Chapter 79

The next morning, I met Rondo at the kitchen table as soon as I was dressed. We were drinking coffee when Naomi and Lougenia came in to start breakfast. I stood and hugged both of them through their thin, flimsy nightgowns.

“You two are going to spoil us, and you’re not going to get enough sleep, if you get up to cook our breakfast each morning like this. Spring is just around the corner and we’ll be late getting home most days, then leave out early each morning until we get the fields ready, and cotton planted.”

Naomi told me, “Josey, we would be lost if we weren’t in the kitchen each morning, taking care of you and Rondo. You men just do your job and let us worry about the cooking and housework.”

She poured more coffee in our cups and I turned to Rondo, “If Lizbeth and Merci don’t have plans for the day, I’d like for you and Chuck to hitch two of the 830s to the two 16 foot disks out there, and pull them up in front of the shop to grease the axle bearings good, then lead the girls over to the two sections we have across the levee, just north of where we went sledding. Looks like those fields may have been disked late last fall.

“Once they have them disked one way, have them disk them again, in the opposite direction. I’m not sure how fast those new tractors will pull a sixteen foot disk, but if the ground is smooth, tell them to let’em run, as long as they feel safe on them.

“There’s a spray-rig out behind the barn. I’ll help you and Chuck mount it on one of the new tractors tomorrow morning. You’ll have to flush the tank and hoses out with water, then make sure all the nozzles and filters are not clogged up.

“When I talk to Bill Clarke - who is Larry Stevens’ brother-in-law - about corn and Milo seed, I’ll have him deliver enough atrazine to apply on both sections, twice. Once before the plants come up, and again after the plants come up.”

“Is that the chemical used to kill weeds and grass?”

“Yep, we’ll put some on the rows after we plant. Then hit it again as soon as the corn and Milo is up to a stand. We’ll have to fertilize both crops after the plants are about a foot tall.”

“You just keep telling me how - and with Chuck knowing about the different pieces of farm equipment, I’ll learn all about it, and we’ll get it done.”

“I don’t know all about farming either, but what I’m not sure about, I’ll get the County Agent to help us all he can, just to make sure we do it right - and right on time.”

We were up and out early, and Chuck met Rondo and me out at the shop. We had the three hundred gallon spray tank mounted on the front of a 730, then it was just a matter of mounting the spray boom on the back of the tractor and running the hoses from the PTO pump – to the tank, then out to the spray-boom. I left them filling the tank with water so they could flush the hoses and nozzles.

Before I left for the day, I called Sheila at her apartment. “I just wanted to tell you, I’ll probably be in my pickup most of the day. Or close by. I need to stop by Granny’s, then I want to check on another section of ground for sale, near her farm. From there, I’ll be heading to Stewart to meet with Larry Stevens’ nieces at Farm Bureau Insurance. I’ll holler at you on the radio when I leave Granny’s - just to check in.

“If you have time, will you list all the vehicles, farm equipment, tractors, apartment buildings and farm houses, and anything you can think of, we have? I may need you to mail Farm Bureau a complete list now, then add to it later. Be sure and add my Corvette, and your Corvette, plus all the Jeeps, to that list.

“Since Granny and Momma wants us to combine all the farms into one, I’ll have to ask her if she wants me to put everything of hers and Momma’s under my insurance too. I’ll have to let you know, and get her to send us a list, if that’s what they want.

“I still have to get all our farm maps together, with theirs, so we’ll know exactly how many acres are on each farm and in each field.”

She told me, “You just keep wheeling and dealing, I’ll take care of the books. I love this and I’ll be so glad when my classes are over in two months, so I can be here to help you fulltime.”

...”Granny, we’re going to put one of our 2-way radio base units at Hank’s house, and I was wondering if you want one here with a tower, like we have at my house, the Montague Farm, and Chuck’s house.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, have your men put one here. Charlie was telling us about hearing all the goings on that he hears on your 2-way, and he suggested we get one here.”

“Mr. Foster has a friend in California who sells Military Surplus Jeeps. I’ve already got six and I’ll have twenty-four total when they all get here. I’m giving a Jeep to each of the sisters who work on the farm. If it’s alright with you and Momma, I’d like to give one to Charlie, and even put his name on the title. He’ll have one of our 2-way radios in his too.”

Momma told me, “Do it, Josey. If they can’t cover him on your insurance, tell them to call me and I’ll put him on mine. We love that boy like a grandson.”

“That made me think of the insurance on the new farming operation when we consolidate. I’m going to Stewart this morning and talk to Larry Stevens’ nieces at Farm Bureau Insurance about covering everything, houses, vehicles, tractors and implements, airplanes, livestock, and the whole shebang.”

Granny told me, “If you can get a better price by doing that, go for it and tell us what our part is.”

“I was told, that by combining everything, we’ll get a lower rate and may even be paying less than we are now.”

“You handle it, Josey. Your Momma and I just want to sit back and listen to all the goings on with you and your operations. The first time it rains, we want a ride in that new plane too.”

“We have that plane-ride in the plans already. Oh, we’re already planning to fly to Texas and buy a new, twin engine Cessna that seats six plus the pilot and copilot.”

“AND – We’re getting in the cattle business too. I mean – in a BIG WAY. With your ten miles of levee lease, we’ll have sixty miles of consecutive leases. We’re talking about as many as twenty-four thousand head, momma cows with calves - and feeder calves combined.”

Momma and Granny both jumped up to hug me. They were still laughing so hard, they had tears in their eyes when they walked me to the door.

“Granny, before I forget, do you still think I can get Leroy and Bilroy Lunsford to deal with me on that section of cotton ground west of your place?”

“Josey, I meant to tell you - I talked to Leroy day before yesterday, and he told me to have you drop by and see them. They’re ready to deal and they’ll even throw in that section of hilly ground they’ve been raising corn and Milo on for feed.”

“Josey to Sheila”

“Go ahead, Josey”

“Just checking in”

“Everything is going smooth”

“10-4 I’ll holler at you later in the day.”

“10-4”

When I drove up to the big white house, there were Beagles coming from everywhere. They weren’t barking, they were wagging their tails, so I stepped out. Every one of the Beagles - and there must have been a dozen - came to rear up on my legs, and lick my hand as I walked toward the front porch.

I saw Mr. Leroy step out and wave for me to come upon the porch. By the time I made my way through the dogs without stepping on one, he was sitting in a wide porch swing.

“Come have a seat - and set a spell with me, Josey.”

“Mr. Leroy, how are you and your brother doing? I haven’t seen you over at Kendall’s in a while.”

“I’m doing better than I oughta be, I reckon. Bilroy’s about the same - he has his good days and bad. Our nephew up in Memphis has asked us to come live with him and his wife. He’s all the kin we have left and I reckon I need to man-up and take responsibility for Bilroy, since he’s not able to get around anymore. That was the reason I told your Granny to have you stop by and make me an offer. Our nephew told me they don’t really want the hassle of owning land way down here in Collins County.

“Josey, I heard you paid Bill Donavan five hundred per acre for his cotton ground, and he threw in the house, barns, tractors and equipment on the deal too.”

“That was what we showed on the contract. The way we worked it, I paid him thirty thousand in cash and he financed the rest of it over ten years.”

“I’d be afraid to make a deal like that. Bilroy won’t be around ten years from now, and I’d rather deal for cash now, on that section of cotton ground, if you have the means.”

“I do have the means, Mr. Leroy. Tell me what we need to figure on, and I’ll have the money back here about this time tomorrow morning.”

“Pay me and Bilroy five hundred per acre - for the six hundred and forty acres of cotton ground, and I’ll throw in that other section of ground we’ve always planted feed corn and Milo on – at a hundred and fifty per acre. That’s about all it’s worth - at least, that was what the bank told me one year when I wanted to borrow some money on it.”

“You don’t owe any money on it now, do you?”

“NO WAY - NOT ONE DIME - I have the original deed and a clear title to the land in my dresser drawer upstairs.”

“Just figuring in my head, that comes to four hundred and sixteen thousand. Is that what you had in mind?”

“Josey, I know you have lots of money from all the rewards you’ve been getting. But do you actually have that much in cash?”

“I sure do, Mr. Leroy. I can bring you the cash money in a satchel, or you can go with me to the bank and we’ll deposit it directly into yours and Mr. Bilroy’s account.”

“I’d rather not have that much money laying around here, even overnight, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean. Do you still bank at Stewart?”

“I do, and if you’re agreeable, I’ll meet you there tomorrow morning at 10:00. I’ll have the deed and the title to the land with me. We can get it all notarized there at the bank and I can deposit the money while you’re there with me.”

“I’ll be there. Would you shake on our deal? Granny always told me to close a deal with a handshake.”

“Your Granny told you right too, Josey.

“I know you’ll farm this land just like Bilroy and I have since our Daddy left it to us back in 1890. I’m proud you’re the young man who’s taking over here on this old farm.”

“If you want to load up any, or all your personal stuff, I’ll wait a few days before I have my women and girls come by and start sweeping and mopping.”

“Josey – when you see me leave the Bank of Stewart with Bilroy in the back seat, we’ll be waving goodbye to Stewart County for the last time. I’ll drive right over there and hit Highway 61, then head straight to Memphis.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow morning to pay you, then see you off to your nephew’s in Memphis.”

“You’re a good business man, Josey Ruiz. I’m so glad we have young farmers like you coming up to take over and keep on planting cotton.

“Josey, since we’ll be traveling, I’m not going to take our guns with us. You can have our complete collection. I know Bilroy would love for you to have them too, if he was able to tell you himself.”

“I’ll pay you extra for them, if you’ll let me.”

“No - I want to give them to you. I know you’ll treasure those guns as much as Bilroy and I did when we started adding to our Daddy’s collection, seventy years ago.”

“Will you need any help getting Mr. Bilroy loaded and situated in the morning? I can call Granny and she’ll have Hank and his boys come over if you’ll let them.”

“Josey, I could hug your neck for thinking of things like that. If you’re sure Miss Early won’t mind, and that Hank and his boys wouldn’t mind helping, I’d really appreciate a send-off like that.”

“What are you going to do about all your dogs?”

“I can’t take them with me, as much as I’d love to. Would you ask Hank and his boys if they want a pack of Beagles?

“Count it done. If they don’t want them, I’ll find a good home for them. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

I’ve passed by here a few times while they were putting up buildings, grain elevators and storage tanks, but I’ve never had reason to stop before today.

I parked in front of the office at Tri-County Farmers Seed Feed Chemical and Fertilizer Co-op. There were six pickups parked along the front of the office. I knew this must be the hangout for all the local farmers over this way.

When I went in, I looked to my right and saw a long table with maybe a dozen men sitting around it, drinking coffee. As I walked on past, someone hollered, ‘Hey there, Josey’

I took a step back to where I could see the table and, hollered back - ‘Hey Y’all’ then kept walking when the men waved.