Harvest Moon: Return to Nature

Harvest Moon: Return to Nature 

Chapter 3

After filling out the papers, I leaned back and decided to walk around town and maybe get some work done.   After much consideration, I chose to walk into town, seeing as how everything was just opening and it'd take me maybe six or seven hours to clear out an area of the field for planting.

I drew on my blue feed cap- and walked to the bathroom, making a few swipes at the bit of brown hair that stuck out through the hole.   Then I let Blazer out and he started to tear around the yard like dogs usually did.

After walking out the front gate of the farm, I stopped at the first building, hearing a loud clang and then the hiss of steam.  I took a look at the billboard- 

"Saibara the Blacksmith.  Closed Thursdays."  I shook my head and stepped up to the door.   I checked my watch- it was about eleven in the morning, so everything should be open.

The door opened when I turned the latch and I stepped in.

"Hmmm… never seen you around before.  You that guy that the Mayor said was going to run the old farm on the outskirts of town?"

I looked through the steam and saw an old man- maybe about fifty or sixty, I wasn't sure.

"Yes.  I'm Jason, the guy who's going to restore the Icasea farm.  You're Saibara, I take it?"

"Of course. Nice to meet you. How are the old tools holding up?  They all rusted out?"

"Actually, it's like they never were used. Still as strong as ever."

"Well…  your grandfather knew how to run a farm.  I hope you'll fit in well here."

"Thanks.  Now, then…  I'm on a self-guided tour of the village, and seeing as how I've never been here, what exactly is it that you do?  Not to get you angry or anything, but I just want to make sure I have everything under control."

Saibara laughed.  "Don't worry.  I figured you'd be asking questions."  He reached out and took what appeared to be a sickle and a hammer from the wall.

"I make tools, but in your case, I can upgrade them once you break them in and get some metal ore from the mountain mines.  I also make various tools- brushes, clippers, and milkers- those are for livestock.  My main business in the winter, however, is making accessories for girls.  The only other thing I do is make machines that can make things out of eggs, wool, and milk- seeing as you're just starting out, you won't have to worry about that yet.  That answer your question?"

"Yes, thank you.  I just hope I don't mess this up."

"Hard to mess up a farm- as long as you only stick to growing crops."

I said my goodbye and walked out.  He was a nice guy- and I'd be visiting him a lot, it seemed like.

Setting out onto the path again, the next house I came across had a small vineyard that took up as much room as the house did.  The grape-colored sign proclaimed it to be the Aja Winery.

"Let's see…  I'm only 19, that's not old enough to drink…  so I'll save that place until I turn 21.  Next up…"

I stepped forward, past another house, and my eye caught a sign that made me feel at home. 

"Mary's Library.  Finally, a place I can relate to!"

I walked up and grabbed the handle, opening the door. 

"'There used to be nothing there but weeds.'"

I looked for the source of the voice and see a young lady with black hair, glasses, and a blue dress bent over a notebook with a pen in her hand.

I walked over and asked her what she was writing.  She spun around and seemed spooked.

"Oh…  I was just writing…  when I get a pen in my hand it's like I tune out…  oh!  You must be Jason, the guy who owns the Icasea farm now. My name is Mary.  Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too.  It's nice to meet someone with the same passion for writing that I have."

Her face lit up.  "You write stuff too?  Could I see some of it?"

"Sure.  Come by my house about four. I'll let you read a little something I've been working on for about a year."

"Really?!  Thank you!"

"Sure.  Now, how do you get a card to check out books?  If I'm not farming at home, I like to have a book or two to read."

"I'm sorry, Jason, but we don't check out books.  You are welcome to read as much as you want here, though.   We've got a large selection- even if my Dad did write most of them…"

"That's fine.  I might not be back today, but I'll be here when I can catch a break from farming."

"All right. See you later."

I stepped out and set off to find another place to explore.

I walked past another few buildings and walked up to a building that seemed to have a red cross on the side of it. "Clinic", the sign read.  "Closed Wednesdays."

I felt something run across my arm- maybe some bug.  I stepped in and was greeted by a brown-haired girl about my age in an outfit of blue blouse and fluffy white apron like she had stepped out of a fifties home-ec movie.

"Oh!  You must be Jason, the man they say is going to run the Icasea farm from now on.  My name is Elli. I work here at the Clinic… oh!"

She ran over and took me by the arm. 

"You're hurt!  You must have cut yourself with a tool or something!  Does it hurt?"

I shook my head.  "I thought it just rubbed past me.  The sickle slipped out of my hand and it must have done that when I wasn't paying attention."

"You're right…  how can you  work on a farm and scream your heart out every time you get scratched?  Let me at least sterilize it so it doesn't get infected."

She ran over to a cabinet and grabbed a small tube of some medicine and a bandage.  She returned and applied the medicine, then the bandage.

"That stays on until this time next week.  It's going to itch, but it might get infected if you scratch it.  So hands off."

"I got you.  Thanks.  It's been nice meeting you, but I have to get going.  Lots to do today."

"All right.  Be careful!"

I stepped out of the clinic and walked down the path that led to the Inn, according to the sign.

I stopped in front of the building.  It was about two stories high, and the smell of good food was wafting through the air.  I walked up and entered.

"Hi!  Sit anywhere you like."

I saw the source of the voice- it was another girl- this one with red hair pulled back in a ponytail with blue denim coveralls.

"Thanks.  You serving lunch yet?"

"Sure!  Go sit at the bar if you want lunch.  Dad's a good cook."

I walked over to the bar, and the man behind it walked up and started a conversation.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," I replied.

"That girl… she's my daughter. Her name is Ann.  What do you think of her?"

I thought for a moment.  Sure, she may like coveralls… then again, I like her hair… and her attitude.

"I think she's cute."

"Well, that's good to know.  She is a bit of a tomboy, though."

Apparently, Ann barely overheard us and walked forward to the bar.

"What are you guys talking about?"  she asked, a smile on her face.

"It's a private matter.  Nothing that concerns you."

"Oh, Dad…" she muttered, then she turned to me with a warm smile on her face.

"Hi. I'm Ann.  Nice to meet you. You're Jason, right?"

"The one and the same.  Nice place you have here."

"Thanks.   Stop by when you're hungry- we're open from nine in the morning until eight at night."

"Thanks. I'd love to stay and talk more, but I have lots to do to get that farm ready.  So, if you'll excuse me…"

"Sure," she said, and walked off behind the bar. I walked out of the Inn, and took the road to the Square and then to Yodel Ranch, as the sign said.

I walked up the hill and looked out at a large yard that was mostly empty- except for an old man, a young girl, and a small foal.

The girl turned around as soon as I walked up.  "Oh, hello, Jason."

"Who's that, May?"  The old man turned around and looked at me.

"This is Jason.  He moved in next to next door.  Stu told me all about him- after the Mayor told him when he asked if it was a boy his age."

"Ah, the old Icasea farm…  I'm Barley Yodel.  I knew your grandfather when he was still running the farm.  And I remember seeing you running around there every summer."

"Thanks.  Maybe you can tell me a little about what it was like back then sometime.  It seems so different now."

"Sure.  By the way, do you have a horse?"

"Me?  No.  Only animals over there are three cats and my dog."

"Well… this horse isn't happy.  He should be running and jumping around, but he's so forlorn…  I'd take care of him but we have so many horses, sheep, and cows here that we can't burden ourselves with one single animal."

"Grandpa, I'll take care of it."  May offered.  Barley chuckled and looked down.

"That's sweet of you, May, but you're still too young. Maybe when you get older."

Then he straightened up and looked at me again.

"Would you mind raising this horse for us?   I'll find some way to pay you in a year."

"Sure.  I'll take care of him."

"That's wonderful!  Isn't it wonderful, May?"

"Yes.  Jason, please name him."

I looked the horse over, walking around it.

If I know my horses, and I hope I do, he looks like he could maybe grow up to be a fast horse.  Fast horses race fast.

"How's Racer sound?"

"Oh, it's perfect!"  May cheered.

Barley smiled.  "Let me tell you how to take care of the horse.  If you let him out when it's sunny outside, he'll eat the grass that grows around the farm.  All you need to do is talk to him every day, but what he really likes is being brushed."

"I understand. I'll take care of him.  Thanks for the chance."

"Well, I'll take him to the stable on your farm.  He'll be all right there."

"Let's see…  I've still got business in town, so I'll be off.  Nice to meet the both of you."

"It was nice of you to stop by.  I'll see you sometime."  Barley took the horse's reins and led it away towards my farm.  I bid farewell to May and walked up the path.

"Oh, I hate you, Rick!" 

A voice echoed out from the barnyard of the house as a figure with pink hair rushed past me. 

"Popuri!  Get back here!  Popuri!!!"

I walked around the house and into the yard, where a young man about my age was standing there with a sheepish look on his face.

"Oh…  you must be Jason."

"Yeah.  And you are…?"

"I'm Rick.  I suppose you heard the fighting… what happened was one of our hens got killed by a stray dog last night.  My sister Popuri forgot to put it back in the coop, so I got mad and yelled at her…say, could you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Could you go get Popuri?  If I go to get her, we'll start fighting again."

"Sure, no problem.  I've got a little sister I left home, so I understand what you're going through.  I'll tell you about her sometime."

"Sure. Thanks."

I walked out of the yard and up the trail to the mountain.  I passed a cottage on the way there, and I went to the other end, by the hot spring.

A girl was standing there, looking out over the water.  I walked up to her and she turned to me…

"I'm so sad about the chicken…  but Rick is so mean!"  she cried.

"My condolences. You must have loved that chicken."

"It's name was Pon…  yes, I did like that chicken very much…"

She stopped talking and started bawling.  I let her cry onto my shoulder, until she felt a bit better.

It took about twenty minutes, and then she stepped away, dried her face, and smiled.

"Thank you for staying with me, especially when I don't even know your name…"

"I'm Jason.  I'm taking over the Icasea farm to get it back into shape."

"Good luck to you, then.  Now, I have to go apologize to Rick…  thank you for everything."

She ran on down the mountain path.  I looked at my watch- it was about two.

I may as well go stop at the supermarket. I need more seeds.

 So I set off back down the trail, past the Poultry Farm, Yodel Ranch, and back into the Square.  Then I took the path by the Inn and came out by the Supermarket.  I walked up, opened the door, and let myself in.

"I'll pay for this next time. Trust me."  I passed a black-haired man in a lab coat on the way in. I looked over to the counter and saw a sheepish-looking man standing there.

"Oh… all right…" he said- in a quiet voice.  Then the door next to the counter opened, and a woman stepped out.

"Jeff!  You sold on credit again!  You're such a pushover…"

The man at the counter, Jeff, sighed.

"That was the doctor, right?  I'll go to the clinic and get the money.  At five hundred gold for his cheapest medicine, he should be able to pay for a box of curry powder!"

The woman walked out the front door, past me.  Then another villager walked in- he was fat, with a bow tie and grape-purple vest on.  He walked over to the kitchen goods and picked up a bottle of oil.

"Hey, I'll take this.  Put it on my tab."

I put a look of great shock.  Didn't this guy know what he was doing?

The man in the purple walked toward me and stopped when he looked at my face.

"Hey, you're the guy in charge of the Icasea farm…  what's wrong?  You don't look good."

"Didn't anyone tell you if you take something and don't pay for it, it's called stealing?"

He laughed.  "Don't worry about it."

The door by the counter opened again, and this time a girl my age stepped into the room.

She had long hair, two streaks of blonde in the front with golden brown color over the rest of it.  Her grape vest matched her eyes.

Cupid, shoot me now, I thought.

"Duke!" she hollered.

"Oh, Karen!"  The fat man was sweating now, as if he had just been caught filching a pie off a windowsill.

"You should PAY when you buy something!"  Karen walked over and collected the money from Duke, who then walked out the door muttering.  The Karen walked over to me.

"Thanks for the help.  You're Jason, aren't you?"

"Uh… yeah…"

"I'm Karen.  Nice to meet you.  You're taking over the old Icasea farm, right?"

"Yeah.  It's going to be hard, but I promise to pay whenever I buy anything.   Since you guys carry the seeds, I'll be around."

She laughed somewhat, and smiled.  "That's nice. Well, I'll be seeing you.  I have to go do chores now. Thanks for the help, again."

With that, she walked out the same way she had come in.

Out of the room and into my heart.  That makes three girls I might try to start a relationship with.

I walked over to the seed table and picked up four more bags of turnip seeds. I took them to the counter and paid the 480 G  for the group of them.  Then I walked back out of the store and back to my farm.

I cleared out enough room for four plots of turnip seeds.

I'm going to be loathed by elementary school students for a long time. No one likes turnips.

I gave a silent laugh to my joke. Then I heard someone walk up the road to my farm- it was Mary, like I had asked her to.

"Hi!  I brought you a copy of my best work to share with you. Something for you to help revise while I do the same for yours."

"Great!  Hold on a minute, I'll go get my story."

I ran into my house and pulled out a box that was full of folders.  I rummaged through it and pulled out an original that I had passed the hours on and burned the midnight oil- and took it out to Mary.

She handed me her folder as I handed mine to her.

"I'll return it in a week.  Thanks so much!"  she called out, and then walked back on down the path.

I shook my head and went inside. I placed the folder on my bed, and went back outside to sow and water the turnip seeds.  

Let's see…  lots of nice girls I met today.  But I think only three are really marriage material for me. Mary's nice, and she likes to write, but I don't see myself with her for the rest of my life. Elli's the motherly type- but I moved to Mineral Village to get away from my mother.  That leaves Ann- I like her attitude.  Doesn't take anything  from anyone, and her hair's nice.

Popuri's kind of cool, too.  She's sensitive, and she's kind of cute with her pink hair.  Wait until I tell Sarah- she'll flip.

But Karen's very attractive, plus she's nice. Oh, man…  which one should I pick?

There you go.  Your first choice. Mail me at Jayson_Four@yahoo.com with your vote.

This week's question is…

Which girl should Jason try to get to be his girlfriend?

A) Popuri

B) Karen

C) Ann

I'll be waiting for your votes.  Deadline is this coming Saturday, the 29th.

If you like this, give me a review and drop me a line!  I always enjoy fan mail, and I can handle flames that aren't full of cussing and little stuff. If you want to help me write this, go ahead and send me suggestions.

Thanks all!

Jayson 4