Reordinate the Fate

Second Destination: Return to the Farm

"Can't we leave later today?" Stevan complained for the umpteenth time from his cloth chair. It looks like the chair has a magnet that will only pull the butt of lazy people like Stevan.

“We can't! Stop complaining and eat the egg soup immediately.” Risa patted Stevan's back next to her several times, "I'm excited to take care all of the cattle today." Stevan snuggle up deeper in his cloth chair, "Since when have you not been excited, Freak?" Risa reaches a spoonful of egg soup and forced Stevan to devour it.

"Eat! Eat it! Rise and Shine, Stevan!" Risa forced Stevan's mouth open by pressing both of his cheeks. "If you don't want to wake up, then let me, your elegant friend, feel up your big mouth.”  The boy tries to release Risa's hand from his cheek,

"I can do it myself, Freak!"

"No, no, no. Since I’m a very good and understanding best friend, I will feed you up. Open your mouth now, Freak!"

"What's with 'very good and understanding'?! Your face is scary! As if you put poison in the soup and you're ready to poisoning me." Stevan refusing his friend.

Risa puts back the spoon and gives up, "Huh! How do you know?" She joked. But then the woman pressed the tip of her index finger right in the middle of Stevan's forehead, "Eat quickly or I’ll hit your stomach!"

Stevan immediately sitting straightly and take a spoonful of soup.

Will and Max shook their heads. This scene had become a morning routine between Stevan and Risa, also an early morning entertainment for them.

In reverse with Cliff who saw the two people from his seat with ...Envious?

★★★

"Good morning. You came really early.” Today the five did not knock on the Odelle family's simple house door again, because the Odelle family's son by chance walked in front of them just as they arrived at the farm. The man looks like carrying a stainless steel milkcan on his hand.

"We also came around this early morning yesterday." Stevan replied, who immediately got a elbow from Risa, "What's the milk for, Patrick?" the girl asked further, ignoring Stevan's feels-hurt complaints.

"Today Claire will make milk ice cream for you to enjoy in the afternoon." Patrick continued, "The day has been very hot lately, so she decided to make it."

"All right, we'll catch up again with you soon." Patrick nodded at Max's words and gone into the house to deliver the milk for his sister.

"Do you want to cook again today, elegant girl?" Stevan asked. Risa shook her head, "It was enough to be an elegant girl yesterday. I want to play with cattle today."

Stevan replied, "All right. Then I will cook. Who knows if cooking will be finished early so I can have a relaxing time to enjoy the beauty of the day."

Will replied, "You mean, enjoy your laziness?"

"If you want to take care of livestock, I'll help Mrs. Odelle today.” Max said. Will pointed at Max, "I'm coming with you."

"Wa-wait! It means..."

★★★

Risa feels a sudden awkwardness as soon as Cliff walking beside her. Even though a few days ago, this little boy still made her comfortable. Since hearing Cliff's conversation at that time, Risa felt uncomfortable with this person. She felt she shouldn't have involved someone she didn't know, even though she had said that Cliff couldn't walk back from this 'escape' and that the little boy also assured himself that he would not even take a single step back.

But thinking of someone else who worries about Cliff makes her feel guilty about that person. She is upset not to think about others on the day of departure. Upset to herself, and annoyed at the fact that no one had ever worried about her like people were worried about Cliff.

Risa feels a little jealous of Cliff at the same time. She wants to be in Cliff's position, or everyone's position who has someone who worries about them. Because Risa herself never experienced that even from her parents who were supposed to be the closest person.

Awkward, uncomfortable, annoyed, and jealous are all gather together in Risa's heart, so that every time she saw Cliff's face she expressed it with something that seemed like the other four men were defined as angry. Though she is not angry. It's just a bunch of strange feelings that piled up.

"Good morning, youngster!" Mr.  Odelle greets them when they arrive at the sheepfold. "You guys will help me today?" asked the old man and they both nodded together "Okay! Very good!  Wear the boots and gloves there and let's get in to the work."

Risa and Cliff move in the direction pointed by Mr. Odelle and wear boots. Cliff saw pairs of gloves on his right side and took two pairs for them. He gives Risa the rubbery object. The girl pondered for a moment before taking it, "Thanks."

"Now we will mix this in here." Mr. Odelle pointed to a kind of flour with some kind of seeds in it, "This is additional nutrition for these sheep. We mix it into its feed to increase the wool it'll grow."

Cliff sees Risa who mixing the two ingredients without even a slightest disgust face. Cliff shows a little smile with his hands keep working. No matter how bad Risa's wrong accusation had been, Cliff himself can clearly see that ‘the two of them' is very similar.

The both have fed the sheeps and moving to a goat pen. "My farm also produces goat meat and milk. It's actually quite rare in an area like this to raise goats, but the reality is they can thrive."

"Do you like what you do, Mr. Odelle?” Risa asked as they mixing several types of vitamins and types of grass that she did not even know the name. "I'm sorry?"

Risa clarified her question, "I mean, working here, doing this, and caring for all these animals for the rest of your life. Do you like it? Won't you get bored with this?"

Mr. Odelle did not stop the movement of his hand, "Why do you have to like it to do something?"

"You know girl, sometimes people say 'do what you like and you will be successful and happy'.  I'm not saying that it's wrong, but in reality not everyone can get a success they want in the things they like. Sometimes they have to give it up to get better things, for example income."

"I think it would be very good if you survive in happiness with the things you like compared to income, but being realistic is also the nature of every human being, right?"

"About happiness. I will not talk about it in general because the definition of happiness for each person is different.  But for myself, I am happy when I’m able to develop what my parents have inherited to me, not about if I like this and that, but I am happy to be able to survive here.”

"If you ask, do I like this: I think I like it because I am used to what I do. If you ask about being bored: sometimes this is boring. We will definitely get bored with many things at certain times, even if it's something we like. Bored is a big difficulty, but I will only continue to do what's become my habit, because no matter how big is your bored, leaving habits is much more difficult than enduring in the bored."

Risa can feel the sentence Mr. Odelle slightly relates to her, "You didn't say it because someone asked you to, did you, Mr. Odelle?"

Mr. Odelle lifts the medium container of food mixture and puts it in the goat's feed place. The old man laughed, "Hoho! Certainly no. Who would have thought you would ask me that?"

The 60-year-old man stand up straight with a body that looked very healthy at his age, "But if it's related to you, I'm happy to be able gave my little thought."

Risa smiling, "I'm also grateful that you shared a little of your thoughts, Mr. Odelle."

"Now we will go ahead to the cowshed." Mr. Odelle moves toward the last outdoor cattle's shed.  The old man opened the cowshed door and they both entered. Cliff walks first, while Risa and Mr.  Odelle runs in a line behind Cliff.

"You should be careful when walking inside a cowshed because—"

Brugh!

"The land is very slippery."

"Cliff!" Risa ran spontaneously towards Cliff who was lying on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Ouh, God! Did I fall down on cow dungs?” Cliff felt something warm and rushed himself to wake up. Risa laughs loudly when she can sees the color of cow dung that clung clearly to Cliff's back, "You can change clothes later. Just use Patrick's." Mr.  Odelle approaches Cliff while trying to hold back his laughter.

"I think I get badlucks today." Cliff complained while Risa tried hard to stop her laughter and wiped the tears that came out with her upper arm. Cliff glancing secretly at Risa from the corner of his eye. His heart shouts happily when she forgot their awkwardness for a moment.

★★★

At 3 pm, everyone at Odelle’s Farm gather on the terrace like yesterday. This time the five 'guests' busy eating ice cream made by Stevan and Claire along with Odelle's two son and daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Odelle enjoy warm mint tea while accompanying the youngster.

"This is really good." Risa confessed to Claire and gave two thumbs up, "The milk is very fresh.  You added fruit too?” Claire nodded, "Yes, I think some types of berries will make the ice cream fresher an taste better."

"Yes, it is very delicious."

"You have to thank me too, Freak. I made this ice cream until the last second without sitting down. No wonder it tastes good. This is made with my heart and a truly love too.” Max, who usually just listened quietly, shuddered in disgust. Will and Cliff hit the back of Stevan's head together. Even Claire choked a little.

"You're so disgusting, Freak! Was there something hit your head in the kitchen earlier, huh?” Risa mocked Stevan's words. Both of them arguing again while Max said to Mr. Odelle, "May I have a few liters of water to fill our campervan, Mr. Odelle? "

"Of course." Mr. Odelle nodded.

"I'll be back tomorrow with our campervan then." Cliff added Max's words, "I will also return your clothes tomorrow, Patrick." The man shook one's head, "No need. You can take it.  Don't forget to dry your own shirt beside the fire heat later. It will smells bad if you let it get wet till tomorrow."

Back then, when they saw him in that dirty condition, Cliff was assisted by Claire to wash his dirty clothes. Patrick lent Cliff a long sleeve shirt afterwards.

"Thank you, then." said Cliff.

"You can choose the ingredients like yesterday if you want to. Don't be shy." Stevan, who had finished arguing with Risa, nodded, "We will take it when we are going to return to the campervan later, Mrs."  Stevan is thinking about cooking potato and corn soup for today. He will also take some ingredients for the next two days.

After a while, they walked out of the Farm, but the dog's barking stopped them.

"Hey, Bark! I will be back today. Goodbye friend!"

Risa kneelinh down as the herding dog ushered her departure. "Usually it is not familiar with strangers."  Mr. Odelle smiled, "Bark is definitely likes you. Hoho!"

"Goodbye, Mr. Odelle.” Max bowing respectfully. "Thank you for letting us help here."

Mr. Odelle waved his hand, "No, no. I'm the one who thank you guys for helping us here.” The 'escapers’ waved to Odelle's family and said their greetings, they leavjng afterwards.

"Hey, how come that dog is so familiar with you?" Stevan asked Risa.

"I played with Bark all day long. He is a nice dog, and everything that's being nice can be my friend." replied Risa.

Stevan smiled proudly, "Yes, you know that I'm really nice."

Risa snorted afterwards, "Yes, you are nice. Similar to that dog."

Stevan looked at Risa fiercely, "What did you say?!" He exclaimed. Risa laughs and run away from Stevan, who was preparing to tickle her. The two of them laughs loudly and chasing after each other, even rolling down on the wide-grassy-grund of Savannah.

Will and Max really seemed to be loyal viewers of the two best friends,, while Cliff looked at them with the same gaze as this morning. A gaze that slightly shows... Envious.

★★★