Chapter 24

The weeks and days leading up to mid-June were dizzying. The farmyard was given a makeover the likes of which it has never seen before, including at Lanh’s request, a tire swing was put on the big old maple tree on the front lawn. “I want this to be fun for the kids too,” she insisted, so two years after she envisioned a tire swing in the front yard, it became a reality, and she was the first one to try it. Even the old John Deere tractor, which was Ralph and Don’s hobby project, was cleaned up and moved into a place of honor next to the old Ford tractor, which was washed to a gleaming shine.

Huy’s wedding gift to his little sister was a wedding photographer whose work was well known for his beautiful, joyful images. The photographer saw the farm and ancient barn as a delightful challenge, and when he walked around the north side of the barn, which faces old highway 32 with the faded remnants of the Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco sign painted on the side, he was ecstatic. He worked with Don and Ralph to set up rustic backdrops made from hay bales and cedar fence sections, but when he saw the tire swing in front of the beautiful old farmhouse, he begged Ralph to be allowed to use this farm as a location for future photo shoots.

As the wedding neared, Lanh and Tam actually moved into the farmhouse, much to Lanh’s delight. She was now able to care for her cows twenty-four hours a day if needed, and when the stress of getting ready for the wedding or writing her valedictory address got to be too much, she could always be found in the barnyard with the newborn calves and Marissa who loved the calves as much as Lanh did. “They’re not pets, you know,” said Tam as she watched Lanh from behind the safety of the barbed wire fence.

“Of course not,” replied Lanh. “you can’t make soup out of a pet.”

Tam just rolled her eyes and went back to the project that she, Don, Huy, Bao, Trung and Ralph were working on in the bunkhouse portion of the farmhouse. Every evening Tam would spend an hour or two on the phone, the long-coiled cord removed from the kitchen phone receiver so someone couldn’t overhear her, and she spoke on the cordless phone in the bunkhouse room for privacy.

“I think she has a boyfriend,” Lanh whispered to Don as she tried to listen to Tam through the door between the bunkhouse and the dining room. She was taking a break from writing her valedictory speech.

“Then let her be,” said Don. “She will tell us when she’s ready.”

“I don’t think he’s Vietnamese either,” whispered Lanh as Don pulled her away from the door.

Lanh was about to whisper to Don that if he were Vietnamese, Tam would speak to her mystery man in their language, but before she could say anything, Tam answered the question. “He’s not!” and Tam went back to her hushed conversation.

“She heard me!” gasped Lanh as she raced back to the dining room where she was working on her speech. “I forgot how good her ears are.”

“I suppose raising you, they came in handy,” grinned Don as he sat next to her. Lanh frowned, crumpled up a piece of paper, and threw it at him. “By the way,” continued Don as he bent to pick up the wad of paper, “his name is Jake. Jake Johnson.”

“How did you find out?” Lanh was aghast.

“I asked her.” He ducked out of the room, chased by a volley of wadded paper.

The entire spring was a whirlwind of activity, and for Lanh the highlight of which was marriage classes with Father Steinbach and Pastor Loomis. Father Steinbach is a short, round, cheerful man with an iron grip when he shakes hands, and he has a 233 average at bowling. Pastor Loomis is a tall, slim Lutheran minister who can play almost any stringed instrument and has a full-time job installing kitchens and bathrooms. The two men were great friends and were happy to share the limelight at Don and Lanh’s wedding, as well as the “Pre-Cana” marriage preparation class. The class was exciting for Lanh because it meant to her it was really happening, that she and Don were really going to get married.

Since Don didn’t have a mother, Ralph’s friend Sandy volunteered to fill that position. This caused a lot of heartbreak for Don. He loved Sandy and would dearly love to have her as a step-mother, but his mom ... Don was sure she was watching. He couldn’t replace her. Ralph took Sandy aside and said, “Don has a problem with the wedding.”