Chapter 2

I quit my job the Monday after, withdrew all my savings on Tuesday and then used nearly all of it to pay the premature eviction fees on Wednesday. I donated most of my shit to a women's shelter down the street from my apartment and then packed the remainder of it in a couple of duffels. With the rest of my money, I chartered a plane just like Grandpa had said and I called dad from the cab on the way there.

"Hey Kiddo," he said, "on your way to work?"

"No. I'm on the way to Dewitt Farm."

The line was silent for a moment and then I heard him sigh. "Very funny Ches, what are you really doing?"

"I'm starting over," I told him, "that's what I'm doing. I already moved out of my place, got rid of all of my stuff, and spent the rest of my money getting a plane."

"Dammit all to Hell," he cursed, "You're just like your mother!"

He didn't calm down, even when the taxi pulled up to the airport and I told him I had to go. It didn't help either that when he demanded that I call him when I arrived in wherever it was that I was going to wind up, I told him that seeing as how Grandpa hadn't lived there in nearly thirty years, I really doubted I'd have immediate access to a phone. My parting promise was to at least send him a letter.

It was a private plane and the flight was so smooth that, even though my intentions had been otherwise, I ended up falling asleep. I didn't regain consciousness until the captain announced our descent, and I groggily looked out the window and saw the dual islands coming into view. When we'd landed and I was collecting my baggage, the reality of my decision finally hit me. Had I really just uprooted my entire life on a whim? A bus was waiting for me on the outskirts of the private port and a sort of haggard looking blonde woman greeted me as I got on.

"Welcome to Fern Islands," she said, a cigarette behind her ear, nearly hidden by her frizzy uncontrolled yellow hair. "Where to?"

"The Valley," I said, trying to sound casual. Then, thinking better of it, I clarified, "Stardew Valley, I mean."

She looked at me with considerable astonishment. I was still standing awkwardly just inside the door of the bus. "Have you been here before Kid?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Um. No. But my Grandpa owns a farm here and he left it to me so-" I took a deep breath. "I guess I live here now."

"Well hell," was her response, "you're Old Mr. Dewitt's grandbaby, huh?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "It'll be nice to finally see that farmland cleaned up and used. At any rate, glad to have you uh, what was your name?"

"Chessy."

"Pam."

She stuck out a hand and I shook it. Then, I took a seat in the front row. I was the only one on board. I put my bags beside me and stared out the window as we left the airport, drove through a desert, past a casino, headed down an old road where the sand along the edges turned to grass, passed through a tunnel, and pulled up to bus stop.

"If you need anything," Pam said, as I was getting off, "me and my Penny live in the silver trailer in town. By the mayor's house. Can't miss it. And you can find me at the local Saloon every night after five."

I thanked her for her time and went out to stand in front of the meadow that separated the paved road I'd just been riding on, and the dirt road ahead of me. A sign post held two arrows, one pointing west that read Dewitt Farm and one pointing east that read Stardew Valley Town Square. My eyebrows lifted and I ran one hand through my wavy chestnut hair. I was there. I was really there. I'd never doubted Grandpa for a minute, but still.. Seeing the worn wooden sign with the carved out letters made it seem so much more concrete.

In the meadow, I momentarily stopped, closed my eyes and listened. I could hear several things- of course there was the rumble of the bus' engine, as Pam returned to Calico Desert. But there was also the gentle hum of the breeze, the buzz of crickets hidden in the grass, and far off somewhere, the rush of water. Recognizing that my new life was truly spread out before me, I had to decide where to go first. I wanted to meet Lewis and cash Grandpa's check, but too, I wanted to find the mines from all the stories, and the forests and the wizard's tower. I wanted to take a ride in the minecarts that went all around town and visit the old community center and walk the docks down on the beach by Lonely Rock. But I was tired and thirsty and my shoulders hurt from lugging around my duffels, so I went ahead and turned west.

It wasn't a long walk but it was scenic and I immediately adored it. Maple trees and pines and oaks lined the path and dandelions and daffodils and what appeared to be the occasional horseradish sprinkled the land between the trunks. When I finally reached the fence and the second sign that bared the name of the Farm, I exhaled slowly and looked beyond at the fields. Of course they were totally overgrown, what with trees and weeds and tall grass everywhere, but there was something picturesque about them, even like that. I pushed open the gate, stepped onto what was now my land, and followed a cobble path up to the door of my cottage. It was brown slatted wood with a red roof and appeared to be built in the style of old fashioned storybook cottages.

When the door opened unexpectedly, and a middle-aged red haired woman stepped out, I must have looked somewhat taken aback because she laughed at me.

"You must be Chesapeake," she said, and she descended the four steps to the ground and offered me her hand just as Pam had. Her skin was rough and caloused, and when I saw the toolbelt she wore I knew she must have been some kind of trade worker. "I'm Robin," she said, "Stardew Valley's local carpenter." She hollered over her shoulder then to someone else inside. "Sebastian! Sam! Get out here!"

Two guys, around my age, maybe a little younger, appeared in the doorway. One was tall and incredibly thin with shaggy black hair and a matching wardrobe, and the other was dressed like a skater and sported spiky blonde hair. The darker haired boy gave me a sort of grimace, but the blonde grinned happily.

"This is my son Sebastian," Robin said, going back up the stairs and yanking the emo guy's arm, pulling him out into the golden sun of the late afternoon. "And this is his best bud Sam." Sam joined his pal and waved pleasantly. Sebastian lowered his face, and then, when his bangs hid his eyes, tossed them out of his line of vision with a little shake of his head.

A rustle behind me alerted me of the arrival of a fourth individual and I turned to see an older man with a gray mustache, suspenders and brown newsboy cap.

"Hullo there!" the man said, his tone chipper, "You must be Cal's granddaughter. I'm Lewis, son of his old best friend Bernie."

"That's right," I replied, "I'm Chesapeake Bukater." I shifted my ever-heavier bags and offered him a polite smile.

"Boys, take Ms. Bukater's bags inside," Robin said.

I was freed of my burdens then and I rubbed both shoulders in turn, before taking a second to really look at my new place of residence.

"It needs some work," Lewis said, coming to join me at the base of the porch steps, "that's for certain. But once it's been restored back to its original glory, it'll be the talk of the town again."

"And that's where I come in," Robin told me. "We've got the place watertight and cleaned up for the most part and did a general look over. It's not in bad shape considering it's sat vacant for three decades. But there is quite a lot of potential too. My shop is north of town square and anything you wanna do to the farm or the house going forward I'd be glad to work on."

"Anything you want done," Lewis added, "Robin can do."

The redhead beamed. "Don't feed me too many compliments, Mayor," she said, her eyes twinkling, "because they're liable to go to my head!" When the guys reappeared and Sebastian gave her an expectant look, she said, "Oh alright, you two can go!" And Lewis and I moved out of the way to let them pass.

"How was your plane ride?" the Mayor asked, when it was just the three of us.

"Smooth," I said, "I fell asleep." And then, before I forgot, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the envelope containing my Grandpa's check. "I was told to give you this?"

"That's right," he said, glancing into the envelope. "And I've already got it cashed for you." He then pulled from his own pocket a small change purse which clinked when he put it into my hands. "Big golden ones are worth fifty each, silver ones are worth twenty and the small bronze ones are one a piece."

I committed those facts to memory and then stuffed the bag back in my pocket, feeling a little foolish, as though I'd just strolled into a video game. Once I was all situated, I finally approached the door and the three of us went inside.

The interior of the home was entirely done in dark wood- the floors, the walls, the ceiling. There were only three rooms too. We were standing in the main one, which consisted of a blended living room and kitchen space. The first of which contained an old covered couch, an ancient television set, a lamp, half a dozen paintings of ships, a rusted anchor attached to the wall, and a big round faded blue rug. The kitchen was much more bare. There were a few counters, an old wood burning stove, a table, two chairs, and a vintage rounded edge fridge. The attached rooms turned out to be a bathroom with a clawfoot tub, a pull string toilet and a free standing sink, and a bedroom with hardly anything more than an old beat up dresser and a rustic looking bed frame and box spring. A new mattress leaned against one wall, however, still encased in plastic.

"I took the liberty of getting you a new mattress," Lewis said, "And left a box of starter seeds in one of the cabinets."

"Electricity and plumbing's been restored too," Robin told me, "and the house is certified clean of any pests."

Walking around the house had me feeling a mixture of nostalgia and gratitude. I thanked them both immensely and said goodbye to Robin when she took her leave and headed up another path north of my farm. Lewis lingered a little longer, his hands in the pockets of his tweed pants.

"Your Grandpa and my dad were really good friends," he said, "he spoke of him often and all the shenanigans they used to get into when they were boys. He made me promise that if ever Cal decided to return, or if someone in his family came to take his place, I would make sure they were well taken care of. So if there's anything you need at all, and you can't find me, stop by my house and leave a note in my mailbox. It's the big white house in town with the red roof." He was thoughtful for a moment before going on. "Of course, you'll receive the same hospitality from anyone in town. Stardew Valley isn't like the rest of the world. We're all good people here and we'll do whatever we can for you."

"That's what Grandpa said," I offered, in earnest.

"I bet he had the craziest stories," was his response, accompanied with a chuckle. He took off his hat, ruffled his gray hair and then pulled it back on. His light blue eyes were hidden beneath bushy eyebrows and he looked out at the valley around the farm and inhaled deeply. "You'll come to love it here Ms. Bukater," he said, "your Grandpa has been and will continue to be missed, but everyone here is really excited to meet you."

The view of the land was spectacular, and I gazed openly at the fields, the hills and, far ahead, the lake. The sun was beginning to set and as the light slipped away, solar lights scattered around the place began to come on. I hadn't seen direct proof of magic yet, but I was beginning to feel it.

"So what can I do for you now?" Lewis asked. "First night in a new place. What do you want to do first? Unpack? Explore? Sleep?"

I thought about it and could think of only one thing I wanted to do. And so I asked, blatantly, "Where can I get something to eat?"

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