This next chapter came out a little earlier than I expected. Hope you guys like it!
Chapter 12
A tour of Osia
A couple days had passed and now I was being released from the clinic. Finn had given me a new set of clothes since the ones I had before were nothing more, but a pair of raggedy shorts. I was now wearing a red shirt with a strange blue symbol that looked like the sun with my necklace around my neck and another pair of shorts that were blue.
"There we go. Perfect fit. It's a good thing I found some clothes," said Finn as he looked me over.
"Is this okay Finn?" I asked as I looked at myself in my new clothes. "I mean don't these clothes belong to you?"
"Don't worry about it," said Finn. "Besides these clothes were donated by a friend of mine a couple years back. She wanted them to be put into good use so it's fine."
"OK. If you say so, Mr. Finn."
"You know Willy, you don't have to be so formal," chuckled Finn. "Just call me Finn OK?"
"OK, Mr. ... I mean Finn. Thank you very much."
"It's no problem at all," said Finn. "I'm happy to help. Now then, are you ready to go?"
"Sure," I replied.
Since I was being released from the hospital and it also happened to be his day off, Finn decided to take the opportunity to show me around town, but first, he was going show me his house which I was going to be staying at from now on. I felt a little awkward and shy at first because I've never really talked to anyone else besides Finn before and I was going to be living in a new place, but on the hand, it was a nice change of pace. We both walked out of the clinic and made our way down the street passing by small shops and houses that were next to them. There were also people bustling around shopping, selling things, or just plain walking together being merry with one another.
Overall, it was a pretty nice village. It reminded me so much like my own village that it felt like I was back home again. Sadly it wasn't the same. It made me miss being near the ocean feeling that ocean breeze and smelling that ocean air. Most of all, I missed being able to swim in that ocean. Swimming really made me feel something special.
"Willy? Willy? Are you OK?"
Hearing Finn's voice I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.
"Oh. Sorry, Finn. It's nothing," I said. "I just was just looking at the people. They're all so happy."
"Hahaha. Well it's nothing fancy, but I can say that Osia is one of the best places to live," said Finn.
"Hey! If it isn't Finn!" said a voice.
Finn and I looked and there was an old couple smiling and waving at us. Finn waved at them back smiling
"Old Man Johnny. Jessica. Good morning," he said
"How are you on this fine day?" asked Johnny.
"I'm doing fine. Same as usual."
"Hey. Isn't that the boy who we found in our barn the other day?" asked Jessica looking at me.
"Yes it is," said Finn. "Willy, these are the people who found you when you fell unconscious in the barn. Meet Old Man Johnny his wife Jessica."
"Um...hello," I said timidly feeling a little shy.
"Aww. He's just adorable!" said Jessica smiling.
"Hahaha. Nice to meet you, Willy," said Johnny. "I'm glad to see you looking better."
"Th-thank you," I said meekly. "And... I'm sorry about what happened before. I didn't mean to end up in your barn and cause trouble."
"Think nothing of it kid," said Johnny. "It happens. I'm just glad to see you alive and well."
"So Finn, what are you two going to do today?" asked Jessica.
"Well, since it's my day off and Willy has just been released from the clinic, I figured I'd take the opportunity show him around town and take him to my place."
"Ah. Well then, we better leave you to it," said Johnny. "Make sure Willy sees everything our village has to offer Finn."
"Yes. And Willy if you ever need anything, feel free to come us," said Jessica. "We'll be happy to help you in any way we can."
"S-sure," I said. "Thank you very much, Miss."
"Well then, we best be off then," said Johnny. "See you later boys!"
"Bye Johnny. Bye Jessica. See you later."
And with that, Johnny and Jessica left as Finn and I continued our walk down the street.
"So Willy? What did you think of Old Man Johnny and Jessica?" asked Finn.
"Well... they're nice... I guess," I answered.
"Hahaha. Still feeling a little shy huh?" chuckled Finn. "It's okay. You'll open up eventually. Anyway, let's keep walking. There's a lot that I have to show you."
"OK"
And so we continued to walk all around town with Finn giving the grand tour. He showed me all the best spots in town. As he gave me the tour, we walked past various different people who said hello to us, but mostly to Finn as we passed by. I knew that he must have been popular as a doctor, but I never imagined he was liked this much. Before I knew it, Finn had just about shown me almost everything in Osia.
"Well, that's just about everything there is to see about Osia," said Finn.
"Are we gonna go to your house next Finn?" I asked.
"Not just yet Willy. First I have to get some supplies considering that we're gonna be living together. Think of it as the last part of the tour."
We went back to walking until went down a road which led to a marketplace, filled with people selling vegetables, meat and many other things. I couldn't help but be a little amazed from what I saw. As we walked by, we heard various vendors trying to get Finn to buy something from them.
"Get your fresh nuts! I got chestnuts, walnuts, and dates here!" one called.
"Come one, come all! Get your fresh apple cider! Freshly squeezed straight from the barrel!" another said.
"Get your paper here! Can't know about the news until you read it yourself!" said a third.
"Wow. There sure are a lot of people here," I said.
"I have to agree," said Finn. "By the way Willy, be sure to stay close to me. These guys will sucker you in just to make a quick buck even though you're a kid."
"OK, Finn."
Soon we came to a young woman who was running a vegetable stand.
"Well if it isn't Finn," the woman said smiling. "How are you today?"
"I'm doing just great thanks," replied Finn.
"Here to buy some vegetables today?"
"Yes. I'm gonna need a little more because I've got an extra mouth to feed now."
"An extra mouth?"
The woman looked at me and I couldn't help but hide behind Finn once again. When the woman saw me, she was surprised.
"Finn? Who's that boy? Is he your son or something?"
"Well... yes. I guess you could say he is," said Finn. "This is Willy Falconer. He's gonna be living with me for a while."
"I see. Hahaha. I gotta say though, he's quite the handsome boy."
"Now, now Shirley. He's a bit young for you so don't go trying to flirt with him." teased Finn.
"Oh shut it you rascal!"
"Willy, this is Shirley," said Finn. "She runs one of the best vegetable stands in Osia. If you want to get the best veggies, she's the one to go to."
"H-hello," I said. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Shirley."
"Aww. He's adorable and so polite!" gushed Shirley. "It's nice to meet you too Willy."
"Now then getting down to business Shirley, may please get the usual?" asked Finn.
"Daikon radish, carrots, and potatoes? You got it, Finn," replied Shirley.
She then went to get all the vegetables that Finn ordered. After a while, she came back with the things Finn had requested.
"There you go, Finn. Everything you requested should be in there."
"Thank you very much, Shirley. Here's the money I owe you."
"Thank you for your patronage. Hope you come by again Finn and you too Willy."
"Take care."
"Willy? Can you help me carry these?"
"Sure Finn."
Finn gave me a couple bags of vegetables while carrying a couple himself, we moved on to the next vendor. Once again the vendors called out to us trying to make a deal, but Finn walked past them and I followed suit. Soon we came to another vendor. This vendor was a young man running a meat stand.
"Hey! Finn! How ya doing kiddo?"
"I'm doing fine Marco. How's business?"
"Can't complain," smiled Marco. "Business is booming as usual."
"Got anything good today?"
"Actually yes I do. A fresh shipment of pork just came in. It's great for if you wanna make some pork cutlets and stuff."
"Awesome. I'll take a pound of that please."
As Finn and Marco were off doing their own thing, I took a look around at Marco's stand. His stand had various different meats that I've never seen before. The only kind of meat I had back at my village was fish. As I took a closer look at the many different types of meat, a familiar scent filled my nose. It was a scent that I knew all too well. Then I saw it. There next to some other meat was the thing that made me drool. Fish. And there wasn't just one or two. There was a bunch of them lying in a row. They were all about the same of tuna. Not too big not too small, but they were perfect to eat.
"Wow... Fishies..." I thought as I continued to stare at them. "They look so tasty."
NO POV
After a while, Marco came back with a pound of pork that Finn requested.
"There you go, Finn. One pound of pork as requested."
"Thank you very much, Marco. I appreciate it."
"Anytime Finn. Hey, by the way, there's something I gotta ask you. Rumor has it that you're taking in a boy that was found a couple days back. Is that true?"
"Why yes it is," said Finn. "In fact, let me introduce you to..."
Finn was about to introduce Willy to Marco, but he found that Willy wasn't next to him anymore.
"What the...? Willy? Where'd you go?"
"What's up, Finn?" asked Marco.
"It's Willy. He was just here and he somehow disappeared."
Marco looked around and then he saw Willy. He was standing a few feet away looking hungrily at his fish.
"Hey, Finn. Is that the kid you were talking about?" Marco asked pointing to where Willy was standing.
Finn looked at where Marco was pointing and went to see what Willy was doing with Marco following.
WILLY'S POV
As I continued to stare at the fish, I got hungrier and hungrier. It had been a long time since I tasted fish. After all, it was my favorite food.
"Hey, Willy. Everything OK there?"
Finn's voice immediately snapped me out of my daze and I couldn't help blush in embarrassment.
"Dah! N-nothing. Nothing. I...was just looking at the fish."
"You got yourself a good eye there kid," chuckled Marco. "These were freshly caught just this morning. Perfect for going on one of those camping trips. Just burn them by a fire for a couple of minutes and they're absolutely delicious."
I nodded in agreement and in response, my tummy began to growl.
"Seems like your tummy agrees with Marco eh Willy?" Finn chuckled with a wink.
"Um...uh...I...um..." I stuttered trying to hide my embarrassment.
"Hey, Marco. How much for the fish?" asked Finn. "Not too pricey I hope."
"Actually you're in luck. These fish are on sale for fifty percent off and I'll tell you what, since Willy's gonna be staying with you and since you're a good buddy of mine Finn I'll throw in some extra fish on the house. "
"Oh no, I couldn't," said Finn.
"I insist. It's the least I can after you helped me out the other day. If you hadn't fixed me up, I don't know what I've could've done. Think of it as a thank you."
"Very well. Then I'll take some. Sound good Willy?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" I nodded excitedly.
After Finn paid for everything we both headed for Finn's place. I helped carry the fish and some of the vegetables while he carried the pork and everything else. It was a little heavy, but I didn't mind. I was happy because I was gonna be able to eat fish again. So happy that I couldn't help, but hum a little tune to myself.
"Well someone seems happy," chuckled Finn. "You're really a big fan of fish are you Willy?"
"Yup! I looooove fish!"
"Hahaha. I see. When we get to my place, I'll make sure to fry that fish special for you."
"Alright!" I cheered as we continued our walk towards home.
Soon we came to the edge of Osia. We walked down a road and eventually a house came to view. It kinda looked like the houses I used to live in, but it looked a lot bigger and better painted.
"Well here we are," said Finn as we walked to the front door. "It's not much, but it's home sweet home."
He opened the door and we went inside. The inside was just as nice as it was outside. There was a living room with the kitchen in the back. The living room had a small sofa, a table and a chair with a fireplace next to it. The kitchen had a wood burning stove with cabinets and a small sink. I had to say, this place was pretty nice. A lot different to how I used to live.
"You have a nice house Finn," I said.
"It's nothing special, but thank you nonetheless," said Finn. "There's light, a fireplace, and even some movie lacrima and books if you ever get bored. What's mine is yours."
I looked up at Finn and he smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile back and gave him a hug.
"Thank you so much, Finn," I said filled with gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."
"It's no problem, Willy," said Finn. "I've only done what any other person would have done. Now I'm gonna get started with dinner. Why don't you take a look around?"
"OK."
So Finn got started preparing dinner and I looked around the house. I went down the hall which led to three different rooms. One to the left of me, one ahead, and one to the right.
"I wonder what these rooms are?" I thought.
I first went to the room to the right. I opened the door and looked in. Inside, the room had a bed with a window next to it. It also had a bookshelf lined with books and a couple of ornaments and pictures. There was also a small dresser with a picture of Finn and an old man on top of it.
"This must be Finn's room," I thought. "I never knew he liked books. Maybe he likes to read fairy tales like I do."
I closed the door and then I entered the room that was to my left. The room was very different than ones I've seen before. The floor was very hard and cold like stone. There was also a sink with a mirror above it and on the other end was a large tub.
"Is this... the bathroom?" I wondered. "How unusual. It's so different than from what I using back at the village."
Back in my village, my bathroom was a little smaller and didn't nearly have a tub as big as this one. As I went into the bathroom, I couldn't help, but notice the big tub. It looked so big, you could fit about two people inside it. On the side, there was also a shower head, some shampoo, and some buckets.
"How unusual. This is definitely different than what I had before."
After looking around for a few more minutes I left the bathroom. Then just as I entered the hallway, a wonderful aroma filled the air. It was the smell of cooked fish. Entranced by the smell I completely forgot about checking out the third room. Following the smell, I went to the source. The kitchen. I came and I saw Finn in the kitchen humming a tune as he cooked. Finn noticed me watching him and he smiled.
"Oh, Willy. Dinner's almost ready. Could you go wash up in the bathroom and wait at the table please?"
"Sure thing Finn," I said.
After that, I washed my hands and I waited at the table for Finn. Moments later, a huge dinner was lied out before me. There was fish, rice, and a couple of vegetables and some soup. My eyes went wide as saucers upon seeing all that food. It was like I was about to eat food for the first time ever.
"Well then, shall we eat Willy?" asked Finn.
"Yes!" I said drooling slightly at the mouth.
After we said our prayers we mouth started to eat. I started out with the fish since it was my favorite.
"Mmmm! Delicious!" I said savoring the taste. "This is the best fish I've ever had!"
"How kind of you to say so," chuckled Finn as he started eating with his rice. "It's nothing special, but I'm glad you like it."
After eating all of the fish, I ate the vegetables, then the rice, and finally the soup. Everything was delicious. I had to admit it had been a long time since I actually had a decent meal and I loved every part of it. Soon we finished dinner and I was feeling satisfied with a stomach to boot.
"That was great," I said. "You're an awesome cook Finn. Thank you so much."
"Hahaha. I guess it's probably because I've always been cooking for myself," said Finn. "Well then, I'm gonna wash the dishes, Willy. Why don't you go ahead and take a bath and get ready for bed? I'll go set some pajamas for you while you're in the bath OK?"
"OK."
So I headed for the bathroom and got ready to take a bath. I was raring to go because it had been a while since I took a bath. I took off my clothes except for my necklace and left them aside. I turned on the water adjusted the heat to make sure it was just right for me. As soon as the tub was filled, I scrubbed my off and rinsed. Then I entered the tub. I sighed happily as the warm water washed over me relaxing my muscles.
"This is nice. It's definitely been a while since I had a bath like this."
As I soaked in the tub, I stared up at the ceiling thinking about the day I had today. I got to see lots of different things about Osia and I got to see various different people. I was nervous, but now I was starting to warm up to this place. Sighing contentedly I sank into the water letting the water wash over me and making me feel more relaxed with my head just above the surface of the water. The water felt so nice that I felt that I was gonna fall asleep in the tub. Then I heard Finn's voice from the other side of the door.
"Willy? I got your pajamas here." I'm gonna take your other clothes so I can wash them. Is that OK?"
"That's fine. Thank you, Finn."
"Make sure you don't stay in the bath too long. You'll overheat yourself," added Finn.
"Don't worry. I'll be right out," I said as I got out of the tub. I dried myself off with a towel and put it around my waist. Then I got dressed in the pajamas that Finn gave me. They were a white T-shirt and a pair of green sweats. It was the first time I wore something like this, but they felt comfy and I liked them. Finn then showed where I was going to be sleeping from now on which was the second bedroom. It was basically a simple bedroom with a bed and a dresser too.
"This is a spare room that I usually use for guests whenever they come to visit me," explained Finn. "It's nothing fancy, but when you lie on the bed, it feels wonderful."
I went over to the bed and lied down on it. Finn was right. This bed did feel wonderful. It felt so soft, it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. I couldn't help but laugh as I played around with its softness bouncing on it a little.
"You're right Finn! This bed is great!"
"Hahaha. Easy there kiddo. It's not a trampoline," chuckled Finn. "Besides you should get some sleep."
"Alright," I said as I got under the blankets and lied down. Finn then tucked me in.
"So what did you think today Willy?" he asked. "Did you like the tour?"
"Yes, I did. Today was so much fun. I got meet different people, see different places in Osia, and I got to eat fish for the first time in a while."
"Hahaha. You really love your fish huh? If you like it that much, I can make it for you again if you want."
"That'd be grea...grea... (yawn)"
As I tried to finish my sentence, I couldn't help but let out a small yawn.
"Sounds like someone's getting tired," chuckled Finn. "Better let you get some sleep."
"(yawn) OK," I muttered sleepily. "Nighty night then..."
Feeling my eyes getting tired and heavy, they eventually closed as I fell asleep.
NO POV
After Willy fell asleep, Finn got ready for bed as well. He took a bath, got dressed, and went into his room. As he was about to get into his bed, he happened to look at a photo on his bookshelf. He took the picture off his shelf and looked at it. It was a picture of a young man and a woman and a small boy with an older boy. This was a picture of Finn and his family back when he was a kid. It was the only thing Finn had left to remember his family.
"It's been many years since that day," he murmured to himself. "It all seemed like a bad dream."
As he stared at the photo, he remembered back to when he was a kid. He could well remember being with his mom and dad and his older brother. Then he set the picture back on the shelf where it was before and sat on his bed. He then saw the photo on his desk which was of himself and the old man.
"Hahaha. I may have had some bad times back then, but he made it better," Finn mused. "You know in a way, Willy's just like me. He and I have lost families but gained new ones. In fact, now he's making me feel like a father."
Finn looked out the window and gazed into the sky which was now littered with stars once more letting his thoughts drift.
"I promise you, Willy. I'll do whatever I can to help you," Finn thought. "For now, Have pleasant dreams."
He then lied down on his bed and eventually fell asleep.
Whew! That wasn't too bad!
Don't forget to leave me a review! Till we meet again!
Dragoman out!
