Chapter 8:

Help, Hospitality, Love

H(e)aven: Forbidden Fruit

Some time has passed, sun was already at peak, it means it was noon already. I already felt much better, so I decided that we can go back. Meanwhile Ouranos choose to share his age.

“You did ask me about my age, right?”

“... Yeah.”

“Titans live much longer than humans, I’m not sure how long exactly. One of the eldest living Titans has more than 5,000 years.”

WHAA-

“If it comes to me, I’m not aware of my exact age, since many years has passed, but definitely it’s more than 1,500 years.”

WHAA- He's so old! Comparing 30 to 1,500...

“You’re an old man.”

“I would rather be an old man than a child.”

Huuuh? Isn’t he getting more bolder?

“I’m not a child! I’m an adult!”

“Of course.”

“I might look like one, but I’m not!”

“I know.” he pat my head.

He knows, yet, he does as he pleases. Hmph.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

“Mhm.”

I thought of going back to the place, where we have been before I transported us here. I had to focus on doing that. Maybe it will be better to move us directly there, but somewhere close? It would be weird to transport back there and someone would see this...

… I have an image of that... Hmm... Let’s see.

Well, it is different place, we’re barely inside the forest.

“I’m still impressed by how are you able to do that.”

Don’t ask me, I don’t know either.

“I just think about it. I can’t explain it better.”

“Mhm.”

“So, what’s going on in the village?”

“We have a problem with the soil. Nothing wants to grow on it. It started some time ago, but last year’s harvest was so poor that it was enough only for 2-3 months to feed whole village. We do have different sources of food, we have orchards, where pears and apples are growing, but they are not producing enough fruits to feed everyone. We have livestock, but animals need to eat as well to grow.

Situation is really complicated. As soon as I noticed the problem, I told them to start to stock up what they can, do preserves, consume less to not throw food for nothing... In short, be prepared for the worst. Fortunately, they have listened to me and things so far are not that bad as I anticipated, but slowly we are running out of supplies.

We already have to buy food for money, just in case, but, with current income, how much we can buy exactly?

Village should be self-sufficient, but in current situation it is impossible.”

It really is one messed up situation. No solution comes to my mind so far.

„This is actually the thing that I have wanted to ask you to assist in.”

Oh, right! I forgot about that somehow. The problem is that I’m not really sure what I can do, what will be the best... By the way, it’s kind of ironic asking me to help with stopping hunger when I couldn’t stop mine. Nevermind that, if that’s what he’s asking for, then I’ll do what I can.

„What exactly you want me to do?”

„I presume that you cannot summon food from nowhere. The best possible option would be to make this soil fertile again, so we could use it to grow grain, vegetables and others, but... with no disrespect to your abilities, even I am not certain if you will be able to make it happen.”

„I don’t know either.”

I don’t understand my power at all. I think about things... and they just happen. I could use that, but, I don’t know. I have doubts it’ll work.

… Even touching soil makes me convinced that something’s wrong with that. I don’t know why I feel like that while I have no knowledge about checking soil’s condition. I think it’s the premonition.

“Is it the only field?”

“No, there are few more, but this one is the biggest.”

I’ll have to think about how to solve it without making things even worse.

“You’ll have to plant them at some point, right?”

“The sooner, the better. Crops needs time to grow and time to plant them is getting closer.”

I don’t have that much time to think then... One day should be enough for me to make a decision.

“Give me one day to think about solution. I can try do it my way, but, I have weird premonition...”

“I’m giving you a free hand. If you will need any help, you know where to find me.”

“Sure, thank you.”

Out of nowhere my stomach growled. Ugh... Guess it’s time to eat something.

“Guess we should go back.” Ouranos proposed.

I bet that was very funny thing for him.

We went back to the village. On the way we met Freya.

“Good morning! Good to see you! I was about to look for you.” she said.

“Something has happened?” Ouranos asked.

She smiled and said. “Gaia will be living with us!”

She means... at her home? That’s wonderful! Something was urging me to hug her from this happiness. Guess she was happy too.

“She will be at your place?”

“Mhm. Chief was looking for some place for her and both me and mom offered our place. He agreed.”

“That is very kind of you.”

“Never mind it. We’re more than happy to have her.”

Stomach again growled.

“Oh, someone’s hungry?”

These sounds are really embarrassing...

“Mom will be back home shortly, so I’m inviting you for lunch.”

“We are very thank-” said Ouranos, but Freya interrupted him.

“That’s rude to turn down such offer from a woman, Mr Ouranos. Besides, you don’t have to worry, Clive’s father gave us some delicacies which we need to eat today.”

“If you insist.”

That is very nice of Freya, but... with such shortage of food... She should think about herself, yet, she’s giving us such hospitality. I’ll need to have it in mind.

After delicious lunch, Freya caught us before our leaving.

“Gaia! I forgot to tell you something!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Your dress will be ready tomorrow~”

“Really?!”

Finally I won’t have to wear this one!

“Mhm~”

“I can’t wait to see it!”

“Sure. We’ll be waiting for you with dinner.”

“Thank you! See you later!”

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Ouranos said.

“You’re more than welcome.” Lorraine said.

As soon as we left house Ouranos shook his head and said under his breath.

“Women...”

“What now?”

“Nothing. You are very stubborn.”

“Is it bad?”

“Sometimes it is annoying.”

“Ah, so it’s just you...”

He sighed. Meanwhile I reminded something I wanted ask him earlier.

“Ouranos?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“I’ve been wondering... When I talked last time with Freya, she said she’ll be soon married to Clive, she also has ambition to be better in sewing, but she chose him over her dreams. When I asked her if she’s okay with that, she said yes, because she loves him...”

“So, what do you want to ask again?”

“Uh? Obviously, why she made that decision?”

“She already has answered to you. She said she loves him, that is enough.”

“The problem is that I don’t understand it at all...”

He sighed. “People have their own priorities. For Freya, her relation with Clive and sewing are her priorities, but, both requires time from her. To be at decent level of sewing, she would have to sacrifice a lot of time to achieve what is she after. Probably even at the price of her relation with this man. In this case, she had to decide what is more important to her – her partner or her ambition. She chose partner. I am sure that she will not resignate completely from sewing, but will put it aside for some time, to first focus on her marriage.”

“But why is he so important to her?”

“Ugh... She didn’t tell you why?”

“She did, but... She did say he’s special for her, explained as much as she could, but it didn’t come through to me.”

“Ugh... It varies between people what makes one special for another. I know that he and his father helped her family a lot with no expectations whatsoever. They did not want anything from Freya’s family for their help. He did that, because she was in need. For sure she would do exact the same thing for him, because he would be in need. Overall, it is about a relation between those two. There are many things that you could do only for a certain person, because they need or want it. Of course not doing it blindly.”

I don’t understand my power fully, but if I can help somehow, then obviously, I’ll do it. I still feel obligated to do that, but also...

I don’t really want to see people going through the same thing as I did.

I don’t think it counts as because they’re special to me. Guess it’s more like to prevent things from happening.

... I wonder from where he has this knowledge anyway. What did he mean by not doing things blindly? I have a clue for that.

„Ouranos, do you have someone like that?”

... He couldn’t say a word for a moment. I shouldn’t ask him that?

„Why are you asking?”

„Pure curiosity.” I answered honestly.

„Curiosity sometimes leads to nothing good...”

Guess I shouldn’t really asked him that.

„You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to-"

„I don’t.”

Was that... an answer to question or to the other one?

„Uh?”

„I don’t have anyone like that.”

Oh, so he actually decided to answer. Still, if he doesn’t have anyone, how does he know about such things?

„O-okay... You know, I just wonder... How do you know about that... I thought it’s because...”

„I spent a lot of time with people, plus I have had plenty of time to think about things.”

„Right...”

„I am not the best person to speak about that topic.”

„Uh... Maybe not, but,” I turned to him. „things become more clear to me when you explain them. That’s why I turned to you with stuff...”

He didn’t respond to that, but I don’t think he was angry at me. It was more like he didn’t know what to say. I just said as I feel, but, I don’t know why, it gets awkward.

„I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that it’s because you shared your knowledge with me.”

I could tell that while there were no people around.

„Do you think that I shared with you also my way of thinking?”

As much as it sounds a bit weird...

„I... guess?”

„I can share my knowledge with you, but I cannot share my way of thinking with you since I do not know how to do it.”

„Uh?”

„I only gave you the ground to start with; vocabulary, so you can express your feelings, thoughts. What you are saying, thinking or feeling – it is all yours, not mine.”

„So...”

„Hm?”

Why is that then?

„...” I can’t even put it in words.

„You know, it’s good to talk with somebody from time to time.”

„Uh?”

I don’t really understand what does he mean by that.

„Nothing.”

Ehh... Sometimes he’s really annoying with that, but, in a good way. I’m slowly getting used to it. Plus, I could notice a tiny, really tiny smile on his face, which is rare. He looks better like that.

It makes me feel better myself.

„But...”

„Hm?”

„Isn’t it a bit weird?”

„What?”

He lives quite long time already. He went through some hardships in his life. Well, he’s still going through it. Yet, I can’t take off my mind that he needs to be really lonely among this people. Also, after all this time... There wasn’t really anybody? I don’t feel right to ask him about that. I feel that I seriously shouldn’t do that.

„Nevermind.”

„...”

...it’s good to talk with somebody from time to time.

That convince me even more with that.

„We work a bit different than humans.” he said that after a long silence.

„?”

„Let’s go deeper in the forest.”

Ah, so they won’t hear us. Right, right, right...

„As I mentioned, we work a bit different than humans. It is tougher for us to really like someone, but it has benefit in it. Usually when a human has partner, they are together for whole life. Due to different circumstances it can change – break up, death, meeting other person... Think after certain amount of time that they don’t want to be with this specific person, because their feelings have changed towards them or that they have never treated them seriously...

Feelings can change. They are not something we have control under. You cannot just say that you do not want that and it will be like that. That is why we have it tougher, but also easier at the same time. If we love someone, we love them to death. Some animals which lost their partner are staying alone till the end. We are the same.

Do you remember my friend I told you about? He lost his partner. I remember that they were very close. That is why he is suffering so awfully right now, because he loved her with all of his heart and never thought about having anyone else beside him but her.

I can only imagine how he feels…"

And I thought he didn’t want to talk about it...

“We surround ourselves with people similar to us, same is with our partners. We look for someone like us, with who we can get along, share hobbies, thoughts on various topics... And many other things. Titans are also looking for someone compatible to them in physical terms since we can have different forms, but it does not necessary works since we cannot really choose who we like. They may be compatible with us, but we can not go along, then it has no point to drag it more.”

“What do you mean by that compatibility?”

“Obviously by thought of having children.”

Uhh...I think I get it...? Or maybe not?

“I think I didn’t catch it.”

“Well... For humans it is not that problematic, but for some of us... it might be...”

“Why?”

Oh, another question he doesn’t want to answer?

“Do I really have to explain that?”

Guess it would be a real pain for him to explain, so I’ll spare him this time.

“I’ll spare you with explaination.”

He breathed a sigh.

“Ouranos?”