That night, a storm passed over the island. It shook the shutters on the farmhouse, waking up Randall, who could only peer out through the windows as rain fell down in sheets and lightning flashed across the sky. Eventually, the rain slackened to a heavy drizzle that obscured anything farther away than the barn. Randall slept fitfully after that, dreaming that the storm had ripped all the shingles from the top of the farmhouse.

Things weren’t that bad when he woke up and walked around to check for damage. Two shingles had cracked and allowed some water to leak into the attic space. He dried the puddle with an old towel and replaced the broken shingles before going out to survey the rest of the farm.

Dead branches from the trees to the west had been torn off and scattered by the wind, many ending up in the garden field. Some of the topsoil had washed away, leaving a sunken area filled with rocks. Worst of all, the careful rows that he’d been using to keep track of where he should plant were now gone. He had a lot of work to do before he could plant any seeds.

He started by collecting the dead branches and piling them up next to his compost heap. He chopped off the limbs and used the saw to cut the bigger ones into firewood. He was running out of his supply in the kitchen, so this would tide him over until he could fell a tree and make a stockpile.

Next, he transported the stones out of the field and piled them up beside the bridge. He’d been thinking about making a road between there and the barn so carts could come all the way onto the property, but that was another task that would have to wait. He needed to figure out how much usable land he had in the garden so he could buy seeds. If he didn’t get them planted today, he’d have to wait longer for the crops to mature for harvest.

The compost heap hadn’t reached the point of being good fertilizer, but it would be fine for filling in the washed out portion of the garden. He could cover it over with a bit of soil from the animal pasture then leave it for a season. Hopefully, it would be ready for planting by fall. Since he already had the wheelbarrow out, he loaded up the old hay and other cuttings and deposited them in the open scar left by the torrential rain.

All that was left was to mark the rows again. He used the old hoe to plow V-shaped grooves into the soil from next to the barn to the bottom of the field. It wasn’t as easy as before, because the ground was soaked after the rain the night before. It tended to fill in behind the hoe so he couldn’t simply carve a long rut in the ground. He had to lift the wet earth out and pile it up beside the channel he was making. He was working twice as hard to make the same amount of progress as when the ground had been dry in the spring.

After skipping over the washed-out area, he had a total of ten rows that would be suitable for planting. He returned all the tools he’d been using to the shed and headed into town.

Hank was standing out on the porch of the general store when he walked up.

“Good afternoon,” said Hank.

Randall wasn’t surprised to hear he’d worked all the way through the morning. He was already a little tired, but he figured he’d have enough energy to plant and water the seeds he was going to buy.

“Afternoon,” said Randall. “I need to buy some seeds for another round of planting since it’s now summer. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Absolutely!” Hank motioned him inside. “Summer is when you’ll grow several of the staples that get people through the year. Corn and wheat are used year round, so I’d recommend getting more of those than anything else. Tomatoes can well, and they’re used in lots of soups and sauces. The rest of the summer crops you would be fine with planting less.”

Randall looked over the display of seeds, but a thought struck him. “Are you going to run out of seeds if you can’t order more from the mainland?”

“That’s a very astute observation, but ordering in seeds has never been our sole source. We would sometimes get new strains of certain types of vegetables, but many of the seeds we sell actually came from our own garden. My wife wisely bought a seed extractor several years back. So when we have a particularly nice specimen, whether it’s grown by us or one of the local farmers, she preserves the seeds from it. That way, we always have the best lineages for next year.”

“Is there some way I could get a seed extractor?” asked Randall.

Hank shook his head. “Sadly, those do come from the mainland. As far as I know, we’re the only place on the island that has one. You’d be welcome to look it over if you want. It might take some tinkering, but you could probably make a new one with materials found here.”

“I’m going to have to use credit to buy all the seeds I need right now. I doubt I’ll have the excess cash to look into duplicating a machine like that for a while.”

“Remind me if you ever decide to give it a shot. I’ll let you look over our stock. Bring them up front when you’re ready.”

“Thanks, I will.”

Hank wandered to another part of the store, striking up a conversation with someone else who was shopping. Randall looked over the display of seeds. He grabbed two packets each of corn, tomatoes, and wheat. He assumed if people used a lot of those crops, then they should give a good price. With ten rows in total, he had four more to fill, so he grabbed one packet of blueberries, melons, onions, and radishes.

Hank eyed the stack of envelopes he carried up to the register. “Did you clear out all of that old field?”

“Yeah, I’ve got ten rows ready to go. Although, the storm last night messed with my plans a bit.” He recounted the damage he’d had to repair in the field while his order was being totaled up.

“Honestly, I’m a bit surprised the weather was so nice over the spring,” said Hank. “Normally we get some decent storms then, but this year had some of the fairest weather I can remember.”

Randall wasn’t surprised when he thought about it from the point of view of a game. Likely he’d had an easier start, with no setbacks because he was still in the new player stage. That would explain the premium strawberries the first time he’d harvested. It wouldn’t be a very fun game if all the crops died in the first season. The storm the night before meant he would have to assume bad things could happen to his farm from this point forward. He’d need to keep some resources in reserve in case of a disaster.

Hank interrupted his thoughts by saying, “For ten packets of seeds, that’ll be 400 bits in total.”

“Is it all right if I put that on credit?” asked Randall.

Hank pulled out a ledger book and flipped through it. “Looks like you paid back what you borrowed for the fishing rod, with a little extra that was put into your account at the town hall. So it should be fine to use credit for the seeds, although it’ll be a while for those to be ready for harvest. You’ll need to pay this off before more credit could be extended.”

“That’s fine. For now, I don’t plan on buying anything new.”

Hank pressed a button on the register, which spit out a paper receipt. He put the seeds in a small brown bag along with the receipt and handed it to Randall. “Here’s your purchase. Good luck with the planting, and come back to see us soon.”

“I will. Thanks, Hank.”

When he returned to the farm, his work went fairly quickly. With the rows already dug out, he could walk down each one, placing the different seeds he’d bought. The ground was still wet, which made it easier to cover over the seeds. He also didn’t have to water them, figuring they would soak up the rainwater that had saturated the ground. It still took a fair bit of energy since he was doing ten rows instead of the two or three he’d done at a time in spring.

He went into the house to eat something, only to realize he didn’t have anything to prepare. He checked the cellar and found lots of old, dusty canned goods lined up on the shelves. Some of the seals had broken, and the food in those jars had turned brown and dried up. He couldn’t even tell what some of them had been. There were still a large number that had survived intact, but they were the sorts of ingredients you used while cooking something else. Jams, jellies, pickled vegetables, and various tomato sauces were the most prevalent. The dry goods he found had been chewed through by some animal. A bag of flour had a hole in its side, and potatoes stored in a crate nearby all had bite marks. What was left had turned black with rot.

Eventually he found a shelf with fruits preserved in their own juices. He took out one that looked like peaches and went back upstairs. At some point, he would need to clean out the cellar and make an inventory of his usable supplies. He put it on the long list of things he needed to do now that the farm was operating again.

In the kitchen, he pried open the wax seal on the peaches and fished one out with a fork. While it was still sweet from the syrup it had been floating in for who knew how long, the flavor of the peach wasn’t very strong. He ate them anyway, until he finished the jar, then left the liquid in case he wanted something other than well water to drink later.

With his energy renewed somewhat, he decided to head to the harbor for a bit of fishing. He’d collected the worms he saw while planting earlier and had more than he’d be able to use, so he stuck their tin in his pocket. He walked towards town for the second time that day.

#

When he reached the town hall, Randall went inside to check on the balance of his account. He’d not received any notice after placing crops in the collection box, so he had no idea how many bits he’d collected.

Jessica sat at her desk in the mayor’s office, looking forlornly at the planter in front of the window. The daffodils he’d given her were wilting, their petals turning brown at the ends. The heads of the flowers drooped down and pointed at the floor.

Randall asked, “Jessica, are you all right?”

Jessica teared up as she said, “I watered them every day, I swear I did. You raised them for me, and they were so pretty. I made sure not to forget about them this time. And they were doing fine yesterday, but this morning, it’s like they suddenly gave up.”

“It’s summer,” said Randall. “I’m not surprised they’d deteriorate now that they’re out of season.”

“You mean it’s not my fault?”

Randall chuckled. “Not even the greenest of thumbs can keep flowers going forever.”

Jessica let out a sigh of relief. “I’m surprised I was able to keep them alive this long.”

“You did fine. Now that you’ve had a little practice, maybe you should try planting some of your own.”

She looked doubtful. “We’ll see. Anyway, you probably didn’t come here to check on my flowers. What can I help you with?”

“Hank said he transferred some bits into my account. I wanted to know how much I have in total.”

“One second.”

Jessica went to a shelf behind her and retrieved a binder that looked to be two feet tall. She flipped through it until she found his page. She wrote a number down on a piece of paper and handed it to him. Together with the small amount he had left over from winning the flower competition, he had 400 bits to his name.

“Can I take out all of this?” he asked.

“Sure.” She made an entry on the next blank line in the ledger and counted out his bits from a cash box stored in a locked drawer in her desk. “Will that be all?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Before he walked through the door, Jessica looked at the window again and her frown returned. Remembering the quest he’d been given, he considered the possibility she could be one of the potential love interests. She didn’t have a ring on her left hand, so he thought it a distinct possibility.

Once outside, he went back to the general store for the second time that day to see what kind of flower seeds they had that grew in summer. He found one called a bellflower that had petals that formed a long cylinder similar to daffodils in shape. He figured if Jessica had enjoyed the daffodils, she would also like these. He bought a packet of seeds and stored them in the pocket of his overalls.

When he walked out of the store, a wave of fatigue washed over him. Apparently, a few canned peaches weren’t as reinvigorating as the food he’d eaten before. His body ached from the labor of clearing and planting his field, and he felt like he needed some kind of boost if he was going to fish for a couple of hours before heading home.

He looked at the cafe across the street and weighed the change he’d received after buying the flower seeds. Surely he could get something with 60 bits, and he’d still have 300 left over in case of some emergency expense in the next week or so before his summer crops started ripening.

Desiree nearly ran him over when he opened the door to go inside the cafe. He stepped aside to let her through, but she made no move to exit.

“Randall, come in!” She was carrying her apron in her hand and quickly tied it around her waist. “What brings you here?”

“I was a bit tired, so I decided to stop in for a coffee.”

“I can get that for you.” She walked back behind the counter.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Vincent sat on a stool at the register. When she passed him, he said, “I thought you were leaving for the day.”

“I was going to check the weather outside. I saw it through the door.”

Vincent gave her a confused look. “Didn’t you say you were going to the beach?”

“In a bit,” she said quickly. “Randall, do you want a black coffee again?”

“Yeah.” He looked at the pastries in the display case and picked one of the cheapest offerings. “And can I get one of these scones?”

“You bet. Find a seat in the dining area, and I’ll bring them out to you.”

Vincent hit buttons on the register while he ordered. “That’ll be 60 bits.”

Randall handed over the money. While Desiree had her back turned to them, he leaned closer to Vincent and asked, “Is she acting a little weird?”

Vincent took his money with a shrug. “When she’s like this, I try to stay out of her way.”

Randall found a table near the window that was empty and sat down. A bit of commotion drew his attention back to the register, where Desiree was arguing with Vincent. He threw up his hands and walked into the kitchen. Desiree rounded the counter with his coffee and scone, smiling broadly.

“Sorry for the delay,” she said as she placed his food on the table. She stood next to him as if waiting for something.

Thinking perhaps she wanted to make sure his drink was satisfactory, he took a sip. “That’s really good coffee.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

Randall took a bite of his scone, wondering why she was still standing by his table. He glanced around the shop, noting that it was mostly empty. He figured they didn’t get many customers this time of day, in between the lunch and dinner crowds. Thinking perhaps she didn’t have anyone else to serve, he asked, “Would you like to sit down?”

“I’m glad you asked.” She pulled out the chair next to him. “I’ve been waiting tables since early this morning. It’s nice to be able to sit down for a bit.” She looked out the window before continuing. “Did you see how nice the weather is now that it’s summer?”

Randall thought of the storm that had gone through the night before and all the extra work he’d needed to do to fix the damage it caused. Rather than complain about his problems, he mumbled an affirmative.

“I heard they opened the beach for the season. I was planning to go there and relax for a bit once I got off work. You should come.” She watched him as he thought it over, her brown eyes wide in anticipation.

“I’d like to, but…” He snapped the suspenders on his coveralls. “This doesn’t seem like very good beach wear. Plus I was planning to go fishing at the harbor when I finished my coffee.”

“Oh…” Her shoulders slumped at his answer, and she peered sideways at the fishing pole he’d propped against the wall by the window. “I go to the beach most days after my shift if the weather is nice in the summer. It’s good to relax sometimes, sit out and soak up some rays. You should stop by when you get a chance.”

“Yeah, it’d be a shame to be this close to the ocean and not take advantage of the opportunity.”

“Exactly!” Desiree smiled and stood up. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

Randall took a bite of his scone and said, “I’m good for now.”

“I’m going to head out then. If you need anything, Vincent should be back in a minute.”

“Have a nice time at the beach.”

She winked at him and headed outside, stopping in front of the window to untie her apron. Her hips swayed as she walked across the patio to the road.

Randall held his coffee cup forgotten in front of him. After a moment he said, “I wonder how much a pair of swimming trunks costs.”

#

When he finished his coffee, Randall crossed the street with the intention of looking for a pair of swim trunks, but the general store was closed for the day. Resigned to having to come back some other time, he followed the road to the harbor.

Yuki sat at the end of the pier, her bare feet dangling down into the water. A pair of wooden sandals rested next to her. She looked up at his approach and smiled.

“Did you come to do some fishing for the evening?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Randall while he prepared his pole. “I had pretty good luck here last time.”

“You have the proper amount of superstition for a fisherman.”

Randall laughed. “I take it the ones in Japan believe in luck.”

Yuki nodded. “Of course. They read their horoscopes each day before going out. Many swear a rod or other piece of equipment brings them good luck. They won’t leave without it.”

“So do you have a lucky charm?”

Yuki tapped a piece of driftwood she’d wedged between two planks of the pier. It had a fork at the top that made a perfect cradle upon which her rod now rested. “I found this washed up on the beach near my hometown one weekend while fishing with my father. It was the most I ever caught in one day, so I keep it in the bottom of my tackle box.”

“Did it help today?”

She pulled an empty stringer out of her box and shook her head sadly. “It doesn’t work every time.”

“Maybe your luck will turn around now that I’m here.”

“It can’t get much worse.” She held her hand over her mouth, covering up a smile.

“How rude.” Randall picked up his things as if he would leave.

Yuki laughed and motioned for him to sit on the pier. “Please stay. Some company would be appreciated.”

Randall cast his line out to the ferry then laid it with the reel open on the wooden planks beside him. If a fish bit, it wouldn’t pull the rod over the side. He’d have to find a stick like hers to use to hold his rod later.

“You mentioned your father,” Randall said once he was settled. “What does he do?”

“He owns a construction company in a town northeast of Tokyo. We lived near the coast, and when he didn’t have work on the weekends, he would take me fishing.”

“Do you miss Japan?”

Yuki thought for a moment. “This was my first trip outside. I only expected to be gone for a short time, so yes, I miss it very much. The food is very different, and the rice can’t even be compared. But I have made some friends while here, which helps me not feel so homesick.”

“That’s nice.”

“Do you also miss home?” asked Yuki.

Randall sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“What do you mean?”

He almost started explaining the lightning storm that caused him to be trapped here, but stopped himself before he said anything. Kate hadn’t understood the game references he’d made when he washed up on the beach, and he didn’t expect that sort of discussion to go any better here.

“It’s hard to explain,” he said instead. “Where I come from is actually quite similar in many ways, although it’s high up in the mountains.”

“What’s it called?” asked Yuki.

“Colorado.”

She struggled to pronounce the word. She obviously had never heard of it before.

“It’s in the middle of America, if that’s easier.”

“I’ve heard of America. I’d like to visit there someday. How is it similar to Haven?”

Randall thought for a moment. “We have a lot of the same food, although it’s prepared differently. Much of what I would eat was cooked and packaged at a factory. I merely had to reheat it.”

Yuki shook her head. “Food is much better when it is prepared fresh.”

“I know, but my work kept me busy much of the time.”

“What would you prepare if you were back at home right now?”

He didn’t have to think long before replying, “Probably a grilled cheese.”

Yuki looked at him in surprise. “You put cheese on a grill? Like a barbecue?”

Randall laughed. “Not quite.” He explained the process of buttering two pieces of bread, placing them in the skillet, adding cheese, and frying the sandwich until both sides were a golden brown color. “It’s really good.”

Yuki’s face had shown more disgust the longer he described how to cook a grilled cheese. “This food sounds horrible.”

Randall shrugged. “To each their own I guess.”

His bobber dipped below the surface of the water, distracting him from the conversation they’d been having. He reeled in a nine-inch sardine and put it on his stringer. He replaced the worm on his hook and cast out again.

After the excitement of finally catching something, they both sat in silence for a while. Yuki reeled in her own line to make sure her bait hadn’t been taken without her noticing. Once they were both settled again, Randall brought up a topic he’d hoped she could help him with.

“Have you gone around the island looking for other fishing spots?” he asked.

“Yes, there are quite a few.” She pointed at a wide stream that fed into the harbor on its northern side. “There are smaller fish in the fresh water. If you follow it, you’ll find a lake. That’s where the fishing competition was held.”

The guide he’d read recommended fishing for trout in the evening. The sun was starting to go down, so he said, “Maybe we could try on the stream until it gets dark. We’re not having much luck here, and I’ve got plenty of worms to use for bait.”

Yuki reeled in her line. “I’m willing to give it a chance.”

They both gathered up their equipment and left the pier to walk up the stream. When they reached a bridge crossing over above them, they climbed the steep bank to set up there. Randall shared from the can of worms he’d brought with him, and they cast out into the water that flowed lazily beneath them. A little downstream, a fish jumped to catch some bugs that flew in a swarm above the water. He took that as a sign they would be hungry.

Over the course of the next hour, they both had several strikes. Randall caught two trout to go with the sardine he’d gotten before they decided to move. Yuki ended up with three trout of her own. As the sun sank below the horizon, they collected their belongings and headed back to town.

As they walked, Randall said, “Moving to a different location was a good choice.”

“Agreed.” Yuki glanced at his fishing rod before continuing. “There is a spot called Fisherman’s Point that I’ve heard has a channel where other varieties of ocean fish can be found. I don’t know if your rod could handle the larger ones, but if you’d like to try, I can show you where it is.”

“I’d like to check it out sometime, but maybe after I upgrade my equipment.”

They reached the pub to find Oscar lighting the pair of lamps that stood outside the front door.

He looked over the fish they were carrying on their stringers. “That’s a nice haul you caught today. Yuki already has an arrangement with my wife to share some of her catch while she’s staying here, but we could always use more. Would you be interested in selling yours, Randall?”

He could use a bit more cash, since whatever money he made selling his crops would go towards paying off the credit he’d used to buy seeds. “I’d consider a trade, depending on the price you offered.”

Oscar examined the fish he held. “The trout are a decent size, and with the ones Yuki caught, we could run a special on trout for dinner tomorrow. Would you take 50 bits for the pair?”

That would be 25 bits per fish, which was more than he’d gotten for a basket of strawberries, so he thought it a fair trade. “Sounds good to me. What about the sardine?”

“There’s not much I can do with only one, even if it is on the larger side. Check back with me if you have more to sell in the future.”

Randall removed the trout from his stringer and handed them over in exchange for a couple coins.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Oscar wished him a good night and took the fish inside.

“I had fun tonight,” said Yuki. “The time goes much faster when there is someone to talk with.”

“Me too, and I’ll let you know when I’m ready to check out Fisherman’s point.”

Yuki gave a slight bow and headed up the stairs to the apartments above.

#

Skills

Farming ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Fishing ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

#

* * *