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

Chapter 5

One night after my chat with Ash, I walked into town to have a talk with Eileen. I thought highly of the personable young carpenter, and I hoped that she'd be able to give me some good advice. Although she certainly loved Bluebell, she seemed a little less inclined to take sides than most of the villagers in either town. And right then, I really needed someone with a neutral point of view.

When I knocked on her door, she answered while still wiping soap suds from her hands on a damp towel. "Oh, hello, Alice! What a nice surprise. Please come on in, make yourself at home. I was just finishing washing up. Would you like a cup of tea?"

I accepted her offer, and she ushered me into her kitchen, waving me to a chair at her table while she went to start the kettle and finish washing her dishes. After the tea was done, she sat down across from me, saying with a sigh of satisfaction, "Ahh, nothing like a nice cup of tea after a good day's work! Now, what's up? You don't usually come by this late at night. Is anything wrong?"

I took a slow sip of tea, then set my cup down and looked up at her. "No... not exactly wrong... but I do need some advice. As you know, I've been here almost a whole season now. And in that time, I've really grown to love it here—my farm, the village, and everyone in it."

I paused to collect my thoughts, and she said, "But that's good, isn't it? I know we've all grown very fond of you, too."

I smiled, and replied, "I'm glad to hear that, and yes, that is good, but... well, it's like this. I don't know if you knew this or not, but I inherited two farms—one in each village. And my plan when I first arrived was to spend a season at one farm, then move to the other farm for a season. That way I could get a feel for them both before deciding which one to live on. If that tunnel still existed between the towns, I could use both farms, but as it is, it takes far too long to travel between them to maintain both. There's just not enough time in the day! Anyway, that was my plan, and I still think it's a good plan... at least, in theory. But, you see, I wasn't expecting to become so... so attached so quickly, I guess. I'm finding it hard to stick to my resolution."

Eileen took a sip of tea, looking thoughtful. "I see," she said, after a moment. "That does sound like an excellent plan. And as difficult as it may be for you, I think you should stick with it. It'll only get harder to say goodbye as time passes, you know. And if you don't, if you give up on it and just stay here, you'll always wonder if you made a mistake. Besides... who knows what may happen in the future. So I say go for it!"

I sighed, and said, "I know you're right... but it definitely won't be easy. I know there's some rivalry, maybe even hostility, between the two towns, and I'd hate if the villagers here hated me just because I moved to Konohana."

"Oh, well, I don't know about that. Most of the hostility is between the mayors, you know. The villagers don't really feel that way, not as strongly anyway. Mostly it just comes out during the cooking festivals. And you know, it seems almost like you were meant to move here, to be a part of both villages. I mean, you're a descendant of both Bluebellians and Konohanians, and you have such a way about you.... You could be the new ambassador for peace between the two villages!" she said with a laugh.

"A way about me? What do you mean?" I asked her, my brow furrowed.

"Oh, hadn't you noticed? I have—people just can't seem to resist you. You just have this... this charm, you know, that makes people like you and want to be with you and please you. I think even the mayors have started to come under your sway, so to speak, so I think you could help to bring them together better than anything. And since you really do come from both villages, spending time on both farms can only improve relations with both towns, you know."