The Spring Horse Races and the Aftermath
Amaya: Okay, okay, okay! Sorry for the long wait...again. But it's summer now so MAYBE I'll get a little more consistent. Thanks much to all my reviewers! Love y'all!
Oh, and guess what! This fic has been up for a year! That's a really long time!
Disclaimer: Nope.
oOoOoOo
Of course, Ann was the first to find out, but before the day of the Spring Horse Race rolled around, the whole village knew exactly what was going on between Kai and me.
Things were a bit awkward at first, since the two of us had been just friends for so long, but after the first week or so, we were comfortably roaming the beach, mountain, and village with hands intertwined. Mother once told me that we had very good chemistry that reminded her of Pappy and Lyssa Mae. At this, I blushed with embarrassment and at the same time beamed with pride. I couldn't think of a greater compliment.
oOo
"AAARRR!!" I growled at the bathroom mirror. "This isn't working!" No matter how many times I ran the straightening iron over my hair, the ends wouldn't quit flipping out. "This is MOST frustrating!"
It was the day of the Spring Horse Races. I knew there would be a lot of pictures being taken today, and I wanted to look pretty in all of them. But I didn't know what I was going to do if my straightener wouldn't do its job!
"Come on, Karen!" Kai hollered up the stairs. "It's already a quarter 'til! We're gonna be late if we don't get a move on!"
"Hold on!" I screamed back. "My hair is not cooperating!"
"I'm sure you look fine!"
"I'm sure I DON'T!" With one final roar I yanked the plug out of the wall and threw my hair up into a ponytail. Angrily tucking my blond bangs behind my ears, I looked in the mirror again. Slightly satisfied, I thundered downstairs.
Kai looked nice. "See?" he said with a handsome smile. "You look beautiful."
I looked down at my new black top and blue jeans, fingering my stylish pink hoop earrings, then looked back up at Kai and gave a little smile. "Thank you," I murmured bashfully, my voice barely above a whisper.
He grinned at me handsomely, holding out his hand for me. I took it, my cheeks flushing strawberry red. My insides twisted upon the tickle of the butterflies that had long since escaped my stomach.
Once we were outside and walking toward Upper Flowerbud Village, arm in arm, much like we had on our way to the Sowing Festival, I began to joke, "You're not just sucking up so I'll buy you cotton candy, are you?"
He looked at me with mock guilt in his playful brown eyes but then broke into a warm laugh. "No, I promise." He paused. "But cotton candy does sound rather nice, doesn't it?"
I laughed. "I could actually go for some roasted corn."
He dug in his pocket for a second. "Done." Using his thumb, the boy flicked a single gold coin into the air, but before he caught it again, I snatched it from just above his open palm and dropped it into his gaping pants pocket.
"You paid for my snacks last time." With that, I gave his pocket a little pat and grabbed a few coins from my own purse.
Kai shook his head as we approached the stairs leading up to the town square. I caught the familiar scent of horses in my nostrils as we ascended. In fact, the fragrance nearly drowned out the lovely aroma produced by the blooming cherry blossom trees that heartily surrounded the old cobblestone square.
People were everywhere. And not just villagers...There were many who had traveled from neighboring islands or even from as far as the mainland. I was sure they'd all be heavily disappointed. This year's horse race was going to be a mighty bore due to the absence of a jockey to represent the Green Ranch.
And really, for most of the locals, the horse races were merely a chance to socialize and a good excuse to party at the bar afterward. And for those thrill-seekers around here, the betting was definitely a lot riskier nowadays. Again, since there was no contestant from the Green Ranch, there was really no sure winner.
As Kai and I walked through the square, toward the bakery booth, exchanging waves and smiles with friends and neighbors, I prepared myself for the emotional breakdown Ann was sure to have before the first race began.
My preparations were most certainly not in vain, for there came Ann, her blue eyes flaming with anger and unhappiness, her orange braid swinging sharply behind her head. Though her mouth, set in a firm, angry frown, seemed to be proof enough that she was furious, she collapsed into my arms with tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, Ann!" I said, stroking her back with both hands. "It'll be alright...next year, or maybe even this fall, y'all will find a good jockey..."
"No, Karen, we won't! Daddy told me this morning that our racing days are over! For good!" She had pulled away before speaking, but now she tumbled back into my embrace.
I shivered in surprise and in the same anger Ann had displayed when she was approaching me. I knew just as well as she that the horse races would not continue much longer as long as Green Ranch did not participate.
There were plenty of horses at the Ranch that were good for riding, but the only one built for racing was the famous Cliffgard. Though the search had stretched for almost three years, a jockey who could work the animal could not be found.
Everyone knew the only person in the world who could do such a thing was Gray, but the boy refused to even think about riding again. Sure, he was perfectly fine physically, but emotionally, it seemed to us that he simply could not bear the weight of his own fear. Or perhaps, he just didn't want to disappoint, enrage, hurt, or emotionally damage the life of another person again...?
"As long as my stubborn, selfish, STUPID brother keeps being such a scaredy- cat SISSY, we'll never race again!" Ann sobbed. "If only we hadn't given away Cliff's brother to Jack! Surely that horse would have grown up to be just as good as Cliffgard! And now JACK has him! Now JACK will win all the races, and all the credit will go to the Moonlit Farm, and Green Ranch will be totally forgotten! We'll go out of business and me and the boys'll work at the BAR for a living...no offense, Karen...and our lives will crumble and I'll die ALONE...Just wait and see, Karen, just wait and see!"
By now, Kai had disappeared into a group of guys fraternizing near the soda booth. I firmly planted my hands onto Ann's shoulders and pushed her off my body gently. "Ann, if you wanna see a rundown business and some crumbled lives, look at the vineyard, ok? Don't you ever talk about your ranch like that again! Y'all will be fine, ok? It'll all work out...Just don't stress. 'Cause I've heard the more you stress the more likely you are to catch depression."
Ann smiled a little. "Thanks, Karen..."
I wrapped her in a warm, friendly, it's-all-gonna-be-ok hug.
"And by the way," she added as we walked off with our arms around each other, "you don't 'catch' depression."
oOo
"...second place, Hardy from the Winchester Horse Farm! And first place, Shotgun from the Livestock and Poultry Ranch in Northern Deneroville!" Everyone in the stands whooped and whistled for the last winner of the Spring Horse Race. "And that's all, folks!" said the mayor over the rusty old intercom. "I hope you enjoyed your time here at the Flowerbud Spring Horse race, and I hope to see you again next fall! Oh, and for all you Flowerbud Villagers, don't forget to begin your voting for the Spring Harvest Goddess tomorrow!"
With that, the people stood from their seats and began flooding out the gates leading back into the square. Already the sun was setting, and everyone was anxious to get out, whether it be to the bar, to the ferry, or to their homes. As for me, I'd made sure to get a seat near the gate so I could hustle out just as soon as it ended and get ready for business at the bar. And so, with Kai and Ann at my heels, I did just that.
oOo
"O-pen, O-pen, O-pen!" the village men chanted from outside as Duke and I dragged the final few extra tables out and set the additional chairs in place, wiping off the dust and grime that had settled on them since the last horse race. Finally, I stomped madly over to the window, flipped around the open/closed card, and clicked the ON button for the new neon "NOW OPEN" sign.
"YEEAAHH!" they all roared as they came pouring in. And after that I knew it was going to be a very stressful night indeed.
I spent the rest of the evening catering to a bunch of impatient, boisterous, obnoxious, and bluntly annoying men's every whim.
"It's a mite hot in here, ain't it, Karen?"
"Karen, could you dim the lamp? It's shining right in my eye."
"Need a refill over here!"
"Hey, doll, can ya top me off sometime today?"
"This steak is too rare!"
"WHAT is THIS?"
"Um, my potatoes are really cold."
"Where's my lemon? HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR!"
Then finally some sympathy: "Karen, you look exhausted." It was Kai, here to lift my spirits! Yaaay!
I almost fell against the edge of his table. "Yeah, well, I've seen worse." I scanned my brain. Wait...had I?
"Come here," he said, motioning with his finger. I leaned in with a smile until I smelled the heavy liquor on his breath, which is when I immediately pulled back.
"Actually," I said, as I stepped away, "I think I'll pass on that." I saw him frown before I turned my back to wait on another impatient partier.
The night continued similarly to this until about three in the morning, when Duke began literally shoving the late-nighters out the door, two of which were Kai and my father. I sighed into Ann's shoulder. "I don't wanna go home," I whimpered. "Can I spend the night at your place?"
She scoffed. "Ain't gonna be much better there. Let's find Elli."
It was then that I realized Elli hadn't been there at the bar that night. 'Actually,' I thought, 'There were a lot of people not here tonight...' Jack hadn't been there, nor Jeff, nor Basil, nor even the mayor! There were more, I knew, but I was much too tired to think about it much more.
Ann seemed to be thinking about the same thing. "Hey, Duke?" she said.
"Yeah?" the boss answered, still behind his counter.
"There were a lot of people missing here tonight – "
Before she finished, Duke cut in, "Yeah. I know. 'Bible study' at the Moonlit Farm. Guess I should've listened to you guys that night when Jack came in wavin' that blasted book around."
Ann was angry, I could tell, but I was WAY too drained to console her right then.
All I needed to know was that since Elli and Jeff hadn't been there, no one at the bakery house would be drunk, therefore making it the best place to stay the rest of the night.
"Yeah," I muttered as I followed her through the door. "Let's go."
We were silent on the brief walk to the bakery. We were hesitant to knock because the lights were all out and we heard no noise from inside, but eventually Ann rapped her knuckles on the door cautiously. I heard a door from inside creak open and then soft footsteps on the wood floor within.
Elli cracked the door open and peeked her face through, her eyes squinting with fatigue. "Hey, guys," she said groggily. "Whatcha need?"
"Can we stay the night?" I asked reluctantly. "Our boys got a little out of hand tonight."
I had expected her to laugh, but Elli's face filled with seriousness and almost...sadness?...as she fully opened the door. "I kind of expected that," she said after closing it behind us. "Come on back." And she led us to her bedroom quietly. "And try and be quiet, 'cause Granny Ellen's sound asleep. Sorry we can't have like, a girl talk or anything."
I shook my head. "Way too tired for that anyway."
Elli offered both of us her bed, but we practically forced her back into it and simply curled up on the floor beneath a lovely wool blanket.
oOo
Elli was up at the crack of dawn the next morning, as was Granny Ellen, but Ann and I slept until noon. And we would've gone longer, but Ann's father came and woke us up, complaining Ann's absence had slowed down their morning chores and now the whole schedule was in the toilet. After she left, I tried to go back to sleep just for an excuse not to go back home, but couldn't keep my eyes closed.
I kept thinking about Kai getting wasted last night. Would he remember today? Would he apologize? Would he even know that he should apologize? Why should he apologize?
Because he had scared me. Seeing this man, this man I was supposed to be dating...this man who was supposed to be my boyfriend, behaving in a way that so reminded me of my alcoholic, potentially abusive father... That scared me.
What if I ended up marrying Kai...? What if he continued to behave as he had last night? What if we became just like my parents? Running a fallen vineyard under a non-existent goddess's curse, he a drunken fool, I a pathetic, self-pitying housewife just like my mother. What if we had children who grew up to be just as miserable as I was now?
All the what-ifs literally brought me to tears, and I quietly snuck away from the bakery and made my way home to confront Kai.
But on the way home I saw him walking down the crossroads, and he saw me. The look in his eyes, even from a distance, told a story of genuine regret. We both began to walk faster toward each other until he fiercely enfolded me in his arms, holding me close. With my head pressed hard against his chest, I heard the quick beating of his heart. "I'm sorry, Karen," he murmured. Was that a tear in his voice? "I'm sorry...I was an idiot."
"Never again?" I asked hopefully, my own voice cracking tearfully.
"Never again," he repeated, "never again."
oOo
BRING! BRING! BRING! BRING!
It was the same hour since Kai's apology, and I excitedly raced up the stairs to answer my phone. I felt so cool getting phone calls!
"Hello?" I answered it happily.
"Karen!" a man's voice said.
"Jack?"
"Gol-LY, I been trying to get a hold of you for the past four hours!"
"What is it?" I said, sensing worry in his voice. I discarded the fact that I didn't like him momentarily.
"Well, I got somebody here that you just might want to see."
oOoOoOo
Amaya: I must say, that really was VERY fun to write. So I hope you enjoyed it, too. A little Karen/Kai drama, eh? That's always fun, am I right? Alright, review please!
Amaya: Okay, okay, okay! Sorry for the long wait...again. But it's summer now so MAYBE I'll get a little more consistent. Thanks much to all my reviewers! Love y'all!
Oh, and guess what! This fic has been up for a year! That's a really long time!
Disclaimer: Nope.
oOoOoOo
Of course, Ann was the first to find out, but before the day of the Spring Horse Race rolled around, the whole village knew exactly what was going on between Kai and me.
Things were a bit awkward at first, since the two of us had been just friends for so long, but after the first week or so, we were comfortably roaming the beach, mountain, and village with hands intertwined. Mother once told me that we had very good chemistry that reminded her of Pappy and Lyssa Mae. At this, I blushed with embarrassment and at the same time beamed with pride. I couldn't think of a greater compliment.
oOo
"AAARRR!!" I growled at the bathroom mirror. "This isn't working!" No matter how many times I ran the straightening iron over my hair, the ends wouldn't quit flipping out. "This is MOST frustrating!"
It was the day of the Spring Horse Races. I knew there would be a lot of pictures being taken today, and I wanted to look pretty in all of them. But I didn't know what I was going to do if my straightener wouldn't do its job!
"Come on, Karen!" Kai hollered up the stairs. "It's already a quarter 'til! We're gonna be late if we don't get a move on!"
"Hold on!" I screamed back. "My hair is not cooperating!"
"I'm sure you look fine!"
"I'm sure I DON'T!" With one final roar I yanked the plug out of the wall and threw my hair up into a ponytail. Angrily tucking my blond bangs behind my ears, I looked in the mirror again. Slightly satisfied, I thundered downstairs.
Kai looked nice. "See?" he said with a handsome smile. "You look beautiful."
I looked down at my new black top and blue jeans, fingering my stylish pink hoop earrings, then looked back up at Kai and gave a little smile. "Thank you," I murmured bashfully, my voice barely above a whisper.
He grinned at me handsomely, holding out his hand for me. I took it, my cheeks flushing strawberry red. My insides twisted upon the tickle of the butterflies that had long since escaped my stomach.
Once we were outside and walking toward Upper Flowerbud Village, arm in arm, much like we had on our way to the Sowing Festival, I began to joke, "You're not just sucking up so I'll buy you cotton candy, are you?"
He looked at me with mock guilt in his playful brown eyes but then broke into a warm laugh. "No, I promise." He paused. "But cotton candy does sound rather nice, doesn't it?"
I laughed. "I could actually go for some roasted corn."
He dug in his pocket for a second. "Done." Using his thumb, the boy flicked a single gold coin into the air, but before he caught it again, I snatched it from just above his open palm and dropped it into his gaping pants pocket.
"You paid for my snacks last time." With that, I gave his pocket a little pat and grabbed a few coins from my own purse.
Kai shook his head as we approached the stairs leading up to the town square. I caught the familiar scent of horses in my nostrils as we ascended. In fact, the fragrance nearly drowned out the lovely aroma produced by the blooming cherry blossom trees that heartily surrounded the old cobblestone square.
People were everywhere. And not just villagers...There were many who had traveled from neighboring islands or even from as far as the mainland. I was sure they'd all be heavily disappointed. This year's horse race was going to be a mighty bore due to the absence of a jockey to represent the Green Ranch.
And really, for most of the locals, the horse races were merely a chance to socialize and a good excuse to party at the bar afterward. And for those thrill-seekers around here, the betting was definitely a lot riskier nowadays. Again, since there was no contestant from the Green Ranch, there was really no sure winner.
As Kai and I walked through the square, toward the bakery booth, exchanging waves and smiles with friends and neighbors, I prepared myself for the emotional breakdown Ann was sure to have before the first race began.
My preparations were most certainly not in vain, for there came Ann, her blue eyes flaming with anger and unhappiness, her orange braid swinging sharply behind her head. Though her mouth, set in a firm, angry frown, seemed to be proof enough that she was furious, she collapsed into my arms with tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, Ann!" I said, stroking her back with both hands. "It'll be alright...next year, or maybe even this fall, y'all will find a good jockey..."
"No, Karen, we won't! Daddy told me this morning that our racing days are over! For good!" She had pulled away before speaking, but now she tumbled back into my embrace.
I shivered in surprise and in the same anger Ann had displayed when she was approaching me. I knew just as well as she that the horse races would not continue much longer as long as Green Ranch did not participate.
There were plenty of horses at the Ranch that were good for riding, but the only one built for racing was the famous Cliffgard. Though the search had stretched for almost three years, a jockey who could work the animal could not be found.
Everyone knew the only person in the world who could do such a thing was Gray, but the boy refused to even think about riding again. Sure, he was perfectly fine physically, but emotionally, it seemed to us that he simply could not bear the weight of his own fear. Or perhaps, he just didn't want to disappoint, enrage, hurt, or emotionally damage the life of another person again...?
"As long as my stubborn, selfish, STUPID brother keeps being such a scaredy- cat SISSY, we'll never race again!" Ann sobbed. "If only we hadn't given away Cliff's brother to Jack! Surely that horse would have grown up to be just as good as Cliffgard! And now JACK has him! Now JACK will win all the races, and all the credit will go to the Moonlit Farm, and Green Ranch will be totally forgotten! We'll go out of business and me and the boys'll work at the BAR for a living...no offense, Karen...and our lives will crumble and I'll die ALONE...Just wait and see, Karen, just wait and see!"
By now, Kai had disappeared into a group of guys fraternizing near the soda booth. I firmly planted my hands onto Ann's shoulders and pushed her off my body gently. "Ann, if you wanna see a rundown business and some crumbled lives, look at the vineyard, ok? Don't you ever talk about your ranch like that again! Y'all will be fine, ok? It'll all work out...Just don't stress. 'Cause I've heard the more you stress the more likely you are to catch depression."
Ann smiled a little. "Thanks, Karen..."
I wrapped her in a warm, friendly, it's-all-gonna-be-ok hug.
"And by the way," she added as we walked off with our arms around each other, "you don't 'catch' depression."
oOo
"...second place, Hardy from the Winchester Horse Farm! And first place, Shotgun from the Livestock and Poultry Ranch in Northern Deneroville!" Everyone in the stands whooped and whistled for the last winner of the Spring Horse Race. "And that's all, folks!" said the mayor over the rusty old intercom. "I hope you enjoyed your time here at the Flowerbud Spring Horse race, and I hope to see you again next fall! Oh, and for all you Flowerbud Villagers, don't forget to begin your voting for the Spring Harvest Goddess tomorrow!"
With that, the people stood from their seats and began flooding out the gates leading back into the square. Already the sun was setting, and everyone was anxious to get out, whether it be to the bar, to the ferry, or to their homes. As for me, I'd made sure to get a seat near the gate so I could hustle out just as soon as it ended and get ready for business at the bar. And so, with Kai and Ann at my heels, I did just that.
oOo
"O-pen, O-pen, O-pen!" the village men chanted from outside as Duke and I dragged the final few extra tables out and set the additional chairs in place, wiping off the dust and grime that had settled on them since the last horse race. Finally, I stomped madly over to the window, flipped around the open/closed card, and clicked the ON button for the new neon "NOW OPEN" sign.
"YEEAAHH!" they all roared as they came pouring in. And after that I knew it was going to be a very stressful night indeed.
I spent the rest of the evening catering to a bunch of impatient, boisterous, obnoxious, and bluntly annoying men's every whim.
"It's a mite hot in here, ain't it, Karen?"
"Karen, could you dim the lamp? It's shining right in my eye."
"Need a refill over here!"
"Hey, doll, can ya top me off sometime today?"
"This steak is too rare!"
"WHAT is THIS?"
"Um, my potatoes are really cold."
"Where's my lemon? HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR-HAR!"
Then finally some sympathy: "Karen, you look exhausted." It was Kai, here to lift my spirits! Yaaay!
I almost fell against the edge of his table. "Yeah, well, I've seen worse." I scanned my brain. Wait...had I?
"Come here," he said, motioning with his finger. I leaned in with a smile until I smelled the heavy liquor on his breath, which is when I immediately pulled back.
"Actually," I said, as I stepped away, "I think I'll pass on that." I saw him frown before I turned my back to wait on another impatient partier.
The night continued similarly to this until about three in the morning, when Duke began literally shoving the late-nighters out the door, two of which were Kai and my father. I sighed into Ann's shoulder. "I don't wanna go home," I whimpered. "Can I spend the night at your place?"
She scoffed. "Ain't gonna be much better there. Let's find Elli."
It was then that I realized Elli hadn't been there at the bar that night. 'Actually,' I thought, 'There were a lot of people not here tonight...' Jack hadn't been there, nor Jeff, nor Basil, nor even the mayor! There were more, I knew, but I was much too tired to think about it much more.
Ann seemed to be thinking about the same thing. "Hey, Duke?" she said.
"Yeah?" the boss answered, still behind his counter.
"There were a lot of people missing here tonight – "
Before she finished, Duke cut in, "Yeah. I know. 'Bible study' at the Moonlit Farm. Guess I should've listened to you guys that night when Jack came in wavin' that blasted book around."
Ann was angry, I could tell, but I was WAY too drained to console her right then.
All I needed to know was that since Elli and Jeff hadn't been there, no one at the bakery house would be drunk, therefore making it the best place to stay the rest of the night.
"Yeah," I muttered as I followed her through the door. "Let's go."
We were silent on the brief walk to the bakery. We were hesitant to knock because the lights were all out and we heard no noise from inside, but eventually Ann rapped her knuckles on the door cautiously. I heard a door from inside creak open and then soft footsteps on the wood floor within.
Elli cracked the door open and peeked her face through, her eyes squinting with fatigue. "Hey, guys," she said groggily. "Whatcha need?"
"Can we stay the night?" I asked reluctantly. "Our boys got a little out of hand tonight."
I had expected her to laugh, but Elli's face filled with seriousness and almost...sadness?...as she fully opened the door. "I kind of expected that," she said after closing it behind us. "Come on back." And she led us to her bedroom quietly. "And try and be quiet, 'cause Granny Ellen's sound asleep. Sorry we can't have like, a girl talk or anything."
I shook my head. "Way too tired for that anyway."
Elli offered both of us her bed, but we practically forced her back into it and simply curled up on the floor beneath a lovely wool blanket.
oOo
Elli was up at the crack of dawn the next morning, as was Granny Ellen, but Ann and I slept until noon. And we would've gone longer, but Ann's father came and woke us up, complaining Ann's absence had slowed down their morning chores and now the whole schedule was in the toilet. After she left, I tried to go back to sleep just for an excuse not to go back home, but couldn't keep my eyes closed.
I kept thinking about Kai getting wasted last night. Would he remember today? Would he apologize? Would he even know that he should apologize? Why should he apologize?
Because he had scared me. Seeing this man, this man I was supposed to be dating...this man who was supposed to be my boyfriend, behaving in a way that so reminded me of my alcoholic, potentially abusive father... That scared me.
What if I ended up marrying Kai...? What if he continued to behave as he had last night? What if we became just like my parents? Running a fallen vineyard under a non-existent goddess's curse, he a drunken fool, I a pathetic, self-pitying housewife just like my mother. What if we had children who grew up to be just as miserable as I was now?
All the what-ifs literally brought me to tears, and I quietly snuck away from the bakery and made my way home to confront Kai.
But on the way home I saw him walking down the crossroads, and he saw me. The look in his eyes, even from a distance, told a story of genuine regret. We both began to walk faster toward each other until he fiercely enfolded me in his arms, holding me close. With my head pressed hard against his chest, I heard the quick beating of his heart. "I'm sorry, Karen," he murmured. Was that a tear in his voice? "I'm sorry...I was an idiot."
"Never again?" I asked hopefully, my own voice cracking tearfully.
"Never again," he repeated, "never again."
oOo
BRING! BRING! BRING! BRING!
It was the same hour since Kai's apology, and I excitedly raced up the stairs to answer my phone. I felt so cool getting phone calls!
"Hello?" I answered it happily.
"Karen!" a man's voice said.
"Jack?"
"Gol-LY, I been trying to get a hold of you for the past four hours!"
"What is it?" I said, sensing worry in his voice. I discarded the fact that I didn't like him momentarily.
"Well, I got somebody here that you just might want to see."
oOoOoOo
Amaya: I must say, that really was VERY fun to write. So I hope you enjoyed it, too. A little Karen/Kai drama, eh? That's always fun, am I right? Alright, review please!