What Do I Do Now, Mom?
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2011 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 50 

Everyone is Tearing Everything Apart

After breakfast, everyone began to go their separate ways.  Billy and Wade were going to set up their produce stand.  I was a little leery about them being along the side of the road without any means of communication, so I gave them my cell phone to use if they needed some help. I decided to get the three oldest boys cell phones.

Wade and Billy loaded the cart with eggs, sweet corn, and onions.  Wade announced, “We’ll start with a couple of dollars in change.”

“Guys, I‘ll be around to check on you about lunch time.  We need to go check on the others at the other farm.  It was just Wiley and I.  Everyone else seemed to have been helpful and had something to do.  When we arrived at the Latham farm, the old shingles and tarpaper where being stripped from the roof.  The only problem was that there were several sections of plywood that were rotted and needed to be replaced.

The more I looked, the more I became convinced that we should have confined the activity to one project at a time.  There were people working on the inside and outside of the house and on the out buildings.  With everything that was being thrown away, we needed to get special permission to have an outdoor fire.  If we were forced to use dumpsters, that could cost us a lot of extra money.

Wiley and I looked at all the workers and decided that we probably should have done things that way.  When we redid our house, we had done one thing a time.  Of course, that’s why it took us so look to get it finished.  Wade called me on the phone at the Latham house, “Dad, there’s a man here, who is threatening to close us down, since we don’t have a license to sell goods at a roadside stand.”

“Wade and Billy, we’ll be there, shortly.  I'll deal with the man.”

Wylie and I took the car to the roadside stand.  As I crawled out of the car, I asked, “Sir, what seems to be the problem?”

“These young men do not have a city permit to operate a produce stand.  They aren’t collecting city sales tax.”

I stuck out my hand, “I’m Henry Adler.”

“I’m Miles Raven, and I’m on the Belleview city council.  These young men need to get a license to operate this stand.”

I took a deep breath, “Mr. Raven, you’re trespassing on private property.  The land on this side of the road has not been incorporated into the city.  The boys do not need a city permit to operate their produce stand.”

“Mr. Adler, you’re mistaken.  You do need a permit and you do need to collect city and state taxes on anything that you sell.”

“Mr. Raven, I’ll meet you at the county offices on Monday at nine o’clock, and prove to you that my farm and the Latham farm have never been incorporated.  The reason for that is that the city council doesn’t want a pocket of farms in the midst of their town, which we would be.  As the original owners of the farms, they can not force us to abide by the new zoning laws, nor can they levy taxes on the properties, since they are farms and not incorporated, so I suggest that you leave, and let the boys conduct business as usual.”

I took my cell phone which I had given Wade and dialed, “This is Meg Adler.”

“Hi Mom, there’s a Mr. Raven, a city councilman, here, trying to tell me that the boys can’t operate a produce stand without a permit.”

“Henry, Miles isn’t a city councilman, anymore.  He was voted out of office.  The reason he is probably even there is that he operates a roadside market at his gas station, but he charges outlandish prices.  He’s probably trying to eliminate the competition.”

“Thanks for the information, Mother.  I think the fun is about to begin.”

I dialed another number, “This is the Sheriff’s office.”

“This is Hank Adler.  I’d like to report that a Miles Raven is here at my farm claiming that the boys are breaking city ordinances.  In view of the fact that we haven’t been annexed or incorporated into the city, I would like him to be removed, as a trespasser.”

“Sir, Deputy Godwin is in the immediate area.  I’ll have him come and investigate.”

Mr. Raven couldn’t hear the other side of the conversations, but he was looking a little ill at ease.  I decided to let him know what Mother had told me, “Mr. Raven, how much are you selling eggs for at your produce stand, these days?”

“What makes you think I sell eggs?”

“My Mother, Meg Adler told me that you weren’t a city councilman any longer and that you run a roadside market at your gas station.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were related to those Adlers?  They’re noted for meddling in everyone’s business.”

“Mr. Raven, you just declared war.  My parents are people who don’t meddle in everyone’s business.  I am the only person who has reason to complain about my mother meddling in my business.”

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Officer Godwin, “What seems to be the problem, Hank?”

“Mr. Raven here is trying to tell us that the boys have to have a city permit to sell produce here on the farm.”

Officer Godwin shook his finger in Mr. Raven’s face, “Miles, I suggest that you stop going around and brow beating the competition to get out of the fresh produce business.  Everyone knows that your prices are inflated and that's why they come to small stands like this where they aren’t charged a leg and an arm.  In fact, these young men could raise their prices and still be underselling most of the stands in the area.  Guys, I’ll take three dozen eggs.”

As Officer Godwin was leaving, he looked at Mr. Raven, “Hank, if Mr. Raven bothers you or the boys again, I’ll be glad to lock him up for trespassing.”

Mr. Raven crawled into his car and slammed the door, “Adler and Godwin, you haven’t heard the last of me.”

I laughed, “Thanks for threatening me in front of three other people.  A judge would have a field day with the case, if you took me and my boys to court.”

After Mr. Raven departed with Officer Godwin right behind him, Wade took out his belt and handed me the money that was in the belt, “Dad, will you put this is a safe place for us?  We’ll close after the noon rush and come get some lunch.  We’ll probably be out of everything by then.  What’s everyone else doing?”

“Everyone but Wylie and me is working,”

Wylie complained, “Everyone says I’m too little and will just be in the way.”

I chuckled, “They tell me that I’m too old and will be in the way.  Come on Wylie, let’s go fix the grouches some lunch.”

When we arrived at the house, Sarah had the four girls making egg salad, ham salad and tuna salad sandwiches.  She dispatched Wylie and me with a big box of sandwiches, chips, cookies and iced tea and lemonade.  We stopped and gave Billy and Wade their choice and took the rest to the farm.  Some of the workers were already eating when we arrived, but that didn’t stop them from helping themselves to the food we had brought.

I sat down and ate with Randy.  He looked around; I can’t believe how much work is getting done.  The roofers are planning to be nearly finished today.  In fact, they’re going to stay until it’s finished, since they’re booked solid because of the hail storm that went through the area last week.  They’re trying to make as much money as possible, since putting new roofs on houses doesn’t work very well in winter.

The people in Dr. Lake’s class are taking their part in the project very seriously.  The siding people have almost finished putting up the insulation.  The biggest hang-up is the windows, as far as I can see.”

Witt came over to where Randy and I were sitting, “Dads, can we please take the funds from my college fund to pay these people for the time and the supplies that they have charged?  I know that Granddad Adler said he and grandmother would provide funds, but I don’t feel that is being fair to them.  I also know I could get a loan, but I don’t want to be paying someone else to use their money when I have some of my own.”

I shook my head, no. “Witt, this is not something we need to decide right now.  Let’s set up a meeting with my Dad for tomorrow afternoon and we can talk about the best route to go.  I agree with you.  That’s why it took so long for Ron and me to finish the house.  We decided early on, that we were going to pay as we went.”

When Wylie and I got back to the house, the produce stand was shut down.  When we pulled up to the house, Walt was mowing the lawn with the catcher.  Billy announced, “We’re catching the grass for the cows that are too lazy to bite it for themselves.  Walt says that they’re all going to be giving green milk.”

I started to chuckle, “How are the cows going to get the grass if it’s in the catcher.”

“Easy, Wade empties the bag into the wagon and I put it in the where the cows get their food.  The pigs and chickens didn’t like it and the horses eat it all the time and would rather have apples.  Why don’t cows like apples?”

 

“Billy, I didn’t know that cows didn’t like apples.”

“I tried to give some to the new beef cows and they stuck their tongues out as if they we’re saying yuck.  Wylie, come on, you can help me.  My arms are getting tired.”

I went into the house, now that I was totally abandoned and I smelled something good.  I opened the kettle that was on the stove.  It was a red sauce of some kind.  I looked at the counter and there were four pans of something.  I looked at the note, ‘Hank, I made spaghetti for dinner.  All you need to do is cook the noodles.  There are four loaves of home made bread that you need to put in the oven and bake.  Just follow the directions.  Jake, the girls and I are going to be having dinner in the trailer.  We need to discuss the future with the girls.  I made a separate pot of spaghetti sauce for us, as well as our own bread. Enjoy.”

It was a little after four when the people arrived from the Latham farm.  Randy announced, “Everyone is exhausted and needs to go home and regroup.  Dr. Lake’s class members need to plan where they are going, now that they see what a bare house looks like.  I think they thought they could have the house done in one day.  They’ll be lucky to get the house done in two more sessions.”

Witt complained, “The installation of the new windows is holding up everything, now.”

Randy shook his head, no. “Witt, be patient.  Don’t forget, most of these people have either gone to school or worked this week.  They need some time to refresh.  If they work too long, they’re going to do a shoddy job.  That’s why we’re going to do something fun, tomorrow.  We all need to get away from the farms for a while.”

Everyone was in bed early, including Witt and Tim.  I was wide awake and Randy was lightly snoring, so I went to the den to watch a movie on television.  I must have awakened Wylie, because the next thing I knew, he was lying beside me, as I was watching.  He looked up at me, “Daddy, you aren’t going to let nothing bad happen to us, are you?”

“Wylie, I’ll do everything within my power not to let anything bad happen to you or your brothers and sisters and Billy and Bobby.  Why did you ask that?”

“That Mr. Raven person wasn’t very nice.  He seems like he could do something bad.  I didn’t like Mrs. Snowden at all.  She didn’t really like my sisters, did she?”

 

I pulled Wylie closer to me, “Wylie, I didn’t like Mr. Raven and the Mrs. Snowden we got to know, at all, but I don’t think we’ll have anymore problems with them.”

Wylie pushed back as close as he could get against me, “Daddy, this is the way it’s supposed to be, isn’t it.  You need to let my brothers know how much you love them, especially Willy and Wally.  They think you’re paying too much attention to me, and forgetting all about them.  The big guys understand, but Willy and Wally think it’s because you don’t like them.”

“Wylie, why do you say that?” 

“They were talking in bed tonight when they thought I was asleep and Wally said, ‘Dad, forgets about us 'in between' boys.  He worries about Witt and Wylie.  What can we do to make him love us, too?’”

Talk about being kicked in the gonads.  I held Wylie as tight as I could, “Wylie, I love you guys all the same.  I just haven’t had the opportunity to spend time with the guys, other than you and Witt, and Billy and Bobby.”

Wylie looked up at me, “Billy and Bobby have a Daddy.  The rest of us don’t, except for you, now.  The sisters have Mr. and Mrs. Wallace.”

“Wylie, I’ll try to assure Willy and Wally that I love all you guys the same.  I think it’s time to go to bed, now.  The cows are going to want to be milked, shortly.”

Randy woke up when I did, and I decided to lay my conversation with Wylie on the line, to see what he would say.

I explained to Randy what had been said and his response was not what I expected, “Hank, Bobby came to me today and asked if you were tired of him and Billy.”

I asked him why he asked that and he responded, “Anymore, Dad Adler seems to be more worried about the Latham boys more than us.  Does that mean he’s going to kick us out?”

That was kick two in the gonads, I wasn’t batting a very good percentage as far as the boys were concerned.  “Randy, I'm not deliberately ignoring any of the boys.  And I certainly don’t have any favorites.  I see them developing their own personalities, but I guess they all need to know that they are contributing to the family and I appreciate them for who they are.”

Randy nodded. “That goes for me, too.  I’m still insecure and you could decide to throw me out any day.”

“Randy, you’re talking nonsense.  Why would I throw you out?”

“Hank, I’m just like the boys.  I need to be reminded that I am important to our relationship.” 

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  I think that was kick number three.  Poor Hank, he is being given a hard time.  I know he loves everyone, but I know that sometimes it is difficult to balance the attention among all the family members. 

The Latham boys need to realize that both Hank and Randy consider them to be their boys.

Bobby and Billy were there first, and I think that Hank is trying to convince the Latham boys that he cares about them, and by doing so, he is giving Bobby and Billy the impression that he doesn't care about them as much as he did originally.

Randy should know better, but when you have been down and out, the way Randy has been, your self esteem has to be pretty low.

Let's hope that Hank can somehow convince everyone that he really does care deeply about them. 

I am certainly ready for the next chapter.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 02/04/11