Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 87(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 58(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 87(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 58(@300wpm)
“There have been no favors done,” Elias states plainly. “I inspected the establishment. I found no issues. Your report is the aberration in the history of our reports. This is a simple judgment call.”
“No!” Fred stamps his feet. “This won’t stand, Mr. Lawson!”
He storms out of my bakery. What a strange man.
I sigh a long sigh, one of great relief. “I’m glad this is done and out of the way.”
“I suppose you’re going to get to re-opening your bakery?”
“It’s almost noon already. I don’t have my pre-bakes done and I already told Melanie she has the day off. I’m just going to reopen tomorrow and pretend this weird event never happened.”
“Even the part where you met me?” he says, a sly smile.
“Okay, I’ll remember that part. That part is pretty good.”
I address the crowd and apologize for the trouble. Then I announce the re-opening. They disperse, happy that they did something. Even if they did nothing.
“So,” Elias says, draping an arm over my shoulder. “Mind giving me a ride back to Smithport?”
“I don’t mind at all. Let’s go.”
We hop in my truck, and after stopping for a brief lunch, we’re on our way out of town and back toward the city.
“Actually, stop the truck.”
I pause, and obey his request, pulling up to the side of the road. We’re right outside of the Henderson farm. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I just want to take a quick tour of a property I’m considering buying.”
I raise an eyebrow, watching him step out of the truck.
What are you up to, Elias?
FIVE
elias
The fields are vast, if a bit somewhat overgrown with weeds. I guess if the current owner isn’t all that into maintaining that, that’s inevitable.
Hannah follows behind me, her skepticism understandable.
“What do you mean, considering buying this property?” she asks. “You’re no farmer. Or is your family into agribusiness?”
“My grandfather made his fortune in stock trades, and my Dad inherited most of that. Technically, he probably owns a stock that’d fall into that, but no, I don’t fall into that line of business.”
It’s a good-looking farm. The house isn’t huge, but it’s a healthy size and more than enough to raise a family in. The overgrowth isn’t too strong, to be honest; I could tell that up until recently, it’s well maintained and taken care of.
Hannah and I continue through the fields. There’s a lot of wheat besides the weeds. “My grandfather used to have a farm. Before he got into stock trading, anyhow. I remember spending my summers going down to it and enjoying my time there. It was simple and serene, and I had thought it would last forever.”
“Ah, so you’re not one hundred percent a city slicker.”
“I mean, I am. For all intents and purposes. It’s not like I know how to run a combine harvester, or know about crop rotations, or the best fertilizer for whatever these fields best grow.”
We push through the tall weeds. It’s become less of an investigation of the property and more of a long walk.
“What happened to your grandfather’s farm? I don’t suppose he kept it up out of a love for the practice?”
“My Uncle got it. Then he sold it off when he saw the money my Dad was making and decided farming was a fool’s game.”
Hannah laughs derisively. “Yeah, feeding people just isn’t as exciting as moving numbers around.”
“It’s been a decade since I’ve been back in a small town like this. And I can’t believe how much I missed it. Having people know one another and care for one another is important. By name. It’s not like city people are assholes, but no one’s going to get up in arms about a local convenience store getting shut down like they did for your bakery.”
Hannah crosses her arms. “It’s not perfect, you know. Everyone knows your business. For better, and for worse. Do I really need to know if one of the retirees stops by my bakery for bran muffins because it makes them more regular? I don’t. But I do. Because that knowledge is unavoidable when you live in a town of this size for this long.”
“Seems like a small price to pay, really.”
“For the most part, it is. I’m just warning you not to overly romanticize things. Life is just life, no matter where you live it.”
I nod. “Yeah, I get what you’re suggesting. But I need a change, Hannah. I don’t want what my father wants for me. But I’ve always been uncertain about what to do instead. This is a reminder of what it could be.”
“Are you going to go learn how to farm?”
“I think I’m willing to put in the effort. I’ll go back to college if I have to.”
Hannah smiles. “I suppose there are classes for it. And there are no shortage of people in Evergreen Valley who would help you too. Especially if it means keeping a big business from taking over this farm.”