Chapter 21: Origins- Green Hood
The hunt was really successful. Clearly the big city didn't take the marksman out of me. Just like that Christmas a few years ago, we had venison for dinner on Christmas Eve with the deer from my first shot with the new bow.
"Oliver, would you like to say anything?" Said my mom before we started on the deer.
"Uh, sure." I got up, and cleared my throat.
"I've lived in New York for only a few months, and I'm already enjoying it. I'm even in training for a job to get me through school. I feel very thankful that almost everyone of the family could make it here. Especially Lucy. Now let's see if that deer's just as good as it appeared"
And I'm pleased to say that indeed, it was.
A while later, at around 2 am, I couldn't sleep. So I headed into the living room for no real reason. Interestingly enough, someone was already there.
"Hey, Ollie."
I sat down on the couch with Lucy. "It's gonna be a great Christmas, Lucy. I can feel it."
"I feel it, too. I mean, seeing a Sasquatch! That's huge."
"Yeah. I really wish I was there." I said, trying not to laugh.
"It was magical. I think I saw it for a reason."
"What reason is that?" I asked.
"Destiny. I was meant to see him."
Lucy always believed that everything happens for a reason. I never really got that. I wasn't religious, or scientific. I just though that things just happened. No reason for it.
The clock in the living room suddenly stuck loudly. It was 2:30.
"Well, cuz. I should tell you something. But you gotta promise me you don't tell anyone yet."
Lucy crossed her heart. "I promise." She said.
"I found my passion." I said.
"Hey, no way! That's awesome! What do you want to do?"
"I'm training to be a bartender when I'm of age. Once that happens, I'm gonna start my own bar in New York."
"Well that's great, Ollie. But when are you gonna tell the rest of the family?"
"Not anytime soon." I replied. "Not that I'm ashamed of the thought of running a bar, but I now realize that it was what I was meant for. I feel it's what I should do."
"You know what that is, Ollie?" Said Lucy. "That's destiny. Everything happens for a reason. That's the simple way how life works. It's not complicated. It's why we get up in the morning. It's why we meet important people throughout our lives. It's why we meet the 'One' for us. That's fate."
"Oliver, this is fantastic!" Said my dad. It was Christmas morning, and he had unwrapped my gift: a brand new holster for his rifle.
"Open ours, Oliver." Said Uncle Alex.
I grabbed a box marked from Uncle Alex and Auntie Terri. Inside was a massive New York City atlas and guidebook.
"Kinda big for just one city." I said.
"Oh, but it's more that that, Oliver." Said Auntie Terri. "It provides information for almost every landmark and place of interest in the whole state. You'll know a whole lot about New York after reading this."
Lucy jumped up onto me, hugging me again. She had opened my gift.
"I love it!" She cried.
"Heh heh." I chuckled. "Had a feeling you would. And to top it off, I got the whole family 'I heart NY' shirts."
"Open mine, now, Ollie!" Said Lucy.
She pulled a flat box out from under the tree, and handed it to me. I pulled off the lid.
It was a dark green hoodie. Nothing on it or anything, but I tried it on, and saw that it fit me much better than my old hunting hood.
I gave Lucy a big hug. "Thanks, cuz. I love it!" I said.
"I know you like Green Arrow. This isn't themed from the comic, but I hoped you'd like it."
That hoodie still means a lot to me. And to this day, has stayed as my favorite hoodie.