Hi guys! Sorry for the delay with this chapter! I may try to get another one up in the near future :) one of the perks to being sick...more time to write (nothing serious, just a virus)! I hope you like this chapter! Thanks to all readers and those who comment! I really appreciate it and look forward to (hopefully) hearing from you guys! :D xoxo- J
Jack was on a mission to get back to the farm and start his new life as the farmer he dreamed of becoming He was determined to buckle down and make his grandfather proud. Jack was not surprised at all that he ran into yet some more drama as he approached his farm. He had come to accept that Mineral Town was full of it.
A flash of pink sped by Jack as he tried to get to his farm unnoticed. He didn't have time for any new drama.
"I HATE YOU RICK!" a girl called out…who apparently was attached to the pink hair Jack couldn't help but notice. She continued to sob as she made her way towards the hot spring. Jack had no idea who this Rick was, but he was not in the mood to find out at that particular moment. The girl did not seem to notice Jack so he continued to his farm as silently as possible.
When he finally returned to his farm, he sat under a tree and continued reading the book Mary had lent him. "Hmm…ok so it looks like turnips are a good starting crop…they are relatively cheap and don't take long to grow…I can deal with that…aaaaand looks like potatoes don't take too long and are pretty profitable…Right! I will get one of each." Jack spoke out loud to himself and felt accomplished that he came to a reasonable conclusion. With that, he grabbed his rucksack and headed to the market. The sky was still cloudy and he hoped the rain would hold off until after his work for the day was done.
Karen sat in the supermarket and looked over the books of bills and orders. Her parents were out in the mountains trying to get some fresh air since the rain stopped. Her father, Jeff, enjoyed painting and hoped to get some inspiration from the beautiful scenery. She was minding her own business when she heard a knock at the door. She found it odd that someone would knock since the store was open…usually people just walked right in. "…Come in?" She responded almost as if she was asking a question. Tim opened the door.
"Uh….can I help you? Sorry to say you're out of luck if you're coming here to shop… I won't be giving you any 'special discounts' per usual…Lets just say I don't get my personality from my dad. I'm no pushover…ugh pathetic." Karen snarled.
"I'm not here to shop." Tim replied without detail.
"Ok…so spit it out! I don't have all day Tim. Why are you here?" Karen was getting frustrated already.
"I'm here because…I need to talk to someone…And you're the only person in this town who seems to be honest. I know you don't give a damn about me so you won't spare my feelings…Hell, you're the only one who calls me by my name to my face." Tim stood stoically.
"It's true. I hate how everyone around here tiptoes around everything. Appearance is what matters in this town. Happy happy happy…that's what it all is about. Ugh I am not meant for this lifestyle." She mumbled the last part under her breath.
"Yes. I don't know this 'happiness'. This place for me is constant conflict…light surrounded by darkness. I wish I could run away, but I am bound here by guilt. I…will pay for the rest of my life…for what I have done." A hint of emotion shined through Tim's eyes.
"You know, I didn't choose this life either. What will I become? Another housewife? A mother? I wanted more for myself than what I will be given. No one here will ever take me seriously. I will always be that rebellious girl who gets along better with the drunkards than the pretty girls…as for you…you created this guilt…what do you want from me, pity? To tell you everything is going to be ok?" Karen had never admitted this to anyone before and she panicked at the thought that she may be getting vulnerable.
"What I want and what I will get are two very different things. If anything that is what I have learned here. Yes, Karen poor you. Poor you with too many people who care about you and love you. How horrible that must be. Maybe you are the one who wants pity when you are just a spoiled little girl with an ego and her own free will." Now Tim was getting vulnerable…
"Spoiled?! HAH. Yea, Tim I get everything I want. It's great! I have a mother who is too weak to stand up for herself and a father who has no backbone and wallows in his own self-pity. Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up and face every day knowing that the rest of your life will be one big routine? Free will my ass. I can't just leave them here to drown!" No one had ever challenged Karen like this before.
"Well since you asked…yes I know exactly what it's like. Every day in and out knowing that no matter what I do for the rest of my life it will never measure up to the sorrow I have brought…to people better who are better than myself. This daily routine I go through is nothing but torture. Every single minute that ticks by feels like an eternity. And yet I am stuck here. It's like I don't even live for myself anymore." Tim never expressed these feelings to anyone before. In fact he barely acknowledged them himself.
Karen nodded. "You know she wants you, don't you? You know she has planned out every little detail of your life together making this all into some stupid romantic drama, right? The great tragedy that ended in a love so great it overcame all sorrow and despair!"
Tim looked down. "I know that. I owe her that."
"Pathetic. Elli deserves better. Haven't you put her through enough? She has no parents! They're gone! And now what will she have? To live a lie?" Karen was confused at her anger.
"I think she has had enough honesty from me for a lifetime." Tim paused.
"Do you want her back?" Karen prodded.
"Like I said…what I want and what I will get are two very different things." Tim responded vaguely on purpose.
"Cut the bullshit and tell me the truth! Isn't that what you're here for? You don't get to put this all on me and then just…end it."
"No, I don't. Maybe it will grow….maybe I can-" Karen interrupted him before he could finish his thought.
"Fine, Tim. I don't want to hear anymore! If you can't be honest and face how you feel then you're right…I don't give a damn about you." Her words hurt Tim more than he expected.
"I…" Tim took a deep breath. "Fine, I will be honest. Maybe I'm not cut out to be anyone's husband or father! Maybe…maybe I am too far gone."
"Maybe you are. Look, why did you even come here?! To dump all your feelings on me just because you felt like you could?!" Karen felt used and she could feel tears building behind her eyes. "What am I supposed to do about this?! Just sit and know how unhappy you are and how your life is one big, dark, lie? To feel obligated to lie to my friend every time she tells me how great you will be together?! It's not fair to me…but what is?! Why am I surprised…" Karen couldn't tell what upset her the most, but she was shocked at how strong her reaction was to the situation.
Tim paused for a while and gathered his thoughts. "No. It's because you inspire me. You are strong and honest and face each day knowing what it will bring. You are…everything I'm not." Tim looked Karen in the eyes.
"…Change." Karen said looking at the floor.
"Maybe I already have." Tim got no response from Karen as she tried to hide her expression. "Maybe I'm not cut out for the happy, pretty girls." Tim whispered under his breath.
Karen couldn't bring herself to look at Tim. "Prove it. Actions speak louder than words. I don't believe your words anymore."
"Every day." He responded almost in a whisper.
Karen finally looked up at Tim as she blinked tears from her eyes. "Ok then."
Tim broke his gaze with Karen and turned for the door. He had a lot to think about as he turned for the clinic.
Jack burst through the doors of the supermarket with his head in the clouds.
"Hi! Ok, I need some turnips and potatoes, please!" Jack couldn't shake the grin from his face. He was determined.
"…Ok? They're over there. What, you think I'm here to get them for you?" Karen pointed towards the seeds.
Jack bolted towards the seeds and grabbed what he needed. He brought them up to Karen to check out at the register. Karen didn't budge.
"…Can I pay?" Jack asked after a few moments.
"Oh, right." She walked to the register and took the money from Jack. She seemed distracted.
"What, you're not going to yell at me today?" Jack asked trying to get a laugh out of Karen.
"Sorry to disappoint." Karen said indifferently. Oh well, Jack wasn't in the mood for any drama anyway and he headed out the door.
"See ya later!" He called. "Yep." Karen responded.
It was starting to get dark out so Jack decided that he would plant his crops tomorrow morning. 6:00 on the dot to be specific. He decided he would take the scenic route and stop by the hot spring to see if he could renew some of his energy. He was shocked to find that the pink-haired girl was still there and…you guessed it…still crying. There was no going back now. Jack sighed.
"Hi…are you ok?" He approached.
"NO! I'm not ok! Not at all!" She managed to speak through her sobs.
Oh boy. Jack could tell he was in for his daily dose of Mineral Town drama. He took a deep breath in preparation.
"Ok, what happened?" He bravely asked.
"MY CHICKEN! She…DIED! And my stupid brother Rick says it's all my fault. I accidentally left her out last night and she was…attacked by some horrible horrible creature!" She was now sobbing harder.
"Oh…I'm sorry for your loss…you two must have been…err….close?" Jack had never dealt with this sort of situation.
The girl stared up at him with wide eyes. "I RAISED HER SINCE SHE WAS A LITTLE CHICK OF COURSE WE WERE!" She continued to sob.
Jack waited a few moments. He wasn't sure where to go from there. "So…what's your name?" He got no response. "I'm Jack from the Sunny farm…yep…just moved here." Still nothing. Finally the girl responded as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm Popuri." She sniffed. "You have a farm…you should…have a chicken sometime…I work at the poultry farm…they're…so wonderful!" She started to cry at the memory.
"Please, don't cry…let me take you back home."
Popuri nodded in agreement. "Thanks."
Jack walked Popuri back home in silence. As they finally approached the poultry farm a young man with long hair and goggles ran to the gate.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! You know mom isn't feeling good! She's worried sick about you!" He exclaimed.
"It's your fault Rick! WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?!" Ah…this must be her brother.
"I don't have time for the water works right now. Go inside and talk to mom!" Rick pointed towards the door.
"Fine!" Popuri gathered herself and walked into the house.
Rick turned to Jack. "Sorry you had to see that…I'm Rick…and you are? Oh god please don't tell me you are from some city here to woo my sister! I've had enough of that for a lifetime."
Jack stared at Rick with the upmost confusion. "I'm Jack from the Sunny farm and…no? I'm not here to 'woo' your sister…"
"Hah. Sorry it's just…well there is this no good city dweller who pops in every summer...Kai…makes me sick just to say his name. He is totally trying to convince Popuri to leave with him and she doesn't know any better! She's too naïve…she should listen to her big brother! I know best! Better than this…Kai…always visiting and then leaving over and over. Then, I have to deal with her talking about him on and on and on until he comes back! It's absurd!" Rick ranted on for a good while. Jack expected his daily dose of drama, but he wasn't expecting it to come from Rick…who was possibly more dramatic than his sister.
"Oh…wow that's…rough. I'm sure it'll all work out…well it's late I gotta run!" Jack tried to escape as soon as possible.
"Yeah you're probably right…I can convince her not to go! You'll see!" Rick seemed not to hear the part about having to leave…
"Yep…Ok…see you later…" Jack inched towards the gate.
"Ok, bye!" Rick continued to mumble to himself as Jack left.
Jack was never so happy to return to his farm that night. He couldn't help but smile as he lay in bed fatigued from a busy day. It felt good to accomplish something, even if it was small. He pondered what tomorrow would bring and then decided to stop since it was always unexpected!