On Horseback

Chapter 18: Star Night Festival

I didn't want to hint Jack that I knew he had the music box that I had given him when I was five-years-old. I wanted him to figure that out on his own. At times I wondered if he even remembered meeting me when we were both so young. Maybe he didn't even have the music box anymore. That would be sad. Having me wait for sixteen years and he comes back with nothing. But, perhaps that was the case. If it were, then I would just have to live with it.

Jack and I did do many of the things that we wanted to do during the Winter. We went skating, and I fell more times than I could even count. Skiing was pretty fun, but my absolute favourite activity we did was snowboarding. I was a fair snowboarder, but Jack was the worst of the worst! Every time that he fell, he would get up, and then fall right back down again! It was extremely hilarious!

The nights continued to grow colder and colder until the 22nd of Winter. On that day, the forecast called for above seasonal temperatures and warm winds from the southeast.

On the morning of the 23rd, my father and I were discussing if we were going to have the Star Night Festival feast at Karen's house, Lillia's house or at our house.

"Well, last year we had the feast at the florist's. I think we should have it...why not right here at our own house?" I asked Dad. Whenever I suggest that a special gathering should be held at our house, Dad shakes his head and then makes up some lame excuse, just so that his house isn't left in shambles later on.

As I figured, he replied, "But the women may not like the smell of the ranch! You know, the hay and the fodder and such?"

I stared back at my father with a puzzled look on my face. I was going to have to see if Karen was up to having the feast at her place. I didn't want to ask Lillia again, since we'd had the feast at her place the previous Star Night Festival.

Pulling my gloves over my hands, I closed the door to my house and headed off to the vineyard.

It was snowing. Tiny snowflakes drifted all around me as I walked through the covered dirt path that lead to Karen's place. All of the trees were filled with snow and one little shake would probably send an avalanche right at you. There were clouds in the sky and that's what always made me wonder how the Star Night Festival day could always be clear. Every single year, regardless of the previous or following days forecast, the day of the festival was always clear. It was a mystery that I always pondered about.

I reached the vineyard a minute later. Just before I was about to knock on the door, it flew open and I saw Cliff standing in front of me. "Come on in!" he exclaimed and shoved me in the door.

I saw a festive tree standing near the fireplace. It was small, but it was beautifully decorated. The cutest and most interesting ornaments on the tree in my opinion were the miniature-sized dolls of each family member in Karen's family. Karen was wearing a black dress with glittering black slippers on her feet. Sasha was wearing a black nightgown and had a little black bow in her hair. The three men were wearing black tuxedos and with formal shoes on. Cliff looked the cutest of each ornament.

All of a sudden, Karen screamed, "NO! Don't look at my miniature figurine!" Karen raced across the room and pushed me out of the way, even though I'd already seen the bite-sized resemblance of my friend.

"Did you see it?" Karen asked, enraged. I laughed and said, "Yes, Karen. And for your information, it was" -I put my hands on my hips- "absolutely gorgeous!" I finished off in my most girly voice that I could make.

Karen and I exchanged high-fives (despite the fact that she was still a little angry that I saw her ornament), and then I walked over to Sasha, who was sitting on the couch, knitting a sweater.

"Could I ask you a question, Sasha?"

"You just did, Ann."

I grinned at my best friend's mother. She always knew how to make me smile.

"Since our feast gathering was held at Lillia's place last year, my father and I suggested that we should hold it at one of our places tonight. And as usual, knowing my father, he made up a lame excuse that the women would gag because of the ranch smells. So he made me come over here to ask you if we could hold the feast here this year."

Laughing, Sasha answered, "It's no trouble at all, dear. That's absolutely no skin off of my back. Just be sure to bring the macaroni salad and the coleslaw since you do that every year, okay?"

I quickly nodded. "Yes, Sasha."

After my conversation with Sasha, I walked over to the door where Cliff was still standing and looked him in the eye, saying, "Do you want to go to church with me after dinner tomorrow night? It's become tradition. I've done it every year since I was eleven."

Cliff gave me a large smile and said, "Do you want to watch the stars after that?"

I wasn't sure of how to answer his question. I didn't think that it would be healthy to see Cliff anymore. I did see the Pika Bunny with Jack! That rabbit represents whom you're supposed to end up living the rest of your life with! But...my Dad could be right. Even though he and my mother saw it together, maybe it isn't precise. Even if you see it with someone who you love, maybe you're not supposed to be together forever.

"Of course I'd like to watch the stars with you!" I finally answered. I figured it was best to accept his offer. I still did have a crush on him, so I felt that I'd made the correct choice.

Before leaving, Cliff dug into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. I knew that there was going to be something pretty inside of it. I just wasn't sure of what it was going to be. Smiling, I took the box from Cliff's soft hands.

Winking, he asked me to open it. Filled with curiosity, I complied.

"EEEEKK!!" I gasped.

Karen came running to the door, quickly followed by Sasha, both crying, "What? What? Is the sky falling?" They both looked at me and saw that I had one hand on my chest and the other one holding the velvet box. The two women looked at Cliff and said, "What happened?"

Cliff just looked back at me. I decided that I would show my friend and my friend's mother the amazing gift that I had just received from somebody who truly did want to spend the rest of his life with me.

Inside the velvet box laid a blue feather.

"A blue feather...the item in Flower Bud Village that a man uses to propose to a woman. Cliff just gave that to you, Ann?" Karen asked me. I slowly nodded and then quietly said, "He did."

Sasha looked at me and said, "Remember Ann, it's up to you if you want to marry my nephew. It's all your choice. The fate of the two of you now rests in your hands. Make the decision that you want. Not what he wants. But what you want."

My ex-vagabond friend gave me a small peck on the lips before I left, and as I was walking away from the vineyard, I spotted a lonely Jack out in the fields of his farm. I hadn't seen him in one week, so I decided that now would be a perfect time to visit. To announce to him that Cliff wanted me to be his wife. Forever.

"Jack! Jack! Jack!" I kept hollering as I sprinted towards the farm. The farmer took notice of me the moment that I stopped in front of him. From the expression on his face, he thought that I had just been hit in the head with a large mallet.

I quickly told him that Cliff just proposed to me. He looked a little hurt, but questioned me, "Did you say yes or no?" I shook my head and replied, "I haven't decided yet. And I don't want to decide yet. I need more time...to see if he is the one that I truly want. I say this because...Jack, are you in love with anybody right now?"

Jack nodded. "I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I just don't know if I'll be able to. Life can be tricky, you know. I'll find out soon if I'll be able to. I'll find out soon."

He was talking about me. I think. It was time for me to leave. Before I did, though, I kissed his cheek and ran back towards my house.

"HAPPY STAR NIGHT FESTIVAL!" Karen greeted me the next evening.

I gave her one of my I'm-going-to-slap-you-if-you-ever-do-that-again kind of smiles, and then entered the house, followed by my Dad, which was even more festive oriented than it had been the previous day.

The table was set and there was a huge turkey in the middle of it. I adored turkey, and I had to have it every so often, or I'd go bonkers. The walls were filled with tinsel with candles that were attached to it. It was a gorgeous site. Under the tree were three presents. I had one, my father had one and Lillia had one. They were all wrapped in blue bows and had fancy confetti sprinkled on top of them.

I sat down in my seat at the table and looked around. Cliff was sitting on my left. Sasha was sitting on his left and Karen on her left. Hall was sitting on her left, followed by Lillia and then Kai, who was sitting on my right.

Karen was always the one who said grace on Star Night Festival, so she arose from her seat, and said, "I shall begin."

"Tonight is the night, when all get together, to have a feast, whatever the weather. Thank you, lord, for us to be able, to put food on this table. Amen."

We began eating, and as usual, Sasha, Kai, Cliff and Karen were yapping their mouths, just like they always did while eating. At times I really wanted to stick a fork up one of their noses, and hey, it would be for a good cause, too.

Lillia was always quiet during the previous years feasts, but this year, she had a lot to talk about.

"Popuri wrote me a letter saying that she and Gray are going to be staying in Silver Sapphire for quite some time still. They're selling their house and going to be moving to the suburban part of the city. They are starting a family, regardless of whatever they wrote in previous letters. I hope they come back and visit someday. It wouldn't be fair for me to remain all on my own back at home until the day that I slip away."

Sasha and Kai began laughing, and I giggled, even though it wasn't that much of a joke. Lillia was a great person. There were many other words that I could use to describe her, but none as good as a great person.

We all finished eating at quarter to nine, which meant I had to be at church in fifteen minutes. Maria and Elli were probably going to be there too, playing the invitation hymn on the organ and the harmonica, followed by a few carols that everyone sang along to.

"I'll do the dishes," offered Sasha. "My husband never joins us for the feast, so I should be making him clean these dishes, but, oh well. You guys can go on and run off to church now" -Sasha pointed to Karen and Kai- "while you two will be at the beach, correct?"

All of us nodded, rushing out the door, saying farewell to each other and exchanging constant waves as we ran out towards our own directions.

When I entered the church, the pews were filled with people. Lillia and I sat down together, while Cliff sat down on the opposing pew to our side of the church.

Suddenly, Maria and Elli appeared at the front of the church (which on Star Night Festival we called the stage), and they both cried out loud, "Let's sing our hearts out until our hearts can't sing anymore!"

Maria was playing the organ while Elli was playing the harmonica. The roles remained the same year after year. The invitation hymn started and I just listened to the music that the church offered. It was absolutely gorgeous.

After the hymn was sung, Maria and Elli began playing Jingle Bells, and everybody began singing along to the song.

"Dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the fields we go, laughing all the way! Bells on bob tails ring, making spirits bright, what fun it is to laugh and sing a sleighing song tonight! Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!"

After we finished Jingle Bells, the two girls moved on to Joy to the World, one of my personal faves!

"Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare Him soon! And heaven and nature sing! And heaven and nature sing! And heaven and heaven and nature sing!"

After the carols had been sung, the people of Flower Bud flocked out into the evening air to converse about the goodies that they would be receiving that night and the stars that were shining brightly above their heads. I was one of them.

I stood with Cliff just outside the bar, which was next to the church staring up at the sky, looking at the bright stars that lingered. They were pretty. Very pretty. Cliff must have thought so too, because he would occasionally say, "Beauty." I, personally, thought that that was pretty romantic.

"Do you have an answer to my proposal question?" Cliff asked me, shifting my head to look into his eyes.

I still wasn't sure what to say. I was in love with Cliff. I really was. But I was also in love with Jack. I was completely ripped in half. What was I to do? Would I just have to accept or reject Cliff now? What if Jack never did propose to me? What if the Pika Bunny was just a myth and all? But...how could Cliff have not seen it then?

I wasn't ready to answer, so I broke his question with a kiss instead.

Cliff seemed to be surprised, but we continued to kiss under the Winter stars. I touched his cheek and he pulled me closer to him. Was love really just a curse that was cast upon people? Was there even a meaning to it?

But of course there was. I just hadn't learned it yet.

Cliff and I continued to kiss passionately under the stars as the night went on. I was going to have a good sleep tonight. I just knew that I was going to.

DISCLAIMER: I own none of the songs that I have used in this chapter. Thanks for understanding.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry that it took so long to update, I'll be sure to have the next one up a lot faster!