Written for my father. My grandpa had just passed away, and I think it affects my father greatly. He is usually a tough guy, but he cried that day. Even my mother had never seen him cry before although they had been married for sixteen years.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. I haven't even played it. Oh, and one of Jack's line is from Avenged Sevenfold's song. My brother sang it for like every five minutes. I couldn't get it out of my head.
Just Like My Dad
"Hey, dad, what should I be when I grow up?" asked a red-haired boy to his father.
His father stopped tilling the soil and looked at his son. "Anything," he said, "As long as you're happy"
He was smiling when he said that.
"Riley, quick! Get Dr. Hardy here!" yelled red-haired woman frantically.
Her son, an equally red-haired teenager, dashed out of the door to get the town doctor.
The day had started as usual, except that his father had not woken up yet.
His father was a farmer. He was accustomed of working in the field early in the morning, so he had always been the first to wake up. He would then wake up his son, so his son was just as accustomed of waking early as his father did.
When the doctor finally arrived, he said that there was nothing he could do. It was already too late.
His father would never wake up again.
"Hey, what are you gonna be when you grow up?" asked a blonde girl to her red-haired friend.
The boy shrugged. "I dunno." he said.
"Huh? Doesn't your mom or dad tell you to become something?" she asked. Confusion was marked all over her face. "Doesn't your dad want you to become a farmer like him?"
"He said I can be anything as long as I'm happy." answered the boy, an indifferent look on his face.
"That's strange. My mom wants me to become a pianist like her."
"What about your dad?"
"Are you stupid? Of course he didn't say anything. He doesn't care. He is too busy 'sleeping, eating, and walking around the town'," said the girl angrily. She had always been on odds with her father. "He should get a job." She huffed.
The boy said nothing.
The girl sighed. Then, she said, "You know, Riley, I wish my dad were like yours."
Nami had always been strong. She had never allowed her emotions to get the best of her.
But here she was, crying beside the lifeless body of her husband.
She didn't even remember the last time she cried.
She had always kept a straight face. She never showed her emotions to others. But, she would smile at the innkeeper and her husband because they were like parents to her, she would blush at the silly pickup lines her husband used, and she would even laugh at her son's failed attempts of taking care of the animals.
But, then again, they were her family.
And that was precisely why she had shown her emotions that day.
"Dad, don't you want me to become a farmer like you?" asked Riley to his dad when they were watering the crops.
Instead of answering him, his father asked him back, "Why do you ask?"
"Well, Kelly said that her mom wants her to become a pianist like her."
"Hm, you as a farmer, huh? I think it would be nice. This farm was passed down from my father to me, after all. It would be just right for me to pass it down on you." His father said with his back on him.
"So you want me to become a farmer, after all?"
His father sighed. He stopped watering the crops and faced his son. "Riley, I told you before that you can be anything you want." he said.
Riley stopped watering the crops as well and stared up at him. "Like what?" he asked.
"Well, you can be an artist. Your drawing is really good you know— don't even try to deny it. I've seen your sketch book. Or you can go to the university and study to be a doctor. You can also find other jobs in the city. There are countless possibilities, son."
"Hm." was all Riley managed to say. He was deep in thought. He tried to imagine himself in a doctor suit. Nope, doesn't match, he thought. And how did his father manage to find his sketch book? He thought he had hid it well…
His father stopped his train of thoughts by saying, "You know, you shouldn't think too much about it. I know you'll find your own way…" Then, he added, only a mere whisper that his son could not hear him, "…when I'm not with you."
Riley really resembled his mother. He inherited her red hair and blue eyes. He was also just as quiet as her.
He wanted to be like his father, though. His father was hardworking, kind, and dependable. Eventough he always failed at making jokes, he always managed to make people around him smiled.
Now, Riley was not as ambitious as Kelly, not as energetic as Mark (the other farmer's son), not as cheerful as Roy (the bartender's son), and not as smart as Jasmine (the archeologist's daughter).
But, little did he know, he was just as hardworking, kind, and dependable as his father.
Riley loved to draw. He drew the farm, the crops, the waterfall, and many other things on his sketch book. He had always hid it, though. He was just too shy…
But, somehow, his father always managed to find his sketch book. Everytime Riley finished a drawing, his father would compliment him when they were having dinner.
When his father complimented him, he would always said "It's nothing…" or "It's not that good…" or "You're exaggerating…" or "…How did you find it?". But, deep down, he was really happy. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was actually looking forward to the compliments his father gave him.
Riley's latest drawing was of his father's graveyard.
This time, however, his father would not be present at dinner time to compliment him.
Riley was observing the farm.
It had only been three days since his father passed away and already the farm seemed abandoned. All of the crops were withering. Riley and his father usually worked at the farm together, but with his father gone, he just could not seem to get the mood.
He entered the barn. The situation there wasn't much better. Unlike usual, the animals were really quiet. There was no moo-ing or baa-ing. There was hardly any movement, either.
Now, Riley was no expert. He had never been good at taking care of the animals. Yes, he knew the theories (his father had taught him), but, somehow, he could never practice it right. Riley and his father might have tended the crops together, but his father would take care of the animals all by himself, sometimes together with his mother if she felt like it.
But, it actually didn't take a genius to know that there was something wrong with the animals.
He walked to the nearest cow and examined her. It turned out that she was sick. He continued to examine the other cows and sheep. Most of them were sick. Very few were not, but they were extremely unhappy. Well, it was not that surprising. No one had taken care of them for three days, after all. His mother must have been not in the mood to work, and his father, well, his father is…. Riley could not bring himself to say the word.
For the past three days, Riley had intentionally slept in. He was hoping that his father would wake him up early in the morning, like he usually did.
It never happened.
If he remembered right, his father placed the medicine on a shelf beside the silo. His memory had served him right. He took a bottle of medicine. Instead of curing the animals right away, he only stared at the bottle in his hand.
Medicine. Why couldn't it save his father? Then again, it was not sickness that had taken his father away. Dr. Hardy confirmed that. He could not find the real cause, though. It was as if his heart just decided to stop beating.
Riley walked over to the first cow he examined. Again, instead of curing her right away, he only stared at her. She looked sick. Real sick. His father had looked okay the night before it happened.
"Riley, what are you doing?" His mother's voice startled him. The last time he heard her voice was three days ago when she was crying and yelling at his father to wake up.
"The animals are sick. I was trying to cure them." Riley answered while showing her the animal medicine.
His mother took the medicine from his and made the cow drink it. The cow instantly seemed better. His mother continued to cure the other animals. She would sometimes walk to the shelf to get more animal medicine. Meanwhile, Riley only stood next to the first cured cow.
No one spoke a word until Riley suddenly said, "The farm doesn't seem to be doing well."
"I know." said his mother emotionlessly. She did not even face him.
"Nothing seems to be doing well without dad, huh?" Riley suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.
His mother said nothing.
Another silence hung over them. His mother continued her work while Riley only observed her. His mother might have been the one to cure the animals, but, somehow, Riley saw images of his father.
He often watched his father worked when he was still a little kid. He had seemed so amazing that time. The animals seemed to obey everything his father said and they also seemed happy.
He could never do it as well as his father could.
Without knowing it, tears started to flow down his cheek and he started sobbing.
His mother must have heard him sobbing because she walked up to him and hugged him. "Riley…" his mother trailed.
No! He had to stop. He had not cried three days ago. Why did he cry now?
"Dad… He really is gone isn't he?"
"…Yes, he is." His mother started sobbing as well.
The reality of it all finally hit him. He had denied it all before. He had always hoped that his father would be here again. He hoped his father would wake him and they would work together on the farm again, like they usually did.
Alas, it would not happen. It could never happen. His father was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to accept it, whether he like it or not.
He was sad. He was hurt.
But he could not continue being like this. He could not let all of his father's work go to waste. No, he had to move on, for the farm, for his mother, for his father, and for himself.
He was going to follow in his father's footsteps.
Riley stopped crying and said in a determined voice, "Mom, I'm going to be a farmer, just like dad".
For the first time in three days, Nami smiled.
English is not my first language and this is my first fanfiction so constructive criticism will be totally appreciated. Also, I've just realized that Takakura is not included in this story. I apologize to all of Takakura fans.