Albin - 2. Chapter 2

This story is an original work of gay fiction. None of the people or events are real. While some of the location names (town, city etc.) may be real, any other geographic references (school, events) are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is completely coincidental. Parts of this story may depict sexual situations between males. If reading this is illegal where you reside, or you are not at least 18 years of age, you are reading at your own risk. This work is the property of the author, C. L. Jobe, and shall not be reproduced and/or re-posted without his permission. Story ©2024 Calvin L. Jobe.

Chapter 2

Eight weeks later, Angelo and his family found a home in a small town west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They had rented a home, and Angelo started to build retaining walls when a neighbor told him that there was a lot of building construction taking place in Pittsburgh, a day’s ride to the west. Angelo went to check it out. What he found was a major construction project. He spoke to the contractor. The money was good provided he could do the job. He knew he could do a better job than what he saw.

Returning home, he bought a wagon and a horse. Taking his son, Angelo, the following morning he left for Pittsburgh. Arriving late in the day, he contacted the construction boss. He had to demonstrate his ability. He built part of a wall of a building that was going to be a hotel. He spoke to the contractor about Angelo Jr. working as his apprentice, but during their discussion, there was some confusion over which Angelo was being talked about. His son had to demonstrate his ability as well. Angelo wasn’t afraid, he knew he and his son would get a job. Later that evening, Angelo decided it was too confusing for his son, Angelo Jr., to have the same name when on the job site so he began to call him Gene.

Angelo and Gene did not go home until the end of the second week. The money they earned, Angelo gave to Giulia for the house. Giulia was busy as well. She along with Victoria and Giorgio began tilling the soil of an old garden. She was going to plant tomatoes and other vegetables she used in her cooking.

Angelo and Gene returned to Pittsburgh, planning on staying for three weeks before going home. They converted the wagon into beds for them, covered by a canvas top to protect them from bad weather. They had been working all summer and well into the fall. The weather was beginning to be cooler when Angelo made the decision that sleeping in the wagon wasn’t a good idea. One of the employees told Angelo about a small village about 25 miles west of Pittsburgh.

“It’s a small community. There is land where you could build a home.” This raised Angelo’s interest. The next Sunday, Angelo and Gene went to see this community. Entering the town, they had to cross over a bridge that spanned a small creek. At first, Angelo was afraid that the bridge wouldn’t hold the weight of the wagon and horse. So they tied up the horse on the east side of the bridge and walked across.

The land that Angelo saw didn't impress him. His idea of a home was like the one he had in the village and the land he saw was too small. He did see one lot by accident. It was a gentle hill that rose from the front road to a road at the top of the hill. To Angelo, this property was a possibility. The City Council decided if this man wanted that land he would have to pay the same as if the land was flat. When they told Angelo the price, he said no. Now the City Council realized that they would never get the price for the land.

In a meeting, one of the Councillors suggested that if this gentleman would repair the bridge, they could offer him a lower price on the land. The bridge entering the small town was an old bridge and started to need repairs. A new bridge would cost the City Council a lot of money. So a deal was struck, Angelo would repair the bridge and they would sell the land he wanted to him at an agreed price.

Angelo and Gene looked at the bridge. It was evident that the problem was the erosion of the bridge’s support beams. They were wood, and the base of the wood was being eaten by the acidity of the water. A good strong flood would have washed these support beams away leading to the collapse of the bridge.

Angelo and Gene studied the support beams. They decided if these beams were replaced with concrete, the bridge would be saved. They collected barrels, some were wood and one was metal. They diverted the water using a temporary wood dam or weir, exposing the ground where the bridge supports would be rebuilt. Here they placed a barrel filled with concrete. When the concrete was set, they built a brick support connecting the cement in the drum to the floor of the bridge. Now the major wooden beams in the floor of the bridge were tested and those that were rotting were replaced and the bridge was repaired. When Angelo went to get the deed to the land, some of the members of the City Council had changed their minds.

Angelo wasn’t a fool. He had built a false bridge support in the river. When they told him they raised the price of the land, in other words not keeping their word, he refused to pay the new price. That afternoon, he and Gene went back to the bridge. They started to remove the wood from a drum in the water. One of the Councilmen followed Angelo and when he saw what he was doing, he ran to tell the other Council members. The police were called. Angelo with Gene’s help explained why he was doing what he did. When the Councillors were questioned they admitted they had quoted a price and then raised it once the bridge was repaired. The police took the Council members before the city magistrate. The result? Angelo got the land free of charge and the City Council members were disciplined.

Now Gene and Angelo had a project to finish. They worked in the city until 4 in the evening, then they would go to their land in the village and begin to remove dirt to create a level base for building their house. After 5 months they had cleared a place and started constructing a one-room building. When the building was finished, they divided the interior space to create a room for them to sleep in and at the opposite end, a stall for their horse.

Once every 6 weeks they went home. Giulia had started a garden, Victoria had a job babysitting. Angelo would bring Giulia up to date on the house he was building. It was almost three years when he and Gene finished the house. They had planted fruit trees at the top of the hill. Concrete steps led from the ground floor to the top of the hill. An outdoor stone oven was built behind the first building, which now included space for their tools as well as a proper area for the horse. An outhouse was built on the hill next to a chicken coop which had a wired fenced area for the chickens. To separate these buildings from the house, grape vines were planted in front of these buildings.

The day arrived for Giulia and their family to move to the new house. Wagons were rented along with horses. Packed up, they left for their new home. Gene and Giorgio would take the extra wagons back, returning in the original wagon.

When Giulia saw the house she cried. It was beautiful and reminded her of the home she had in the village. Angelo showed her the front with the large porch and a balcony over the porch. Opening the door, the room on the left was a dining room, and the room on the right was a living room with a fireplace. The windows in these rooms were small, above ground even though the base of the rooms was below ground.

Back in the hall, they proceeded into the house. On her left was a large room and on her right was a small hall leading to the kitchen. To her right was a wood stove with a flue connected to the living room chimney. To her left was a door that opened into a small room. To the right were stairs leading to a back door at ground level. To her left was a room and walking into it she knew it would be Angelo’s wine room and there would be sausages and salamis hanging from the racks. She had tears in her eyes as she remembered her home in the village. Angelo had created a home for her that brought back many memories.

Back in the entrance hall, she was shown the stairs to the second floor. There was a hall with two bedrooms on each side and a door at the front leading to the balcony. The door at the end of the hall led to a sunroom that opened onto a patio. Before exiting the hall into the sunroom, there was another stairway leading to the attic. There was a bedroom that Gene claimed was his.

Over the next few years, the family prospered. A son was born, named Vito. Marie started school and Victoria was dating a local young man. Gio was attending school and helping with the household chores as well as planting the garden. Gene found a young lady and was getting very serious. He found some land that had a stream flowing through it. He bought the land and with Angelo’s help built a modest house. Married now, he took the horse and wagon. He and Angelo still worked on projects in Pittsburgh, the latest being a university in an area called Oakland.

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