Having always been a reserved, bookish girl, I was well aware that neither introducing myself to a new town of people nor farming itself would come very easily to me. However, the warm welcome I received when I arrived at the Sunshine Islands was a pleasant surprise. People in the city weren't warm too often.
As soon as I set foot on the island, I was greeted by a small group of friendly faces. One at a time, they introduced themselves. Taro, Felicia, and Elliot. They were a family, Taro being the father of Felicia and grandfather of Elliot. Apparently Elliot had a twin sister as well, who wished not to be present.
"It's rude of Natalie not to greet the new resident," Elliot mumbled. It was clear that he and his sister didn't get along terribly well.
"Oh, I'll meet her eventually, no need to worry about it." I said. I didn't like conflict, even if it didn't really affect me.
"Well, Natalie or no Natalie, we'd best get you to your farm before the sun sets," Taro grew impatient, looking toward the sun as it crept closer to the horizon. I nodded in agreement and grabbed my bags.
"Let me help you," Elliot offered, a faint shy blush on his cheeks.
"Thank you," I smiled and took him up on his offer, glad to be relieved of a few bags.
Soon, we made our way to the farm. It was a bit run down, but for the price it'd cost, I had expected as much. Taro showed me which buildings were the barn, stable, and chicken coop. Then he took me to one last building, the house.
"This is where you'll be livin', missy," Taro stated as he unlocked the door to the small abode. As we entered, he flicked on the light switch.
It was small, only one room. Perhaps 'quaint' or 'cozy' would be more appealing words. I coughed as I walked further into my new home. There was an awful lot of dust- this place would need cleaning. I turned around and faced Taro, Felicia, and Elliot. Their expressions were anxious, as if they expected me to proclaim that I hated it and leave right away. I grinned at them and said, "It's perfect for me."
A relieved Taro said, "We'll give you a week to settle in before I start teaching you how to farm."
Before I replied to Taro, Felicia interrupted, "Oh, the blanket on that bed isn't nearly warm enough. It may be Spring, but the nights are still chilly. I'll bring you some extra blankets from home before it gets late."
"That's very nice of you, Felicia, thanks." It seemed like all I'd been doing was thanking, but I didn't know what else to say. I'd always been awkward when people fussed over me too much.
The family began to take their leave, but first Taro handed me the key. "The farm's all yours now." I gazed at the key in my hands for a moment. The feeling of starting a new life was exciting, yet still made me anxious. What if I'd made the wrong decision by moving here?
Realizing that I probably looked insane for starting at a house key so intently, I jerked my attention back to saying goodbye to Taro, Felicia, and Elliot. After they left, I leaned against the door for a while, giving myself a moment to let everything set in. I then pulled my cellphone out of my pocket. Jill would want to hear about everything, that was one thing I could be certain about.
