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Ellesanna

Member

Registered: 2018-07-20

Posts: 95

To my good friend, Amerie Mary

My name was Cartez Mary- son of Mary Mary III. . While I had been working alongside my family, I was suddenly seized by thoughts of our impending death looming ominously overhead. Even at the age of five the thought of death terrified me as I saw it happen at a young age- a small beagle pup had  starved to death before my eyes when I was but an infant. It was my first taste of death but it would not be the last- my mother soon after joined the grave as well. Me and my sister, Clea worked hard with Clea riding out into the fields to gather eggs while I cooked omelots. All this time mindlessly working gave me plenty of time to contemplate my life and its purpose and I found myself filled with existential dread. Death was one of those that was inevitable. I would die just as that beagle pup and my mother and other before me have. And yet... I didn't want to be forgotten. I had heard of something called 'writing' and 'paper' and decided that maybe this would give me the clarity and peace of mind I craved so desperately. I was only 16.
I had no mother to speak to and my grandmother, Eve Mary, was a busy woman. So I sought out assistance else where and found my uncle, Amerie Mary. He was hard at work at the ovens baking pies for the family I asked "Uncle, do you know how to make paper?" he paused in his work to begin to explain the complicated art of paper making. I asked him many questions and he patiently taught me in between the rounds of baking - baking that I assisted him in. I learned that making paper without a knife would be impossible so I was about to give up when grandma Eve, who had watched me work hard besides my uncle, gave me her knife as a sign of trust and honor. I thanked her and promised to use it well. I helped cut up bread before continuing with my side project. I made the wet wood mush and was about to boil it when some younger folks had covered the hot embers with a rock to make omelets. I wasn't angry of course, they were just kids and they must have watched me do it while they were infants and decided to take up the work when I switched over to baking pies and bread. So I got back to working alongside my uncle creating flour and forming pie crust and bread dough. There was butter there as well and I got to taste buttered bread for the first time. It was heavenly. I became so wrapped up in my work with Amerie that the thoughts of impending doom and death that had plagued me for so long had left me at peace. I was happy.
Then I saw that both me and my uncle were getting old. I wasn't afraid though. But I was anxious that no-one would remember us after we died- that all we did was for nothing. I found the wet wood mush and finally got to making that paper. "You finally got your paper" My uncle said proudly as I began to contemplate what to write with my charcoal pencil.

"Amerie and Cartez were the best" I wrote down before setting it down in a nearby basket
"Awwwwwww" responded my uncle as all in the village took turns reading it.

When the time came for my uncle to die, we said our goodbyes and I buried him beneath an oaktree with a gravestone and pink rose. And after years of baking my pies on my own, when my time finally came, I laid down beside him as well after passing on my knife to a member of the pharo clan named Doha. He was a nice boy and had helped me fetch flour years before.

Just want you to know Amerie that you were the best and I loved playing with you. I also want to give a shoutout to members of the Mary and Pharo clan who had played with me and made it such a good run. There were a few who didn't have lastnames there as well and just know that you were appreciated too even if you didn't have a family name

VioletLily

Member

Registered: 2018-07-27

Posts: 201

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

I was Doha. Amerie was my dad. Sadly, I didn't get to see him that often as I was busy trapping rabbits and making backpacks for the town. He was a very dedicated worker and made many pies. He kept the town fed for years. I wish I could have spent more time with him before he died. His last request to me was to continue baking in his stead, and so that is what I did for the rest of my life. He really was loved by many.

Last edited by VioletLily (2018-09-18 03:25:55)

happynova

Member

Registered: 2018-03-31

Posts: 362

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

Cartez!  I am so happy to hear from you!  I really was so proud of and impressed by you, you know.  With how eager you were to learn, and how you were able to get your paper-making done on your own with only a few basic instructions from me, but also by how you  never got frustrated when you had difficulties, and never let having a personal project you clearly cared about get in the way of helping the village by working with me in the bakery.

I had wondered where you got the knife.  I'm glad to know that it was my mom who passed it on to you -- she must have seen some of what I saw in you, too -- and that after you it went to my son Doha.  I was incredibly touched by what you wrote on your paper when you finally finished it, and I'm even more touched to know you honored me like that after I went.

Amarie

Actually...  The truth is, that life and you meant a lot to me.  The last time I played, I ran afoul of a really offensive, racist-hate-spewing griefer, and, I admit, I didn't respond to them well.  I was feeling a bit low about the game, myself, and humanity in general, and was thinking of just not playing at all for a while. But, no, I told myself.  Let's get back on the horse. So many of the lives I've had have been cooperative and lovely and left me feeling good about myself and other people.  Maybe I can have one of those, and get the bad taste out of my mouth.  And that's exactly what I had, and it was largely thanks to you.  So, thank you.  You have no idea just how much I'm smiling right now.

happynova

Member

Registered: 2018-03-31

Posts: 362

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

And Doha!  You must have responded while I was typing my reply.  It's good to hear from you, too!  I'm sorry I wasn't more a part of your life.  Honestly, I was surprised when your mother told me you were mine.  But I figured, OK, sure.  I will be his dad!  I wasn't sure if you would really grow up thinking of me that way, though, so the first time you called me "Dad," it was surprising and a little emotional for me, even though I don't think I ever let you know.  But I'm glad I was your dad.  You clearly grew up into a good man and a hard worker, and I'm glad I got to say goodbye to you at the end, and even more glad to know you carried on the bakery when I was gone.

I may be getting a little choked up here, guys.  Awwww.

Ellesanna

Member

Registered: 2018-07-20

Posts: 95

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

YESSSS Amarie I'm so glad you got to see this post!!!! And Doha! You were such a good worker and I'm glad that I"m passed on the knife to you. I'm so happy that I made your run a good one Amarie, I had had a series of bad/mediocre runs today so finally getting a good one like this one as my last run of the day was definitely worth it. I had been wanting to make paper ever since the update but never had the chance because of all the other things needed to be done in villages like baking, setting up traps, farming, etc...  I didn't want to neglect my duties so I just made plans to do it when I had spare time and the resources at hand to spare. When I was born into our town, I saw how big and sprawling it was and how everyone was workin hard at it like machines and knew that if there ever was a time for me to learn, that this was the place to do it. I will confess, I had watched one person do a small part of the paper making process awhile back when the update first happened but I had thought that the small short staff you had to cut was instead a milkweed stalk. I would've spent like a good couple of minutes looking for a milkweed stalk instead of makin a short staff I'm a  bit silly like that. I also thought you could just cut the staff with just a sharp stone and then you would be done. BOIIII was I wrong!

You guys were just awesome, or 'the best', to play with and I'm glad that I was able to improve someone else's day and OHOL experience

happynova

Member

Registered: 2018-03-31

Posts: 362

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

Heh, well, it's ridiculously easy to get confused by stuff like that when you've only seen someone do it once in a video. Glad I was there to help explain that part!  And I'm glad you picked me to ask. I really was hoping to be able to do something helpful for someone that life.

VioletLily

Member

Registered: 2018-07-27

Posts: 201

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

I just saw the note you guys! It's still there! Your names will live on!

Last edited by VioletLily (2018-09-18 20:13:32)

happynova

Member

Registered: 2018-03-31

Posts: 362

Re: To my good friend, Amerie Mary

Awesome!