The other townspeople of Mineral Village were already gathered in the square by the time Jack arrived with the mayor and Karen. Some of them, like Zach, who stood out of the crowd easily, waved a hearty "hello!" but other wise they were all abuzz with speculation and gossip. Who was this person coming to the town? They all knew that it was Kai's brother, Jamal, but would he be good for the town? Some of the people whispered worriedly while others seemed to look forward to the prospects of having more people around.
"Heh heh!" Zach came over and slapped Jack on the back. Because of Zach's strength and size, Jack nearly fell to the cobblestones from the blow. "Bet you're jealous, am I right? After all, we never had anything like this when you arrived!"
Jack smiled politely at him. Zach took all of his crops to the markets every day at dusk, and paid him well, too, so he was one of the first people Jack met when he first arrived. It didn't seem very long ago that he took over his grandfather's run-down farm; it was hard work, but the time just seemed to fly.
"That's true," Jack admitted, "But I'm not jealous of it. You were simply distrustful of strangers, that's all, but ever since I came, look at all the good that's come from it!" The others around him nodded at his words. "Besides, Kai's been here longer than I have, and even he was a stranger once, too."
There was a general round of nodding again, from the other men who gathered around the two, but somewhere off to the side, someone harrumphed, loudly and irritably.
Rick, from the poultry farm next door to Jack's own farm, pushed his wide glasses up on his nose in an authoritative and haughty manner. "I like everybody in the village except Kai," he said to no one in particular, waving his finger in the air. "All he does is come to our village and flirt with the girls, and disturb everyth--- oww! Hey! Cut it out, sis!"
"That's enough, big brother," Popuri interrupted, grabbing his ear. Popuri was easily the most ladylike of the girls in town, and she both looked and acted like her mother, the perpetually- and mysteriously-ill Lilia. Today, she wore a full red dress and a black outer bodice over her poofy-sleeved white blouse, and a green headband to hold back her long, silky lavender hair.
"Hello, Jack!" she said in a suddenly singsong voice, as if noticing him for the first time. The men of the town, never a bunch to miss free public entertainment when it presented itself, crowded in closer and chuckled. "I didn't know you would be here! Otherwise, I would have made myself look presentable!"
"You look very presentable as it is," stammered Jack, as whoops of laughter erupted from all around. Popuri blushed and pretended to smooth out imaginary wrinkles from her dress, and batted her lashes innocently. Off to the side, the married women of the town giggled and gossiped while looking in their direction, while the other available girls of the town glared and muttered not far from them.
"That's enough now! Yes, enough!" Mayor Thomas chuckled as he climbed a podium and waved his hands up to call their attention. The crowd hushed at once, although a few last titters erupted as they tried to compose themselves. "Is everyone here, then? Good," he said, looking around. "Thank you for being able to make it, thank you! As you know, a newcomer is coming to our little Mineral Village, but I think we ought to let our good friend Kai make the introductions. Kai?"
Applause came up from all around as Kai emerged from the back of the throng and made his way up to the stand. Everyone nodded their heads approvingly, all except Rick, Jack noticed, who folded his arms across his chest resolutely. Kai shook the mayor's hand and waved all around, smiling in his usual brilliant way, and winked over in Popuri's direction although everyone could see him do so. She blushed slightly, and stole a peek at Jack to see what his reaction was.
"You're so kind," he said, as he tucked in his shirt and arranged the purple bandana that covered his dark head. "I know I come here every summer and no earlier, but this year is special. I want to introduce you all to the new owner of the Seaside Lodge restaurant, who will be a permanent resident of Mineral Village from this day forward. Let me introduce to you my brother… Jamal!"
Everyone clapped politely as they looked at each other's faces, although Kai was clapping enthusiastically. Rick was muttering under his breath about having two people to hate now, although Cliff, the tenacious loner who lived in the Inn, nodded and hoped that Jamal would prove to be a hard worker. There seemed to various reactions and expectations from the townspeople, although most of it was actually pleasant.
Slowly, the clapping died down as noses turned to the air and sniffed. Jack noticed some of the others doing it, and he shrugged his shoulders at Rick and Zach, but slowly they were sniffing the air too. Finally, they all caught it-it was the scent of something burning, but it wasn't an unpleasant smell. It seemed, actually, to be rather sweet-smelling, like incense, but not quite.
Suddenly, Jack's stomach rumbled and growled, and reminded him of how hungry he was. He looked at his stomach, surprised and embarrassed.
Slowly, the crowd parted from the back and Jack craned his neck to see. In the middle of the crowd stood a tall man, darker in skin color and more muscular than Kai. He wore baggy, orange jeans and a white wife-beater shirt. Gaudy gold chains hung around his neck, and he had black sunglasses perched on top of his head, and he bobbed his head up and down as he looked from side to side, as though he were listening to music on some unseen headphones. He grinned suavely as he approached the mayor and Kai in a loping, wolf-like gait that almost looked like he was dancing while walking. In his mouth he clenched what looked like a tiny hand-rolled cigarette, only both ends were pinched--- that had to be what was making the strange, sweet smell, Jack thought.
"Whaaaaassuuup, man?!" Jamal stuck his tongue out and wagged it, as he whipped his hand into the mayor's outstretched hand and pulled him into a tight hug, slapping him on the back eagerly. When he let the mayor go, Mayor Thomas seemed shaken, as though unsure whether to be offended or not, and fixed the round spectacles back into their proper place, smiling hesitantly.
"Brother!" Kai said happily, stretching his arms out.
"Bro!" Jamal returned. "Whaaasssuuuup!" They slapped their hands together and, simultaneously, made a complex series of gestures like a secret fraternity handshake, which ended in both of them snapping their fingers at the same time. "Long time, no see!"
"You're telling me!" Kai laughed, then slung an arm around his brother and turned to the stunned audience. "Everyone," he said, smiling, "This is my younger brother, Jamal! Be nice to him! I'm sure everything'll be fine, so long as we all try to get along! Isn't that right, bro?"
"Word up, G," nodded Jamal smoothly, and then threw his hands up into a lifting motion above his head. "Yo, I gots only four words to say to y'all homies: MINERAL VILLAGE IN DA HOUSE!"
"Heh heh!" Zach came over and slapped Jack on the back. Because of Zach's strength and size, Jack nearly fell to the cobblestones from the blow. "Bet you're jealous, am I right? After all, we never had anything like this when you arrived!"
Jack smiled politely at him. Zach took all of his crops to the markets every day at dusk, and paid him well, too, so he was one of the first people Jack met when he first arrived. It didn't seem very long ago that he took over his grandfather's run-down farm; it was hard work, but the time just seemed to fly.
"That's true," Jack admitted, "But I'm not jealous of it. You were simply distrustful of strangers, that's all, but ever since I came, look at all the good that's come from it!" The others around him nodded at his words. "Besides, Kai's been here longer than I have, and even he was a stranger once, too."
There was a general round of nodding again, from the other men who gathered around the two, but somewhere off to the side, someone harrumphed, loudly and irritably.
Rick, from the poultry farm next door to Jack's own farm, pushed his wide glasses up on his nose in an authoritative and haughty manner. "I like everybody in the village except Kai," he said to no one in particular, waving his finger in the air. "All he does is come to our village and flirt with the girls, and disturb everyth--- oww! Hey! Cut it out, sis!"
"That's enough, big brother," Popuri interrupted, grabbing his ear. Popuri was easily the most ladylike of the girls in town, and she both looked and acted like her mother, the perpetually- and mysteriously-ill Lilia. Today, she wore a full red dress and a black outer bodice over her poofy-sleeved white blouse, and a green headband to hold back her long, silky lavender hair.
"Hello, Jack!" she said in a suddenly singsong voice, as if noticing him for the first time. The men of the town, never a bunch to miss free public entertainment when it presented itself, crowded in closer and chuckled. "I didn't know you would be here! Otherwise, I would have made myself look presentable!"
"You look very presentable as it is," stammered Jack, as whoops of laughter erupted from all around. Popuri blushed and pretended to smooth out imaginary wrinkles from her dress, and batted her lashes innocently. Off to the side, the married women of the town giggled and gossiped while looking in their direction, while the other available girls of the town glared and muttered not far from them.
"That's enough now! Yes, enough!" Mayor Thomas chuckled as he climbed a podium and waved his hands up to call their attention. The crowd hushed at once, although a few last titters erupted as they tried to compose themselves. "Is everyone here, then? Good," he said, looking around. "Thank you for being able to make it, thank you! As you know, a newcomer is coming to our little Mineral Village, but I think we ought to let our good friend Kai make the introductions. Kai?"
Applause came up from all around as Kai emerged from the back of the throng and made his way up to the stand. Everyone nodded their heads approvingly, all except Rick, Jack noticed, who folded his arms across his chest resolutely. Kai shook the mayor's hand and waved all around, smiling in his usual brilliant way, and winked over in Popuri's direction although everyone could see him do so. She blushed slightly, and stole a peek at Jack to see what his reaction was.
"You're so kind," he said, as he tucked in his shirt and arranged the purple bandana that covered his dark head. "I know I come here every summer and no earlier, but this year is special. I want to introduce you all to the new owner of the Seaside Lodge restaurant, who will be a permanent resident of Mineral Village from this day forward. Let me introduce to you my brother… Jamal!"
Everyone clapped politely as they looked at each other's faces, although Kai was clapping enthusiastically. Rick was muttering under his breath about having two people to hate now, although Cliff, the tenacious loner who lived in the Inn, nodded and hoped that Jamal would prove to be a hard worker. There seemed to various reactions and expectations from the townspeople, although most of it was actually pleasant.
Slowly, the clapping died down as noses turned to the air and sniffed. Jack noticed some of the others doing it, and he shrugged his shoulders at Rick and Zach, but slowly they were sniffing the air too. Finally, they all caught it-it was the scent of something burning, but it wasn't an unpleasant smell. It seemed, actually, to be rather sweet-smelling, like incense, but not quite.
Suddenly, Jack's stomach rumbled and growled, and reminded him of how hungry he was. He looked at his stomach, surprised and embarrassed.
Slowly, the crowd parted from the back and Jack craned his neck to see. In the middle of the crowd stood a tall man, darker in skin color and more muscular than Kai. He wore baggy, orange jeans and a white wife-beater shirt. Gaudy gold chains hung around his neck, and he had black sunglasses perched on top of his head, and he bobbed his head up and down as he looked from side to side, as though he were listening to music on some unseen headphones. He grinned suavely as he approached the mayor and Kai in a loping, wolf-like gait that almost looked like he was dancing while walking. In his mouth he clenched what looked like a tiny hand-rolled cigarette, only both ends were pinched--- that had to be what was making the strange, sweet smell, Jack thought.
"Whaaaaassuuup, man?!" Jamal stuck his tongue out and wagged it, as he whipped his hand into the mayor's outstretched hand and pulled him into a tight hug, slapping him on the back eagerly. When he let the mayor go, Mayor Thomas seemed shaken, as though unsure whether to be offended or not, and fixed the round spectacles back into their proper place, smiling hesitantly.
"Brother!" Kai said happily, stretching his arms out.
"Bro!" Jamal returned. "Whaaasssuuuup!" They slapped their hands together and, simultaneously, made a complex series of gestures like a secret fraternity handshake, which ended in both of them snapping their fingers at the same time. "Long time, no see!"
"You're telling me!" Kai laughed, then slung an arm around his brother and turned to the stunned audience. "Everyone," he said, smiling, "This is my younger brother, Jamal! Be nice to him! I'm sure everything'll be fine, so long as we all try to get along! Isn't that right, bro?"
"Word up, G," nodded Jamal smoothly, and then threw his hands up into a lifting motion above his head. "Yo, I gots only four words to say to y'all homies: MINERAL VILLAGE IN DA HOUSE!"