Chapter 48 – Anna’s First Festival #3

“Destroy her!” 

“Come on, Jerry!”

“Lose brother!” 

“AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE SIS?!” 

Jerry yelled back behind him, then he turned back around. His hands were trembling, and his face was sweating in nervous suspense about his upcoming turn.

The game of bowling had switched from a relaxed game between the children–with more who joined in after Anna and the others started to play–to an intense game with real stakes.

The winner got to choose where they would sleep first~!

The points were scored in the dirt, with only two names remaining–Anna and Jerry–both having 100 points. 

The game started pretty standardly. 

A long stretch of mostly flat dirt was found, then the ten pins were placed at one end, and the children chucked the ball towards the pins. The pins were a set of ten totems, each with a slightly different design, and sometimes they made up games where they had to knock down specific ones. 

One of the adults, Mern, offered to sit near the pins and place them back up each time they fell down after someone’s turn.

This was the third round of play. 

The first round was pretty simple; everyone took turns, and whatever number of pins were knocked down would be added to their score. 

However, after the first round, that was when someone made the suggestion to make the game more interesting with a prize. 

Not everyone was on board with the idea, mostly due to some knowing that they would just lose, but enough people said yes to it, and with the adult’s approval–and their declaration that they would ensure whoever won would get their prize–they started the super serious round two.

Anna planned to throw the second round of the game. Luna, Eva, and Syrus had taken turns in the first game of bowling, but as usual, Syrus was the best out of the three even regarding light physical activities. That didn’t matter though as they were all there to just have fun.

However, their plan to throw the game failed at the first step as Ella walked up to her and told her she better play seriously this time. 

This wouldn’t have been the first instance Syrus ‘lost’ a game with stakes; she enjoyed playing and running around, but when it came to games with stakes, she felt it was best to let the children enjoy winning the prizes. Of course, this went out of the window when the stakes involved something to do with her, then instead she applied her full effort.

Yet, with Ella’s demand and due to the special occasion it was, Syrus decided to take control and win this game. 

So the second round began, and the results were close initially, but as the rounds counted up to ten, they began to spread out. 

The only real rule of the game was that the ball had to be thrown down the lane. That meant some people tried bowling the solid wooden ball while others tried throwing it. The ball was decently heavy for some of the children as it was made out of a dense wood.

Because of the very rules that didn’t limit how someone could bowl, Syrus’s method of bowling was a bit unorthodox compared to the other children’s. It was like some of the other kids' attempts—a full-on throw—but because of her strength, she was able to lob over most of the lane and have it hit the pins directly. 

Other kids tried mimicking her style with disastrous results. Not that the balls didn’t fly far, the older ones who had been helping their parents with farm work could throw the ball the distance, but their aim was completely off, and so they just lost points they would’ve gained if they kept up the style they initially went with.

But the biggest shock was with how the second round ended. 

A tie between Anna and Jerry. A hundred points each. There were a few people close in the nineties, but only two people got a perfect score. 

Jerry was initially bragging about how skilled he was at the game, however, his confident exterior slowly shattered after he kept doing well.  

Bragging for a bit, then losing, was his stick. Not that he ever tried to lose, but he knew his abilities, and the strengths of everyone else well, he was quite observant in that regard. He wasn’t the fastest, smartest, or had the best reflexes or skills in any area.

[How is he still in this…?] (Eva)

[To answer that question, I have no idea.] (Luna)

[The ball flies in different directions each time, but it always bounces when it lands and heads straight for the totems.] (Syrus)

With two people tying the second round, the children decided to have a third one–without the two winners' opinion–where they would go head to head and wouldn’t stop until one of them got ahead. That led right back to the same situation, where they were both at a hundred points again. 

Anna asked, “You okay, Jerry?”

“Of course! I should be asking thatt too youu~!” Jerry tried smiling wide, but he just looked to be in pain. He felt exhausted by everything at the moment, and he was ready to collapse.

“You can do it, Jerry!” 

“Come on Anna!”

The children had divided themselves into two camps, those who were cheering for Jerry, and those cheering for Anna. However, the size gap between the two groups was quite large. Even though Jerry could be annoying, in this situation, he was the underdog against the mighty and terrifying Anna.

The few children who were cheering for Anna included Billy, Ella, and Jerry’s own sister, Leah.

After two more turns between them, they were still tied, and it was Anna’s turn again.

Anna ran up to the line and launched the ball. The ball flew through the air and crashed into the pins, but as they tumbled down, two in the corners stayed standing.

[Crap.] (Syrus)

[I’m impressed you managed to do perfect shots for so long.] (Luna)

[Most games in the mercenary unit were throwing based, so I had a lot of practice.] (Syrus)

[Still, that is impressive.] (Eva)

With Anna’s miss, the cheering for Jerry became even louder.

“You got this!” 

“Come on, beat her!” 

[I think… most people forgot about the original intent of the game.] (Eva)

With everything reset and the ball passed back to him, Jerry had his turn, he just had to knock down at least one more pin than Anna.

His eyes were focused on the dirt and rocks all the way down the lay, and then he chucked the ball down the lane. It flew for a moment before landing and immediately bouncing to the left.

“No!” Some children screamed.

Then, once it touched the ground, it bounced again and slammed right into all ten pins.

Mern stood up. “The winner is Jerry.”

“Oh my… I actually did it.” Jerry fell to his knees, and the children surrounded him.

Anna laughed and said, “Good job.”

Leah walked up to her and said, “You should’ve won that! Brother… just got lucky somehow.” 

“Haha, it’s fine, just go celebrate with him. He looks exhausted.” Syrus patted Leah on the head and pointed at the exhausted Jerry.

“Good job, Anna!!!” Jen yelled out from the sidelines, “You did amazing!” 

Eva spun around, shocked. “Oh, Mum, Dad. When did you get back?” Both their parents were sitting down on a bench with a bunch of the other parents.

[They have been watching us for over forty minutes, Eva.] (Syrus)

[Huh?! When did you notice!] (Eva)

[Immediately? Syrus focused on them for a second during the early rounds.] (Luna)

[Ah….a] (Eva)

George answered, “A little bit ago, but we didn’t want to interrupt.”

Jen added, “Exactly, you were great out there!” 

Syrus laughed, “Haha, thanks.”

More games had been played by the children after that.  Jerry’s award was saved for later, with Elly promising to ensure it happened since it was her place they were sleeping in.

Between snack breaks, the children played tag and hide & seek. Before long, the excitement increased as the sky darkened and everyone got together to enjoy the festival around the fire.

Anna had sat down on a bench a little further away from the fire and was eating a small muffin she had collected from one of the tables. Next to her was Jen, who was enjoying the show.

Jen asked, “How was your day, sweetie?” While looking directly at the fire and the villages dancing around it. 

Luna answered, “It was fine.”

“That’s good.” Jen smiled at the positive answer.

The two sat there quietly, just enjoying the atmosphere.

After a while, and her dad not being back yet, Eva decided to ask, “Why did you decide to live here, Mum?”

“Hmm, why are you asking now?”

“I don’t know; just with everything happening, I guess the thought came up.”

“Well… money mostly.”

“I know that, but why this village?” Eva 

"Oh, this village, huh?” Jen looked up again and watched everyone gather around happily.

She chuckled, looking at the slight. “By chance, honestly, nothing really else; we were looking for a place to make a home; it needed to be cheap thanks to my truthfully poor spending habits.”

Luna asked, “Do you regret it?”

“Being stuck here? No. Yes, there would be better opportunities for you and me if we moved to a large city before you were born, but I’ve been happy here, and honestly, I can’t imagine my life without the wonderful moments that I gained from being here.”

“I see…” Eva nodded, contemplating Jen’s answer. 

“Are you having trouble understanding my decision?”

Eva laughed and said, “No, I’m not. I understand completely.” She grabbed her mother's hand, leant into her, and stared into the village centre. Lilly remembered doing this a long time ago in her past life, and it would always bring a smile to her mum’s face. 

Minutes later, from across the village, a voice yelled out from inside a building,

“Okay, everyone! Time for the cake!” 

With the door being slammed open, Henry walked, holding two points of a large wooden board with a large blanket-covered item on it.

“Woohoo!” Cheers from some of the old folks we let out. 

Henry and George left the building and carried over the cake to the main table.

Once it was placed down, Henry grabbed the cloth and threw it off the cake. 

The cake was massive, with two layers–it was dyed a light aqua made from locally sourced ingredients. 

If a person from a city saw the cake, they would say it was nothing special, but to the villagers, it was a massive masterpiece. However, tastewise, the cake would even shock professional tasters from cities. Henry was a master of his craft, and he was always happy to flex his muscles during these festive occasions.

People had already begun swarming the cake, Eva was about to stand up, but Jen tapped her shoulder and told her to not worry.

Moments later, George walked over with three wooden bowls of cake. "Sorry, I took so long.”

Jen laughed and accepted the bowl, “It’s fine, it just means we get to eat the cake sooner.”

George sat down on the other side of Anna.

Syrus took the bowl, looked down at it, and asked, [Who wants the first bite?]

[We will all taste it anyway…] (Luna)

[True, but it is about the experience.] (Syrus)

[You just take the first bite then…] (Eva)

Syrus shrugged and took a bite of the front of the cake.

“Wow… this is amazing.” Luna let out a small gasp of amazement as the flavour entered their mouth. She had eaten many cakes before in ceremonies and events, but still, this one certainly topped them all in taste.

[Wow, this shit is really good.] (Syrus)

[Very light…] (Eva)

As they began to enjoy the cake. “Dammit! I still haven’t surpassed it yet!” Albert complained while standing next to the table chewing on a small slice of cake.

Henry rubbed his moustache and shot back, “Haha, I love to take your compliment, but I have to disagree, the beef you made was simply delectable.”

“Talk about cooking shit once you move away from the table, please!” Elly called out, “Some of us still haven’t tried the thing yet.”

“What a crazy bunch,” George mumbled.

Jen poked George’s cheek repeatedly and said, “Don’t say that about your friends.”

George jokingly sighed, “Have you drunk any alcohol? I swear we made sure to keep it away until the kids went to sleep.” 

“Of course not, I’m a respectable woman.”  

“Debatable, but I think so at least.”

“What’s… that supposed to even mean.”

“Probably a flirt of some kind, a bad one.” Said Syrus, who was still sitting between her parents.

“Hey, I’m not one to flirt in public.”

Syrus matter-of-factly said before taking another bite of cake, "Yes, you are Dad.”

Jen laughed. “She’s got you there.”

Luna stated, “Mum, you do as well.” After whipping her lips clean of cake.

George’s jabbed back, “She’s got you there.”

The family of three or five stayed sitting on the bench for over an hour chatting the night away.

But before it got too late, George asked, “Want to dance?”

Jen covered her mouth and chuckled. She turned to Anlesa and said, “That’s up to Annas.”

“...” Anna paused.

Jen whispered, “Come on, can we do it with each of you?”

Eva whispered back, “But… we’ve never danced before.”

[It will be fine.] Syrus laughed.

[Yes…] Luna agreed, but she was also quite embarrassed for some reason. She had danced before, but that was for ceremonies, and she had never done it with family before.

“And that had never stopped you before, Eva.”

Eva nodded. “Hmhmp!” And gained a new level of confidence. That’s right she wasn’t going to just give cause it would be embarrassing! She was a new, stronger Eva. That was what she was telling herself anyway.

The family stood up together and moved over to the bonfire.

The musicians of the village–a few people trying to smack drums and swing maracas together in rhythm–increased their effort when they saw the family come over.

Within Anna, who was in control, swapped without even a moment's notice throughout the dance. It nearly looked like a fight was occurring with how often changes happened. 

Syrus spun her parents around, Luna eased them into a fast waltz, and Eva just went along with the motions of her parents. They kept going long after some others stopped dancing, unable to stop the smile on their faces.

It was a night to remember.