The Friday that changed my life forever

Chapter five: The trading carnival

"Get up! Come on Kaliee, we have to get up! It's almost time to work!" A distant voice says. I stir and I guess that is enough to get the girl away from me and start talking. 

"Well, Shane just came over and asked about you and if your coming to the trading carnival tonight, but I guess since your so tired you should go to sleep early tonight." The girl said while causing quite a commotion. Shane! I think. Emma! I open my eyes.

"Good, your finally up. "

"Good morning to you too."  I say grumpily. I get out of bed and rub my eyes. I kneel down to get my suitcase out and undo the twine. Good, two pairs of clothes and the pair of p.j.s I'm wearing. Oh, and my pouch. Everything still there and in place. 

"How did you sleep?" Emma asks. 

"Like a baby." I say, still tired. I look over at her, she is dressed in shorts and tee shirt, slightly different then yesterday. 

"Shane really asked about me?" I ask.

"Of course not. Who do you think he is?" She answers with a question.

I hide my face, embarressed.

"Well, come on. Time to get to work." Emma says impatiently.  "We have to weed the vegetable garden for a hour. We'll get in so much trouble if we are even a second late. " 

Right now I'm adjusting my shirt and brushing my wavy blonde hair with my fingers. "Coming." I say and walk over to the cabin door, unlatching it and letting it swing open. 

"Over here." Emma calls, already running to the vegetable garden near the animal stalls.  She stops as I stumble over as quick as I can. 

"Well, let's get to work!!!" She says. Emma waves to someone. A tall, thick muscled girl. She has very curly brown hair. 

"That is Stella. She's quiet though but makes the best pastry ever!!!! " Emma exclaims.

"What do you mean by pastry? " I inquire. 

"Stella takes a strawberry, breaks off the top so it is hollow in side. Put's in a raspberry and inside the raspberry puts in a blueberry. Then she smears it with blackberry jam and a dot of sweet sap. Stella even sprinkles it with Amy's roasted hazelnuts!" Emma tells me. "Very good but very expensive. Sometimes uses our raspberries but usually gets them from Fin and Garret. Their cabin #3. Big competition. " 

Hmm. I let this all soak in. So we have raspberries. 

"Time to get to work!!!!" The shrill voice of Mrs. Abiline pentrets the humid air.

"I'm exsuasted. Todays work was hard." I exclaim to Emma. In my cabin I chow down my dinner, a peice of toast. 

"I know. The first day is always hard. " Emma says. "Don't eat that. You'll probably get sick." She points to the sausage patty in my hand. "Never ever eat the meat here unless you want to be sick."

"Oh," I say quietly and put it down back on the plate. Laying down on my bed and stare up at the bottom of Emma's. 

"Why?" I ask. "Why did Shane pick me? We don't even know eachother." 

"He feels like he know you. He read many articals about your story on the newspaper the Abiline's throw out. Shane has a similer alone feeling. HE survived when the rest of the family died. His story is heart wrenching. " Emma whispered. 

"Can you tell me?" I pleaded. 

"When Shane was seven, eight years ago, he was home alone with his really older grandmother. His two sisters, mom and dad were taking a walk. They lived in the city. A couple of hours later they got a call from the hospital. They were, dead. Hit by a truck. His grandmother did not take the news lightly. She had a heart attack."

"That's horrible." I say, wishing I didn't ask. 

Emma just nods her head in a silent agreement. 

I stuggle to fit a pair of pants over my bulky cast. I washed my pair of jeans I wore yesterday, as they are nicer then todays. Those will be my carnival pants. 

"What can I use to put my hair up?" I ask Emma. There is some long grass outside. They make nice ones if you tie it right. There is also a bush of daises if you want to stick one in your hair."

The forest grass tickels my shin.  I can see the faint glow of the fire ahead in the blanket of darkness surronding me.  Emma holds 5 baskets of fruits in her hands.  She hands me one.

"Come on, Shane's probably waiting!" 

 We walk into the clearing, and the people and noises embrace me. 

"Wow." I mutter under my breath. 

"I know.  Let's go set up. "

There is an empty space next to a stand selling. . . . smushed rose? Emma sees me eyeing it curiosly.

"It's rose soap."  She whispers. I furrow my brow. "It doesn't really work." I smile.

While Emma organizes the leaf bags and fruit, I scan the crowd, people, booth like things, but mostly I look for Shane.  Matt comes over.

"Hey." He says. I nod my head. 

Emma stands up, suddenly aware of his presence. She hands me an apple. 

"See that stand over there?" Emma points to two people sitting on the dirt across from the fire. Trade this apple for an onion. Try and get as many as you can, I have a feeling you will be a great trader."

I look at her, she looks serious.  

"Kay." I agree and walk over. A few people look at me and I stare right back. They break the gaze, I hold my own. "Um, can I please haev an onion?" I ask the two boys politely. They look at me, trying to figure out whether or not I'm serious. Then they burst out laughing. "What?" I ask, annoyed.

"You're just," They laugh, not even trying to contain it, "So, polite!"

I just stand there embarrased and feel color rising to my cheeks. What the heck do they mean by 'so polite'? 

"Leave her alone, she's new here. She doesn't know how things work." Says a voice behind me. It's Shane. "Here," He says to me. "I'll do it." He lightly takes the apple from my hand and trades it for two onions.

"Thanks." I murmer. He smiles at me.