The Farm At Maple Hollow - 31. Chapter 31

While there would be some researchers and photographers coming out to further document Pam and Sally’s work, their visits were unobtrusive and they did their level best to stay out of our way. They would stay at the Hutchinson Hotel while they were in town, and while they attracted some

curiosity, they never revealed who they were or what their business was.

~

Quickly life seemed to resemble some sense of normality, whatever that was. Luke Swenson proved to be a godsend, he and Mr. Janssen were kindred souls. He was down there so much it seemed as if where one was, there was the other. Having a firm grasp on our business plan, he set about confirming the inventories and stock. While it would take some time, we would grow as conditions warranted, we weren’t averse to taking moderate risk if circumstances were promising.

One of our first priorities were with the beef and dairy operations. We wanted to slowly expand our dairy operation. Our research into the latest means and methods convinced us that we could be competitive against the bigger outfits. After all, trucking beef or dairy, from all over New England to a centralized processing plant, and then shipping out a finished product, added to their overhead. What was important to remember, we weren’t looking to become the goliath, we could be a David and successfully compete in a much smaller market. What would set us apart simply put, was quality.

Slowly the world had been changing, not so much as a result of cheaper foodstuffs, but those who did the shopping were more aware of what was going into the food, they bought so dearly. I think the real awareness came from the many news articles about food recalls, or additives used to ‘enhance’ the product that turned out to be proven health risks.

To our surprise late one afternoon, Luke asked if he could meet with Ethan and I. When he arrived up at Maple Hollow, we were sitting on the porch. He looked as if he was being led to the firing squad. He was pale, nervous and wring his hands. It didn’t bode well for either Ethan or I, something was clearly bothering him, and if he was looking to resign, we would be facing enormous difficulties in replacing him.

It was not to be, he wasn’t looking to move elsewhere, he was hoping we wouldn’t be letting him go. He was sure we would be upset and disappointed with him, it took some coaxing, but we finally got him to come to the point. I never laughed so hard and Ethan nearly busted a gut as well. In a rush to get out what was on his mind, he let us know he was pregnant and Trind wanted, no needed to marry him!

It took a second to register, my sister was preggers and Luke was asking our permission to marry her! It took a moment for the laughter to subside, I jumped up and grabbed Luke in a bear hug, it has been obvious to all that he loved her deeply, letting him know all was well and welcome to the family! Ethan went in to get Marge and Earl and a jug of the hard cider. My sister, when she came out on to the porch, had an abject look on her face, she wasn’t aware of how the conversation transpired.

I quickly took her in hand and went for a walk up the driveway with her. I simply asked if she loved Luke, that was all the answer I needed. That she had my blessing and how proud I was of her. She was marring a wonderful man. She buried her head in my shoulder, letting me know, as she spoke softly, she was sure that I’d and the others, would be ashamed of her. Lifting her chin as a few tears moistened my cheeks, I simply told her, nothing could be further from the truth.

As the middle child in our family and the only girl Trind, looked towards our mother for clues on deportment. My mother, was a product of her own sterile upbringing. While highly educated it was difficult for her to see past stereotypes of gender confirming roles. My mother’s plan for Trind would be that she would be a nurse, teacher, or a secretary. But above all, a dutiful housewife raising her expected grandchildren and keeping house for her husband. She had little choice when it came to higher education after high school. With my parent’s approval she set her course on teaching. What my parents or anyone else failed to realize, she had free time in her college schedule, there were other classes she could take. She wisely chose courses geared towards the business administration of school districts.

The federal and state governments were struggling with the influx of us baby boomers into the overcrowded educational structure. We were the largest generation to date to enter the school system. While dollars were available from our local and federal government for building new schools, they pushed for local school districts to regionalize. By combining several towns into a regional school district, only a single high school, junior high or elementary school would have to be built, rather than three of each in single towns

For those who were in college, taking courses towards a teaching certificate, for those who listened and paid attention to the professors, they could see the changing dynamic. More to the point, for those who understood how the new system of building schools, and the availability of state and federal dollars, for that and other programs, would be in high demand.

I never thought my sister was a fool, I understood that now, more than ever. She had seen a path out of a rewarding teaching career, into the administration of school systems. Pregnant teachers were at this time, frowned on, with a little help in the background from Marge she would be moving from the classroom into the office.

We managed to put a dent in the jug of hard cider, I think by the evenings end, the world was as it should be. Marge had disappeared earlier with Trind, something about phone calls about stuff we’d never understand.

                                                                   ~

We busied ourselves with work, spending as many nights out at the cabin as possible. It was as if a calm had descended over us. There was work to be done, equipment to be repaired or replaced if it wasn’t worth fixing. It was always a case of diminishing returns. Everything we used had a lifecycle. When it got to a point that we were dumping dollars in repair, we’d look at the lifecycle of the piece of equipment and the cost of repairs to date.

Replacement parts cost money, time to repair costs, time the equipment was out of service costs not only in productivity, but in profit as well. This is where keeping the books came in so handy. Having Earl to lean on was invaluable. We struggled at times to stay above the fray as it were. To look at these things dispassionately. Always, the gamble was, would a repair get us through the season, or were we pissing good money down a rathole. It was the help my brother, Axel gave us. He was able to modernize our books, allowing us to directly link our expenditures, repairs, and equipment purchases. All of this was done on his own time, down at the bank where worked.

He was leading the charge into the world of computers. I had never seen my brother so content. As the oldest sibling, he had been the one most inculcated by our parents. He was for the most part, the one most like them in manner and deportment. He took his studies seriously to gain approval from our parents. We had been brought up as self-realizing and self-actualizing entities. It wasn’t that we were ignored or physically mistreated, we simply weren’t an emotionally demonstratively family.

Axel found, through an innate talent, success, and encouragement, a life in the world of mathematics. He at times mirrored the cold logic of solving equations. His mind was like a steel trap and his ability to solve complicated mathematical puzzles was phenomenal. I simply couldn’t fathom the things that made him tic. He was the delight of my parents and at times, the model both my sister and I were held up to. It was after the death of my parents in that car accident, that I truly saw the person my brother was. He was the first in the family, to accept my sexual orientation and in days after their funeral, had found a kindred soul in Marge Tompkins, when it came to numbers and math’s, they both spoke the same language.

It was shortly after he began working for the bank, that my brother excelled. His observations about the accident that killed our parents and had nearly done the same for me, were irrefutable. He had been able to, based on the accident report, determine, based on weights of the vehicles and a few other variables, the speed the other vehicle had to be traveling at. Conclusively proving the other driver was at fault.

He had been introduced to the newly expanding world of computers while at college and graduate school. It was a match made in heaven and he was positioned at the right time and place as he started working for the bank and by extension us, with the work he did that allowed us to monitor farm operations in near real time. He had over time, slowly began the process, I called becoming human again. He started loosening up, tried cracking jokes, showing a true interest in what all of us were doing, and most of all, he started dating. I know for a fact, and while he won’t deny or admit to it, lost his virginity to the assistant postmistress downtown, in the back of my car. Margret Bentley simply was the best thing that ever happened to my brother. Nobody’s fool, she could hold her own with anyone, simply set her sights on Axel, and won his heart.

What truly surprised me, was when Luke Swenson first went to Axel to ask for his blessing, he told him to see me. That she was pregnant was a blessing and delighted to know he’d be an uncle!

It proved to be a turning point of sorts, and the week leading up to the 4^th of July saw all of us involved in multiple projects. Mary and her shadows had mostly disappeared down to River View. They were working with Mr. Janssen on getting the horses ready for showing. From what Ethan was telling me, Rufus and Rosco would be entering a weighted sled pulling competition. That they would be the only team doing so, did not deter them. The boys worked hard alongside Mr. Janssen getting the winter lumber dray ready. This was different from the freight wagon as it did not have any wheels.

When they thought they had it in shipshape condition, it was time to move on to selecting what wagon they would have the other four horses pull. After some debate it was decided to hitch Levi, Samwise, Frodo, and Maria to the horse drawn city bus. Coming as a part of the package from the failed circus, the bus was in remarkable condition, a bit of paint here and there, some polishing of the brightwork and along with a general dusting, it was good to go.*1

Back up at Maple Hollow things were hopping as well, Marge and Trind were busy making pies, brushing off jelly and honey jars, checking needle point and quilts. Earl had brought out some of his ‘special’ hard cider to be offered to the various judges of the different categories. He had a Milly, his prized Holstein set, I swear he had not only washed the darned cow but I was thinking, where did I leave the car wax?

*1 https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/07/31/priority-horse-bus-charming-photos-look-back-time-people-went-work-horse-drawn-omnibus/