Chapter 10: Goodbye?


I saw a large steamboat, much like the ferries that went from the village to the City. I saw Elli run to an umbrella, and pull out a suitcase. I wouldn't dare bother to talk to her, she'd think I were invading her privacy, yet...something didn't seem right. Just then, I saw Stu walking onto the beach with May. I crouched behind an Umbrella near them to hear what they were saying.
"Please don't go!" pleaded May.
"Oh honey, I have to." said Stu.
"Please, don't leave me here!" said May again.
"May, I already explained. I'm going to live with my parents. I wish I could stay here, but I have to go with Elli, I have to." he said.
"No..." said May, bursting into tears, "I love you!"
"I love you..." said Stu.

Stu kissed may's hand, and walked away before she could see him cry. She was left on her knees in the sand crying. I took this oppurtunity to ask her a few questions.
"May.." I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.
"What?" she said, wiping her tears.
"Where are they going?" I asked.
"To--to the city. They're going to live with their real parents." she said.
"WHAT?!?" I yelled, I ran to the boat.

I was too late, the boat was already setting sail. Elli was standing at the back.
"ELLI!" I called.
"Jack, what are you doing here?!" she asked, shocked.
"I followed you, why are you leaving?" I asked.
"My parents, they want us to live with them. I couldn't bear to say goodbye to you Jack, it'd be too painful, I wanted to go without you knowing!" she said.
"Elli...no" I said.

We never said the words "good-bye" to each other. We just left it at that. I was reduced to acting like May, sitting in the sand crying.
"Well, *sniffle*, I guess we're on the same boat," said May.
"Yeah.." I said glumly.
"ahh, who needs them." she said, crying again.
"We do..." I said to her, holding her hand.

We cried for a little, but we soon had to go home. I walked to the Vineyard to talk to Cliff.
"And she just left you?" asked Cliff again.
"Yep," I said, I had been drinking wine and was now fairly drunk.
"Man, I'm sorry. Have some more wine," he said, offering me a glass. Cliff didn't drink that much.
"No," I said, refusing it, I felt on the verge of throwing up.
"Really, it washes away the pain, man." said Cliff.
Just then, Karen walked up.
"Hey Jack, heard Elli dumped you." she said.
"Nah, she didn't dump me, just left me." I said.
"That mean you'll hold up on your promise?" she asked.
"What promise?" I asked.
"You told me when you and Elli, well IF you broke up, you'd date me!" she said.
"Oh, I must've been drunk," I said.
"WHAT?!?!?!?" yelled Karen.
"Don't mind Jack, he's drunk." said Cliff.
"Well how would you like to be unconscious too!" shouted Karen.
"No thanks," I said, laughing.

Next thing I knew, I woke up at the Vineyard.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Karen knocked the lights out of you!" said Cliff, laughing.
"Oh shut up," I said, giving him a shove. I stood up, but then collapsed.
"Maybe you should lie down," said Cliff.
"Yeah I figured that," I remarked.
"Geez, hangover that bad?" asked Karen.
"Get outta here," I said.
"Um, how about........no!?!" she said.
"Fine, then stay here.." I said.
"Gladly," she replied, holding my hand.
"Yeah, I'm not going to be your boyfriend." I said.
"what?!" she asked.
"I must've been drunk or something when I promised that, sorry I just wanna be friends." I said.
"Oh.." she said, then she walked out.

I sat up for a little bit, then felt bad. I really had promised Karen I'd be her boyfriend, but I didn't mean to promise it to her. It's not that she wasn't attractive or nice, she was both, but she was so....boring.
"Jack, that was sort of mean," remarked Cliff, staring at me, "How could you treat her like that?"
"I don't know what came over me. I just don't like her that way. I like her as a friend, nothing more." I answered.
"I guess I understand," he said, sighing, "Well, I told Ann I'd meet her at the beach, bye!"

As Cliff ran out, I began thinking. Karen really liked me, and I was well, single. I should do the obvious thing, go out with her. But then again, that'd be like using her, and I couldn't do that. Plus I figured I was bad luck. Every girl I had been involved with had either moved away, or well... yeah. I was sitting there thinking, when Mayor Thomas came up.
"Hello Jack" he said.
"'Mornin Mayor Thomas," I answered.
"Well, as you know probably know, I'm here on business." he said, straightening his collar.
"Yeah, I assumed that." I said.
"Well, I'm here about the farm." he said.
"What about the farm?" I said, pretending I didn't know.

I knew this day would come. When I first moved to the farm, the Mayor had told me that I had three years to prove myself. It had now been 3 years, and the mayor had come to talk to me.
"Well, Jack, please come to the town square with me, the villagers are waiting." he said.
"All right..." I said, following the Mayor to the Town Square.

We walked up and all the villagers were sitting in the town square. Everyone looked solemn, and I became worried. I had made a lot of money on the farm, there was no reason I shouldn't get to stay.
"Well Jack, we discussed your fate, as a village..." started the Mayor.
"Mayor Thomas, please just tell me." I interrupted.
"Well...You have done a wonderful job.." he said, I started smiling, "but you have also neglected some parts of a farm, like animals, and other things.
My heart sank, "But, that's not all a farm is about!"
"True, true. You have also participated well in the village, and everyone likes you.." I started smiling again, "but...you havn't helped significantly."
Again, my heart sank, even further this time, "And?"
"Well, Jack, as a village we decided," he said, I was now biting my tongue, "that you can stay."

I nearly had a heart-attack. I was so happy. I laughed and smiled, and I hugged everyone in the village.
"Jack, I'm so happy you can stay!" said Karen, coming up and giving me a hug.
"Me too!" I replied.
"So.." she said, digging her foot into the ground.
"So...what?" I asked.
"Well, since you'll be here for a while, couldn't you...give me a chance?" she asked.
"Karen, look. I like you as a friend, you're really nice, a blast to hang out with, but..." I said.
"But what? Am I not good enough?" she asked, her eyes started to tear.
"No, it's not that. It's not that at all! You are a great person, I might not even be good enough to be with you, but, I still have feelings for Elli." I said, "Karen, you could do so much better than me anyway."
"No I can't...Rick left, I really liked Rick, then you were there, I cared for you so much! I saw you go out with Ann, and Elli, and I was jealous." she said.
"Karen, can we still be friends?" I said, holding out my hand.
"Yeah, I'd like that." she said, wiping her eyes then taking my hand.

We walked around the square, talking about different things, then, Cliff and Ann ran up to us excitedly. They were holding hands, and could barely talk. We had to wait a few minutes before they could tell us what the excitement was about.
"Jack, guess what!" Cliff shouted.
"What?" I asked.
"Ann and I are getting married!" he said.
"Oh Cliff, that's great! Congratulations!" I said.
"Yeah, we are getting married in a week! You are definately invited, you too Karen! We think we'll invite Elli and Stu to come also!" she said, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Elli?" I said.
"Yeah, is that ok?" she asked.
"Yeah, in fact that's great!" I said.

I was looking for any reason for Elli to come back so I could see her. I was really happy when Ann said she was inviting Elli, maybe Elli and I could get back together again.