Coffee and Spice | Harvey | Stardew Valley

-12-

The storm comes just after noon the following day. Sheets of rain drive out the tenacious heat of summer and saturate the parched earth, unrelenting in its inherent purpose. The dark covering of clouds transforms the farm into a landscape of indistinct shapes, and the thunder that originates from its depths shakes the framework of the house and rattles the dishes in my cupboards at close intervals. Grandpa would have called it a "doozy" of a storm.

My thoughts linger on him as I sit by the cracked-open window, peering out at the scenery that has switched in the blink of an eye. The rainwater has disturbed the topsoil, permeating the air with a rich, heady scent that transports me back to moments of my youth that had been lost to time. At first, they make me sad, reminding me of my grandfather's absence, but as I watch the progress of the rain on my front windows - the same windows that my grandfather and his father before him must have sat beside, just as I am now - I realize that they are treasured gifts. Each one a testament of love not many people can say they've experienced.

My reminiscent mood persists through the afternoon. I hadn't spent much time in my home that wasn't taken up by eating, sleeping, or showering. Now that I'm inactive and actually have a chance to really soak in my surroundings, I can appreciate the fine craftsmanship that went into it. There's a simplistic beauty in the basic structure of the house, but here and there are more intricate details, almost hidden until you take a closer look: the ornate pattern woven onto the hardwood baseboards, the carved walnut doorknobs, even some of the furniture had been built from scratch.

The farm cat is unnaturally quiet as well, planted on the window sill and tracking the racing of raindrops on the glass. I feed him bits of tuna from a can as the storm rages on outside, thankful that I had preemptively ordered a litter box a few weeks back.

When my phone rings a few hours later, we both whip our heads around to look at it, as though it's a telecommunication from an alien race. I had never gotten a phone call in all the time I've lived here. It rings several times before I pad across the floor in fuzzy socks to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Gus won't open tonight," Emily tells me without preamble. "He says he doesn't want anyone to get hurt trying to walk there."

"Oh, that sucks," I say with disappointment. Just like that, my hastily made plans with Harvey are swept away by the downpour.

"I know. Gus told me to tell you that if you need food or anything, he can bring some out to you."

I knew Gus had a reputation for kindness, but this type of offer was an unmistakable sign of his unbiased altruism. I was still practically a stranger to him, but he was willing to go to such great lengths just to make sure I'm taken care of. Once again, I reflect on how different people are here compared to the city. In my old apartment, I hadn't even known my next-door neighbor's name. "That's sweet of him to offer. We're okay though, I stocked up on food last week."

Emily pauses. "We?"

"Me and the cat," I clarify, and then the suggestive undertone of her question dawns on me. "Wait, who did you think I meant?"

"Oh, nothing, I was just confused," Her flippant response is a bit too overdone. "So what are you doing tonight then, since you can't drink and gossip at Gus's?"

"Hey, I have a life outside of drinking and gossiping," I say with mock insult at her teasing. "I've also been reading and putting together puzzles. It's very exciting."

She laughs. "You would fit right in with Alex's grandparents. You know them, right? George and Evelyn?"

"Yeah, I met them in Pierre's a few days after I moved here."