COUSINS
Chapter 3: Rich Girl
Shades of honeydew gold poked their way over the apathetic horizon, climbing up into a cloudless sky, and gazing down on Veltron in cyclic flashes of luminescent sunlight. The ocean was like the sky's baby brother that morning, a sparkling reflection of deep cerulean rippling out into the uncharted distance, or at least somewhere beyond the comforts of simple village life. The town bell sounded five times: it was 5:00 AM, and Olive stirred from her dainty dreams, more chipper than a blue jay in a birdbath despite the unseemly hour. Inching toward the kitchen, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stretched her neck from side to side, and grinned at the long easterly shadows that stretched across the way. The kitchen was practically bejewelled, and it could have been mistaken for a church, what with the beautiful colours that were as divine and vibrant as any stained-glass window. Olive put on a pot of tea, letting it boil for twice as long just to soak up more sun.
A half hour later, Olive changed into a Zebra Print — one of Cupcake's recent investments, no doubt — rather than her usual gardening apron, brushed her teeth, and put on her favourite pair of burgundy flip-flops, thinking herself deserving of a quick walk along the beach. The date was May 1st, a nice reminder of the summer that was to come, but the nippiness of the mid-spring nights was still nestling against the heat of the sun, culminating in a rather quaint feeling that proved neither innocuous nor intolerable. Olive stepped out onto the porch and breathed in the cool mist; it cleared her sinuses, if giving them a bit of a pinch. The whispers in the wind were singing into her fur, which stood on edge until a warming sensation brought it back down to earth. Everything about this day felt right so far. Even the beach, a yummy honey brown in the dawn, looked like a big backyard that was just waiting to be played in.
"Breathtaking," was her delicate declaration. "I feel like I'm at home..."
Intrigued by the scenery, Olive strolled along the beach, readying to position herself in front of the rolling waves. "The mornings here are as beautiful as they were back home," she complimented her surroundings. "Oh, those memories, those unforgettable memories. Why am I... reminded of home when I look at the ocean?" Her speculation was silently received and the words disappeared into thin air.
The temperature was 15°C that morning. It suggested the forthcoming summer, but at the same time it was not yet anticipated because the forecast predicted cooler temperatures than usual that May. Butterflies were beginning to return to Veltron, joined by other lesser-known insects—otherwise, it was still early to expect the summer to suddenly emerge, evident by many of its lacking factors. The water was a dark blue and incredibly cold.
Olive removed her hand from the water the moment she put in. "Oh... it's freezing!" she exclaimed. The bear looked up and out at the ocean, watching the seagulls flying overhead to distant locations, including an island of tremendous beauty south of Veltron. "What a view. Oh my, it's so lovely. At times like these I wish there was someone with me." Her voice rose, spreading across the beach.
A pair of flip-flops stepped out from behind a bush and a sheep stood behind Olive. Evidently female by her clothing and hairstyle, she was wearing a shirt with colourful flowers on it, and a blue scarf was wrapped around her neck. Her fur was white and lightly toned brown, with exception of her face, which was as black as night. She was moderately tall.
"You don't have to be alone," the sheep said pleasantly, her voice ringing like the gentle lapping of the nearby ocean waves. "I can join you, if you'd like." She approached Olive and curtsied. "My name is Vesta. I'm glad to meet you." They exchanged handshakes.
"Likewise," Olive responded fragilely. "I'm Olive. Um, tell me about yourself." Her statement almost seemed interrogative.
Vesta smiled. "I live in north-eastern Veltron and enjoy reading books. One of my customs is to wake up early and watch the ocean. It's been one of my passions for many, many years, but I never had anybody to do it with. Now that I think about it, I don't believe I've seen you in this village before. Did you recently move here? There hasn't been a new resident to Veltron since the autumn! Tell me more about yourself!"
Olive blushed somewhat. "I moved in two days ago with my cousins. We live in Acre D-2."
Vesta cleared her throat. "That's wonderful news! It's very common for the animals of Veltron to come and go, with some exceptions, such as myself and a few others. Generally somebody moves out every two or three weeks and others leave before they even step off the train. That's just the way of life around here." She momentarily paused, a sigh triggering memories. "...Anyway, so you're living with your cousins, yes? I don't believe a family has moved to this village in a very long time. Where are you from? Nearby? Far away? The city or country?"
The heat of the sun was expanding—Olive felt as though the temperature had significantly risen in the last three minutes. "We're from the capital, actually. There are three of us, and I'm the middle-cousin, as we say. We were born and raised in different families, but we lived in the same house and attended the same schools and tennis classes. Of course, we occasionally fight and we have qualities and traits that separate us from each other, which is normal. I wouldn't consider that a surprise."
"Indeed, indeed!" Vesta exclaimed. Her character was bubbly, but not eccentric. "Now I do believe we're ready to watch the ocean. The sunrise is beautiful today, maybe more so than usual... I don't know why, but I think it's because of the fresh new face that I just happened to encounter this morning." The animals turned to the gigantic sea, a million kilometres into oblivion, disappearing beyond the horizon. It was almost silent, except for the ocean waves and seagulls irritably whining overhead. Vesta continued, "I also think the ocean is lovely, again maybe more so today because of you, Olive... it's nice to have somebody to talk with this early in the morning. Have you always been an early riser?"
Olive nodded. "I'm always up by 5:00 AM every single day," she answered, a smile on her face. She had never been able to have a normal conversation with anybody in her life, her awkward combination of embarrassment and isolation strengthening this. For years she had considered herself a loner, and although she was jumpy on occasion, it was challenging for her to maintain that nature, especially when she was disappointed or upset. In a trance by what was happening, Olive did not know what else to say, which instead provoked Vesta to respond.
"That's nice! This village has one or two early risers, including myself. We're a hard 'breed' to come by, but it's a breeze finding those that sleep until noon or 1:00 PM. Saying that, those are usually the rotten eggs. It's best not to get involved with those animals." Vesta stuck her nose in the air mockingly and clapped her hands like a child. The girls laughed.
At 6:15, Olive checked her watch, astounded to learn that a whole hour had passed. Vesta was aware of this and asked her if she had yet to eat breakfast.
"Yeah, I already did. I don't like going through the fridge and having to decide what to eat in the morning, so whatever is lying around goes on my plate." She laughed, wiping her brow. As the temperature continued to rise, rapidly for that hour of the day, the animals began to walk away from the ocean, and back into Veltron.
Vesta nodded slowly. "I usually eat breakfast around this time every morning. My belly is so empty. I wonder what I should cook... I guess I should've eaten more than just a bowl of cereal and some rice cake last night. This should be a lesson, but I suppose we all need to make mistakes to live our lives." They laughed uproariously. "So I'll be on my way," the sheep continued, stretching her arms. "If you'd like to visit sometime, feel free to. I live in Acre B-4. Which acre do you live in again...?"
"Acre D-2," responded Olive blankly. Her voice rose in pitch and she suddenly seemed to gain interest in what she wanted to say. "We don't live too far from each other, do we? All I know is I have a clearer view of the water. Yours is less impressive, but you probably don't mind walking a little longer, right?" The grey bear amused herself with rhetorical questions for another minute before realizing that they were standing outside her house. Vesta tapped her shoulder, bringing her back to reality.
"Anyway, I will see you later. Say hello to your cousins for me! Bye, Olive!" Vesta waved as she began walking toward her house.
Upon entry into her house, Olive decided to cook scrambled eggs for her cousins. Cheri and Cupcake were still sleeping—Cheri most commonly woke at 7:00 AM, while Cupcake's schedule varied, sometimes as early as 7:30, and other times until 11:00. Because Cupcake was going to start working that day though, she had to be up at 9:00, which she had detailed to her cousins before going to bed the previous night. Olive considered making bacon too, but she was unable to locate the strips in the refrigerator, and set two plates of eggs on the table. She was positive they would appreciate her work.
At 8:30, Olive went outside and began hanging the laundry from the luggage they had unpacked since moving in. A few minutes later, Cheri walked out the front door, a smirk on her face suggesting thanks, but at the same time control because of Olive's thoughtful nature that morning. Cheri greeted her cousin and approached the line, almost entirely full of clothing and undergarments.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning!"
"I'm going to assume you'd taken off earlier," Cheri commented. "The eggs were good, Olive. Anyway, uh, what do you have planned for the day? I was going to ask if you wanted to volunteer with me at the train station later. An auction is going to be held and... well, basically it's a campaign to help support those with less money than what we've got. Also, I'm sure the government wants more animals with a skill in art because there are several posters that need to be painted."
Olive sighed almost hollowly. "Art... well, I really appreciate the offer, Cheri, but you should know me better than—"
"That's what you always say these days!" Cheri interrupted angrily. She attempted to soften her tone. "Listen, I was hoping you and I could spend the afternoon together because helping the poor is the right thing to do. For all you know, we could make friends at the event, which would be nice. After all, it never hurts to be social. It's difficult for you to process that information though. I know you want to try making friends, but there's that fear inside you that gets in the way."
A short silence followed. "...That is not necessarily true," Olive said perplexedly.
Cheri rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? I doubt it."
Olive deeply inhaled and exhaled. "I was walking along the beach this morning. I met someone. Her name is Vesta and she's a white sheep with a black face. We share a lot of interests, Cheri, such as rising early and watching romantic-themed films. We also love watching the sea and discussing anything and everything that has to do with art. Did you know one of her paintings is displayed at the Museum? I think that's amazing. It certainly won't be happening to me since the curator loathed mine, but still, I'm impressed!"
There was more silence. "You... made a friend?" Cheri seemed speechless. "Well, congratulations. I'm... glad."
A toothy grin appeared on Olive's face. "Thank you!" She threw a sweater over the line.
"Anyway, will you come later?" Cheri almost persistently asked the question, folding her arms and trying to look intimidating. "It starts at 2:00 this afternoon. Because today is Veltron's annual Spring Cleaning festival—some stores are closed—the government's decided to hold it at the train station. Olive, you just have to come! Hey, Vesta could be there! I know you want to spend time with her now that you've met someone you've grown attached to."
Olive shrugged. "Well, I just met her... I wouldn't say I'm attached to her. I'm happy I've made a friend, that's all. It's been a long time since I've been around someone that I truly care about. I miss Yuka a lot. Still, maybe it'd be good for me to get out and enjoy the day! It's amazingly beautiful, wouldn't you say?" The grey bear finished hanging the laundry and inhaled deeply again.
Cheri smiled and somewhat chuckled. "I'm glad! ...Wow, I've only been glad for Olive today!" Her chuckle steadily rose before changing into awkward laughter, frightening Olive, who lifted a basket off the ground and took it inside. The temperature was no longer rising, but it was still going to be rather a warm day.
The kitchen was quiet. Sighing, Olive opened the refrigerator and retrieved a pear. "If Vesta is there, she probably enjoys contributing in charities and fundraisers. She's definitely a nice sheep, even nicer than I'd originally made her out to be." While eating the pear, Olive paced around the kitchen, scanning it several times. It was difficult adjusting to a new lifestyle. To pass the time, she decided to unpack the remaining luggage.
Cheri and Olive arrived at the train station exactly at 2:00 PM. There were very few animals present, most of whom they had yet to meet. The Mayor was standing on top of a very large riser, which extended five metres into the air. He was directing the construction of the auction desk, unassembled and scattered about on the cobblestone. Cheri broke away from Olive and quickly approached him, asking if she could lend a hand in its production.
A number of white-clothed tables were in front of the train station. Some had several articles of clothing and various items on them, but others were empty. The train station attendants were walking around, instructing the animals nearest to them to prepare for the auction, to be held within the next two hours. There were also banners lying on the ground, many of them unfinished.
Olive saw her. Vesta was working with Punchy on the biggest banner to be hung on the train station.
"Hey, Vesta!"
Vesta's head darted sideways at the sound of her name. She spotted the grey bear coming toward her. "Hello, Olive! I assume you are here to help with the art for these banners? Grab a paintbrush and begin! Just don't paint over the message we are trying to promote, which is Veltron Supporting Those Less Fortunate. It's this year's motif, you could say."
Sometime later, Cheri approached Vesta and they exchanged greetings and handshakes.
"I hear you are the youngest of three cousins," Vesta said to Cheri, who nodded in response. "I think that's something to be proud of. Me, I don't have cousins, but instead a lot of brothers. Sometimes I lose count in my head. They're all younger than me, so none of them live here in Veltron. Speaking of which, are all of you the same age?"
Olive did some quick math in her head. "Cupcake was born on March 12th. I was born on September 1st. Cheri was born on October 28th. We cover eight months, but age is rarely an issue with us." She laughed. "We've just grown accustomed to Cupcake's status as the elder cousin and Cheri's as the child. That's somewhat strange since we've known each other all our lives."
"Ah, I see, I see," Vesta commented. "Anyway, we need to get these banners done within an hour and we're behind schedule. Come now, Olive, please start painting more. And Cheri, if you've got anything to donate to those less fortunate"—she pointed at a lengthy table—"place it on the table there. Make sure it's appropriate." Vesta shook hands with Cheri again before returning to painting, this time more intently than before.
Pelly was standing behind the table Vesta had been discussing. Pelly was a pelican, moderately tall, and worked the daytime shift at the Post Office. Her figure was slim, but she enjoyed jogging around Veltron on occasion. When the cousins had visited the Post Office the other day to confirm information pertaining to their recent move, they had become fast friends with her. Pelly was overly cheery, but very friendly, and spent a lot of time with friends.
"Thank you so very much," Pelly said. "Please take this ticket with you. At 5:00 PM, there will be a draw. If your ticket is pulled, you will win a fantastic prize. Good luck to you and bless your soul for helping the unfortunate of our beloved country."
Pocketing her ticket, Cheri turned around, eyeing the activities she could possibly participate in. The auction desk still had not been built, and the Mayor was giving specific orders to a group of raccoons dressed in orange, so she decided to look elsewhere. Unlike Olive, Cheri did not possess any artistic skills and after gazing at the banners that her cousin and Vesta were working on, she shook her head frantically. There was only one other activity available, which was setting up and tuning the instruments for the band that was going to play later in the evening.
"That sounds like a good idea," Cheri said. "I haven't played guitar in years—I wonder if I've lost my touch."
At 3:00 PM, as Vesta had predicted, they finished the banner and tied it to the front of the train station. The whole village could likely see it. The Mayor stepped onto the stage that the band was going to play on and announced that the event had officially begun.
"Firstly, I'd like to thank Officer Copper for devoting his time to this event, especially the auction!" The Mayor applauded excitedly. By this time, more animals had been attracted to the event, and they cheered for the officer, who bowed and smiled. "Also, I'd like to thank Vesta for taking the time to organize the event in its entirety. She has been an incredible inspiration to those wanting to help the poorer animals of our country and Veltron itself. I agreed that on May 1st, which is also Spring Cleaning, this festival would be held. Give her a very big round of applause." The crowd applauded again.
Cheri and Olive would not believe what the Mayor was going to say next.
"Vesta has also announced that she is going to donate 250,000 Bells to the Animal Army for clothes, food and shelter!" Nook exclaimed.
Their jaws had dropped. What had they heard? The Mayor had clearly announced to the village that Vesta was donating a whopping degree of money to those less fortunate than her, but what astounded them most was that it was the same amount that their house had cost. The only difference was that Vesta was giving away that much money freely. Had Olive made friends with a rich sheep?
"Let the festival begin!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Perhaps the new character, Vesta, will provide a basis for the rest of the story. What do you think? Perhaps, perhaps! I really hope you liked this chapter as much as I did. I'll be sure to update as soon as possible!