Roses and Sonatas [Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns]

Chapter 2

A knock on the door roused me from my sleep early the next morning, but before I could get up to answer it, the door opened and a smiling, motherly woman stepped in, a large basket on her arm. "Were you still sleeping? I'm so sorry to wake you. We farmers have to rise early, you know! You're Alice, right? I'm Jessica. Rutger mentioned that you'd injured yourself, so I thought I'd bring you some breakfast."

"Oh, how thoughtful," I responded, attempting to stifle a huge yawn. "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little tired from yesterday's excitement."

"Of course you are," she said sympathetically. "Let's have a look at you and see if you need a doctor." She overrode my protests and peered into my eyes, gently prodded the lump on my head, checked my arms and legs, and asked me to get up and take a few steps. When I was done, she again looked at my eyes, and apparently satisfied with what she saw, nodded her approval. "Well, it looks to me as though you've nothing worse than bumps and bruises. You'll soon be mended. By the way, you have lovely eyes!"

She set about making tea and laying out a simple breakfast from the supplies she'd brought. As she worked, she told me about her family: Ash, her son, who was in his early twenties like me, and Cheryl, her daughter, twelve years younger than her brother. Her husband, she said, had passed away shortly before Cheryl was born. "Ash, being the good son that he is, has tried to fill in for his daddy so that she wouldn't feel the lack. But I'm afraid he's rather inclined to spoil her!" she laughed as she set out toast with fresh butter and homemade jam, crispy bacon, fried eggs, and fresh fruit, as well as tea and milk.

I suddenly felt ravenous, and realizing that I hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, I eagerly sat down as I thanked her. "Well, that's what neighbors are for! You go right ahead and tuck in. I need to get back to my farm, so just be a dear and bring the basket and things on over when you've finished. Then you can meet my kids! I'm just up the road from you, right before the town plaza. You'll probably see my son in the pasture out behind the house. You'll know him by his red checkered cap. Oh, and Rutger said to tell you that you can pick up your cart and pony at Grady's later today. He's right across the road from me," she said as she bustled out the door.

After I finished, I washed up the dishes, put the extra food away, and packed the dishes back into the basket. I took a quick shower in the tiny bathroom, put on some clean clothes, and headed out to explore the village.

As I walked out the door, basket on my arm, I looked around my new farm. I hadn't gotten a good look at it the night before. Now I saw that while the barn and coop appeared to be in decent repair despite their age, the pasture had been so neglected that a number of saplings had sprung up in it, particularly at the end farthest from the barn. I'd need to clear those out eventually, I thought to myself as I strolled along the long drive towards the town.

Right across the road from my driveway was a large, but apparently abandoned, church with beautiful stained glass windows. Turning up the road towards town, I saw up ahead a cozy farmhouse with a large pasture stretching out behind it. Across the street from it was a cute, tiny house at one end of a large fenced field. I decided the first must be Jessica's house, so the second had to be Grady's. Looking at the second field, I spotted Lady grazing in a far corner, close to the barn. Leaning against the fence nearby was a young woman with a mane of thick auburn curls framing a cheery face.

I strolled over to the fence and called out to her, "Hello! How's Lady this morning"

Hearing her name, my pony pricked up her ears and trotted over to me. The girl grinned and followed along. "Well, howdy there! Are you Alice? Rutger was telling everybody all about y'all moving to our town," she drawled. "So her name's Lady, huh? Well, she's just fine this morning. One of her shoes had come clean off, so my daddy put a new shoe on her and checked out all the others. She's just as good as new now!"