps shows up, whenever that is." She stepped in between the two and put her arms around their shoulders, and said, "Just you two wait here and you'll get instructions soon." Then she left.

Alfred and Lily looked after her for a moment as she walked toward the people managing the crane, before Alfred turned to Lily and dramatically clutched his heart.

"I will never be as cool as her," he sobbed fakely, making a fist of his right hand, "Eliza is simply too cool."

"So sturdy and reliable," Lily added dreamily and looked up to the sky. Despite their theatrical act, it was a known fact that Elizabeta, along with a few other people, were considered among the town's brains due to her reliability and sense for leadership and teamwork. Why she was only working as a hairdresser in Smalltown when she'd probably reach far in the city was beyond anyone's knowledge, but Alfred and Lily both felt a spark of inspiration and aspiration upon looking at her. In these times Alfred greatly envied Lily for living with such a magnificent figure to be her guardian.

A few minutes later, when the March sun shone a little brighter above the mountain peaks, Gramps arrived at the site. Usually people rarely saw him, but for years he had been the unofficial mayor of the village. He delegated today's tasks among the workers, many of whom Alfred and Lily did not recognize, and soon he stood in front of the two.

"You look sturdy," he commented after eyeing Alfred up and down a few times, "You follow the other polishers, we have too few there."

He then looked at Lily but didn't spend nearly as long as he did on Alfred.

"You can join the kitchen."

Alfred was about to strut satisfied toward the 'strong people' who were responsible for cleaning and polishing materials that looked reusable in case it could be sold for money to fund the lake fix-up. However, surprise got the better of him when Lily interjected a, although far from loudly, determined "Excuse me!"

Gramps turned his attention to her with a listening ear.

"I-if there are too f-few polishers, I can help!" Lily pressed before averting her gaze. Gramps however didn't even think twice before turning away again.

"You'll be exhausted in no time."

As the older man walked away, Alfred cast a glance at Lily's… Wistful eyes. Had she always been capable of that expression?

"Hey, Lily, you oka-"

Before Alfred could finish his attempt at reassuring her, Lily chuckled and another smile emerged on her adolescent, blooming face. She spun on her heels toward a group of ladies.

"I'll see you later!" she said cheerfully and left. Alfred couldn't stop her to pry into her problems, so he started walking the opposite direction. To the 'strong boys'.

With legs crossed, Alfred had long started scrubbing the piece of debris that had floated in the water. He had not the slightest idea of what it was, and would have asked hadn't it been for the five times he had already tried to make acquaintances but been ignored. Clearly, he wasn't their type. Most of them knew at least one other already anyway since many came from outside towns to help.

"Yo, Kirkland!"

A voice Alfred faintly recognized but could not for the love of him place within his memory, shouted. About to look around, another person flopped down next to him with another undistinguishable piece of metal in his hands. He stared back as Alfred eyed his face thoroughly. The man looked young, but way past Alfred's age. Maybe around Gilbert's age; His thirties lying right around the corner. Then there was his voice that sounded naturally eager and upbeat, slightly nasal, to accompany the blonde hair that mocked the laws of gravity. The whole time Alfred eyeballed him, the name of the stranger felt like a sneeze that never came.

"Sorry, man, but who are you?" Alfred asked eventually, defeated and slightly, yet very visibly, frustrated.

The older one shot him a toothy, mischievous grin and continued scrubbing the rectangle shaped metal with a piece of steel wool.

"I'll give ya a hint," he said smugly before theatrically changing his demeanor to look uncertain and introverted, "Viltu blaðlauk?"

The gears that made up Alfred's mind grated for a second before he snapped his fingers in a moment of enlightenment, "The farm in Hartlepool!"

Since Alfred barely ever saw the people working at the farm whenever he was there, it had taken him some time to realize that the man was Mathias, the one Alfred had talked with the first time he had been to the farm to be taught various things. Which was around six years ago.

"Man, I was scared ya had forgotten about me!" Mathias laughed, "How are ya doing? Ya look so grown up since last time!"

"You too!" Alfred responded with a jovial grin.

"That's not a compliment when ya pass 25," Mathias frowned playfully.

The two flipped their material in unison and began scrubbing the other side. The water had eroded what they assumed was once a brilliant silver, and the muck at the bottom had caused a brown discoloration. As if that wasn't enough, the polluted water's stench had smitten over to the debris as well, causing their hands to smell foul as they worked.

"Dumping waste in the water is so brainless," Mathias started and released a tired sigh, "Really affects the crops in all the ways ya wouldn't want it to." Although Mathias seemed to have an endless abundance of positivity and optimism in him, his expression looked like that of someone who had complained to authorities, got "Yes, we'll fix it soon" as a response, except it had been going on for years. Alfred didn't know, but that was his presumption.

"It's not only here they dumped waste, though I do think you folks have it the worst since your town is so small. But lemme tell ya that in these last thirteen years, I can at this point say that I've earned more money from helping out with waste cleaning than farming."

"Is that why I never see you at the farm?" Alfred thought out loud.

"You betcha; Environmental service and selling harvest. While I'm out, Lukas and little Emil do their thing on the farm and that's how we make things go 'round!" Mathias explained proudly, lifting his chin upward. Alfred was surprised.

"You mean there's only three of you?" he asked, letting out a small whimper when he cut his finger on the sharp edge of the metal.

"Yeah! Ya think that's too few?"

"Mno, I jus' thought you w're m're," Alfred mumbled as he sucked the blood on the side of his index.

"It's just us," the older man chuckled, "'Till we find our other two brothers, it'll be us. Oh, and by the way…"

Mathias vaguely mimicked Alfred's pose, "Your stomach's gonna feel funny tonight."

The younger looked at him confused, before quickly withdrawing his hand from his mouth. God have mercy on him so he wouldn't end up like Elizabeta…

For the next minutes, the two of them engaged in small talk. During these minutes, however, Alfred had a knot growing in his stomach and did not know why. He somehow hoped it was the polluted water, but he knew that that wasn't it. The knot in his stomach made him restless, hoping that his working day would last until late, late night. He found himself trying to slow down time by not interrupting the silences that naturally befell the conversation every now and then. Alfred had never been the kind of person to be in tune with his feelings - He had left that role to Matt - but if this knot interfered with his will to go home, then it must be something important. He just didn't know what.

When lunchtime came around, Alfred sighed loudly as that signified his day of work halfway done. Whether from relief or dismay, he couldn't determine. All he knew was that whatever his mind was doing, he did not like it.

Translations:
- "Viltu blaðlauk?". Icelandic, "Do you want leeks?".

Seeya next week, folks!