Reordinate the Fate

Third Destination: Castle on the Hill

This morning Risa looks as excited as usual. Stevan who was feeding boiled potatoes into his mouth was able to hear the murmur of a song coming from his friend's mouth. "Are you singing?" Risa looked at Stevan and nodded.

Will come from behind Risa because he was just getting ready in the campervan. The man sing along with Risa suddenly, with them combining it into two pitches, "I'm on my way, driving at ninety down those country lane. Singing to 'tiny dancer' and I miss the way you make me feel, it's real. We watched the sunset..."

"Over the castle on the hill."

Risa and Will turn their heads to Cliff who sing the last sentence with a different harmony and made the song more beautiful.

"What?" Cliff looked at the two of them back, "I am also trained in the entertainment industry."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Max appeared from behind them, clapping, "Indeed, true idols." Max sits in the cloth chair, "By the way, the song is perfect for our next trip."

"We will clean up this location like before, and will leave at noon to return the campervan. After that there will be a camping car waiting for us in the campervan returning place. We will ride the camping car to our third destination, or it can be called our first resting destination.” Max explained.

"Are we going to rest?" Cliff asked. "Where?"

"Resting here means being in an area that is 'not very natural'. Like I said, your song fits our next location. We will stop in a cottage house in the hills. There is something special there. I'm sure you will like it. "

Will asked this time, "What do you mean 'not too natural'?"

"There are numbers of small tent-stall typical of the hills there. Also there is a convenience store not far from the cottage if I look at the travel map. So we will spend some rest day really relaxed.  No need to look for food, work, build tents, and other. Just a vacation.”

Stevan, for the umpteenth time, is amazed to hear Max's explanation, "What I’ve said before is not wrong, you are great planner. You should be a travel guide instead of being a teacher in your old age." Max looked at Stevan and asked, "Who said I ever want to be a teacher?"

Stevan innocently pointed to Will, "The man said you would be a teacher in old age because you taught and explained things well. You're also creative. Will also added, this country needs a teacher like you.”

Will, who did say that to Stevan in the middle of dinner yesterday, smiled awkwardly as Max looked sharply at him, "Don't say something nonsense, Will."

After breakfast, they all cleared up their campsite as what was they done in the previous destination. Of course, Cliff emptying the excreement tank. "Hah! Luckily, this is really the last time!”

★★★

"We will say goodbye to Odelle's family first." said Will from the front seat when Cliff, the last person to get into the campervan, already inside after completing the excreement tank task. The little boy looks at Risa and the empty chair beside her.

Of course Risa realizes that look. The woman called Cliff with a gesture and moving aside so that he can sit next to her. Stevan looking at both of them. Although it's still awkward, this situation is better than the previous days.

A few moments later they arrived in front of the Farm. Mr. Odelle was waiting with the whole Odelle family. All five come down and say goodbye. "Thank you for everything, youngster. We rarely get guests come for helping. You all mean a lot in a short amount of time, hoho!”

"We are also grateful." Mrs. Odelle said followed by a nod from the son.

"This is for you guys. Some sandwiches for your trip today.” Claire handed a medium-sized paper bag, “I made some cream and fruit sandwiches, meat sandwiches, and egg bread. I know it's not worth your hard work, but this is all I can give. Thank you."

Risa take the paper bag and give it to Stevan. She hugs Claire and Mrs. Odelle one by one. After that she shake hands with Mr. Odelle, "I will never forget you. Let us know if you visit the city. I will take the time to meet you.”

Mr. Odelle patted Risa's arm, "Live your own life like there is no tomorrow. Do your best every single day, on what you have to do. I will never forget you too. "

The Odelle family seems to wave to the campervan who was moving away. Leave the second destination which is also full of color and meaning.

★★★

"The place of return isn't as far as I thought." Stevan speaks to Max, "Are you driving from this place to Risa's apartment?"

"Of course not." Max signs the returning receipt and hands the key to the returning counter. "This campervan rental place has several branches and the vehicles we rent can be returned anywhere." Max moves into the waiting room while waiting for the officers to check the condition of the campervan they used this week.

"Plus, it's modern era," The man leaned back, drinking his iced americano, "You can order many things online and ask the place to deliver and take everything. It's also works in the vehicle rental business."

"You're too old-fashioned." Risa responded, once again mocking Stevan of course.

"What do you know besides entertainment and yourself, Freak?" Stevan replies Risa's words. The girl reaches for her lemon tea bottle from the table, "Luckily I'm in a good mood. So I won't reply to your words to me just now."

Stevan snorted in annoyance and trying to snatch the lemon tea from her hand, "Who started mocking me, Freak?" Stevan drinks Risa's tea and the girl is about to take it back.

Max chuckles, "You really have to live in nature forever."

Both of them stared at each other fiercely.  "We have a little time. I think it'll good if you tell us, how did your meeting and friendship begin?” Cliff stops the two persons arguing.

"You, tell the story!" Risa say it while taking a bottle of lemon tea as fast as lightning from Stevan's hand.

Stevan straightened his seat and begin the story, "There is nothing special about our friendship.  Only two 8-year-old children who was fell into a big fight and become friends after a year."

"That's even more interesting than my life." Will's commenting, "Go on."

Finally, Stevan tells the full story, "At that time Risa and I were around 8 years old. I was learning to ride my tricycle in the residential park where my family lived at the time. The park was certainly not as good as it is now. The road was very rocky. At that time I thought I was really just stepping on rocks and joggled, until a girl, her,” Stevan pointed at Risa, “Pushed me hardly so that my bicycle rolled to the side and I fell."

"It's your fault for not seeing well." Risa shrugged her shoulders without guilty pleasure.

"She was angry after pushing me hard. I don't know why she did that, but I was also angry and pushed her back. We really fought with each other, hurting each other until our elbows and knees bled and our faces hurt.” Stevan seemed to think, "Strangely, she's not crying. Even though I cried out of pain when I got home."

"The distance of our house was not too far in that residential. I think we could almost be called a neighbor. Then, a man who knew us both, saw the fight of two small childrennin shock. He separated us and forced us to go back to our homes, I went to my house and she went to her aunt's house.”

"I just moved to lived with my aunt at the time." Risa added, "I really didn't cry because of the fight. But I did cry that day too."

"A few weeks later I knew that she moved to my school." Stevan chuckled, "Even in my class."

"I remember we didn't talk at all for three months. Even tend to be hostile. Until the new school year came, we were became classmates who are mutually silent again. But, one time, there was a senior who we saw bullied our friends in front of the class. For some reason, we both defended our friends together.”

Risa responded again, "I shouldn't have helped. But somehow it makes me a little disturbed. Finally we defended our friend until... Again, physical fight happened.”

"Elementary kids fight physically?"

Risa nodded in reply to Cliff, "Clawing and kicking each other. I admit we are too extreme for children our age. We shouldn't do it.”

"After that we were called by the principal and our parents as well." Stevan leaned back, "We received punishment to help the gardener cleaned the garden every day for a week."

"After that we became close." Stevan concluded his story, "We continued to defend all friends, even juniors, who are being bullied. Many people knew us as heroes in elementary school at that time."

"It’s kind of shame to remember the time again." Risa covered her face, "We even drew up a plan to take back our friend's book that the senior took from our classmate seriously at Stevan's house for a full day."

Stevan laughed, "Back then, we only need to report it to the teacher. Let them do their job."

Max gets up when an officer said that the campervan's checking is finished and that it was in good condition. The five walks together out of the waiting room, "So, what is your reason for pushed Stevan's bike suddenly?"

Stevan being the answerer of Max's question, "After a year and we are getting closer, I knew that I was carelessly stepped on her hamster with my bicycle."

"I was sad and at that time decided to brought my hand-sized pet hamster to the park to get some fresh air. But this boy only focused on his training and accidentally, my 6 months hamster escaped from my grip.” Risa looked sulky, "This evil man crushed it until my beloved animal died.  He didn't even hear the sound of its squeak. I cried a lot that day because of a dead hamster.”

Now the other three people know, this two friends has been created to be random since their first meeting.

★★★

A camping car that the tires slightly larger than the ordinary cars and shiny black colored was waiting for them, parked conspicuously between campervans. "This is our vehicle. Baggage is wide enough for our belongings and leftover food ingredients. But certainly limited. After the third destination, we will refill the baggage with clean water and reducing food supplies.”

All the five get into the camping car and they left the campervan returning area at exactly 3 pm. "I placed our valuables in the place back the driver seater." Stevan said. "Maybe you need a wallet or e-money to buy something later."

"How long will it take to get there?" asked Cliff while receiving a vegetable sandwich from Risa who was sitting on the backseat right next to him and Stevan. The girl is busy sharing food.

"Three hours. We will arrive around dinner time."

Stevan takes a bite of his egg bread and asked, "You asked the camping car rental officer to take this car to the campervan returning area earlier, Max?" Max answered Stevan's question with 'yes'.

"Wow. I'm really out of date." Stevan murmured, realizing another fact, "Maybe, you're right. I'm surprised by all this even now. I think it's because I'm old-fashioned." Stevan whispered to Risa. The girl laughs a little. “And maybe you can really be an assassin if you want, Max.”

“You start talking nonsense too, Stevan. Stop exaggerating." Max takes a bite of his cream bread, "It's not bad. Tastes delicious. "

Risa push the glass button of the camping car and the glass comes down. She takes the nature air into her lungs, inhaling deeply an then exhaling. This time the sunset light is not orange, but pink. Risa rest her chin on the open window frame and enjoying the pink that slowly turns into red and purple before finally become dark without leaving any bias.

★★★