Old Roots
Al clutched her grandfather’s letter as she looked out the bus window. There in that envelope lied the key to a new, better life, or at least she hoped. It contained the deed to Moonlight Farm, her new home. This was the biggest risk she had ever taken. Sure, she had a green thumb, but taking on an entire farm by herself was another matter entirely. Grandpa Harold had done it, so she could too... right?
As Zuzu City gave way to trees and hills, she already began to feel a weight being lifted off her. The city was loud, crowded, and cold. What she needed was to get away from all that, to a place that was more real. Stardew Valley seemed just the place for that. She looked back at the city, falling ever farther behind, and remembered her mother’s face as she boarded the bus. The middle-aged woman had been holding back tears as she hugged her daughter goodbye. This would be the farthest Al had ever moved from her. She shook her head to clear the thought. Now was not the time to be holding onto the past. She put in her earbuds and opened her book, settling in for the long ride to Pelican Town. To home.
-
Al stepped off the bus and closed her eyes as a crisp spring breeze waved over her. She was immediately struck by how much cleaner the air was here than in the city. It took her a moment before she realized a woman stood before her, with a friendly smile and a yellow vest.
“Hello! You must be Al. I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you to your new home. He’s there right now tidying up for your arrival,” she said, extending a hand, once Al noticed her.
“Yep, that’s me,” Al replied, smiling nervously and shaking her hand. She knew that the town was filled with kind people, but she still found meeting new people difficult.
“Don’t worry, we’re all good people here. Once you get settled in and meet everyone, you’ll be part of the town in no time. Come on, your farm is this way.”
Al followed her down a dirt pathway lined with old wooden fencing. It took a few minutes before she began to feel any familiarity with the place. The last time she saw the farm she was ten years old, and now she was twenty-one. She basked in the nostalgia, but a new feeling erupted when they arrived at the farm. It was completely overgrown! Weeds grew everywhere, and fallen branches littered the landscape. Robin must have noticed her reaction, because she began reassuring Al about the soil’s quality.
“Ah, the new farmer!”
Oh no, another new person.
An old man with a well-groomed grey mustache had exited the little cottage twenty feet away. But wait, this wasn’t a new person. Fuzzy memories were beginning to come back of her grandpa chatting with another man his age, but is it really the same guy? Still the mayor over a decade later?
“Lewis! Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you also the mayor when I was a kid?”
He chuckled. “You are correct, young lady. I've been Mayor of Pelican Town for over twenty years! No one ever runs against me when it's time for an election. I like to think that it means I'm doing my job well.”
“I would say so!” Al replied with a chuckle of her own.
“I’m glad someone is finally moving back into Harold’s old cottage. It’s a good house... very ‘rustic.’”
Robin laughed a little too loud. “Rustic? That’s one way to put it. ‘Crusty’ might be a little more apt, though.”
Never had Al seen an old man look more like a surprised Pikamon than at that moment as he yelled, “Rude!” But it was Robin’s turn to mimic the expression when he continued with, “Don’t listen to her, Al. She’s just trying to make you unsatisfied so that you’ll buy one of her house upgrades.”
Smart business tactic, thought Al as she laughed at their exchange. Looking at the porch, though, she silently agreed that ‘crusty’ really was more apt for the cottage. The years had not been kind to the old thing; she just hoped that the plumbing still worked.
Her worrying was interrupted as Mayor Lewis said, “Anyway, you must be tired from your long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. You know, everyone’s been asking about you. It’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite a big deal!”
“And if you ever need anything—food, company, repairs—just stop by my place. There’s a shortcut from the northside of your farm, if you can find it. I live in the only house up in the mountains, though, so once you’re there you can’t miss it!” Robin tacked on.
With some ‘good luck’s and some ‘nice meeting you’s, Al was alone. Just her, a cottage, and a whole lot of weeds. She decided to start with the cottage.
As she entered the cottage, the floorboards lightly creaked underfoot, but they seemed sturdy enough. Looking around, three things stuck out to her. First, the single room (plus bath) came with just the bare essentials. The bed, wardrobe, TV, table, and chair were dated, but at least she had any furniture at all. Second, a mini-fridge and a camping stove sat next to the table, shiny bows atop them; someone didn’t want her to starve, she supposed. Lastly, some old farming tools leaned against the wall in one of the corners. They would need to be upgraded eventually, but they would work. She put her two bags on the bed, and her bass guitar at the foot of it. She remembered the cottage being small, so she only brought what she needed to get by, and a few personal items to help her feel at home. She unpacked her items within minutes, then sat down at the table.
Crack!
“OW, FUCK.” The chair broke underneath her. Maybe she would be needing to find that mountain path.