The night air was cold and crisp and the fireplace kept the family's bodies warm. But not even crackling of the burning logs were able to warm their spirits.
There was an old man on the one bed in the room, dressed in his pajamas and sleeping cap, almost seeming ready to sleep for the night, except for the envelope he was clutching in his hand. But, by the sorrowful expressions on the faces of those by his bedside, even the young child could tell he would not be sleeping for just one night.
His voice spoke, warm and rough, "...And for my very special grandson." He reached up and beckoned the boy closer. The boy eagerly rushed to his grandpa's bedside.
His grandpa held the envelope up for the boy to take.
"I want you to have this sealed envelope."
The boy took the envelope and looked at it curiously and reached to break the wax seal holding it closed.
"No, no, don't open it, have patience." The old man quickly said, halting his grandson's hand.
"Now listen close." He commanded softly, threading his fingers through his grandson's fine hair. The child listened to grandpa with rapt attention, his unwavering eyes met his grandpa's. Satisfied that he had the boy's attention, he continued.
"There will come a day when you'll feel crushed by the burden of modern life…" Despite the confusion written on his grandson's face, the old man continued without pause.
"And your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness…" The boy's eyes became frightened in the face of his grandpa's terrible prophecy.
The old man gave the young boy soft, encouraging smile.
"When that happens you'll be ready for this gift." He finished with a light pat to top of his grandson's head, before settling back on his bed. The young boy still struggling to understand the word's his grandpa just told him.
"...Now, let grandpa rest." And with that the old man's eyes closed and his breathing going steadily slower.
On that night, the young boy watched as his grandpa's light faded out.
The rumbling of the bus was the only noise that greeted Briar as he roused from his nap.
Blinking away the sleepiness from his eyes, his eyes suddenly widened and his heart lurched in a momentary surge of panic. His eyes flitted around and he grappled under his seat until his hand closed around the leather handle of the worn weekender bag, before yanking it and settling it on his lap.
Rifling through the contents, Briar sighed in relief when he found everything was still in their place. Feeling at ease again, he stretched out while yawning and cringed from the painful pops that made their way up his spine.
Going through his bag again, he pulled out a folder and read the letter that was inside.
Dear Briar,
If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.
The same thing happened to me, long ago . I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life… Real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.
I've enclosed the deed to that place… My pride and joy: Glenn Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life.
This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my boy. Good luck.
Love, Grandpa.
P.S. If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?
Briar smile fondly when he remembered all the times he had with his grandpa, especially those adventures they used to have together. What was that one adventure… Briar scratched his head, The one with city of dragons and… something else. He shrugged helplessly. Oh well, I can't remember.
He remembered thinking his grandpa would always be around…
Briar's smile turned somber when he thought back to last time he saw his grandpa alive. The night he received his grandfather's prophecy and the envelope containing the key to his future.
Leaning back in his seat, he peered out the bus window and took in the majestic scenery outside, from the towering range of tree-topped mountains, the bright blue sky peppered with puffy white clouds and he could even see the vast ocean on the horizon. It was the absolute picture of serenity.
With his head propped up against the window, he prayed that things would be better now that he was away from the empty and oppressing life he'd had before. If he thought about it hard enough, he could practically imagine himself back there again. A grain of sand stuck in a cubicle, surrounded by rows-upon-rows of cubicles, the endless clicking of computer keys, the weight of eyes glaring down, scrutinizing his every move every hour of the day.
Briar shook his head and moved his away from the unpleasant memories, keeping his breathing deep and steady, quelling the first vestiges of panic before it could grow and overtake his senses.
Before it could drown him again.
Feeling a little lighter, he looked out the window just in time to see a road sign:
Stardew Valley 0.5 mi
Briar took another deep breath as they entered the dark tunnel ahead and tried to look forward to the future that awaited him.
As the bus pulled up to the bus stop, Briar noticed a woman with strawberry-blonde hair waiting by the small strip of sidewalk that runs parallel to the road. She isn't waiting for me, is she? Briar thought curiously while settling his bag over his shoulder. Well, even if she isn't, I could probably ask her where to go…
Figuring it was a good plan, Briar made his way off the bus while going over in his head on how exactly he was supposed to ask where the farm was… Stepping off the bus, he could see her set her focus solely on him, and while her smile didn't fade, her eyebrows quirked up in surprise.
Feeling uncomfortable under the stranger's scrutiny, he brought up his hand and started nervously fiddling with his earrings.
"Is something wrong?", his eyes flicked anxiously between the woman's face and the ground, waiting for a response.
The woman's smile became more apologetic, "Sorry, sorry, you weren't quite what i was expecting… But…" She trailed off shaking her head and looked back with a friendly smile, "I'm sorry, that's rude of me." She held out a hand, "Hello. You must be Briar. I'm Robin the local Carpenter."
Briar reached out to shake Robin's hand, "Yeah, I'm Briar. Pleased to meet you." Wait... Should I say I accept her apology?
"Likewise," Robin grinned, "Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home." I probably should, Briar thought anxiously, Although this does save me from having to ask where the farm is… "He's there right now tidying things up for your arrival." She continued to explain while holding out an arm in the direction of the pathway behind her, "Your farm's right over her, if you'll follow me…"
Briar nodded, "Okay." And then they both headed off down the road toward Glenn Farm.
"This is Glenn Farm." Robin announced as they reached the end of the long stretch of dirt road.
Briar stopped dead in his tracks and stared with-no small amount-horror at how overrun the fields actually were. Although really, what was I expecting? Briar thought, feeling tired at the idea of just how much work it would take to clear this all out. There was no one else to care of anything since grandpa died… He laid his head in hands and sighed tiredly.
"What's the matter?" Robin asked concerned, "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but there's some good soil underneath all that mess!" She sent Briar a bright, encouraging smile, "With a little dedication you'll have it cleaned up in no time!"
Briar couldn't help but return Robin's smile. Her positive attitude was infectious and his shoulders straightened, feeling uplifted by her bright spirit. "Yeah," his smile turned a bit sheepish, "still feels like I'm a little over my head though…" he said while scratching his head, and followed her up to the wooden cottage.
"oh , don't worry. I think you'll do just fine!" She replied reassuringly, "...And here we are, your new home." She gestured towards the house just as the door opened and an old man stepped out onto the front porch.
"Ah, the new farmer!" The old man exclaimed, "Welcome! I'm Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town."
Turning to close the door behind him, he continued, "you know everyone's been asking about you."
Briar blinked in surprise, "Oh really?"
Lewis chuckled, "Oh yes. It's not everyday that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal."
The Mayor then directed his gaze to the old cottage, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, "So… You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage." Chuckling to himself, he added, "It's a good house... Very 'rustic'."
Robin laughed, waving her hand, "'Rustic'? That's one way to put it…" She sent a mischievous grin to Briar, "'crusty' might be a little more apt though…"
Briar could only smile nervously as he watched Robin's shoulder shake with laughter at her own joke.
"Rude!" The Mayor chided and Robin turned away to laugh into her hand, "Don't listen to her Briar." He warned, crossing his arms, "She's just trying to make you feel dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades." He finishes with a knowing nod of his head.
Robin's laughter immediately stopped as she gasped in offence.
"Hmmph!" She crosses her arms and starts tapping her foot in displeasure before fixing a glare onto Lewis from the corner of her eyes.
Lewis met her glare with a grin of his own before returning his attention to Briar, "Anyway… You must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest."
Briar lets out a deep breath, his body went slack from the sudden feeling of fatigue. "Yeah," he agreed, "The last few days were pretty rough. Laying down in a real bed sounds amazing, actually…"
Lewis chuckle, "And I know you'll be busy fixing things up around the house and everything, Briar," Lewis suddenly said, "But when you get the chance, you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself."
The Mayor started walking away with Robin following behind when he added, " The townspeople would really appreciate it."
"Will do, sir."
Lewis paused again, placing a fist in the palm of his hand when he remembered, "Oh, I almost forgot. If you do have anything to sell, just place in the box here. I'll come by during the night to collect it."
Briar spared a glance the large wooden crate that he somehow missed when he first walked up.
Lewis waved to Briar one more time, "Well… Good luck!" And left the young man to himself.
He stood there alone taking in all the sounds and sights of nature that were never present in the city.
From the whistling of the wind as wove through the leaves of the trees and the blades of grass, to the sounds of the squirrels chittering off in the distance and the chirping of birds, and to even the feeling of the warmth of the sun. For a short moment, Briar felt himself achieve a sense of calm that he had not had in a long time.
Taking another glance at the sheer mess that made up the fields, Briar cringed and once again felt lethargic. The motivation to clear it out, rushed out faster than he ever thought possible. I guess I just need to start in a small spot and work my way out. Briar thought wearily, as practical as the thought was, it didn't reassure him as much as he hoped it would. Not while staring at the
forest in his front yard.
Sighing, he decided to go ahead and go inside, at very least he could probably think a little better if wasn't staring right at his biggest problem.
The inside of the house was truly simple, being that there were only two rooms: the bathroom and the living area. There wasn't even a kitchen, leaving Briar kind of at a loss as what his grandpa did for his meals. He made a mental note to ask his mom to send the portable stove top he'd left behind.
The living area was sparsely furnished, with only a small wooden dining table with a single dining room chair, an old twin-sized bed, and the really old television that his grandpa kept from the 90s. Briar flicked the television on and noted with relief that the socket worked. If it didn't he'd have had to rethink his portable stove top idea… Because he wasn't too terribly confident with practising his cooking skills using the fireplace that was situated in the corner…
Probably burn the house down, Briar thought sardonically, and wouldn't that be fantastic start?
There were a few other things he'd would to need to get to make things a little easier until he could get the place redone. He could probably ask Robin about those house upgrades the Lewis mentioned.
He started to make a mental checklist of all the things he would more than likely need to be fixed immediately-like the ceiling, he could see a couple holes- and other things that would need to be replaced- like the plumbing, that's been sitting for over a decade without maintenance- and after that, he could focus on getting a part of the fields cleared out. Briar figured he could start at a small area in front of the cottage and slowly work his way out.
It's so much easier to think about how to clear everything out when he wasn't staring right at it.
Just one step at time, Briar thought while taking a deep breath, just one step at time and everything will be alright…
Taking another glance to see if there was anything he missed, his attention was brought to the small package that was sitting by the ceramic bowl on the table. Picking it up, he noticed the note that taped to the top of it.
Here's a little something to get you started.
Mayor Lewis
Opening the package, Briar found a couple seed packets for parsnip and even a few beginner's guides for farming.
A small, happy smile formed on the young man's lips, feeling touched at the Mayor's generosity.
"Thank you so much." Briar whispered to himself, feeling a little overwhelmed by the Mayor's act of kindness, and after a moment of thought, gave a short laugh, " I should tell him that when I see him next…"
Despite it being fairly early, Briar decided to go ahead and get ready for bed. He had plenty he needed to get done and an early start would probably be best.
Laying down in bed, he thought of Robin and Lewis and just how helpful they were. He hoped that the other people in town were just as nice.
Briar blinked as remembered something, "Oh crap, I forgot to accept her apology!"