It was nearing the end of a cold, snowy morning in Zephyr Town as Dirk came running through the door at Zephyr Cafe, panting and out of breath.
"My dear Dirk you aren't late as of yet," Marian said with a warm smile. You still have about five more minutes before work starts.
"No! That new farmer has lost his mind!" Dirk yelled out. Marian's smile faded a little as she looked at Dirk, then looked over her shoulder to her grandmother Joan, and then back to Dirk as she scratched her head. "I'm serious! He's lost his mind!"
"Now, now dearie, it is not nice to talk badly about people. I know he took Freya from your brother, but that is no reason to tell tales about him."
"That has nothing to do with it!" Dirk said as he put his hands on his head in disbelief. "Well if you won't help me then I'm going to get him myself!" Dirk began to march out the door when the cafe's Southern entrance door swung open and standing there in the doorway was the silhouette of dripping wet figure. His farmer overalls and boots were soaked and there were small ice prints behind him as he walked in. Stuck to his shirt was a sea urchin, which he tore off and threw in his rucksack. Marian and Joan watched with wide eyes and open mouths as he walked up to the counter.
"Hi, do you have some coffee today? I want a cup to go." The farmer said in a cheery voice.
"Uh... umm.. yes... sure..." Joan responded. She then spoke to Marian without taking her eyes off the icy figure in front of her, "Get the gentleman some coffee."
"Huh, oh, yes," Marian said as she closed her gaping mouth and walked over to the machine to make the cup of coffee. She had the cup ready in short order and passed it to the farmer. He politely thanked the ladies and paid for his coffee. He exited the building while whistling the tune, Walking in a Winter Wonderland.
"See I told you I wasn't crazy!" Dirk yelled as the door closed behind the farmer.
Wham!
Their conversation was interrupted by noise of what sounded like glass shattering. The trio looked at each other in confusion and raced outside to see what had happened. In the river wharf nearby, they saw the farmer sheepishly holding his mallet in his hand, a large hole in the ice, and wet footprints trailing from the water to where he was standing.
"Sorry, did I disrupt you?" the farmer asked with a nervous smile.
The trio were absolutely speechless for a few moments before Joan spoke up.
"What... about that coffee?"
"Oh, it is safe in my rucksack." The farmer spoke with a bright smile. Dirk and Marian shook their heads in disbelief. Three times they tried to say something, and three times not a single word left their lips. Their logical minds were at a complete loss as to what was the best way to speak about the farmer's current situation, so they used the one option left open to them. They retreated and returned back into the cafe in stunned silence. "Did I offend them? Can you please tell them I'm sorry?" the farmer asked Joan as he put his mallet away and looked into the water. "A-ha! There's the golden ore I'm looking for!" the farmer exclaimed and jumped back into the water.
Joan had no idea what to say, and dumbfounded walked back into the cafe.
Dirk was already on the phone when she got back inside.
"Freya! The man you are going to marry is a nutjob! He is making holes in the river and jumping in the water!"
Freya laughed and responded, "Oh Dirk, you are such a kidder. My darling Jack is a good worker who enjoys life's challenges. You must be mistaking him for Kevin!"