Chapter 3

Karen came running out of her house when we pulled up. She threw her arms around me so I kissed her gently. "Is your dad around, Honey?" I asked her.

"Yeah, he's out in the barn smoking one of his stinky cigars."

"Okay, I need to talk to him for a bit. Patty will fill you in on everything that's going on."

Claud was indeed smoking one of his big cigars and whittling on a piece of wood. "Howdy, Ed," he said as I walked up.

"Howdy, Claude. So, you're banished to the barn when you want to smoke a cigar?"

He laughed. "No, I can smoke in the house if I want, but the misses makes such a big production out of opening windows and turning on fans that it's just a lot less hassle to smoke out here."

I got a chuckle out of that. "I have something I need to talk to you about... Dad has taken off. Evidently mom told him he had to have a job by a certain date or she was going to kick him out. He left a note saying he was going to California to look for work. He took all of his clothes and all of his personal possessions, so we don't think he's going to be coming back."

"I hate to say it, but you all might be better off if he didn't"

I just nodded.

"Are you guys okay for money?"

"Yeah, we're fine, Claude. What I wanted to talk to you about was the farm. We haven't been making use of it. Mom raises a big garden, but I can't ever remember dad planting any crops. We have a lot of equipment, but most of it hasn't been run in years. I'd like to plant some crops this summer, but I don't know where to start."

Claude had a big grin when he said, "Well, if you're serious about planting crops, I might be able to be of some help. I'll be happy to look over your equipment with you, sometime before spring. I'll even help you fix anything that needs fixing. I'd suggest that you start out very small though. Maybe just one field with one crop the first year unless you need the money."

"No, mom says we're okay on money for the foreseeable future. I think one crop would be a smart way to start."

We talked for a few minutes more about what crop would be the best to start off with then Claude stamped out his cigar and we walked back up to the house. It was dark and we couldn't see Patty and Karen sitting on the porch, but we could hear them giggling.

As we got closer we could see them sitting on the swing. When they saw us they moved apart, leaving me room to sit between them. "Would you guys like some iced tea?" Claude asked.

We all agreed we'd like some. Karen started to get up and go help, but Claude told her to stay where she was. He and Martha came back out in a few minutes with drinks for everyone. They sat in a couple of chairs and we all talked for a while.

I had my arm around Karen and Patty was leaning heavily against the other side of me. I was in heaven. When we finished our tea, Patty and I said we should be getting home to check on mom. We all agreed Patty and I would be over the next morning at the regular time and we'd wait for a call from Claude's attorney there.

Mom was still up when we got home, so we went into the living room to talk with her for a while.

"So, what did you need to talk to Claude about, if I'm not being too nosey?" she asked.

"I wanted to get his advice about planting some crops next spring," I told her.

"What did he have to say" she asked. I'll swear she was beaming.

"He said we should start small with only one crop next year and only one field of it."

"I'd be very pleased if we could start growing crops again. You did know this was my grandparents' farm, didn't you?"

"No, I don't think I knew that, Mom. They were dead not long after I was born. I know someone was farming it until about four years ago, but I don't think dad ever did anything with it."

"You weren't a baby when they died. You were around five years old. Your father never did do any farming. Your Uncle Jack farmed this place until he had his heart attack. Since then it's just lain fallow. I'd always thought that with your brain you'd want to be off doing something else, so I never had any hopes of it ever being productive again."

"I love this place, Mom. I always have and I always will. I just may end up staying here the rest of my life."

I had been in bed about a half an hour, thinking about all that was going on when Patty came in. She slapped me on the hip and told me to move over. She laid down beside me, me under the covers and her on top.

"So, are you really thinking about being a farmer?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about it, Sis. I've always enjoyed the work when I worked for the other farmers in the area. I know it's not high-tech or anything, but there's something about living on a farm that I really like."

"I like living on a farm too. I don't even mind doing the chores. We've been kind of isolated growing up, but I've never really minded that either. Karen is my best 'girl' friend, but I've always thought of you as my best friend."

"I know what you mean. I know we could have always gone to mom if anything was bothering us, but I've always talked to you instead. I was always afraid that if I talked to mom, it might get back to dad. I knew if I talked to you that no one else would ever know."

"That is a very nice compliment, Ed. I've always trusted you more than anyone else too. There were some things I talked to mom about rather than you because it would have embarrassed me to ask you about them, but for the most part it was always you."

I had to laugh. "I guess there are some things a girl wouldn't want to talk to her brother about."

Patty blushed, but she said, "I don't think it would bother me too much now."

Patty sat up then leaned over and kissed me goodnight. "Sleep tight, Ed," she said as she left the room.

Day 6 Wednesday, October 27

Mom had breakfast ready for us when we got downstairs. Mom was really opening up since dad wasn't around and we had a great time laughing and joking over breakfast.

Patty and I got our chores done and got ready for school. I asked mom if she'd like to ride over to Claude's with us, but she said she'd be over a little later.

Karen ran out to meet us when we pulled into their driveway. She blushed, but came into my arms when I held them out. "Good morning, Love," I said, then I gave her a gentle kiss.

Karen took my hand then we walked into the house. Claude and Martha were both smiling at us as we sat side by side at the table.

The call from Claude's attorney came in just after 9:00 AM. She said that everything had been taken care of and that we should go back to school. The three of us loaded into the car and took off. I was really kind of happy to be going back.

Our second period classes were nearly over when we got there so we just waited and went to our third period classes. I ran into Jerry Bostwick in the hall and he stopped me.

"So, you went to the police," he said. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not, so I just nodded.

"Well, I suppose you had to. I wanted to thank you for putting in a good word for me. They came to my house and questioned me last night, but they said you told them I didn't have much to do with it and that you thought I had learned my lesson. They gave me a warning and told me I'd have to testify against Shepard."

"I'm glad you're getting off with a warning," I told him. "I appreciate you giving me a heads up about what Shepard was planning."

"Not a problem, Ed. Are we straight then?"

I nodded so he stuck out his hand. We shook and he left smiling. So was I.

Karen and Patty sat with me at lunch. I told them about Jerry. Both of them were pleased and Karen was ecstatic. She hugged my arm and told me I'd get a big kiss later.

We talked as we ate and the subject of farming came up. "Patty tells me you're thinking of living on your farm after you get out of school," Karen said.

"I'm thinking about it. I like living on a farm and I like the work. Do you like farm life?"

"Yes, I do. Dad has kind of spoiled me and hasn't let me help much in the fields. I do have my chores though and I don't mind them. Everyone says being a farm wife is a hard life, but mom doesn't seem to mind it. I don't think I would mind it either."

I was a little startled by the farm wife comment, but I got over it quickly. Hell, if Karen wanted to be my wife, I was all for it.

As we were eating dinner that evening, I asked mom, "Have you heard anything from dad?"

"No, and I'm really glad I haven't. I've been doing a lot of thinking the last couple of days and I've reached some decisions. I guess now is as good of a time as any to tell you and Patty about them."

I looked over at Patty and she gave me a little smile. "Okay, Mom," I said.

"First off, I'm not going to let your dad come back. I've supported us for seventeen years and I think that is enough."

"I agree, Mom," Patty said.

"Secondly, I'm going to file for divorce. I talked to Claude's attorney while you were in school today and she says she'll file the suit for me."

I took mom's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I think you're doing the right thing, but I hope it isn't because of me."

"I'll admit it is partially because of you, but it is mainly because of me. Your dad hasn't physically abused me, but the mental abuse has been getting worse over the years. He has been accusing me of running around on him and has threatened me a few times."

"You've never had a chance to run around on him, Mom," Patty said. "You're always home."

"I know, Patty, but that didn't stop him from accusing me. I think a lot of it is jealousy over money. My grandparents were very wealthy. They never liked or trusted John, but they loved me. Before they died, they signed this farm over to me. They set it up in such a way that I could never sell it or mortgage it. It goes to you kids when I die. They set the trust fund up so that I could only take out so much a month until I reached the age of thirty. John knew all of this and it bothered him."

"In a way I could see why it bothered him. That could even be the reason he turned out the way he did," I said.

"No, Honey, he turned out the way he did because of himself. You were five years old when my grandparents died. Until then we had no idea about the farm or the trust. During those five years we practically starved. Your father would get a job and hold it for a couple of weeks, then he'd get fired for fighting. Some years he didn't even work enough to get unemployment insurance. When mom or my grandparents knew we were hurting, they'd slip me a little money for food."

"He wasn't a drunk or anything was he, Mom?" I asked.

"No. Just mean. He spent six months in jail one time when you were two years old. He hit a man with a shovel on one of the jobs he was on. Mom wanted me to divorce him then, but I kept hoping that someday he'd grow up. It just never happened."

I looked over at Patty then we both got up and hugged mom from either side. I was a little surprised that she wasn't a little more upset, but then I thought of everything dad had done to her.

After I had gone to bed, Patty came in and visited with me again. "So, what do you think about what mom said?" she asked after she had laid down on top of the covers again.

I turned over and put my arms around her. "The only thing I regret is that she didn't do this a long time ago," I said.

"Yeah. I feel sorry for mom. She's wasted her life on a loser. I guess she's still young enough to enjoy life though."

"She's only thirty-five. She has a lot of life left ahead of her. Maybe she'll even find another man."

"You don't think thirty-five is too old to have sex?" Patty asked.

"Honey, people have sex up into their eighty's or ninety's."

"Eewh, that sounds gross."

"It probably won't sound gross when you're eighty or ninety."

"I doubt that I'll ever have sex."

"Why's that, Sweety?"

"It would have to be just the perfect man. I know there is a perfect man for me, but I doubt he'd ever want to have sex with me."

"If he didn't there'd have to be something wrong with him," I told her. "You are a lovely young lady, Patty. Any man would want to make love to you."

She laid her head on my shoulder and we snuggled for a few minutes. Then she kissed me on the cheek and went off to bed.

Day 7 Thursday, October 28

Mom was in the best mood I'd ever seen her in the next morning. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek when I got myself a cup of coffee.

"What's up, Mom. You seem happy."

"I am happy. I've agonized for years over filing for divorce. I always thought I'd feel so lonesome. Now that I've done it, it's like I have a new chance at life."

"Good for you, Mom."

"Ed, you have no idea how happy you've made me by wanting to try your hand at farming."

"Well, Mom," I said as Patty came in and poured herself some coffee. "I don't know if I'll be able to make a go of it, but I certainly want to try."

"That's all anyone can do. Have you told Karen what you're planning to do?"

Patty giggled. "Karen said she wouldn't mind being a farm wife."

"Are you two that serious, Ed?" mom asked.

"Heck, we've only had one date, so I can't say we're that serious yet. We do see each other every day though and I do love her. Who knows. She may decide she doesn't like me in a month or two."

"That isn't going to happen," Patty said seriously. "Karen has been in love with you for years. If anything, it'll be you falling out of love with her."

I had to laugh. More from a feeling of contentment than because I thought anything was funny. "Little Sis, there's no way in the world I'm going to fall out of love with Karen. She's beautiful and smart. She's loving and caring and she even likes my bratty sister."

Mom had a big smile as she asked, "So can I plan on a wedding within the next two or three years?"

"I think that's a very good possibility, if she'll have me," I told her.

My sister really is a brat. She repeated the entire conversation to Karen as we were driving to school. I just sat there trying to think up some punishment that would be sufficiently bad to repay her for this.

When Patty finished, Karen hugged my arm and whispered in my ear, "I'll have you."

I know I was blushing, but I also felt ten feet tall. When I stopped the car at school, Karen and I kissed before we got out. It was a very loving kiss with a lot of promise. "I'm going to hold you to that," I said.

"I hope you do."

A couple of weird things happened that morning that almost blew my mind. The first was that Jill Benton stopped me in the hall and asked me if I was going to the Fall Festival. I told her I hadn't really thought about it. She was all smiles as she told me I really should think about going. She even touched me on the arm a few times as we were talking.

The second thing happened in English class. I had gotten there early and I was looking through my notes from last week. As she was walking by, Tiffany Sellars laid her hand on my right shoulder and trailed it across my back to my left shoulder. She stopped for a moment with her hand still on my shoulder and said, "Good morning, Ed." I told her good morning, then she walked on up the aisle. Her butt looked like two cats fighting in a paper sack as she sauntered away.

I told Patty and Karen about them at lunch.

"They were coming on to you, Big Brother," Patty said.

"I'm going to scratch their eyes out," Karen said.

"Karen, my love, you don't have a thing to worry about. I love you and I'm going steady with you. There's no one else I'm interested in."

"Awh, ain't that sweet," Patty said.