Chapter 3
I wake up to the sound of voices talking downstairs. I sit up and rub my eyes and stretch. Sunlight pours into my room and I notice the sun is well into the sky. How long did I sleep? It had to be close to noon already.
I rise out of bed and change my clothes. I put on a soft beige t-shirt and simple jean shorts. I tie my brown hair into a ponytail and pack up all my things. I descend the stairs to find the inn owner speaking with a stout, small man with gray hair. The two continue to speak as though they haven't noticed me. I head for the door when suddenly the innkeeper calls out to me.
"Akari, there's someone here to see you," he says. I pause and lower my hand from the door handle and turn around. I step closer to the two men and the shorter one beams at me.
"It's so good to finally meet you, Akari!" he says reaching for my hand and holding it. "Your grandfather told me so much about you!"
"My grandfather?"
"Yes. I heard from some of the locals that his granddaughter was visiting. I just had to see you for myself."
"Well, here I am," I say awkwardly. I didn't know why I was so special. It was nice to know my grandfather spoke of me fondly but I wasn't as close to him as I wish I was.
"Good, good," the man says. "I'm assuming you're here to take over his farm?"
This man knew more than I wish he did. "I was considering it," I start to say and he cuts me off.
"How exciting! I've been waiting for someone to take over that place for years. It was so beautiful in its prime and I hate seeing it in such a condition now." The old man frowns for a second before glancing up at me with that wide smile again.
"I was actually planning to return to the city," I blurt out. The old man's smile fades quickly and I almost feel bad. "I can't afford all the repairs for that place."
The man's smile slow reappears. "I wish I had found you earlier. Don't worry about the costs. I'll help out as much as I can. I'll speak to our local carpenter and see what he can do. I'm sure he'll be willing to work on the old farm. He did know your grandfather very well."
I stare at the old man, unsure if I heard him right. "You're going to pay for the repairs?"
"Well not exactly. I'll sweet talk Dale into giving you a great discount. At least to help you get started. You'll need a place to stay in the meantime," he says sliding his eyes over to the innkeeper, Jake.
Jake is hard at work examining brochures behind the counter with his wife Colleen. The man returns his gaze to mine and smiles. "I'll talk to Jake and see if he'll let you stay here for a few days while your house is repaired. We hardly get any visitors so it's great to see a new face here."
"I'm not sure what to say," I mutter. How was this man able to do persuade so many people?
"How about 'Yes I'll stay and take over the farm'?" he says.
"Sure, I'll do it," I say.
"Great! I'll visit Dale later and speak with him about the repairs. I'm so excited to see how this turns out!" he says.
"Oh, I didn't quite catch your name," I say as he scurries towards the door.
"I'm Mayor Hamilton, but you can just call me Mayor."
No wonder he had such power over the people here. It all made sense now.
"Thank you, Mayor. For everything. I honestly thought there was no hope for the farm."
"Anything for old Lewis. He loved you so much and he'd hate to see you struggle. Plus, he'd haunt me if I didn't help you," the mayor says and chuckles at the thought. He excuses himself and I'm left alone in the lobby.
I spent most of the late morning in my room figuring what color the house should be and what crops I should start planting this season. It was early Spring so I could start out with some strawberries and turnips for now. I wasn't sure if I wanted any animals yet. Maybe I could settle down and adjust before I think about that.
The excitement was growing on me and I couldn't wait any more. I decided to speak with the carpenter myself and head out towards the mountains. I pass by the old farm, still as dilapidated as before, and hike up the path. My legs feel like jelly when I reach the top and I push myself towards a large cabin. Something feels familiar about this place but I can't quite put my mind to it.
I straighten myself up before entering. The smell of sawdust and freshly chopped wood fills my nose. I couldn't help but enjoy it. The front counter is empty and I step farther inside to be startled by the sound of a saw blade going through a plank of wood. I follow the sound to see a large man with dark blue hair lifting the saw and pulling out the plank of wood.
He lifts his goggles off and grumbles tossing the wood off to the side. He notices me and says in a gruff voice, "How can I help you?"
He lowers his safety glasses and slides another plank of wood under the saw and begins to cut. I stand there frozen and watch as the saw pierces through the wood with ease. He lifts the blade and tosses the plank onto a nearby pile.
"Are you just going to stand there or buy something?" He says without looking at me.
"I wanted to talk to you about the old farm," I finally manage to spit out.
"What about it?" he says grabbing another plank.
"I'm going to take over and I need the house fixed."
The man puts down the plank of wood and removes his glasses. He strides over to me, his feet thumping against the wooden floorboards. "So you're the one the mayor told me about. You're really Lewis's granddaughter?"
I gaze up at the man and nod my head. He wraps his arms around me in a tight hug and my feet nearly leave the ground. "You're the spitting image of old Lewy."
He lowers me to the ground and releases his hold. He smiles at me beneath his broad mustache. "What's your name, girl?"
"Akari, sir."
"The name's Dale and I'd be happy to help you."
"Really?" Who knew my grandfather left such an impression on people.
"I've been yearning to fix that old place for years now but never got around to it. The mayor kept trying to sell it but no one wanted a run-down farm. Too much work they said. But when the mayor told me Lewis's granddaughter was here I was more than happy to volunteer."
"I really, really appreciate it. I really do. It means a lot to me," I say. "I can pay you whatever price you name."
"Don't worry about the price. I'll cut you a deal. Just give me a portion of your crops and I'll call it even."
"That's all?"
"Old Lewy grew the best spinach. I'd love to get a taste of some again," Dale says.
"You got a deal," I say and we shake hands.
"Yo, pops, I'm back," a voice says from the door way. I turn around to find myself face to face with the boy from the woods. His eyes widen when he sees me but Dale paces over to him.
"Did you get the logs?" Dale says.
"Yeah, they're outside in the shed," the boy says taking his eyes off me for a second.
Dale nods and steps outside. The boy strides over to me and I back up until my hips bump against a table.
"What brings you to my neck of the woods today?" He says crossing his arms over his chest.
"That's none of your business," I say to him.
"That seems to be your thing isn't it?" He says with a soft chuckle. "You don't share much do you?"
"That's none of your business," I say again.
He holds up his hands in surrender and doesn't push for conversation anymore. Dale returns inside and nods at his son. "Good work, Luke." He places a hand on his son's shoulder. "I see you've met Akari, Lewy's granddaughter."
Luke turns to face me and looks confused. "The old man had a granddaughter? Who knew."
"It's not that surprising," I say.
"I need to get back to work. Luke, why don't you take Akari back into town? It's getting late."
"I think she can manage," Luke says smirking.
"Luke," Dale says sternly. He gives a look that sends chills down my back and Luke sighs.
"Fine," he says and stands by the door.
I say goodbye to Dale and leave the shop followed by Luke. "I hate it when he looks at me like that," he says pacing a few steps behind me and shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I don't blame you. Even I wouldn't want to disobey him," I say walking slowly.
"Now she talks to me," Luke says as he walks in step beside me.
I roll my eyes at him. We walk down the steep pathway and across the bridge when words escape me. "I didn't really get to thank you properly yesterday. So, thanks."
"It was no big deal, although your face was pretty priceless when you screamed," he says. I turn around and punch him in the shoulder. "Why do you have to be so violent? It's not cute at all."
"Why do you have to be such a jerk? It's not cute at all," I say mimicking his tone.
"Alright, you got me there," he says with that devilish smirk. I couldn't help but smile. He may be a bit of a jerk but something about him was inviting. Maybe it was his carefree spirit that made me feel drawn to him.
We pass by my grandfather's farm and I take one last glance at it before we reach the cement road leading to town. "I can manage from here," I say to Luke.
"You sure you won't get lost on the way? That seems to be your thing," he says.
I give him a dirty look and he laughs before taking off back up the road. I decide to hit up the bar in a bit of a celebratory drinking session. Kathy is there again and she's happy to see me. I order the same drink as last night and she takes a seat next to me. "Hey darling, you look chipper today. Somethin' good happen?"
I take a sip of my drink and smile. "Well, you could say that. I ran into the mayor today and he's willing to help fix up the farm for me. I made a deal with the carpenter, Dale, and he's going to repair the house."
"That's great news, darlin'. I'm glad you decided to stay," Kathy says and gives me a quick hug. I wasn't use to people with her bubbly personality but it felt great. I couldn't help but feel like I made a new friend already.
Kathy is called to a few tables and I notice she's the only one working. She returns to the counter and I decide to ask her about it. "Do you work here by yourself?"
"Daddy usually helps out but he's out sick tonight. It's just me and Chase right now. Chase is our chef so he's in the kitchen all night."
"You wouldn't happen to need an extra hand would you?" I might as well make some extra money while I wait for the house to repair.
Kathy's eyes widen. "You want to work here?"
"I know a few things about being a waitress but it doesn't look too hard," I say.
"I don't care about past experience. That's what training is for. If you're interested, you're hired."
"R-really?" It was that easy?
"Really. I've been pushin' Daddy to hire another person since most people come to get a cold drink in the warmer nights. It'd be load off my back having a helping hand."
"Then I'm in," I said.
"Perfect. We can start ya up tomorrow night. We're the busiest on weekends."
"That sounds great," I say.
"By the way, are you still staying at the inn?"
"Well, I was supposed to talk to Jake about letting me stay there until my house is repaired but I haven't managed to yet."
"Well, now that yer workin' for us, you can use our spare bedroom."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Kathy hardly knew me and hired me on the spot and offered me a place to sleep in the same night. "That's really kind of you but I can't accept it. You've already given me a job and-"
"Don't give me that nonsense, darlin'. You need a place to stay and we have it. It's not a problem at all. We need the extra help so if you have to tell yourself yer working for yer place then so be it."
"Well then it looks like we're roommates," I say with a soft smile.