Chapter 3

3Decisions

Sam brought his old lawn cart in the back of his also aged Ford pickup. He braked to a stop and looked at the pitiful sight in dismay. What the hell,”He whispered under his breath. It was difficult to reconcile what he imagined Rusty’s home environment to the reality of what he saw around him. The ancient Sunbeam mobile home looked to be held together by rust and a patchwork of repairs done by unskilled hands.

Wild flowers and vines had been transplanted from the surrounding areas in an effort to soften the otherwise dismal appearance of this place they called home. Their small vegetable garden showed much care had been taken in its maintenance. Sam looked is askance at the jumbled mess of tomato vines that already bore a variety of edibles. A few stacks of various materials were kept in neat, segregated piles. Yet the air of persistent poverty hung over the place like an invisible fog of despair.

Sam sat quiet for the moment to adjust himself mentally. He now realized he had no idea of what was the reality of Rusty’s life. It was obvious a lot of pride and effort had been put into maintaining the old Sunbeam. The old adage about making silk purses from sows’ ears came to mind.

His estimation of Megan rose. He could appreciate the fact she had tried her best to make a home for the two of them. Still, he was appalled at the reality of what he saw. Sam got out of the truck and headed for the rusty steps that led up into the trailer itself.

Rusty heard the truck pull up and stop. He hurried out to greet Sam with his usual enthusiasm. Not so eager to have any visitor, Megan was ashamed of her living conditions. The converted office trailer suddenly seemed so much uglier and trashier. She was unable to meet Sam’s eyes when she stepped outside to greet him.

She wanted to become invisible. Please, just get back into your truck and go away, she silently begged him. I don’t want you, or anyone to see me, or us, like this. She became conscious of the direction her ashamed thoughts and what they meant on a more personal level.

She all at once realized the opinion of this man was important to her, Megan Williams! There was no “man-woman spark of possible future romance. (Perhaps a little something, but that was all.) No! This was not some sudden romantic feeling.

In a flash of insight, Megan began to care about her life beyond her survival for another day, or week, or month. She she saw, in an instant of bright clarity, just how far she had fallen into a world of hopeless defeat. Since his birth, Rusty had been her whole reason to exist.

And now this man, Sam Greeley, had suddenly shown her hope where there had been none for oh so long t. She saw life as something more than caring for her son.

She forced herself to look up at the lawyer and tell him, “Sam, I hate to have you, or anyone else, see how we live. I hope to change this as soon as I can get another job. With Rusty’s help, maybe we can find a nicer place to live.

Sam laughed and felt the urge to give her a reassuring hug, but prudently didn’t, “You still don’t see what is happening. This place is no more than an inconvenient place to stop and wait, like a bench at a bus stop. It’s a stop off, not a destination.”

Rusty cut into their conversation and asked, “Did the surprise come through?” He grinned at hos mother and waited with an excited air for Sam to answer.

“Yes, it sure did. Let’s all go inside and I’ll give you the pleasure of presenting your mother with her great surprise.” He cocked his head toward the door and looked at Megan with a questioning look plastered on his face. Mystified, Megan rushed up the steps and opened the door. She entered, then Sam, then Rusty followed her inside their cramped quarters.

Once inside, Megan turned and looked at Sam expectantly, though she had no idea what to expect. “Here,”Sam handed the papers to Rusty. With a proud flourish, he presented his mother with the folded sheaf op papers. They had been folded three times so they could be placed into an envelope. There was an addressed, business size envelope with them.

Just read pages one and two, then sign by the “x” on the second one where is says “signature.” Put the papers in the envelope and hand them to to me.”

“If you have no objections, I would like to read before I sign. It’s just a precaution.” She gave him a testy look.

Sam and Rusty gave each other conspiratorial grins. “What is this?” She looked back and forth at the pair of conspirators.

“It’s a lease to own agreement, that’s all. It’s just a simple lease to own agreement. In return for my guide services for the rest of the year, up through hunting season, plus two hundred dollars a month, we will own a two bedroom fixer upper log cabin with a flagstone roof. The two hundred dollars are due on the first day of the month, up through and including December thirty-first of next year,

“Rusty! You’re a boy, not some seasoned guide. You are fourteen years old. What do you know about being a guide? Why would anyone want a boy your age to act as a guide to go fishing or hunting? What’s the catch? You know and I know unbelievable deals are just that, unbelievable. So please tell me what all is wrong with this great deal.”

“Well,” Rusty drug the word out, “People want guides to show them the best places to hunt or fish on the streams and rivers. Nobody ever asked me how old I was when they asked me where to find fish. All they wanted to know was where the fish were. I was usually right.

“It didn’t take long to figure out I should save my knowledge and share it with the people who could do more for me. I only told my better customers where the best places were.

“Mom, to you I’m a kid. To my customers I’m an asset. When they bring people along to go fishing, I show them I recognize them and show them respect. Some of those people that they bring along are important customers, or even who they work for. A good day’s fishing is profitable for everybody.

“They don’t ask me how old I am. They don’t care. I share information that gets them the results they want. To them I’m an asset, not a fourteen year old kid.

“As for the hunting, they take it on faith I’ll know where the hunting is best. I already proved myself, so they’ll keep on asking and I’ll keep on being an asset to them, not a kid.” “This is what I’ve been telling you about Rusty, he’s amazing. Despite his years, he is a young man with a mission.”