Ch.3 From the garden

A Morning on the Farm

Ella, Sean’s mother, had left for the market at dawn with Charlene, Sean’s older sister.

They brought fresh produce from the farm to sell at affordable prices, ensuring the villagers could buy healthy food.

All the fruits and vegetables were freshly harvested—chemical-free and organically grown.

While Ella and Charlene were away at the market, Sean woke to the loud, familiar sound of roosters crowing across the fields.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

He sat up in bed and stretched, then pulled on a light blue long-sleeved shirt before heading downstairs.

“Dad? Did Mom and Charlene already leave for the market?”

Sean asked as he entered the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of milk and sitting down beside Charles and Charlie.

“Yes, they left before sunrise,” Charles replied, sipping his coffee while reading the morning paper.

“Your mom said we had a lot of fruit to sell today, so they’ll probably be gone for a while.”

Sean nodded and drank his milk in one go, then headed outside toward the chicken coop.

Collecting fresh eggs every morning was one of Sean’s daily chores—a task he always took seriously to help with the family’s meals.

“Cluck! Cluck! Bwaaak!”

The chickens squawked as Sean stepped into the coop. He carefully picked up the warm eggs from their nests and placed them gently into a small basket.

“Oh, hey there, little rascal! Back again?”

Sean chuckled as he spotted the tiny puppy that often snuck through the fence to play in their fields.

“Yip! Yip!”

“Slurp! Slurp!”

“Sneaked in through the fence again, huh? I bet your owner’s looking for you right now.”

He picked up the puppy and gently patted its head before walking back toward the house, the little dog cuddled in his arms.

At the Village Market

Ella and Charlene set up their stall at the village’s morning market.

The other vendors knew them well—produce from Sean’s family farm was famous for being fresh, organic, and chemical-free.

They also sold everything at reasonable prices, making it affordable for the villagers to enjoy good, high-quality food.

“Charlene, what do you have for sale today?”

Aunt Rose, the friendly vendor from the neighboring stall, greeted her with a warm smile.

“We’ve got apples, pumpkins, potatoes… and fresh eggs from our chickens at home,”

Charlene replied sweetly.

Ella carefully arranged the fruits and vegetables to make them look as appealing as possible, then called out to passersby with cheerful energy.

“Fresh fruits and veggies—chemical-free and straight from the farm! Great prices too!”

Before long, customers began to gather around their stall, chatting and laughing. The morning market was buzzing with familiar voices and the friendly warmth of the close-knit village.

“Ella, Charlene’s really grown into such a beautiful young lady,”

Aunt Rose complimented Charlene fondly.

“Oh, you’re being too kind. She’s still a little clingy to her mama,”

Ella chuckled, reaching out to gently pat her daughter’s head.

“How old is she now?”

Aunt Rose asked.

“I’m seventeen, ma’am,”

Charlene answered politely with a gentle smile.

“I’ll be graduating high school soon.”

“Last year already, huh? Time really flies,”

Aunt Rose said with a soft chuckle.

“Yes, ma’am,”

Charlene replied warmly.

**Diary notes **

“A Little Troublemaker (Again)”

“That little puppy snuck under the fence again today… and of course, I ended up being the one who had to deal with him.

Well, not that I really minded. We ran around together on the front lawn for a while, and I figured—he probably thinks I’m his playmate now.

Since he already went through the trouble of digging under the fence, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to play with him a bit before taking him back.

I’ll wait for Mom to get home and bring some fresh fruits and veggies over to Grandma’s house at the same time.”

“Beep! Beep!”

A car horn sounded at the gate. A red pickup truck pulled into the driveway and stopped at the garage.

As soon as the engine was turned off, Mom and Charlene stepped out of the truck, looking slightly flustered from the morning market rush.

I ran up to greet them, full of excitement.

“Ella, what did you bring back this time?”

A gentle voice asked with warmth.

“Oh, these?” Mom smiled as she walked into the house.

“Aunt Rose and Aunt Mary sent these for the kids. They’ve been so kind to us lately.”

Charlene and I followed closely behind, helping her carry everything inside.

“Sean, did you already prepare the basket of fruits and vegetables for Grandma?”

Mom turned to ask as she placed some bags on the table.

“I did, Mom,”

I replied softly, walking over to pick up the neatly packed basket.

“Oh? And where did this little one come from?”

Mom asked as she noticed the puppy sleeping soundly on the doormat.

“He’s from Grandma’s house. He crawled under the fence again,”

I explained.

“Then why haven’t you taken him back yet?”

“Normally his owner comes to get him by the fence… but I haven’t seen anyone today.

So I thought I’d bring him along when we go take the fruits to Grandma,”

I said, glancing over at the fence outside.

“Oh, I see! Well then, let’s go together.”

Next Door

“Ding-dong!”

“Hmm? Who could that be? Butler, could you get the door, please?”

“Yes, Madam.”

The sound of the butler’s footsteps echoed steadily down the hallway as he made his way to the front door of the villa. He opened it politely and was greeted by a young boy in casual clothes, holding a basket full of fresh fruits and vegetables, accompanied by his mother.

“Good morning, Mrs. Ella. Madam is inside. Please, come this way,” the butler said courteously, leading them inside.

“Good morning, Grandma. I brought you some fresh fruits and vegetables,” Sean said with a big smile, holding out the basket.

“Oh, thank you, dear! Now… who is this? Charlie or Sean? I can never tell you boys apart,” the elderly lady chuckled, lifting her glasses for a closer look.

“It’s Sean, Grandma,” he replied politely.

“Oh, Sean! My, my… kids these days grow up so fast. Heh, heh, heh!” she laughed heartily.

“What are you working on, Grandma? That looks really interesting,” Sean asked as he eyed the colorful yarn and knitting needles in her lap.

“I’m knitting a scarf for my grandson,” she said with a gentle smile. “He’ll be leaving to study abroad in a few months.”

“And where’s Paul, Grandma?” Ella looked around and asked.

“He went out with his sister,” Grandma replied casually.

“Next week we’ll be holding a birthday party for Sean—he’s turning twelve,” Ella added with a warm smile. “We’d love to invite you and your family to join us.”

“Oh, of course, dear! Twelve already? He’s becoming quite the young man now, isn’t he? Heh, heh, heh!”

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