Harvest moon 64

A past left behind

A fan fiction by Zetafire

Narrator: Jack.

'' I was just new here, I really didn't know my grandfather's farm, so old, abandoned, and with a sight saying 'hopeless.' Yet something sparked inside me when I saw this loveless land. Perhaps honor, perhaps pride, or perhaps to keep my grandpa's legacy going for as long as I could.

I was used to city life, the thrill of it. Every night, I would put on something else instead of these overalls. The city had the newest products, best stores, and the most flashing lights you'll ever see. There was this great new product called 'hair gel.' It was, what city folks say, the bomb. No, it wasn't a real bomb that would explode, it was an expression. People, including myself, would splash that stuff into our hair, and in seconds it would become hard and a bit sticky. Sounds like a bad product, eh? It's real effect was that it 'froze' your hair, so you could have it in any shape you wanted. It wouldn't fall down, it wouldn't move at all! Of course, the gel wears off eventually, and you have to wash your hair or you'll be filled with dried gel the next day.

Another product was the sneaker, the revolutionize shoe. The sneakers fit active people and common folks alike. You had to be rich to get a pair, not like these brownish boots.

The best product was the 'video game.' It was like playing another world. Anyone who played it instantly fell for it. It was the most entertaining object in the city, advertised everywhere!

The city's shops were way different than the shops here. They had waitresses and waiters, counting up to 10 in a single restaurant. The food they served there was different, too. They served 'hamburgers' and 'hot dogs'. No, they were not made of real dogs, it was just a sausage between two buns. The hamburger was the same, but with a fried meat patty and more 'condiments'.

The television in the city was much bigger than the one here, with much better view. Maybe the best thing in city life was the number of people. So many persons day and night, partying away, drinking away, falling to the dreamy atmosphere. You could go into any group, they would always accept you, and join almost any club. There was so much freedom there, so much fun, and so much flash.

Of course, city wasn't all glam and glory! It had its downsides. First, city homes weren't exactly comfy. They were usually small and cramp. The homes were called apartments, and the apartments were stacked together in one giant building. You had to live with other people right across the wall.

Next was the amount of diseases. Since the city is filled with so many humans, a cold could affect a major part of it in as little as 2 days. You would see people sick every day.

Crime was another major factor in the city. So many robberies, so many thefts in night and day. Don't let me get started on mobs and gangsters.

Other factors? Sure, I got a bag full of 'em. Pollution, dirty water, violence, too little green. To say a long story short, city life was balanced between a happy and sad life. Some people didn't enjoy the happiness of the city, they were far too busy. Others were there on different reasons. But mostly, people went there to have fun. So the city was where someone would find the most younglings hanging around. Young adults, like I was once, and teenagers. City life ain't for older folks. You have to be young to enjoy it. You had to be daring and fun seeking. You MUST be a seeker in a city. That is why it's there, for you to find what you want. It is not there for peace looking folks. You will never have peace in a city. It's there to satisfy the youngsters' wants, and not their needs.

Cities are of wants, not needs. People will always go to the cities to get what they want, which will last for years. Once they are satisfied, they would most likely move here to the suburbs and sometimes to the rural villages. What's rural? Oh it means very far away. We are very far away from any city, we live in a town, which is much more different.

There were reasons to why I left the city at a very young age, when I used to be a seeker. Not because of my grandpa's farm. If I was more like a city person, I would have declined. No, there were other reasons. The loudness, the rush, the thousands of bodies dancing in the night life. It was too much for me. I am a quiet person, I'm not one who would jump into any situation. As in matter in fact, I was looking for an excused to escape from it all.

When the notice of my grandfather's death and wish to run his farm came to me, I quickly took it. I'm happy for that decision, for I would have never discovered this place, its inhabitants, its peacefulness and quietness. I was at ease here, I was at home.

Of course, city life never escaped me, especially in the first months here. I used to toil these fields so much, trying to raise money for barn animals and home improvements. I was solo at first, I would rarely go into town, only when I wanted a drink or needed supplies. I remember the first days, how city life called to me, how it wanted me back, and how I almost gave in. That is, until I found her, the love of my life.

She was standing there, like a queen over the animals. Her name was short and sweet. Ann. Two repeated Ns, and an A right in front. She was astonishing, working on a ranch, and there I was, ready to leave the place, to go back to the city. She filled me with a new hope, and without her, I would have never been here right now, saying these words.

I would go and see her, and she would always be happy when I came by. I had no gifts to give, for the farm was barely sprouting. But, I would go to the café and buy her a cake with the small reserve I had with me.

When I couldn't spare any more on cakes and sweets, I went to the mountain where I found flowers and wild fruit, but that didn't seem enough. Until one day, in winter, that I had just come out of the mine. I was sweaty, dirty with stains, and carrying a shiny moon ore. She was there, talking to the carpenter of the village. When she finished, she noticed me, and her eyes stared at me in a deep way. She ran to me in a quick pace; I was nervous and thought she would critique my looks.

She stopped right in front of me, saying a brisk hi! I nodded in response.

I was still very nervous, and tried to put my best smile forward. What I hear next was kind of surprising, for she asked me one small question. But that little question was a huge one for me. She asked, with the calmest expression, if I like her.

I answered , as in matter of fact, that I did.

She was a bit surprised, and right there she gave me a kiss, and said 'I like you, too.'

She then said my lips tasted like dirt, and we laughed for what seem for eternity, enjoying each other's presence. She was the one who made me stay in this place. She was the answer to the question that I had.

So you see, rural life can be much more happier than city life, and that is a lesson you yourself must learn, for no one else will teach it to you.''