In My Life- Celebrating a one year anniversary!
You guys are doomed. Because it's author's notes time. Yes, that subtitle's accurate. It's been a year (and 17 days) since I, knowing nothing of the HM world on ff, uploaded a story about a misunderstood "misanthrope" named Makoto, and his tale in MineralTown. Actually, I had the idea since I first purchased BTN in sophomore year. And what was that… 2002? Yeah, I'm slow. (Especially my updates.) I'm glad I didn't write this back then… the results would've been pitiful.
So to celebrate one year (and 17 days) of In My Life, I thank each and every one of you for reading, reviewing, offering your insight, your humor, your advice, and your encouragement. Without you guys, I would've given up a long time ago. Thank you all, and goodnight.
…
Oh yeah. I'm also celebrating with a new chapter. How silly of me to forget.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
Somewhere underneath dreamland lay unsteady ground that would be walked upon for the longest time by Makoto. Even if he got what he wanted from one girl, he was still living amongst townsfolk with the unified power to accept him or reject him come two and a half years. He didn't want anyone to know about the life he took in the past, but somewhere deep inside he knew the secret was bound to be pried loose.
He stood on his porch in the early morning wash of light, staring out at Strawberry Fields and calculating his management strategies. The rice was growing nicely and would be ready for harvest in another week or two as Zack told him. With memories of Strawberry Fields during the peak of the old man's life crossing his mind, Makoto wasn't sure if he could achieve the same.
With a sigh, he stepped down from his porch and crossed over to the chicken coop, ready to start his day. Life went on for him.
When it all came back to him to spend his daytime hours working in the fields, he started by cutting down and squirreling away all the grass he could. But around noon, he finally acknowledged the fact that he had nothing to do. He thought the only thing he could do was pay Elli a visit. At the very least, as he thought, he'd be able to tell her about Aja.
But it seemed that about half of the villagers chose noontime to be walk the roads of Mineral Town, all meeting up with Makoto along his way. He couldn't bar the awkward feelings that overwhelmed him whenever he found himself making quick small-talk with him, barely able to cut the meetings as close as possible. The only relief for him was having a Duke-free morning by the time he reached the Clinic door.
It took him a moment to adjust his eyes from the sunlight, but something was pulling his focus across the room. That relief turned over and died on the sight of Duke stewing next to his wife on the waiting room sofa. The man turned his glare upon the boy, sour-faced with his lips slightly parted in a half-snarl.
Makoto found his quick escape when Elli came in from the examination room, following her to her desk. As he gripped it nervously, he said:
"Yeah… ummm… I'm here for my appointment."
Elli nodded slowly, playfully picking up her schedule book and running her focus up and down the page.
"You don't have an appointment, Makoto," she told him, and he rolled his eyes. He made a motion with his head at the Weinsteins.
"Yeah, but…"
"But what?" Elli interrupted, crossing over from her desk with a form in her hand and passing him to head for the examination room again. "You're not allowed to visit your friend?"
Makoto frowned, slumping in the lobby under the glares of Duke and Manna until Elli called them to the examination room. They shuffled past, Manna doing her best not to look at him and Duke glaring at him for as long as he could. Once they were gone, Elli came up behind Makoto and shoved him along to the lobby. "Hey!" he snapped, spinning around. "What's gotten into you?"
"I ask the same of you," Elli simply replied, crossing her arms. Makoto frowned a bit again, saying:
"I just wanted to come visit you is all." Elli gave him an expression he read as "And…?", and continued in a low voice.
"But when I saw them there…" His voice was steadily growing softer as he shifted his eyes to the floor, and Elli had to lean in to hear him. "I thought I had to cover up."
"Cover up?" Elli immediately replied, and Makoto nodded again. Just as he looked back at her, she continued. "Need to cover up what, Makoto?"
Makoto wanted to believe that he didn't expect her to ask that, but he knew she was justified in doing so.
"I know you're scared, Makoto, but there's no need to hide us," she told him, leaving it at that. She knew she snagged Makoto's attention when the boy cracked a half-smile.
"You're right," he said, and Elli smiled back at him.
"Good, good," she said with a nod. "So, do you want to come to my house for lunch?"
Makoto nodded with a bit of a childish charm. But their sweet exchange was cut short when Duke stormed out of the examination room, with Manna following and trying desperately to pull him back by the arm. The Doctor wasn't too far behind, carrying his clipboard and sighing.
"But you've got to stay healthy," he insisted. His usually expressionless eyes were melting with desperation, but nothing compared with that of Duke's shrieking wife.
"Duke!" she cried, wagging a finger at his eye level. "I demand you get back in there right now!"
"I'm fine," he hissed through gritted teeth, shoving her aside. It wasn't enough to knock her off her feet or daunt her.
"I don't want you to—"
"QUIET!" Duke roared, shoving past the both of them and plowing the path to the door. Upon grabbing the handle and nearly tearing it out of place, he turned with last words and a stinging finger for the Doctor.
"AND THE ONLY REASON I CAME HERE WAS TO TELL YOU TO SHOVE THAT CHECK-UP UP YOUR ASS!"
He made sure his door slam was as loud as possible, the sound resonating in the air as it brought Manna to her knees. The others surrounded her; the guys tried picking her up by the arms, and Elli rested a hand on her shoulder. Manna sputtered out a weak cough, finally accepting the help of the guys.
"No…" she uttered, barely climbing to stand up straight and rocking back and forth in their grips.
The townsfolk knew Duke and Manna's relationship had been faltering from the beginning of their marriage, but Manna was always too wrapped up in other people's gossip to acknowledge the dissonance brewing between her and her husband. The Doctor offered her to lie down in the infirmary for a while. She weakly nodded, and allowed him to guide her with his hands on her shoulders.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
"Oh my…" Ellen gasped, looking from Makoto over to Elli and back again. It was after lunch, and they were sitting in the sofa perpendicular to her rocker, retelling the incident in the clinic. Stu had given up making his usual faces at Makoto when 1:00 struck and his favorite TV show came on the air, sitting with his back to them and too engrossed in the flickering picture to leave his ears open to the conversation.
Stu wasn't the first to notice a group of villagers filing past the window, the sight catching the eyes of the other three. Elli and Makoto exchanged slightly baffled expressions, and then turned to Ellen to receive a shrug.
On a second glance, they noticed Manna being dragged along by Sasha and Anna.
"She's up already?" Elli asked with a puzzled face, getting up and proceeding towards the window. She looked back at Ellen and Makoto as Makoto was standing up and stretching his arms.
"Curious?" he asked half-heartedly, motioning with his head towards the front door. With that, Elli nodded and made her way to the foyer with a "be right back" at her grandmother, followed by Makoto.
They saw the congregation of villagers parked outside the winery when they came closer. Makoto was discouraged at seeing almost every villager gathered there, and slumped in a feeble attempt to hide behind Elli. She turned her head to look at him, and she realized it would take Makoto a very long time to feel comfortable in Mineral Town. She knew there nothing could be done at the time to instantly coax him into feeling safe.
Standing along the edges of the scene gave them enough to see as the rest of the villagers waited for Duke to emerge on the front stoop. The villagers knew he deliberately took a dreadfully long time to answer the door.
When he finally stepped outside, a barrage of opinions and advice about his health flew his way. He slumped his shoulders with a heaving groan, his face reflecting his vexation.
"Should've suspected everyone'd find out soon enough," Makoto muttered, enticing a nod from Elli. After exchanging a few shrugs, they decided to go back inside. They took no notice when Duke wriggled past the crowd and dashed towards Strawberry Fields.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
Elli had to get ready to return to work, and upon announcing it, Makoto gave himself a mental slap for forgetting to tell her about Aja.
"Then I'm gonna head back to Strawberry Fields," he replied as he zipped up his hooded sweater. But as they approached the door, Stu bounced into the foyer, waving his sneakers as he ran up to Makoto.
"Take me too!" he said enthusiastically. Makoto arched his eyebrow, turning to Elli with a baffled expression while Stu was bouncing on his heels and saying: "Grandma said I could!". She gave Makoto an encouraging nod.
"Umm…" the farmer boy began. "If your sister says it's okay, you can come."
Stu cocked his head and looked up at Elli.
"You can go, Stu," she said with a half-smile. Stu cheered, and without another word, plopped himself on the floor to pull his sneakers on his feet. As they waited for him to finish, Elli turned to Makoto to speak.
"Just have him home before dinner, okay?" she asked him sweetly. He nodded with an "I will," looking at her long enough to see her rise on her tip toes and kiss him on the cheek. He watched as she settled back on her feet, and couldn't help the cracked-up smile from appearing on his face as the spot tingled afterwards.
They proceeded outside, where Stu waited for them as he brimmed with impatience. At the first glance of Makoto and Elli finally outside, Stu took the cue to dash down the path.
"Stu! Wait up!" Elli called. Makoto half-shrugged, preparing himself to run after the boy. And with a brief wave in Elli's direction, he left her on the stoop shaking her head hopelessly as he dashed to catch up with him.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
It wouldn't be long before Makoto truly got a glimpse the rambunctious Stu. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall ever brimming with as much energy as Stu did. And the boy had more space than he'd ever seen run freely, with plenty space leftover Makoto couldn't recall existing.
Stu halted, hunching low and creeping around on his haunches while keeping his jacket wrapped tightly around his body. Even if Makoto managed to stay an even distance from the boy, he still took the chance to catch up with him.
The boy spun around with a "RAWR!" With that, he held his arms outstretched, gripping the lapels of his jacket as he bounced as high as he could. "I'm a BAT BOY! And I'm gonna EAT YOU!"
Makoto lamely held up his hands with an equally lame "Ah!", backing flatfooted away from the bouncing Stu. He wasn't watching where he was going, and ended up landing on his side in a patch of mud. With his guard down, Stu seized the opportunity and pounced on him.
"I've got you now!" he declared, and let out a long and ravenous roar.
"No, please!" Makoto deadpanned.
Stu clutched his invisible fork in one hand and his serrated, invisible steak knife in the other as he loomed over Makoto with a vicious grin. Makoto let out another deadpan scream, elongating it to sound slightly more convincing. Stu continued to draw himself closer, but was overwhelmed by a sudden tension. Makoto pulled himself a few inches off the dirt to make sure Stu was still fooling around, and sure enough, the little boy wore a jaunty grin all the while.
"Noooo!" he cried. "Sun… coming… out…" He pretended to gasp, holding a quivering hand to the sky and clutching his chest. Then he threw himself on the ground, wheezing: "You've won this time, boy! I am now DEAD!"
Makoto pulled himself to his haunches and scuttled over to Stu, leaning over the boy. He prodded him with a brief poke, and Stu shivered with a giggle.
"That tickles!" he exclaimed. Makoto shrugged and poked him again, this time stirring the boy to jump onto his feet. With a broad smile, he said: "Let's go see the cows!"
"I don't have cows," Makoto bluntly replied. Stu's face scrunched up in disappointment.
"You don't?" he echoed. "You suck!"
Makoto arched an eyebrow.
"I hope you know what you mean when you say that," he deadpanned. With that, he turned on his heels and led the way to the barn with Stu hovering close behind. "I have a sheep."
"Really?" Stu declared. He switched from walking at Makoto's right to his left at every five second interval, bouncing all the way. "What's her name?"
Makoto groaned, knowing the boy would burst out in laughter upon hearing the name.
"Pixy Dust."
He was right. He stopped to see Stu doubled over in laughter, and with an groan, he kept walking. Stu still stayed close behind, and waited patiently when they approached the barn door for Makoto to pull it open, dashing under the farmer to get inside.
Pixy Dust cocked her head at the sight of the visitor, bleating apprehensively. Makoto ran a gentle hand through her wool on her head, saying: "Don't worry, girl. I wouldn't bring in anyone who'd hurt you." He almost cooed as he spoke, and as young as Stu was, the boy could tell he was seeing another side of Makoto.
Makoto looked over at Stu.
"You could pet her," he said. "She's calmed down a bit now. But start with your hand low." Sure enough when Stu looked over, Pixy Dust seemed significantly eased. He held his tiny palm under her chin, gradually raising his hand to graze the spot.
"Like this?" he asked, looking up at Makoto for the nod he would give. Makoto did, and Stu gentled rubbed Pixy Dust's face as the sheep bleated contentedly. The boy giggled in return, and looked up at Makoto again. "She's cute!" he said.
"Yeah," Makoto replied with another nod.
"You should enter her in the sheep contest!" Stu blurted out. "She'd win for sure!" With that, Makoto nodded.
"I'll keep it in mind," he told Stu. The little boy went back to petting Pixy Dust, as the sheep finally offered her head for Stu to pet. While Stu chuckled over the softness of Pixy Dust's wool, Makoto thought about taking Stu to see the mobster chickens.
Then again, the mobster chickens weren't as keen about seeing people as Pixy Dust.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
As the end of the day approached, Makoto finished the ends of the Strawberry Fields tour for Stu. Stu wanted to see the chickens anyway, but ending up declaring Pixy Dust as the animal he met. The coop visit was followed by looking at Makoto's rice field, leading Stu to discover rice wasn't processed in San Francisco. He was mildly amazed.
Makoto watched as Stu shuddered at the sudden gust. The boy looked up at him and said:
"Yeah, it's getting cold. And late. And I'm hungry."
With a nod, Makoto motioned with his head to the road ahead, and the boys made their way to the entrance of the farm. But as they were walking, they were grazed and passed by a stumbling figure. Makoto had to adjust his eyes in the dimming light to see who had passed, but the man spoke out before too long.
"Just passing," Duke heaved curtly. Makoto shrugged, maintaining his pace as Duke strode faster. He thought he saw Duke sweating profusely, but dismissed it as out of the ordinary. And although he mostly kept his eyes off the man, Makoto happened to look up at the moment Duke stumbled and lost balance.
"Duke!" he hissed, dashing and sliding down on his haunches. The man's eyes were wide, and as Makoto thought, he was covered in sweat. Stu hid behind Makoto's long legs, debating with himself whether to poke his head out and see.
"My…" Duke gasped. "My chest!"
Without another word, Makoto grabbed the man in an awkward cradling position. Although they stood at about the same height, it felt as if Duke outweighed Makoto by at least a hundred pounds. Makoto struggled as he attempted to pull himself to his feet, but could barely stand up straight.
At that moment, the presence of Aja came tumbling down on him. Makoto didn't know whether to tell Aja her father was having a heart attack, or to bring him to the clinic and not have her worry.
"Stu!" Makoto hissed in a low voice, holding the boy's attention. The boy looked up at him, his face contorted in fear, waiting for Makoto to continue. Talking even took effort under the immense weight of Duke, but he finally managed it. "I… need you to go to the Inn, and call anyone over who can help carry him. I'm gonna try to see how far I get with him to the clinic, 'kay?"
The boy nodded, his glum face sinking.
"Don't worry," Makoto told him. "We can get through this. You gotta go now, though."
Without another second wasted, Stu took off as quickly as his skinny legs could propel him down the road. Makoto wished he would run like Stu did in his situation as he struggled to take one heavy stomp after the next. After a while of trudging down the street, Makoto found himself improving and feeling a little stronger.
He briefly looked down at Duke and back up again, but did a double take when he realized Duke was looking up at him through pained eyes.
"Why…?" he gasped. "Why're you helping me?"
Makoto couldn't bear to look down at him again. As he struggled with step after step, he replied in the only manner he could.
"Don't talk."
He didn't make it very far, but fortunately, Doug received Stu's message and came barreling down the road. Without a word, he helped Makoto shift Duke's weight and ended up propping him up by the legs. They continued, Doug looking over his shoulder as he tiptoed backwards.
"By the way, I sent Stu to the clinic," he said gruffly. Makoto nodded in agreement, keeping Duke as steady as possible.
With the aid of Doug, they reached the clinic sooner than Makoto would have alone. The Doctor had the door open for them, and his face fell when he saw Duke.
They all looked down at him. He didn't respond when Makoto and Doug gently shook him, and that's when they realized he had stopped breathing. The Doctor grabbed Duke's wrist, feeling for a pulse. Nothing.
"Cardiac arrest," he announced, and turned to call over his shoulder. "Elli, get ready!"
"I'm on it!" Elli replied from the next room. The Doctor strode to the next room, followed by Doug and Makoto. A bed was prepared for Duke to be placed on, and Doug and Makoto wasted no time laying him on it.
Elli stepped up, ready with the charged pads of the defibrillator, as the Doctor cut Duke's shirt open
"Clear!" she said, placing the pads on Duke's chest as everyone backed away. The Doctor activated the brief shock, and when it was done, he placed his hand on Duke's heart.
"Doctor!" Stu exclaimed, poking his head into the room. "There's a bunch of people outside! I'm telling them to stay away, but they won't listen!"
"I'm on it," Doug promptly replied. He left the room as the Doctor activated the defibrillator again. After the second shock, the Doctor placed his hand over Duke's heart again. Makoto and Elli stared in dreadful anticipation with every contortion of the Doctor's brow.
But finally, he looked up and heaved a sigh of relief.
"He's back," he announced, nodding firmly. Makoto and Elli let out their own relieved sighs. "Elli, you go get the medicine we prepared earlier, alright?" With a nod, she headed for the lobby.
Makoto looked over at the Doctor, arching an eyebrow.
"You knew?" he asked curiously.
The Doctor nodded.
"Somewhere along the way," he replied. With that, he said: "Go give Doug the okay to let Manna in, and to tell everyone else to go home."
Makoto nodded, and made his way out of the infirmary, through the lobby, and out the door. Sure enough, it seemed the whole of Mineral Town had once again gathered in one spot. The feeling of every set of eyes focused on Makoto sent chills up and down his spine, and with a gulp, he spoke.
"He's fine," he said, keeping his head low and eyes up. Turning to Doug, he quietly told him to allow Manna in and usher everyone else home.
There was still someone else to bring to the clinic.
GIVE ME A LINE BREAK
All had nearly settled down at the clinic. Manna watched over her sleeping husband under quiet shock, pensively rocking back and forth in her chair as she waited for him to wake up. The Doctor and Elli stood close by in the infirmary. A good half hour passed since the incident.
No one noticed when Makoto quietly stepped into the infirmary again. But as if Duke sensed the boy's presence, he mumbled something under his breath and painfully pried his eyes open to the burning lights. He noticed something amiss out of the corner of his eyes, but regarded whatever he thought it was as nothing at all. Finally, he felt his eyes were adjusted to light, allowing it to penetrate them and fill them with the sight of his family.
Manna sat directly over him in her chair, her eyes welling up with joyful tears. And to her left stood Aja, biting her quivering lip and fighting back tears of her own.
"Our baby's home," Manna told him in a cracked voice. Duke smiled weakly, looking up at his daughter with warm eyes.
Makoto and Elli were pleased knowing everything turned out to be alright. They shared each other's company long into the night in the clinic's lobby, watching the silhouettes drawing closer together in the infirmary as they grew tired and leaned their heads on each other.
A distant hand shook him from somewhere, and Makoto stirred awake. He looked through groggy eyes at the Doctor.
"Duke wants to talk to you guys," was all the Doctor said. Makoto nodded, and reached over to wake Elli.
With Aja asleep in a chair in the corner and Manna sitting near, Duke sat propped up in the bed and waiting for them. He looked from one face to the next, and turned to himself.
"This is mostly for you, Makoto, but Elli can stay," he said. He cleared his throat, and with a guilty look in Makoto's direction, he began. "I have to apologize for everything… everything I ever said to you, and everything I ever said about you." It took him a moment to struggle with his pride, but he finally said: "I was wrong, and I judged you unfairly."
He turned his gaze away for a moment, and said:
"You have a good heart."
There was what seemed a long bout of silence before Duke spoke again.
"I think I owe you something," he told Makoto. With a look at his wife and back away, he said: "Manna wants me to do a favor for you, so… whatever you ask, I'll do." Makoto nodded, and Duke continued. "But there's more."
More silence.
"I want to give you the chance to tell me how you killed that person."
With his deer-in-the-headlights eyes, Makoto stared directly at Duke. But the man had more to say.
"Because honestly, it still bugs me that the old man picked you to come run the farm, and it despite our dislike of characters like you—" Manna shot him a glare, and he quickly took notice. "—Sorry. I mean…" He fumbled with his words. "Well, we just want our town to stay safe, and we became upset when we found out you killed someone." He paused, shaking his head. "Because, face it, Makoto. We perceive you as a shady character, and that's just what humans do to each other."
"I… I guess you're right," Makoto replied.
Duke nodded.
"So tell me, Makoto," he continued. "What happened? Was it by accident?"
All eyes were on Makoto as he briefly nodded, his mouth turned in a slightly sick frown. Duke obviously premeditated his interrogation, and had another question. But Makoto never anticipated it.
"Do you want to stay here?" he asked. Again, all eyes shifted and fell on Makoto.
"I don't think that's going to happen," the boy replied with a sigh, shaking his head. He looked to Duke.
"It can happen," Duke told him. "You've just got to stop acting all secretive, with this hiding and stuff, because that doesn't do very good for your reputation." He huffed. "And I know I'm not one to be telling you how to maintain a good rep, but the way others perceive you is very important."
He paused.
"That's why I'm going to try being a little more easy going, less pushy, the whole deal." He looked up at Makoto. "Now, you don't have to go all social butterfly on us, but we expect a couple of things of you. And it's small stuff, like saying "Hi" on the streets to us, or showing up to festivals." With a smile, he said. "It makes a huge difference, Makoto."
Makoto nodded. He took a quick look at the pale light of the dawn outside with a small smile on his face.
"It's a promise," he said.
GIVE ME ONE MORE LINE BREAK
I hope you enjoyed it. Again, I apologize for taking forever on this. It's not easy finding time between work, school, and guitar, and it seemed when I did, I couldn't crank anything out. I had this chapter since the last one was posted, and since then, scrapped it and started over twice. But I'm pleased with the result.
Shout-outs!
anime26angel- Yup. I'm gonna work all three years, even if the earth faces apocalypse and space penguins invade to chew our faces off, I'm gonna get it done. From a retirement home at this rate, but no matter what. Thanks for your constant reviews and support!
azn anime addict47- Yeah, I intended a bit of a surreal thing with the last chapter by slapping past and present together. I hope it came off well. Anyway, like I've said, you've just gotta keep writing something day by day, even if it's a couple words, or if it doesn't make sense. You've gotta keep the practice up. I know you can do it. Thanks for all your support!
Lemurian 04- Thanks! Thanks for reading!
Quack-Wabbit- 'Finally' and 'updated' are gonna be forever associated with each other with me now. (Elli who? What? Oh yeah.) Anyway, I'm glad I did take it easy writing this chapter. I worked on writing other things, light stuff, lyrics, anything, but if I updated this chapter sooner, it wouldn't've turned out how I wanted. This one did though. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!
Ghost Rider CSV- Yes, the Beatles rock. (listening to them right now, actually… Old Brown Shoe) But Jersey's a pit? I think not! I'm glad you left me a review, and that you enjoy In My Life. Honestly, (I'll say it again) if no one read this, I don't think I could've gone on posting it or even writing. Thanks a lot!
…- Yes, very true that everything's a gimmick for FOX. Your reviews always crack me up, Enigmatic One. Thanks for all the support and reviews!
Rage Aomori- Oh, how could I forget you? Jeez. (grin) I'm gonna be getting around to that Ann thing, too. Just you wait. Thanks for your reviews and support!
See you all in the next chapter! Happy year and 17 days!