Friendship

Angela makes some new friends in Forget-Me-Not Valley

    Forget-Me-Not Valley wasn't a large town, but it was actually quite peaceful, and very beautiful.  My new farm was located next to the river that divided the town.  I loved to listen to the water rushing over the rocks.  The sound was quite relaxing.  South of my farm was a small body of water called Turtle Pond, which was surrounded by a small grove of trees.  Farther south was a beautiful beach.  I loved to walk down to the pristine sand and listen to the waves and the cries of the seagulls.  East of my farm was a tree-lined path that followed the river northward to a spectacular waterfall.  There was a secluded area near the waterfall called Goddess Spring.  The shady grove kept the area in an almost perpetual twilight, and the spray from the waterfall kept the air cool and moist.  Wildflowers flourished around Goddess Spring and it quickly became my favorite hideaway when things became overwhelming on the farm.  I was adjusting to farm life, but slowly. Takakura was doing his best to turn a city girl into a country girl, but it wasn't easy.  I found myself relying heavily on his wisdom and the help of my neighbors. 

    The only farm besides mine was across the river.  Vesta and her brother, Marlin, had already helped me numerous times, for which I was thankful.  Vesta was a tall, stocky woman who looked strong enough to carry a calf under each arm.  Vesta was outspoken and a bit blunt, but she was always friendly.  Her brother, Marlin, was the complete opposite.  He was smaller than his brawny sister, and was shy and reserved.  Marlin apparently sufferered from health problems, which is why he moved to Forget-Me-Not Valley. The clean country air must have worked it's charm because he was now fit and healthy.  Marlin had wavy black hair and bright blue eyes and I thought he would be quite handsome if he actually smiled.  The last member of their farm crew was Celia.  She had long, brown hair and big brown eyes.  She was sweet and kind-hearted and we had already become good friends.  I lost track of how many ignorant questions I had already asked them about farming. I was really surprised they weren't tired of me.   At least I was learning and I constantly thanked them for their patience with me.  Farm work wasn't easy, that's for sure.  I dragged myself to bed every night, absolutely exhausted.  I had been fairly athletic in school.  I played volleyball and was on the track team for a while, but this farm work was kicking my butt!  I was using muscles I didnt know I had.

   

    The summer sun was beating down and the heat, combined with the humidity, was overwhelming.  I paused in my work to wipe sweat off my forehead.  I actually enjoyed the simple routines on the farm and the back-breaking work.  It was sort of therapeutic.  Besides, by the end of the day, I was too tired to worry about any problems in my life.  I finished hoeing the weeds away from my tomato plants and walked toward my tiny house.  The interior of the house was relatively cool compared to the baking heat outside.  I had left the windows open and a slight breeze cooled my sweat-soaked skin.  I trudged over to a small mirror on the wall and stared at my reflection.  I looked older than eighteen.  I don't know if it was from stress, or from all the hard farm work, or from being out in the sun all day, but I definitely looked older.  I pulled a twig out of my hair with a wry smile on my face.  I definitely get into my work!  I had let my hair grow during my last year of high school.  I used to wear it fairly short but I wanted a change.  Now I wore my long, brown hair tied up in a high ponytail.  It kept my hair out of my face, it kept my neck cool, and I thought it looked cute.  I don't know why I was worried about looking 'cute'.  I had only been on the farm for about a week, but I guess I was already a bit lonely.  Several times, I caught myself looking at the local singles, wondering if I should try to find someone new to love.  However, my previous heartbreak was still fresh in my memory.  No! Stay away from them.  You don't want to get hurt again, do you?

   I washed the majority of the dirt and sweat off my hands, arms and face, and then decided to pack a picnic lunch.  It was hot, I was tired, and I was going to relax for a little bit.  I started to head up to Goddess Spring when I noticed someone on the path, staring at my farm.  I realized it was Rock, the son of Tim and Ruby, who owned the Inn.  Rock had blond hair and caramel colored eyes, and he thought he was the best looking guy in town.   He always struck me as self-centered and lazy.  He never helped his parents run the Inn and spent most of his time just wandering around town.  I always wondered about Rock.  Tim and Ruby both had black hair and dark brown eyes.   Takakura assured me that Rock wasn't adopted and I found out that he didn't bleach his hair.   I secretly wondered if Rock was the mailman's kid or something.  "Hey Rock, what are you staring at?" I asked as I approached him.  "You sure work hard on your farm.  Why would you waste your time digging in the dirt and milking filthy cows?" he asked with a dramatic shudder.  I was so shocked that I couldn't answer.  Before I could think of a snappy comeback to this jerk's question, he added "I'd rather spend my time having fun.  I like to party and have a good time.  Well,. I'll see you around." and he walked off toward Goddess Spring.  I just stood there for a moment in complete shock.  "What a rude little jerk." I muttered to myself.

    I decided to walk down to Turtle Pond, since Rock had headed to my original destination.  I did not want to run into that idiot again.  I found a comfortable spot and ate my lunch under the cool shade of the trees.  A large turtle watched me carefully from the water's edge while I ate.  At least I now knew how the pond got it's name.  It was a beautiful day, even with the heat, and my previous bad mood quickly evaporated.  As I happily munched on my sandwich, Cody walked into view.  Cody was an artist who mostly did metal sculpture.  Forget-Me-Not Valley seemed to attract unusual people, so I figured I would fit in well.  Cody was a huge, muscular man with deep brown skin, and he had scared me the first time I met him.  He usually frowned, which didn't help, but the blond "Road Warrior" mohawk and white face paint really made him look intimidating.  Deep down, Cody was just a quiet, sensitive guy, but it was hard to get past that first impression.  "Good afternoon, Cody." I called out.  He looked up, startled, then smiled at me.  "Oh hi, Angela.  I didn't see you there.  I was thinking of ideas for my next project." he said.  Cody often wandered around town, day or night, just thinking.  That was part of the reason he seemed so unsociable and intimidating, but I already knew him well enough to understand him.  He was an artist and he moved to the beat of a different drummer...Speaking of which, Gustafa, the town's resident musician was headed my way.  Gustafa wore tan, bell-bottom pants with flowers embroidered around the cuffs, a striped shirt with a fringed vest over it, and an unusual green hat with a wide brim that looked like a witch's hat.  He always kept a flower tucked into the hatband.  I figured he picked a fresh one every day when he took his morning walk.  Gustafa wasn't a conventionally handsome man.  He had a somewhat beaky nose, wore his brown hair fairly long, and had a beard that was slightly thicker around the chin.  I still had no idea what color his eyes were because he always wore those sunglasses with the small, round lenses.  My dad would have called Gustafa a "hippie" or "beatnik", which sounded hilarious to me.  The thought made me smile as Gustafa said "Peace, sister." as his usual greeting to me.  Cody just grunted to him in acknowledgment, then wandered closer to Turtle Pond, lost in thought.  "Is it alright if I practice my guitar over here?" Gustafa asked, "I don't want to bother you, but I'd like you to hear my latest song."  I scooted over and patted the ground next to me and said "Sit over here, there is more shade."   Gustafa smiled as he sat down, then said "Thanks. That sun is pretty hot today."  I leaned back against a tree trunk while Gustafa played his guitar and sang.  It was an unusual song about a dwarf and a magic apple.  Even Cody wandered closer to hear it.  I noticed someone else had come to listen.  Nami had wandered over.  She was about as quiet and reserved as Cody, but she was also a bit rude.  She was standing well back from our little group, probably trying not to be noticed.  I smiled to myself. It's hard not to notice someone with hair so red that it looks almost scarlet. Nami wore her hair short, and it always looked a bit messy, like she just woke up and ran her fingers through it.  Nami had large, sky-blue eyes and creamy white skin.  Mother always said girls should stay out of the sun so their skin would stay pale and, therefore, look younger.  My skin was already deeply tanned from working out in the sun and I probably looked like an old crone.  Oh well, I have a farm to run so it doesn't matter what my skin looks like. Gustafa stopped playing his guitar and asked what I thought of his song.  "You only played a tiny bit of the song, but I really like it so far." I replied.  Gustafa promised to sing more of the song after he worked on it a bit more.  He invited me to come by his house any time, and he would play for me.  Gustafa got up and dusted himself off, said goodbye to everyone, then headed for home.  I looked up and noticed that Nami had disappeared while we were talking.  I was hoping to get to know her a bit better, but she was hard to catch and usually gave me the brush-off.  I cringed as I remembered the first time I talked to her and tried to give her a present.  Giving presents was a local custom.  Nami had said "I never forget the people who are kind to me.", which I thought was really nice since I was trying to become her friend, but then she added, "Take you for example...What was your name again?" I was so embarrassed and angry, I could hardly speak.  She had a lot of nerve!  I was doing my best to be kind to her, but she wasn't making it easy.  Nami wasn't from Forget-Me-Not Valley.  She was just traveling and was staying at the Inn.  I have always been a bit stubborn, and I was now determined to make friends with Nami.  There had to be someone in town who knew something about her. 

Author's Note

Town description and character description for those of you who aren't fans of the games. FYI- Nami's comment about never forgetting someone who is kind to her is taken directly from the game. The first time she said that to me in the game, I felt so burned! She can be incredibly mean when she wants to!

Reviews

[Vanessa Rico]

I really enjoy your work! When I read your descriptions, I feel like I am actually there... Even though, I have never seen or played Harvest Moon, I can easily jump in to your stories! 100!!

[Emunah June.]

You're right. Nami's a jerk. D:< I hated her when I played the game too.

But this is a great chapter! I like it! I'm going to read more!~~