“Not a problem.”
“There’s a basket of clean towels and clothes on my bed.”
After a quick shower he went downstairs.
Daed walked in, carrying the mail. “Are you going to be able to get that hay mower in working order or not?” Daed hadn’t glanced up to acknowledge Aaron’s presence or mumbled one hello since Aaron had arrived home, but he wanted updates on his work. Daed sat at the table and began opening the bills.
Aaron moved to his chair. “It’ll work—not great, but it’ll do its job. The blades still need sharpening. If I can get them to hold an edge, we’ll be okay. It’s a really thick crop of hay this year.”
“Sylvia fertilized the fields with chicken manure a couple of times so we could get a bumper crop.”
“Of course she did,” Aaron mumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s … different.”
“Ya, she is.” His Daed didn’t seem to mind her strangeness even though his parents were as traditional as they came. Maybe their need for her had stretched their capacity to tolerate differences in people.
“We even managed to get the dent corn planted in the west field.” Daed opened a business-sized white envelope. “It’ll take time to get us out of the hole we’re in, but Sylvia and I are making progress.” He stared at the DairyAll bill he’d pulled out.
DairyAll provided equipment for farmers and carried loans for the purchases. His folks had owed them money since the day Daed had bought this place. Daed laid the bill on the table, and Aaron caught a glimpse of it.
“Horse neck.” He picked it up and studied it. “We owe that much?”
“We?” His Daed took it from him, folded it, and slid it back into the envelope.
Mamm passed Aaron a glass of icy lemonade. “A cooling tank went out, along with sterilizing equipment and half the milkers. It all had to be replaced last winter.”
He set the drink down. “That payment is three months overdue. And it mentions putting a lien on the place in four weeks if a payment isn’t made.”
“I know all that,” Daed snapped. “What do you think, Son, that I’m too stupid to understand what the statement says?”
Aaron bit his tongue and willed himself to speak quietly. “No, of course not. It shocked me, and I was thinking out loud.”
“Do me a favor and don’t use that super-nice, you’re-an-idiot tone with me.”
Aaron nodded. Even his effort to sound respectful had managed to annoy his father.
Daed put the bill beside his plate. “If we get that hay in and sold, we can make at least one full payment, maybe one and a half. That will keep the threat of the lien at bay for a while. If the weather cooperates, we might get three harvests this year.”
Aaron groaned inwardly. “And you’ll face something similar again next year and the next. There are easier ways to make a living, ones that aren’t filled with if s.” He took a breath. “You could sell the farm.”
“That’s ridiculous, although I’m not surprised you are suggesting it. I’m a farmer. I farm.”
“Daed … could you bear with me and listen for just a few minutes, please?”
“You won’t stop at a few minutes.”
“Please.”
Daed pulled out his pocket watch, opened it, and laid it on the table. He folded his arms. “You have two minutes.”
“This place is too much for you. Maybe if your rheumatoid arthritis didn’t keep you from working some of the time, it wouldn’t be. But it is. I’m not the same man who left here five months ago. I’m clean. I’m here to help you get out from under this place. There are other jobs you’d enjoy and could do.”
“Like what?”
“Well … what about selling appliances to Amish folks?”
“Appliances?” Similar looks of displeasure appeared on his parents’ faces.
“I’ve put money down on Plain People’s Appliances. It’s a store in Owl’s Perch.”
“Our family has farmed for as far back as the records show, and you want us to move to town
“There’s a basket of clean towels and clothes on my bed.”
After a quick shower he went downstairs.
Daed walked in, carrying the mail. “Are you going to be able to get that hay mower in working order or not?” Daed hadn’t glanced up to acknowledge Aaron’s presence or mumbled one hello since Aaron had arrived home, but he wanted updates on his work. Daed sat at the table and began opening the bills.
Aaron moved to his chair. “It’ll work—not great, but it’ll do its job. The blades still need sharpening. If I can get them to hold an edge, we’ll be okay. It’s a really thick crop of hay this year.”
“Sylvia fertilized the fields with chicken manure a couple of times so we could get a bumper crop.”
“Of course she did,” Aaron mumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s … different.”
“Ya, she is.” His Daed didn’t seem to mind her strangeness even though his parents were as traditional as they came. Maybe their need for her had stretched their capacity to tolerate differences in people.
“We even managed to get the dent corn planted in the west field.” Daed opened a business-sized white envelope. “It’ll take time to get us out of the hole we’re in, but Sylvia and I are making progress.” He stared at the DairyAll bill he’d pulled out.
DairyAll provided equipment for farmers and carried loans for the purchases. His folks had owed them money since the day Daed had bought this place. Daed laid the bill on the table, and Aaron caught a glimpse of it.
“Horse neck.” He picked it up and studied it. “We owe that much?”
“We?” His Daed took it from him, folded it, and slid it back into the envelope.
Mamm passed Aaron a glass of icy lemonade. “A cooling tank went out, along with sterilizing equipment and half the milkers. It all had to be replaced last winter.”
He set the drink down. “That payment is three months overdue. And it mentions putting a lien on the place in four weeks if a payment isn’t made.”
“I know all that,” Daed snapped. “What do you think, Son, that I’m too stupid to understand what the statement says?”
Aaron bit his tongue and willed himself to speak quietly. “No, of course not. It shocked me, and I was thinking out loud.”
“Do me a favor and don’t use that super-nice, you’re-an-idiot tone with me.”
Aaron nodded. Even his effort to sound respectful had managed to annoy his father.
Daed put the bill beside his plate. “If we get that hay in and sold, we can make at least one full payment, maybe one and a half. That will keep the threat of the lien at bay for a while. If the weather cooperates, we might get three harvests this year.”
Aaron groaned inwardly. “And you’ll face something similar again next year and the next. There are easier ways to make a living, ones that aren’t filled with if s.” He took a breath. “You could sell the farm.”
“That’s ridiculous, although I’m not surprised you are suggesting it. I’m a farmer. I farm.”
“Daed … could you bear with me and listen for just a few minutes, please?”
“You won’t stop at a few minutes.”
“Please.”
Daed pulled out his pocket watch, opened it, and laid it on the table. He folded his arms. “You have two minutes.”
“This place is too much for you. Maybe if your rheumatoid arthritis didn’t keep you from working some of the time, it wouldn’t be. But it is. I’m not the same man who left here five months ago. I’m clean. I’m here to help you get out from under this place. There are other jobs you’d enjoy and could do.”
“Like what?”
“Well … what about selling appliances to Amish folks?”
“Appliances?” Similar looks of displeasure appeared on his parents’ faces.
“I’ve put money down on Plain People’s Appliances. It’s a store in Owl’s Perch.”
“Our family has farmed for as far back as the records show, and you want us to move to town
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