Year 1: 1st of Spring
New Arrival
I walked onto a dreary wasteland, kicking up dirt behind me. The land that lay in front of me was littered with rocks and boulders, sticks and stumps, weeds and rodents. The wildlife that populated this inhabitable piece of land scattered at the noises we were making. It seemed like no one had set food here for many many years.
"Well, what do you think?" piped up dumpy Mayor Thomas right behind me. "This was your grandpa's farm. It's been neglected for quite some time, so it's a bit of a mess…"
Neglected? I could think of a dozen words off the top of my head that would have more accurately described what I was looking at. If three tornados hit this place simultaneously during a nuclear apocalypse, I wouldn't have been any wiser. This place was a dump unfit for anyone to live on. Even the living dead would find this place appalling. I was surprised that any life at all could be found growing here.
The house, chicken coop, barn, and stable, were all in disrepair. The house itself wasn't even a house at all, but in fact a dumpy shack. It looked like it was about to fall in upon itself at any given moment. I could fart and blow the door off its hinges. The fish pond was full of stagnant water so thick with algae it could drown a fish.
The only good thing about this place was the apple tree. Despite the ravages of time, it didn't look half bad. In fact, it looked quite healthy, probably from feasting off of all the carcasses this land has claimed.
I guess this place could be better. There would have to be a lot of work done though. A lot of work…
Something didn't add up though. How did this place become so desolate? Why didn't anyone bother taking care of this place in-between when my grandfather died and now? If this was once his farm, where did all these boulders and stumps come from? Was he growing trees here? Did the boulders roll down from the mountain? Or were they strategically placed here to teach me the meaning of hard work and help me gain some skill points in farming?
Or was this all just a cruel prank from the Goddess herself to piss me off?
I had so many questions and so little answers. Wait… correct that. I had no answers and too many questions. They weren't even the really important ones either. Those I tried to keep in the back of my mind. If I dwelt too much on those, I might not even be here right now. My temper would definitely get the better of me and then I really wouldn't get any answers I wanted. No, thinking about those big questions wouldn't get me anywhere. I just hoped there was someone who could answer them.
"Do you remember when you were young and spent summer vacation on this farm?" the mayor suddenly asked out of nowhere, interrupting my reverie.
I sighed. "I already told you Mayor Thomas, I don't remember anything. I've never been here before. I've never seen this place. My dad has never mentioned my grandpa. I'm sorry. I think you've got the wrong guy. I've certainly never –" My vision was going blurry. "… been here –" My head started to spin. "… before?"
Before I knew what was happening, I felt like I was falling down a deep dark chasm.
"Ugh… Where am I" I moaned. "Where is this place? It's all black and voidy. Am I… am I in hell?"
"I'm sorry but I've had to cancel the family trip this summer," a voice resonated from the darkness. "I couldn't rearrange my work schedule… I'm sorry. I know I promised you. Please understand… I'm very busy. … I'll make up for this…"
"Wait minute… That sounds like Dad," I said to no one in particular. "Dad? What the heck is he saying? You planned a family trip and now you're cancelling? You piece of sh—for a father!"
My dad never responded to me though. Instead, I heard someone else.
"I'm very sorry, dear… But I asked Grandpa if you could stay at his farm. … Take it easy and enjoy nature for a change," spoke a sweet, melodic voice.
"Mom?" I cried out. I hadn't heard my mom's voice in ages. "Mom! Where are you? What the heck are you doing here? MOM!"
I heard my voice echo off in the distance, but no one replied back. I was all alone.
Then, the blackness started to ebb away, until it was completely gone. I looked around and saw that I was back on that farm, only… it wasn't a piece of junk anymore. It was actually really clean and beautiful. All the buildings were pristine. The land was well tended. There were even animals grazing in a field, animals that weren't vermin. Still, even though there really wasn't much to look at because it was still a stupid farm, compared to what I had seen before, this might as well be paradise.
Then, a voice caught my ear.
"JACK! HEEL!" shouted an old man as a dog almost barreled over a little boy.
I ran up to them and my mouth fell open. Standing in front of me were two people who looked exactly like I did, only… one of them was extremely old and the other one was super young. I looked around again trying to figure out where I was. Was I in the future, or the past? I wanted to know just what the heck was going on with me!
"Hello there, sonny," the old man said coming closer to the boy. "Sorry about Ol' Jack here. He gets excited when visitors come. Thinks they're here to see him."
The boy looked like he was going to have a heart attack as he looked from the old man to the dog and then back to the old man.
"Well..." the old man hesitated, taking off his cap and scratching the back of his head as if wondering what to say. "My name is Jack..."
"DUDE! MY NAME IS JACK!" I screamed. "I do not age well."
"But… I guess you already knew that," the old man continued. "Ahem... But you can call me Grandpa. Everyone else does. I mean... I am your grandpa. Raised your dad an all. In fact, you were named after me!"
"Hey… wait a minute… I got my name from my grandpa as well! I… think…" I said to myself. I took closer look at the boy. "Is this… me? If it is, why the heck don't I remember this ever happening?"
"I see you got my good looks as well," Grandpa Jack puffed his chest out in pride. "One day boy, you're going to have the women swooning all over you. But, I guess you're too young to notice all the nice parts about a woman that make weaker, uglier men do the one hand dance. You're probably still in that phase where you think 'cooties' are a real thing. Well, let me tell ya' boy, if they are then you best get 'em. I don't want no grandson of mine prancing about like a fairy!"
"Oh man!" I slapped my forehead. "I totally get that!"
"Anyways, there's not much excitement out in these parts… and that's just the way I like it! Your dad thought that living here was a dead end. Too bad he turned out the way he did. What a nerd… It's a good thing he doesn't come around here anymore. I'd be too embarrassed to be seen with him. Oh! But you're welcome to stay as long as you want. Anytime you want!"
The boy Jack nodded, looking like the entirety of that conversation went over his head. He started looking around the place.
"I'm too busy with my farm chores to play with you much… But there are some children in the village and you can play with them. There's Lillia's daughter down the way if you're interested. She's a farmer's daughter, if you get me," Grandpa Jack winked. "She has a brother. They're both your age. There's also the daughter of Jeff, the owner of the Market. She's really cute, but sadly she's also your age. There's Doug, the inn keeper's daughter… but she's your age. There's Basil's daughter… She's a little weird. You can have her. There's Ellen's granddaughter… but she's your age too. Heck! Why do all the good ones have to be so young?"
My mouth dropped. "I actually stayed with this guy?"
"There could be plenty of stuff for you to do around here if your balls ever drop! It's a good thing I'm such a good example. That way, when the time comes, you can get any booty you want. In the meantime, there's also Saibara's grandson. That kid's probably as shy as you. Oh wait… that would never work out. Then there's that prick Kai. He's only here for the summers. Stay away from that little douchebag, ya hear?"
The younger version of myself nodded again.
Then things started to grow weird. Though I didn't move an inch, the scenery started shifting around me. I now watched as my younger self ride a very large bovine. For an instant, that me smiled at the youthful innocence of childhood, but that instant vanished when I fell off the cow. As the little me cried on the ground the scenery changed again.
The younger me was now talking with my grandpa in front of a horse. "Heh heh… This here's Bullseye. Terrible name, ain't it? I feel like someone's always gunnin for him. Know what I mean? Keh heh heh… Guess ya don't. Hmm… Wanna ride ol' Bullseye?" The boy nodded and was lifted and placed on the saddle. Grandpa walked the horse around the farm. They were both laughing when the scene changed again.
This time, I was chasing one of the chickens around the farm with a stick in his hands. I could see what was going to happen before it did. Boy, was I a stupid child. The me was probably imagining something totally different was going to happen than from what was actually going on. That wasn't made known to the chicken though. The boy cornered it in the barn. A moment later, he made a hasty retreat as a dozen chickens chased him out. The scene changed again.
Now the boy was fishing off the pier, the same one I had set foot upon earlier today. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was bright. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. A soft wind was blowing. After a few moments, I cried out in surprise as my line went taunt. I reeled and pulled with all my might, but the fish was mightier. The fishing pole went flying out of the younger me's hands into the water. The scene changed as the boy walked off whistling, pretending that he didn't know what happened.
I found my younger self at the bridge south of the farm, feeding the dog. That was it. Then the scene changed.
The next thing that I saw was the mini me walking along a path. The path steadily rose. I was looking fatigued. Still, the I kept walking. Eventually he came to a bridge that crossed a lake. He didn't stop, but kept going. The path continued through a crevasse until it opened up into a huge field. There were dozens of flowers in it and tons of trees surrounding it. It was here that the tiny me decided to leave the path and find a nice place to rest. As he started to doze, everything went black.
"Great… what now?" I wondered. Then, I heard singing. It was a humble tune, one that quickly got stuck in my head.
Na na na
Na na na
Na
Na
Na na
Na na na
Na na na
Na
Na
Na na
Na na na
Na na na
Na
Na na
Na na
Na
Na na na
Na na
The black slowly turned back into the scene that had just gone, only this time, there was a little girl with a ponytail standing above the younger me. "Oh, it's you…the boy visiting the old man's farm."
The mini me didn't respond.
"…Do you always play alone? I like it here, too, so I come here a lot to play alone."
Still the other me said nothing.
"It's lonely playing with myself all the time… Tell me some stories… about the city… and about you."
I never got to find out what I did after that because the scene changed yet again. This time, the me and that girl where sitting on top of a cliff overlooking a sunset. It was here that the girl started singing that hypnotic melody of hers. Just as the sun was almost completely gone, both me and the younger me joined in as well.
The scene changed yet again and I was quite frankly fed up with it. I hoped that this would be the last one. The scenery now showed the younger me and Grandpa Jack standing at the entrance to the farm.
"So how was it?" the old man asked. "Did you have fun? Did you kiss a girl?"
The boy nodded his head, then immediately shook it.
"Well, at least this trip wasn't a total waste. You had fun. Good. I'm glad that you were able to make some fond memories while you were here. When you go home, tell your Mom and Dad that I enjoyed it too… I'm gonna miss you boy. Hopefully, you'll remember everything I taught ya."
The younger me and Grandpa Jack embraced. Finally, the old man let go and I walked off. Before he could make it out the entrance though, the little girl came running up to him.
"Hey, Jack! Are you ready to play with me?" the girl asked.
"HA!" Grandpa Jack laughed.
Sadly, mini me shook his head.
"Oh, are you leaving? That makes me feel lonely… After playing with you, it'll be boring just playing with myself again."
Grandpa Jack kept laughing. "You're killing me! I can't stop laughing! Now, I gotta go or I'll wet myself!" Grandpa Jack ran off, leaving me, myself, and the little girl alone together.
"You'll come back again someday, right?"
The me nodded.
"Okay. I'll hold you to it. Remember, you promised…"
After a tender embrace, everything started to spin and go dark. Before I could prevent it from happening, I was once again falling down a deep, dark chasm.
I opened my eyes and found myself on my knees. My stomach lurched. I keeled over and threw up. As I heaved on all fours, I realized that I was covered in sweat. My hands were shaking and my knees were trembling. Snot leaked out of my nose while my tears fell to the ground. It all happened so fast. My whole life, I've never set foot here. Yet those memories were mine. They were of me. How did I forget? What happened to me?
Mayor Thomas ran up to me. "Jack! Are you alright? What happened?"
"I remember…" I heaved. "I remember being here. I remember my grandpa."
Mayor Thomas sighed and handed me a handkerchief to wipe my mouth and face with. "… It's been a long time since then. You've grown well in those years. I'm sorry if I hurt you, trying to get you to remember the past. It was an old fool's dream. I guess some things are better left not knowing."
I wiped my face and stood up. I doubted the mayor would want his handkerchief back after I cleaned my face with it, so I stuck it in my back pocket. "Can you get to the point already, Mayor. I'm not in the mood right now. I'd appreciate it if you just cut to the chase and just told me why you brought me out here."
Mayor Thomas sighed again. "… So I talked this over with the people in the village. Your grandfather took real good care of this farm. We respect his wishes and would like to see how much you can accomplish in three years. …We don't mean to be testing you, but… If you can get this farm back like it was, the village will accept you as the rightful owner of the farm. But if the farm is neglected or you can't get along with the villagers, then… you'll have to leave. That is the decision we made as a village."
I stared at Mayor Thomas. "What's the catch? Why are you asking me? Wouldn't there be more qualified people to do this sort of thing? I don't know the first thing about farming."
The mayor shook his head. "There is no catch, m'boy. It's like I told you over the phone. Your grandpa died over a year ago. We just recently found his will. In it he specifically stated that everything was to be left to you. Since we all knew you as a kid, we knew you were just the type of person who could take on this task. Unfortunately, some things happened to… split your grandpa and you up. Still, I don't know of anyone more capable than the grandson of Grandpa Jack. Farming's in your genes, boy. Don't knock it till you try it."
I looked around at the place. I never realized I could gain so much worth so less. My lifestyle back home, though it was meager at best, was a lot better than starting off from scratch. That is, it would've been if I had a home to return to. I left everything all behind coming here. When Mayor Thomas told me that I had inherited everything my long lost grandfather had, I thought I'd be a millionaire. Instead, I became poorer.
When I found out that I had a grandfather that my dad never told me about, that he kept him a secret from me even after he died, that I never got a chance to know someone who certainly wanted to know me, I came here against my father's wishes. I quit my job and sold what little I had to get here. Wish I hadn't. Now, I couldn't just go back. I'd look like a retard in front of my dad. The absolute last thing I ever wanted to hear him say was, 'I told you so.' This was my new home for the next three years whether I liked it or not.
I looked at Mayor Thomas and sighed. "Fine. I'll stay."
Mayor Thomas seemed elated. "Excellent choice, m'boy. Excellent choice. I'm sure glade we don't have to sell this beautiful land to those real estate vultures. Anyways, just remember that farming is very hard work, but I hope you do your best and become a great farmer like your grandfather!" With that, the mayor walked off with a spring in his step.
I was dead tired from everything I had just gone through. Whatever farming I needed to do would have to wait until tomorrow. I walked over to my shack and carefully opened the door. After close examination of the place, I found that even in its terrible condition, everything was still sturdy as a rock. Whoever built this place built it to last.
Not caring about anything else, I made my way over to the bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.
I still had my usual dream of a storm though, even in my fatigue.