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The soft hum of the sprinklers was calming, comforting, his only companion in these empty, quiet mornings. All around him, there were green, slowly sloping hills, lush, verdant. Spotted with white sheep. All around him, there were clear empty skies. When he had taken a year off to travel, when he had decided not to go on a Eurotour with his classmates, it would have been expensive anyways, he had rolled a dice. Five times. Each roll a number to the coordinates he would take. He didn’t know why he had that idea, but it was definitely something. Five times, he waited with anticipation, writing down the numbers. When he put them into google maps, he accidentally added a minus, trying to delete the other numbers already in his open tab. He was glad he had. The globe spun around the world, to place a red pin on the other side of it. So he had packed up his one suitcase and spun around the globe to come land on that large island, to take a ferry to this small one. He was glad it had. This was one of the greatest, if not the singularly greatest experiences of his life. Just working on this farm the last week.

From landing at the clean, huge, yet spacious airport. Exiting to fresh cold air. He had gasped it in, as if he had never breathed air before. Clean, pure. Invigorating. Every limb in his body. Every muscle, blood flowing fast and fresh and joyfully. Spending that first night at a hostel, tossing and turning as the backpackers listened to a story about a girl who usually went home with guys to save money while travelling. Tossing and turning, he couldn't sleep. He had problems. It was a chronic thing. Nightmares when he did sleep. Restlessness that usually kept him up. When he did end up going to sleep that night, drifting off to story about the one nerd she had gone home with who had swords and stars wars costumes and asked her to dress up in one, when he did end up going to sleep, he passed out. He woke up the next morning, a little dazed. No nightmares, he was fresh. For the first time in what seemed like forever. Eyes wide, a little starstruck. He went out, and found the ferry. He went to the first farm, and asked if they needed help. This time of year, they usually did. It was when the backpackers had started to leave and the weather had started to become colder.

And here he was.

He had gone drinking last night, and met a man. Who gave him a fertilizer. The man was trying to start his own business. He was giving free samples. A small packet, he took it out from his pocket, and handed it over. Asked him to try it.

He turned the packet in his hands, sealed, white specks in a frothy liquid splashing around. It looked ominous. But what did it hurt. Just one plant. Then he would see.