Spring day 1
I stepped off the bus shielding my eyes from the blinding spring sun, the bus door closed behind me and drove off in a hurry as though the driver had somewhere important to be.
"Hi!" I heard a voice call out to me and I looked up at an older woman with auburn hair and kind green eyes.
"Oh, hello," I replied unsure of how to react to someone approaching me so easily and cheerfully.
"I'm Robin, I was a bit worried that I would miss your bus, good to know I made it on time."
"Well, actually, in all honesty my bus was late, apparently there was a mishap with a passenger. Something about a heart attack."
"Oh my!" The woman replied grabbing my wrist and leading me down the dirt path and to the right.
"Wouldn't be the first time I was late due to a heart attack."
"Jill right? I have the right person right?"
"Of course. Why?"
"Well, in the letters that we received about you you never came off as a talkative person."
"Oh...My apologies," I said quieting up quickly. Robin shook her head.
"No no, it is a great change of scenery, you get use to everyone here and the conversations seem to overlap each other. I think we really needed a fresh face to brighten things up," she replied leading me down an overgrown path skirting between trees until finally an old cabin came into view. I stopped. I knew the place had been abandoned there were years but I never expected it to be this bad. I looked around the overgrown and abandoned yard wincing at the excess amount of trees on the property.
"I see that look on your face. I wish that Lewis had told me sooner, so that I could clean up your yard some, there is some prime wood here. On the other hand though, I checked out your house and even though it's old, its very livable. I promise my first born on it."
"Oh, um, thank you I appreciate that, but you don't have to."
"Oh don't fret over me. As a welcome to the valley gift I left you some tools in your house. Well! If you don't mind, I will have to excuse myself. I must be going, and you need to settle into your new home," Robin replied waving good bye and heading north through the back woods. I nodded my head. Yea, settling in, that's exactly what I needed, I thought to myself a bit sourly as I gave one last look around the yard that was nothing but a mess. I turned to the old house and placed the key in the keyhole, the door creaking loudly as it opened. I inhaled deeply and clicked the light switch, the lights flickered for a bit before fizzling out. I let out a frustrated sigh before letting the door slam behind me and trying to make my way around the house to find a lamp. Finally after banging my knee against an end table I found a lamp and turned it on. There had to be spare light bulbs in this house somewhere. I made my way around the house rummaging through drawers until I found a spare bulb. I sighed, suppose that will be the first thing I do tomorrow, I thought furiously to myself as I climbed a chair to change the bulb.
"There, a little light to brighten this dark room, now I can sort of see where to put my stuff at," I mumbled to myself then shook my head. As if that would happen today. I clicked the light back off and threw myself face down on the bed. I just wanted to sleep, that's all I wanted right now. I suppose I was still a bit sour from the day before, but I had to put that away, because I couldn't take my frustrations out on what I can only assume were these nice people.
"Tomorrow's going to be a better day," I tried to reassure myself as I slipped into a well deserved coma of sleep.
Spring day 6
I leaned against my ax, eyes closed as I tried to follow alongside the ramblings of the blond man that was laying on his back watching me. I shook my head.
"None of that made sense Sam, you realize that right?" I asked glancing at him out the corner of my eye. He cracked a smile.
"Well, Sebastian makes it sound more...Senseful? Is that a word?" Sam asked tracing the clouds with his finger.
"Not to those that actually speak a normal language," I replied stacking the wood on the side of my house. Sam sighed.
"It could be a word."
"Not really. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sebastian hates me."
"I'm pretty sure Sebastian hates everyone."
"Thanks Sam. That makes me feel a whole lot better," I replied, and Sam rolled onto his stomach.
"Then there's Linus, he's the crazy man that lives behind Sebastian's," Sam replied trying to list the people off his hand.
"I have met Linus, and from what he told me, he is very happy with his life."
"Ah yes, the life of a homeless carefree man," Sam replied.
"You should be more polite to him."
"I know, I know...Now who else?"
"Well," I replied starting to plant seeds in the freshly tilled earth, "out of the ones you didn't mention, I have met Leah, Penny and Pam, as well as Gunther, Clint, and the dude chick with the long hair. Evelyn or something?"
"Elliot, and that was very rude," Sam replied with a grin, I could feel a small smile form on my face.
"That was, wasn't it? I suppose I should apologize to him for it."
"Stop right there, if he doesn't know that you called him that, then he doesn't ever need to know. But now it will be a joke between us and I won't be able to contain my laughter when I see him now. Great you ruined everything for me," Sam replied rambling off. I laughed causing myself to jump. I hadn't heard a laugh escape my lips there was so long that I forgot what it sounded like. Sam laughed.
"You look like you just scared yourself."
"I think I did."
"Ha, nice. So...What else...Or who else? Oh! I bet I know who it is you've never met!"
"You mean other than Willy who's on a fishing trip?"
"Yes. I bet you my next pay check that you have not met Shane," he replied confidently. I frowned, I was not about to make that bet with him considering I was flat broke.
"Shane?" I asked and Sam nodded his head vigorously.
"He's the town's drunk."
"What," I replied flatly and Sam flushed a bit.
"I don't mean it in a demeaning or hurtful way, it's just...well...He spends his time at the bar once he gets off work. He's also kind of rude. I don't know what it is that he's trying to drown, but you can't exactly make friends with someone who doesn't want anything other than to be left alone."
"He sounds like he has a very sad life," I replied barely looking up from my seed. Sam shrugged.
"I suppose. Hey, when can I get some veggies from you?"
"Once I figure out how long it takes to grow veggies."
"Well aren't you the best farmer around," Sam joked. I turned to him slowly.
"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"
"Right! Work! And hey, if you want to meet Shane try the saloon after five, that's about what time he gets off. See you later Farmer!" Sam called walking away. I sighed, he was the only one I hadn't met, it was worth a try, I thought to myself as I continued my work.
Later that evening
I walked down the stone pavement the sun slowly setting behind the mountains making my way down to the saloon. I sighed, it already felt like the walk of shame even though I wasn't drunk. I opened the door to the saloon and could see faces turn to me, a few of them saying hello to me. I mumbled a few hellos making my way to the bar and sitting in the far corner. A blue haired woman greeted me with a warm smile.
"Hi Jill, didn't expect to see you here," she replied and I nodded.
"Hey Emily, yea, I was told this was a good spot to hang out after work."
"Ha! Yea, if you're looking to get wasted," Gus replied with a hearty laugh.
"What can I get for you Jill?" Emily asked and I thought about it before responding with a: 'scotch on the rocks please.' Emily smiled and placed a cup on the bar starting to pour amber liquid into the glass.
"Drink up," she replied before walking away, and I began to sip away at the drink slowly. I looked around the bar, everyone here was a familiar face. I suppose on a Wednesday most people went out to the saloon I suppose to numb themselves for the rest of the week. I turned back to my drink when I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out and stared at the phone with a frown. I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh.
"Are you going to answer that?" A voice asked and I shook my head.
"Oh no, I won't even touch this message. Really not worth my time."
"Really, cause I was hoping that you would take it and get out of my spot," the voice remarked gruffly. Finally I looked up to see who was speaking to me, and glaring down at me with a pair of fierce green eyes was a scruffy man I had never met before. His dark hair was kept short, and the stubble on his face declared that he hadn't shaved in a while and didn't care.
"Oh," I replied a bit taken aback at the man's sudden approach. "Hi, I'm Jillian Viper and I just moved into town, you must be~" "Shane yea, great story Ian, now could you move?" The man interrupted stiffly. I pursed my lips.
"Jillian...Most people call me Jill."
"Don't care. I don't know you and I really don't have time to chat," he replied and I looked around the saloon in disbelief.
"You're in a bar, and you don't have time?" I asked incredulously.
"Yea, now scat kid," he replied elbowing his way into the corner. I stood up and placed some money on the bar for my drink.
"I was just leaving anyway," I replied.
"Good," he remarked sourly and I stopped running my index finger along my bottom lip.
"You know, you can snuff out the world as much as you want, but just because you hurt doesn't mean that you should take it out on others. A man with walls, that's what you are," I said. Shane shrugged.
"Thanks for the history lesson. Here's to never meeting up again," he replied raising his beer can to me in fake toast. I shook my head and proceeded to walk out the saloon. So that was Shane? I suppose what Sam said about being rude wasn't exactly an exaggeration. He was pretty rude, but the demeanor was just a facade hiding something underneath. Something that he didn't want to talk with anyone about, can't say that I blame him, everyone has secrets, but even I wasn't rude to people the way he was.
It wasn't long before I found myself back on my farm, my thoughts made the trip home seem less of a walk and more of a task. A challenge actually. I felt bad for Shane, no matter how rude he could be towards someone, pain needs to be dealt with properly, and his drinking habit was not a good example of it.
I leaned against my mailbox watching the stars begin to twinkle in the sky, this valley, it was calming, not like the city, I suppose that was the reason my grandfather lived here. It was peaceful. I closed my eyes and slid off my mailbox making my way towards the house, my dog Paco meeting me at the door with a wagging tail.
"Yea, it's time for a good night's rest huh?" I replied opening the door and kicking my shoes off. It was a long day and I was exhausted. I stretched before making my way to the bed and passing out.