I emerged from my house to see the hard work paying off. My field of potatoes have finally been matured, ripe for picking and to be sold for a decent profit. I quickly made haste in uprooting the vegetables from within the ground and if you wouldn't believe it, there has been much more potatoes with each root.
Smiling like an idiot, I managed to hoard up a sizeable haul of these mounds of hard earned graft and reward before piling them into the wheelbarrow to be carted off to Pierre. Perhaps earn myself a decent upgrade to my feeble Axe.
She was very sturdy but that dull blade of hers does seem to make it a little more of a chore, when it comes to making space when clearing woodland. I also happened to use some of the wood to make myself a chest; A casket for which to store produce destined for my new forest friends and sent the rest to the avid shopkeeper.
Chirpy as I could ever be, I hummed into the store and set the barrow down before Pierre.
"Mornin' Robbie. Wow, you seem to be in a good mood. Did you get a good harvest?" He asked as I presented my efforts in front. He gazed at the produce with astoundment, looking over his glasses as he took one potato in his hand.
"Now this is one big hearty tuber hoho! You really outdid yourself this time. I honestly think that you could be what this town needs; A farmer who can really give this town a good supply of homegrown food.
I'll pay you a nice sum for that. Use that to splash on a new tool or some more examples of potatoes. Maybe, even save up. It's your money after all." Pierre spoke as I was given a good sack of Gold.
I might as well get started on making a good mixture of crops. A great deal section of land dedicated to growing the season's range of crops: Parsnips, Potatoes, Green Beans and Cauliflower. I could really add some diversity to the output. I helped myself to 28 bags of seeds each, and paid for them, before heading down to the farm to get started. Once they were all planted, watered and fertilised. I used my Axe to cut down some more wild trees to get to their sap and wood before visiting Clint's to have her reformed.
"Ah, upgrading your ol' Axe? Well, that'll make cutting them trees a lot easier with a sharper and hardier blade. It's the same price as per usual." He went as I handed him my change and the smelted Copper Bars. "Same as usual, Robbie. Come back in a couple days and she'll be ready for a good swingin' haha!" The blacksmith cackled as I wandered back into Town and rested my weary legs to watch the life go by.
Penny was out taking the town's only two children on a field trip, while Harvey loitered in the park and Lewis standing quite alone up by the Doctor's, mind probably wandering off.
I stared up into the sky and began to dream, the slow-moving clouds shifting against the sapphire blue hue quietly. I hoped to one day get up there and embrace the freedom of flying once more. Then I was snapped out of my trance by the arrival of Maru. She seems to have a thing for this bench.
"Afternoon, Robbie. How has your week been so far? I hope you've been looking after your Grandad's farm well." She asked.
"Not bad at all. Managed to sell of a good deal of potatoes. You'll have a good selection of vegetables for Robin to have in her broth." I answered with a smile.
"Well, that's a good sign. Dad has always said that the soil was decent enough for farming. Your idea of crop rotation also helps retain the fertility of the soul and keep it all balanced. In simple terms, you're doing a great job in there. Keep it up.
I hope to see your plans come to fruition, so I heard. Maybe I'll get to see that big plane in the sky, with you riding in it." She went on as we looked to the sky.
"It's a real bummer about your home though. I'd never think of those Joja thugs coming over to ruin everything we hold dear… it sucks…" She sighed and lays her head against her hands. "I don't think Joja has been entirely helpful to the community; Apart from providing a convenient store that sells junk all the time. I hope to see them driven out of town for once… instead of the other way round." She commented.
"Yeah… I think so too Maru. By the way, have you ever seen Sebastian much? He wasn't much of a social person, last time I met him." I asked.
"…Him? Oh… well, Seb hasn't been at all speaking terms with Dad. He says that Seb wastes his time downstairs all the time and missing out on family. While he thinks that everyone around him doesn't take his job seriously enough.
I know you love our family but honestly, what you do with Seb is up to you. Maybe you can get around his conscious and get him out of his room more. For now, we can just talk like old friends." She answered and I gingerly laid a hand on her lap.
"You have no idea just how much of a lifeline, you guys were when I was still grieving…" I said.
She gasped at the remark and puts a hand a shoulder on her chest.
"I appreciate that a lot. We all get through this together… cos it hit us all. Like a meteorite striking the side of a moon. I get that a lot from my space documentaries.
Maybe come up and look at the night skies with me. I could so do some stuff with you, like we used back then." She hummed with a smile and then checks her watch. "Well, I better be off to the clinic since my shift's about to start. It's been nice catching up with you Robbie and keep up the good work. Make the McSopwiths proud. Bye!" She went and left me with my thoughts.
With everything sorted, I went about the mines further more. Transgressing even further than I've been before but then the floors started to change. No longer were the floors composed mostly of dirt ridden shafts but more of a mossy, leafy sort when I come across this room with a gold and red chest in the middle. I approached the box and kicked it open where inside was a fancy looking sword; A real step up from the old blade that Marlon gave me… which is probably going to be needed if I am ever going to survive the deeper floors.
As I started feeling tired, I clambered back out of the mines and it was when I realised that it had already began raining but through the cascading droplets, there was that same melodic flute but this time it felt more like a song...
I came down the path to see Abigail standing beneath a tree, a lantern glistens next to her, highlighting the fireflies that flickered around the light. As I approached, she gasped and blinked at my sudden appearance.
"Robbie! Why are you out here, in the rain?" She asked.
I quietly grunted and gripped my scarf. This felt like a somewhat tender moment as I stared at her eyes nervously but I finally responded.
"I was going to say the same thing."
She sighed as she smiled at my response. "Yea… I guess you are one who appreciates this sombre ambience." and we looked over to the lake. I gripped one hand as she goes on with her purpose being here.
"It's just I appreciate some time being alone up here… but I really don't mind your company." She said and we looked at each other.
"Neither do I, sometimes I need someone to be there for me during my sensitive moments." I went as I felt my hand being taken. "You do… now come stand under the tree, you'll get drenched." She chuckled and I joined her under the branches, sheltered from the downpour.
"It's impossible to describe the feeling though, the rainfall crashing down onto the lake and the ground, creating a sort of whispery ballad. It's quite soothing too to say at least." She spoke gingerly as I thought to myself.
After hearing her play her flute, I packed a couple instruments in my case. Mementos of my gran-papa who was an avid banjo player back in the day and so I took out my Banjo, which gave Abigail quite a bit of a surprise.
"A Banjo? Wow, Robbie, you're full of surprises. I'm really impressed." She smiled sweetly.
"My gran-papa used to play on the porch back home… and he gave me this on my 14th Birthday. It was something dear to me and now it reminds me of my heritage." I explained.
"That you should. Reliving forgone memories through music is really captivating." She spoke as she swayed with her arms behind her back.
"I guess you're right. Here, wanna do a duet?" I asked her. She gave me a silent smile before answering.
"Sure! Just follow my lead."
And then, during the monsoon season, we played through the rest of the evening, a sombre duo of notes echoing through the natural vocals of the rain. It was truly romantic and magical at the same time, and spending some quality time with her made me feel much less nervous than before. At the end of her song, we looked at each other.
"Well, I better get going home before Mum finds out where I've been. I've really loved this moment between us, it really made it quite special this time around.
Maybe we'll meet again sometime soon.
See you later, Robbie." She went and we went our separate ways. Feeling a warm sensation in my heart helped ease my sleeping patterns for the rest of this week. What a great conclusion to my day.
I didn't have much to say about tomorrow as it was the usual routine of the day; Get up, water plants, go to town, talk to Abigail, explore mines (I went a lil deeper today) and went back to bed.