Kirri: A Girl of Clocktown's Diary
7 Days Before the Carnival
A/N: Chapter 4…
Today I went to deliver the Dodongo's stomach to the Bomb Shop owners. A Goron works on the side, selling those big bombs that only Gorons can use.
The owner of the Bomb Shop bought the stomach from me. He told me that his 'Mommy' would take the stomach to the mountains and get the Gorons to make it into a Big Bomb Bag—they couldn't make them themselves. They paid me 100 Rupees. 100 RUPEES!!! And it's all mine.
I'm writing next to the Laundry Pool. I just finished my morning chores. A few minutes ago, Jim and Nick (another member of the Bombers gang) came to bug me. You know, without Jim, all the other Bombers would be really easily frightened.
Jim's a fresh kid. By fresh, I mean disrespectful, not something else. He's rude to strangers and to adults even! I think the only people he treats with respect are the Bombers and his mother, one of the Guards' wives. He tries to treat me rudely, but I say rude stuff right back to him, and we get along with our little friendly-hateful relationship.
Well, Jim and Nick had this shiny stone. They said it came from the Moon. It was only about the size of a pebble, but it was beautiful, a specially shining blue stone. It looked like a cerulean-blue pebble, really. Jim taunted me that it was worth lots of money. I ignored him. We don't have much money, and I've never really minded. But when Jim picks on me, I just get so MAD! We're sort of friends, and we're sort of not. Its really weird…
Jim's back. He's got something else to show me. Hang on, I'll write more later…
To Continue…
I'm so furious at Jim!
He took this diary and ran off to the other Bombers members. He ran off to East Clocktown, and he started reading it to them, and making fun about my astronomy writings of last night. Then he tossed it back at me, but it landed in a puddle, and he started taunting me about being poor. I got so mad, I walked up to him and punched him in the face. He fell backwards and started crying.
So much for being "sort of friends".
Then I shouted at him that he was an arrogant jerk, that I had just gotten 100 Rupees and that my mom and I were fine with the money we had, we'd get rich at this carnival and he'd better watch out, 'cuz I'll buy off of him his dad's job so his family will be unemployed!
I ran off, sniffling. What I had said was a little stupid, but I didn't really care. Don't care now. I huddled up on a bench in the corner of the Laundry Pool and I tried not to cry. And that's where I am now.
If you want the truth, I'm extremely worried. I'm worried for my mom and I. No tourists from anywhere has come by at all so far. Usually we'd have a lot of money right now, and lots more to come as the Carnival approaches. But not a single customer has come in, except that Zora from the other day. Fortunately we got some business with him, but we have next to money right now.
I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen. The tax collector is supposed to come sometime soon and I don't know when. I'm afraid we won't have any money when he comes around.
Basically all we have is about 300 Rupees, including my 150 Rupees. We've always been sort of poor, but we live off the money we make during the Carnival time for an entire year. The money lasts until the next year's Carnival.
That's why I'm so worried. We might get kicked out of our house—or worse, out of Clocktown. That would be so horrible…to live in the swamp or on the field…Well, maybe Cremia would take us in…
I have to stop sniffling in the corner. I should go back to work or…something. It's almost lunchtime; maybe I can go grab something to eat and then go help out Aunt Anju…
LATER, Evening
Something else bad happened today.
My Mama and I were eating lunch in our kitchen. It was leftover cake and one glass of milk. We had run out of groceries from the other day (we couldn't afford to buy lots at a time).
Then the tax collector came.
He demanded that we owed him 300 Rupees. We said we didn't have that much (we did, but all we had was 350, remember?). He said that if we didn't pay now, he could come back tomorrow for 350 instead. So we grudgingly gave him our money—I had to give up all my money.
When he left, I turned to my mom. "Why are we so poor?" I could help screeching at her. "Where are all our customers?"
My Mama just looked at me. She was trembling. "I don't know, Kirri, dear," she said quietly. Her voice shook, too. "We'll just have to pray and hope that they come soon."
I couldn't help crying then. All we had left was 50 Rupees. 50 Rupees will only buy about two gulps of milk and a couple of eggs, or three loaves of bread, or two turnips and one tomato. Its nothing.
If those tourists and traders and merchants don't come, we could go into poverty or be evicted of our land. This looks hopeless to me.
I can help make money by doing odd jobs around the town, or by Dodongo hunting, but I only have a couple of arrows left. It's not like I own a sword. Nobody around here does, except the guards. Pirates do, but they never venture over here.
Maybe I should join the pirates—wait, what am I saying? Of course I shouldn't. I'd stand out, anyway. But at least they get money…
The situation looks bleak. Thank God I have time off from my studies for two weeks, in preparation of the Carnival, though right now I kind of wish I could have my mind off of everything, learning.
After I recovered, I went to help out Anju in the Inn. I had to cook Grandmama's food—she gladly ate it and told me she was sick of Anju's cooking.
I could help eating some of the food before I served Grandmama. I'm so hungry right now…
After I fed Grandmama, I helped fix up the kitchen. It's a mess. It'll probably be falling apart again in four days, or something. Bugs might come in by then.
I finished my chores around three o'clock, so I went to the Observatory. I made Tom (the kid who guards the entrance) let me by—he's been afraid of me, more so since I punched Jim.
I got up to the Observatory. I guess the day went pretty well after that, but the cloud of misery about our money still hung over my head. The old man at the observatory let me look through the telescope. He said I could come by at night to look at the stars. I told him I'd love that.
I looked up into the sky through the telescope. I saw a black hunk. It was the Moon. It looks like a big dark thing, up in the sky. It was a little bit bigger than my fist, but then I saw it—the face.
It actually had a face. It's got teeth and eyes and a big honking nose. Its eyes blaze yellow and its teeth shine. I didn't even know moons were alive, much less have teeth and eyes.
Now I understand why Mirri's father freaked out and skipped town. I hope Mama and I don't have to, though. Well, at the time I hoped that.
I started to head home around four-thirty. I ran into Nick, one of the Bombers. He told me that he heard one of the guards saying the Moon might actually FALL!
I thought that was insane. But…it seems pretty close, closer than yesterday…
I'm writing this on top of the Inn. I like this spot. The stars are clearly seen, and beautiful. I should go home now; Anju cooked us some soup and we are having that for dinner tonight. Mom told her about how much money we have. I was embarrassed.
Well, until next time…
~Kirri
A/N: They're having issues, now…It really sucks…All looks desperate…And I'm singing a song right now ^_^ Anyway, I'll be writing more!
7 Days Before the Carnival
A/N: Chapter 4…
Today I went to deliver the Dodongo's stomach to the Bomb Shop owners. A Goron works on the side, selling those big bombs that only Gorons can use.
The owner of the Bomb Shop bought the stomach from me. He told me that his 'Mommy' would take the stomach to the mountains and get the Gorons to make it into a Big Bomb Bag—they couldn't make them themselves. They paid me 100 Rupees. 100 RUPEES!!! And it's all mine.
I'm writing next to the Laundry Pool. I just finished my morning chores. A few minutes ago, Jim and Nick (another member of the Bombers gang) came to bug me. You know, without Jim, all the other Bombers would be really easily frightened.
Jim's a fresh kid. By fresh, I mean disrespectful, not something else. He's rude to strangers and to adults even! I think the only people he treats with respect are the Bombers and his mother, one of the Guards' wives. He tries to treat me rudely, but I say rude stuff right back to him, and we get along with our little friendly-hateful relationship.
Well, Jim and Nick had this shiny stone. They said it came from the Moon. It was only about the size of a pebble, but it was beautiful, a specially shining blue stone. It looked like a cerulean-blue pebble, really. Jim taunted me that it was worth lots of money. I ignored him. We don't have much money, and I've never really minded. But when Jim picks on me, I just get so MAD! We're sort of friends, and we're sort of not. Its really weird…
Jim's back. He's got something else to show me. Hang on, I'll write more later…
To Continue…
I'm so furious at Jim!
He took this diary and ran off to the other Bombers members. He ran off to East Clocktown, and he started reading it to them, and making fun about my astronomy writings of last night. Then he tossed it back at me, but it landed in a puddle, and he started taunting me about being poor. I got so mad, I walked up to him and punched him in the face. He fell backwards and started crying.
So much for being "sort of friends".
Then I shouted at him that he was an arrogant jerk, that I had just gotten 100 Rupees and that my mom and I were fine with the money we had, we'd get rich at this carnival and he'd better watch out, 'cuz I'll buy off of him his dad's job so his family will be unemployed!
I ran off, sniffling. What I had said was a little stupid, but I didn't really care. Don't care now. I huddled up on a bench in the corner of the Laundry Pool and I tried not to cry. And that's where I am now.
If you want the truth, I'm extremely worried. I'm worried for my mom and I. No tourists from anywhere has come by at all so far. Usually we'd have a lot of money right now, and lots more to come as the Carnival approaches. But not a single customer has come in, except that Zora from the other day. Fortunately we got some business with him, but we have next to money right now.
I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen. The tax collector is supposed to come sometime soon and I don't know when. I'm afraid we won't have any money when he comes around.
Basically all we have is about 300 Rupees, including my 150 Rupees. We've always been sort of poor, but we live off the money we make during the Carnival time for an entire year. The money lasts until the next year's Carnival.
That's why I'm so worried. We might get kicked out of our house—or worse, out of Clocktown. That would be so horrible…to live in the swamp or on the field…Well, maybe Cremia would take us in…
I have to stop sniffling in the corner. I should go back to work or…something. It's almost lunchtime; maybe I can go grab something to eat and then go help out Aunt Anju…
LATER, Evening
Something else bad happened today.
My Mama and I were eating lunch in our kitchen. It was leftover cake and one glass of milk. We had run out of groceries from the other day (we couldn't afford to buy lots at a time).
Then the tax collector came.
He demanded that we owed him 300 Rupees. We said we didn't have that much (we did, but all we had was 350, remember?). He said that if we didn't pay now, he could come back tomorrow for 350 instead. So we grudgingly gave him our money—I had to give up all my money.
When he left, I turned to my mom. "Why are we so poor?" I could help screeching at her. "Where are all our customers?"
My Mama just looked at me. She was trembling. "I don't know, Kirri, dear," she said quietly. Her voice shook, too. "We'll just have to pray and hope that they come soon."
I couldn't help crying then. All we had left was 50 Rupees. 50 Rupees will only buy about two gulps of milk and a couple of eggs, or three loaves of bread, or two turnips and one tomato. Its nothing.
If those tourists and traders and merchants don't come, we could go into poverty or be evicted of our land. This looks hopeless to me.
I can help make money by doing odd jobs around the town, or by Dodongo hunting, but I only have a couple of arrows left. It's not like I own a sword. Nobody around here does, except the guards. Pirates do, but they never venture over here.
Maybe I should join the pirates—wait, what am I saying? Of course I shouldn't. I'd stand out, anyway. But at least they get money…
The situation looks bleak. Thank God I have time off from my studies for two weeks, in preparation of the Carnival, though right now I kind of wish I could have my mind off of everything, learning.
After I recovered, I went to help out Anju in the Inn. I had to cook Grandmama's food—she gladly ate it and told me she was sick of Anju's cooking.
I could help eating some of the food before I served Grandmama. I'm so hungry right now…
After I fed Grandmama, I helped fix up the kitchen. It's a mess. It'll probably be falling apart again in four days, or something. Bugs might come in by then.
I finished my chores around three o'clock, so I went to the Observatory. I made Tom (the kid who guards the entrance) let me by—he's been afraid of me, more so since I punched Jim.
I got up to the Observatory. I guess the day went pretty well after that, but the cloud of misery about our money still hung over my head. The old man at the observatory let me look through the telescope. He said I could come by at night to look at the stars. I told him I'd love that.
I looked up into the sky through the telescope. I saw a black hunk. It was the Moon. It looks like a big dark thing, up in the sky. It was a little bit bigger than my fist, but then I saw it—the face.
It actually had a face. It's got teeth and eyes and a big honking nose. Its eyes blaze yellow and its teeth shine. I didn't even know moons were alive, much less have teeth and eyes.
Now I understand why Mirri's father freaked out and skipped town. I hope Mama and I don't have to, though. Well, at the time I hoped that.
I started to head home around four-thirty. I ran into Nick, one of the Bombers. He told me that he heard one of the guards saying the Moon might actually FALL!
I thought that was insane. But…it seems pretty close, closer than yesterday…
I'm writing this on top of the Inn. I like this spot. The stars are clearly seen, and beautiful. I should go home now; Anju cooked us some soup and we are having that for dinner tonight. Mom told her about how much money we have. I was embarrassed.
Well, until next time…
~Kirri
A/N: They're having issues, now…It really sucks…All looks desperate…And I'm singing a song right now ^_^ Anyway, I'll be writing more!