Three Willows {Harry Styles - One Direction Fan Fic}

Chapter 16 ~ Bali

Harry woke early, as he usually did, dressed and went for his morning run. One of the problems he encountered as a driver was fitness and gaining weight. Sitting for hours and then also the after work or afternoon drinks on the beach, had seen him gain a considerable amount of weight in the first few months of doing the job. Running daily had started as a chore but was now part of his every day routine and something that he had come to love.

As he jogged the dawn broke over the rice fields, he thought about his day ahead. He was regretting picking up the work he had before meeting Kate. She had intrigued him more than any other girl on the beach ever had and he wanted nothing more than to go and hang out with Agung and Wayan and see if he could strike up another conversation with her.

The tooting of a motorcycle horn made him jump. He shook his head at how easily he had been lost in thought. Not such a smart thing to do when running along the roadside in the low dawn light. Half way to the local market, he stripped off his T Shirt and tied it around his forehead, pushing his hair, now dripping with sweat off his face and out of his eyes.

He ran until he saw the market come into sight. Already a hive of activity. Locals had to get out early to purchase their produce for the day as often Norman ran out of necessities, or simply had closed by the time many had finished their working days.

Walking the final hundred meters, sucking in deep breaths, Harry pulled the shirt from his head and put it back on. The last thing he wanted to was to offend any of the locals.

“Harry.” Norman greeted him as Harry walked into the dirt parking lot. A few vehicles were present, but mostly there were scooters and bicycles. And a few old carts hooked up to really sorry looking horses and a couple of mules.

“Norman.” Harry wiped the his sweaty hands on his shirt, before they shook. “What do you have for me today?”

Norman where possible, would try and source reasonably priced beef for Harry. If not able to, he would usually put aside fresh eggs and as many different fresh fruit and vegetables as possible. Once a week he would also slaughter and clean a chicken and keep it aside for Harry.

Harry paid the going price for the beef and chicken with cash. The rest of the produce Norman charged him at a reduced rate, in exchange for the use, once a week, of Harry and his car.

Norman’s elderly mother would only visit her childhood temple. The drive in the heat in Norman’s run down truck wasn’t good for health. Harry had a soft spot for the old lady and had offered to drive her one day in his air conditioned car. She had thanked him many times, and the following day presented him with a basket of various fruits.

Harry was waiting for her the next week as she walked out from the house towards the old truck. When she asked why he was there, he had simply told her he had enjoyed her company so much that he would be honoured to escort her again. It then became their regular thing. Although he had refused further gifts from the old lady herself, Harry and Norman had come to an agreement.

“Pork chops?” Harry nodded approval before Norman grinned a tobacco stained smile at Harry.

“What?” Harry smiled back unsure what Norman was grinning at, but Harry followed him none the less into the little shack where the refrigerator was buzzing loudly.

“Ibu.” Harry greeted the old lady using the local dialect for Mother, where she sat in her comfortable chair on the porch. He grasped her hands, now so dry and paper like in their aged condition. He bent low over her and placed a kiss on his weathered cheek.

“Dia.” (son) she beamed a smile back at Harry. “I tell Norman he be good to you this week. You promise take me to me to the festival.”

“Ibu, you know I do that for love. I don’t need gifts to thank me. It’s my privilege.” And Harry meant every word of it.