The God of Gravity part 1: Demigod District

You Plow Where You Till

"We're here, guys. Welcome to my hometown!" declared Philip.

It is a suburban settlement, there are trees between and beside the road. The houses that are bigger than my house, have significant distances separating each other. Each has its own gardens and backyards that are as wide as the houses themselves. It is an expensive way of living for humans, but these demigods sure have the money to live like this. There aren't many people walking around, but whenever Philip pass by someone, he greets them. The houses have good structures and designs. I can tell that they are unique because I haven't seen one of these good-looking houses before. I want to take Hera for a walk here someday.

We walked under the shade of the trees between the road, and on the right side of the lane. I'm still tired, but at least we are near to Philip's home, and there is shade from the hot sun. We walked to the right sidewalk, and I am guessing we are near his house.

"This is my home," he said while pointing at the house that is directly in front of us.

"You got a nice home," I said looking impressed because it is very beautiful. His house has big glass windows, and the walls are made of decorative stones. Overall, it is an impressive structure.

"Oh, thanks," he said as we approached the doorstep. He just opened the door and said, "I'm home!" but no one answered. There were just footsteps getting louder and louder.

"Philip!" exclaimed a boy. He ran towards Philip and jumped on him. He carried the boy that I think is his little brother.

"Lucas, say hello to Leo and Sander."

"Yo!" I greeted with a salute.

"Hi," said Sander politely.

"Hello," he said. I smiled.

"Where's mother?" asked Philip.

"In the field."

Then he got off from Philip and went away very fast. I guess he is very shy.

"The field?" asked Sander.

"Yeah," said Philip. "Maybe she's tilling the fields again. And I have an idea for our training today."

"What's that?" I asked.

"We will till and plow the fields without using machines!"

"What?" said Sander in a complaining manner, while I feel excited after hearing it.

"It is a good idea, don't you think?"

"I don't know...," said Sander. "Fighting a bull is enough for one day for me."

"There you go again with that laziness," said Philip.

"Fine! I'll go."

We put our things in Philip's big room. I was impressed by how clean and tidy it is. We changed our clothes into the clothes that are for dirty works and went to the field. We took a different route from what we took when we went here. We crossed the street, and there was a narrow pathway that leads to a field. After that, what I saw was a very wide, untilled land. There was one tractor that tilled the lands. It is in the middle of the field and is quite far from us. I am guessing it is Philip's mom that drives it. We walked through the rough land trying to catch the tractor that's moving away from us. She stopped it because she saw us.

"Is he your new friend?" she asked while looking at me. She looks very cheerful.

"Yeah," said Philip. "This is Leo, the God of Gravity."

"Oh, the new God of Gravity! It is clear that you get along well with my son! Thank you for that, I will cook you, children, a big feast tonight. I will bring out the new glassware, the speakers, and I will even decorate the windows-"

"We don't have to have a party," said Philip, a little embarrassed. Sander and I quietly laughed behind him.

"Why? It is to celebrate your one-week absence from home."

"We're fine with just a regular dinner. And also, we'll take care of the field by ourselves."

"Okay!" she said while walking to where we came from. "Just come back before dark!"

"We will!" he said.

He turned to look at us while we have a smile on our face.

"We could've had a party," I said.

"Yeah," said Sander. "Philip, you're a party pooper!"

"Oh, shut up," he said while boarding the tractor.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "I thought we were gonna do this without the tractor."

"I am just gonna park this aside, and remove the plowing disk. Then we will get two more from that place." He pointed at the wooden shack before a backyard wall of a certain house. I saw three tractor blades after we checked it. Mine was a tilling blade, and Sander picked the plowing blade. The remaining one was a plowing blade. They sure got plenty of spares...

"Damn it's heavy!" I said as I pulled it. I looked at Sander, and he's already pulling it to the field.

"It's not that heavy," he said. "And plowing is harder than tilling."

"Easy for you who has Olympian Strength."

He ignored me and started to plow the already tilled parts of the field. I started right on where Philip's mom stopped tilling. It took me thirty minutes just to get there. I looked at the vast field, and we still have a long way to go. It looks like half of the field is not tilled yet. I looked for Philip, and he started to till the fields at the distance.

"Let's finish this in one afternoon!" he shouted.

"Okay!" said Sander and I.

We started two in the afternoon, and the sun is a little bit hot, but not hot like it was earlier. I am drenched in sweat as I pulled the tilling blades for an hour now. I looked at my left, where Sander started plowing. It looks like he is plowing faster than I could till. I must try harder! I let out all of my strength for a burst, and it finally matched Sander's pace. Philip started at the end of the field, and our work will soon meet until there is no more field to till. This field is just four hectares out of the twenty hectares Philip's dad plowed and tilled, for the reason is that there are unharvested sugarcanes on the rest of the field, except the area we are on. Philip stopped tilling even when we still have an area to till so that he could start plowing. It took me an hour to finish tilling. Then I helped Sander in pulling the plowing blades. We gave the last spurt, and we finished it before dark. I am covered in dust that turned into mud on my clothes. I feel icky.

"Let's go and wash," said Philip.

"Okay," I said and we pulled the blades to the shack. Then we returned to his home.

We washed. Sander let me go in first, and Philip took a bath in the other bathroom. After we changed to our new clothes, we went to have dinner. I sat between Sander and Philip on the same side of the table for eight. His youngest brother is a toddler and sat on our right. He doesn't mind us while playing with his food. Philip's mom is beside the toddler, while Philip's other brother is right in front of me. It is really the most awkward dinner I have ever experienced because I feel like I am forced to eat everything on the table as Philip's mom tried to offer me everything that's on the table. Sander seemed to be accustomed to this because he's been here before me. I was like begging for Philip to stop his mom, but I can't say it upright. He didn't know what I meant but just kept eating his food. We already ate large amounts of food (mainly corn), but his mom keeps giving me food that I cannot reject. I don't want to go here again.

After dinner, we went to Philip's room. I really felt relieved that my jaws can now get to rest, as well as my stomach that's about to burst. I feel like I could throw up anytime, so I just sat in the corner and studied.

"Philip," I said. "your mom almost killed me."

"Well, there was nothing I could do about that."

"And I feel tired..."

"Drink your medicine."

"Oh right... but ugh... I am too full."

"Just take it when your food has run down from your stomach, or when after you throw up."

He slept on his bed, while Sander and I prepared bed sheets on the floor. It took me thirty minutes to wait until my stomach is not full anymore. I drank the medicine and slept on my own bed sheet that's on Sander's left while he is on the left side of Philip's bed. I was near the door, and the whole night was I being stepped on when they have to go to pee.

We still trained and studied, and plowed the other fields after that day. Then we returned to the Academy the day after that. We returned to our usual routine and waited for the final exam. I don't feel nervous about it, because if I fail, I will try again, and come back even stronger. I don't know if I can, but I will try. I've decided since I came here that if at the moment I give up, that's when I will lose.