Chapter 1 – Remembrance of the Past
I remember how I stumbled upon your farm and saw a beautiful land of crops and flowers. I remember the scared feeling I had after realizing that I was lost and alone. I remember how you tried to comfort. I was only eight. Visiting your farm was one of the best moments I had during my childhood. You allowed me to play with the chickens, brush the sheep, and taught me how to milk a cow. You would also let me sow the seeds and water the crops. All my knowledge and morals come from your teachings. I never had a father that would support me and teach me like you did. You were one the most courageous and kind people that I've known. So imagine the pain I experienced when I heard of your death. I shed countless tears, remembering the great times we had. When I visited the farm, it has become a wasteland of weeds and debris. I realized what I must do, and that is to take over the farm and continue your work. You will always be in my memories, Grandpa Arthur.
When I woke up I prepared myself with the work that has to be done. I am a little intimidated with the vast amount of work that has to be done. Actually I'm intimidated a lot. I went outside, began to weed the field and create a small portion of fertile soil to grow my first seeds. As I started hoeing, I hear footsteps of a man dressed in red.
"Welcome to Mineral Town! Remember me? I'm Uncle Thomas! When you were little I used to take you on a tour. I'm the mayor now. My, look how much you've grown over the years" said Thomas.
"How have you been? I remember being shorter then you. Now I'm like a head taller"
"Ehh you're just big. How old are you now?" asked Thomas.
"I'm 24 years old. i wanted to have a fresh start, so i decided to come here."
"That's good. Well I've got to get back to work. Be sure to visit everyone around town. See you soon" said Thomas while leaving the farm.
I said my goodbyes and continues back to work. Farming is harder than I thought. Three hours from working I decided to take a long break. I walked to Rose Plaza and sat on a bench. A man with a black sleeveless shirt, pretty built for his age, was yelling at young man who looks no more than 22 or 23 years old.
"I told you to collect tax from Duke's wine store and you even failed to do that! I hired you because I thought you had potential. I know you can do the work but stop being so timid! Demand the money and don't let other people push you around! This is life and this is how it is" said older man.
"I'm so sorry. It's just that…I can't bring myself to….to demand anything. I'm sorry" mumbled the young man, slowly turning red in the face.
"I have no choice. Don't come back to work tomorrow" said the older man, walking away.
The young man sat on the bench next to the one i was sitting on and I could see a tear coming down his cheek. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know what to say. As he lifted his head, he looked at me and wiped the tears off his eyes.
"I'm….sorry you had to see that. I..I. didn't mean to…cause….such a mess" said the young man, almost in a hushed tone I could barely hear.
"It's ok. I uhh well…my name is Jack. I'm the new farmer. Nice to meet you"
"I'm Cliff. I'm also new here. I don't really have anywhere to go" said Cliff.
"If you're looking for a job, maybe you could help me out in my farm. The work is just too much and it'll be great to have anything pair of hands."
"Really? Thank you! I really need this job" said Cliff, while his eyes brighten.
"Don't worry about it. Let's discuss the details at the Inn."
As we were about to leave I see a woman, with long brown hair, walking towards us.
"Hold on there! You must be the new farmer. I have some things I need to talk to you about concerning our shop. My name is Karen. I'm the owner of our general store" said Karen.
"Hello. My name is Jack."
I could see that she is a very strong person on the outside, but her eyes told me otherwise.
"We were just about to go to the Inn to get something to drink. Why don't you join us?"
"Sure sounds like a plan" said Karen.
The three of us arrived at the inn and sat on the nearest table. We were then greeted by a red haired girl names Ann. We introduced ourselves and she went in the kitchen to get our drinks. Karen went on to explain how their store has multiple seeds and cooking ingredients. The three of us exchanged stories and became fast friends. Although we had just met, I knew that we could develop our friendship into a whole other level. I really enjoyed talking to the two. Laughing, joking, and smiling nonstop. My first day as a farmer has turned from being grievance, to smiles. We talked for over two hours, telling of our childhood and present goals.
Orphan. Loneliness. Acceptance. Grandpa Arthur.