Call For Cliff
Amaya: This chapter is intended to be short to sort of give both of us a break. I've been runnin' around like crazy these days, tryin' to get everything done. Since I've started this story, there's been a lot of changing going on around me, as well as inside me. God has been moving my heart these days. I'm feeling closer to Him now than I ever have!!
Well, let's go ahead and start the chapter.
Disclaimer: No. . .sorry. I don't own Harvest Moon.
~oOoOoOo~
I stopped in front of the front door to catch my breath. Having run all the way from the vineyard to Moonlit Farm, I was panting heavily when I reached what used to be Pappy's old "Welcome!" mat. I could hear the little dachshund pup barking inside before I even rapped my knuckles on the rain-stained wooden door.
Jack opened the door before I had fully caught up with my breath. Just as I'd seen him those few hours ago, Jack was wearing a blue and orange ball cap on top of thick strands of messy brown hair and stylishly faded, slightly baggy jeans with a thick brown belt tucked under the beltloops. However, he'd changed out of a thin gray tee shirt into a long-sleeved white shirt with a navy blue tee shirt over it. And, he'd discarded his bulky brown boots and now stood before me in thick black socks.
"Karen," he said blandly, opening the door wider. Jack gently set Beanie down on the tiny cement square in front of the door, and the dog bolted off toward the grass. He crossed his arms and leaned charismatically on the left side of the doorframe.
"I--" I started, rubbing my cold hands together, "I know you."
"I tried to tell you how familiar you looked," he said, flashing a charming smile.
"You don't understand," I blurted, jerking my hand upward to reveal his childhood picture. "This is you when we were five, and -- "
"Come in," he said, standing aside so there was room for me to enter. It sounded to me like he already knew what I had discovered about our childhoods.
When I entered the room for the second time today, I saw the television going with a farming information show. Jack had already walked over to a huge suitcase by the wall and was rummaging around. That is, until he surfaced with an outstretched hand.
Sure enough, he held my own childhood picture in his fingers. "I know you, too," he said.
"You've been remembering that summer all these years?" I asked, bewildered.
"Actually no," he confessed, pressing my picture into my hands as he stepped past me. Sitting down on the couch, he continued, "On the ferry- ride here last week, I had the weirdest little flashback.
I saw me--a little me--sitting in a dark room, hiding for a game. Suddenly, the door flies open, and this big angry man throws a little you in there, and locks the door behind you."
"We were in there forever," I said, breaking his chain of words. "Until you found the hole. When we got out, I remember it was raining, and we were dancing! And then--"
"We kissed." He stood up and made eye contact with me, smiling faintly. "And I told you I liked you, and you said you liked me back."
My glance turned cold. "We were five," I punched out sharply.
His hands tucked in the back pockets of his jeans, Jack gave a fine- whatever shrug. Removing one of his hands from a pocket, he gestured toward the thick book under my arm. "And that book. That's the Bible I gave you from Pappy."
"I know!" I retorted. "You're not the only one who remembers anything."
He shrugged again. "Well, apparently, I'm the only one who cares." With that, he collapsed back onto the couch, directing his attention again to the television.
For a second, I felt guilty. I admitted to myself that I really did care, but I also knew that ever since Gray dumped me two years ago, I didn't know how to express feelings like that. Or, perhaps I knew how. . .and I just didn't know why.
But to my surprise, Jack sat up again with a sorry look in his gleaming brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Karen," he said, "I didn't mean it like that."
There was a long silence. I was dismayed. Why was he apologizing? I was the one who sounded so cold!
Scooting over to one side of the brown leather loveseat, Jack patted his hand on the empty cushion next to him. "Come sit."
I hesitently strode to the sofa and stiffly sat with my hands wrung together in my lap.
"Can I ask you a question?" Jack asked, slightly turning to face me.
I looked at him and nodded a little, pushing a blond lock of hair behind an ear.
"Do iyoui worship the goddess here?"
My head snapped abruptly to face him. A rush of anger stampeded through me, and before I knew it, a look of rage was plastered on my face. "No." I kept my answer brusque, short, and simple, so as to avoid further questions.
No such luck. "No?" he asked in obvious surprise. "Why not? I mean, just out of curiosity."
"She sucks," I said, startling him even more. "Big time."
"But do you still think she's real?"
". . .No."
"Ohhh. . ." He paused for a second, and after a breath said, "What about God?"
Again, my eyes snapped to him. "What about 'im?"
"Do you believe in Him?"
I stood up from the couch and stepped backward. "I should go," I said nervously.
"Karen," he reacted, standing up along with me. "Will you please just answer the question before you leave?"
"Jack--"
"Karen!" he blurted.
"I--I don't know," I responded, in complete truth. "Good-bye."
"Bye."
~oOo~
When I returned back home, my dad starting yelling at me about chores. Ignoring him completely, I calmly made my way up my bedroom stairs and through the door. When I locked it behind me, I wasn't surprised to hear his voice cease. Only to avoid problems, I hollered through the locked door, "I'll do it later!"
I sat down on my bed and picked up my new telephone with the furry blue cover. Throwing a glance at a Post-it note with an old number on it, I hesitently dialed.
The phone rang just once, and then a cheerful, but hoarse voice answered with a slight cough. "Hello, Smit residence."
"Smit?" I questioned, looking again at the number on the table. "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. . ."
"Wait," the man said. By the sound of his voice, he seemed rather sick. "Karen?"
"Cliff?"
~oOoOoOo~
Amaya: I know, I know, it was really short. But I needed to put up another chapter, and I think we all could use a nice big break!! I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me a helpful, constructive review. Okay, here's my thanks to the wonderful people who did review!!
anime26angel--Thank you so much for your sweet compliment!! And your review!! Love ya!!
Kirjava Deamon--Wow!! Thank you so much!! You have no idea how much that means to me!! But from what you wrote, I couldn't really tell one thing. . .Are you a Christian? Either way, your review means mountains!!
LCDM--I'm sorry if my last chapter was a bit confusing!! The diary entry was Pappy's, back during the summer when Jack came down for a visit. I know this probably wasn't your favorite chapter either, but hang in there, I promise it'll get better!! Thanks tons for pointing out to me what I did wrong. And for the compliment!! Thanks!!
Red Sonic--Oh my gosh!! I had no idea the photo album in chapter 8 would ever mean so much!! Thank you so much for the compliment and the inspiration to continue!!
Fairy Friend--Whoa, thanks for your review, also!! I really appreciate your compliments and help!! I'm counting on you to tell me when I've done something wrong. :)
Harvestboy2001--Lots of thanks to you, also!!
farmerboy--Again, your review is more appreciated than you know!! I love when you guys tell me how the story made you feel. . .that's like half the point of the whole fic: for the readers to feel something special. So keep that great reviewing style up!! Love ya!!
Amaya: This chapter is intended to be short to sort of give both of us a break. I've been runnin' around like crazy these days, tryin' to get everything done. Since I've started this story, there's been a lot of changing going on around me, as well as inside me. God has been moving my heart these days. I'm feeling closer to Him now than I ever have!!
Well, let's go ahead and start the chapter.
Disclaimer: No. . .sorry. I don't own Harvest Moon.
~oOoOoOo~
I stopped in front of the front door to catch my breath. Having run all the way from the vineyard to Moonlit Farm, I was panting heavily when I reached what used to be Pappy's old "Welcome!" mat. I could hear the little dachshund pup barking inside before I even rapped my knuckles on the rain-stained wooden door.
Jack opened the door before I had fully caught up with my breath. Just as I'd seen him those few hours ago, Jack was wearing a blue and orange ball cap on top of thick strands of messy brown hair and stylishly faded, slightly baggy jeans with a thick brown belt tucked under the beltloops. However, he'd changed out of a thin gray tee shirt into a long-sleeved white shirt with a navy blue tee shirt over it. And, he'd discarded his bulky brown boots and now stood before me in thick black socks.
"Karen," he said blandly, opening the door wider. Jack gently set Beanie down on the tiny cement square in front of the door, and the dog bolted off toward the grass. He crossed his arms and leaned charismatically on the left side of the doorframe.
"I--" I started, rubbing my cold hands together, "I know you."
"I tried to tell you how familiar you looked," he said, flashing a charming smile.
"You don't understand," I blurted, jerking my hand upward to reveal his childhood picture. "This is you when we were five, and -- "
"Come in," he said, standing aside so there was room for me to enter. It sounded to me like he already knew what I had discovered about our childhoods.
When I entered the room for the second time today, I saw the television going with a farming information show. Jack had already walked over to a huge suitcase by the wall and was rummaging around. That is, until he surfaced with an outstretched hand.
Sure enough, he held my own childhood picture in his fingers. "I know you, too," he said.
"You've been remembering that summer all these years?" I asked, bewildered.
"Actually no," he confessed, pressing my picture into my hands as he stepped past me. Sitting down on the couch, he continued, "On the ferry- ride here last week, I had the weirdest little flashback.
I saw me--a little me--sitting in a dark room, hiding for a game. Suddenly, the door flies open, and this big angry man throws a little you in there, and locks the door behind you."
"We were in there forever," I said, breaking his chain of words. "Until you found the hole. When we got out, I remember it was raining, and we were dancing! And then--"
"We kissed." He stood up and made eye contact with me, smiling faintly. "And I told you I liked you, and you said you liked me back."
My glance turned cold. "We were five," I punched out sharply.
His hands tucked in the back pockets of his jeans, Jack gave a fine- whatever shrug. Removing one of his hands from a pocket, he gestured toward the thick book under my arm. "And that book. That's the Bible I gave you from Pappy."
"I know!" I retorted. "You're not the only one who remembers anything."
He shrugged again. "Well, apparently, I'm the only one who cares." With that, he collapsed back onto the couch, directing his attention again to the television.
For a second, I felt guilty. I admitted to myself that I really did care, but I also knew that ever since Gray dumped me two years ago, I didn't know how to express feelings like that. Or, perhaps I knew how. . .and I just didn't know why.
But to my surprise, Jack sat up again with a sorry look in his gleaming brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Karen," he said, "I didn't mean it like that."
There was a long silence. I was dismayed. Why was he apologizing? I was the one who sounded so cold!
Scooting over to one side of the brown leather loveseat, Jack patted his hand on the empty cushion next to him. "Come sit."
I hesitently strode to the sofa and stiffly sat with my hands wrung together in my lap.
"Can I ask you a question?" Jack asked, slightly turning to face me.
I looked at him and nodded a little, pushing a blond lock of hair behind an ear.
"Do iyoui worship the goddess here?"
My head snapped abruptly to face him. A rush of anger stampeded through me, and before I knew it, a look of rage was plastered on my face. "No." I kept my answer brusque, short, and simple, so as to avoid further questions.
No such luck. "No?" he asked in obvious surprise. "Why not? I mean, just out of curiosity."
"She sucks," I said, startling him even more. "Big time."
"But do you still think she's real?"
". . .No."
"Ohhh. . ." He paused for a second, and after a breath said, "What about God?"
Again, my eyes snapped to him. "What about 'im?"
"Do you believe in Him?"
I stood up from the couch and stepped backward. "I should go," I said nervously.
"Karen," he reacted, standing up along with me. "Will you please just answer the question before you leave?"
"Jack--"
"Karen!" he blurted.
"I--I don't know," I responded, in complete truth. "Good-bye."
"Bye."
~oOo~
When I returned back home, my dad starting yelling at me about chores. Ignoring him completely, I calmly made my way up my bedroom stairs and through the door. When I locked it behind me, I wasn't surprised to hear his voice cease. Only to avoid problems, I hollered through the locked door, "I'll do it later!"
I sat down on my bed and picked up my new telephone with the furry blue cover. Throwing a glance at a Post-it note with an old number on it, I hesitently dialed.
The phone rang just once, and then a cheerful, but hoarse voice answered with a slight cough. "Hello, Smit residence."
"Smit?" I questioned, looking again at the number on the table. "I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number. . ."
"Wait," the man said. By the sound of his voice, he seemed rather sick. "Karen?"
"Cliff?"
~oOoOoOo~
Amaya: I know, I know, it was really short. But I needed to put up another chapter, and I think we all could use a nice big break!! I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me a helpful, constructive review. Okay, here's my thanks to the wonderful people who did review!!
anime26angel--Thank you so much for your sweet compliment!! And your review!! Love ya!!
Kirjava Deamon--Wow!! Thank you so much!! You have no idea how much that means to me!! But from what you wrote, I couldn't really tell one thing. . .Are you a Christian? Either way, your review means mountains!!
LCDM--I'm sorry if my last chapter was a bit confusing!! The diary entry was Pappy's, back during the summer when Jack came down for a visit. I know this probably wasn't your favorite chapter either, but hang in there, I promise it'll get better!! Thanks tons for pointing out to me what I did wrong. And for the compliment!! Thanks!!
Red Sonic--Oh my gosh!! I had no idea the photo album in chapter 8 would ever mean so much!! Thank you so much for the compliment and the inspiration to continue!!
Fairy Friend--Whoa, thanks for your review, also!! I really appreciate your compliments and help!! I'm counting on you to tell me when I've done something wrong. :)
Harvestboy2001--Lots of thanks to you, also!!
farmerboy--Again, your review is more appreciated than you know!! I love when you guys tell me how the story made you feel. . .that's like half the point of the whole fic: for the readers to feel something special. So keep that great reviewing style up!! Love ya!!