The Farm At Maple Hollow - 12. Chapter 12

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It was Mid-March when the letter came requesting Ethan’s presence at the National Guard Armory in Worcester. There was to be an official mustering out ceremony. It was to take place on the last Saturday of the month. It was to be a big to-do. We all had to get haircuts and fitted for new suites if the old ones didn’t fit. What I didn’t understand at first why was everyone invited, crap, even my folks were going. My sister would be coming home and we would be meeting my brother at his college in Worcester. All told there would be nearly thirty of us.

We pulled up outside the armory and the first thing I noticed was all of the cars. Some were limousines and others were vans with people unloading equipment out of them. Walking past everyone and into the armory Ethan let out an audible gasp.

“Tompkins, you are the laziest, sorriest excuse for a former Army private I ever met” bellowed Gunnery Sergeant St Clair as he extended his hand in greeting.

“Gunney” Ethan yelled back, “Its good to see you, what the heck is going on here” he asked as they saluted each other out of respect and shook hands warmly.

“Your finally getting what you deserve today you worthless malinger. It’s about time someone other than me finally noticed.” Gunney said smiling from ear to ear.

As we stood in the entrance way all sorts of folks came walking in. I saw the Governor and some other politicians I had seen on the news including one of our Senators in Washington. We were led into the auditorium and as we made our way towards our seats on the stage introductions were made to the assembled dignitaries. Sam had muscled his way towards me and when he got to me he grasped my hand tightly. He was bouncing around from foot to foot just as puzzled as I was. After a few moments the lights dimmed a couple of times to get everyone’s attention. We all took our seats and Sam sat in my lap. Looking over at his parents they just nodded and smiled.

Our Governor got up and made a small speech about bravery and sacrifice, the noble cause serving one’s country was how the battlefield was a proving ground for men of distinction. As he finished he got a smattering of applause and sat down. Next up was a General Fallon, he recounted the events of his helicopter crash and how the bravery of a young private saved his life, creating a debt that never could be repaid. How his family prayed each night for that young soldier as he recovered from his devastating injuries.

Gunnery Sergeant St Clair spoke of the young soldier who, nearly single-handedly one night went behind enemy lines and thwarted an attack on their badly outnumbered base. The Senator got up and spoke of the noble men from our state who had served their country throughout its history. The lights dimmed one more time as the President walked out on stage. He spoke of events of the day and apologized for being late as a spring mid Atlantic snowstorm delayed his flight. He spoke of the honor it was to be here, in the presence of a recipient of the Medal of Honor who was in the hall and requested that he step forward. Earl came forward and shook the President’s hand and stood beside Ethan.

I was worried now, Ethan had been standing for some time and while he didn’t need his crutches any more, he would when tired or standing for too long, need his cane. The President opened a small box on the podium and took a medal out of it. As he did he stopped and called for Mrs. Tompkins to join him. Marge walked up to the President and shook his hands warmly. Together they walked over to Ethan and her husband. She removed Earl’s Medal of Honor from her pocket, and at the direction of the President placed it over Earl’s neck.

Walking over to Ethan the President simply said “For risking your life in a conspicuous manner and with no thought to your personal safety and in a simple act of gallantry in placing the welfare of others first, a grateful nation commends you. Private Ethan Allen Tompkins you are awarded this Medal of Honor” placing it around his neck.

I was stunned and shocked beyond belief. It was Sam who first noticed Ethan’s leg giving out. He grabbed Ethan’s cane from my hand and leapt towards bellowing “Uncle Ethan, Uncle Ethan…I’ve got your cane!” The president and all eyes turned to see where the commotion was coming from and as Sam came barreling across the stage, the President finally noticing what was happening, stretched his arms out to Sam who flew past him to Ethan’s side, steadying him and preventing him from falling.

The picture ran in all of the papers the next day and the film made the national news. The picture was of a little boy racing to his uncle’s side in a time of need completely ignoring the most powerful man in the world. The president was nothing but quick witted and once the commotion had subsided went on “It’s a rare thing to be a recipient of this honor, rarer still when two members of the same family share this distinguished honor and I believe based on what we have seen here today, we just may have seen the next member of this family who just may earn this honor as well.” It cracked up the audience and broke the tension in the room. The applause was deafening and for the most part the rest of the afternoon was a blur.

When all of the commotion and interviews were over we all went to Auggie Gustafson’s diner. He had closed the diner for the day and we all had a celebratory meal. Sam wouldn’t leave Ethan’s or for that matter my side as well. It was at his insistence that we sat together. It was while we were eating that Marge’s role came to play out. She was aware of everything from the beginning, Gunney, knowing neither Earl or Ethan would have gone along with this, spoke with Marge. The two of them planned the entire event and unbeknownst to anyone, the President had called asking she bring Earl’s medal.

The ride home belonged to Sam; he kept going on and on, just how wonderful the day was and how proud he was. He had Ethan’s Medal of Honor in the one hand and Earl’s in the other. He had kept us all entertained until we had gotten home. He announced to his parents without asking first, that he was spending the night and we would be going to the cabin.

Ethan had been quiet. I knew he was bothered by the attention but not upset. He’d just shake his head and wondered what the fuss was about; he simply did his job, nothing more and nothing less. He figured it was what anyone would have done if they were in his shoes. I pulled Ethan to the side when Sam was distracted and gave him a hug, it was the first time we had a moment together alone. He was happy for the moment and I looked at him and went “Allen, your middle name is Allen? Ethan Allen??? Ethan Allen Tompkins…that’s rich and started laughing, it didn’t take long for Sam to find us and he was slightly exasperated we had managed to doge him.

It wasn’t much longer when Sam got really antsy. Nearly everyone had left and he wanted to go to the cabin. Eddy knowing what was going on had gone down earlier and lit the woodstove. He and Bobby had other plans for the evening and we would see them in the morning. As it was mid March the ice was out on the pond we would have use the boat to get over.

Sam had to row as he was going to bring us. The trip took a bit longer and we assisted where needed. We brought our gear up to the cabin and made sure everything was taken care of. Like always we had brought snacks, drinks and sandwiches along with cereal, milk and muffins. He took charge and saw to it everything was put away, wood for the stove brought in, the floor swept and made sure the “Pooplight” worked.

It had been an exciting day to say the least and Sam wasn’t going to be dissuaded. He wanted to hear firsthand what his uncle had done in the jungle and what had happened in the plane crash. He knew the basics and now he wanted the details. Ethan to his credit did a remarkable job explaining to Sam what he had done in a PG rated version. We spent the rest of the night talking about the upcoming April school vacation and plans for the upcoming summer. Sam talked about improvements we could do to the cabin. He wanted to put a separate chimney for the woodstove so the kitchen cook stove could be used in the winter, he wanted one of the old braided rugs for the floor and to bring the old couch in the barn storeroom out to the cabin. He also wanted us to build benches around the outdoor fireplace.

Sam was excited as he knew he would be spending his vacation time staying and working up at the farm. We stayed up talking till Sam’s motor ran out of fuel. As was our custom, we had tossed blankets and pillows on the floor near the woodstove and as he started to fade away he once again stretched out across our laps. We let him lay there for a while as we talked about the day. Ethan’s concern was keeping his privacy. He had no desire or aspirations to be in the limelight, worse yet he suspected while he may have earned the Medal of Honor he felt that with a fresh political primary campaign season underway that he was being used as a photo-op. While we were at the auditorium there were many requests for interviews and he turned them down flat. He participated in the obligatory ones and photo-ops and then went back to be with his family.

Ethan wanted me to know that none of this changed anything about us. We would continue on as if nothing happened. As we sat there sitting side by side we placed our hands together, turned our heads and kissed lightly.

“You know my middle name, I think it’s only fair that I know yours” he pouted.

I started giggling, “You are going to have to force it out of me, all I am giving you is; name, rank, length of penis and social security number!”

“I have my ways” Ethan threatened.

“Oh tough guy I see” I retorted

“You’ll see how tough in a few minutes.

I loved it, Ethan had handled the days excitement and was unscathed by it. He was being playful and expressing a need to be with me on an intimate level. I was getting a boner as Sam would call it. That made me realize we had the little munchkin across our laps.

“Our bed or the bunkroom” Ethan asked, knowing what my answer would be.

“Lets put him in the bunkroom, leave the oil lantern on, and we both know sometime after we fall asleep the little rascal is gonna crawl in with us”.

Ethan was chuckling to himself softly, trying not to move so much, “I think it is best if you pick him up tonight, my leg is pretty beat.” leaning over he gave Sam a light kiss on the forehead.

I picked up the still sleeping Sam as Ethan went ahead and pulled the covers back. Carefully we undressed him and got his PJ’s on and tucked him in. I gave him a peck on the cheek and told him to have happy dreams in the land of Nod.

We both made our way to the bedroom. My arm was around Ethan as I walked with him allowing him to place some of his weight on me. He had made great progress and in another month or so he would be nearly good as new.

We undressed and crawled under the covers. Ethan was feeling a bit frisky and I opened my legs to give him access to Old Spot. With in seconds he was begging for some attention and Ethan obliged. Leaning over he started to lick me and slowly placed his mouth on me. I arched my back and moaned softly. It wouldn’t take long tonight as it had been a couple of days with all of the hubbub and commotion at the house. I was soon at the edge when Ethan slowed then stopped. I begged him to continue and he refused.

“What’s your middle name Squirt? He asked.

“You rotten dirty son of a gun” that’s not fair I moaned.

“We can go to sleep now if you chose not to tell me’ as he slowly started moving his hand away.

“I can’t believe you are doing this but if you insist it’d Johan, Swedish for John.

“Mmmm, I like that…Aric Johan Peterson, it’s a nice name almost as nice as Ethan Allen Tompkins” he whispered into my ear.

Bringing his lips to mine I kissed him deeply, my penis throbbing. I could smell taste my scent on his lips and mouth. Letting him go he moved down and continued his earlier efforts on me. I lasted just a short while before submitting to his eager mouth. As my orgasm subsided I felt my balls release from their tight grip and drape themselves over his fingers.

When I had recovered sufficiently I repaid the favor. I was lost in the smell of his groin as I suckled. Ethan’s hands were on the sides of my head helping to set his pace. Like I was earlier he was eager for release and it came quickly. I coerced every bit of his seed as his member softened. When I was sure I had it all I moved back up on the bed and kissed him. Both satisfied and enjoying the afterglow, we bade our good nights to each other, “I love you Aric Johan Peterson” and I replied “I love you as much if not more Ethan Allen Tompkins.”

As it was becoming his custom, sometime in the wee hours of the morning a lump appeared in the middle of our bed. Once again Sam had climbed into bed between us. Ethan and I both woke at the same time that morning and gazed fondly at the little miscreant and chief mischief maker. We held hands on his chest and watched it rise and fall with each breath. Occasionally he would stir as the sandman faded from his nightly rounds, a smile crossing over on his angelic face. And again, as if someone flipped the light switch, he was awake, literally full of piss and vinegar, raring to go. We attacked him tickling him into a frenzy as he pleaded for us to stop. Finally at the threat of him pissing himself we stopped. It took but a second for him to recover and with a sly grin at the both of us, he jumped up and dashed off the bed, completely bare assed, taking the blankets with him.

“Ha…Ha…we got pee boners” he chortled drawing out the boner part of his comment as he pointed to us and to himself. “Come on, lets go write our names” as he struggled with his PJ top. We had no choice but to follow as we in turn pulled our tee shirts on and struggled with our sneakers. We followed Sam out the door as he tried to put his sneakers on while walking. The sight of this broke both Ethan and me up. After we finished marking our territory, in the cold March morning air, we headed back into the cabin to finish getting dressed and get breakfast out. We made the most of this Sunday morning on the island before heading back up to the farmhouse. We gathered wood for the outdoor fire, explored the various nooks and crannies and enjoyed our discoveries. There was a mother duck nesting, signs of deer track. You could see the buds on the trees were thickening and the new grasses starting to sprout. When we were done with our explorations we headed back to the cabin to pack, clean up and bring everything down to the rowboat. Later on that afternoon Ethan and I would take Sam home

It was the Thursday before Good Friday. I had gone out to dinner with my folks at the Tavern Restaurant. It was a local spot and the pizza was the best around. We talked about all sorts of things, my school work continued to impress them. They were discussing my thought of college and I told them I was going, I just needed to settle on a school. The night was pleasant and I wasn’t going to upset them that I was decided on the Agricultural College. We talked about the Red Sox and the Celtics who were headed for another championship. We talked about my brother and sister. My brother was going to go for his Masters in some obscure field of mathematics and my sister had set her sights on being an elementary school teacher. All in all, the Peterson family was doing well, my parents were proud of all of us.

Dad paid the check and we headed back towards home. We were on Valley Road heading towards Foundry Hill which was named for the old foundry located at the bottom of the hill. Years ago it was a going concern as the ample supply of water from the Weir River made the power it needed cheap and plentiful. Today it had fallen on hard times as cheaper products could be made down south or overseas. When we got to the foundry we would turn left and head up Foundry Street to the center of town and home.

Dad looked both ways before turning up the hill. Just as his blinker signal clicked off I heard him say “Oh Shit”. I looked up the hill to see what he was commenting on when I saw the pickup truck coming towards us with his headlights off.

As soon as I figured his headlights were off, he broadsided us. Later on I was told he never slowed down, there were no skid marks. The force of the impact tossed me out a window, they figured it was the left rear passenger window and I landed in the middle of the road. Mom and Dad weren’t so fortunate. They tell me they were killed instantly along with the driver of the pickup truck. When I exited the car I hit hard against the side on my way out rupturing my spleen, bruising several ribs. My mid section caught either the door lock knob or part of the metal trim slicing me from just under my ribcage down across to mid thigh. My head on the way out was lacerated along the part of my hair leaving a nasty gash. My arms and legs had a case of road rash as well. The folks living in the house across from the foundry heard the crash, looked out saw the wreckage, and called the police. They came running out with flashlights. The husband seeing me, thinking I was dead from all the blood, directed his wife to get a blanket to cover me and he in turn pulled his car out of the driveway to protect me. I don’t remember anything but the headlights on the pickup truck not being on until I woke at the hospital.

My brother and sister were there standing beside Marge and Earl. I was groggy and confused as to why I was there. Everyone’s eyes were red; it was obvious they had been crying. Looking down I saw the bandages on my arms and I asked for Mom and Dad. My sister burst into tears and fled from the room. My brother started to shake. I asked for Ethan, and then I screamed for Ethan. Marge came over to me and placed a hand on my forehead then took my hands in hers. She told me I had been in an accident with my parents and they didn’t survive. I burbled no…it can’t be. There was a roaring in my head and I screamed for Ethan, where the fuck was Ethan? Marge explained he was with Sam, they had been at the hospital for two days, waiting for me to wake, my spleen was ruptured and had to be removed. Sam had been getting antsy so Ethan took him for a walk, that he would be here in a moment. Earl came up to me and placed his hand on me and looking into my soul told me everything will work out, he’d be there for me as we sorted this out. I saw the tears and knew he would care for me and relaxed.

Ethan came into the room being pulled by Sam. They had seen my sister and knew I was awake. The look on Sam’s face said it all. He was the classical textbook picture of scared, worried concerned and relief that I was awake and he could talk to me. Sam had no filters and his face would always show exactly what he was thinking. He slipped from Ethan’s grasp and came running up to the bed. He stopped on a dime as he remembered my condition. Placing his hands tenderly at the edge of the bed he leaned into me, kissed me on the forehead and started bawling. They were tears of happiness as he was so glad I had woken up. He told me everything in a minute about how he felt; I don’t think he took a breath. As he was speaking no one could get a word in edgewise and he was shivering out of nervousness. Ethan came up and placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down and took my hand in his other hand. I started to relax a bit; my two guys had me and were comforting me. Something in Ethan’s demeanor calmed me. Nodding his head to the rest of the people in the room they got up and quietly left the room.

“You must have a lot of questions and I will answer all that I can” as he pulled up a chair and Sam into his lap. I asked him what had happened all I could remember was the meal before and leaving the restaurant. When we had come to the intersection I remembered the pickup truck about to hit us and his headlights were off. Ethan pressed the Nurses Call Button and proceeded to fill me in.

With tears in his eyes he told me my parents didn’t suffer, it was quick…instantaneous was the official cause in the report. I had been flung out of the car from the force of the impact. At first they thought I was dead, there was a significant loss of blood. While there were no broken bones, my ribs were badly bruised, my scalp was lacerated, I had ruptured my spleen and it was removed. I had severe abrasions to my arms and legs and the doctors felt that there would be minimal scaring.

At this point Sam broke in and told me not to worry, they were staying overnight in a hotel near Boston Common. They would be here every day of the rest of school vacation week. Tomorrow they were going to ride on one of the Swan Boats.

“Why am I in Boston?” I asked Ethan.

His face clouded over “You needed to see some specialists, a vascular and plastic surgeon.”

“Why would I need to?” I was curious, if I understood what I had been told my injuries while serious, didn’t require that type of service.

“Let me finish before you speak, then you can ask questions and I will answer truthfully. Promise you will remain calm and not get upset.”

Promised Ethan I would listen calmly. Sam latched on to Ethan’s side. Then he told me, I was horrified and nearly passed out. Later Ethan said the color drained from my face and scared Sam half to death as I was as white as the bed sheets.

“When you were ejected from the car” he continued “You were flung from one of the windows. They know which one and it was the one behind the driver’s seat. They found part of your dungarees on the door lock knob and the metal trim of the window. When you went out the window you shattered it with that hard head of yours. While you were being ejected you caught your midsection and got sliced open from your ribcage to your upper thigh.”

“Ok, but why do I need he specialist? I asked again.

Ethan choked up a bit and before speaking lightly traced a line along the length of that wound. When his finger crossed over my penis my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I nearly passed out. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.

“The vascular specialist and the plastic surgeon tell us there should be no lasting damage other than a scar that will be noticeable for the rest of your life. There should be no loss of function and we will know once the stitches come out and you have been off the medicine for a couple of days.”

“What’s the medicine for?” I asked weakly.

“It’s to prevent erections until you have healed enough for the stitches to come out. You should also know they had to shave your pubes off and they need to stay off for a couple of weeks after you come home to minimize any possible infections.” He calmly stated.

“When do the stitches come out? I need your help I need to see it!” I pleaded weakly.

“It’s all wrapped up in bandages and you have a catheter to drain your bladder. You won’t see anything for a couple of days Squirt, you will be ok. I spoke for some time with the surgeon. He showed me pictures of before and after the surgery. He understood my concerns.”

I groaned at the thought of someone taking pictures and that the surgeon knew about Ethan and me.

“They tell me you are a medical miracle and the surgeon feels that other doctors can learn from what happened to you. Your photos may even be the subject of the doctor’s next lecture series.”

I guess it was Ethan’s way of calming me down. He held my hand as he sat in the chair beside me with Sam in his lap. Sam couldn’t for the longest time take his eyes off my crotch. Finally gazing up at me with a wicked grin on his face giggle “Your boners gonna be in a picture book. Ha…Ha…Ha.” Ethan was beside himself trying not to encourage Sam any further but couldn’t help himself as he snorted “Yea and with no pubes”. By this time both of them were laughing uncontrollably as I began to see and imagine the absurdity of the situation and started laughing myself.

Turning to more serious matters Ethan told me that today was Sunday, the accident happened last Thursday and if all went well I would be going home tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. All of my after care would take place at home with visits to the Good Doctor’s office in town.

“We need to discuss your parent’s funeral. Everyone wanted to wait until you were out of the woods.” For now, it is planned for Friday if you feel up to it. If not, let me know and we’ll figure something out.

Let’s get me home tomorrow and we’ll see how I feel. I don’t see any reason not to and it is best we deal with it sooner rather than later.” I replied back.

As I finished speaking those words there was a knock on the door and a police officer entered along with Ethan’s brother Ezekiel. They had a few questions for me. The office explained that he needed to file a report on what I remembered happening. Ezekiel explained he was there to look after my interests. I had forgotten he was a lawyer. I answered the officer’s questions as best I could and as much as I remembered. All I could really say was that we were at the restaurant eating and Dad paid the check, we had all had sodas. I remembered leaving the restaurant and the ride down Valley Road. I remembered the blinker turning off as we made the turn onto Foundry Street and Dad going ‘oh shit’ them me looking out the window and seeing the pickup truck coming towards us with no lights on.

Ezekiel nodded to the officer and motioned him to leave. Once he was gone he came over to me and told me I did just fine and not to worry. He was going to take care of any loose ends for my siblings and me. He told me to get better and he would see me later this week at the farm.

Suddenly I was very tired. A nurse came in and gave me a pill and I went to sleep with Ethan and Sam guarding over me. When I woke the next morning I saw a beaming Sam decked out in a new Red Sox cap and shirt and holding a bag. He handed me the bag and wanted me to know that it was a get well gift from him, bought with his own money. The little imp nearly had me crying by the time he was done. Inside the bag was a duplicate of what he was wearing. As he was telling me how cool it would be when we walked out wearing the same stuff, the doctors came in. The attending physician poked and prodded, looked under bandages and harrumphed. He took my hand and told me I was recovering nicely and if the vascular surgeon was pleased with the healing down there as he pointed to my groin, much to the delight of a very amused Sam that I could go home today. He gave me instructions on how to care for my wounds and to change the dressings. This fascinated Sam and I asked Ethan if he got all of this. He spoke briefly with Marge and Earl. My brother and sister were home sorting out and tending to Mom and Dad’s affairs with Ezekiel.

Turning to back to me the doctor wished me luck. If there was anything I needed to get in touch with his office. He told Ethan that the vascular surgeon would be along shortly. We chatted for a bit and Marge and Earl went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. The nurses came in and changed all of my dressings except for the one down there.

About five minutes after they left the vascular surgeon and another doctor came in. He explained the other doctor was a plastic surgeon which freaked Sam out as he thought they gave me a plastic appendage. Once Ethan explained what was happening Sam quieted down.

Bringing my covers down the doctor pulled back my hospital gown. Very carefully he started to remove the bandages. Seeing the concern and abject fear in my face he stopped and took a moment to explain what was going to happen in the next few minutes. He asked if I wanted the room cleared and as I started to say no, Sam said no way, he was staying to make sure I was alright. He crossed his arms across his chest and stared the doctor down. The look on his face was priceless. I explained that we were all close and I would feel better if they were there for support. Ethan on the other hand was white as a sheet and very nervous. I think he may have been more nervous than me if that was possible.

I needed to know there would be some swelling and bruising, that in a week to ten days it my penis would return to normal. The plastic surgeon was to inspect the stitches and healing. He had been called in to minimize any scaring after my surgery was over. I was also informed that my left testicle had been banged up and to expect to see some significant swelling.

He then proceeded to remove the rest of the bandages and everything I was led to expect happened. I reached for Ethan’s hand and Sam placed a hand on my shoulder. My penis when flaccid is but a tiny button. Today however it was taped to what looked like a popsicle stick. They wanted to keep my penis stretched out so the stitches would heal properly and the skin would stay clean. If my penis were to retract to its normal position there were chanced of bacteria growing in the folds of my skin. Starting over on the right side near the base, a row of fine stitches traversed the length to just shy of the head ending up on the left side. The tip had a couple of scabs but nothing major. Both doctors seemed pleased with what they saw. I wish I could say the same for my two erstwhile guardians’. Sam was mortified at the discolorations and swelling and Ethan looked as if he was going to be sick. Oddly, I found it to be amusing.

They cleared me to go home, removed my catheter and Sam nearly fainted, the grimace on his face was priceless, they showed us how to care for Old Spot and instructed me to keep the area clean and shaved. I was further informed that I would not be getting any more medicine to keep things soft after the stitches came out. That would happen if all went well in three to five days. I needed to know the first erections would hurt but not to be discouraged, the pain would lessen over time. Sam chose that moment to announce that we all got pee boners every morning and he would check on me to make sure I did. I thought the doctors were going to shit themselves as they were laughing so hard. Once the laughter subsided the conversation turned serious. When I was able and comfortable, I needed to produce a sample of my ejaculate. It needed to be tested to see if I may be sterile. That was a bit much for the munchkin to process as he had not had the ‘talk’. Ethan shushed him and told him he would explain later. It took a couple of hours for my paperwork to be processed and we were shortly heading home with a very relieved Sam at my side.

I asked if we could stop at the house on the way up to the farm. I wanted to see my brother and sister. It was a bittersweet moment as we were three lost souls trying to reestablish a connection that never truly existed until a few months ago. They were genuinely pleased to see me and went over their events of the past few days. They had agreed to let Ezekiel and Earnest handle our parents’ affairs; there was the matter of their insurance policies, the college had insurance on them as part of their compensation package, the house needed to be dealt with and there more than likely be a lawsuit over the accident. Ezekiel explained the Ernest was a VP with the local bank and he would see all funds were put into trusts to protect us and would handle the finances. We were going to meet after the funeral for the reading on their wills. It was much to process and I told my siblings we were in good hands and that I would see them tomorrow, I wanted them to come up to the farm for lunch and settle any arraignments we needed to. I told them Friday was fine for the funeral and we needed to figure if we were going to have visiting hours. We exchanged hugs, handshakes, and kisses as I left.

It was the Thursday before Good Friday. I had gone out to dinner with my folks at the Tavern Restaurant. It was a local spot and the pizza was the best around. We talked about all sorts of things; my school work continued to impress them. They were discussing my thought of college and I told them I was going, I just needed to settle on a school. The night was pleasant and I wasn’t going to upset them that I was decided on the Agricultural College. We talked about the Red Sox and the Celtics who were headed for another championship. We talked about my brother and sister. My brother was going to go for his Masters in some obscure field of mathematics and my sister had set her sights on being an elementary school teacher. All in all, the Peterson family was doing well, my parents were proud of all of us.

Dad paid the check and we headed back towards home. We were on Valley Road heading towards Foundry Hill which was named for the old foundry located at the bottom of the hill. Years ago, it was a going concern as the ample supply of water from the Weir River made the power it needed cheap and plentiful. Today it had fallen on hard times as cheaper products could be made down south or overseas. When we got to the foundry we would turn left and head up Foundry Street to the center of town and home.

Dad looked both ways before turning up the hill. Just as his blinker signal clicked off, I heard him say “Oh Shit”. I looked up the hill to see what he was commenting on when I saw the pickup truck coming towards us with his headlights off.