Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

16 The Magic Seed

Upon further research, the vast space that was once a plain lawn was now turned into a garden with different varieties of vegetables planted and are sprouting beautifully. The water sprinkler Noah connected to the magical spring water on the World Tree had done miracles with speeding the growth of the said vegetables.

He harvested a total of four different kinds of vegetables by the end of spring: carrots, cabbages, garlic, lettuce, and onions. The pride circled around his heart as he sorted them out; none was rotten. Every piece was in its own perfect condition. Most of the vegetables he planted were in the rooted type. That meant they were absorbing a significant amount of nutrients from the soil. The result of his spring harvest had a lot to say about how fertile the grounds in the Magic Ball are.

Noah met with his puppies in the weekends. Wynn had been delivering them to his home consistently for the past three weeks. Besides, Noah always asks him to have tea for an hour; he had been giving Noah reports how the Stream Ranch had been going.

According to Wynn, several days ago, the cattle that he purchased from a local farmer downtown had smoothly arrived. Patting Ginger’s head, Wynn said that she was the first one to great the animals even though they were three times her size.

Nancy had been in charged with maintaining the food source of the animals.

“Grass,” Noah mouthed as he read past an article he had been dotting since he was woken up by the barking of Cole. “The main source of the ranch’s success is grass.”

Before they bought the ranch, Noah specifically had the soil and grass checked. Both turned out to be healthy and grade-average. It wasn’t great. He took some samples from the Magic Ball and also had it checked. The result came today, and it was great. The soil was fertile and was highly recommended for planting crops. It was top tier, class A grade. It was a high-end food resource for his animals.

If he can get samples from the Magic Ball, then he can surely get some grass and plant it over his Stream Ranch. Noah thinks it’s a good idea. He didn’t have to tell anyone about the Magic Ball. He’d have to make an excuse as to where he happens to procure such a high-end resource. Nancy would ask questions—the girl does it all the time. She’s keen and pays attention too well in detail. Noah knows she’d sniff around, curious why he was suddenly serving her with the idea in a golden platter.

Noah’s currently lounging at a rocking chair on the wooden cabin’s porch. The three dogs were sprawling quietly beside him.

Walking ever so slowly to not disturb their nap, Noah carefully tiptoed away from the porch. A subtle squeak came from the floorboard he stepped on, and he winced. Turning his head to his side to have a look at his napping dogs, he sighed in relief. The three dogs remained asleep. He hurriedly headed to the backyard.

Roaming his head around, he found a spot with fresh grass weeds. According to the book he’d read, you would have to find the newest amongst them before you try and pluck them out from the soil. And so, Noah began his quest. He stoops low, one knee bent on the earth, the other supporting his upper body.

Ducking his head on the ground, he reached his hand on the fresh grass to have a feel of its leaves. To be completely honest with himself, he was a bit hesitant. Noah knows that his knowledge when it comes to plants is still minimal. He didn’t want to be ahead of himself, thinking he could figure everything out through self-help by reading books, surfing the internet, and asking questions to experts in the said field he’s interested in.

Studying alone puts him in trouble sometimes. That’s why Brice reminded him to always seek help when he needs one. When he thinks he’s stuck, call the friends he had in America.

It wouldn’t hurt, he remembered Brice saying on one of their video call meetings.

Noah carefully observed the grass weeds surrounding him. All seem to be mature enough for him to extract their seeds.

He pulled the zip-lock plastic he bought from the convenience store down his condominium. Slipping his gardening gloves on, he struck the mini shovel on the soil and began digging on the sides of the said grass.

Plucking them was for when he intentionally wants to get rid of it. This time, he didn’t technically want to dispose them straight to a garbage can—yet another one his mistakes—instead, he needs them healthy and untouched.

He didn’t go unprepared for this extraction. When his mind is filled with ideas that he knows would sprout for his benefit, Noah would really be so into it he wouldn’t notice he had already spent days of his life researching about it. He even called the farmer they had become friends with when they rented that ranch for an entire day of horseback riding.

Said farmer taught him, through video call, what he needs to do to extract the seeds. He made Noah go to his garden and look for a mature grass weed they can use for a demonstration simulation. Noah followed his examples thoroughly.

At first try, it was as frustrating as baking bread. Noah wasn’t a country boy to begin with. When he was a child, all he had ever done was to lock himself up inside his room and read till his eyes felt like they were bleeding. At school, he’d play baseball or basketball—and that’s it.

As of present, he’s a want-to-be rancher that has zero experience with handling poultry and livestock. He even sucks at the basics: planting and taking care of animals.

The worry that equipped him sometimes bothered him at night. Noah thinks what would happen if he made a mistake, and all the money he tried so hard to retain vanishes in an instant? What if he succumbs to illegal transactions? Or worst, what if he gambles every dollar away in a casino? After all, Las Vegas is just a few hours away. It was the sin city—an inevitable place where he and the boys would probably spend a day gambling and drinking until their kidneys start to fail.

These were the thoughts that haunted him ever since he steps foot in the United States. He’s just glad the Americans didn’t start their fiascos of racism at him yet. 

After a few minutes of digging a bunch of grass, Noah successfully removed the mature ones from its soils. As per the simulation Noah and the farmer had done, he applied the method step by step.

Wiping the sweat that formed on his forehead, Noah sighed in relief. Healthy seeds were gathered in his clammy palms. He carefully sealed them on his zip-lock plastic bag and inserted everything back in his jean’s pocket. 

The next day, Noah took his dog back to the Stream Ranch. He parked his car and headed straight to where the cattle and sheep are located.

Ginger, Cole, and Mik followed him from behind in a straight line.

Noah found it to be entertaining. These three dogs of him were like children who go to school in a straight line as they entered their classrooms after the flag ceremony.

“Mr. Martin,” one employee greeted him as he passes by the roof that’s already attached neatly the way he wants them to.

Noah raised his hand up in the air as his way of response, his never-changing half-smile appearing on his face. 

The house for his ranch was close to what he had first envisioned it to be. Ten rooms, a lovely porch, and big glass doors—it was perfect. It wasn’t your typical ranch house, but Noah had it built for when he and his friends would ride horses when they hang out again. The last time they rented a ranch, Noah wanted to stay the night, but they found the rent for one room per night to be too much for someone like him. When they visited the room, the place didn’t match its price. That idea sprouted here in his Stream Ranch, and he’s glad everything’s running smoothly as it’s supposed to be.

When he turned a corner, Noah caught Thomas’ straw hat placed neatly on a barrel surrounded by hay. His dogs still followed him from behind in a line.

“Thomas,” he called. There was no answer.

Noah walked further to the field behind a barn, “Thomas?”

There was the sound of hays and then a groan. Thomas stood in front of the back door, his hand on his back. A stick leaned on his left, and Noah wondered if the old man was trying to entertain himself. Noah thinks it was odd why he chose that particular object to have fun with.

“I’m here,” Thomas claimed, turning his head to look at a smiling Noah.

“How have you been?” he stood beside Thomas. His eyes caught a herd of sheep huddling close to each other.

“Fine,” Thomas answered, “your ranch house is almost done.”

Noah nodded, his hand crossed over his chest. “I can see that.” He gestured for Mik, Ginger, and Cole to proceed to the herd of sheep in front of them.

Mik made a run for it. Ginger and Cole exchanged glances at each other first before they took their time walking.

Noah raised an eyebrow. He noticed these two are getting along pretty well.

Taking the seeds on his pocket, Noah looked at Thomas, “By the way. Could you plant these for me?”

Thomas eyed the seeds on the zip-lock, “Seeds?”

“Yes. I want you to plant it.”

“I’m not that good with planting, but I’ll have Nancy do it.”

“What am I going to do?” Nancy appeared between them. “What’s that?” she pointed on the seed. “Some kind of vegetable?”

“No,” Noah reached the zip-lock, to her palm, “it’s grass for the animals.”

“Oh. So, it’s their food?”

A nod. “Clear one side of the fields. Remove the weeds that had already budded from that soil and plant these. Make sure the field you’re going to choose is accessible to every animal in the Stream Ranch.”

Nancy’s eyes kept its focus on the seeds. Noah internally made a note on his mind that it was Nancy’s cue when she’s beginning to speculate a lot of things about the seed in her hand.

She raised the seed up to her eyes, “I haven’t seen a grass’ seed.” She squinted her eyes, and Noah took in a sharp inhale—only audible to him and a worried-looking Ginger from afar.

“At least not this type,” she commented, an expression of curiosity coated her face. “This might take a while.” She warned.

Thomas grabbed hold of his straw hat. “Noah can wait. You’re in charge of planting that now.”

“Oh, you know I can!” Nancy looked hurt as she landed a soft punch on Thomas’ shoulder. Thomas scowled deeper, and it earned Noah’s chuckle.

“I would expect results for the next months to come,” Noah said with high hopes that Nancy wouldn’t suspect.

“By the way,” Nancy said as Noah’s throat went dry. “Where did you get these?”

There. It was that question Noah wants to gravely avoid. Thomas must have felt how Noah went rigid by such a simple question. His eyes never left Noah, and it was intently noting the way he reacted—just like when he noted how Nancy made a fuss earlier. It’s like a game no one would be winning against.

“It’s a secret,” he teased. “No one should know. Not even you or my friends.”

Nancy brushed it off and snickered loudly, but Thomas remained quiet and observing. Noah unblinkingly returned his gaze.