November 13th, 1999 - 3:21 PM
The cold autumn wind chilled me to the bones and a stepped outside. I shivered tugging the sleeves of my thick sage green sweater over my hands and blowing hot air from my mouth onto them. I didn't know where to go, but I just needed to get out. Dank... vacant... I'd hardly call this place home. I needed away. I wandered down the hill.
Across the way I could see old farmer Adam out tending the fields. Bitterness gripped my heart. Why couldn't my father be like that? If he was out there all day tending to the grapes we wouldn't have the problems that we did. I climbed up onto the wooden fence that framed his land and watched mesmerized.
He had several cows wandering in the grass and a plethora of delicious fresh vegetables growing... Green bell peppers, eggplants and pumpkins decorated his field. My stomach churned painfully and making a loud growling sound in the process.
We didn't have much food at home: A bag of spudding potatoes and a jar of dried raisins stocked the pantry, I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Between my picky eating habits and the general lack of food at home I didn't really eat much nowdays.
Adam glanced up from his work and dusted off his work-gloves. "What're ye doin' up there littl' Karen?" He asked kindly.
I blushed "I uh… um… was just watching you weed. There's nothing for me to do back at home and I was just bored…" I stuttered, climbing back down from the fence, afraid I might've offended him.
"Now there, don' be a stranger! Ye' look absolutely freezing, come inside and we'll fix you right-up." He said.
I followed him in; the house was warm, a fire roaring at the hearth. It was a simple room, plainly decorated. A square table at the center of the room and a bed pressed-up against the wall. "Now just one moment young lady, I'll be right back."
He slipped through one of the doors and a few minutes later an old lady, his wife Ann, came bustling in with a tray of delicious food and a huge mug filled to the brim with hot cocoa. I was awestruck as she placed down the tray in front of me. "There you go sweetie!"
"Oh my goodness… is this really for me?" I stammered, happily gulping down the hot chocolate and shoveling into a delicious meaty soup.
"We hardly ever have guests over, it's the least we can do to be hospitable." She said, her husband coming into the room with a tray of tea and the two of them settled down next to me at the table cheerfully jabbering back and forth.
"How old are you now Karen?" Adam asked.
"15, I'll be turning 16 on March 16th!" I said happily.
"My-my, you're almost a grown woman. What do you want to do when you grow-up?" He followed-up by asking.
"I want to move the city and be a dancer, just like my mother was before she married my father." I answered confidently.
"Well, isn't that a big dream." He said, his wife nodding in agreement.
"You'll need to work very hard." Ann said with a trusting smile.
"I will. I'll be the best dancer you'll ever hear of, you'll see."
The sky was dark by the time I headed home, my parents were right where I left them staring blankly into the distance. They didn't even see me until the front door clicked into the latch. "Where were you baby? Your father and I have been worried sick about you all day?" My mother began to rattle off after me. "I was just about..." I muttered, slinking up the stairs.
Author's Note: So... there's the start. ^_^ Don't really know where I'm going with this but we'll see. OH! Also: Karen's birthday is accurate to the N64 game. The season of 88 days long, starting December 21st and ending March 19th, so I multiplied 88 by the day of Karen's birth and divided by the number of days in a harvest moon season to get the equivalent date for the Gregorian calendar. The story takes place around the time of the game's release as well, I figured it'd make the most sense...