Chapter 50

As late fall asserted itself with cold brisk air on the mountain, our lifestyle had taken on a peaceful, enjoyable, existence.

Karen was off at school in Lexington, but called almost daily. Denise and Karen had become bosom buddies, able to ward off the wolves that preyed on young college girls. Both were savvier than most other girls their age, and both had education goals they wanted to meet. Their next trip home was going to be Thanksgiving and that was coming up in less than two weeks.

It was Friday evening, the forecast was for snow, and I had just returned from helping the guys get the salt trucks ready. John beat Mato and Minya to me for that first hug when I came through the door. I had to hold all three of them and explain what I had been doing while sitting on the boot bench. They went back to what they had been doing when they were satisfied with my report.

Mom was on the phone with a grim look on her face. I heard her say "Shirley" a couple of times, which made me wonder if there was something wrong with my brother. The phone in my office rang almost as soon as I had my boots off and was about to get a beer.

"Hello, this is Mike."

"Oh Mike, oh Mike, it couldn't be any worse."

I recognized my sister's voice and said, "Slow down, Sissy, what's the matter, what's happened?"

"Oh, Mike, Bill's been let go. His company is now down to only one accountant and actuary. Bill thought that he would be safe, but the company is cutting everywhere they can. He's not even getting paid for any of his unused vacation or sick leave. Mike, this is bad because I still don't have a job and we are always just a paycheck away from being behind on everything."

"Don't worry, Sis, if worse comes to worse, you guys are welcome here for as long as you want. As a matter of fact, you guys should pack up your car and drive down here right now for some good country food and love. John, Minya, and Mato will love having their cousins here."

Sissy was quiet for a minute then said, "You know, that might be exactly what we need. It will give us a chance to talk things out."

"Good, just pack up what you need for a few days to a week, bring any perishables along, and get here. I'll have a beer or glass of wine waiting for you. Drive safely."

I was sitting back in my desk chair when Mom came in and heavily sat in the chair beside my desk. She said, "That was Shirley on the phone. Your brother's company just went bankrupt and has laid off their entire marketing group."

"That's pretty radical for a reorganization, Mom. Usually it's just a way to put all of the regular bills on hold. So what's Frank thinking or going to do?"

Mom told me, "I told them to pack up and get down here as fast as they could. They need to be with us and be a part of our family so that they can relax and be around some warm loving people."

"Mom, you're not going to believe this, but I just got off the phone with Sissy. She called to tell me that Bill was just terminated. His company let all of their numbers people but one go. I told her the same thing and they are going to be on their way. Should we call them back to tell them to talk to each other?"

Mom looked at me and smiled, "Naw, just let them get here and they can cry on each other's shoulders. Meanwhile, you should get on the phone with Benson and Maude to see what opportunities they might have around here."

Mom left the office, so I called Benson and was surprised to find him at his office. "Hey, Benson, what are you doing in your office so late?"

"Your buddy, Bernie, has me researching what a radio and television station in Lexington is worth. I'm not sure what he's thinking, but they are two different companies, even though they share the same call letters and building. There are all kinds of laws about dual ownership of both radio and TV. I don't know the laws, but I'm learning."

I asked my friend, "That's a little out of your realm, isn't it, big guy?"

"That's north of my knowledge, Bubba. But Bernie asked, so I'll do the learning. Hey, that's what a small town lawyer does. Of course, lawyers tend to learn at the client's expense, one way or another, but the expense is not nearly as great as when the lawyer doesn't learn."

"Tell you what, call your wife, tell her that you're going to eat with us tonight, and come on up. I want to talk to you, and you'll get to meet who I want to talk to you about."

"I can't, Mike, because we're supposed to meet Maude and Gene at the Kitchen tonight. They want to talk about some stuff and thought that might be good."

"Tell you what, Benson. Just come out to my place and I'll call Maude and have her come out too. You three can talk that way, because I need to talk to Maude as well."

"Okay, Mike, your Mom makes a better supper anyway. We'll be out soon. Do you have enough beer? I'm thirsty tonight."

"I just bought a couple cases over in Pine Ridge last week. I'll make sure it's all just short of freezing. Get here, and just to make your client happy, call Bernie and tell him to bring Sheryl out for supper too."

Maude was happy when I called, since she could pass on the Kitchen for a chance to come out to the house. Our gatherings had not been as large lately. We still had Pete and Bert almost every night and many mornings, but they were down in Florida enjoying getting some more of their bucket list done. The road guys who were not married came out most evenings, but they also went to Mount Sterling fairly often. The married road guys usually wanted to stay home and enjoy their new mates.

I went out to tell Mom about the surge of visitors and she told me, "You might have to get the folding tables out, because Esteban and family are on their way, along with Raul, Jose, and their families, and I think all the road guys are coming with their wives. We might as well call Martha and Harold. They are always ready to come."

I asked, "What do you have for supper? Do we have that much that you can get ready?"

"Oh yeah, Mike. I was going to have this for a big Sunday dinner, but we have enough chicken to feed everyone, so we'll begin frying it up as soon as you light the stove in the summer kitchen."

That old stove always seemed to have a fire in it. We often needed it for morning biscuits or rolls, and it often was a place to keep food warm until supper. I was able to get the stove fire going without much effort. It was chilly out on the porch, so I figured that I should make sure there was enough wood in the wood boxes next to the fireplaces.

The bedroom fireplace was going and the wood box was full. I was surprised to see that the wood box was almost overflowing when I looked at the living room fireplace. Millie saw me looking and said, "Mato said it was his job to bring in enough wood for us. You should have seen him picking out all of the little pieces for the wood stove. He really tries to help. Minya goes out to help with the chickens in the evening. One of these mornings, she'll be getting up to do the chores out there too."

Mom said, "We should get a cow because that would be good lessons for the kids. They need to know that animals feed us and give us milk, but we have to work for it and care for the animals."

I told Mom and Millie, "I think that's what Esteban wants to talk to me about. I heard there was a farmer up near Mount Sterling who's selling his Jersey herd. I'd bet he's heard that too and wants me to bring them in. We would be needing hay before spring if I was to do that. I think we could last with enough grain, but not hay."

Mom was quick to say, "Just tell Esteban and John to look around for some deals on hay and see what might be available. You have those men to do that stuff for you, so use them. John brought in a good crop this year and he has a couple of fields planted for next year's oats. He's probably ahead and I know he and Bert have been working on equipment."

I told her, "Do you know that John and Carla have decided that she needs to work in the big garden over here and not have a big garden at home? They have a small one ready for the spring, but they have built a new chicken house and rounded up a pretty big bunch of chickens. You'll probably see them selling some chickens and eggs at the market. They have ducks and geese that they let use the old chicken house to roost in at night and for some scratch food. The ducks and geese go back and forth to his small lake in the bottom."

Mom looked at me with a warm smile, "Your farm is ready for the winter too, isn't it? I've seen you working on your equipment, and Mato says it's fun to paint the big plows and discs. Are you trying to emulate Pete?"

"There could be worse men to learn from. I did get the floors sealed and have painted lines for each piece of equipment. When I put equipment into the pole barn, Mato guides me to make sure that I get it centered. We make a good team."

Millie hugged my arm and told me, "Minya is trying to learn to cook with us and has been helping to make soup for lunches. She would like to do more outside, so you might want to let her help Mato out there sometime."

"I'll do that. Now, though, I'm going to have a beer."

After opening a beer, I noticed D sitting in a rocker reading one of his winemaking books. When I sat down in another rocker, he said, "You know our hard cider and pear brandy is ready to sell. Most of the wine is close to being ready to bottle, so we might be busy this coming week. If it doesn't snow, maybe you can get your road men up here to help out. We'll be moving barrels around for most of a week."

"How much are you planning to bottle, D?"

D put his book down on the coffee table and picked up his glass of wine. He rolled the wine around in the goblet, took a drink, and then said, "I want to put the restaurant's wine in new large bottles this year so they can have them for the tables. They are also going to have some of our special wines in smaller bottles, along with our grappa and brandies. We already have a commitment from a New York wholesaler for a hundred cases of twelve bottles each of our grappa and brandy. We're not going to have much left for around here after fulfilling that order. We also have an order for a hundred cases of twelve of various wines. We should have enough for them, as well as for selling to the locals at the markets. I want to sell most of our wine locally in bottles instead of gallon jugs this year. You can still sell some of our lesser wines by the gallon, but all of our good stuff should be sold by the bottle."

"Do we have enough wine to do everything you're talking about? I know it seemed like we filled every nook and cranny with wine in barrels and vats, but you're talking about a lot of wine."

"We have plenty of the cheap wine and brandy, Mike. Remember that we bought the grapes from the lady who sold us the distilling equipment. We're going to work her vineyard next year, and we're going to pay her about sixty cents a bushel for the grapes. After we tend to them the way we do ours, her grapes will be almost as good as ours next year. I've already done the pruning and worked the ground around the vines over there. I'm having gravel brought in now, and will have it in a row to put around the plants after we fertilize next year. The vineyard should produce well since we cleaned it up, and she does have some of the white grapes we need for our special Merlot."

I looked straight at D and asked, "You're taking Mom on a good vacation this year, aren't you?"

"I sure am. We're going to southern Italy and Sicily to look at some vineyards there. I want to compare our wine to theirs and we both want to see all of ancient Rome."

"That sounds like fun, D. Now that you and Mom are taken care of, I'm going to have to find a place for my brother and sister. Both men have lost their jobs, and times are tough up in Cincinnati. Both men are office guys with little manual labor experience. My brother was raised on a farm, but wasn't that interested in farming. If you hear of someone that might need a good field salesman, my brother is the man. Keep your ears open."

D nodded his head as he told me, "I might have a lead for him. He didn't appear to be a heavy drinker when I met him before. The position that I hear is open might be a problem if he drinks a lot."

"We'll watch him while he's here. He's under some stress, so we'll quickly get a good idea of how he reacts."

D nodded as he sipped his wine, set his goblet back on the coffee table, and picked his book back up. I had the distinct impression our conversation had ended.

I went back to the kitchen, finished my beer, and was about to reach for another. Mom said, "Have some of the special white Merlot that D brought in for me. This is very nice. Remember to sip it, Mike. Don't gulp like a bubba."

My lovelies are always good entertainment. I was just entering my office when the door burst open, and Benson and family, followed by Bernie, Sheryl, Gene, and Maude all walked in. They all took turns to get out of their shoes, and all gave me either a handshake or a hug. The seven of us went to one of the tables where I asked who wanted a beer, drink, or wine. I sat with the three couples and listened when everyone was served.

Benson announced, "I think you might have struck a nerve, Bernie. The management at WHIP told me to talk to their home office, which turned out to be the same group for the TV station. From what I could put together, they are cash poor and can't seem to come up with an advertising program that will pull them out. They may even be near bankruptcy. I think you could work a deal to either buy them out, or become their primary shareholder and direct their operations the way you want. You're going to need Mike to co-sign for you if you buy them out, but that shouldn't be a problem."

I was sitting there with my mouth open, but Benson and Bernie were in a deep discussion. Bernie said, "If I could gain control of their marketing, I'll bet I could turn a profit by selling advertising all over our area, as well as Lexington. We could bring a lot of dollar traffic down here from up there if we do it right. Places like Mount Sterling could really benefit from the vehicle traffic to their locations. We can get some, and even all the way to Pine Ridge should benefit. All I'd have to do is find the right guy to head up our marketing."

"Ding!" My brother is a marketing guru according to my sister-in-law and his former employers. Maybe he would be the man to do what Bernie wants.

Bernie went on to say, "I don't know what you've heard, Benson, but I've heard their accounting department sucks. They don't collect what they should and are always late with numbers to be used for planning the next month and quarter. You really need good numbers when you're planning the next month. We might have to upend that group and redo it with new people."

"Ah, Guys; my brother-in-law is an accountant that has been running an investment firm for the last five years. I'd bet he has the ability to run a first rate accounting department, and I'm sure he knows to collect what is owed."

Bernie looked up at me, "You talkin' true? You really know someone like that?"

"Not only that, Bernie, but I might have the marketing guy you need. My brother is out of a job as of today, and has been an international marketing manager for the Strong Corporation. They just declared bankruptcy. We'll need to find out why they did that, and query him as to how he could help you, Bernie, but I might have the two men you need to make this thing work."

Bernie stared at me and broke into a smile. "Why didn't I just ask you how to get this thing done? Christ, Mike, you might have the answer to what we need. I know we can make this work, but we need the right men to do it right now."

It was Gene who brought something to the forefront, "The development isn't going to sell without the right kind of marketing. You have two models built, and the third and fourth models are underway and almost done. What we need is someone living in homes up there, which would entice more people to commit to a new home within driving distance of Lexington. How about putting your brother and brother-in-law in new homes somewhere in the subdivision so that we can use their testimonials to sell more? This could be a good deal for Bernie and the "Mountain Homes" development."

Mom walked over to our group and told us, "These kids coming are going to be down. If you guys give them the same hype you've been talking, they're going to be bouncing off the ceiling. Do it for me and watch how these two families respond. You'll be doing me a favor, because then I will have all my kids and grandkids around me."

All seven of us sat back and looked at each other to focus on what was going to happen this evening.

The house quickly filled as the road guys and their new wives, "D's" girls, came in. The girls immediately began helping with supper, while the guys had a beer or a glass of wine. The new road guys were mixed with all the others, so they were a crew of men who enjoyed each other's company.

Esteban and family came in to join the throng already here. They blended into their various groups as everyone became aware that we were waiting on the two families who were on their way.

Sissy and Bill showed up with their two kids about six thirty. We welcomed them inside as if they were family, which they are, but as if it was a celebration that they were here.

Frank and Shirley arrived less than five minutes later, and came in with their two kids. The celebration was complete. Mom began seating them all after everyone had a chance to take a breath. With a few extra chairs pushed up to the tables, there was just enough room for everyone. Even the kid's table was full, but that's half the fun.

John wanted to sit with the other kids, but Millie had him in his high chair next to her to make sure he ate. There was so much excitement that he might not have eaten if he was allowed to sit with all of the other kids. Our twins were still too small to be a part of the crowd, so they spent dinner in their playpen waiting for their evening feeding and playtime.

After Harold delivered a happy blessing for the meal, we all stuffed ourselves with some prime Kentucky fried chicken that didn't come from the Colonel. Our fried chicken was done to Mom's specifications, and that meant mouthwatering good.

The guys all banded together after supper to wash the dishes and pans so that the women could enjoy some coffee or wine, and in Millie's and Rosita's case, feed our twins.

I maneuvered Bill and Frank to a table, and had both of them sit with the other interested parties, along with D. I let Bernie begin. "You two may be the perfect people to rescue a small TV and radio station up in Lexington. The radio station will be easy, since I already have a successful radio station operating right here in Stanton. The TV station is what will need some good direction, as well as management. Their sales and accounting are abysmal. The station is not collecting their receivables or even their co-op fees. Mike thinks that Frank is the answer to our marketing problem, and that Bill could easily be our guru to get the finances back in shape. Both jobs will not be easy, and they will demand all the expertise and experience that you two have. This is an opportunity for you two, with Mike's backing, to make a real dent in the broadcast market between Lexington and southeast Kentucky."