Continuing my habit of taking two chapters to cover one day, Jack continues introducing himself to villagers and their lives. But the poor fellow gets his shirt all tear-stained.

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A Haven from the Storm

Chapter 5 Too Many Tears for One Day

The sound that had stopped me from returning to the farm was that of a small boy wailing. There, sprawled on the cobblestones, was a boy of about six, holding his knee and crying.

"Hey, guy, what's the matter."

"I fell off the fence and banged my knee. It's bleeding! It hurts!"

"Lets see here." I looked at his leg. Sure enough, it was scraped and bleeding a little, but nothing seemed broken. I remembered the bandage Elli had given me. "Hold on while I put this on. What's your name?"

"Stu. I live here with my granny and my sister."

"Well, Stu, I'm Jack. Better tell your granny to wash this and put the bandage back on..."

"Stu! Why are you crying like that? Boys aren't supposed to cry! And who is that...oh, Jack! What are you doing?"

It was Elli, who had come up behind us.

"Oh, hello Elli. Stu got a scraped knee, so I was covering it up."

"Let me see...well, Stu, you'd better get inside and we'll wash this up. How did you do this?"

"I was trying to fly like Ultrabot Mechor!"

"Silly boy, you can't fly like that!" She turned to me. "He watches too much TV. When granny is asleep, he has it going *all* the time."

"I'm lonely! You never come home and granny's legs are bad, so there's no one to play with!"

"Well, you'd better get inside and I'll be there in a minute. Did you thank Jack for helping you?"

"Yes, thanks Jack. Come play with me sometime! Bye!"

Elli shook her head. "He *is* lonely. I wish there were other children he could play with. Sitting inside watching TV isn't good for him. Say, that bandage, that was the one I gave you, right?"

I nodded.

"Why didn't you use it?"

"Didn't need to. Cut's healed. Wasn't much of a cut." I showed her my arm.

"Yes, well, *I* knew that. But why did you come to the clinic, then?"

"Didn't come about the cut, I didn't even know I had it until you pointed it out. Came to introduce myself to the doctor."

Elli blushed and said "The doctor! And you never did see him. Jack, I'm sorry, I made a fool out of myself. What a bad first impression!"

"Ah, forget about it. It was kind of fun seeing you fuss over me like that."

She blushed even deeper. "I really *am* sorry that I was so cross with you then. What it was...well, you know how some country people think that city folk are soft and spoiled. I was thinking that about you when you came in. I made myself twice a fool!"

"Don't worry about about it." I grinned. " Actually, I *am* a bit soft. Dang near killed myself working the fields today."

She grinned back. "Well, I guess you'll survive. Hope there's no hard feelings." She held out her hand. "Friends?"

I shook it. "Friends."

"Good. Please come to the clinic again when you can. I'll introduce you to the doctor myself. Well, I'd better go in and tend to Stu now. Bye!"

"Bye!"

So, Elli wasn't cranky after all, just serious. Serious people are all right by me. Ah...three thirty...better step on it.

I ran down the row of houses and workplaces leading to the farm's gates. When I got to farm row, I had to stop again. There was a terrible shouting match coming from the chicken farm one lot down. I stopped short of the gate to listen.

"Popuri, it's your own fault! You KNOW about the wild dogs! You KNOW the chickens have to come in at night!"

"My fault? MY FAULT?! Rick, you're mean! I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!"

A flash of pink and red went running and sobbing down farm row. I walked up to the chicken farm's gate. A guy about my age, looking like a hippie with long red hair and granny glasses was watching the receding blur and calling:

"Popuri? Popuri! Come back here!" He spoke to himself "Shoot, Mom's going to be worried. Wonder when she'll calm down...oh, hello there."

"Hello, I'm Jack."

"Oh, you're the city guy taking over the Erehwon farm. I'm Rick. I manage our chicken farm while Dad's away. Sorry about your grandfather. He and dad were real close.

"I guess you heard that quarrel. Mom's probably worried about her - that was my little sister, Popuri. She's really immature. She might not come home 'till late night. If I went to get her, we'd likely just start fighting again.

He looked at me seriously for the first time. "Say, could I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure."

"You know where the hot springs are? You know the pond next to them? Good. That's where she usually goes when she's upset. Wonder if you'd be a pal and go up there and bring her home when she's calmed down. Maybe talk to her to calm her down. Would you mind?"

"Not a bit, Rick."

"Gee, thanks. Mom's sick enough as it is, she doesn't need to worry about Popuri out 'till late."

"Not a problem, I'll head up there now."

I cut through the farm to get to the hot springs. The villagers never went through the farm, they always took the long way around. Wonder if I should let people take the shortcut. I gave up the question as I climbed the stairs to the springs. Tracking an angry little girl and bringing her home...well, anything to impress the neighbors.

When I got to the top of the steps, I found the pink and red blur easy enough - she was sitting by the pond sobbing. But it was no little girl. Popuri was about my age, with a simple face that might be pleasant if not distorted with angry tears. The black and red dress emphasized a form that was as far from little-girlish as you could get. But that pink hair! I thought weird hair coloring went out in the 2000's.

I went up to her and said: "Hello Popuri, I'm..."

I didn't get a chance to go further. When she heard me, she jumped up, hugged my neck, and continued crying on my shirt.

"Oh, my poor Pon! He was my favorite pet chicken and the wild dogs caught him and ate him. Yes, I left him outside last night, but Rick is the big man, isn't he supposed to keep the dogs away? Ohhhhh Pon! I miss you!"

All this over a pet chicken? Better humor this one. I patted her head and put on the most sympathetic voice I could.

"There, there now! I bet Pon was a very good chicken. I'm so sorry for you. I bet he's in chicken heaven right now."

I regretted that as soon as I said it. Surely, that was laying it on too thick. But no.

"You really think there is a heaven for chickens? I'd ask Pastor Carter but he would just turn it into another question. He always does that. I wish he'd just tell me what is right and what is wrong, isn't that what a preacher does?

"Rick is so mean! He blamed me for Pon getting eaten! I'd never hurt Pon, I loved him!" The crying swelled back up. "Rick didn't used to be so mean. When we were kids we played all the time. Then Ma got so sick and Pa went away for her medicine and Rick turned all cranky.

"I miss Pa so much. I was his little princess, he said. He called me Pi. 'Pi' he said 'you're so sweet, even the bees want to kiss you.' We'd walk by the sea and he'd hold the shells I found. Ohhhhh, I miss Pa! I want him to come home!"

This went on for some time. Gradually she stopped crying. Then she wiped her face, and looked at me.

"Thank you for talking to me like that. I don't even know who you are... oh, I remember. At the church, you're the old farmer's grandson, Jack. Pa and your grandpa were good friends. He used to visit us all the time."

"Popuri, don't you think it's time to go home now? Your mother must be worried about you."

"I suppose you're right. I don't want to see Rick again but I don't want to hurt Ma. Are you coming home with me?"

"Sure. Are you ready?"

"Let's go."

We walked together down the stairs and through the farm. She stopped and looked at the wild fields.

"It didn't used to be like this. Are you going to clear all that yourself?"

"I'm working on it. It goes slow."

"If you can do all that, you'll be strong as Zack."

We got to farm row and walked down to the chicken farm. We were greeted by the clucking of hundreds of hens and the crowing of scores of roosters (my alarm clocks!) crowding around Rick, who was distractedly throwing them feed. He looked at us and Popuri looked away.

"Hmmmph!"

He decided to leave it alone and mouthed a silent "Thank you" to me as we went into the house.

Inside, we were met by what could have been a carbon copy of Popuri - a middle aged woman with the same pink hair and simple face. But her face was tired, pale and drawn.

"Oh, there you are Popuri. Are you feeling better now? I wish you and Rick wouldn't quarrel like that, it worries me no end."

Popuri went over and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I just lost my temper. I shouldn't have. Do you want me to start fixing dinner?"

"If you would, dear. Who are you? Ah, Jack, the farmer's grandson. Welcome to our home, I'm Lillia. I was so sorry about your grandfather, he and Michael - that's my husband - were so close. He treated Michael like a son. Michael is not here, he's off somewhere in the Western desert looking for a flower that only blooms once every few years. Someone he trusts said it will cure my illness, so he went."

She *was* ill. She moved slowly across the room and stopped every few steps to catch her breath.

"Well, it's good to meet you. I rarely go out, so I usually only see people when they visit. If you need any poultry or poultry supplies, you can visit between noon and four - except on Sundays."

"Thank you, good to meet you also. I suppose I'll start keeping chickens soon, but not just yet. Right now, I'm a pauper!"

Popuri spoke from the kitchen. "How can that be? I heard you were a rocket scientist in the city. Aren't they the smartest people in the world? Even smarter than Mary, I bet! So aren't they also the richest people in the world?"

The smell of some savory egg dish was wafting out of the kitchen.

"Well, doesn't work just that way Popuri. And I lost all my money in a bank failure."

"What's a bank?"

Lillia whispered to me "Please excuse her. She knows nothing of life outside the village."

I tried to explain banks in simple terms to her.

"Pooh! What's the point of that. Why do you need someone else to keep your money safe when you can do it yourself. Hide it where no one else can find it, then you can get it whenever you want. No old banker could find *my* money. I keep it in my..."

"Popuri!"

She stopped and blushed. "Oh, maybe I *shouldn't* tell you that. But anyways, they didn't keep it safe, did they? You gave it to them and they didn't give it back, right?"

Out of the mouths of children comes wisdom.

Then Rick came in, and Popuri pouted, turned her back and concentrated on cooking.

"Well, chickens are all put away for the evening." He sat in front of a fireplace. "What's for dinner, Ma?"

"Popuri's cooking egg tomato casserole."

"Sounds good. Popuri cooks really well. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

It was tempting. I was tired of riceball. But I hadn't even gotten the seeds into the ground yet.

"I'd love to Rick, but..." I pulled out the seeds and waved them "...haven't quite finished the day's chores."

"Oh. Well another time, perhaps."

"Hope so. Good to meet you all."

We made our goodbyes and I left. Walking up farm row, I reflected on Popuri. The very model of "girlie girl." But she *was* easy on the eyes. Ah, cut that out, Jack, no time for that stuff. I walked into the farm and saw Zack looking into the shipping bin near the house and frowning.

"What, Jack, nothing today?"

"Zack, just got here." I waved the seeds again. "This is the start of it all."

"Hmmph. So you'll be a few days with no income." He thought and brightened. "Hey, let me give you a tip. Up the mountain in the woods, all kinds of wild vegetables grow. Some of them fetch a good price in the city. If you're smart, you'll gather them up and let me sell them until your crops are going strong."

"Which ones are the good ones to sell, and what do they look like?"

"Hmmm...young bamboo shoots for sure. Some colored grasses also, but I don't quite remember which ones. And mushrooms and wild grapes - but they don't grow until fall.

"Say! The naturalist in town - Basil - knows all about the plants here. He's written a ton of books on them. You'll find his books in the library next to their house. You should check it out next chance you get."

"Thanks, Zack, I'll do just that. See you tomorrow."

"You got it, pal." And he ran off.

I looked at the seeds and the ground. I realized I didn't *really* know how to plant them. I could waste some more time, and possibly the seeds if I did it wrong. Or I could wait 'till tomorrow morning when Farmer Fran would tell me how to do it. I went inside, put the seeds and tools in the chest, then headed back out and up the springs hill to collect bamboo shoots.

The backpack only held two bunches and I could carry one more in my hands. I made a couple of trips of gathering, and dumping in the shipping bin. The church bell rang six, and I went inside, hopped into bed and fell asleep instantly.