My father stood by our pond, fishing pole in hand. He had been out there all day. Something was on his mind, that much was obvious. I had been waiting all day for him to bring up whatever it was, but when evening came and he still hadn’t come in, I went out and joined him
“Dad?”
“Yes.” There was a heaviness in his voice
“Is there something wrong?” I asked.
“Everything is okay Declan.”
I could tell he was lieing. “Is it the farm?” I pressed. Business hadn’t been good for the last year. The farm just wasn’t producing the way it used to. No farm was. There were just too many pollutants in the ground now, and with each year it was getting worse. Pretty soon the only food that would grow would be in scientists greenhouses. “Are we going to lose the farm?” I asked.
My dad was quiet at first, just fishing. Then he looked over at me and said, “You’re sixteen now, aren’t you.”
“Going on seventeen”
He reeled in his line, “Okay. You’re old enough to talk about this. Sit down.”
I sat down across from him on the banks of our pond.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I am one of the last true farmers left in this country,” he said.
“I know Dad.”
“One of the rare people who can still make the ground produce crop,” he continued
“Yeah Dad.” I always had to have patience when talking with my father. He would get to his point in a very round about way.
“I’ve been given an offer Declan” My dad finally explained, “No, actually, we’ve been give an offer.”
“You mean someone wants to buy the farm?”I asked.
He shook his head, and then asked if I knew anything about the Harmony Colony project.
“Sure Dad,” I said, “Everyone does.”
My Dad leaned back and looked up at the stars. He did that when he was going to ask me something but didn’t know how to word it. I quietly waited
Finally my father spoke again. “If you had the chance – and tell me the truth – if you had the chance to go to the colony, would you want to?”
I opened my mouth but dad quickly cut me off, saying, “Think about it Declan. Your answer is important.”
I closed my mouth then and thought about it. It would mean leaving our farm – the farm we had run together since I was born. But, really, how much longer would we be able to keep the farm running? Plants just wouldn’t grow naturally anymore. Maybe they would in Harmony.
“Yeah,” I finally said, “I think I would. I mean, if you went too. I wouldn’t want to go alone.”
“Are you sure Delcan? Even if it meant leaving C.J?”
I thought of my girlfriend, the Jalen’s sixteen year old daughter. We had been together for about a year now, but, honestly I didn’t know how much longer we would continue. We were just very different. C.J had been spoiled from the day she was born, whereas I‘ve had to work for everything.
“Yes,” I said, “Even then.”
My father sat back up, “I asked you that question for a reason. I have been given the offer to go. They need someone who knows about farming. I am supposed to work with the envirnoment advisor…kadia someone.”
“You mean…we can actually go?” I asked.
“Only if you want to Declan. It’s not me that’s affected.”
“I…I think it’s for the best Dad. We can’t keep this farm running much longer.”
“Then we go,” My dad said, and that was the end of the conversation. He stood up then, picked his pole back up and cast out in the water. As I watched the lure plunk into the water I realized that this might be the last time we got to fish in our pond. I suddenly felt very homesick, and I knew it would get worse before it got better.
This is very touching. I am so glad they will be going to the Colony. They will make a great addition.