Although Jack had grown to love farming in the short months in Forget me Not Valley, there was still one thing he loathed. The one thing if he could change to his work without consequence on his livelihood it would be the early starts.
Oh how he hated them. Even as child and as a young teenager being up before nine was a miracle. It wasn't 'bone idle laziness' as his father had always chastised him. Oh no, it was just that a nice warm cosy bed was more appealing than facing the real world. He missed it even now.
Alas, it was also one of the many comforts that he had sacrificed to achieve his fathers dream. It was also an incredibly difficult task, one which was made easier by the support of his father's oldest friend; Takakura. Though the man had a reputation for being a detached stoic, this was not the case.
Every day he packed up the meagre offerings or foraged herbs and flowers and made the lengthy trek to Zack's shipping at Mineral Town's dock, no matter how small the shipment he always made the trek and gave Jack all the money even to his own cost. He worked tirelessly on the farms behalf and Jack had came to respect him and tried his hardest.
Jack had also found Takakura to be a reliable source of all matters farming. Be it advice on the care of hens, what crops were in season, which crops fetched a high price or were in high demand. Even with all this advice Jack found that although the farm was making money, it was a modest profit at best. A few hundred G here and there, most of which was immediately ploughed back into the farm. The rest went into food for Takakura, Alfred the farms dog and self appointed mascot and himself.
Hopefully things would change for the better, Takakura and Jack had discussed over a particularly bland turnip stew last night the possibility of expanding the variety of livestock. Although Jack now had a modest sized flock of hens there were still no cows. And a well maintained, happy herd of cows milk brought in a fortune. They'd sat through the figures and worked out it could almost certainly turn around the flagging fortunes for the farm.
There was just the trivial matter of somehow scraping the money to buy the equipment likely to be done piecemeal over a number of seasons. The last instalment being the animal itself and also the most expensive.
Jack mused over a hasty breakfast bowl of some nondescript cheap cereal. It looks like cardboard and tastes like it too! Bah! Whilst convincing his stomach that cardboard flakes were infact delicious and the BEST thing he'd ever have to eat ever. His thoughts turned to the other matter that troubled him greatly.
Love.
Or rather, the lack of. Although Forgot me Not Valley was a beautiful place, there was very few people actually living in it. Even fewer still were the number of people even remotely close to his age. Of that only four of them were girls. Takakura had never said anything outright, he'd implied that the only way the farm would truly succeed would be if there was a young couple with a family at its centre. Truth be told, Jack agreed, his old man had always said a burden halved was a burden shared.
Muffy had been the first of the four he'd met, She was the barmaid at Griffin's tavern. She was very pretty with her long blonde hair and over the top feminine dress sense. She was also very friendly. Perhaps a tad too friendly for Jack's likes. He'd always been cautious about girls who were openly flirtatious. Light, bubbly and fleeting, had been Jacks initial impression. She'd made numerous attempts to get him to meet her in the afternoons before the bar opened and go for dinner dates she was keen on him. He'd always politely declined with a smile saying perhaps some other time or some other small excuse. There wasn't anything really wrong with her. Just that she wasn't for him.
Much the same could be said for another of Forgot me Not Valleys bachelorettes Nami. Nami was an interesting character, she never spoke and when she did it was blunt and to the point. Nami kept herself to herself and that was that. Why she did so was a mystery to everyone. She was in a sense being courted by another suitor anyway Gustafa, when his head wasn't in the clouds. Perhaps that what helped him crack her cold exterior. Jack wished him all the best with that endeavour. From Jack's perspective it seemed like a task worthy of Hercules's.
Then there was Lumina the granddaughter of Romana who lived in the expensive mansion across town. She was quite shy and spent most of her day's idling away practising Piano, on a good day with the wind blowing the right way Jack could hear her practicing. She was pretty in and understated and cute way with her hair casually tucked away and wearing clothes that looked like they belonged to someone four years younger than her. It wasn't a question of like, Jack thought of Lumina dearly, but more like an elder brother. Her mannerisms and attitude had never arisen any feelings other than a very strong desire to protect. She had always seemed very happy to see him and always asked many questions about how he and the farm was doing.
Then finally, there was Celia the farmhand on the neighbouring farm across the river. Of all the girls in Forgot me Not Valley, Celia had been the only girl to get a flutter from Jack's heart. She'd been another source of advice during the early days when Jack didn't his arse end to his elbow with regards to growing crops. She'd always made time for him in her own way. Whilst not the most gorgeous girl in the valley. Celia appealed to him in ways that he'd never thought any woman could have her wavy brown hair, with her small smile, her laugh and her bright outlook on life no matter the day or the weather. Jack found himself soon going over to their farm just to spend time with Celia. They'd sometimes went for walks to what Celia called her special place, which turned out to be a pond in the woods behind Jack's farm. She'd said to him she felt at peace and in the quiet with only the sounds of nature around. He'd agreed. He'd been sure that she felt something for him too. From what he understood no one else had even been shown her special place. And the way her eyes brightened up when she saw him, how her smile widened ever so slightly whenever he said hello or was passing by.
There was just one tiny, small problem to pursing Celia. And it wasn't Vesta's overprotective brother Marlin, although sometime if looks could kill then Jack would be a dead man. The trouble was Celia was arranged to be married next year in the spring. And it wasn't a rumour either. She'd told him herself a few weeks back on a summer's afternoon, with a wistful look on her face. Vesta's idea she'd said. She'd looked torn. She didn't want to hurt Vesta's feelings over the whole matter. It had taken all of Jack's presence of mind to denounce this whole charade as madness, and propose there and then. No, he was too soft hearted and didn't want to hurt either Vesta's or Celia's feelings. So forcing a small smile he congratulated her. He tried to ignore the bitter gnawing feeling that was settling into his heart.
That had been the last time they'd went on one of their walks together. For the last half of the season leading into Autumn, Jack's heart hadn't been into his work. He did his best for Takakuras sake rather than his own. The disappointment in his heart had turned into a dead weight. His relationship with Celia was frosty at best. Any conversation with Celia was brief and fleeting. His dealings with Vesta's farm were much the same, stopping buy after each harvest to buy more seeds to replenish his dwindling crops on his fields. He hadn't been over in at least two weeks. Yesterday had been the final harvest of the season there was no need to return until the following spring.
A quick glance at the wall clock alerted him to the fact that work for the day would be upon him in less than five minutes. Just enough time to have a quick cup of tea before the real work begins and another hard day's graft descended upon him. He got up to put the kettle on.
Jack never did have that cup of tea.
