22. Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. –Henry David Thoreau
Don't look at me like I conformed or nothin'. I didn't do any of that. I didn't need the money. I had plenty. You know why I did it? I did it cause I was bored. Every day I spend just sittin' around playin' my guitar, and all my friends were out workin'. Even Gustafa! Even Cody! Those guy's nev'r work'd a day in their lives.
Anyways. What I'm talkin' 'bout was what happen' when I was workin'. It was a warm summer's day and the drought'd been doing some mighty bad things to the community. Vesta and 'er farm was goin' downhill and Marlin couldn't 'lieve it. It was round that time that Jack revealed what he'd been doing in Min'ral Town all those years ago. Y'see, we'd all been wonderin' what Jack'd been doing in Mineral Town, cause usually a man'll go down to the Town and come back wit' a large bag 'o gold or silver or diamonds or somethin'. But Jack had a big bag of somethin' and he ain't ever shown no one.
It wasn't till the drought 'n famine that Jack revealed what he'd been minin' that half a' year ago. Y'see, Jack'd been mining limestone. Yup, when all t'other miners we're diggin' up their metals 'n stones, Jack woulda found some limestone and keep it. He was the crazy man 'o the group. The miners used to laugh at'im. Wasn't so after a while. Later, Jack put all that limestone he'd been a diggin' up in a safe place, an now that the ground was a dry, he was turnin' that limestone into somethin' that every farmer needed. Y'see Jack was now in the fertilizer business. It's ain't glamorous, but ya gotta admit. If it makes a buck then who cares, am I right?
Anyways. Since drought is really not bad for the Bar, money was no problem, but to be honest. I don't wanna end up gettin' pretty bored and since mosta my friends were workin' for Jack, I thought I might-as-well join 'em.
I was walkin' down the strawberry fields up in Brighton Farm (Jack's farm) with Gustafa and Cody. We were pickin' up the strawberry crop for the day when we noticed some'un knockin' on Jack's door. We were surprised to see that Vesta had walked all the way to Bright'n.
"'Ey Gustafa" I called over to that damned hippie, "whaddya make o' that?"
Gustafa looked up to the house. "Looks like Vesta is at the door."
Cody laughed, and I got mad. "'Course Vesta's at the door!" I yelled, "but whaddya think it means?"
"You think she's gonna sell?"
"Hell naw!" I yelled. Y'see it's been a common rumor 'round town that Vesta would be sellin' the Vesta Farm. But in all the 'ears I'd been livin' in Fo'get-'E-Nawt, I knew thata there was no 'ay in 'ell that old Vesta would be sellin' the farm. It'd been in the fam'ly since, well no one knows when.
"Whatever Griff," said Gustafa, "I just know that times are getting tough."
"I dun care if ol' Tommy and the Min'relers attack us 'gain. Ain't no way Vesta's gonna sell 'er farm."
After 'bout whaddya seem like three 'ours of talkin', Vesta left Jack's 'ouse and headed tward us. When she got to us, she started helpin' us with the harvestin'!
"Hey Vesta," said Cody, "what's up?"
"You boys never seen a grown woman work a farm before?" she asked us.
"Well I ain't ever thought in 'ell that Vesta woulda be workin' land that wasn't 'ers!" I said, jokin'.
Afta I said that, Vesta got all real quiet-like.
"Well, you see," she began.
"Hey Vesta," said Gustafa, "if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."
Vesta rubbed her neck w'it 'er 'and. "Thanks Cody," she said, "that means a lot."
The four of us 'ere workin' the land until our closin' time atta 'bout three o'clock. Afta that we were gonna leave when Jack stopped us.
"Hey guys, time for your pay," he said wit a smile.
We all gots our pay, 'bout five-hundred gold. Y'all may think thats not alot, but five-hundred gold could get a man pretty far now in this drought season.
"Hey Griffin!" Jack said to me.
"Yup," I answered.
"I know your off hours, but do you think you could help Vesta take her pay back home?"
I looked sorta confused but then I said, "well, I reckon it'll be alright."
I didn't really know thata Jack had been a payin' Vesta is bags of fertilizer. Vesta 'n me were carryin' nearly four bags of fertilizer back to 'er farm as payment for her workin' for Jack. Now, normally the road to Vesta's farm ain't that bad, but anythin's bad when ya carryin' three bags of fertilizer, I tell ya what!
When we got to Vesta's farm, Marlin was waitin' all quiet-like outsida the 'ouse. When we were approachin' he got all angry-like.
"Vesta, what are you doing back so late?" Marlin was askin', "I had to watch the crops all day!"
"I went to get some fertiziler for the farm," said Vesta with 'er usual smile. Only this time, she was seemin' like she was fakin'.
"Where did you get that fertilizer?" asked Marlin, He seemed to be a bit angry.
"You know good and well where I got the fertizer."
Marlin hit the wall wit his 'and.
"Damn it, Vesta!" yelled Marlin, "why don't you just give him the farm!"
"What are you talking about!" shouted Vesta back at 'im.
"That damn Jack!" Marlin said angrier, "first he takes Celia, then the Fairgrounds, now he wants the farm!"
Vesta slapped Marlin 'cross his face. "How dare you compare Celia to a piece of land!" an angry Vesta was exclamin'. "I thought we were supposed to be in love with her."
Marlin backed 'way, a bit 'ffended. "You know what I meant," he said.
While all 'this was goin' on, I put down the bags of fertilizer all quiet-like and got the 'ell outta there. As I walked away, I coulda still hear the sounds of yellin' back at Vesta's Farm.
I went back to the Bar where Muffy'd already served Cody and Gustafa their drinks. I took my place 'hind the count'r and told 'em what I'd just 'eard.
"Hey Griffin!" said Cody, "what took ya?"
"Yeah," continued Gustafa, "you kept us waiting."
"Guys, I was just 'n Vesta's farm 'n you'll never guess what I'd heard!"
"Well don't keep it to yourself," said Cody, "what was it?"
'Fore I spoke, ol' Marlin came through the bar doors. He 'ad his cold expression', but, 'ey, what else is new? What was a difference 'bout him was how angry he was a gettin'. He took a place on the count'r and ordered a drink. Now, I'm a good judge of a people, 'an I knew I 'ad to keep outta Marlin's business, but apparently, Cody ain't like me.
"Hey Marlin!" laughed Cody, "what's going on at the farm?"
Marlin spit. "Nothing! The Farm is doing as well as it has been."
Now we alls new that wassa lie. And e'en though we knew Marlin wassa misanthrope and antisocial, we never thought of 'im as a liar. So, e'en though I was still a mad that he 'ad just gone an' spit on my floor, I tried to pull out some information 'bout the Vesta's farm.
"'ey Marlin, ya know thatta we won't go an tell nobody. What's up with the farm?"
Marlin was a gruntin' and said something like, "I don't want to talk about it."
It was at this time that I wassa glad that of all the professions' of the worl' I'd gone and chosen' to be a bartender.
"That's all right, Marlin," said Gustafa, understandin' my plan. "Hey, how about another drink on me."
Now usually Marlin would get all suspicious-like, but for some reasen, he seemed alright with takin' anotha beer. 'specially if it's free, am I right? Anyways. It wassa 'bout twenty gold pieces worth of beer later when Marlin started talkin'. Wit his cold appearance, I ain't never thought thatta that man wassa pansey.
"Damn that Jack!" Marlin was a yellin', "damn him to hell!"
"Well, what's the problem, Marlin," asked Gustafa.
"I just really hate him!" Marlin wassa sayin' in response, "I mean, first he takes away Celia, but when she leaves that isn't enough for him! He has to go and try to take our land! Our land has been in the family for five generations!"
"Well, what makes you think he's trying to take your land?" asked Gustafa.
"He told me!" yelled Marlin, "he just went out and told me that the farm would be his someday!"
"Well," I said, "maybe he's justa a kiddin' you. You guys got thatta rivalr'y afters all."
"No!" shouted Marlin, "that rivalry doesn't matter anymore. My ancestors worked too hard to just give away our land."
"Oh hell," laughed Gustafa, "just keep it in the family then. I'm sure this drought will pass soon."
"It'll be too late by then!" Marlin said angrily.
"Whaddya mean?" I asked, now interested.
Marlin took to sighin' all sad-like. "Vesta sold the farm to Jack."
"Whoa!" Gustafa was exclaimin', "really?"
"Yeah," said Marlin.
"I dunno, Marlin," I said, "ain't soundin' like your sister."
"Well she did!" yelled Marlin. "She sold the farm for money."
It was takin' me a while, but then I gots a thought in my's head that wassa confusin' me.
"Wait just a minute, Marlin," I began, "withouts the farm, whaddya in the world does Vesta need money for?"
Marlin got all quiet-like. "She needed it to pay my debts."
It'd never 'curred to me why ol' Marlin was sellin' his shares to the Villa. At first, we all thoughta that he wanted the money to buy the Fairgrounds, but 'pparently, he hadn't been payin' his dues for the Villa. We thoughta that 'is trips over to Min'ral Town was to go borrowin' money to keep the Farm workin', but I guess he was talkin' over with bankers over in Min'ral Town for loans to pay for his shares of the Villa.
"So your saying that you finally got out of debt," said Cody. 'eave it to 'im to find a silver lining.
"Yeah," said Marlin, "but at what cost! Now we lost the farm and of all the people to buy it, it had to be Jack!"
I din know what in 'ell to say. 'ow does anyone comfort someun in this kinda trouble anyhow?
"So whaddya gonna do now?" I asked.
"I'm still working in the farm," said Marlin, "it just won't be for the family anymore."
"Well that isn't so bad," I tried to comfort him.
"Hell yes it's bad!" Marlin said back angrily. "I've always worked that land for me, my sister, and our ancestors, not for some jokester who comes into town acting like he owns the place."
Thata definitely was not a fair definition of Jack. He lived here two years before e'en tryin' to date Marlin's precious Celia.
"Well whatever," said Gustafa, "live and let live."
We was quiet for a moment 'till Marlin got angry. "No! I don't care what you say Gustafa. There is no way that I'm working for Jack. He will never get my family's farm as long as I live!"
"But you said it was too late!" said Cody.
"It's never too late," shouted Marlin as he ran off.
We was watchin' as the heavy door Marlin was a runnin' out of closed. Gustafa'd turn his head to me and asked, "You don't think he'll do something crazy, do you?"
"Crazy!" I exclaimed, "the boy is obsessin' over a girl who left 'years ago, doesn't talk for 'ears, takes four beers, spits on my floor and runs out of my bar without payin' for his drinks. Crazy passed a long time ago."
Next day, Cody, Gustafa, 'n I were workin' over on Bright'n, when Jack came a walkin' too us.
"Hey guys," said Jack, "you like working here?"
"Yeah," said Gustafa.
"It's ai'ight," I said.
"Puts bread on the table," said Cody.
Jack laughed. "Well how about you three work on some new land I just bought. It needs farmers and I have plenty of farmhands from Mineral Town working here."
The three of us were lookin' at each other and after we alls were a shruggin' we decided to go. There was about six of us farm'ands headin' off to Vesta Farm. There was Vesta, who would be a in charge of us farm'ands on her old farm. There was also me, Cody, and Gustafa and along wit us was two rental farm'ands from Min'ral Town.
"So Vesta," asked Gustafa, "how does it feel to not own the farm anymore."
I gave Gustafa an ang'ry look, but Vesta stopped me and said back to 'im sadly.
"I had to do what I had to do."
Gustafa was a shruggin' his shoulders. "Well, at least you get to be in charge of your own farm. It'll be like nothing has changed."
"I hope so," said Vesta.
When we was approachin' the farm, we noticed that the sign that labeled the farm "Vesta Farm" was missin'. We asked Vesta 'bout this and she said.
"I don't want to call it Vesta Farm anymore, Jack is coming up with a new name."
As we approached the corn field, we stopped to rest, but Cody wanted to see the field. As he walked into the fields he sudden'ly ran back out all scared-like.
"Cody!" I exclaimed, "was going on?"
"It's Marlin!" yelled Cody, "he's in the cornfield with a gun!"
We was hearin' a rustle in the cornfields when out came a Marlin. He wassa dressed in his normal way, cept this time he 'ad a rifle and sunglass's.
"Get off my land!" he yelled to the six of us.
"Marlin! What in hell are you doing!" shouted Vesta back.
"Get out sis," said Marlin angrily, "this land belongs to our father and his father before him. If you can't respect this land then you aren't worthy of farming it."
"Damn it Marlin!" yelled Vesta, "get out of the way, this land isn't yours anymore."
Marlin's face muscles were a'stressin'. "How can you say that?"
"Enough of this bull!" shouted one of the Min'ral Town farm'ands. "I'm getting paid to work, so I'm going to work."
"I don't know about that, friend," said Gustafa, "Marlin is unpredictable."
"Marlin!" I said, "just get outta the way."
"Never!" yelled Marlin. He was shootin' in the air, makin' us flinch.
"I'm tired of this nonsense!" yelled the same farm'and. "I'm gonna work."
As he wassa approachin' Marlin, he was sayin' somethin' like, "It's over boy. This land belongs to Jack of Brighton Farm. Give it up. You lost."
I dunno what happen'd next. All I heard wassa gunshot and the farm'and on the ground. Vesta was a screamin' and Gustafa and I hurry'd over to help 'im. Marlin was just as scared of whad 'e 'ad justa gone 'n dun, so he ran into the cornfields. The bullet wassa lodged in the farm'and's left lung.
"Quick!" I was a yellin', "someone take 'im over to Hardy!"
As we ran the farm'and over to Dr. Hardy, we could hear Marlin shoutin' 'hind us in the corn fields.
"This land belongs to me and my family! I will never give it up!"
We got the farm'and, Joe his name was, to the Doctor but we were too late and he died, but this wass only the beginnin' of our troubles. I wassa with Jack talkin' 'bout what happened when Takakura came up to use.
"Well 'ello Mista Mayor!" I said. He just smil'd.
"Jack," he said, "about what happened on Vesta's farm."
"It's not her farm anymore," said Jack.
"You know what I mean," responded Takakura, "look Jack, we need to capture Marlin, and soon."
"Yeah," said Jack, "I know."
"No you don't Jack!" exclaimed Takakura, "look, Thomas is looking for any excuse to send his Mineral Town Police into the Valley. If he finds out that the Valley is unstable and that a Mineral Town citizen was hurt here he will not hesitate to annex the Valley back into Mineral Town if he can claim it is to protect both the Town and the Valley."
"Alright Takakura," said Jack, "I'll handle it."
"You'd better," said Takakura, "or else we're all going to regret it."
Wit that, Takakura walked back to 'is house.
"Well, Griffin," began Jack, "what do you make of this."
"Looks like we're in a pickle."
"How do get out of it?"
I thought boutst it for a moment, then I suggested. "Arm the farmers and send them in."
Jack was a thinkin' 'bout it for a moment. "Hey Griffin, get the farmhands together tomorrow."
Next day, we was all standing together in Bright'n Farm, each of us had a gun and Jack wassa given' us orders.
"Alright everyone," he began, "today we are going into the new farmland and capture Marlin and get him out of there."
The farm'ands went wild cheerin'. Doubt they e'en know what they're gettin' into.
"I want you to go to that cornfield and do whatever it takes to bring Marlin back."
He was lookin' 'round the crowd when he saw Vesta.
"And most importantly, I want Marlin back alive!"
We were off. Jack stayed behind with a few farm'ands and Vesta was in charge of the attack. She was lookin' really troubled, knowin' that her brother wassa the cause of all dis.
When we gots to the cornfield, we surrounded the perimet'r.
"Alright Marlin," said Vesta, "we're here, now get out!"
She was answer'd by a gunshot in the air.
"Dang nabbit!" yelled on the Mineral Town residents. "Let's just get in there and get him."
"I dunno," I said, "he's probly rigg'd the field."
"Get out Marlin!" yelled Vesta.
Another gunshot. Dis time the sky had a dark cloud of smoke over the trees.
"Marlin, just talk to me."
"I can't believe it, Vesta!" yelled Marlin from the field. "You really have betrayed the land."
"It's just land, Marlin."
'gain another blank was shot in the air. "No it's not."
One o' the farm'ands ran up ta Vesta. "Ma'am, he said, permission to burn the field ma'am?"
Vesta looked out into the field. "Yeah," she said, "all the corn's dead anyway."
Cody had kindl'd a flame and ignit'd a part of the field. The flames start'd fillin' up the 'tire field and soon, Marlin ran out, pointin' his gun at everyone.
"Nobody move!" he yelled.
"Marlin..." Vesta said all quiet-like.
After Vesta whisper'd her brother's name there was a loud bang and Marlin fell down. We look'd and saw that one of the Min'ral Town farm'ands had shot him. We look'd over 'n saw that it was Kurt.
"That was for Joe," he said over Marlin's lifeless body.
Vesta bolt'd to her brother's body, sobbin' all the way. The rest o' us captur'd Kurt.
"What the hell man!" yelled Gustafa, "Jack said to bring him back alive."
"Who cares what Jack says!" yelled Kurt, "Marlin killed my brother!"
Vesta continu'd sobbin' and look'd down to Marlin, she felt his pulse, and saw that it was faint. She tried to resuscitate him, but she was too late. Marlin died.
"No!" sobb'd Vesta, "he was finally free! He was finally free! He had no more debt. He was free!"
I didn't know what to say. But as I stood there thinkin' 'bout how to comfort her, Gustafa walked up to her.
"It's over, Vesta," he said, "he's gone."
"He was finally free!" she sobb'd.
Gustafa thought for a moment. "Naw Vesta, he was free a long time ago. Ever since he rebelled against you and the law."
"What do you mean?" ask'd Vesta.
Gustafa shrugg'd again. "Well, disobedience is the foundation of liberty, I guess. All his life he was a kid fighting with whomever he didn't like. But when before he died, well, before he died he wasn't protecting this land for you or for Celia. He was protecting this land for himself. He finally did something without being asked to. He finally grew up."
Vesta nodded, barely understandin' what Gustafa was talkin' about. Vesta couldn't really pay attention to anythin' but dead Marlin, who could blame her, am I right? But as I listen'd to Gustafa, well, I couldn't feel some pride in Marlin. Sure it wasn't right for him to kill that Joe fella or for him to try to keep others off their land, but hey, if a man's got somethin' in life to protect, he should do it, am I right? Everyone's got to fight their fights.
Kurt got brought to trial and Takakura give him the highest penalty. Kurt got sent to our most danger'ous prison. It was an island us'd to fish, but now we us'd it for criminals who got the death penalty. We would sail a prison'r out there and leave. They would either die on the island from lack of food or water, or they would try to escape by swimmin' and die by a drownin'. It the deadli'st place in the Valley. We call it Forget Me Rock.
As for Vesta, now she liv's alone on her farm. Brave wom'n. With Celia gone 'n Marlin dead, I dunno what she will do. I assume that she'll continue 'er work on the farm for Jack now, but as for all the person'l stuff, I'm still unsure.
Now surprising'y, Jack was shock'd by Marlin's death. For a 'while he was all locked up in 'is room. I'm thinkin' that he's 'ad his feud with Marlin so long thatta he found nothin' to fill the void. But I guess I was a wrong, 'cause after a while, Jack got back to workin'. But from thatta day on, I'm thinkin' that Jack was really affect'd by Marlin's death. He finally renam'd Vesta's Farm. Today, we call it Marlin Gardens.
