Flowers for Yoba
I was struck by this thought on my latest play through of y1 and I realized you have like... something under your clothes. Also wanted it to be for anyone’s farmer and it was fun to figure out how that’d be written.
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It was a beautiful spring day. The birds were singing, the air was still cool in the morning before warming up in the afternoon, winter trying to hold onto to the day by the fingertips. Lewis had spent all day the day before decorating the town and part of the morning when he retired to the Stardrop as it grew dark last night, distracted by warm smells and the promise of good company. Shane and Marnie had come in before anyone else to hide the eggs for the festival. It was the one time Shane smiled when not six beers deep in the Stardrop, putting eggs out he hoped Jas would find.
As the morning passed everyone started slowly coming out of their homes, dressed for the occasion. Half of them didn’t even know how an egg festival related to Yoba. Eggs? Really? Seemed a bit silly. The soft grumblings of hunger were just starting when Gus, flanked on one side by Emily, burst out of the Stardrop with breakfast. The Sayon brothers cheered and Sam and Vincent were the first two the table for breakfast even as Jodi told them to wait.
The townsfolk from further out trickled in as the day grew on. Willy and Elliot from the beach, Robin’s entire family and someone went to go get Jas as Shane had already started drinking since he didn’t have to go to work.
Lewis did a final look around to make sure everyone was here and he frowned. They were one short. “Everything alright, Lewis?” Marnie asked him. Everyone was talking and impatient to start the egg hunt so they could eat Gus’ delicious food.
“Robert’s grandkid isn’t here yet,” he pulled on his mustache.
“You sent them a letter reminding them about it, right?”
“Of course I did!”
“Maybe they slept in for once. Pierre told me he often finds them waiting outside his door first thing in the morning,” Marnie laughed.
“We’ll wait just a bit longer,” Lewis agreed. “But I think those Sayon boys are about to eat the tablecloth they’re so hungry.” They both laughed.
The sun rose further but they never came. Lewis finally said it was time for everyone to enjoy the wonderful food Gus had spent days prepping and all night cooking. There was much rejoicing. A prayer to Yoba was said and food was enjoyed.
As the morning grew long people got up from the table to sit on the grass and talk or admire the decorations. Jas and Vincent played tag, yelling happily while Marnie fretted over Jas tearing her new pretty dress she’d gotten just for this year. The little groups talked and laughed, enjoying the early spring weather. But there was still a question in the air. When was the egg hunt starting.
“Mayor, are we ever doing the egg hunt?” Abigail finally asked Lewis.
“They’ll be horrible to eat if we go much longer,” Maru agreed and had to dodge out of the way of Jas and Vincent sprinting by.
“Just a few more minutes,” Lewis said. “We’re still waiting for that farmer from Robert’s old farm.”
“Oh,” Abigail said thoughtfully. “Right, what was their name?”
“Beats me,” Maru shrugged.
Lewis huffed at the both of them. “Their name is-
“Sorry I’m late!”
They weren’t the only three to look towards the voice. The girls’ eyes got huge when they saw the farmer from that old farm. They were wearing a cap the wrong way and carrying more tulips than either of them had ever seen. “There’s no such thing as fashionably late here in Pelican town,” Lewis lightly scolded them.
“I wanted to make sure I brought some for everyone,” they frowned before smiling again. “Here,” and they handed Abigail and Maru each their own bundle of three tied with a ribbon. “Yoba watch over you,” and then they proceeded to go around the square apologizing for their tardiness and offering flowers. Some of the boys scoffed and refused the gifts but that didn’t deter them at all. It just meant more flowers for Evelyn and Haley who were thrilled at all the flowers.
“Some entrance,” Lewis looked over and saw Elliot saying that to Leah.
“I think it’s nice,” she smiled.
“Wow! Flowers. That’s so nice! Mommy mommy look what they gave me!” Vincent cried and ran over to Jodi to proudly show off their red flowers. He’d left them squatting on the square, arms noticeably more empty of flowers, a huge smile across their face.
“Can we start the egg hunt now?” Abigail asked. She’d tucked the flowers into her overalls and was ready to go.
Lewis sighed fondly at her. “Let me go see if they want to compete and yes,” he said. Abigail smiled brightly at that. Lewis went over to the young farmer. “Do you want to participate in the egg hunt?”
They looked up at him before standing, confusion written across their entire face. “Egg hunt? What’s that?”
“You’ve never done an egg festival?”
“We just... eat eggs in the city,” they said apologetically.
“I see,” and Lewis explained it to them. The further on he went the more excited they got. “So want to participate?”
“Heck yeah!” they cried. “Let me just put the rest of these down.” Lewis chuckled when they all ended up in Evelyn’s lap. Lewis went back to the center of the square. “Everyone! We’re starting the egg hunt now,” he called and everyone started to form a circle. Vincent and Jas ran right up to him and started jumping up and down excitedly. Abigail and Maru were the only older people who joined in.
“Sorry, excuse me,” and the farmer squeezed between Harvey and Sebastian. They’d taken off their hat so their hair was free and somehow tastefully disheveled and they’d decided to forego their shirt too and were just in their undershirt, face still flushed from harvesting all those tulips.
“Alright everyone, it’s time for the annual egg hunt!”
“Yes!” Jas yelled.
“Yay!” Vincent cried.
Lewis chuckled. “Now if only you kids would show as much enthusiasm in picking up trash around town.” The kids made rude faces at him that just made him smile. He gave them the rules, wished them luck and, “Go!”
Abigail and the younger kids immediately took off. Maru started before going the opposite direction. The farmer for a moment looked overwhelmed and then went, “Oh, right,” they grinned and headed off in the same direction Abigail had gone.
Lewis gave a disapproving look when he heard a quiet, “Did you see the size their arms,” somewhere across the semi circle.
“AHEM,” Lewis said loudly. An awkward cough followed and the townsfolk dispersed some while the hunt was on.
“Guess this new farmer is fitting right in, wouldn’t you say?” Marnie asked Lewis, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. Lewis just sighed.
It was a beautiful spring day. The birds were singing, the air was still cool in the morning before warming up in the afternoon, winter trying to hold onto to the day by the fingertips. Lewis had spent all day the day before decorating the town and part of the morning when he retired to the Stardrop as it grew dark last night, distracted by warm smells and the promise of good company. Shane and Marnie had come in before anyone else to hide the eggs for the festival. It was the one time Shane smiled when not six beers deep in the Stardrop, putting eggs out he hoped Jas would find.
As the morning passed everyone started slowly coming out of their homes, dressed for the occasion. Half of them didn’t even know how an egg festival related to Yoba. Eggs? Really? Seemed a bit silly. The soft grumblings of hunger were just starting when Gus, flanked on one side by Emily, burst out of the Stardrop with breakfast. The Sayon brothers cheered and Sam and Vincent were the first two the table for breakfast even as Jodi told them to wait.
The townsfolk from further out trickled in as the day grew on. Willy and Elliot from the beach, Robin’s entire family and someone went to go get Jas as Shane had already started drinking since he didn’t have to go to work.
Lewis did a final look around to make sure everyone was here and he frowned. They were one short. “Everything alright, Lewis?” Marnie asked him. Everyone was talking and impatient to start the egg hunt so they could eat Gus’ delicious food.
“Robert’s grandkid isn’t here yet,” he pulled on his mustache.
“You sent them a letter reminding them about it, right?”
“Of course I did!”
“Maybe they slept in for once. Pierre told me he often finds them waiting outside his door first thing in the morning,” Marnie laughed.
“We’ll wait just a bit longer,” Lewis agreed. “But I think those Sayon boys are about to eat the tablecloth they’re so hungry.” They both laughed.
The sun rose further but they never came. Lewis finally said it was time for everyone to enjoy the wonderful food Gus had spent days prepping and all night cooking. There was much rejoicing. A prayer to Yoba was said and food was enjoyed.
As the morning grew long people got up from the table to sit on the grass and talk or admire the decorations. Jas and Vincent played tag, yelling happily while Marnie fretted over Jas tearing her new pretty dress she’d gotten just for this year. The little groups talked and laughed, enjoying the early spring weather. But there was still a question in the air. When was the egg hunt starting.
“Mayor, are we ever doing the egg hunt?” Abigail finally asked Lewis.
“They’ll be horrible to eat if we go much longer,” Maru agreed and had to dodge out of the way of Jas and Vincent sprinting by.
“Just a few more minutes,” Lewis said. “We’re still waiting for that farmer from Robert’s old farm.”
“Oh,” Abigail said thoughtfully. “Right, what was their name?”
“Beats me,” Maru shrugged.
Lewis huffed at the both of them. “Their name is-
“Sorry I’m late!”
They weren’t the only three to look towards the voice. The girls’ eyes got huge when they saw the farmer from that old farm. They were wearing a cap the wrong way and carrying more tulips than either of them had ever seen. “There’s no such thing as fashionably late here in Pelican town,” Lewis lightly scolded them.
“I wanted to make sure I brought some for everyone,” they frowned before smiling again. “Here,” and they handed Abigail and Maru each their own bundle of three tied with a ribbon. “Yoba watch over you,” and then they proceeded to go around the square apologizing for their tardiness and offering flowers. Some of the boys scoffed and refused the gifts but that didn’t deter them at all. It just meant more flowers for Evelyn and Haley who were thrilled at all the flowers.
“Some entrance,” Lewis looked over and saw Elliot saying that to Leah.
“I think it’s nice,” she smiled.
“Wow! Flowers. That’s so nice! Mommy mommy look what they gave me!” Vincent cried and ran over to Jodi to proudly show off their red flowers. He’d left them squatting on the square, arms noticeably more empty of flowers, a huge smile across their face.
“Can we start the egg hunt now?” Abigail asked. She’d tucked the flowers into her overalls and was ready to go.
Lewis sighed fondly at her. “Let me go see if they want to compete and yes,” he said. Abigail smiled brightly at that. Lewis went over to the young farmer. “Do you want to participate in the egg hunt?”
They looked up at him before standing, confusion written across their entire face. “Egg hunt? What’s that?”
“You’ve never done an egg festival?”
“We just... eat eggs in the city,” they said apologetically.
“I see,” and Lewis explained it to them. The further on he went the more excited they got. “So want to participate?”
“Heck yeah!” they cried. “Let me just put the rest of these down.”
Lewis chuckled when they all ended up in Evelyn’s lap. Lewis went back to the center of the square. “Everyone! We’re starting the egg hunt now,” he called and everyone started to form a circle. Vincent and Jas ran right up to him and started jumping up and down excitedly. Abigail and Maru were the only older people who joined in.
“Sorry, excuse me,” and the farmer squeezed between Harvey and Sebastian. They’d taken off their hat so their hair was free and somehow tastefully disheveled and they’d decided to forego their shirt too and were just in their undershirt, face still flushed from harvesting all those tulips.
“Alright everyone, it’s time for the annual egg hunt!”
“Yes!” Jas yelled.
“Yay!” Vincent cried.
Lewis chuckled. “Now if only you kids would show as much enthusiasm in picking up trash around town.” The kids made rude faces at him that just made him smile. He gave them the rules, wished them luck and, “Go!”
Abigail and the younger kids immediately took off. Maru started before going the opposite direction. The farmer for a moment looked overwhelmed and then went, “Oh, right,” they grinned and headed off in the same direction Abigail had gone.
Lewis gave a disapproving look when he heard a quiet, “Did you see the size their arms,” somewhere across the semi circle.
“AHEM,” Lewis said loudly. An awkward cough followed and the townsfolk dispersed some while the hunt was on.
“Guess this new farmer is fitting right in, wouldn’t you say?” Marnie asked Lewis, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. Lewis just sighed.