The morning of Spring 24th, of course, meant that she would have to go back to her original routine at the bakery, as always in her casual blue work dress and white apron. It wasn't this fact that particularly annoyed her today, but it seemed that Jeff still hadn't quite figured out that Elli was fifteen already--- in fact, almost sixteen--- and continued to tease her lightheartedly and try to make compliments on how she had gotten to play the Spring Goddess this year.
Elli remembered all the way back to when she was five and her father was helping his apprentice along. Jeff was already twenty years old, and a great family friend and big-brother figure for little Elli. Even as she had grown up before his very eyes, she would remain nothing more than Cute Little Elli, baking cakes before he barely knew it. But Elli had started baking things on her own since she had been about nine, and now six years from then Jeff had barely accepted that she was not a little girl anymore.
Still, Elli had never said "shut up" to Jeff before, nor to anyone for that matter, and it seemed she wouldn't need to as long as she had her grandmother. Her grandmother could see through everything, and Elli could see through to Jeff's annoyance at her dear grandmother. Jeff was already thirty years old, and Grandma had always delighted in treating him like a child. These were the only shortcomings in the "family" when all was not perfectly at peace, and it was often something to be thankful for.
Then she thought of how she had long considered Jeff and Granny her "family". Even Karen, who hated her own, still had more than one immediate relative in the village. When she thought of Maria and Jack just yesterday, it reminded her of how close those girls were to womanhood at last, yet it had all come so soon. Elli started thinking that if she ever got married and had children, then she would have a real family that she always pictured in her mind and missed so dearly. Her favorite image was the idea of raising a child and baking goodies just for her sons or daughters, and raising them to learn how to bake and such things. Suddenly her mind made a Freudian slip and she wondered how Jack felt about having children and raising them. Then she blushed, remembering that it was much too early to be infatuated, and Jack would never become accessible to her for as long as Maria, Popuri, Ann, and Karen were around. Elli was the baker's daughter and that was that.
Hearing the main door creak open and the bells chime, Elli wiped her hands on her apron and asked Jeff to retrieve the fresh cake out of the oven while she tended to the customer. She wasn't fooling herself inside-Spring 24th would be a morning every year in which everyone congratulates the newly-selected Goddess for the year. This morning, though, she didn't quite feel like a goddess in the sloppy apron and some baking powder streaking her hair. She wet her fingers for just a moment and let the water sluice through the baking powder, then turned around to face Jack.
"Good morning, Elli!!" he said cheerfully. "What are you up to today?"
Elli was frozen for a moment, totally taken aback. She had thought maybe it was her fisherman friend Greg, whom had known her father. The two of them were great friends, but Greg was always busy during the day of the Flower Festival. Before she spun around to see Jack's young face, she thought perhaps Greg might be coming by to congratulate her, or bring her a fish.
"Hi Jack," she said breathily. "I've just finished baking a cake. How would you like to try the first piece?"
Before Jack could answer, Jeff came out with the cake from the back room. He took one look at Jack, slammed the cake down on the counter and walked back in there rather huffily.
"Is he okay?" Jack stuck a thumb out in Jeff's direction.
"He's just in a bad mood because he thinks I socialize more than I help out around here. Grandma doesn't think so, though." Elli frowned and pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Oh yeah," she added all of a sudden, "did you like the Flower Festival okay?"
"It was fun. I didn't get to see very much of you, though, during the dancing. I danced with Maria."
"Oh? You and Maria are good friends?" Elli asked curiously.
"I suppose so. But I didn't meet her until last week, you see. I met her last of the girls. I don't swing by the library very often, 'cause restoring the farm calls for so much work to do…" Jack shuffled his feet and folded his hands behind his back.
"You should definitely go by the library," she encouraged him with a bright look on her face. "The library is possibly the most peaceful place of all in the village. I mean, among all those books… why, I go by there regularly for cookbooks. When I'm not busy either, of course. Maria is a very nice girl. You should really get to know her, too. She can locate all your favorite books if you like to read." Elli felt sorry doing all this. Although she wasn't lying, she felt like she was totally denying something. Still, half of her felt good inside for putting her friend up on such a high pedestal.
"Maybe I will," Jack said thoughtfully. "Well, I just dropped by to say hi, I suppose. I'll be on my way if you're busy."
"Not really," Elli said quickly. "How about-how about you bring Maria a cake then, if you're going to the library."
"That sounds like a good idea. But she doesn't know me very well. Do you think a cake will cheer her up?" Jack's eyes were sincere and hopeful. Elli liked that quality in him, that willingness to help someone.
"Absolutely. She gets so lonely sometimes, and to make a new friend will give her something else to think about." Elli fetched a slice of the fresh cake, selected a plate, and wrapped them both. "Here. You take it to Maria, and I'll give you another one free of charge."
"Thanks, Elli. You're a real friend." Jack grinned and Elli blushed, then, carrying the cake with care, he waved with one hand and headed out the door to the bakery.
A real friend... Elli recalled him saying. Sure, they could be friends. That would be...great. Awesome. She'd like that… a whole lot.
Elli remembered all the way back to when she was five and her father was helping his apprentice along. Jeff was already twenty years old, and a great family friend and big-brother figure for little Elli. Even as she had grown up before his very eyes, she would remain nothing more than Cute Little Elli, baking cakes before he barely knew it. But Elli had started baking things on her own since she had been about nine, and now six years from then Jeff had barely accepted that she was not a little girl anymore.
Still, Elli had never said "shut up" to Jeff before, nor to anyone for that matter, and it seemed she wouldn't need to as long as she had her grandmother. Her grandmother could see through everything, and Elli could see through to Jeff's annoyance at her dear grandmother. Jeff was already thirty years old, and Grandma had always delighted in treating him like a child. These were the only shortcomings in the "family" when all was not perfectly at peace, and it was often something to be thankful for.
Then she thought of how she had long considered Jeff and Granny her "family". Even Karen, who hated her own, still had more than one immediate relative in the village. When she thought of Maria and Jack just yesterday, it reminded her of how close those girls were to womanhood at last, yet it had all come so soon. Elli started thinking that if she ever got married and had children, then she would have a real family that she always pictured in her mind and missed so dearly. Her favorite image was the idea of raising a child and baking goodies just for her sons or daughters, and raising them to learn how to bake and such things. Suddenly her mind made a Freudian slip and she wondered how Jack felt about having children and raising them. Then she blushed, remembering that it was much too early to be infatuated, and Jack would never become accessible to her for as long as Maria, Popuri, Ann, and Karen were around. Elli was the baker's daughter and that was that.
Hearing the main door creak open and the bells chime, Elli wiped her hands on her apron and asked Jeff to retrieve the fresh cake out of the oven while she tended to the customer. She wasn't fooling herself inside-Spring 24th would be a morning every year in which everyone congratulates the newly-selected Goddess for the year. This morning, though, she didn't quite feel like a goddess in the sloppy apron and some baking powder streaking her hair. She wet her fingers for just a moment and let the water sluice through the baking powder, then turned around to face Jack.
"Good morning, Elli!!" he said cheerfully. "What are you up to today?"
Elli was frozen for a moment, totally taken aback. She had thought maybe it was her fisherman friend Greg, whom had known her father. The two of them were great friends, but Greg was always busy during the day of the Flower Festival. Before she spun around to see Jack's young face, she thought perhaps Greg might be coming by to congratulate her, or bring her a fish.
"Hi Jack," she said breathily. "I've just finished baking a cake. How would you like to try the first piece?"
Before Jack could answer, Jeff came out with the cake from the back room. He took one look at Jack, slammed the cake down on the counter and walked back in there rather huffily.
"Is he okay?" Jack stuck a thumb out in Jeff's direction.
"He's just in a bad mood because he thinks I socialize more than I help out around here. Grandma doesn't think so, though." Elli frowned and pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Oh yeah," she added all of a sudden, "did you like the Flower Festival okay?"
"It was fun. I didn't get to see very much of you, though, during the dancing. I danced with Maria."
"Oh? You and Maria are good friends?" Elli asked curiously.
"I suppose so. But I didn't meet her until last week, you see. I met her last of the girls. I don't swing by the library very often, 'cause restoring the farm calls for so much work to do…" Jack shuffled his feet and folded his hands behind his back.
"You should definitely go by the library," she encouraged him with a bright look on her face. "The library is possibly the most peaceful place of all in the village. I mean, among all those books… why, I go by there regularly for cookbooks. When I'm not busy either, of course. Maria is a very nice girl. You should really get to know her, too. She can locate all your favorite books if you like to read." Elli felt sorry doing all this. Although she wasn't lying, she felt like she was totally denying something. Still, half of her felt good inside for putting her friend up on such a high pedestal.
"Maybe I will," Jack said thoughtfully. "Well, I just dropped by to say hi, I suppose. I'll be on my way if you're busy."
"Not really," Elli said quickly. "How about-how about you bring Maria a cake then, if you're going to the library."
"That sounds like a good idea. But she doesn't know me very well. Do you think a cake will cheer her up?" Jack's eyes were sincere and hopeful. Elli liked that quality in him, that willingness to help someone.
"Absolutely. She gets so lonely sometimes, and to make a new friend will give her something else to think about." Elli fetched a slice of the fresh cake, selected a plate, and wrapped them both. "Here. You take it to Maria, and I'll give you another one free of charge."
"Thanks, Elli. You're a real friend." Jack grinned and Elli blushed, then, carrying the cake with care, he waved with one hand and headed out the door to the bakery.
A real friend... Elli recalled him saying. Sure, they could be friends. That would be...great. Awesome. She'd like that… a whole lot.