The seed, the soil and the flower

Chapter 1:

Purple Lilac

A/N: Hey there! 3rd chapie here…I just learned more about Basil and Anna recently, having brought them eggs and white herbs everyday!

So probably, the reason for me even thinking of the plot is because of Anna's constant manner of putting her husband up in almost every conversation that we have. It kind of makes you think about how much she's so obsessed with him; and knowing that, Basil has never, even once, mentioned her in any of his conversations with me. (Other than the time I gave him thanksgiving chocolate. He mentions how Anna gave him some early in the morning. Ahem…) He mentions Mary in some, but he never stops talking about his job. It kind of gives you the impression that their marriage is kind of "one sided" don't you think? So I want to play with that fact, and try to think of a way wherein there are two possibilities. Either he picks Jill or Anna. Yey:D

"This is… Quite a mess you've got here, Jill"

The handsome botanist commented, as he looked around her pathetic-excuse-for-a-field.

"Ehe… Well, I've only been here today. And besides, Mayor Thomas told me not to lay a finger on the soil until I'm sure of what I'm doing. So now that I've got you to help me… Looks like I can finally transform this area into a real farm! What do you think?"

"Well, I can't say that after today it'll look like a farm. But who knows, maybe after all the weeds are pulled out, all the twigs and stumps are chopped up and all the boulders and stones smashed, this field will actually prove to be useful"

"Hmm… That doesn't sound like something a botanist would be able to be of use of… I can do the work for today, maybe you can stop by tomorrow to help me with the planting when the field's all finished"

"Nonsense! Surely you will allow me to partake of your field work. Whether it be cleaning out a field like this, or watering a mere plant, as long as it's associated with Mother Nature, then it's always a botanist's line of work!"

"You sure sound dedicated, Basil… But, I'm sure you have other stuff to do…"

"Please Jill. Think of it as a benefit to me as well. I've been meaning to work out in the open for a long time, but haven't actually done it yet! Please, for both of our sakes… Let me help you with the field"

"Well, if you really want to that badly… Thank you, Basil! It's really a breath of fresh air to meet somebody as nice as you in this town. Now I'm finally able to look forward to living here"

"Well, whom have you met that gave you a bad impression?"

"Well, for one… There's that chicken-obsessed, Rick guy. And then there's that overly-perky flirt, Popuri. There's that Doctor who has no soul… His assistant, Ms. You-don't-look-healthy-so-there, Elli… Not to mention that emotional and quiet Gray… And talk about that suicidal, troubled soul, Cliff! Yep, I think the only decent person around here is you so far"

Basil chuckled at her sarcastic descriptions of the town's youth. But then he realized that she hasn't met Mary, Karen and Kai yet.

"Maybe there's still some hope for her to make friends with Mary. Oh yes, Mary! She's in need of friends too… It's perfect!"

"Well you know, Jill…"

Basil said as they both equipped the necessary tools for the field work.

"You could befriend my daugh-"

"You know, I'm so glad I met you Basil. I think you're the only young person left in this whole entire town that can actually listen to a playful insult or two"

"Wait a minute… Did she just refer to me as a young person? Doesn't it seem obvious that I'm a middle-aged man that has a wife and a daughter her age?"

"Well, I was never known to take jokes that seriously…"

"Haha, good. Now, if only I can convert my hilarious ideas into energy, and then I'll be able to clean up this field in a matter of minutes!"

The botanist chuckled at her comment, before he started to chop down some branches near the watering hole.

"Well, as I was saying… You should really meet my da-"

"Ouch!"

The blonde farmer quickly lifted her foot from the ground and started jumping up and down. Turns out, she has absolutely NO idea on how to maneuver a hammer.

"Jill! Are you ok!"

Basil quickly dashed towards her hastily, his heart pounding with anticipation of what might have hurt Jill.

"What happened? Are you ok? Where does it hurt?"

Basil lifted her up and sat down on a boulder to check if she was injured. Too bad for Jill, because she couldn't hide the redness of her face as his' went closer to hers'. (Face) He placed her on his lap and quickly got her foot to check for the injury.

"I'm really alright, Basil… It's just that I dropped the hammer on my foot after I realized that it was rusty and dirty…"

Jill rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. She slowly got off his lap and dusted herself off.

"Well, as long as you think you're ok, then there's no reason to worry. I should really stop going berserk like that whenever someone's been injured"

"No, it's cool. If you hike as often as you do, you must be used to spontaneous calls of help that could mean the life or death of a person"

"Oh, well… That doesn't happen too often"

"It doesn't? So when has it happened that got you this jumpy?"

So Basil told her about the time he went on a hike. He was following a trail in the mountains when suddenly, he heard a young girl shouting within the woods. He couldn't have just left her there, so he followed the sound of the distressed little girl's frantic cries of help. He found her holding on for dear life at the edge of a cliff, so Basil immediately sprinted his way towards her, his heart pounding with terror that the girl's fragile little hand would give way and let go. Thankfully though, Basil's quick thinking saved the girl, and was saved from certain death.

"That's pretty heroic of you, Basil."

"The feeling was spectacular, knowing you've saved someone from certain death…"

Both of them continued, the field getting cleaner by the second.

"Well, did you figure out though why the girl was even hanging from a cliff in the first place?"

"Funny how that turned out… She was actually just infatuated with a flower she saw, unfortunately she didn't have a thing for balance, and so she slipped and fell… Luckily though she had a chance to hold on to the edge"

"I guess some flowers are pretty deadly, huh?"

"Deadly? Well, beautiful actually; Too beautiful to the point that it becomes deadly"

Little did Jill know that Basil was actually trying to point what he just said at her; considering that he is a married man AND father. But even if he was, some types of girls just gleamed with spark, a spark of which no man can resist.

After a few more minutes of light conversations, they got to know each other pretty well. She learned that Basil graduated from a very well-known college with honors, and he learned that Jill was working as a farmer to earn money for a really expensive college fund. But even if they spent around an hour talking, Basil still hasn't told her about his family. He was far too infatuated with his conversations and meeting a new friend that he totally forgot to mention about anything related to his family. All both of them could talk about is their interest in plant life and the like.

"I think it's REALLY amazing that you've graduated from Crescendo College, my dream school. Oh yeah and, what are the chances that you're already a graduate? I swear I've assumed you were my age"

"Well, I think it's amazing that you're trying to earn all the money by yourself. How come your parents aren't helping you out?"

"Oh… Parents? Well… The problem is I… I don't have parents anymore"

"W-what?"

"Well, my parents died around 2 years ago. I was practicing for my graduation in High school, when all of a sudden they died in a car accident. I was the only one in my entire batch who didn't have parents to watch me get my diploma. I was all… alone"

"…I don't know what to say… I'm extremely sorry about the loss"

"It's fine. I get over things easily, although… With what they left me, I was struggling to get by. I also didn't have any relatives in the country, so all I could do to survive was take up part-time jobs in the city. You see, ever since I was a little girl, I've been dreaming of going to Crescendo College. But their tuition fees are astronomical! So anyway about a year later, I skimmed through the newspaper ads and I found an interesting ad to this farm. I called the Mayor, asked him if I could purchase it and so he told me to go see you and, here we are!"

"That's quite an interesting story you've got there. You're quite an interesting person; I wouldn't have ever though someone your age would be so independent and hardworking… You have raised the standards of working youths everywhere!"

"Ehe, thanks! No one has ever given me that much credit since… Well, ever!"

"You are under appreciated, I'd bet if you visited my good friend, Carter the pastor, he'll make a sermon about how hardworking you are and preach it to the entire village!"

"Whoa! I wouldn't ever want to be part of a sermon, especially if the entire village hears about it!"

"Well, I still think what you've decided to do, how you've survive and how you're so strong and care-free right now is such an uncanny ability of looking at the bright side"

"You really think so? Thanks, Basil… I'm really starting to like this town now!"
Basil nodded at the compliment, and then looked around to see how much they've progressed.

"Hey! I think we're done here!" He said in triumph. Both of them actually didn't notice at all, they just kept working as they shared stories, and soon they realized that they were enjoying themselves so much that they forgot they were even working as they chatted!

The whole field was clean and even. Not a rock, weed or branch in sight! It was obviously fit for planting now.

"Now that we're done cleaning up, would you care to start planting?"

"Be my guest, Mr. Basil"

Jill playfully bowed like a gentleman asking a lady for a dance. Basil chuckled at the funny gesture, and handed her a hoe.

They started working on the field, chatting even more as they did. And after an hour, they were done with the whole plantation process.

"Look at those tiny, watered seeds; All comfortable in their little plot of land… I'm really starting to like this whole farming thing"

"That was a hard day's work. Say, would you like to eat lunch with me at the Inn? My treat."

"Lunch? Well, I'd love to Basil; Thank you!"

So Jill and Basil headed to the Inn, both in a very happy composure.

As they were walking, Basil spotted a peculiar shape from a distance.

It kind of looked like a giant mushroom which slightly rested on a very voluptuous body.

Uh-oh… That person could only be…

"Anna!" Basil called out, waving as he did. He tried to get her attention, and he did, but it also sparked Jill's curiosity.

The once faded silhouette of Anna was right in front of our little blonde farmer, gleaming with mature beauty and a flawless complexion. Her smile seemed to show how confident and relaxed she is, with her blood-red lipstick complimenting her perfectly shaped lips.

"Perfect timing! Jill, I'd like you to meet my wife, Anna"

Jill blinked repeatedly, trying to absorb the "W" word into her brain. The word rang repeatedly in her head, until she realize what it meant.

…Wife? …That means, he's… MARRIED!?

A/N: Yes. The good 'ole cliffhanger. Hopefully, I'll have enough time to continue this for you guys.