When you tell the world you're mine

Chapter 26: New Traditions

"What is a quermesse?" Harry asked while Carol was driving them to this party she was excitedly talking about for the past days.

"It's a traditional party, held every June to celebrate the beginning of winter and harvest season. It's also called "Festa de São João". she answered looking at him.

"That's explain why we're dressed like farmers." Skippy pointed out and they all laughed.

She laughed and looked for a spot to park. She was taking Hailey, Harry, Skippy and Lara to the party. She and Harry linked arms when they were out of the car. She made sure to buy them checked shirts and straw hats. It was a cold night and she looked for a kiosk that sold "Vinho Quente", that was basically warm red wine with pineapple and apples in the middle of it. She asked for cups for them and even Lara took a sip to try it.

"This is actually good." he said after the first sip.

"Ok... now let's hit the games." she said after they finished their drinks. They walked until a "Pescaria" place. They had to fish small plastic fishes inside of a sandbox to discover their prizes. Hailey couldn't get any fish after her three times. Carol and Lara both got one and Harry and Skippy kept paying the guy to see who could fish more. They ended up earning three big teddy bears for the girls.

After fishing they decided to go to the shooting game. They received a plastic gun to shoot at empty cans. They had to knock down the five of them in only six shots. Harry shoot and knocked four of them in a row.

"That's not fair to bring a soldier to this kind of games, Carolina." Skippy said and tried to disturb Harry that only playfully shoved him out of the way.

Carol was next after Harry.

She shoot the first time and missed and she cursed.

"You're positioning your hands wrong." Harry stated with his arms crossed while watching her and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how to shoot, Henry!" she answered after missing her second chance.

"Let me show you." before she could protest and say she could do it on her own (which they all knew she couldn't) he was behind her and adjusted her hold on the gun and put it on her sight level. He was holding her arms and whispered "fire" in her ears and she fired knocking her first can down.

"It's also not fair to take advantage of a soldier, Carolina." Hailey said after seeing her sister do a small dance.

"Well... it's not like the soldier isn't enjoying being taken advantage of, is it?" Skippy said drinking from his beer and Harry scowled at him.

Carol and Harry just looked at each other and shook their heads at their friends. She finished all her shots, with him still behind her, and like everyone knew, he was the winner of the group. He earned a package with his prize but didn't open it right away.

Hailey asked to go to the "Correio Encantado".

"What is it?" Harry asked while holding Carol's hand.

"Well.. you send an anonymous message to anyone in the party. And they deliver it."

"One can write anything?" Lara asked while eating a "Maçã do Amor" (caramelized apple).

"Anything!"

"Interesting." Skippy said and asked the lady behind the kiosk for a card. He scribbled something on two cards and handed it to the lady. Hailey and Harry also scribbled and they had to be out of the place so the cupid could start delivering the messages.

They rode on the Ferris wheel (against Carol's wishes to stay on the ground) and she strongly held Harry's hand for the whole ride, they rode the bumper car without Lara (and Skippy who decided to wait by with his wife), and they ate. Carol bought a bit of everything and they shared between themselves. There were a lot of food with corn, sweets and lots of salty things as well.