Jack spent the remainder of the day working to clear out his farm.
The field was riddled with stumps, rocks and weeds, and his first duty as
farmer was to rid himself of them to provide adequate planting space.
Furiously driving his hammer into an adjacent rock, Jack recollected to the
man who had become incapacitated in his front lawn that morning. The farmer
was curious about him...who he was, why he was here, and why he seemed so
eager to depart after being awakened.
Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his brow, Jack peered into the sun which was now elevated at high noon. He contemplated taking a break, but decided against it eventually as taking breaks was the equivalent of giving up in his mind. You had to work until you were too sore to move, and then collapse into bed to do it all again the next day.
At 6:00, when the shipper arrived at his farm and had departed not long after, disappointed that he didn't have anything to sell, Jack's stomach began grumbling vehemently and his arms felt as if they were about to snap off, he'd worked them so hard. The field hadn't even been sufficiently cleaned either. Sighing, the farmer tipped back his hat and scratched the chestnut hair protruding from it. It was getting late and no matter how hard he tried, his limbs wouldn't allow him to strike that hammer again. And yet he felt no urge to go to sleep.
The bar was open, he mused. And he'd never been there before. Perhaps now was the time to visit. Securing his cap and replacing the tool within his rucksack, Jack slithered through the labyrinth of weeds and stumps, granting his canine companion a swift pet on the head before exiting the farm.
Rosebud Village was renowned for its atmosphere; and presently Jack was indulging in every piece of it. A faint scent of moondrop blossomed and floated delicately on the gentle night air, spiraling about him in a whirl of serenity as fireflies darted haphazardly from shop to shop, favoring the seed repository for the numerous flowers planted in the front yard. It was a quaint town...homey and favorable, and Jack was enjoying his stay here thus far, though his farm upkeep hadn't progressed much and he knew next to no one.
He'd always been a solitary boy. Recollecting to his previous visits in the town when his grandfather had still been alive, he couldn't decipher any moments in which he'd romped around with other children, played games...he spent most of the time on the farm, and any instances in which he wasn't under his grandfather's watchful eye, he was meandering about in the mountains or in the shop vicinity of Rosebud; not speaking to anyone, just walking...watching...
Jack had never been allowed in the tavern as a child, so it was natural to have an interest in it as it was his only uncharted part of the village. As he opened the door to the building, he was met with a flurry of curious eyes of differing colors. Hazel, green, brown...and the piercing blue he immediately recognized as Cliff. Stepping timidly within the company of the bar, Jack proceeded instantly to the counter, evading the stares of the inhabitants. Their interest in his presence was eerie and unwanted, and he instinctively felt small under their gazes.
The bartender, a man that appeared to be in his late 50s, with prominently slicked back gray hair and a prudently pressed purple vest greeted him with a small smirk, placing a recently cleaned mug in front of him.
"You're the new kid here, eh? Jack, was it? Yeah, I remember him talking about you. So what'll it be, Jacky?"
"A water...please..." Jack replied apprehensively.
"Water? That's all you want?"
The farmer nodded. The bartender appeared disappointed with his choice in drink, but filled up the glass anyway, shifting his attention to a mug to the right of him that was smudged with fingerprints. Jack picked up the water and began to move toward a vacated table, when a busty brunette with blond highlights intervened in his route, causing him to almost spill the entire glass over her bosoms.
"Hey, watch where you're going, asshole!" She snapped, throwing her hands up in the air, her face contorted in a ghastly scowl.
Jack would've felt the need to apologize had she not been such a horrible bitch about it, so he instead swept past her to enjoy his drink...though apparently she wasn't finished.
"I was talking to you, jerk. You better apologize, you almost soaked my t-shirt!"
"And you almost made me spill my drink. So we're even."
"The hell we are!"
"Karen." Duke called.
The fiery female let out a frustrated sigh and stalked away, swinging her rear end slightly in her leave, looking over her shoulder once to glare at Jack from afar. She leaned seductively against the counter, a pout marred into her features. Jack simply rolled his eyes and sipped his water as everyone in the tavern looked at him out of the corner of their eyes. Including Cliff. He sighed; stood, setting his drink down unfinished, and exited the bar.
"Humph. Serves him right." Karen muttered as he took his leave.
Outside, Jack took in a deep breath and looked up at the stars. He wasn't one for confrontations or dealing with people looking at him blankly...maybe going to the bar wasn't such a good idea. Sticking his hands in his pockets, the farmer contemplated how hard it would be to win over the townspeople.
The fireflies buzzed about him lazily, and he continued to look up when he felt someone standing hesitantly behind him. Curious, Jack arched his head back and saw Cliff in the doorway of the bar.
"Hey..." He muttered.
"Evening." Jack responded.
"I...have to apologize for Karen. She's been like that for a long time."
"...You know that girl?" Jack inquired.
"She's my cousin." Cliff responded lightly, walking up and standing beside Jack.
"Your cousin, huh?"
"Yeah..." Cliff murmured. He looked down at the ground then up at the sky. "Karen's really not that bad a girl once you get to know her...she's just not favorable to people she doesn't know. She gets it from my uncle."
Jack nodded and looked down at his feet. "Well I...knew I wasn't going to be able to handle everyone staring at me so I just decided to step outside."
They were silent.
Cliff shifted his position. "I wanted to thank you again, also, for...helping me this morning. If I'd been in that position in some of the other villages I've lived in, well..." He paused. "Well they wouldn't have been as kind. So...thank you."
"It wasn't any trouble." Jack was quiet for a moment. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but...if they're your family, why don't you live here with them? Why were you in Moondrop?"
Cliff was silent for a while, as if contemplating whether or not he should answer the question. At length, he began, "The only one of my relatives I can stand is Karen. Probably because we're about the same age..." He trailed off for a moment. "She...knows me more than my other family members, which is hardly saying much, but..." Cliff shrugged slightly. "I travel. It's what I do. This is the first time I've been here in God knows how long...I don't remember anyone, and they don't remember me. The only people I know are my uncle, aunt, and Karen. And none of them have taken much of a liking to me except Karen, so..."
"You don't remember when you were here last?"
He shook his head. "I was a kid. An ignorant, naïve kid last I was in Rosebud." Cliff smirked. "I kept in touch with Karen through letters...got one from her every year or so. Just recently she invited me back here and since I wasn't really...attached to Moondrop, so I decided to take her offer."
"You're staying with her?"
"Well...no..." Cliff murmured, looking away in slight embarrassment.
"You're...not...?" Jack inquired, confused.
Cliff took in a deep breath. "The fact of the matter is my uncle despises me. They have tons of extra rooms up at the vineyard but he wouldn't lend one to me if my life depended on it. Karen's been trying to negotiate me someplace to sleep...but he won't even let me crash in the goddamn wine cellar." He kicked at the dirt slightly.
"Where are you going to live, then?" Jack questioned, concern evident in his voice which caught Cliff slightly off guard.
The vagabond paused, realizing he'd just confided a whole lot of nothing in a strange farmer he'd met that morning. But he'd dug himself into a hole. He'd try to write it off.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."
"No, Cliff, where are you going to live?"
He was sure persistent...timidly, Cliff murmured, "I'll probably sleep in the mountains."
"In the mountains? No, no you're not."
"What?"
"You can stay at my farm."
"...No, I can't do that."
"Yes you can," Jack insisted. "I have a spare set of sheets. You can sleep on the floor."
"I can't repay you for this, Jack, I don't have any money."
"You don't need to repay me."
"Yes I do, I'd feel obligated."
Jack paused in thought. Abruptly, his face came up, and his eyes gleamed. "You can help with the farm. I need to clear out my field...gather things to sell...that sort of thing. You can repay me working on Okera."
"...Jack, listen, I don't know you, and—"
"And you don't have a place to stay. I'm not going to do anything...I don't know...objectionable, Cliff. And I could really use the help."
"I don't know, Jack..."
"Would you consider at least, if I gave you a day or two?"
Cliff paused. He looked down at his feet, then up into the night sky, and then over to Jack. His eyes were pronounced with an earnest glint, and behind them Cliff found no suspicion; only a desire to help. Hesitantly, the vagabond nodded, causing Jack's face to lighten with a prominent smile.
"Come by my farm when you're made up your mind, ok?"
He nodded numbly again, and Jack sauntered away, hands in pockets, disappearing down the road.
Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat from his brow, Jack peered into the sun which was now elevated at high noon. He contemplated taking a break, but decided against it eventually as taking breaks was the equivalent of giving up in his mind. You had to work until you were too sore to move, and then collapse into bed to do it all again the next day.
At 6:00, when the shipper arrived at his farm and had departed not long after, disappointed that he didn't have anything to sell, Jack's stomach began grumbling vehemently and his arms felt as if they were about to snap off, he'd worked them so hard. The field hadn't even been sufficiently cleaned either. Sighing, the farmer tipped back his hat and scratched the chestnut hair protruding from it. It was getting late and no matter how hard he tried, his limbs wouldn't allow him to strike that hammer again. And yet he felt no urge to go to sleep.
The bar was open, he mused. And he'd never been there before. Perhaps now was the time to visit. Securing his cap and replacing the tool within his rucksack, Jack slithered through the labyrinth of weeds and stumps, granting his canine companion a swift pet on the head before exiting the farm.
Rosebud Village was renowned for its atmosphere; and presently Jack was indulging in every piece of it. A faint scent of moondrop blossomed and floated delicately on the gentle night air, spiraling about him in a whirl of serenity as fireflies darted haphazardly from shop to shop, favoring the seed repository for the numerous flowers planted in the front yard. It was a quaint town...homey and favorable, and Jack was enjoying his stay here thus far, though his farm upkeep hadn't progressed much and he knew next to no one.
He'd always been a solitary boy. Recollecting to his previous visits in the town when his grandfather had still been alive, he couldn't decipher any moments in which he'd romped around with other children, played games...he spent most of the time on the farm, and any instances in which he wasn't under his grandfather's watchful eye, he was meandering about in the mountains or in the shop vicinity of Rosebud; not speaking to anyone, just walking...watching...
Jack had never been allowed in the tavern as a child, so it was natural to have an interest in it as it was his only uncharted part of the village. As he opened the door to the building, he was met with a flurry of curious eyes of differing colors. Hazel, green, brown...and the piercing blue he immediately recognized as Cliff. Stepping timidly within the company of the bar, Jack proceeded instantly to the counter, evading the stares of the inhabitants. Their interest in his presence was eerie and unwanted, and he instinctively felt small under their gazes.
The bartender, a man that appeared to be in his late 50s, with prominently slicked back gray hair and a prudently pressed purple vest greeted him with a small smirk, placing a recently cleaned mug in front of him.
"You're the new kid here, eh? Jack, was it? Yeah, I remember him talking about you. So what'll it be, Jacky?"
"A water...please..." Jack replied apprehensively.
"Water? That's all you want?"
The farmer nodded. The bartender appeared disappointed with his choice in drink, but filled up the glass anyway, shifting his attention to a mug to the right of him that was smudged with fingerprints. Jack picked up the water and began to move toward a vacated table, when a busty brunette with blond highlights intervened in his route, causing him to almost spill the entire glass over her bosoms.
"Hey, watch where you're going, asshole!" She snapped, throwing her hands up in the air, her face contorted in a ghastly scowl.
Jack would've felt the need to apologize had she not been such a horrible bitch about it, so he instead swept past her to enjoy his drink...though apparently she wasn't finished.
"I was talking to you, jerk. You better apologize, you almost soaked my t-shirt!"
"And you almost made me spill my drink. So we're even."
"The hell we are!"
"Karen." Duke called.
The fiery female let out a frustrated sigh and stalked away, swinging her rear end slightly in her leave, looking over her shoulder once to glare at Jack from afar. She leaned seductively against the counter, a pout marred into her features. Jack simply rolled his eyes and sipped his water as everyone in the tavern looked at him out of the corner of their eyes. Including Cliff. He sighed; stood, setting his drink down unfinished, and exited the bar.
"Humph. Serves him right." Karen muttered as he took his leave.
Outside, Jack took in a deep breath and looked up at the stars. He wasn't one for confrontations or dealing with people looking at him blankly...maybe going to the bar wasn't such a good idea. Sticking his hands in his pockets, the farmer contemplated how hard it would be to win over the townspeople.
The fireflies buzzed about him lazily, and he continued to look up when he felt someone standing hesitantly behind him. Curious, Jack arched his head back and saw Cliff in the doorway of the bar.
"Hey..." He muttered.
"Evening." Jack responded.
"I...have to apologize for Karen. She's been like that for a long time."
"...You know that girl?" Jack inquired.
"She's my cousin." Cliff responded lightly, walking up and standing beside Jack.
"Your cousin, huh?"
"Yeah..." Cliff murmured. He looked down at the ground then up at the sky. "Karen's really not that bad a girl once you get to know her...she's just not favorable to people she doesn't know. She gets it from my uncle."
Jack nodded and looked down at his feet. "Well I...knew I wasn't going to be able to handle everyone staring at me so I just decided to step outside."
They were silent.
Cliff shifted his position. "I wanted to thank you again, also, for...helping me this morning. If I'd been in that position in some of the other villages I've lived in, well..." He paused. "Well they wouldn't have been as kind. So...thank you."
"It wasn't any trouble." Jack was quiet for a moment. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but...if they're your family, why don't you live here with them? Why were you in Moondrop?"
Cliff was silent for a while, as if contemplating whether or not he should answer the question. At length, he began, "The only one of my relatives I can stand is Karen. Probably because we're about the same age..." He trailed off for a moment. "She...knows me more than my other family members, which is hardly saying much, but..." Cliff shrugged slightly. "I travel. It's what I do. This is the first time I've been here in God knows how long...I don't remember anyone, and they don't remember me. The only people I know are my uncle, aunt, and Karen. And none of them have taken much of a liking to me except Karen, so..."
"You don't remember when you were here last?"
He shook his head. "I was a kid. An ignorant, naïve kid last I was in Rosebud." Cliff smirked. "I kept in touch with Karen through letters...got one from her every year or so. Just recently she invited me back here and since I wasn't really...attached to Moondrop, so I decided to take her offer."
"You're staying with her?"
"Well...no..." Cliff murmured, looking away in slight embarrassment.
"You're...not...?" Jack inquired, confused.
Cliff took in a deep breath. "The fact of the matter is my uncle despises me. They have tons of extra rooms up at the vineyard but he wouldn't lend one to me if my life depended on it. Karen's been trying to negotiate me someplace to sleep...but he won't even let me crash in the goddamn wine cellar." He kicked at the dirt slightly.
"Where are you going to live, then?" Jack questioned, concern evident in his voice which caught Cliff slightly off guard.
The vagabond paused, realizing he'd just confided a whole lot of nothing in a strange farmer he'd met that morning. But he'd dug himself into a hole. He'd try to write it off.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."
"No, Cliff, where are you going to live?"
He was sure persistent...timidly, Cliff murmured, "I'll probably sleep in the mountains."
"In the mountains? No, no you're not."
"What?"
"You can stay at my farm."
"...No, I can't do that."
"Yes you can," Jack insisted. "I have a spare set of sheets. You can sleep on the floor."
"I can't repay you for this, Jack, I don't have any money."
"You don't need to repay me."
"Yes I do, I'd feel obligated."
Jack paused in thought. Abruptly, his face came up, and his eyes gleamed. "You can help with the farm. I need to clear out my field...gather things to sell...that sort of thing. You can repay me working on Okera."
"...Jack, listen, I don't know you, and—"
"And you don't have a place to stay. I'm not going to do anything...I don't know...objectionable, Cliff. And I could really use the help."
"I don't know, Jack..."
"Would you consider at least, if I gave you a day or two?"
Cliff paused. He looked down at his feet, then up into the night sky, and then over to Jack. His eyes were pronounced with an earnest glint, and behind them Cliff found no suspicion; only a desire to help. Hesitantly, the vagabond nodded, causing Jack's face to lighten with a prominent smile.
"Come by my farm when you're made up your mind, ok?"
He nodded numbly again, and Jack sauntered away, hands in pockets, disappearing down the road.