Chapter Eight: Lanterns and Laughter
The morning after the Festival of the New Moon arrived like a sleepy sigh.Lanterns still floated on the river, chickens strutted through the empty square, and half the village was too tired—or too happy—to get out of bed.
Rama stood outside her small shelter, hands on hips, surveying the wreckage of celebration. "It looks like a hurricane danced here," she muttered.
Rick, trying to help, was balancing three empty baskets and a broom. "Don't worry," he said cheerfully, "I'll clean this up in no time."
Ten seconds later, he tripped over a pumpkin. The broom flew into the air, the baskets clattered to the ground, and a rooster leapt onto his head like a crown of chaos.
Rama's laughter broke through her usual calm. "Oh, the great savior of the village, defeated by a pumpkin!"
Rick stood up, feigning dignity. "Even heroes have their weak spots."
Nancy's Good Deed… Gone Wrong
Meanwhile, Nancy had declared herself a new woman. "From now on," she told everyone, "I'll help wherever I can. No jealousy, no gossip, only good deeds!"
Her first good deed was to wash everyone's laundry by the river.A noble idea—until the river decided otherwise.
Halfway through, Shokma's current stole a sheet, then another, and before long, the river looked like it was wearing a wedding dress.Nancy ran after it, shouting, "Come back! I'm trying to be a better person!"
Children laughed and pointed. Someone started clapping in rhythm to her chase.Finally, Yuna threw her a long stick to fish the clothes back, but Nancy only managed to pull out a very angry crab instead.
The crab pinched her finger, and she screamed, "Even the river doesn't forgive me!"
Yuna couldn't stop laughing. "Nancy, maybe let me handle the laundry next time."Nancy sighed dramatically. "Fine. But only because I'm too kind to argue."
Rick's Overprotective Heart
By midday, Yuna and James met near the edge of the village.She carried a small basket of guavas; he carried a grin that seemed impossible to erase.
"I saved these for you," she said, offering him one.
Rick's voice boomed from nowhere, "Saved what for him?"
Yuna jumped. James tried to swallow his guava and nearly choked.
Rick appeared, arms crossed, eyebrows high. "Young man, I hope you're here to help with repairs, not—uh—romantic fruit exchanges."
James coughed. "Just… community service, sir."
"Good. Community service is romantic enough," Rick said, narrowing his eyes.
Rama, from behind him, whispered, "Stop scaring the poor boy."
Rick lowered his voice, muttering, "I'm just… supervising the youth."
Yuna rolled her eyes but smiled. "Papa, go supervise someone else, please."
The Great Chicken Escape
Later that afternoon, the village met for a small feast. Tables were lined with leftover sweets and fried plantains. Someone brought a basket of chickens as a gift—until the lid slipped.
Feathers exploded everywhere.
Chickens darted between tables, knocking plates and startling guests. Rick leapt up to catch one, slipped on a banana peel, and landed squarely in a bowl of rice.
Rama tried not to laugh, but her shoulders shook. Nancy yelled, "I'll help!" and ran straight into Yuna, sending guava juice all over James's shirt.
For a second, everyone froze.Then James—dripping red juice—looked at Yuna and said, "Do I at least look sweet now?"
That broke the silence. The whole square erupted in laughter.
Love in the Chaos
When the mess was cleaned (mostly), the sun had already dipped low. Yuna sat by the river washing the last traces of guava from James's shirt.
"You've survived my father, Nancy's crab, and the Chicken War," she said. "You might just belong here."
James leaned beside her, smiling. "If I get to laugh with you, I think I do."
For a moment, the world was still. The river hummed softly, the last lanterns swayed in the breeze.When Yuna looked up, James was watching her with that quiet, wondering look—the one that made her heartbeat stumble.
Before either of them could speak, a splash echoed nearby. Nancy, who had come to "apologize," had accidentally fallen into the river again.
"Not again!" she shouted, sputtering.
Yuna and James burst into laughter so hard they couldn't breathe. Even Rama and Rick, coming down the path, stopped to watch and shake their heads.
Rick sighed. "If this is peace, it's a very noisy one."Rama smiled. "Noisy is better than sorrow."
They watched as Yuna offered James his now-damp shirt, both of them laughing, sunlight turning the water gold. It was messy, ridiculous, and absolutely perfect.