AN: Okay, here's the second part of chapter 15. Originally I was going to just attach it to the rest of the chapter, but I looked at today's date and then saw my publishing date for this story on ff.net and realized that today is this story's 2-year anniversary! Wow. Two years already. Anyways, I'll write more at the bottom.
Chapter 15 Part 2
In the kitchen John explained to Aunt Rena, and several interested others, the modifications in a comprehensive way. He gave directions on the operation of the stove with the modifications and ended up pasting on temporary labels until they were memorized at which point they could be removed.
A few patients, very impressed by the demonstration, asked that John modify their stoves as well and in return for his services they would provide him with anything from food to wool as long as it was reasonable, and a settlement was agreed to. When the patients were well enough to go home he would follow them so that he would know where they lived and return with the necessary materials.
John and Sarah rode to town on their own horses. In front of Sarah sat Lindsey and in front of John sat Brittany. Their small bodies were pressed against the adults in the confining saddle with the flaring pommel, but it wasn't too uncomfortable because the children were busy being distracted by their surroundings, riding on a horse, and the comforting security of the large warm bodies behind them. The two girls hadn't been off of the Ravenelious property for a while so the two young adults had taken the opportunity to bring them along.
At the clothes shop John and Sarah retrieved their respective orders and left with smiles. The five-year-olds skipped and then trotted after and around the adults, playing their curious made-up games, as children tend to do. They did calm down enough to walk next to John and Sarah for certain intervals though, especially in congested streets.
Lindsey fisted her hand into John's sweater that hung down slightly past his hips. After a moment the tall man noticed the slight tug on his clothes and slowly brought down his left hand, enveloping the small, soft hand in his own large, callused one.
The sandy-blonde glanced up, up to the almost blank face of the pale man who kept his eyes ahead to avoid collisions with other shoppers and strolling towns people in the packed dirt road. Lindsey released his faded knitted sweater and instead held three of his long fingers.
"This way John," Sarah directed, tilting her head in the direction she meant since her hands were occupied by reins and Brittany.
John's eyes skimmed across the cold, gray sky and the faded paints of the buildings and noticed a warm looking bakery, busy with people entering and exiting. A tiny brass bell tinkled at the top corner of the doorframe with the opening and closing of the door.
After tying their horses to a post the group of four approached the bakery, stepping up on the wooden sidewalk, and were embraced by delicious smells of freshly baked goods and warm air as the door opened. They were announced by the tinkley chime that no one paid attention to due to the crowding of the bakery. The slight chill of the day was driven away from their bodies as they entered the homey place.
There were a few tables with chairs near the front, which were occupied. People sat there, or stood near them, and ate an assortment of pastries and bread while most others left the bakery with their purchases.
A clean-shaven, stocky man with a cheerful smile on his face greeted his customers from behind the counter. He was not stocky from laziness, but rather from his line of work. The baker had floured hands and sleeves rolled up past his elbows, showing the muscle on his thick arms. His wife, Mrs. Sanell, took turns with Mr. Sanell at the counter. They both had flushed cheeks from the ovens. Mrs. Sanell's hair was tucked under a white cloth cap and a few short locks of dark brown hair had escaped, curling around the edges of the cap from the heat and moisture. A legless bassinet sat at the end of the counter, against a wall. It was out of the way, but within viewing range. A couple of the customers stopped by there and cooed at the occupant.
Sarah bent down a little and put a hand on each girl's shoulder and said, "Why don't you two go find us a table and some chairs? John and I will be with you girls in a little bit. Okay?"
"Okay!" the girls said in unison. Lindsey and Brittany held each other's hand and threaded around and through the forest of adult legs to do as Sarah asked. As Sarah stood up straight, she kept her eyes on the young girls a moment more before she turned back to face the line.
The number of customers was lessening, as indicated by the few people in line after John and Sarah since it was getting later in the day. The line moved up and Sarah looked ahead to see that there were only two people ahead of her.
The din of the bakery had quieted with the dwindling number of customers and this allowed several people to hear the warning hiccupy coughs an infant made before they started screaming. Mrs. Sanell dropped what she was doing and rushed over to her baby before he started wailing. The young woman bent over the bassinet on the counter and shushed her son as she picked him up. Mr. Sanell glanced over at them, his face showing his love and pride a moment as he compensated for his sudden lack of help. Fortunately for him there was no longer a mad rush.
Sarah asked John, "Do you see anything you like? They have delicious sweet meat bread and cakes."
John looked at what was displayed under the counter and behind it in tall shelves.
After further deliberation, at which point they were at the counter, he said to the doctor's daughter, "Perhaps nothing too sweet. Please order for me, I trust in your judgement."
Sarah nodded and turned to Mr. Sanell, "Two custard curls, three red buns, and two steamed meat breads please."
The baker nodded and wrapped the order in reusable rough cloth. Sarah pulled out her money and started counting out coins and paused when dull clinking distracted her. She looked up and saw John pulling back his hand from depositing the due amount of money on the wooden counter.
"No John, this is my treat-" Sarah was cut off by the tall, pale man.
"This is the least that I could do. Just let me," John said softly, his deep red eyes penetrating Sarah's clear-river blue.
Sarah picked up the bound cloth that held their order and said, as she continued to look up into John's face, "Alright. I'll let you this time, but don't get used to this. Thank you."
Faint signs of amusement crossed John's face and he let a small chuckle escape his mouth.
They found the girls waiting almost impatiently at an empty table, both of them swinging their legs as they sat in chairs that were too tall for children their age.
Lindsey and Brittany brightened and stopped swinging their legs in boredom when they saw Sarah and John finally coming over. They waited in anticipation for the pastries they knew Sarah had ordered for them.
The dark-haired woman set the cloth bundle down on the table and unwrapped it. She handed each girl a custard curl and they responded with delighted thanks as they started happily consuming the treats.
"Remember not to tell Aunt Rena that you got to eat these before dinner," Sarah warned.
They nodded and continued devouring their bready victims.
Turning to her tall companion as she picked up a steamed meat bread, she said, "Steamed meat bread is my favorite non-sweet breaded treat. Since you didn't want something sugared at the moment, why don't you give this a try?"
Sarah offered him the double fist sized, pale colored bread. The outside looked waxy, but it was not. It was warm and soft and when he bit into it he found that lightly salted and spiced tender meat in its center, mixed with little pieces of vegetables.
After catching his appreciative look Sarah ate her own warm steamed meat bread with slow, savory bites.
Regretfully the last bite came so Sarah popped the morsel into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
Looking at her companions sitting around the small table she got up and said, "I'll be back in a bit."
Sarah pushed her chair in and walked over to Mrs. Sanell who was busy nursing her son at a table that was set near the wall and counter.
"How's your belly where the pig bit you?" started Sarah, saying the traditional country greeting softly.
The brown-eyed woman looked up from her small son, giggled lightly and answered back bravely with humor, "Fine, but it was the baker that bit me."
Sarah laughed and blushed at the implication. She quieted down before she would upset the baby.
"Why don't you come take a seat?" the baker's wife said, indicating the chair across from her. Sarah pulled the chair a little nearer to Mrs. Sanell and sat. She and Mrs. Sanell watched the baby as he suckled on his mother's emptying pale breast that was exposed since the shirt and apron had been pulled back to feed him. He turned his lightly haired head away and released the nipple, showing that he was no longer hungry. His quiet, proud mother readjusted her clothing and covered herself up before placing a clean rag on her shoulder and lifting her child up, lightly patting his back.
Sarah observed all this in mild fascination, her face softened in wonderment, perhaps feeling the maternal glow of the young mother in front of her.
"Have you named him yet?" she asked after the baby had fallen asleep, his hands curled into loose fists at his mother's shoulder.
"Yes. We named him Rondery the Second. We call him Rondy," Mrs. Sanell replied, rubbing the baby's back through the soft, pale blue blanket he was wrapped in.
"How are you and Dery holding up? Is Rondy crying a lot?"
"We're doing fine I suppose. We could use more sleep but it's expected to have Rondy crying at night. But he's been a pretty quiet baby. He only cries if he's hungry of needs changing."
Sarah noticed for the first time the dark bags under the new mother's eyes.
"Avenira, it's time to close up," called out Mr. Sanell from the back.
"Yes Dery, I'll lock up the front then," Mrs. Sanell called back, facing towards the voice of her husband.
"Well," Sarah said cheerfully, "I guess that's our cue to head off. But before we do, I want you to meet John."
The two women got up from the table and they walked together to the three others, all other customers having already left the bakery, leaving only the five in the room.
"John, this is Avenira Sanell, wife to the baker. Mrs. Sanell this is John," Sarah paused, not sure how to introduce John.
"Hello Mrs. Sanell, I am John who worked at Mr. Peronel's," said John, picking up where Sarah left off.
"Nice to meet you," said the young mother with the slight bend of the head and knees to him. She walked them to the bakery's entrance and said, "We'll see you all at the festival, right? I'm going to see if I can beat Aunt Rena in the pie contest."
"Yes, we'll be there," answered Sarah.
They said their good-byes and Sarah, John, Brittany, and Lindsey retrieved their two horses and left for home under the grey sky.
Author's Notes (Please read and write answers to some of these questions, although I know it's awfully long): This chapter has not been fully edited, but I posted it up like this so that I can celebrate the 2-year birthday without just having a so called chapter that only contains author's notes. I'm 3 reviews away from having 100 reviews too! YAY ME! ^_^
The thing is, this is all I have written at this moment! I know what I want in the future of this story, or at least what in general, but I'm finding it hard to write. I'm trying to chip at the writer's block that is keeping my hand from writing (for those of you who don't know I actually write this story by hand on paper. I have used up the spiral note book this story was born on and am now using loose leaf lined paper. The reason for this is because I've had one too many stories get deleted when my computer went on the fritz!) I have scenes I've thought of that might happen.
To make this story interesting I figure I need to put some conflict. Folken/John will be battling himself soon enough when his memories return and there will be an effect of Sarah and others around him because of this for sure. And as friendly as most people in small towns tend to be, there will always be a rotten apple. I know it isn't realistic for me to write of a place where everybody's happy and content, so I'm trying to decide if I should throw in some bad apples and people in unfortunate situations (aside from some people having lost some family and friend in the war).
The reason why I put Folken out on the edge of Zaibach territory in a farming community is so that there won't be as many people able to recognize him and to let him start life anew. Also, don't you think poor Folken has had enough bad things happen to him? This story is far from over, fortunately or unfortunately.
I've had a couple worries. I found out what Mary Sueism is (thanks Elihice for your help!) and although I have asked in a previous chapter if my characters were 3-D enough and have received, to my relief, positive answers I have to say that in a way some of my characters in this story is similar to a Mary Sue. I don't think I can help that though since all these people I have made up are either different aspects of me, based on people I know, or a mish-mash of all the types of people I have ever met, read about, or seen.
In the chapter before I have warned about my inexperience in the field of love and I am saying so again, but I don't think that should be too much of a worry (I guess I'm rather a worry wart about that) and I hope to kick up the romance soon enough. Oh, what do you guys thing of "John" and Sarah's interaction so far? I hope none of you guys complain that it's too slow (although I think I'm sorta thinking that too) but this is based on my feelings too. Unlike some people I know, I'm not one to rush into a romancey thing in real life.
What do you guys think of my descriptions? In nature, in human feelings, in anything in this story. I feel like I'm slipping, that I'm not bringing in life. My goal as a writer is to make the readers see the details, to feel the warmth of the setting sun and all that, or at least be able to imagine the feel of the places.
Another question I hope you guys answer: What are your feelings about my original characters? Any favorites aside from "John"? Anyone you guys might be interested in seeing more of? (I won't necessarily make that person appear more, only when needed, but if you guys suggest it I might since I have a lot of room…)
For those of you who actually took the time to read all this babble, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I have so many worries and I want to please myself and my readers, it would be very helpful if you all gave a response to at least a couple of my questions.
And Now for the reviews!
Leiliiani- Hehe, it hasn't technically been a couple months, only one and a few days since my last update. Sorry! Oo. Thanks for thinking the girls are adorable. That was my aim and I hope you have a nice summer too! And I hope you update your IY fanfic soon, it's sooo good! I want to know what happens next!
ShadowShapeShifter- Hmmm, I do want a boyfriend some day, but I would hope it wouldn't affect my studies while I'm in college. I'm also shy on initiating anything, we'll see. My friend's cousin who I have met a couple times, including just recently when I went with my friend's family and went down to Homer for 5 days for 4thof July weekend, went to Juneau for college and apparently she went swimming down there, but most fishing on her boyfriend's boat.
Kae Noel- Thank you very much. I hope to see an update on "Willow" soon!
Kartos- Wow, I'm glad you liked the dream. I didn't expect such a reaction to it. And believe me, I have thought about other dreams, I just haven't been inspired lately, but there should be some traumatic stuff when I have "John" regain his memories.
Elihice- Thank you sooo very much for telling me what those terms meant and for the website dictionary! It was very helpful, but it will probably be a while before I dare use them to describe my fanfics, but at least I can figure out what other people's summaries mean now.
Rai Dorian- I snack, but when I get depressed I'm the type to not feel hungry. But that doesn't happen often so I'm on the normal eater side. I *LOVE* Chocolate! I don't like plain chocolate though, it has to at least have some nuts in it, or something. I don't think my personality is going to allow a "love life" to happen as soon as this summer, but we'll see.
I know there was one other person who had left a review for part 1 of this chapter, but it won't show up in the review section so I'm *very* sorry to whoever it was that I didn't write a reply to in this section! Hopefully it'll show up as a couple more people write reviews for this story.
From July 17th through the 24th I will be gone. I'm a volunteer for a wheelchair race that's going to happen. It is a six day race and the longest wheelchair/hand pedaling race in the world right here in Alaska. I am going to be a translator for a Japanese wheelchair racer and his 2-man crew and will be camping out along the trail from Fairbanks to Anchorage. I don't recall the name of the race, it has a long name but it's something like "Sadler's Ultra Challenge" or something similar.
Anyways, please leave some answers to the questions I asked in my Author's Notes and anything else in the reviews! Thanks!
-LSR_7