Another day is rising on Maccaroni Island - a day that will have a huge impact on the lives of many! The community news board was updated, and uhm... why was that invitation canceled?
On the board they normally don't use family names, because everyone knows everyone, and all of them have unique first names (which is pretty convenient for blog tags, as well ;-) ). Russell, Gastor and Marvin are the Hamming boys. Constance R. and Jess G. Hamming decided to step back, and their sons inherited values of §44.730 each.
At Greench Farm the kids inherited only §14.588 each. That's still good starter money, especially if it's cash, and if they manage to find a spouse with similar or higher wealth... but spouses seem to be the hardest part on Maccaroni Island, and no-one knows for sure when town of Galucca will contact them again.
Occasionally the horse oldPepper manages to walk into the garden. That is, someone obviously forget to lock Pepper's gate. Now that Bertil moved up north to help uncle Alfonso, nobody really pays much attention to the old horse. Or - perhaps Pepper is just glad that none of the household members will take him for a ride.
Godrian hasn't quite got the farming routine yet, but his parents will still be around for a long time, helping out. This morning Godrian found some weird seeds in the forest, but he had no idea how to plant them. There is a spot of soil dedicated to growing unknown plants. As soon as they recognize the specie, they will replant it elsewhere.
Godrian is eager to reorganize the farm, but knowing it's the result of his parents' hard work, he hesitates to rush any changes. Not that Archie and Bridgette are that touchy - well, his mom is a bit over-emotional, but Godrian simply respects the efforts of the past.
After harvesting the garden, Godrian walked over to his aunt Carie's café. It's located behind the Village Hall and across the road from the hospital. It's a popular spot where locals often meet on their way to and from the central village.
Today Godrian had an appointment with his good friend, Gastor Hamming. Gastor is the friendliest of the Hamming guys. They both just inherited their parents' house, and none of them has a girlfriend yet.
The café was pretty packed, there were just two tables indoor and one table outside, but the past days had been chilly and most guests preferred to sit inside. There could easily be more groups in the rather large room. The place is owned by Maccaroni Bank, but Godrian's aunt Carie G. Peel wants to buy the café.
Gastor and Godrian are cousins, like most of their generation are cousins. Greta was grandmother to them both, and Gastor's dad (Jess) and Godrian's dad (Archie) are brothers.
Besides, Godrian is tired of the cats living in the house, and Pepper eating produce. A barn will probably provide a better home to them all. He is glad they don't have a dog, too!
The group at the other table are members of the local Pets Club. One of their missions is to secure the wild dog race (Dooshee) and the mine cat race (Miazoo), and right now they were having a club meeting.
Both groups shortly broke up, returning to whatever tasks they were planning.
While the café was still busy, Boletta enjoyed the quiet town square. It is probably the least developed lot in the entire central area. The town square is surrounded by the Village Hall (east), the Our Delightful Bookstore and Greench Market (south), Consignment store and the small stage for community events (west), and the art gallery (north). Although this is a busy region, right now it was very peaceful.
Oh! While Boletta sat there, reflecting over life in general, and pondering about why the pub event (where Yamir Redward had invited all single women) was cancelled - then Yesador appeared from nowhere!
Yesador Yea-Low was the only man on the island that Boletta finds kind of attractive, actually - so far he is the only man she is not related to. They had already talked, but she isn't even sure that he would remember.
He sat down, and Boletta tried not to move.
Yesador mostly talked about general matters, sometimes she wondered if it actually mattered that she was there to listen.
Boletta finds Yesador to be quite eccentric, maybe they are too different? Is that why he doesn't even notice her as a woman and possible spouse?
She stood up in a hurry, but Yesador stopped her.
Now, had he seen her? Boletta wanted to know, but she also hated those thoughts, because they made her nervous.
Not far from town square was Eileen about to leave the local school building. Old Mrs Redward had talked about musicians for two hours, Eileen was quite bored, but it gave her a chance to think about granny Bianca. She had been over to talk to uncle Albert Blumington (partner of café manager Carie Peel, dad to Eileen's friend Blanca Peel), but he was out.
Eileen wanted to visit the graves of granny Bianca and granddad Bolan. Perhaps some intuitive ideas would spring?
The graveyard isn't very far away, but it still is quite a walk. And there was the crazy woman who actually works at this place. Agnes Hawk, not related to the Greenches at all, but aunt of half the island's population.
Eileen didn't like to run into this crazy woman. She had heard so many weird stories; how Agnes talks to invisible guests, how she can be seen wandering to the old mine up north, some even said she most likely murdered her husband, Joe. Even if everything was just rumours, it coloured Agnes Hawk.
Eileen didn't get the quiet moment she was hoping for. It sure will be better to visit after Agnes Hawk's working hours, if it wasn't for the dark - this place gets a bit spooky at night.
Oh my! She really should get some medical help. Still, Eileen felt some sort of recognition. Didn't granny Bianca say something like that? That they will come for us? Eileen always thought old granny had meant that aliens would come for us, but Agnes Hawk didn't look like she descended from them. Was Eileen missing a link?
The crazy woman ran off, in direction of her home.
Eileen stopped for just a few minutes more, she preferred walking up to Blumington Road before dark. Street lamps don't compensate for daylight.
She chose a shortcut down to Sunrise Valley, that's where the senior Yea-Low and Hedgewall families live. Eileen likes it down there in the valley, the little beach is a great place to hunt turtles. She had to cross Bolan River, actually named after her granddad, and Blumington Bridge was built by the original settlers, very long ago.
Eventually she reached uncle Alfonso's old house. But no-one was there, just the cats. Then she noticed quite a sight farther north!
What was it?
Tons of crates on the ground, some weird stuff she didn't even know what to call. And a group of people she never saw before.
In the background she saw someone from the Black house coming over to check, too. It looked like her cousin Bonita Black, and her dad. It was too dark to see the faces of the strangers, whether they looked friendly or not. Eileen chose to keep a distance.
Eileen noticed the 3 builder guys in weird black-and-white-striped uniforms. The blond woman was wearing clothes that reminded Eileen of one of the old magazines they once found on the beach and kept in the local bookstore. That woman was obviously from the modern regions of the world.
Bonita was quite upset. She is Eileen's most adventurous cousin, she always came up with new ideas.
They ran off to find the ship, and if it was to leave they were prepared to jump on board!
It was actually far far out in the ocean, if it wasn't for the lanterns it could hardly be noticed at all. The girls were very disappointed. So they walked back to the group.
Bertil saw the light on the sky, and he knew what it meant. The glowing horse! But he couldn't run up there now.
Did Mr Freeman just threaten him? Bertil was confused, and the light on the sky absorbed all of his concentration. Then the entire group started the long walk to the village.
Just a quick mention of the Galuccian dialect. If you read the final SimBasic chapters you will probably remember that they talked with those z-sounds spread everywhere. I just figured I'd go insane if I should keep dropping random z's all over the place, and eventually the islanders will take after the majority, meaning all of them would adopt the z's. So, although I found the dialict to be sweet, I dropped it, and I think you will applaud this decision! :-)
Next chapter will be out in one week +.
