Sora & Fumiko

Chapter Eighteen

I was watching Sora with a bright smile as he offered me the chance to walk through his fields with him as he didn't have much work to do and we could just admire his crops as only the day before I didn't have the chance to spend time with him because he had to work.

He was swinging his arms around wildly as he pointed from plot to plot, while telling me what was grown there and explaining to me when it would be harvested. I was both fascinated with the fact that Sora knew so much about crops and that as he and I where walking he looked so much like a kid being taken to the park. Either way I was glad to be with him.

Sora was the best part of my day. To be honest, school wasn't my favorite place to be because along with dealing with teasing, I had to be dodging Jake and making up excuses to why I had to leave tennis practice early.

"Fumiko" He said pointing over to a bed of greens while smiling happily. "I planted these three months ago and they'll be harvested last."

"After that," I said crouching with my hands on my knees from the sun. It might not have been as hot as the day before but at the moment it felt as if the sun was drumming on my head. "After you've finished harvesting everything, what will you do?"

Sora scratched his head as if contemplating for a minute. "Well, first I'll have to inspect the crops and pick out the best ones for selling, then I'll have to deliver them down town and after that I suppose I will have to make preparations for the next planting season."

"But Sora," I said standing up again and looking around, "All of your crops look great! How can you say you're going to pick the best ones for selling when they're all fantastic!"

"Yeah, I suppose." He replied, sounding not totally convinced.

All his crops looked so great they could have been perfect! That's when I recalled what Mrs. Saito said and realised why he might have felt that way.

I suppose all those years of his father telling him he couldn't do anything must have made him unable to see the true beauty of his hard work without first finding faults.

"Sora" I said softly to him unsure of what else I should say.

"Fumiko, let's get out of the sun. we can get a little shade from the trees over there." He said with a hand over his forehead.

As he held my hand and pulled me towards a cluster of trees I couldn't help but smile at Sora. "I thought that the 'sky' loved the sun?" I chuckled lightly.

"I suppose, but I love another." I thought I heard him whisper back.

While Sora and I leaned against the tree I couldn't help but rest my head on his shoulder. The gentleness of the breeze against my skin made me generally come to admire the beauty of the greenery around me. Before me was a field with patches of crops scattered everywhere. It was kind of amazing to imagine that Sora did all of that. Just at the edge of the fields, trees covered the remaining landscape that was mostly hills and slopes but overall it was very beautiful.

"Fumiko, there's something I want to show you."

"What is it?" I asked a little surprised but before I knew it, Sora was pulling my hand.

As he pulled me along, I became captivated by the huge trees that were scattered along the landscape. They had outstretching arms of green that added to the floor of leaves that we walked along. After a few minutes Sora and I came to a stop in front of a tall tree. I was curious as to why but he said nothing and only placed a hand on it before smiling.

"My father and I planted this tree years ago when I was still very young." Hearing Sora speak about his father surprised me, so I remained silent and decided to just listen. "I know you might be wondering why we would plant a tree in a place that's already filled with them."