Not Knowing What To Say

The five of us sat around the dinner table. When we walked back in, Iris had already set the table. Dinner consisted of a potato stew with pieces of rabbit meat and was served in wooden bowls. The spoons we used to eat it with, were also made out of wood.
Despite the way the stew looked, it was actually quite good and the rabbit meat gave the stew a nice flavour I wasn’t expecting. Since it was starting to get dark, a single candle was lit in the middle of the table. They first thought about lighting the fireplace, but since it was quite warm inside, they decided against it.
During dinner, the four of them were talking about how their day went. I sat and ate in silence, listening to every conversation.

‘So, what were the two of you doing today?’ Maya asked her parents.
‘I met up with some friends of mine early in the morning.’ Iris said. ‘We exchanged some vegetables and new recipes. For example, this stew that you’re eating is a recipe that Elize taught me.’
‘Really?!‘ Richard said surprised, while happily eating more of the stew. He really looked like he enjoyed it a lot.
‘Yeah. I guess that was most of what I did today. When I came back home, your father was still out back in the garden, so I decided to clean up around the house. Our rooms are spick and span now.’ Iris said proudly.
‘Thanks mom.’ Maya said.
‘You’re welcome.’ Iris smiled.

‘I visited Lucas again.’ Richard began talking about his day. ‘The bug problem with his wheat yesterday was quite a lot bigger than both of us anticipated.’
‘Our father knows a lot about farming.’ Maya whispered to me. ‘So he often helps everyone in the village.’
‘Hey, what are the two of you whispering about?’ Richard asked us.
‘Oh, nothing.’ Maya responded sarcastically.
‘So what happened with the two of you?’ Richard said to Casper and Maya. ‘You obviously had a little run in with someone.’ Richard said, while pointing his spoon at me.

Maya started explaining everything that happened up till they met me. Sometimes getting interupted by Casper about the things that he did.

‘I was teaching Casper how to steadily focus his aiming with the bow.’ Maya said.
‘And then there was this strange light.’ Casper interjected. ‘I didn’t know what it was and ran towards it to get a better look. That’s where I found Micheal.’
‘Like I said to you before.’ I said to Casper and Maya. ‘I don’t know how I got there.’

All four of them are now looking at me from me suddenly speaking up and wondering how a light and the sudden appearance of someone in a forest could be related.
‘A strange light huh?’ Richard said softly while looking at me with a questioning look.

I know it sounds strange, but I really don’t have much to add there you know.
Before anything more could be said, Iris stood up to clear the table.
Dinner went by faster than I expected.
She picked up a couple of bowls and I did just the same.

‘Here, let me help with that.’ I offered a helping hand and brought some of the wooden bowls to the kitchen counter.
‘Thanks for that.’ Iris said as she walked ahead of me with the other bowls.
‘That’s enough, I’ll clean all of this myself.’ Iris said gently. ‘You can sit back at the table if you’d like.’
‘Okay.’ I said to her.

I sat back at the dinnertable and heard Iris behind me cleaning the bowls.

‘So Micheal, I’m okay with you staying here, but do know that I expect you to help us out here and there.’ Richard said to me from across the dinner table.
‘O-Of course, naturally. That goes without saying.’ I answered.
‘Good.’ Richard said while nodding his head and crossing his arms.
‘Then I need to ask you something.’ Richard continued. ‘I didn’t bring it up until now, but where did you come from? You said you didn’t know how you got in the forest, meaning that you knew where you were beforehand.'

Four sets of eyes eagerly awaited my answer to the question I had been dreading the most. If I could somehow tell them that I’m from another world then I would. But even now, sitting at a dinnertable in a house with people who were kind enough to help me, I still don’t know what to say to them. It still sounds insane to me, the person that it happened to. I can’t even begin to describe it to someone it hasn’t happened to.

‘Well, uhh, you see, uhh, I… come from a place…, that’s… really far away. I-I-I know… where it is, but I-I don’t know… how to get there. I don’t… really know how to explain it properly. I’m sorry.’ I racked my brain for any kind of answer. For any kind of explanation. But instead turned into a bumbling mess.

Richard stood up from where he was sitting with a loud sigh and walked towards where I was sitting. He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a friendly expression.

‘Listen Micheal, if it’s hard to say at the moment then you don’t have to. Say it whenever you are ready. Do know that just because you don’t say it now, that it won’t mean we won’t continue to question it. We want to know about you and where you come from and that can only happen when you are the one saying it. You got that?’

The man in front of me, now looked eerily similair to a man I know all too well. I don’t know what it is about them, but both Richard and Iris remind me of my own parents.
Maybe it’s them trying to understand me. Maybe it’s their caring nature. I really don’t know.

‘Y-Yeah. I-I understand. I’m sorry.’ I couldn’t bring myself to look at Richard at that moment.

‘Anyway, *YAWN* it’s getting late now.’ Richard said with a loud yawn.

I looked outside one of the windows and saw that night had already fallen. Time went by surprisingly fast.

‘What shall we do about your bed? We don’t have enough for the five of us.’ Richard continued.
‘Why doesn’t Micheal stay in our room?’ Maya answered.
‘Yeah, the three of us will be together then.' Casper exclaimed excitedly.
‘Is that a good idea?’ Richard questioned. ‘Like I said, we don’t have enough beds.’
‘Casper and I can sleep in the same bed for now. And then Michael can take either mine or Casper’s.’
‘I don’t know about that.’ Richard said, uncertain of the proposition.
‘I don’t think it’s a bad idea.’ Iris said. ‘There is more than enough room for both of them to sleep on one bed.’
‘It’s just for now anyway.’ Maya added. ‘At worst, we’ll figure something else out for tomorrow.’
‘Uhm. You really don’t have to all that for me.’ I interjected. ‘It’s incredibly nice of all of you to help me this much, but you really don’t have to go that far for me.’
‘You do know the alternative right?’ Richard pointed at the window. ‘I’m not letting you sleep outside.’
‘Yeah, that’s a good point.’ I said, agreeing with his “convincing” argument.

‘*Sigh*. Alright then. If the three of you are indeed okay with sharing a room and if you two are okay with sharing a bed, then it’s okay.’ Richard said, seemingly reluctantly.
‘YAY!’ Casper exclaimed loudly.

I don’t know if it’s that exciting to share a room with me. I’m not that interesting of a person. At least the little guy seems happy about it. So that’s good.
All five of us stood up to go to bed, but I was stopped by Richard.

‘Micheal, please sit here for another moment with me.’ Richard nudged me to sit back at the dinnertable with him. ‘The rest of you can go upstairs. This is something between the two of us.’
‘Uhh okay.’ I obliged.

What would he ask of me? I know I wasn’t exactly clear with where I came from and that he would continue to ask, but to ask me again now when we’re alone seems weird.
Iris, Maya and Casper shrugged at the request and went upstairs. It was silent for a couple seconds, until we heard two doors opening and closing upstairs.

‘So, you and my daughter are about to sleep in the same room. I don’t want any funny business. You got that?’ Richard said to me completely deadpan.
‘What do you- *GASP*.’ At first confused at what he just said, I then loudly gasped from the realization of what he meant and felt myself turning red from embarassment. ‘Don’t worry sir, I won’t be trying anything!’

I didn’t think anything of it, nor did I think she meant anything with it. I just thought it was nice of her. I didn’t fully realize that we, a boy and a girl, would be sharing a room.

‘Pfft, HAHAHAHA.’ Richard laughed.

Wuh, what? I don’t see what’s so funny about it. Is it something I said?

‘Don’t worry kid, I was just messing with you.’ Richard strongly put his hand on my shouders. ‘Even though Maya suggested it herself, I still wanted to know if you’d be respectful of it as well.’
‘Ye-Yeah. Of- of course I’d be.’ I sincerely responded and had a small laugh as well.
‘*Sigh*. You know, I do often worry about my kids you know.’ Richard had a solemn look on his face. ‘Especially Maya. She does so many things for us and for others, but I often wonder what SHE wants.‘

Not knowing how to answer, I stood there in silence for a good few seconds until Richard spoke up again.

‘Anyway, that’s it from me. It’s time to go to bed now.’ Richard stood up from his chair and nudged me to walk up the stairs and followed behind me. When we reached the second floor, there was a corridor with a small window across from us and two doors. One on each side.

‘That’s Maya’s and Casper’s room over there.’ Richard pointed at one of the two doors.
‘Okay. Thank you sir.’
‘You can drop the sir and just call me by name, kid.’
‘Alright Richard, then you can call me by my name too.’ I jokingly said and smirked at him.
‘Already getting casual with me huh.’ Richard smirked back. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.’

I walked into Maya’s and Casper’s room and I saw that Casper had already fallen asleep on Maya’s bed, with Maya sitting beside him.
I was surprised with how the beds were made. Straw spun tightly between two planks of wood, made something akin to a bedframe. A pelt of fur is used as a mattress and as such, looked incredibly soft.
A single candle on Maya’s nightstand lighted the room as much as it could. It was bright enough for the two of us to still see each other.

I went to sit on the other bed at the opposite side of the room and looked back at Maya. We both looked at each other without either of us saying a single word. I noticed that Maya would sometimes look away. Her cat ears would sometimes twitch as well.
I think she realized by herself how awkward this situation is. But as long as I don’t act weird about it, then it doesn’t need to be. Just be respectful like her father said and it’ll be fine.

‘Your parents are really kind you know. For allowing me to stay.’ I said to break the ice.
‘Almost to a fault.’ Maya responded.

‘You’re one to talk, you helped a complete stranger like me.’ Normally I would hestitate in saying something like this to someone I don’t know too much, but without thinking, I responded quickly and jokingly.
‘Well, I couldn’t just leave you alone.’
‘Still, if you didn’t run into me when you did, I don’t think I would’ve known what to do. So… thank you.’
‘You’re welcome.’ Maya said to me as she looked back at me and softly smiled.

A silence of a few seconds fell between us, the small flame flickering on the candle making the only sounds in the room. But I felt that the awkward vibe from before was gone.

‘Hey… since both of us don’t have anything major to do tomorrow, why don’t I show you around the village? It’ll be fun.’ Maya asked me.

I haven’t seen a lot of Emmerberk. Just the little bit when the three of us were walking in this direction. So this is a good opportunity to come to know more about this place.

‘Yeah, sounds good.’ I said, already excited for the next day.
‘It’s a deal then.’ She grinned at me.
‘Let’s sleep for now. I’ll have quite a lot to show to you tomorrow, so we'll have to be well-rested for that.’ She said as she got under the bed sheets and I did just the same.
‘Yeah. You’re right.’

Maya blew out the candle and it turned completely dark.

‘Good night.’ Maya whispered to me.
‘Good night.’ I whispered back.

As I layed down in bed, I thought back to everything that had gone down. So many crazy things happened that I would have never expected when I woke up this morning. And I knew there would probably be many more times where that’ll happen. Here in this other world.