Green-Eyed Monster [Harvest Moon: A New Beginning]

Monster

 “Oooh, honey, you look awful!” Olivia exclaimed.

“Thanks,” Allen replied, sarcastically. Though he was sure she was right—he hadn’t even felt up to leaving his house until just a few minutes ago. Even then, he’d ventured out only after trading his usual eyeglasses for a pair of dark shades, and only because he had wanted to get a cup of strong coffee and a bite to eat before Olivia’s tea shop closed for the day. “A slice of apple pie, please, and a cup of the strongest, blackest coffee you can make.”

Olivia shook her head slowly. “No, sweetie, you don’t want that coffee. Trust me. I’ll make you something that’ll make you feel much better. Just have a seat.”

He sighed and paid up, then picked a seat with his back to the slowly sinking sun. A few minutes later, she brought a large slice of apple pie, oozing spicy, syrupy juices, and a tall glass of some reddish drink. His nose crinkled up as he sniffed at it, then he looked up at her, hesitant to try it.

“Go on, you’ll thank me for it later,” she said, smiling at him.

He took a cautious sip, and nearly spewed it out. “What the hell is this?” he said, grimacing and shuddering.

“Just drink it, Allen,” she said, sighing. “It’ll help, really. I’ll get you a cup of café au lait to go with your pie if you drink it all down like a good boy. On the house.”

“Fine,” he replied, picking up the glass and eyeing it suspiciously as she went to make his coffee.

When she returned with the oversized cup in her hands, he screwed his eyes tightly shut and drank the entire glassful quickly, gasping afterwards as he grabbed the cup from her and took a large gulp. “Do you mind telling me what I just drank, exactly?” he said, still shuddering.

“Kombucha, mixed with pomegranate juice and freshly grated ginger,” she replied.

“Kom-what?” he said, tackling his pie. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a sweetened, cultured tea drink. It’s really good for you—just what you need when you’re feeling under the weather, so to speak.”

“Well, it was vile, so it has to work,” he said, shaking his head as he reached for his coffee.

As he was finishing his snack, he heard footsteps approaching. Looking around, he saw Iroha walking up to his table. Waving her to the seat opposite him as he finished his bite, he watched as she quietly sat and looked at him, her hands on her lap, poised as always.

“Can I get you anything?” he offered. She shook her head, so he looked at her, a curious look in his eyes. “Then what can I do for you, Iroha? Is something wrong?”

She looked down at her hands, as if collecting her thoughts, then looked back up at him. “It’s Rio. I’m worried about her, Allen, and I don’t know who to turn to.”

Scowling and leaning in closer to her, he said, sharply, “Rio? Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s just… she’s changed. It started not too long after she and Rod started dating. We’ve been best friends, you know, ever since I moved here. But starting sometime last spring, she stopped coming to visit me. She all but ignores me, now. If I go to visit her, she never has time…. And I rarely see her at festivals. I think the last one I saw her at was the fireworks festival in the summer. She didn’t even come to the foliage festival a few days ago. We’d always gone to gather leaves together, every year we’ve done that. But this year she wasn’t there. And you know how much she loves the roasted sweet potatoes. It’s her favorite festival, I think.”