Steel Melody

Chapter 3: Childish Interests

"Your father wants you, Heartrik." she said with a voice like a calm river.

Heartrik sighed woefully.

She could always pick up even the smallest actions for interpretation. "He's excited for you. He knows that you'll do well on your first job." she assured him.

Still he remained quiet.

"Nervous?" Ilysies asked.

"Not nervous," said Heartrik. "More so... yes I'm nervous."

"Nervous about going on the field or talking to your father?" she asked, placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder.

"Just, I'm not sure. I don't feel excited, I just feel like sitting it out." Heartrik replied.

The woman broke a small, kind smile. "Well I hope you can at least enjoy these." she said as she unwrapped a paper filled with bright red strawberries. They shared the fruits, and the sweet taste and juice seemed to explode in his mouth, the best thing he had ever eaten. He had eaten strawberries before, a long while ago, but he had no memory of what they had tasted like. Eating them felt like he was home, only he had no clue what home was like, and the illusion disappeared. "Well no one ever finds plain old topics exciting," Ilysies said, "it's only when they mould certain topics themselves to their own liking. That's when they become thrilling. For example, does reading interest you?" she asked, glancing down at Heartrik's book.

"Yes?" Heartrik murmured, unsure how to answer.

"Reading in general, not a certain text just as a whole Heartrik, any kind of writing. Manuscripts, historical texts, autobiographies." she laughed. To Heartrik her laugh was like a melody in itself, playing a constant of perfect notes.

"No in that case. Most of the world is too big to write about and still be interesting." Heartrik admitted.

She nodded. "But does reading your own book excite you?" she asked kindly.

Heartrik's mood lightened. "Of course," he said. "I wouldn't be reading it if it didn't interest me." he affirmed.

"Exactly. A topic might not be very interesting to you on the surface, but it's how you change it to your interests that makes it relevant and enjoyable to you as a person. In your case you managed to find a particular book that interests you." she chuckled.

"So that means?" Heartrik said with a soft smile.

"It means that you shouldn't look at things as a whole. By just summarising vast complex things you're just removing their meaning. You need to explore these things, manipulate and change them to your liking. Particularly something that interests you. Don't just follow an idea or liking on the surface, but seek it, seek further and deeper for what you want. Even though you don't feel thrilled about your father's plans, find a way to enjoy them, enjoy your life, in your own little way. Find something for yourself." she said, as she picked up Heartrik's book and began to read the blurb.

Heartrik bit into one of the strawberries. The sweet juices exploded and tasted so ripe and pure, the opposite of salt, venison and blood. When he chewed into the fruit he started to understand what she meant. "You could have just said that instead of speaking in riddles like always." Heartrik chuckled.

She smiled. Everything she did was genuine to Heartrik's perception, her affection, her care.

"In my home barely anything is told as it is. My people value riddles because they believe that was how God used to speak to them. They believed we would never understand his true words, so they told us through mysteries. I guess that's why we know so little about him, God that is. I guess we'll never know. Some think there is one, others think a few, like the Westerners who pray to the Sea God, the colossal Dreamer beneath the waves." she explained, feeling the damp curled pages.