The farm was a wreck. Weeds were scattered all over the field, and the buildings that used to hold animals were falling apart. And yet… It still felt like home. I ran a hand through my brown hair, pondering over how I would handle all the new work that approached me.
"Excuse me!" A high pitched voice rang in my ears, alerting the presence of someone entering my farm. I turned to see a short man huffing up to me, his red top hat falling off of his balding head. He had obviously gained a lot of weight since I last saw him, and his age was starting to gain on him. "Miss Jenkins! I need to speak with you!"
"Tom, Tom. It's great to see you again." My voice was warm in my ears, but sad to my mind. He didn't notice.
"You've grown into quite the woman since I last saw you, Miss Jenkins." He was trying to be loud and proud, but his voice shook of fatigue. I watched as his eyes scanned over my 19 year old figure; the proud curve of my hips, the shimmer of my purple eyes, the slight blush that crept over my tan skin, the lovely shape my bosom had achieved, all these showed my aging.
I smiled slightly. "And you're starting to turn into an old man."
He scowled at me. "Watch it." He playfully growled, "If it weren't for me, you would still be in that old pub that I found you in."
My eyes turned to slits, wiping the smug look off his face. "What do you want, Thomas?"
"You know what I have to do. You're taking up the farm, so I must give my initiation speech."
I groaned internally as he started to drone on about what duties I had earned and when the shipping man would arrive. As he talked, my mind started to wander. I looked at the oak tree by the water pond, gazing at the fully grown bee hive. The thing used to be just a small honey comb the last time I was here…
"Daddyyyyy!" I screeched, running into my father's arms. His warm embrace made me giggle, and I couldn't stop smiling while looking at his smile. He looked just like me, but in boy-form. The only problem was that he was limping slightly from cancer, a tragedy that brought down my entire family.
My mother came out, her black hair falling over her green eyes. She was aging as well, but was stronger than most, seeing as she had to help around the farm more now that my father was ill. My father and I both looked over at her, despair covering our smiles. She wore the face of devastation; the look she had whenever bad news came from the doctor. A sad smile was delivered to me, but she gave Dad a glance that told him that she needed to speak to him privately.
I caught the hint, skipping around over to the honey tree. The hive was a small comb in one of the branches, a couple of bees swarming around it happily. The corners of my lips twitched a little, but I was unable to smile completely while knowing that something was happening to my father. I suddenly heard the soft sound of feet on the grass, and I looked over to see… Well this part I didn't remember. The face was blurry, but he looked about my age. I ran over to him, but stopped a couple inches from him.
We stood there for a minute, both lost for words. He was my best friend, I remember, and I always had romantic dreams about him, but never spoke of them. We were 14, so it was natural. Something inside of me told me I wouldn't see him for a long time, and I think he felt it too. We kissed, my first kiss in fact, and that might have been what made me so pained to see him go.
He was the blacksmith's grandson, so he was going to follow him around every where in order to become as great of a blacksmith as his grandfather. They were leaving that day to go on a journey to the great mountains of another valley, as to gather more minerals and ores. You could say that the kiss was our farewell.
He promised me he would come back, but I didn't know that I wouldn't be there.
My mind came back to reality as I realized Thomas was finishing up his speech.
"-And I do hope that you'll enjoy your time back here at Mineral Town!" He smiled at me, taking off his red hat and bowing.
I chuckled a little and bit him farewell, watching as he took his time leaving the ranch. As soon as he was out of sight, I ran into the small house that I was going to live in. My bed was already placed at the corner of the room, so I threw myself on there, letting silent tears fall onto the blue comforter. I was now remembering why I never visited this place when I was in the city. It brought back to many memories.
My father had died the night my friend had left, and my mother and I had left for the city, unable to take care of the farm by ourselves. Everything that I had grown up with was gone before I knew it, and I was suddenly living in an apartment in Japan, where my mother eventually remarried a business man and I studied farming. The spirit of my father was left in me, and I always promised myself to come back her and take care of the farm when I was ready.
Wiping the tears off of my face, I reminded myself that I should unpack the rest of my stuff before going and talking to the townsfolk for the first time in five years.