America: 50☆Stars (Vol. 2)

Episode 42: Orphans & Krakheads

July 23, 2020—Seattle, Washington

"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. It was the age of enlightenment. It was the age of absurdity. It was the epoch of dreams. It was the epoch of nightmares. It was the season of light. It was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope. It was the winter of despair. We had everything laid out before us. We had nothing laid out before us. We were all going directly to the Stanely Cup. We were all going directly home to rebuild—"

"Wash, what are you trying to tell me on this Skype call?" British Columbia interrupted his monologue.

"Before I tell you, I want you to know I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. You were there to comfort me in 1975 when my heart broke hearing the Totems went broke. You graciously accepted me, and we cheered for the Canucks ever since. Though, there were times I hated being a Canucks fan, notably after the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982, 1994, and 2011. Yet, I remained loyal to your team throughout the riots and the rebuilds. In short, it was fun and bittersweet, for better or for worse, being on the Canucks bandwagon for over forty years. I'm somewhat sad to say this, but it's time for me to get off the bandwagon...at least until 2021. Because from now on," he placed a neon green squid hat on his head, "I'm a Krakhead!"

He raised his arms and cheered, "YEEEAAAAAH! Release the Kraken! It's time to get Kraken! Wooooo!" He stepped away from his computer, revealing a Seattle Kraken T-shirt he had been wearing this whole time.

'I guess I gotta come up with some squid jokes now that we're rivals on the ice.' She didn't know what to make of his weird wavy dance, but she was nonetheless happy for him with the return of professional hockey to his home. 

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March 1821—Corydon, Indiana

After toiling a morning's worth of labor on his family farm, a twelve-year-old boy named Abe went on his merry way, traveling to Harrison County to see Indy's farmhouse of literary wonders.

"Didn't you agree to lend a hand on my farm in exchange for borrowing my books?" Indiana scowled at the "lazy" boy who had been sitting on a tree stump for the past thirty minutes, engrossed in reading one of her books to no surprise.

"Sorry, Miss Indy," he apologized sheepishly. "I'll get back to work soon. I'm almost done finishing this chapter."

"So-called self-made man you are," she grumbled.

~ Hetalia... ~

Late afternoon, Abe and Indiana shared a roasted grouse served with boiled potatoes and stale cornbread for a splendid supper to cap off a long day of work.

"I didn't think you would cook supper for me," Abe admitted with a satisfied smile, his stomach delightfully full.

"I had no choice," she spoke while eating her supper. "It would be horrible of me to let a guest head home without some kind of courtesy."

"Oh..." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed for his selfish behavior. "You don't have to do that for me if it's a bother for you."

"It wasn't really a bother. I was going to cook supper whether you were here or not." She maintained her neutral expression as she took a bite of her cornbread. "To be honest, it's odd sharing food with a stranger."

"Stranger?!" He gave her an outlandish look. "We've seen each other three times since February! We're acquaintances at the very least!" He folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "... But I see where you're coming from."

"You do?"

He nodded. "There's a lot I don't know about you," he spoke in a serious tone. "Granted, it's none of my business to ask. Even so, I think it's...odd for someone like you to live alone." After setting his doubts aside for the past month, Abe finally gathered the courage to ask the lonely girl some personal questions, "Why are you alone? Where are your parents?"