Luke arrived home late that morning to find a pot of tea boiling over. He poured some into a cup while Uncle Owen coughed from the bedroom down the hall.
"How's he been?" Luke handed the tea to Aunt Beru, who sat beside Owen's cot. His uncle lay asleep with a wet towel on his forehead.
"Lung infection keeps getting worse," Beru beckoned her husband to sit up and brought the cup to his mouth. Years of exposure to dust and dirt had taken a toll on the middle-aged man.
Luke searched for platitudes, but came up empty. He spotted an envelope on the night stand and picked it up to read the letter inside. Another local farmer offered a hefty sum for the Lars homestead.
Aunt Beru looked up to see him holding the letter. "Rosworth's itched to buy our land for seasons. Your uncle started to burn those letters five years ago. I thought I'd leave it out for when he feels better."
"We might have to consider," Luke said. "How can I run this place all by myself? We have three workers left, Aunt Beru, besides myself. The sand people are so outta control that men are reluctant to join. There's more business to be had as a smuggler or spice dealer these days, even if moisture farming is Tatooine's real heart."
Water famine threatened citizens, but they were more willing to risk dehydration than a Tusken. Some stowed savings to jump off planet if the worst happened. Rumors spread that nearby planets in the system had high employment rates for miners.
"We've seen worse, Luke. The Tuskens will settle down again. It's went downhill before, but we jumped right back up and carried on."
"Damn right." Uncle Owen's voice sounded like phlegm and gravel. "Land's been in our family since my great grandfather was a little boy. And it'll be around when you're old as me, Luke. Ever think of going to meet with Rosworth and I'll break your nose. You understand me?"
Luke nodded. He decided to wait until his uncle succumbed to the illness before he met Rosworth and talked business. Owen deserved to believe the life for which he had worked so hard would last forever.