Monday, 8th of Summer
The most exciting thing during Alma's morning on the farm was that she had a large egg - and a high quality one at that! She was thrilled, and though she wanted to keep it, she thought it was more important to donate it as the first contribution to the animal bundle in the community center. She put on her straw hat then brought eggs, mushrooms, and some forageables into town.
When she arrived at Pierre's shop, she not only saw that today was Gus's birthday but that he also posted a Help Wanted ad asking for a red mushroom. It was too easy for Alma; she even had a red mushroom already in her bag. She tore off the paper and went inside the store. She sold her other mushrooms and the small egg to Pierre and then went to the saloon to visit Gus. It was lunch time, and he had just opened up for the day. She came in and saw him standing at the counter, washing mugs. "Hey, you look like you could use a beverage."
"It's me who should be buying you a beverage! Happy Birthday!" She pulled out a sweet pea flower for him. "Maybe you can put this on the bar or something."
"You remembered my birthday!" He took the flower and sniffed it with a smile. "Thank you. This is great. Maybe I will put it in a glass and set it up on the bar. It can be a nice little summertime touch."
"And the gifts don't end there!" she said, taking out the red mushroom.
Gus laughed. "Is that the red mushroom I requested?"
"It is indeed, fresh from my farm just this morning."
"I really appreciate it," he said as he took it from her. He pulled out his coin purse and counted through some money. "Let's see. Here's what I owe you."
Alma accepted the money and took a seat. "Have any plans for fun today?"
"Oh, no, not really. I went to Pierre's this morning to get some ingredients, and now I'm here tending to the saloon. People will be filing in here in a few hours."
"You're not even going to turn on a fun song on the jukebox or take a break to play on the arcade machines or anything?"
"Well, now that you mention it, having a change of music might be nice. How about you put on the Tropicala for me? That's a good song for a party."
"You got it." She walked over to the jukebox and selected the summertime track. The room filled with the upbeat music, and Alma danced her way toward the door. "There ya go, Gus. Enjoy your party!" He laughed and danced a little as he waved goodbye to her. Alma went up to the community center and saw Harvey standing by the fountain again. "So this is just your new hangout spot, huh?"
He smiled with a small shrug. "What can I say? I'm a creature of habit, but I do change it up every now and then."
"Well, I can't say I blame you. It's nice to be outside and feel the sun and breeze …" Alma took a seat on one of the benches, "and the sound of the fountain is nice too."
"It is a beautiful day, isn't it? I wish I had less work to do," he said as he took a seat on another bench.
She plopped her bag next to her. "Could you bring any of your work outside?"
"Probably not a good idea," he said. "If the wind blew it away, that could be a-a HIPAA violation."
"Ah, true."
"Plus, I don't want to stay out in the sun too long. Speaking of," he said, pointing to his head, "I see you, uh … you took my advice."
"I did." She felt her finger along the brim of her straw hat. "I still can't believe this is me. Straw hat, overalls, leather boots, covered in dirt pretty much every day …. It's a far cry from how I looked even a year ago."
"And how would you describe h-how you looked a year ago?"
"Well, for one thing, my hair was much longer. I wore dress pants and a blouse to work every day, maybe a skirt, sometimes heels and earrings. Makeup usually. Now I've hardly even bathed!" she laughed. "Before I came, I sold everything, including my clothes. It was kind of an impulse, emotion-led decision. I didn't want anything from my past. No memories or anything. I wanted a new life. I bought these overalls, and I donated my hair and colored what was left the day before I came."
"Would you say you feel more comfortable in your style now?"
"Comfortable? Maybe not yet. It still feels a bit like … like a costume in some ways. But happier, yes. It feels really good to get my hands dirty and do something - like, tangibly do something."
"Speaking of, are you on your way to take something to the - the Junimo?"
"I am, actually. And you might want to see it too." She opened her bag and took out the large egg.
"Wow! That's significantly bigger than the other one you gave me."
"Yes! The chickens are certainly getting more comfortable!" Alma laughed. "It's the first contribution to the animal bundle."
Harvey sat up with widened eyes. "That's why you wanted the barn before your kitchen. You wanted to donate animal products to the community center first."
Alma nodded. "And the barn is my next big investment. I'll be there soon, once I get on my feet with these summer crops. But, as a matter of fact," she said, standing up, "I should probably get this in there and then go do some fishing."
Harvey stood up too, watching her pull on her backpack. "Okay, well, have a good one. M-Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. Enjoy your fountain time." She waved and walked on toward the community center. After she dropped off the egg, she went down the path by Pierre's shop all the way to the beach. When she crossed the bridge, she saw a book poking out from the sand. "A lost book!" she whispered, rushing to it. She pulled out her hoe and was able to dig it up, though the sand was too caked on for her to read the cover. She was excited to read it after Gunther got it cleaned up.
Alma went to the pier and cast out her line. She took a minute to look at the horizon and watch the waves go in and out. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The salty smell of the ocean filled her nose. She listened to the movement of the water. It was such a calming sound, and it always amazed her how it never stopped. The water was always moving, teeming with life. She soon felt a pull on her line, and it snapped her out of her daydreaming. She pulled and let go and pulled and let go, and eventually, she pulled up a red mullet.
She kept fishing for several hours, catching mostly red mullet but also a flounder. After a while, she started to get tired and went home for an early night's rest. She read How Deep Do the Mines Go? until she fell asleep.