Episode 9: Falling In Love
Friday, 1st of Fall, 1976
I stepped outside. I could feel lukewarm air breezing around me, which feels very good when you've been hanging around summer baked air for 30 days. i went to my garden to check on my crops. I got the shock of my life. the tomato plants and corn stalks were still there, but they looked like they died out.
"Huh...?" I walked up to one of the corn stalks.
I touched one of the leaves and the leaf just popped right off and fell to the ground!
"Whoa!" I gasped.
The plants are now old and brittle! I might as well cut them down, there's no way I can get any more crops from them now. I ran into my tool shed, grabbed my special sickle and came back out.
I stood in between the rows of old tomato plants. I positioned myself to get ready to swing. Then I swung it, and I began spinning out of control like a human tornado! I shouted as I spun around, cutting down all the tomato plants into little brown flakes. Then I skidded to a stop, feeling a bit dizzy from spinning around. Then I took care of the withered cucumber vines and corn stalks too, slashing them up into a hundred flakes. After shaking off my dizziness, I went over to the patches of grass near the pond that's next to my tool shed and used my sickle to cut up the grass into fodder for my chickens. After cutting the grass, I carried all the cut up hairs of grass towards the silo that sits between the cow and chicken barn and poured them into the slot. I now have 97 pieces of fodder. Not bad, but I still need more.
I went to town to see how everybody is adapting to the fall season. I decided to check on Nina and her mom since their place is closest to the bridge where you can come in and out of town. Nina was just emptying flower pots of old, withered flowers.
"Hey, Nina," I called as I approached.
"Tony. How are you? I bet you're happy summer is over, right?" Nina asked me with a smile, knowing what the answer will be.
"You have no idea how happy I am about it." I agreed.
"So, what are you doing? You're not watering flowers anymore?" I asked.
"Nope. Autumn and winter are known as off seasons, because turnips, potatoes, tomatoes, and corn cannot survive in the autumn... Except grass," Nina said.
"Yeah, your mom told me about that. I'm still surprised about all this, though. Things are gonna get pretty boring this season and next," I sighed, putting my hands in my pockets and looking around at the golden brown scenery around me.
"Not exactly. we got a few more festivals coming up soon," Nina announced.
"Really? Which one?" I asked.
"I, uh... I don't remember. Talk to priest Daniel, he keeps a list of every festival that happens every season," Nina said.
"Okay. Thanks," I thanked Nina and headed over to the church.
On the brick road ahead, in front of the church, like always, I saw Maria sweeping the road, keeping it clean, as more dead leaves fell from the trees, and into the road. Maria makes sure the brick road between the church's doors and the town's main road are clean.
"Hi, Maria. Are you enjoying this new scenery here?" I asked her, looking up at the brown leaves in the trees around us.
"Oh absolutely. I somehow love the autumn scenery," Maria said in a calm, mild mannered way.
That's Maria for you, always cool and collected.
"I'm glad to hear that," I said.
"The leaves that fall from the trees... Most of them are beautiful..." Maria commented.
"Yes, they sure are," I said, looking up at the tree near the mayor's house.
"By the way, is priest Daniel in?" I asked.
"Sure. He's in the church in deep thought about... many things," Maria said almost sullenly.
"Okay," I said.
Just when I was about to head into the church that little boy who likes Maria bumped into me!
"Hey!" I exclaimed.
"I heard something! I heard something!" The boy kept on saying, his eyes wide like he saw a ghost.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Chill out, fireball. What did you hear?" I asked as I knelt down and put my hands on his shoulders in a comforting manner.
"Would you believe me if I told you?" He asked me.
"Trust me." I said reassuringly.
The boy swallowed some saliva in his mouth before talking again. "I've heard something! I've heard a faint sound of laughter behind the trees in your ranch last night. And some people talking, too! ... What was that?"
I tried to piece together what this kid might have heard. Behind trees. Faint laughter... Could it be... I suddenly gasped!
"What? You know what it is?" The boy asked me.
"Maybe... But I'm not sure." I said, thinking things over.
I have a feeling it could be those small people that upgraded my sickle, but I'm not sure.
"Okay, sorry I bothered you, mister...?"
"Tony. Please call me Tony."
"Tony. Have a nice day."
"You too, um..."
"Timothy. Call me Tim. I am the priest's grandson"
"Okay, Tim. See ya later," I waved bye as he left.
Then I entered the church. As I walked down the aisle towards the altar, Daniel almost immediately noticed me approaching.
"Tony! Good to see you again. What brings you here?" Priest Daniel greeted me.
"I'm just here to learn about all the festivals that we celebrate." I said, spreading my arms out after walking past the 7th row of benches.
"Ah. Read this book. It has everything you need to know," Daniel handed me a book that tells the days each festival is celebrated.
I checked the first page.
"Hm... the 1st of the Spring month is New Year's festival..." I said.
"In that festival, everyone gathers at the peak of the large hill that stands between this town and your ranch. We gather there to watch the sunrise of a new year," Daniel told me.
I looked at the next page.
"The 2nd festival is the Flower Festival which starts on the 23rd of Spring... I've been to that festival before," I said.
"Well, then that one needs no explanation for you then," Daniel said.
I turned the page.
"Hmm... Harvest Festival, 12th of Fall... 20th of Fall, Egg Festival... 10th of Winter, Thanksgiving Festival... 24th of Winter, Star Night Festival. Well that's about it. Thanks for letting me look at this, Daniel," I shook hands with Daniel and handed him the book.
"You're welcome, Tony. If you need anything else, or if something is bothering you, let me know," Daniel said warmly.
"I will. Good-bye." I left the church.
I decided to visit Doug and Ann. As I walked by Maria, who has just finished sweeping the road, she followed me to her parent's house.
"Hey, Tony, do you like kids?" She asked me.
"Me? Oh, you better believe it. I sure do." I said.
Truth be told, the only kids I've been around is Timothy and the fortune teller's granddaughter who was "dating" him at the Flower Festival. Kids in general seem to be cool. Full of enthusiasm and vigor. I remember myself being like that.
"Really? That's great. I like kids too. My dream is to be surrounded by kids," Maria said as we walked past her house.
"Well, hold on to that dream. it might come true soon," I told Maria.
"I will," Maria nodded, then she headed to her home.
When I reached Michael and Ann's house, Michael was nowhere to be found, probably in another room, and Ann was working on her machine in the middle of the checker pattered rug, like usual. She stopped tinkering with the strange contraption and stepped back and examined it.
"Hmm..." She rubbed her chin. "It seems a little different from the plan I had, but... no big deal," she said to herself.
I left because she seemed too preoccupied to notice me. Then I decided to go to Ellen's mom's grocery store and see how Ellen is doing. I opened the door.
"Hello, Tony." Ellen's mother greeted me while sweeping the floor with her broom.
"Hello, ma'am. Is Ellen here?" I asked.
"Yes, she's in her room. I think she's expecting you to come," Ellen's mom replied nodding towards the door to the back rooms.
"She is...?" I asked.
"I don't know. I'm just guessing," Ellen's mom shrugged in a clueless fashion and continued sweeping up the dust with her broom.
As I walked towards the back door, I walked passed Hank, who was still drinking and teetering back and forth. He saw me pass by.
"Howdy, young boys! What's up?" He called out to me and hiccuped.
I sighed and opened the door, stepping into the hallway and entered the room that is Ellen's. Ellen was sitting near her table, reading some kind of cookbook.
"Tony! Hi!" She said with a happy smile.
"Hi, Ellen! Aren't you glad summer is over?" I asked her.
"Oh, yes! That blazing summer heat is finally gone!" Ellen stood up out of her chair and looked out the window next to her bed.
I joined up with her, sitting side by side with her looking out the window. We watched the tree's leaves in the backyard fall slowly one by one down to the brick road or the grass.
"I love the fall. Mostly because its the season before winter, which is the season I love the most," Ellen commented.
"You like winter, too?" I exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes. wait... You like winter too?"
"Yes," I nodded.
Ellen smiled. "We got a lot in common."
I nodded in agreement.
"By the way, Tony, how are the animals in your farm? How's Koro?" She asked me.
"Koro? He's fine. That dog is a real trooper. As for my chickens, they're all doing great. I keep them fed, and not one of them missed a single day of laying an egg. Why do you ask?" I looked at Ellen with curiosity to what point she is trying to make.
"It's just that... It's hard to look after animals. We always have to be careful so they don't get sick... I always look after uncle's livestock when he's too busy to do it on his own. I feel like a mother who is taking care of her children..." A tear fell from Ellen's eye.
I patted Ellen's back as she tried to stop herself from crying. "It's okay, Ellen. Calm down. What's wrong?" I asked with a lot of sympathy in my voice.
Ellen shook her head and used her right arm to wipe the tears around her eyes.
"It's just that... When I compared a mother with children to me and the animals I helped my uncle raise, that lets me know that I... will... be a good mother... to my children, if I ever get married and have any..." She broke down sobbing, wrapping her arms around me and placing her head on my right shoulder. Her tears were falling on my t-shirt, making a gray stain. I patted her back to try and calm her down.
"Hey. it's all right. Calm down. There's nothing to be sad about," I said.
Ellen straightened up and looked at me. Her eyes were a little red from crying hard.
"Sorry. i'm not sad. I'm happy. The fact I've been like a mother to my uncle's livestock means that i have what it takes to be a real mother. That's why I'm crying," Ellen smiled to show that she's not lying.
"Oh... I get it," I nodded slowly to show I understood.
"Thank you for listening, Tony. You are a great friend... I mean boyfriend. Mmmwwwah." She kissed me on my left cheek.
I kissed her back and I returned back to the ranch. it's 5:56 p.m. and it's almost time for me to get in bed. I watched T.V. for four hours, wrote in my diary and fell asleep.
Saturday, 2nd of Fall, 1976
At 6:59 a.m., I was already dressed into my overalls. I was sitting at my table eating three pancakes smothered in maple syrup. I almost ate all three pancakes with one bite, hard as it may be to believe... Okay, I didn't do it, the pancakes are too wide for me to fit into my mouth, but if they were smaller, I could! After having breakfast, I stepped outside. Once I stepped outside, I caught a glimpse of a small, staggering figure near the entrance/exit gates of my ranch. The gates were open, so neither the fences or the gate obscured my view of the small stumbling figure. I thought it was my imagination, but I decided to go check it out. When I ran toward the open gates of my ranch, I saw one of those little guys that upgraded my sickle. He looked pale and weak, lying face down on the ground.
"Whoa! You're one of them! Wha-wha-what are you doing here? What happened to you?" I asked the little man.
He slowly looked up at me, his eyes fluttering as if he were trying to stay awake and conscious for just a few minutes longer.
"E...e...eat... I need... something... to eat..." He said in a hoarse, raspy voice.
"Food? You want food? Hang on, I'll be right back."
I ran into my house and grabbed a rice ball wrapped in plastic that I bought from Ellen's mom's grocery store a few days ago. I opened up the plastic as I came back outside. I held the rice ball in my left hand and returned to the weak small man.
"Here you go. It's a rice ball. Do you eat rice balls?" I asked him.
"N...n...no..." The weak small man managed to say.
"You don't? Let me try something else." I said.
"W...wait..."
I wasn't listening to him. I dropped the rice ball and raced towards the chicken barn.
I fed my chickens as quickly as I could put all three eggs in the shipping container... except the fourth egg. I planned on giving it to that small man. I returned to him.
"Hey, buddy. Wake up. Do you like eggs? Do you eat eggs?" I repeated.
I waited for him to answer.
"...Mash... mush... mushroom... I want... nothing but a... *cough, cough*... mushroom..." The small man said, his voice still crackled and raspy.
"Mushrooms? Okay, no problem. no biggie. I'll be back." I said.
I left my ranch. I don't know exactly where to find one, but I have a general idea of where to find one: In the mountainside forest.
I thought finding one would be difficult, but it was easy! I didn't have to go far into the forest at all to find one! In between the two large redwood trees, 66 yards northwest near Luke's hose tree, I saw two mushrooms. One looked clean and healthy, the other looked dirty and had yellow spots on it. I had a bad feeling about picking the one with yellow spots on the head, so I picked the one that looked clean and healthy and headed back to my ranch. I ran up to the little man and handed him the mushroom.
"Here you go, a mushroom, just like you asked for," I said.
The little man slowly straightened himself up, grabbed the mushroom and ate it piece by piece until it was all gone. When he was done, he stood on his legs finally. I breathed a sigh of relief. He's better now.
"Phew, I'm alive now. Thank you very much." The little guy said, brushing the dirt off his clothes and hat.
"Don't mention it," I said.
"I didn't eat anything for 3 days."
"Three days?! Man, you were really on the brink there. I'm glad you collapsed at my ranch. Otherwise I wouldn't have known that you needed help," I said.
"I know. I need to give you something. Take a look in your tool shed tomorrow and you'll get a surprise," the little man said.
He headed for my well and jumped on the rim of it.
"Wait!" I called after him, and he stopped and turned around to face me.
"You... Your kind... What do they call you guys?" I asked him.
"Us? We're called Harvest Sprites. We are small, friendly elves who do everything we can to help good, honest people like you. And now, I'd best get going. See ya!" The little Harvest Sprite said before jumping into the well.
So that's what they're called... Harvest Sprites... Man, nobody will ever believe people like them live out in the great outdoors, away from urban locations. I got a group of eleven inch tall elves living in secrecy in my ranch... I shook my head and took my ax and wheelbarrow to the forest to chop some wood. I need some wood to upgrade my house again. I stayed up in the forest chopping wood all evening I came back home and I had about 503 pieces of wood in my woodshed now. Enough for Luke and his team to upgrade my house, but not enough for other reasons. I need a little more wood to get my fences repaired and such.
Monday, 4th of Fall, 1976
I was watching the weather news as I was eating a croissant.
"It is getting cooler with each passing day. We are expecting some rain tomorrow," The weatherwoman said.
I stepped outside. I went to the chicken house and to take care of my chickens and prepared their eggs for shipping, like always, only this time, I put one egg into the incubator. I plan on having a 5th chicken. Now, with nothing else to do in the ranch, I decided to hop on over to Neighbor Town and see how everyone is doing.
As always, Ellen was near her uncle's livestock shop. She had a little chick in her hand, softly petting it.
"Hi, Ellen," I called.
"Oh, hey, Tony. How are you today?" she asked me.
"I'm good, as always."
"That's terrific. Listen, Tony, do you like sweets?" She asked me.
"Do I? I love them." I said, rubbing my belly and licking my lips.
Ellen giggled. "I enjoy baking them. I hope that I can cook for you someday."
"That'd be nice. I'd love to try out your cooking," I said with a warm smile.
"You'll love it. Trust me. Anyway, you look busy. I hope everything is going well for you," Ellen said.
"I'm not very busy, but I'm trying to get my house enlarged one more time," I said.
"Really? Why?" Ellen asked me.
I winked at her. Ellen had a confused look on her face, but she got the message a second later because she started to smile at me.
"Well, I better get going. I need to get some more wood before it rains tomorrow," I said.
"Take care of yourself, Tony. if you need anything, let me know!" Ellen called as I walked away.
Ellen looked down at the peeping little chick in her hand, petting it. "Tony is very sweet. I really want to be with him. Do think it'll ever happen?" She asked her chick pet. After a few chirps from the chick, Ellen replied: "I hope so."
Later this afternoon, I went to the forest with my ax and wheelbarrow and began chopping wood from every tree stump I found. After chopping my 3rd tree stump, my arms were beginning to sting, but I'm not giving up. Not yet. I headed further up the mountainside forest until I found another tree stump, not too far from where the sulfur spring is.
"Okay, here we go," I said, grabbing my ax.
I positioned myself near the stump, and prepared to swing my ax. *Wham!* as soon as my ax's blade hit the wood for the first time I thought I heard a voice with a very heavy southern man's accent. It said:
"Hey, boy. Hey you, boy."
I looked around until I saw an elderly man emerge from behind a tree to my left. The man looked like he is somewhere in between 58 and 60 years old, his bright white beard and mustache is very long, reaching all the way down to his belly, and his clothes looked old like he has been wearing them for a long time, and I could see the butt end of a double barrel shotgun sticking out behind his back above his right shoulder.
"Um, are you addressing me?" I asked the old man.
"Yes, I was. What's your name, boy?" He asked me as he approached me.
"Um... Tony. Who are you? And what are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Terry. I'm just an old man who has been living in these woods for 4 decades," He solemnly replied.
I thought my ears deceived me. "Huh? Did you just say 4 decades?"
"Yep."
"You've been living here in the forest that long?!"
"Yes. I don't like town or city life. It's just too... unnatural for my taste," Terry said, rubbing his beard.
"How do you survive out here?" I asked.
"In the spring and summer, I eat fruits and store some for later for the winter. In the autumn season, I eat mushrooms, but I don't eat very often during this season, because I'm saving my rations for winter. Even during this season, squirrels know they should keep nuts and acorns stored somewhere they can find it," Terry explained.
"So why do you hate town and city life?" I asked.
"Because my family loves to live out here in the great outdoors. I guess you could say it's more like a tradition. But my son broke that tradition, saying there's nothing to be gained living in the dirty, moldy woods with no hotels, no grocery shops and stuff like that, and now my granddaughter Eve follows his example. Well, he's wrong! The forests, trees and caves have been here since the early days of Earth! They are natural habitats for people and animals! But how long have towns and cities existed? Good-for-nothin' uppity brat...!" Terry fumed and rambled on.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, stop stop!" I stopped him from rambling on and on.
He finally stopped and listened to what I wanted to say.
"You said that Eve is your granddaughter. Are you talking about the Eve in Neighbor Town?" I asked.
"That's right. You know her?" He asked me.
"Yeah. I'm practically friends with her."
"Boyfriend?"
"No! I'm taken by someone else as a matter of fact."
"Oh, I see. Well, Eve wants me to come live in town with her, but I refuse to set foot in any location that has concrete, roads, or buildings, no sirree!" Terry shook his head in sheer defiance.
I shrugged. "Well, suit yourself. I better get going. Take care of yourself." I said, grabbing the handles of my wheelbarrow and pushing it away.
"You too, boy," Terry said and left.
I headed back home.
Tuesday, 5th of Fall, 1976
It's raining outside. I can hear it.
"Another rainy day. Perfect. at least the soil is getting some moisture." I said, sitting at my dinner table and rubbing Koro's head.
I ate a rice ball and prepared to go outside. I looked up and squinted my eyes so no raindrops will fall directly into my eyeballs. I noted that the sky looked very gray, and I could smell cool water vapors around me. I ran across the muddy ground towards the chicken house and fed them and prepared their eggs to be shipped by Derek. Then I checked the edges of my ranch to see if any fences need repairing. Only two.
My luck is changing a bit. I went to my woodshed, grabbed a few pieces of wood and got to work using my hammer to completely break down the broken fences and placed the new wood in their place. and anchored them as far as I can into the ground. After I was done, I returned to my wood shed to see how many pieces of wood I have... 490. That's not enough wood for Luke and his carpenters need to upgrade my house. I need 10 more pieces. I went to the forest with my ax and wheelbarrow to go collect some wood. I don't care if it is raining, I went out there anyway. All day I stayed in the woods, cutting tree stumps and eating mushrooms to keep my stamina up. But when night came, I realized that my wheelbarrow is too full to carry any more wood. I had to return home.
After leaving the wood at my ranch, I decided to run to Neighbor Town and go to Eve's bar. I ran towards Neighbor Town as fast as my legs could. *plop! plop! plop! plop! plop!* my feet splashed in wet ground every step I took as I ran. This is good exercise, I admit. I won't have to worry about getting fat if I do this on a daily basis. When I reached town, I felt relived to set my boots on hard road now. My boots are really wet from running across a wet dirt road for nearly two hours, and my overalls and cap are wet too. I ran down the road, turned right, ran past the livestock owner's shop, Ann and Michael's house, Ellen's bakery/house and then I came up to Eve's bar. I opened the door and entered. Eve was the first to notice me come in.
"You came here in this rain on foot? I'm glad, and amazed." Eve remarked.
"I'm not trying to impress anybody, to be honest." I admitted.
In the bar, I saw Mike, Derek, Michael, Ellen, her dad, and a few other customers that I don't recognize. Ellen was tugging at her dad's arm, trying to get him to return home.
"Come on, Dad. You better get home. Otherwise Mom will get really mad at you." Ellen warned him.
"Hic! Mom, schmom. She's not the boss of- hic! Me! I can do whatever I- hiccup! Want to!"
"Ellen, I don't think he's going to budge," I told Ellen.
"I'm not giving up. I don't want Mom to yell at him anymore!" Ellen said with determination.
"Hey, Tony! can I talk to you for a minute?" Doug called out to me.
I glanced over at him, then I turned to face Ellen.
"I'll be back, Ellen, okay?"
"Okay, Tony. Come on, dad! You can't stay here any longer!" Ellen urged him.
I took a seat next to Michael.
"What's up, Michael?" I asked him.
Michael drunk his wine then exhaled as he set it down on the table.
"I just can't help myself worrying about my daughter Ann so much. Even though I kept in mind what you told me last time, about there being the perfect person for everybody... Mr. Tony, you are of the same generation as Ann. What do you think of her?" He asked me.
I stared at him blankly, without saying a single word. "...Oh, sorry. Maybe I'm a little confused." Michael scratched his brown hair in embarrassment.
I nodded. "Yeah..." I slowly got up out of my chair and started to leave.
"Look, Ellen, I'm sorry I can't help you with your dad this time, but I'm really tired. I need to go home." I told her.
"That's okay. I can take care of this myself. You go on home, okay?" Ellen said.
I felt better knowing that Ellen doesn't think of herself all the time. I'm After two hours of running down the dark, seemingly endless damp road, I heard a pickup truck coming up behind me. I could soon see the headlights shining ahead of me, casting my shadow. I moved out of the way to the left side of the road so that the truck can pass me, but to my surprise, the truck stopped next to me. I wonder who it is driving the truck. The glass window rolled down to reveal the face of Derek, my shipper!
"Derek!" I beamed.
"Need a lift, Tony? It's not healthy running for hours from town to your ranch in rain like this. Hop in, it'll be faster and better for your health," Derek suggested.
"Yeah! That'll be great!" I agreed, I ran behind the truck and ran up to the passenger door, opened it and climbed in the pickup truck.
"Hey, Tony! You look more soggier than a sponge," Mike remarked playfully.
"And you?" I shot back at Mike in a playful manner, I didn't take his remark offensively.
When I got home, I placed my wet overalls, shoes and cap near the fireplace so they can warm up. I jumped in my bed, only wearing my t shirt and briefs. I grabbed my diary, wrote in it for a while and fell asleep.
Monday, 11th of Fall, 1976
I woke up, showered, ate pancakes and turned on the T.V. to see what's going on. As usual, I caught the news just in time because the brunette woman on T.V. bowed her head and said:
"Good morning, everyone. Now here comes this year's harvest festival. Ladies and gentlemen, have you decided what to take to the festival? The festival is held at the public square tomorrow. It ends at 3:00 p.m., so don't be late. And in other news, the top story today..."
I turned off the T.V. I looked down at Koro, who was wagging his stubby tail, looking up at me. "There's another festival coming up, Koro. I better get ready for it." I told him.
"Waff waff!" Koro barked.
"Yeah. I better get outside and feed the chickens first," I said.
I left the house. When I left the house, I saw Mike, Derek's shipping apprentice coming in my ranch. I ran on over to greet him.
"Tony! What's up?" Mike shook hands with me.
"Same old, same old, Mike." I replied.
"Have you heard? The Harvest Festival is tomorrow. I'll stop work early and go there. Be sure to feed your livestock before you leave," Mike advised me.
"Okay, okay, I won't forget about my chickens. You're beginning to sound like my Mom." I said.
Mike laughed. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'll also bring something to put in the stew," he added.
"What do you plan on bringing?" I asked with curiosity.
"I can't tell you that. It's a secret. Well, see you at the festival tomorrow," Mike turned around and left.
"I look forward to it, Mike," I called as Mike climbed in the pickup truck outside the ranch entrance gates and drove off.
Tuesday, 12th of Fall, 1976
It is 7:00 a.m.. I had no idea I slept a few minutes longer than I usually do! Without eating breakfast or watching T.V., I ran out of my house as soon as I showered and got dressed into my overalls and blue cap, then I ran to the chicken barn side to feed my chickens. I noticed that my chickens are getting along fairly well... and that there is some pellets of chicken poop on the floor too. Terrific. I walked over to the stash of chicken feed at the top right corner of the room and picked up a fresh bag, opened it, and poured the chicken feed into three cubicles, then my chickens immediately raced towards the cubicles and started eating the chicken feed as if their lives depended on it.
"All right guys. Eat up. I'll be gone for the whole day. Take care, alright?" I said to my chickens as I placed the chicken feed bag into a small compartment where I keep chicken feed bags that are partially full, then I left thee chicken barn after I cleaned up the poop on the ground.
I bolted out of the ranch. I was about to head down the road to Neighbor Town until I remembered I had to bring something there! I skidded to a halt, my shoes kicking up clouds of dirt from the dirt road. I coughed when the dirt cloud reached my face. "Wait a minute! I'm supposed to bring something to the festival! But what can I bring?" I asked myself. I searched my mind for clues. The only thing that came to mind were the mushrooms from the mountainside forest.
"Bingo!" I said as I snapped my fingers.
I headed for the forest. A minute later I came back with a mushroom, then I bolted to the town.
When I reached the public square, everyone I knew and everyone I didn't know were gathered here. This is the Harvest Festival. The people of Neighbor Town and anyone who lives close by the town like me, celebrate this festival on the 12th day of the autumn season every year. We all stood in line putting an ingredient we brought into the stew. Ellen's mom is the one making the stew. I was behind two people I don't recognize, but I saw up ahead that Mike was next to throw his ingredient in the stew. He had brought sweet potatoes. A minute later, Ellen's mom let Mike try a sample of the stew, giving Mike a bowl and a spoon. After the two people in front of me threw their ingredient in and left to eat their stew, I was next. I looked up at Ellen's mom standing above the stew with a big wooden spoon, stirring it.
"Welcome, Tony. put what you brought in the stew now," she instructed me.
"Yes, ma'am." I said.
I took my mushroom and threw it in the light brown boiling liquid. It sunk deep inside as Ellen's mom stirred the stew.
"Now, wait until its done." Ellen's mom said.
"Okay." I nodded.
2 1/2 minutes later, the stew is finally finished.
Then Ellen's mom took a black bowl and scooped up some of the stew. Then she climbed down from the stairs behind the big pot and approached me. she handed the stew to me.
"It's your stew. Eat it with gratitude," Ellen's mom told me with a warm smile.
I looked up at her. "Thank you, ma'am," I said with a grateful nod.
I took my spoon and took a sip. Wow, and I mean wow, that stew was delicious! I dipped my spoon in to try another. Man, I have never eaten stew like this so delicious before! Ellen's mom went back behind the pot to make stew out of other people's ingredients who are standing in line. I still held the bowl of stew in my hand. There are a lot of people here, but I wanted to talk to the people I know. I looked around until I saw Hank teetering near a table with a small plate apple pie and a huge peach on it.
"How are you doing over there, Hank? Are you feeling happy?" I asked him.
He turned around and looked at me, still teetering back and forth.
"I'm 100% happy only if I could taste when I eat good stuff," he replied.
"Well maybe its because that drink is killing your taste buds. If you would just let me see that bottle, it..." I slowly reached for the bottle Ellen's father is holding, but he pulled it out of my reach.
"No! Hic~! This drink means my whole life!" Hank retorted, scowling at me indignantly.
"That's your fault. You'll never taste good stew that way," I said as I brought my spoon up to my mouth filled with delicious liquid and mushroom juice.
I walked past a group of people, going to the southwest corner of the square. There, I saw Maria, standing near a table with an empty bowl and a clear bottle of purple colored liquid. I waved hi at her.
"Hey, Tony, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Maria. What is it?" I replied.
"Do you believe in God?" She asked me.
No one has ever asked me that question before. Maria is the very first person to ask me that. I shrugged.
"It's kinda hard to believe in something that you've never seen before. Some people can do it, some can't. That's not a yes or no answer, by the way," I told Maria as I sipped more soup out of my bowl.
"Well, even if you don't believe in God, it's good to keep gratitude in your mind," Maria said.
I slowly nodded. "I can't argue with that. You're right," I nodded, looking at her pure innocent eyes.
They remind me of her mom's. I see the resemblance. I looked around and I saw that not far from me, that red haired girl who is Mrs. Fortune's granddaughter is at a table, eating some fruits that I've never seen before. One looked similar to a watermelon but is too small to be a watermelon. It is the size of a pear.
"How is the fruit?" I asked her as I approached. She nodded at me.
"The fruits of foreign countries taste good, but they smell strong and I don't like that." The girl remarked.
Well, I have to admit, those fruits do have a strange odor.
I walked away, moving north. I walked past a dozen men and women, including Timothy, who walked by me saying: "Boy, I'm stuffed! *BURP!*"
I saw Nina talking to her mother up ahead near a table which has a plate of salmon and a bottle of water. I approached them.
"Hello, Nina! Hello, Liz," I said.
Liz smiled, then extended her clasped hands out towards me. I couldn't see what she held in her hands because they are closed together concealing what she is holding inside.
"Hey, please! Eat this!" Liz excitedly handed me a brown colored frog.
It is still alive! This is not candy that looks like a frog, it is a live frog!
"Huh?! Are you nuts?!" I exclaimed.
"No, no, seriously, eat it!" Liz insisted and Nina next to her giggled.
"Uh... Okay..." I said uneasily.
I took the frog, holding it in my hands and I looked down at it while hearing Nina and Liz giggle at my grimacing face. I feel bad for eating a live animal... But the hard reality is that animals in the wild get eaten every day. Predator and prey sort of thing. I took the frog in my hands and looked at it for a few seconds. Then I tossed it in my mouth. I didn't want to chew it and feel its guts pop in my mouth, so I just simply swallowed it. After it fell down the inside of my throat, I started breathing through my mouth like someone choked me.
"Thank you. You are so nice." Nina smiled.
I gagged a bit, and I could feel the frog jumping around in my stomach.
"Just... don't give me anything like that ever again. Clear?" I was so disgusted, I dropped my bowl of soup.
Nina and Liz laughed as I walked away. I looked around for Ellen, trying not to imagine the frog being slowly burned alive by my stomach acids as I felt it constantly hop around, likely in panic. I eventually passed by Mike, who was selling rice balls and dumplings. He was shouting:
"Tasty rice balls and dumplings! Won't you try some? They're all good!"
"I'll try some out." I said.
"Tony! Great! Hey, check these out. These are some of the most famous dumplings from the North. It's only $300. you want it?"
"Yes," I said.
I gave Mike the money and ate the dumpling. It is pretty good, reminds me of my mother's dumplings, and seconds after I ate the dumpling, I no longer felt the frog hopping around, so I can only guess its suffering has ended.
I found Ellen standing in front of the water fountain.
"Tony! Hey! Tony! I have something for you," Ellen called out to me when she spotted me.
"Really? What is it?" I asked.
Ellen showed me a huge plate with a pie on it. "I made this pumpkin pie all by myself. Do you want to try some?" Ellen asked me.
"Sure thing," I nodded.
I sat down and ate the pie in less than one minute. I stood up with the empty plate in my hands. I licked my lips.
"That is the best pumpkin pie ever!" I exclaimed.
Ellen smiled. "This year's pumpkins are sweet, aren't they?"
"They sure are!" I agreed.
I noticed Eve nearby, southwest from the water fountain, and I decided to talk to her.
"I'll be right back," I told Ellen.
"Okay. I'll be waiting," Ellen said.
I walked up to Eve, who is standing next to a table full of wine and her special "juices".
"Hey, Eve. What's that?" I asked her, about the bottle in her hands.
She turned towards me and held the bottel up in her hands with a proud smile. "It's the berry juice I made last year. It's one of the gifts of the earth. Want to try it?"
"Uhh... no thank you," I replied, holding my hands up and shaking my head in protest.
"It's really good though," Eve said, looking a bit sad.
Then I noticed behind Eve, next to a table with a HUGE pumpkin on it, I saw Ann standing there, with her machine that looks like a large oxygen tank or 18 foot tall steel water canteen with valves, buttons and knobs all over it.
As I walked up to her, she said: "Tadaaah, it's an Auto Harvesting Machine. Switch it on."
I stopped. I thought it over and decided not to.
"I don't know about this, Ann," I said as I backed away a bit.
"What are you afraid of?" Ann asked me with a confused, concerned frown.
She knelt down at her machine and pressed the "ON" button. The machine sputtered to life. I backed away even further. Then the machine spat out black smoke right at Anna's face! The smoke cleared to reveal that Anna's face is black as coal. Ann had a dumbfounded look on her face.
"...No, this can't be right," she muttered.
Just then the mayor arrived and announced:
"Everybody, we are about to start dancing. Pick a partner so we can get started." Mayor Stan called.
"Uh-oh. better find Ellen." I said to myself.
I found her near the water fountain like before, eating a slice of pumpkin pie.
"Ellen, will you be my dancing partner again?" I asked her, extending out my right hand at her.
She giggled, covering her smiling mouth with her right hand and looking at me with her eyelids half closed in a sexy way.
"Sure, I'll dance with you," she agreed, deftly taking my hand with her left hand.
We danced again. Michael danced with Liz, Mayor Stan danced with his wife, I danced with Ellen, and Mike danced with Eve. I was surprised. I guess Mike chose Eve as his dancing partner. I guess he wants to be a showoff. After the Harvest Festival ended at 7:30 p.m., I arrived back in my ranch, and laid in my bed, looking up at the ceiling, and thinking back at the times I danced with Ellen, at the Flower Festival, and the Harvest Festival a few hours ago. Those are some memories I'll never forget.
Thursday, 14th of Fall, 1976
It is 7:44 a.m.. I already showered and got dressed, I just ate a rice ball, I have $9630 in a safe spot in my house and I'm carrying $300 with me in my wallet, so technically I have $9330 saved, I almost got enough to get my house upgraded again, and I watched the news. The weather woman said it'll rain tomorrow here, in Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley. I looked at Koro. He barked at me.
"What? You want to be outside for a while? Okay, fine by me," I shrugged.
I picked up Koro and carried him outside. Once outside, I put him down, filled his dinner bowl with kibbles, and his water bowl with water. After that, I drew up some water up from the well, then poured the water from the wooden bucket to one of my plastic water jugs. Then I took the water jug to the chicken house so I can give my chickens some water to wash down the grass they eat. The baby chick I used to have is now grown up, and now I got five eggs to ship! After taking care of that, I went to Neighbor Town to chat with Ann, Michael, and Ellen for a while before I go off to the forest to bring back a couple mushrooms to ship of this evening.
When I reached Neighbor Town, I went to Ann and Michael's shop/house. Inside, I saw Ann making a few adjustments on the machine that blew in her face back in the festival. I couldn't help chuckling when I noticed how focused she is on repairing that big doohickey.
"You're tinkering with that old contraption again?" I asked her as I approached her.
"Yes, I am. There's a few glitches in this beauty that I need to work out," Ann replied, putting down the screwdriver and picking up a wrench, tightening a loose bolt into place.
"But if you turn it on after you fix it, it might blow up in your face again." I warned her.
Ann shrugged indifferently. "Well, constant effort is important, you know. They say success comes from many failures," she said.
"I guess so," I shrugged.
I walked on over to Michael, who is punching a few buttons on his cash register, too busy to notice me approaching, but he did hear my footsteps, though.
"Sorry, Tony. I'm too busy to talk right now. Come again some other time?" Michael said to me without even looking at me.
"Okay. Sorry. See ya," I left.
When I stepped outside, I decided to visit Ellen and her parents. Ellen's mother noticed me as soon as I stepped in.
"Oh, are you here to buy a jelly filled doughnut or something?" Ellen's mom asked me.
"Uh, no, I was looking for Ellen." I said.
Ellen's mother blinked in surprise, even though she shouldn't be surprised. "Oh, she told me to tell you to meet her at the hill's peak. She's expecting you up there."
"At the hill's peak? okay. Thanks for telling me." I said.
I quickly left the building. As soon as I was gone, Ellen's mom smiled and shook her head slowly.
"Those two get along real great. I wonder if it'll actually happen..." She wondered to herself.
I reached the foothills of the large hill with the great view of the valley at the summit. Without hesitation, I began to make my way up the hill. along the way, I picked a few mushrooms. When I was halfway there, after passing by where the sulfur spring is, I thought I heard a twig snap. I froze, waiting to see who it is. I walked slowly, being wary of my surroundings. Just when I was about to pass a big tree, I heard footsteps and Toby came out from around the tree in front of me!
"Waah!" We both shouted.
"Tony?!" Toby gasped.
"Toby?! What's going on?" I exclaimed.
"I was looking for you, sort of."
"Looking for me? Why?" I asked, frowning.
"This girl named Ellen told me to tell you that she's waiting at the mountain's peak for you," Toby said to me.
I tilted my head to the right in surprise. "Oh, really?"
"Yep. I suggest you hurry. I wouldn't want to upset a cutie like her if I were you." Toby smiled, nudging his elbow into my left arm a few times.
"Toby! Come on, now!" I groaned.
"Better go!" He urged me.
I moved on. Up at the peak, there was Ellen, looking at the breathtaking view of the huge forest that spread for miles around, and the beautiful mountains many miles away beyond the vast forest highlighted by the orange skies made by the setting sun.
"Hey, Ellen," I called.
"Hi, Tony. Can you sit next to me, please?" Ellen asked me.
"Sure," I said and I sat down on her left. I took a deep breath as soon as she edged closer to me so that I can feel her left leg touching my right leg. "Soooo... What's going on? Why are we way out here?" I asked her.
Ellen didn't look at me. She stared intently at the beautiful view ahead.
"Tony... I..." She let her voice trail off there, then she looked at me. "I really, really like you, Tony..."
Those words really took me by surprise. I was so surprised I couldn't say anything.
"After we danced at the Harvest Festival, later that night, these emotions hit me... emotions so powerful that I couldn't help but cry," Ellen said, wiping her eyes with the back of her right hand.
"Why were you crying?" I finally managed to say.
"Because... that night, I realized that... My life will feel much more complete if I could be with you forever."
Those words hit my heart hard. So hard, a tear fell from my right eye. "If I can't be with you, then... my life will just be.. plain miserable..." Ellen started crying, resting her head on my right shoulder.
I couldn't help but comfort her.
"There, there... it's okay. I'm not going anywhere." I said warmly, stroking her hair gently.
I looked into Ellen's eyes four inches close to her face.
"I feel the same way about you, only... I've been hiding it for a while now. Since you feel the same way about me, I'll be by your side as often as I possibly can." I said.
"Oh, Tony..." Ellen started crying on my shoulder again, her tears falling on my T-shirt.
Later that night, as I laid in my bed, I held the blue feather up towards the ceiling as I looked at it. Am I doing the right thing waiting? Am I just causing a lot of stress between me and Ellen? Should I propose to her a little more earlier than the Star Night Festival? I don't know anymore. Ellen is already getting very attached to me. Maybe... Just maybe... after I upgrade my house again, then I'll ask her to marry me. Maybe...
Friday, 15th of Fall, 1976
It's raining outside. I can hear it. I showered, brushed my teeth, ate a bread roll and watched the news. The weather woman said it'll continue raining tomorrow. Two days in a row!
"That's a first." I said with a smile.
I fed Koro before heading outside. I fed my chickens and took care of their eggs to be shipped, then I fixed some of the broken fences, then I headed off to the mountainside forest to see Luke and his carpenters.
I stood there, looking at Luke's house tree. I could tell that its not a real tree made to be a house, because the leaves on top have never fallen. I walked up the doorstep and opened the door. There was Emmet and Luke sitting at the tables. Ingo and Toby were sleeping on the bunk beds to the left of the room.
"Tony. Wow, you look wetter than a badger," Emmet remarked.
"Really? I see that your clothes are bone dry. Let's see you chop wood out there in the rain and not catch a cold," I smiled in a somewhat friendly, challenging way.
"Hey, it's tough when the weather is gloomy," Emmet said, in an apologetic way.
"Enough. What's going on, Tony? State your business," Luke said to me.
"I want you guys to enlarge my house again," I said.
Emmet abruptly spat out his coffee. "Out in this weather?! B-b-but... tomorrow is a bad time, we-" Emmet started to say, but Luke raised his hand to signal Emmet to stop talking.
"If you want us to work on your house, then that's fine. We'll be at the ranch tomorrow," Luke said.
"Thanks, Luke. You're a real lifesaver." I said. Then I left, shutting the door.
"That kid has guts, Lucas... Coming out in this rain to ask us to work on his house tomorrow, knowing that it will still rain..." Emmet mumbled.
"I know it's unusual, but it seems that there's some kind of hidden motivation behind it all. He's not just upgrading his house for himself," Luke said, slowly sipping his coffee. Ingo woke up.
"You mean to tell me that the kid found himself a girl?" He asked Emmet.
"That's exactly what I was thinking, mate," Emmet replied before drinking his coffee.
"If that's the case, we gotta help him out rain or shine, I want to see that kid happy," Toby said, finally waking up. I guess they were eavesdropping in the conversation.
Saturday, 16th of Fall, 1976
I never expected this, but someone was pounding on the door. Good thing I was already awake and just ate breakfast and dressed. My overalls were still a little wet from the rain yesterday. I opened up the door to see who it is.
"Hey, Tony. Mind if I come in and warm up for a minute?" It is Luke.
"Oh no, please come in," I stood out of Luke's way so he can come in.
He waled past Koro, who is eating kibbles out of his bowl and Luke sat down in front of the fireplace.
"Ohh... that feels much better." Luke sighed, feeling the heat.
I walked over to Luke and stood next to him, to his right.
"I suppose you're here to pick up the cash you need to enlarge my house, right?" I asked him.
"Oh, right! Yeah! The cost is $10000 this time," Luke replied.
My eyes widened. "That much?" I asked him.
"Exactly. Why? You don't have enough, do you?" Luke asked urgently sensing that he probably came up here for nothing.
"Oh no, I got enough, $10690," I replied.
"Perfect!" Luke smiled.
I gave him the money.
"Okay, we'll start working tomorrow," Luke said.
I turned on the television and I just caught the weather woman saying that it will continue raining tomorrow too. Luke flinched and groand, rubbing his face into his hands.
"Oh man... Emmet is not going to like this..." Luke moaned.
"Does that mean you'll have to postpone your work?" I asked Luke, all worried.
"Nonsense! Me and my boys are used to working all day, all night, in rain or sunshine," Luke replied adamantly.
"Sounds like you guys are real experts," i remarked.
"Yeah... It's just that Emmet doesn't like rain," Luke replied.
"Really? Why?" I asked.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. Have a good day, Tony," Luke said before leaving out the door.
After Luke left, I left my house to feed my chickens, get their eggs ready for shipping, and fix a few fences. I spent the whole day in my house watching T.V. As I was watching a marathon of Benjamin The Cottontail Rabbit episodes, I couldn't help but wonder how Ellen is doing.
Tuesday, 19th of Fall, 1976
It's raining again. My room hasn't changed much yet, but I could still hear power tools at work outside. Not only that, I heard rainfall too. After eating breakfast, I turned to the news channel on my television, and the red haired woman said: "This is the information we have on a special event tomorrow. We'll have the annual Egg Festival. The weather is very good, by the way, so no worries. Ladies and gentlemen, you are cordially invited to take part."
Then I turned off the T.V. After feeding Koro, I went outside and fed my chickens, prepared their eggs, fixed my fences. Before I could come back in my house, I thought I heard Mike calling me. I turned around and saw him enter my ranch.
"Mike! What are you doing way out here?" I asked him.
"To remind you that the Egg Festival is tomorrow, and that I'll definitely be there," Mike replied.
"You came all the way up here to tell me that?
He nodded. "I know. I'm just here to remind you, that all, just in case you get all caught up in your rancher work. See ya." He turned and left for the pickup truck parked outside my ranch.
I shook my head and walked towards my house.
"Everything all right, mate?" Emmet asked me as he passed by carrying a wooden board under his left armpit.
"I'm good," I replied.
I opened the door and undressed out of my overalls, wearing only a new T-shirt and boxers. I then sat in front of my T.V. and began playing my Super VGamer system.
Wednesday, 20th Of Fall
When I woke up out of my bed, I noticed that my room looked completely different that it looked yesterday. When I got out of my bed and looked ahead of me, I saw an extra bed ahead of me on the other side of the room, and below it, a little crib.
"Huh. That's cute," I smiled.
The desk that holds my clock and notebook of all my funds stands between the bed I sleep in and the other bed. I got dressed and went to the next room. The next room is bigger than my bedroom! I saw my television, I had a refrigerator, three pantries ob both sides of it, and my dinner table is in the middle of the room, standing on a huge blue rug.
"Wow...!" I gasped. Koro barked at me as he ran up to me. I picked him up. "Come on, Koro. Let's go thank Luke and his carpenters!" I said. I stepped outside.
I saw Luke, Emmet, Ingo, and Toby waiting for me on the porch.
"Luke, guys... you have really outdone yourselves..." I said with a satisfied grin.
"We did, didn't we! It's all finished!" Toby clapped.
Emmet and Ingo clapped with him.
"Just look at it. I call it the Super Deluxe great Log House!" Luke cried, like an artist proud of his work. He definitely should be proud.
"It's a beauty, ain't it, Tony?" Ingo asked me.
"It sure is. I see you guys made extra beds, too. but what's up with the baby crib? Why did you add a baby crib?" I asked.
Nobody answered that question, but Luke said: "It's for just in case... you know..."
"No, I don't. What?" I asked.
Luke cleared his throat and said: "Well, even if I am in love with this house, I gotta go. See you later, Tony." Luke said.
"See ya!" Emmet waved bye.
Luke and his team left. After they left, I stepped down the stairs of my porch to get a better look at my house. After that, I fed Koro, gave him water, did the same to my chickens and took care of their eggs, then I ran around the ranch shouting and yelling joyfully. I ran int my tool shed, grabbed my sickle and came back out and began cutting up the grass laughing joyfully as I spun around like a tornado. For some odd reason, I didn't get dizzy this time. After stuffing all the grass in the silo, I danced my way to Neighbor Town to take part in the Egg Festival.
When I got to the Neighbor Town public Square, 2 hours later, I realized that there aren't many people taking part in this festival. The only people I saw are Ellen, Ann, Nina, Ellen's uncle and dad, Mike, Michael, Liz, Mayor Stan, Timothy and that little girl who is always with Mrs. Fortune. I walked up to Tim.
"Hey, Tim! This is like an Easter egg hunt, right?" I asked him.
"Yes. They say the winner will get a great prize," Tim replied.
"Oh. Do you know what it is?" I asked him.
He shook his head.
"Oh." I replied sullenly.
I walked up to Ellen, Ann and Nina, who were talking together.
"All right, I'll try to win this year," I heard Ann say as I approached them.
"You know what I heard? I heard the prize is a very rare flower seed," Nina chimed in.
"If Koro were here, he would find the eggs quickly," Ellen remarked.
"I see you girls are getting ready for the big hunt, huh?" I said as I got close enough to them.
They all turned their eyes on me.
"Hey there," Ann said.
"Hey Ellen. Do you think Tony will win?" Nina asked Ellen.
"I don't know... But I'll do my best to win," Ellen said, then winked at me.
"It wouldn't be challenging if you don't," I said, then winked back.
Just then, Ellen's father walked up to me.
"Hey, excuse me. Is the prize juice?" Hank asked me.
I frowned and winced at the smell of his foul breath reeking of alcohol.
"I don't think so, no," I told him, fanning the air in front of my face of the foul smell.
"Oh..." He walked away.
I spotted Ellen's uncle and I walked up to him.
"You ready to go for this, sir?" I asked him.
"I sure am," he replied, lifting his legs one at a time like he's getting ready to jog.
"I won't be beaten by those young kids," he remarked.
Then we all heard Mayor Stan shout by megaphone: "Now, the annual egg searching game begins!"
"Here we go," I mumbled.
Me, Ellen's uncle, her dad Hank, Ellen, Ann, Nina, Timothy, the red haired girl, and Mike gathered around Mayor Stan, who is standing in front of a small table.
"The rules are simple," Mayor Stan shouted, without using his megaphone this time.
"The first person that finds the same colored egg as the one I show wins the game. Is everybody ready?"
"YEAH!" We all shouted.
"Okay! Here we go! The first egg looks like this!" Stan placed the egg on the table.
It's a bright orange egg with yellow zigzag patterns on it. Immediately we all took off running out of the public square! I was frantic. Where would I find the egg? As I was heading towards the northwest exit of the square, I decided to check by the mayor's house. But the Ellen's uncle beat me to the treasure chest there, but it looked like he found the wrong egg! A surge of hope ran through my body as I continued running. I passed by Mike and Nina as I ran for the church.
"Where's the chest? Where's the chest?" I muttered to myself.
I checked the graveyard behind the church. There I saw a treasure chest. When I ran to it and opened it, nothing was in there!
"Drat!" I muttered.
I then left the graveyard and headed for Nina and Liz's flower shop I met up with Mike searching for the treasure chest around the flower shop, but we found nothing. Then, somehow, my frantic brain got the idea to check by Mrs. Fortune's house. I ran down over there and found a treasure chest between her house and the bushes. I popped open the chest. I found the same colored egg Stan showed!
"Bingo!" I grinned, holding the egg in my hand.
I ran back to the square and showed Stan the egg. "Here it is!" I said.
By this time, everyone gathered back at the square.
"This is it! That's the same colored egg!" Stan said, examining the egg he had and the egg I brought.
He then rung the bell so everybody can return to see the next egg they need to find.
"That's 1 point for you, Tony. Next is this one!" Stan set another colored egg on the little table.
This one is cyan colored! Immediately we all ran out of the square. I left the square out of the exit to the west. As I ran, I remembered all the other treasure chests I've checked. From what I could tell, when Ellen's uncle checked the chest near the mayor's house, I thought the egg looked green or something, so it can't be it. The chest in the church's graveyard is empty.
I then had an idea. I'll check Ellen's uncle's livestock shop! I ran on over there, passing by Hank, Nina, Michael and Timothy.
"Mooove!" Timothy shouted as I ran past him.
I ran down the stairs then turned left. i found a treasure chest near me! I opened it. Inside I found a teal colored egg!
"No!" I moaned, raising my arms up in the air and then throwing them down in defeat.
I shut the chest and continued running. I decided to check the livestock shop, like I planned previously. I got there. I jumped over the fence and headed for the chest... But the egg in there isn't the one I'm looking for! "No!" I shut the chest up and moved on. as I ran past Mrs. Fortunes' house, I noticed there was a chest on the bridge leading out of town, but it was empty!
"What?!" I gasped.
Then I heard a bell ring. I headed back to the square and so did everyone else. Ellen's uncle had found the egg we're looking for! So that means 1 point for him!
"Bingo! You are correct! One point for you, Dale. Next is this one!" Stan placed another egg on the table.
Its color is teal! I know where that egg is! I ran back to where I found the egg, leaving the square through the west exit, going down the road until I came to the stairs, then turned left, and I found the chest that has it! Ann was about to get to it, but I beat her to it because I run a little faster than she can.
"Yes!" I smiled once I had the egg in my hand.
"Aw shoot!" Ann grumbled, stuffing her hands in her pockets.
Then I ran back to the square and showed Stan.
"Great job! That's the same color!" Stan said.
He rung the bell and everyone returned to the square. Once everyone returned, Stan prepared to show the next egg.
"Next is this one!" Stan placed the egg on the table.
It is green colored! I know where that one is too! Near Mayor Stan's house! I raced on over there, but I wasn't alone. Ellen's uncle ran with me over there.
"I'm not going to let a youngster like you show me up!" Dale glared at me as we ran down the road.
"Is that a challenge? I accept it!" I replied smugly.
I have to say, I'm surprised Ellen's uncle Dale is a fast runner! This guy can run even though he appears to be 55 or 57! I picked up the pace, moving on a little faster than Dale. When we reached the mayor's house my legs were aching, but I got there first. I opened the chest, grabbed the green egg, then returned to the square and showed Stan the egg.
"Great!" Stan smiled.
He rung the bell and everybody returned.
"Next is this one!" Stan placed the final egg on the table.
It's pink! I know where that egg is! Its at the livestock owner's shop! As soon as I left the square from the northeast exit, I noticed that Ellen was following me too! She caught up with me. We ran side by side.
"I take it you know where the egg is, don't you?" Ellen asked me.
"Like I'd tell you!" I scoffed, and Ellen smiled.
"Nothing personal, but this egg is mine!" Ellen slowly began to move ahead of me.
I couldn't believe it! Both Ellen and her uncle are excellent runners! Is it hereditary that Ellen's family can run fast? I better come up with a plan to get ahead of Ellen! We just ran past Mrs. Fortune's house. and we were coming towards the stairs. I had an idea. If I jumped down instead of stepping down the stairs, I'll get ahead of Ellen faster! I smiled at my clever plan. As soon as Ellen reached the stairs, she began stepping down in a fast pace. When I reached the stairs, I jumped instead of stepping down! I sailed over Ellen's head!
"Huh?! Wha...?!" Ellen gasped as she saw me soar over her head.
I landed gracefully on the ground (I'm surprised I didn't break a leg) and continued running.
I ran past Nina, who was wandering aimlessly, trying to figure out where the next egg is. When I got the the livestock shop I vaulted over the wooden fence, with Ellen closing in fast behind me. I reached the treasure chest and opened it. There's the pink egg! I ran back to the square and showed Stan the egg. Stan rung the bell and everybody returned.
"Okay, the game is over. I'm announcing the winner. everybody, stand in line." Stan ordered. We all stood in a single file line. Stan read the notes on how many points we all earned.
"The winner of this year's Egg Festival is... Mr. Tony!" Stan announced.
All eyes turned to look at me, and everyone cheered and applauded.
"Congratulations! The prize is being delivered to your home right now," Stan told me.
"Thank you. I sure had fun!" I said.
"Now everybody, let's do our best this year too!" Stan said.
Everyone cheered once again. Once all the cheering died down, I talked to everyone, congratulating them, even though they lost.
"Phew, it's good for a healthy body to do some exercise," Ellen remarked.
"Yes, it is," I nodded.
I walked up to Ellen's uncle.
"You can run! You have my total respect now!" I told him.
"Huff... I just couldn't do it like I usually do," Dale sighed in defeat.
"Usually?"
"Years ago, before you were even born, I used to win the Egg Festivals all the time."
That's shocking! As soon as I got home, I laid my tired arm and leg joints to rest. Before I fell asleep, I noticed that on the table, with my alarm clock and fund notebook, there is a strange doll that looks like a turtle. I was too tired to examine it, so I just fell asleep.
Friday, 22nd Of Fall
I was watching television. The weatherwoman said that it'll be sunny tomorrow. That put a smile on my face. Oh, by the way, yesterday, I learned that the prize I earned from the Egg Festival is that doll that looks like a turtle. They say its a lucky charm that protects people from natural disasters. Great. I need something like that. Anyway, I left my house to feed Koro outside, and my chickens. I prepared their eggs for shipping, then I looked around the ranch for a broken wooden fence post that I missed because I thought I heard Koro barking last night. I found it and fixed it. Then I walked up to Koro, who was sitting on the porch.
"Thanks, Koro. we have to keep those wild dogs from entering the ranch. Am I right?" I said as I patted Koro on the head.
"Waff waff!"
He barked. I then looked at my house. "Hmm..." I examined it while rubbing my chin.
"I think this house needs a new paint job. I wonder if Michael has some paint," I said to myself.
With that, I left the ranch and ran on over to Neighbor Town. When I reached town, I headed on over to Michael and Ann's house.
"Ah, morning, Tony." Michael gave me a warm welcome smile.
"Morning, Michael. Do you have some paint?" I asked him.
"Paint? What for?"
"To paint my house. It needs a new paint job," I replied.
Michael rubbed his chin. "Aha! I got just the thing for you." He then ducked down behind the counter then came back up with a paint can and a paintbrush. "This is a special can of paint. It's $1500. You want it?"
I pulled out my wallet and gave him the money.
"You got yourself a deal, Michael," I said.
"Great!" Michael smiled.
I took the can of paint in my hands, along with the brush, and left. When I came back to the ranch, I headed to my house without any hesitation. It is noon now. I set the paint can down and opened the lid. I dipped the paintbrush in there then began painting the house. I painted around the windows, on the door, everywhere except the roof. It took me all noon to paint around the house. I had to take a 6 minute break and drink water every 30 minutes.
Saturday, 23rd Of Fall
Like always, I woke up to take a shower, get dressed into my overalls and cap, eat a croissant, and watch television for the daily weather news. It'll be sunny tomorrow, 68 degrees. I walked outside to feed Koro and my chickens, and of course, to get the new eggs ready to be shipped. When I shut the door to the chicken house behind me, I was walking down the field with my hands in my pockets. In my right pocket, I felt something fuzzy is in there.
"What the...?" I grabbed it and pulled it out to see what it is.
It's that blue feather I bought.
I forgot about it. As I looked at the blue feather, I began having flashbacks of me talking to Ellen, the time when Ellen said that taking care of animals is like a mother taking care of her kids, and that day when we were at the mountain peak when Ellen said that being with me makes her life feel complete. Remembering those events made my heart ache. Tears welled in my eyes as I closed them. I tried not to cry, but I couldn't stop it. Then I realized that there was no reason for me to wait at the right time to propose to Ellen. I could have proposed to her any time I liked. Its not like I barely knew her or anything. We were pretty close. We've gotten pretty close very fast in only two seasons. I then decided. I'm going to go to Neighbor Town even though it is 8:18 a.m.
I headed on over to the livestock shop. I walked up to the entrance. I tried to push the door open, but it is locked.
"Drat." I muttered.
I then remembered that Ellen is probably out back behind the shop, interacting with the animals. I headed to the fenced area around the shop and jumped over the fence. In the shelter where cows, calves and chickens are kept, I found Ellen. She is playing with a calf.
"Ellen," I called to her.
She turned and looked up at me.
"Hi, Tony. You look cute today," she smiled as she stood up.
"So are you," I replied.
"So, what brings you here?" Ellen asked me.
"Well... uh, it's kinda hard for me to say," I replied shyly, kicking away a rock near my left boot.
"Go on. You can tell me," Ellen urged me.
I rubbed my nose for a second, trying to keep eye contact with Ellen, but failing at it.
"Well, see, the thing is... There's this thing I've been wanting to ask you for weeks now, and... I'm having a hard time trying to get the words to come out of my mouth... What I'm saying is... Well, I mean, uh... Maybe this will help."
I reached into my pocket and slowly revealed the blue feather, and I showed it to Ellen. She looked at it with wide eyes.
"Ellen, I've been thinking about this for a while, and I've made my decision. Will you...?" I meekly asked her.
"What? Really?... Yes... I will," Ellen slowly nodded.
As soon as Ellen agreed to marry me, she went to her house and told her parents about it. Then her parents told the whole town about it!
Everybody spent the next ten hours began getting ready for the wedding ceremony. Ellen's mother baked the wedding cake and offered her wedding dress to Ellen, Ann, Michael, Nina and Liz bought the decorations for the wedding reception, Mayor Stan drove me to a town called Lake Arthur to find a tuxedo for me to buy, but we couldn't find a tuxedo there, so we drove further west along Hwy 14 E until we reached the town Hayes. Once again, we couldn't fight the right tuxedo for me, most of the good tuxedos my size were sold out. So Stan and I continued west to an unincorporated community called Bell City and we found the perfect tuxedo for me to wear at a convenience store called Lalay's LLC. Since I have never worn one before while his wife and Eve helped Ellen find a good wedding dress, I don't know where they went to find one. Twelve hours later, I stood inside the church with Ellen. She wore a bright blue wedding dress, and I wore a white tuxedo. It was a little different from the dream I had last summer, I wore a black tuxedo in my dream, but its close enough.
"Hey Ellen."
"Yes, Tony?"
"Remember when you asked me if dreams become a reality?"
"Yes."
"Well, this is my dream, and it became a reality," I smiled warmly at her.
Ellen smiled back. "Mine, too."
I held her right and and her right hand held my left hand as we began to walk out of the church. As soon as the doors swung open, bright orange evening sunlight washed over us. It didn't take our eyes much effort to adjust to the brightness of the setting sun to the west. As soon as we stepped out, everyone started cheering.
The church bell rang, too. Me and Ellen couldn't help but smile and wave at everyone standing at the sides of the brick road. And just like in my dream, Daniel came up to us and asked us individually if we really wanted to take each other as husband and wife. We both said our "I do's", but unlike my dream, I said my "I do" with more courage. After becoming officially husband and wife, me and Ellen looked at each other.
"You ready?" I asked.
"Mm-hmm," Ellen nodded.
We came close together and locked lips. Ooh, kissing her lips... felt great! After kissing, we moved on further down, waving at the citizens of Neighbor Town.
"Tony! Look up!" Ellen pointed at the sky.
"What?" I looked up. I saw birds flying above us! Then me and Ellen looked at each other.
"I love you, Tony," she said in a soft voice that almost made me melt.
"I love you too, Ellen," I replied.
On Saturday 23rd of Fall in the year 1976, we got married today.