Chapter 20

Before we knew it, Jack was graduating high school. He had also finished in the top ten percent of his class and had no trouble getting into the University of Nebraska. He even got a partial scholarship so his tuition would not be a huge burden on the family. During the summer, we both worked at the same restaurant. Once we got a little money together, we bought simply wedding bands, and in an early morning ceremony, just the two of us, we exchanged rings; vowing our eternal love to each other.

The next few years seemed to go by so quickly. Our days were filled with school work, sports and fraternity activities, or work. I graduated with honors and got a job in the finance department of the state bank. A year later, Jack graduated with high honors, with a major in accounting. He got a job with a large local CPA firm. We were both making decent money; but more importantly, we were preparing ourselves for the future, when we would use our acquired skills to pave the way for our early retirement.

We started looking in the real estate papers for a place out in the country with lots of land, and not many neighbors. It was Dad that actually found the advertisement. It was an estate sale. It seemed that an elderly couple had recently died just months apart. Their only child had moved away long before and lived in New Jersey. He was anxious to sell the place as is, and was willing to hold a mortgage in order to avoid problems with the banks. We all met with the real estate agent and visited the property. The house was large, way more than enough for Jack and me, and although it was located near a major highway for trips back to our home town; it was isolated from the neighbors. The property was just perfect for what we wanted it for. The only question was the down payment. The seller wanted half of the selling price in order to hold the mortgage. I looked at Jack, heartbroken; we could never come up with that kind of money. I was about ready to thank the agent for her time, when I noticed Mom and Dad having their own discussion. They seemed to come to a decision, then asked Jack and I to step outside for a family discussion. We excused ourselves and went outside.