To Rest, or Not To Rest - Chapter 3

I lay there for what felt like an eternity. The sound of kids running outside came within earshot of the window in our room. I looked over to it, hearing the multiple different voices bicker amongst one another. I couldn’t tell what time it had been. Assuming it’d been a school day’s worth of time that had passed, it’d be safe to presume it was getting closer to evening. Argh, this sucks!

I festered softly in the bed, moving my body however I could. I’d grown more frustrated with each of the children’s yells and chatter. I wanted to be outside too, but no. My body just refuses to cooperate. This is the worst!

After my subtle temper tantrum, determination filled within me. I heard the continuous talks as I began to make a move. If I were to be confined to this room, then I should at least be able to do what I want within it! The window would offer some sense of entertainment; I don’t want to see the walls all day. With these words, I began to try and lift myself from the pillow I’d lain on for the past few hours. My bones felt brittle; it was as if I were to put any more pressure on lifting my body. They’d snap instantly. I sighed begrudgingly as I forced the effort once more. I’m not staying refined to this bed forever, that’s for sure! I then lifted myself quickly, taking in the pain while covering my mouth, to not signal mother’s attention. It’d be bad if she’d were aware of my current plans.

With the full brunt of movement, I’d found myself on my feet once again. My feet stepped on the floorboards, softly pressing into the somewhat stable grounding. Good, I’m out of bed, but my body still feels weaker than ever. I slowly trudged over to the door, trying my best not to make a peep. I had no clue if my mother was still within the home at this time, and if she’d ran off to work. Judging from the previous night, she didn’t return until dark. So maybe this was my chance to explore the house a bit!

The sudden appearance of chills filled my body after the thought, maybe we should take baby steps rather than going all in at first. Besides, I could probably see the kids playing outside…or maybe something interesting. I nodded to myself, slowly closing the door before making my way slowly to the window. The sound of children became more apparent the closer I stepped to the window; it seemed they’d been running by the house chasing one another. I looked through the glass and saw many of the children walking around. I didn’t know that there’d be so many that lived here; it was surprising to say the least.

Chasing one another, talking in groups, rough-housing, you name it. The children of the town seemed very acclimated to one another. Was this what it’s like to feel a sense of jealousy from this? I felt my heart beat patter in my chest after seeing the smiles and laughs of the kids. I never knew that I’d feel jealous of children, but here we are. A deep sigh was let out as I stared at them. What if I weren’t stuck in here, wasting the day away with rest? Maybe I’d get to know them some more…that sounds rather nice, actually.

I placed my hand onto the window, softly sighing at the prospect of the position I’m currently in. Longing for interaction like this clearly isn’t something I knew I’d be doing, but here we are. Before I got the chance to recover from my weak sense of being, a sudden tap of the glass caused me to jump out of my skin. It seemed a small pebble had been thrown beneath me. I hurriedly opened the window and looked down. There’s no reason for anyone to be throwing rocks at the house; that’s just plain rude!

As the window opened, a small gust of wind flew into the room. The breeze felt nice, pushing my hair back with its waves in the sky. The sky was a blue that’d soon turn yellow as the sun had begun its course downward. Below sat a brown haired boy, his hair was wild, patiently waiting with a brown wicker basket carried over his shoulder, dangling from his fingers. His deep blue eyes were as intense as ever, reminding me of the man from the day before. Wasn’t this the brother? What was his name again?

“Oh, it’s…uh…Liam?” I said, trying my best to remember his name. The boy nearly dropped the basket. “It’s Lance! L-A-N-C-E! Not Liam, not Leo, not—” he suddenly stopped, before glaring upward at me in the window. “Honestly, how can you forget my name every single time? It’s not even that hard!” I couldn’t help but hold in a small grin, clasping my hands over my mouth, trying not to make too much noise. “Sorry…you just sort of seem like a Liam to me,” I said quietly. He groaned heavily, possibly rattling the street in the process. “It’s like you’re doing this on purpose!”

“Maybe I am,” I said sweetly, seeing his reaction to it was fun all on its own. Although the basket he’d been carrying had caught my attention in the process of his frustration. I pointed towards the basket, trying to hold in a cough through my hand. “What’s in that basket you’re carrying?” I said. He proudly lifted the basket. “It’s fish, of course! My brother brought them in this morning!” His voice puffed up happily, as if carrying such a catch made him seem more like his brother in the process. “Gil says that the sea was kind and gifted him three of these bad boys before he wrapped up! He told me to bring them over to you guys.”

At the mention of Gil, I blinked slowly. So my previous suspicions of the two may have been true all along. Why would he gift our family extra fish? Maybe he was trying to make a kind gesture to win my sister and parents over? It seemed that my mother and Luisa were smitten already, so what more does he have to do? I do wonder how Father feels on the matter. Love can be rather complicated! As if I know anything about it. Better to tuck away the thought and keep it in mind next time I see her.

“Well, tell your brother that the gesture is very much appreciated, Lenny.”

“It’s L—!” He cut himself off, as his cheeks flushed a bright pink in the fading sunlight. He instead gave a sharp huff of breath. “Whatever, I just came to see if you were alive. You look really…uh…pale up there.” He looked at me directly before averting his eyes, as if not to stare too hard. I didn’t get the chance to look at myself much since resting in bed, but I’d been pretty sure I didn’t look the best. “Yeah, I’m sick.” I whimpered, saddened by the reminder.

“Yeah, well…don’t stay sick forever. The Fallfest Fair is coming to town soon; it’d suck if you had to miss it for another year.” He shoved the basket closely under his arm, seemingly shy from the words he spoke. Stomping his foot on the ground, he let out a demand. “And don’t you dare tell anyone I said that. Especially your sister!”

I let out a small cough before playing the innocent card, tilting my head innocently. “But why not? She seems to like Gil, doesn’t she? That makes you practically family already.” Lance sputtered; his face had grown red like an overgrown tomato. “Don’t you dare—!” I laughed lightly, in amusement at his reaction. I couldn’t tell why, but he seemed very easy to mess with. Words sure do have power! Though the thought of his words from before sat with me for but a moment. A fair? Was this different from the “Gifting Ceremony” or whatever? Maybe it’d be best to ask while I’ve got him here.

“Wait—uh…”

“Lance.”

“Right, tell me more about the fair…I’d really like to know what’s there!”

“Huh?”

“I never get to see the fair, I just…wonder what it’s like.”

Lance’s face calmed from his once flustered look to one of focus. It looked as if he’d made sure to listen to my words closely. I didn’t know he could make such a face, but he pointed at me quickly. “You’ll get to go this year if you get better! It’s in two weeks from today…get better by then, and then I could—I mean, we all could show you what it’s like.” His words were sincere; they were as if he’d issued a challenge to me that couldn’t be ignored. A rather childish one, seeing as I couldn’t do much about my condition at hand. Also, with a doting mother to boot, it’d be nearly impossible to have a chance to venture out with the others if my health were even a tiny bit out of line. Although at the moment, I felt a tug on my heart, as if this was something that I really wanted to do. With determination building within myself, I felt the urge to accept such a challenge. If I can become healthy once more, I’ll be able to go not only to the festival, but also be able to see the school, and even the Parchment Shop! It’s a no-brainer, I’ve got to put a pep in my step!

“You’re on…!” I said, leading with a large grin. Though my body hurt whenever I moved a muscle, I felt the genuine sense of excitement from the opportunity. This boy may not be the most memorable, but his words surely helped my motivation. He nodded with a small smile. “Good, rest up. I’ll leave the goods on your doorstep. Your mom should be home any second! Feel better soon!” He then ran on to do so without a moment of waste. That talk had been the first time I’d truly talked to someone outside of the interaction with my family; it was…sort of nice. I nodded to myself, closing the window quickly. Not only did I have my motivation set for the next two weeks, but I’d have the chance to really see what’s out there! Come on, body! Don’t fail me now! I gingerly returned to the bed, trying to place myself under the covers as I was before. To not raise suspicion of my movement in my mother’s absence. I placed the cover over me, snuggling closely as my body tried to relax. The wonder of what the festival and the others would be like brightened up this darker mood I’m in. I’ll have to thank what’s his face for the info sometime. Maybe after I feel better. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

“Two weeks is the deadline, I’m great with deadlines,” I muttered to myself happily, softly giggling at the new goal. The fish said that this wouldn’t be easy, but this is an opportunity to test myself truly. Why not give it a go if the rewards are so worth it!? Come on, body. Let’s get healthy and go to the fair! I put my fist into the air, exclaiming loudly before quickly wincing as my head began to pound once more. Maybe I have to learn to rest like my mother says, rather than think too hard about some of these things. Recovery is the number one priority.