Chapter Four: The Sowing Festival
Dawn woke up the next morning. It was sunny and warm. Dawn smiled as the sun shined through the window.
"Thank God its not raining," she said to herself as she dressed for the day.
Dawn walked outside and checked on her plants. Her turnips were in harvest. So Dawn watered the potatoes and then tugged one turnip out of the ground. It took her six tries.
Dawn sighed. She tugged another turnip out quicker. She got used to pulling them out of the earth, and put in all nine turnips in the box.
By the time Dawn had finished, it was lunchtime. Dawn realized how hungry she was (she hadn't been eating lunch very often) and went inside for a snack.
For the rest of the afternoon, she strung up a hammock attached to two skinny trees a little ways in front of her house, and then snoozed in it. She felt like napping a little bit. (Only a little bit past the mailbox.)
She awoke when the shipper came. He paid her a lot of money. She now had 1200G!
"God it feels good to have money in my hand," she thought.
Dawn went to the bar. Kai, Karen, the owner of the ranch (Hall) the shipper, and Karen's father were all there. Kai hailed her over and pointed at the seat across from him.
They ordered drinks from Karen.
"What's up?" asked Kai, grinning.
"Nothing much lately," replied Dawn, taking a sip of her beer. "I had a harvest of turnips today, though...and I finally have money!" Dawn grinned.
"Hey, that's great! The grapes only get harvested in Fall...till then we just water the plants once in awhile."
They chatted a bit about the town for a little while. Then Dawn noticed Jack and Cliff walk in, together. They were talking and laughing. Obviously they had become friends.
Jack and Cliff both noticed Dawn just then, and they both walked over.
Jack said hi to Kai, since he knew him too. Kai scooted over on the bench he was sitting on, and Jack sat down. Cliff took a seat next to Dawn.
"Hey! What's up?" asked Jack, to both Kai and Dawn.
"Can I get you anything?" Karen had walked over, and was smiling at Jack. Dawn was surprised with the emotions that suddenly bubbled up in her; Karen was smiling at Jack, and Jack was smiling back; he was giving Karen that grin that she adored, that grin of happiness and warmth that melted Dawn's heart...
"Yeah," Dawn said loudly, and Karen's head snapped over to her, while her smile disappeared, "I'll have another beer."
Karen sauntered off airily and brought back Dawn her beer.
Jack watched Karen in an obviously way while Cliff and Kai talked. Then all four talked about nothing in particular, and then Kai said, "Hey, you farmers know there's a Festival coming up, right?"
"What?" both Dawn and Jack asked.
"Yeah," continued Kai, "the Sowing Festival. It's where they release balloons full of seeds while the old King and an assistant fly up in a hot air balloon for awhile. It's nothing much, but to get together with some people."
"Who was last year's King?" Dawn asked.
"Me!" Kai beamed. "Yeah, me. I wonder who to ask to go with me?"
"How do they choose the Kings?" Cliff asked, frowning.
"During Fall, you eat a cake. If there's a coin in it, you're the next King...Sorry, but only guys can be the King."
"Obviously," Dawn said, grinning.
Dawn noticed that Jack was watching Karen again.
Well obviously; Dawn did note that Karen had pretty green eyes and cool hair and was slim; but so was Dawn; she had long blonde hair and blue eyes like the ocean...
Dawn was surprised at how she felt about Jack. Why didn't she feel this way with Cliff and Kai?
A few minutes later, Dawn went home after saying goodbye to the guys. She walked home, looking up at the starlit sky.
* * *
The next morning, it was raining again.
"Damnit," she muttered.
Outside was the mayor. ("God he creeps me out," Dawn sighed.) He told her that tomorrow was the Sowing Festival, and it started in the morning. Then he left.
The potatoes were in harvest today. (It was a Friday, the seventh.) She had an easier time pulling up the potatoes today because the rain was making the soil wet and easy to move about. When Dawn was done she went to the Florist's and bought a pack of cabbage seeds, a pack of turnip seeds, and another pack of potato seeds, and talked with Lillia and Popuri. (She was becoming good friends with Popuri.) She planted the seeds while it was raining, so she didn't have to water them.
The rest of that day, she picked herbs and berries in the forest to sell. She jogged home in time to sell them to the shipper.
Then she went to the bar again. Kai nor Jack was there, but Cliff was. She sat at the table with him and they talked and drank. Just before Dawn left, Cliff handed her some flowers.
Dawn felt her face redden, and another rush of emotion to Cliff.
"Thank you, Cliff," Dawn said, smiling at him. Then she went home.
* * *
The next morning, it was sunny. Dawn dressed, watered her plants, and rushed to the Town Square for the Sowing Festival.
At the Sowing Festival, there were lots of people, but not all the townsfolk. Dawn didn't see the carpenters, or Karen's parents, or a couple of other people. Dawn talked to some of the villagers, and was talking with Ann when the Mayor called for silence.
"This year's King will now choose an assistant," the Mayor called.
Kai was standing next to the mayor, and glanced around the crowd. Then he walked up to...Dawn!
"Will you go up in the balloon with me?" he asked.
Dawn's face reddened. It was obviously extremely rude to refuse, so Dawn went with him in the balloon.
When they were high in the sky, Kai remarked, "Wow...If you look down, its looks spectacular."
Dawn looked down and around. Sure enough, the view was dazzling. Dawn could see the town, the ranch, her farm, Jack's farm, Moon Mountain, and the ocean and the mountains surrounding FBV.
"Wow," Dawn said, smiling.
Kai grinned at her.
The balloons were released around them. Dawn and Kai watched the ballons soar into the air. (They eventually popped. Heehee, ruining the moment, aren't I?) The balloon also had seeds attached in bags, so they threw the seeds out in handfuls.
Later, everyone went home. Dawn grinned with happiness as she walked home, her arms folded behind her head as she looked at the sky. So now she felt something for Kai, too. Dawn's smile eventually disappeared as she wondered why she liked Jack so much. He was paying attention to Karen, not her. But his smile was so charming, he was so nice and sensitive...Dawn felt weak in the knees.
In fact, she thought so much of Jack that her knees gave way and she stumbled slightly as she walked into her farm.
Dawn grinned with embarrassment as her dog burst out of the house, yipping. She held her dog in her arms as she gazed up at the sky.
Author's Notes - Well, that waz chapter 4...how waz it? Well, I'll keep writing...There'll be a lotta chapters peeps!!
Dawn woke up the next morning. It was sunny and warm. Dawn smiled as the sun shined through the window.
"Thank God its not raining," she said to herself as she dressed for the day.
Dawn walked outside and checked on her plants. Her turnips were in harvest. So Dawn watered the potatoes and then tugged one turnip out of the ground. It took her six tries.
Dawn sighed. She tugged another turnip out quicker. She got used to pulling them out of the earth, and put in all nine turnips in the box.
By the time Dawn had finished, it was lunchtime. Dawn realized how hungry she was (she hadn't been eating lunch very often) and went inside for a snack.
For the rest of the afternoon, she strung up a hammock attached to two skinny trees a little ways in front of her house, and then snoozed in it. She felt like napping a little bit. (Only a little bit past the mailbox.)
She awoke when the shipper came. He paid her a lot of money. She now had 1200G!
"God it feels good to have money in my hand," she thought.
Dawn went to the bar. Kai, Karen, the owner of the ranch (Hall) the shipper, and Karen's father were all there. Kai hailed her over and pointed at the seat across from him.
They ordered drinks from Karen.
"What's up?" asked Kai, grinning.
"Nothing much lately," replied Dawn, taking a sip of her beer. "I had a harvest of turnips today, though...and I finally have money!" Dawn grinned.
"Hey, that's great! The grapes only get harvested in Fall...till then we just water the plants once in awhile."
They chatted a bit about the town for a little while. Then Dawn noticed Jack and Cliff walk in, together. They were talking and laughing. Obviously they had become friends.
Jack and Cliff both noticed Dawn just then, and they both walked over.
Jack said hi to Kai, since he knew him too. Kai scooted over on the bench he was sitting on, and Jack sat down. Cliff took a seat next to Dawn.
"Hey! What's up?" asked Jack, to both Kai and Dawn.
"Can I get you anything?" Karen had walked over, and was smiling at Jack. Dawn was surprised with the emotions that suddenly bubbled up in her; Karen was smiling at Jack, and Jack was smiling back; he was giving Karen that grin that she adored, that grin of happiness and warmth that melted Dawn's heart...
"Yeah," Dawn said loudly, and Karen's head snapped over to her, while her smile disappeared, "I'll have another beer."
Karen sauntered off airily and brought back Dawn her beer.
Jack watched Karen in an obviously way while Cliff and Kai talked. Then all four talked about nothing in particular, and then Kai said, "Hey, you farmers know there's a Festival coming up, right?"
"What?" both Dawn and Jack asked.
"Yeah," continued Kai, "the Sowing Festival. It's where they release balloons full of seeds while the old King and an assistant fly up in a hot air balloon for awhile. It's nothing much, but to get together with some people."
"Who was last year's King?" Dawn asked.
"Me!" Kai beamed. "Yeah, me. I wonder who to ask to go with me?"
"How do they choose the Kings?" Cliff asked, frowning.
"During Fall, you eat a cake. If there's a coin in it, you're the next King...Sorry, but only guys can be the King."
"Obviously," Dawn said, grinning.
Dawn noticed that Jack was watching Karen again.
Well obviously; Dawn did note that Karen had pretty green eyes and cool hair and was slim; but so was Dawn; she had long blonde hair and blue eyes like the ocean...
Dawn was surprised at how she felt about Jack. Why didn't she feel this way with Cliff and Kai?
A few minutes later, Dawn went home after saying goodbye to the guys. She walked home, looking up at the starlit sky.
* * *
The next morning, it was raining again.
"Damnit," she muttered.
Outside was the mayor. ("God he creeps me out," Dawn sighed.) He told her that tomorrow was the Sowing Festival, and it started in the morning. Then he left.
The potatoes were in harvest today. (It was a Friday, the seventh.) She had an easier time pulling up the potatoes today because the rain was making the soil wet and easy to move about. When Dawn was done she went to the Florist's and bought a pack of cabbage seeds, a pack of turnip seeds, and another pack of potato seeds, and talked with Lillia and Popuri. (She was becoming good friends with Popuri.) She planted the seeds while it was raining, so she didn't have to water them.
The rest of that day, she picked herbs and berries in the forest to sell. She jogged home in time to sell them to the shipper.
Then she went to the bar again. Kai nor Jack was there, but Cliff was. She sat at the table with him and they talked and drank. Just before Dawn left, Cliff handed her some flowers.
Dawn felt her face redden, and another rush of emotion to Cliff.
"Thank you, Cliff," Dawn said, smiling at him. Then she went home.
* * *
The next morning, it was sunny. Dawn dressed, watered her plants, and rushed to the Town Square for the Sowing Festival.
At the Sowing Festival, there were lots of people, but not all the townsfolk. Dawn didn't see the carpenters, or Karen's parents, or a couple of other people. Dawn talked to some of the villagers, and was talking with Ann when the Mayor called for silence.
"This year's King will now choose an assistant," the Mayor called.
Kai was standing next to the mayor, and glanced around the crowd. Then he walked up to...Dawn!
"Will you go up in the balloon with me?" he asked.
Dawn's face reddened. It was obviously extremely rude to refuse, so Dawn went with him in the balloon.
When they were high in the sky, Kai remarked, "Wow...If you look down, its looks spectacular."
Dawn looked down and around. Sure enough, the view was dazzling. Dawn could see the town, the ranch, her farm, Jack's farm, Moon Mountain, and the ocean and the mountains surrounding FBV.
"Wow," Dawn said, smiling.
Kai grinned at her.
The balloons were released around them. Dawn and Kai watched the ballons soar into the air. (They eventually popped. Heehee, ruining the moment, aren't I?) The balloon also had seeds attached in bags, so they threw the seeds out in handfuls.
Later, everyone went home. Dawn grinned with happiness as she walked home, her arms folded behind her head as she looked at the sky. So now she felt something for Kai, too. Dawn's smile eventually disappeared as she wondered why she liked Jack so much. He was paying attention to Karen, not her. But his smile was so charming, he was so nice and sensitive...Dawn felt weak in the knees.
In fact, she thought so much of Jack that her knees gave way and she stumbled slightly as she walked into her farm.
Dawn grinned with embarrassment as her dog burst out of the house, yipping. She held her dog in her arms as she gazed up at the sky.
Author's Notes - Well, that waz chapter 4...how waz it? Well, I'll keep writing...There'll be a lotta chapters peeps!!