Chapter 7: Slammed Doors

It had been two weeks since the funeral, three weeks since my father had died, and three weeks since I had come back home. Home… it truly was home now… or was it? It felt as though something had been missing. Maybe it was my father, maybe the vineyard, but I wasn't really sure quite yet what it was. But eventually that missing feeling started to disappear, and things became the way they once were before I left.

Well not everything was the way it once was. The funeral for Ellen was held later the same week as my father, and recently Elli had hid herself away in the small kitchen of the bakery, producing pie after pie, and cake after cake, until she would just fall asleep from exhaustion. I would occasionally stop by to pick up some pastries, and while there, try to comfort my grieving friend.

Elli's family was not the only one that had changed. Green Farm had also changed, the place that Ann had once roamed the fields everyday, taking care of the cows and sheep, and riding the horses through the tall grasses. Every trip to town I would walk by, and to me it looked as though there was not one animal left in the fields. I had seen Ann around lately, mostly around the church, and we had had a few good conversations, but it never felt right to bring up what had happened to the farm. I just figured it was because of money, but I was to soon find out that wild dogs had killed off most of thecattle one night,along withher prized horse Akio.

Other than that, everything else about the town seemed to be the same. The shops still stood in town square, the mountain still looked the same, other than the newly built hot spring, and everyone else was still up to their old business and old jobs. Popuri and her parents still worked diligently at the flower shop. The church still held session every Sunday morning, and the bakery was still thriving. Duke had done his best to keep the bar running smoothly without me as his waitress, and it seemed to me that people were probably glad to be gone with my attitude.

It was funny how after two years, and everything bad seeming to happen at one time, that this town still worked like a clock. It amazed me, this little town. The place that I had run away from, because of one old grumpy man, I was able to call home once again, and for the first time in my life, I was happy to call it home.

The sun woke me up that morning. The wind could be heard rustling the leaves on the tree right outside my bedroom. If it was two years ago, I would have been out in the vineyard two hours ago, picking the juicy grapes from their vines. But this year, there would be no grapes, a concept that I had not yet held in my grasp. I pulled myself out of bed and slid my feet onto the cold wood floor. I quickly dressed, and once again found myself with nothing to do. After a while I finally wandered outside and started to walk up and down the long rows of the vineyard.

Occasionally I would reach out and touch one the dieing vines, hoping that my fingers would fall upon a blooming fruit, but no luck. Finally I just sat on the ground and tilted my head down to shield my eyes from the sun. I just sat there thinking, something that I had not had the time nor patience to do in a long time. It was quiet, until suddenly voices from a distance broke the silence.

"Come on Popuri, let's go inside. It's a little chilly out here. I can get you some tea and we can talk about the wedding plans," a deeper voice said.

"Uh, okay…" a lighter voice followed. I knew exactly who it was. Kai… and his beloved fiancé. Popuri and Kai, together, something I never would have imagined, but I guess this was just the work of destiny. What was destiny anyways? A load of crap if you ask me. I had always through that Kai and I would be together. It was almost as if I could feel it whenever I was with him, I thought that it would be my destiny to be with him. But obviously the Goddess was punishing me. Whatever I had done, she decided that it was wrong, and for my punishment, she took him. No, she didn't take him, she gave him Popuri.

Although I hated it, I had become use to seeing the two around the vineyard. Every morning the pink haired girl would come by, and the two would go out somewhere. Occasionally I would see then at the beach, or just walking hand in hand through town. Popuri and Kai were quite the talk of the town. Everyone was waiting for the wedding, which was going to be held in the beginning of spring. I would hear people say, "What a cute couple", and "they will have beautiful children". It disgusted me, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Besides, I had moved on myself. I had Jack, a new friend, maybe more. I was happy… wasn't I?

Suddenly I heard the front door swing open and bash against the side of the house breaking my thought. Immediately following the first crash, the door flew open again and hit the house, then once again closed.

"Kai… please… you have to understand," came the voice of Popuri.

"Oh, I understand you perfectly… I just don't understand why you are doing this to me!" Kai replied. I peaked out from behind the dead vine and watched the two. They stood in the middle of the yard, Kai turned away from Popuri toward the wine cellar, and Popuri looking at him pleadingly with her rose eyes.

"Kai, you know I love you. I love you above everyone else, and I never wanted to hurt you. It's just... a chance like this only comes once in a life time. It's my dream, you know it is…" Popuri said, taking a step toward Kai. He turned around and looked at her.

"So you are willing to cancel the wedding, just so you can go to the city and try to become a model." When I heard this I almost felt my heart stop… she was canceling the wedding! "Popuri, listen to yourself, you're being foolish. It's a big city. Do you think they are going to pick a little town girl like you over girls that have lived their whole lives in the city?" Kai responded.

"Kai, the letter told me that they are looking for all kinds of people. I think I have a good chance, and in three days I will be leaving on the ferry for the city. You're being unfair! I can't believe you don't believe in me!" she whined, letting the letter slip out of her hand and fall to the dirt ground.

"I'm being unfair!? Popuri, I have always believed in you, and you know that, so why are you breaking my heart like this? Fine… just go. I obviously never meant enough to you. Go to the city, and try to become a model, but when you don't succeed, and have to come back here because you're all out of money, I don't ever want to see you around here, nor do I ever want to talk to you. The wedding is off… goodbye." Kai stormed past Popuri and walked into the house, slamming the door behind him, andleaving the Pink haired girl in tears behind him.

"Kai… I… I…I'm sorry…" she said, and walked down the road back to town.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was replay the two's conversation over and over again in my head. Could this actually be happening? At the time, I really wasn't sure what I should be feeling. All I knew was one thing…

The wedding was off…