On Horseback

Chapter 21: A Day Once Lived Before

It was a horrible day...I was running very fast...I stopped at a tree...There was nothing behind the tree but a cliff...I knew I had to climb...I began climbing...I continued climbing...But then my foot slipped...I fell...Fell...Fell...To the grounds of the earth...

"EEK!" I screamed, waking up all of a sudden. Breathing in heavily, I noticed that there were four people surrounding my bed. Jack was on my left, Popuri was at the foot of my bed, Gray was on the bottom right and my father was next to me on my right. It felt strange to see all of them staring at the same thing at the same time, especially if it was you.

Looking back and forth at everyone, I said, "What's today's date? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Laughing, Popuri replied, "Get out of bed, silly! We're all staring at you because you finally woke up! You've been sound asleep for four straight days! Which means that the date is Spring 8th!"

I jumped out of bed, gasping. I had been asleep for four straight days in a row without waking up? But how? That certainly didn't make any sense whatsoever! How would I have ate? What about using the bathroom? Sleep came easily, but what about everything else? Shrugging it off, I looked at Jack and said, "How's this years king?"

"I'm all pumped up and ready to fly in that balloon with whomever I want to. Should I choose you, Ann?" Jack asked me.

"We spend so much time together that I think you should choose somebody else," I replied. That's just fair, or so I thought it was.

Dad came into my bedroom with a huge platter of food. Everything that was on it was from the Bakery. I knew that it was. Which meant that Dad was so relieved that I woke up, he went out and got me my favourite breakfast dish! What could be more delicious than that? Well, actually, there are dishes that are better, but I don't really need to go into that.

"Eat up, everyone. The Sowing Festival starts at exactly 12:00 p.m. The current time is 10:30. After we all finish eating, we'll go straight to the festival. After that, we're all going to go to the bar. Popuri, don't drink too much. Ann, don't drink at all. Everyone else can drink as much as they want, but don't look at me and complain in the morning if you've got the mother of all hangovers, which I'm sure you probably won't," my father explained to everyone. It looked like it was going to be one busy day.

I shoved the last bit of my food down my throat and cried, "Beat'cha all! Ha!"

Gray looked at me like I was the most immature person in the house and Jack put a hand on my shoulder, saying, "I have to go up to the mountains to the balloon to start the festival. I would be absolutely honoured if you came up to it with me."

Staring at him, I asked, "We're not flying in the same balloon, though, right?"

He nodded.

Suddenly, my father screamed, "It's 10:40! Eat faster! I want to be there by 11:00! This is a very important festival, you know! I'm just ashamed of my children for not going in the last five years!"

That was true. I had never really cared about the Sowing Festival, so I never went, but there were essential reasons for me to go this year. Actually, there was only one reason, and it was good enough for me. It was the fact that Jack would be there, and after the ballooning and such, there would be a one-song dance. In the previous years, that was never done, but now, every year after the festival was officially over, there would be a one-song dance. I wanted to swing Jack around again.

Finally, everyone finished eating breakfast. My Dad was so relieved. He scares me sometimes.

"All right. We'll head on over to the Square, while you and Jack go up to the mountains, Ann. So, let's get going you two! Hurry up, Popuri! Those shoelaces aren't going to tie themselves!"

While my father continued to boss Popuri and Gray around, my prince charming and I headed up to the mountains. Along our way, we socialized about Karen's wedding, which was going to be held on Sunday, and how Cliff was arranging a wedding the following Sunday, regardless of my answer to his proposal.

"He's arranging a wedding whether you say yes or no to his proposal?" Jack asked me, surprised.

I nodded. That's when Jack got a gleam in his eyes, which really worried me. What was he thinking? Nothing too nasty I hope. Maybe to throw over the wedding...Nah, he'd never do that.

We came to the foot of the mountain, finally, and we saw that a bridge had been built! There was finally an easier way to transport up to the restaurant again! I didn't know that they had re-built it since it last collapsed! That was super!

"Do you want to climb the tree instead of walking all the way around and around and around and around the path that leads up to the bridge? I mean, that could take FOREVER!"

Shrugging, I said, "Sure, why not? That isn't going to kill me." Actually, it would worry me a lot. I hadn't climbed that tree since my accident when I was five-years-old. How could I be so clumsy and just suddenly let go? Especially when there was somebody else on the tree with me!Somebody else on the tree with me...wasn't that Jack? Wait! It had to have been him. He has the music box, doesn't he?

"Jack, could we go up the path instead?" I asked the farmer. He looked at me with a confused look on his face and mouthed the words "Why", while making silly arm gestures. I giggled.

I answered, "When I was five-years-old, I climbed that tree with a boy. I lost my balance and fell on top of him, I think. Or did he fall on me? Oh, whatever. Anyways, I got a scar from doing that, and I don't want another scar again. It would seem too alarming. You can go ahead and use the tree, but I'm walking up the path."

Jack looked at me for a moment, and then said, "Sorry. Was it that bad? Arrgh, I knew it'd have been my fault, Ann."

I gasped. I knew it was him! He just admitted it to me right now! I couldn't believe it! It was him! HIM, I tell you! HIM!

"What are you talking about, Jack?" I asked, pretending that I didn't know what he was talking about. "What was that bad? What was your fault? Did you hurt someone? Or are you talking about the tree accident I had with that boy who promised me something?"

Jack's eyelids popped open. "Tree accident? Hiding something from the boy? Ann? I just realized something that I should have never forgotten. I promised you something years ago that I should never have forgotten! What is wrong with me? Ann, don't you realize that the truth? I was supposed to return something to you. You would remember that it was me who was the one. I have...that music box."

Right there, I decided that I had to deliver. Leaning in, I pasted lipstick all over his lips. I put my arm on his shoulder, and he put his arm around my waste, and we continued to kiss under the bright sunlight. It was such a romantic site. Just me and him.

After we parted, he dug into his pocket, and pulled out a rusty old music box. I assumed that it was the one I gave him sixteen years ago. I wondered if it still played "Dance Under The Moon". I asked him and he answered yes.

He started up the music box, and we began slow dancing.

"There's this tune, that makes everybody happy. Let's all dance. Dance under the moon. We all have our own choices, we all have our own voices. We should all try our best and do whatever we can do. But don't keep it sealed, keep it true. Don't lose your mind, or your great find. Share secrets and keep all alive. You'll know that there's only one way to survive. Don't hide. Don't scream. Keep all real. There's this tune that makes everybody happy. Let's all dance. Dance under the moon!"

We kissed once more, and walked off to the festival, which we were already late for.