Chapter Five – Familiarity Breeds Love
Spring 9 – Wednesday
As I began to explore the various parts of my farm, I found that everything was so much more complicated than it had looked. My favorite part of the day was in the morning when I took care of my chickens. It felt so nice sitting in the chicken coop, the morning sun shining in through the windows at the top of the building. Time seemed to stop whilst I sat with my animals. Already I had three chickens, two adults and one chick. The first was Gerry, of course, then Kathy, and then the chick I had named Re'anne.
I sat and tossed some chicken feed to them, sitting on the incubator's edge. One more precious egg was being matured into a beautiful chick. A loud crash brought me to my senses. As I glanced to the door, I watched as Rick walked in. This was the second time that he had come to the chicken coop in the morning to drop off some more feed for the chickens. I appreciated it, but I just didn't know how to thank him.
"Morning, Scarlet," he said with the smile that always made me smile as well. His sweetness was contagious, and I couldn't seem to get away from it, but perhaps I was drawn to it. So far, I had made a fair amount of money on my egg shipments alone. If my coop weren't so small, I would have opted to run a farm using only chickens. Rick had always told me that it wouldn't be a good idea.
I would ask him why not, and he explained that there was more to farming than chickens. I needed sheep, he said, and cattle. Not only that, I needed to become acquainted with agriculture. I never liked plants, so I was reluctant.
"Ready to go to the supermarket?" he asked.
"Do I have to?" I whined. He never liked it when I whined, but I did it to annoy him.
"Scarlet, you know that if you don't plant something soon then you won't have anything to harvest this season!" he cried out. I knew that he was right, but I explained that I didn't like the idea of trying to cultivate crops. "I'll help you," he said, "how about that?"
"You're on," I laughed. He beckoned for me to follow him and I did. Yet, as we left, I could have sworn that I saw a dark figure around the back of my property, walking towards the forest. I didn't bother with it though. It was probably Gotz. It was 8:00 AM.
"Good morning!" a high pitched voice yelled from inside the supermarket as we walked in. The greeting was followed by a loud crash as a shelf of baskets toppled over into a small and timid seeming man in a dress shirt and bow. He pushed them off of himself and waved at us.
"Hey, Jeff!" Rick said happily, "I brought the Fargrieve Farm owner so she could buy some seeds, is that all right?"
"Well of course it's all right, Rick," he said as he glanced towards me, "Though I must offer my condolences for your loss." I bowed my head to acknowledge his comment. That was all that needed to be said for that, though. Jeff led me to the seed counter and began showing me his wares. "Hmm, here we have turnips, cucumbers, and potatoes. Oh, and you cannot buy animals until you plant grass. What would you feed them?" He laughed, waiting for my answer.
"How much do you have, Scarlet?" Rick asked me. I pulled out my purse and glanced within. From my savings and what I had earned over the past few days, I had about 2000 G. Showing Rick my money, he counted and thought. "How much can she get for 2000 G?"
Jeff pointed at the seeds and told me what they were worth. For my first crop, I bought two turnip pouches, two cucumber pouches, and three potato pouches. We smiled as we walked out of the store and made our way back to my farm.
"So, what do we do first?" I asked.
"Do you have any tools?" he asked. I nodded, and he said, "All right, first, we'll need to till the ground. After that, we spread the seeds. After that, all you need to do is water them until they fruit, then you can harvest them and sell them to Zack when he makes his rounds."
"Cool," I said happily, "can you help me?" He agreed to help me, and we hurried back to the shed where I used to sleep. In a cabinet inside, there was a wide assortment of tools. Grabbing the hoe, he handed me the watering can.
"I'll do the tilling until you think you can, all right?" he asked. I was slightly offended that he didn't think I could do it, but I wasn't going to argue. He was offering me free labor, and I wasn't going to pass that up.
"What are you doing?" I asked once we got outside. He had thrown all of the tools and seeds onto the ground. It took me a moment to realize that he was untying his apron.
"You don't mind, do you?" he asked, "It's a lot easier to work when I'm not overheated by all these layers of clothing." As he raised his turtleneck over his head, my head seemed to overflow with thoughts that would have curled Doctor's hair. His finely shaped muscular torso, his small, but strong arms, and his shaggy blonde hair… He was like an angel placed onto earth.
"Oops," he said, reaching into the turtleneck, pulling out a white tank top, "I didn't mean to leave that in there, sorry." I could hardly hear him, much less understand him. If he couldn't work if he was hot, then how was I supposed to work if he was making ME hot? "Yeah," he laughed, "I know how to till land, because in the summer I'm the one that plants and takes care of the corn. Popuri doesn't do much, though."
He picked up the hoe and swung it expertly over his head. It left a perfect mark in the ground. He did it again and again, until there were finally six plots of tilled land. That would take care of all but one of the pouches that we had bought.
"Care to try?" he asked, handing me the hoe. I stood transfixed by his gleaming arms and his tank top that clung to his torso, soaked with perspiration. "Scarlet?" he asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," I muttered, looking away from him. He smiled brightly and led me to an untilled part of the land.
"Okay, you hold the hoe like this…" he said, taking my arms and positioning them correctly. "All right," he said quietly, "now when you swing it, you want to hold it like this and raise it above your head like this…" He was holding my arms in place from behind me. I could feel his perspiration soaking my own shirt, or perhaps I was perspiring. When he stepped away from me, I swung the hoe, leaving a sloppy but adequate tilled mark of my land. He laughed and clapped. "Good on you!" he cried, "That's the best first try I've ever seen!"
Turning away from me, he grabbed some seed pouches. "Can we plant the cucumbers closer to the house? It'll be easier to ship them that way." I smiled and nodded, watching him plant the seeds.
It seemed so strange; one moment, he seemed so rugged and manly, but now he was planting individual seeds into small holes in the ground. His hair was kept out of his face by a sweatband. His glasses were still on, making him seem all the more odd. He looked like a surfer with bad eyesight, but there was something so beautiful about him. It wasn't a physical thing, but it seemed to surround him, like an aura of loveliness surrounding an angel.
After finishing the cucumbers, he glanced up at me. "Aren't you going to finish the tilling?" he asked. I looked down at the hoe in my hand and, embarrassed, went back to work. It was easier than I had thought, but remarkably tiring. After only tilling six times, I felt sore and exhausted. Rick laughed as I sat down next to my work.
"Tired already?" he teased, "You've got a long way to go, Scarlet. Good thing for you that I'm willing to help you cultivate your crops and get in shape." I was still breathing heavily, but I was also shocked at just how healthy these townspeople probably were. Well, not Jeff; he looked like he had some sort of eating disorder.
"You're going to help me?" I asked. He laughed.
"Sure thing," he said, "when these are done, we can sell them and buy more seeds. Then I can help you till what you can't do, city girl." I laughed in spite of myself and began planting the turnips.
"Whew! What a workout!" I cried out once we had finished everything, including the watering. He smiled at me and picked up the tools.
"Let's go put these away," he said quietly, walking towards the shed. He put them away and went to grab his clothes. My happiness faded as he put the shirt over his head, and then put the apron back on. It was surprising just how thin and frail his loose turtleneck made him seem, and the apron added the touch that usually would have indicated a questionable orientation, but he seemed to be straight as an arrow.
"Scarlet," he said as he walked towards me, "would you like to come see our farm?" Such an unexpected question, I thought, but I nodded all the same. It seemed like such a sweet invitation.
As we walked to his farm, I began to recognize people from the party a few days earlier. "Hi!" I called out to a young man coming from the blacksmith's shop. He turned around and tipped the brim of his cap at me. He had a shy and trustworthy smile, which made his eyes crinkle at the edges. Gray, that had been his name, hadn't it?
Rick seemed impressed. "Wow, he never smiles at anyone. Lucky," he laughed. I blushed feeling quite flattered. We turned right onto a property that was tidy and cozy seeming. "Home, sweet home," Rick said as he walked to the mailbox.
Peeking in, he shook his head and shut it. "Dad still hasn't written yet…" he whispered, not intending for me to hear him. I did, though.
"Wow!" I cried out, "Is that a chicken coop?" The building that I was looking at must have been at least four times as large as my own chicken coop!
"Oh? Oh, yes, that's our chicken coop," he said proudly. "Would you like to see the chickens?" he asked. I nodded excitedly, and he led me to the door of the coop. "You're going to love this," he whispered before flinging open the door.
Inside, there were dozens of chickens! I was entranced, and as I walked in, they all began clucking wildly and running towards me. Rick laughed and handed me a bag that had been hanging on the wall.
"They want you to feed them," he said sweetly. I looked into the bag and saw all sorts of grains mixed with kernels of corn. Taking a fistful, I tossed it to the chickens, and they loved me for it.
"This is so much fun!" I said gladly, tossing a few more fistfuls of grains. Rick walked forward and picked up what must have been the largest chicken I had ever seen. Unlike Gerry, she didn't seem healthy. She just looked like a fat and happy chicken.
"Guess what she can do?" he asked. I shook my head and he leaned forward, "She lays golden eggs!" My jaw dropped.
"I thought that was just a myth?" I asked, "Is it real?" He nodded and went to her nest. In his hand as he returned to me he held a single golden egg.
"It's the same on the inside as any other egg," he said, "but the shell is golden. It's worth much more, as you might imagine." I nodded, taking the egg and examining it. "If you'd like, I'll tell you about the chicken festival. Perhaps you can enter a chicken in it soon. Would you like me to tell you about it?"
"Yes, Rick," I said gladly, "I would like that very much."
"And that's how Kella started laying golden eggs!" he finished.
"Isn't chicken fighting illegal?" I asked, glancing at the chickens sadly.
"It's not really fighting when you think about it," he said, "they just intimidate each other out of the ring." I nodded, understanding just what he meant. "So, do you like our farm?" he asked.
"I do," I said softly.
"Please tell me that I can hear those two words sometime in the future," he genuinely pleaded.
"Rick, do we need to talk about this?" I said exasperatedly.
"Well I would like to," he argued, "Scarlet, I think I've fallen in love with you. Your laugh, your eyes, the way you blush, it's all so beautiful. I never thought anyone in the town would like chickens as much as I did! This is heaven on earth for me, so please tell me that you feel it too!"
"Rick, I-" I stammered not knowing what to say.
"Scarlet," he said quickly, moving to get on one knee on the ground before me, "please give me a chance!" Before he could say anything further, we both heard a shrill scream.
"Rick!" Popuri cried as she ran into the chicken coop, "Mom's collapsed again!" Without a second glance at me, Rick ran from the coop and to the house. I followed, watching them as they picked their mother up and laid her on the couch.
As Popuri fanned her mother, Rick returned to me. "Her episodes have been getting worse and worse," he said worriedly, "we need to get her more medicine."
"The clinic is closed on Wednesdays!" I cried, "Where will you get the medicine?" Rick's face betrayed his answer. "Wait," I thought quickly, "I could get it!"
"What? How? The clinic is closed!" he exclaimed.
"Well, I'm pretty sure that Doctor would give me medicine even if the clinic is closed," I explained, "Just let me find him, and I'll get her the medicine that she needs." Rick didn't seem to like htat plan.
"I don't want to put you in any more danger," he said in concern.
"I'll be fine," I said as I turned and ran towards the clinic.
Running past the library and the supermarket, I ran towards the clinic. Knocking madly, I was greeted only by silence. "Damn it!" I cried, "Doctor! Are you in there! It's Scarlet! Let me in!" Silence. He obviously could not have been there.
"Scarlet?" Elli asked. I spun around to face her. "If you're looking for Doctor, he's in the library. He's always there on Wednesday afternoons." Hugging her, I ran towards the library. She seemed shocked, but smiled as I ran off. "Hmm, she seems like a nice girl," she said as she walked back towards her grandmother's house.
Bursting into the library, I say Mary and Gray talking to one another about a book. "Yes, I just finished writing it," Mary said shyly.
"W-well I'd really like to read it," he said shyly.
"Is Doctor here?" I asked breathlessly, not shy at all.
They pointed to the stairs and continued talking about Mary's book. I shook my head in annoyance and walked up the stairs.
"Doctor?" I whispered.
A thud and a rustle of books, and then, "Who is that?" I walked towards the sound, and saw Doctor sitting at a table, a stack of books in front of him. ""Oh? Scarlet? Why… why are you here?" he asked nervously.
"Doctor, I need to talk to you," I said calmly.
"Y-yes, we do need to talk," he accidentally stammered. Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I think my actions last week warrant an apology, so I must say that I am very sorry about what I have done. Could you ever forgive me?" I nodded and tried to speak, but he cut me off. "I took your kindness for granted, but then I took advantage of it. I feel so guilty, and all I ask for is your friendship."
"Doctor, I need to ask you something," I sighed.
"Yes, but so do I, Scarlet. You see, lately I've been thinking about what you've said to me, every bit of it actually, and I can help but feel that I do like you more than a friend. Scarlet," he paused, "I think I've fallen in love with you. The way you move, the sound of your voice, your eyes in the light of the moon, they are all so beautiful. I never thought anyone could even try to understand me! You know, I would tell you anything, so perhaps you could feel free to tell me anything too, right?"
"Yes Doctor, but I need to talk to you," I snapped.
"Scarlet, do you see what we have? It's a mutual attraction, so why should we deny it? I can see it in your eyes; you want me as much as I want you, so we shouldn't hide from one another, right? You do see it, don't you?" I struggled to find another way to say it, but I couldn't.
"I do," I muttered in embarrassment.
He sighed with a sound of exhilaration, "Oh yes," he whispered, "please tell me that you'll say that again. Say it in front of the whole town, Scarlet!" A loud 'shush' came from the first floor. That was right, we were in a library. "Please," he whispered, "let me love you." He leaned forward and kissed the corner of my mouth.
Pulling away, I said quickly, "Doctor, Lillia had another episode. She needs medicine. Please, Doctor, you've got to help her." Doctor stood, cemented to the ground in shock.
"Oh, is… is that all you came here to say?" he asked, that strange glint back in his dark eyes, "Well I suppose I could go get the medicine."
"Thank you," I sighed, "I was really worried for her. She doesn't look good." Upon hearing this, his eyebrows crinkled on his forehead and he seemed torn between two very difficult choices.
"All right," he said, "Come with me."
Doctor opened up a large cabinet and reached to the top of it. "Ah, here it is. I never thought I'd see this again," he whispered. Pulling down a dusty old bottle, he handed it to me. "Here's a different medicine. This might work better than the old one," he sighed, "Tell her that I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" I asked reluctantly.
"Sorry that it took so long," he muttered, "Don't you worry about it, Scarlet." He sat down in his large black chair behind his desk and slumped over onto his desk. He looked like a large and tired dog, resting his head on his arms.
"Doctor," I whispered, "I need to say one more thing."
He glanced up and said, "Oh, really? What is it?" I could not think of anything to say, though. Either that or I couldn't figure out how to phrase it.
"W-why do you love me?" I asked without any pre-thought.
Doctor seemed surprised at the question. "Why?" he repeated, "Well, I think it's because no one ever loved me. My parents never wanted me. I was an accident. A result of youthful indiscretions. The townspeople never liked them, though I must say I didn't blame them. As a result of hating my parents, they hated me as well."
His honest words brought tears to my eyes, "Doctor," I said softly, "did you even want to be a doctor?" A long an awkward silence ensued.
"No," he said. Another long silence followed before he said, "You should really get that to Lillia before she gets really sick." I watched him as he sat up in his chair and rose to his feet. He escorted me to the door and looked at his watch. "I should be going as well."
I walked out of the clinic and he followed, locking it behind him. He was the only one in the town that seemed to lock their house. "Doctor, thank you," I said in relief, looking at the bottle.
"No," he said, "thank you." Watching him walk away, I saw him turn left and walk to the church. Walking through the doors, I watched him brush his hair back with one hand and smile at me. It was the sweet smile that I had seen him give me when we were at the inn. That was the smile that I liked; that was the Doctor that I liked. It was 1:00 PM.
"Oh, Scarlet," Lillia rasped, "thank you so much…" She sat up in her chair and inhaled deeply, "This medicine works much better than the last one."
"Scarlet," Rick said nervously, "he didn't do anything to you, did he?" His mother and sister watched us carefully. "I didn't want you to go."
I smiled and said, "No everything was just fine. I told him how worried I was for your mom and he went and got that big bottle there. He wanted me to apologize to you, Lillia." Lillia's eyes narrowed more than usual.
"Whatever for?" she asked.
"For taking so long," I shrugged. I didn't know what it meant, and neither did they. It didn't seem to matter much. As long as it worked, right?
"Can I walk you home?" Rick asked, sounding very relieved.
"I would love that, Rick," I said, taking his hand. We waved goodbye and walked through the doors and into the afternoon spring sun.