“How’s your dad doing?” Dell asked as Mark came inside.
Mark shrugged. “Dad’s doing well, I suppose. He works all day and gripes about everything all night.” How did he explain that the loss of his mother was tearing his family apart and no one seemed to care? His siblings were going their own ways, his father buried himself in work, and Mark was left to pretty much fend for himself.
“That doesn’t sound like him,” Harvey said as he sat down. “Though things like that change people.” He turned to Clay. “It really did for me. Maybe I’ll stop by some evening and talk to him.”
Mark wasn’t sure how much it would help, but he didn’t argue. Anything was preferable to either being ignored or yelled at, with nothing in between. “Dad seems to resent everything and everyone right now.”
Harvey nodded. “Yeah, I know that feeling well too. It was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made, and it nearly cost me my family.” He sat back, and Archie hurried over to climb into his lap and give him a hug.
“Love you, Grampy,” Archie said, then slipped down again to go to his chair. Harvey beamed at his grandson, and Mark could remember instances, a while ago, when his own father used to look at him like that. It had been some time though, now, and Mark wondered if a return to something better was even possible.
“Everyone, we’re going to eat in five minutes, so wash your hands if you need to.” Clay returned to the stove, and Mark took the opportunity to use the facilities and wash up before dinner. When he returned to the kitchen, Archie was at the window.
“There he is again,” Archie said, pointing someone out to Dell. “I see him all the time.”
Clay joined them and peered out before excusing himself and heading out the back door.
“Where is Poppy going?” Archie asked, turning to Dell.
“I don’t know. But let’s help by getting dinner on the table,” Dell said, and they all chipped in, dishing up the potatoes and vegetables. Dell carved the turkey, and Archie carried the vegetables to the table with both hands, Gordon sitting nearby, tail wagging, extremely interested. After pouring glasses of water for everyone, Mark took the place indicated, and once Clay returned, they all sat to eat.
“I hired someone to help with the goats,” Clay told Dell, in what seemed like his way of making a grand announcement.
“The man who asked about a job?” Dell asked, and Clay nodded. “Good. I like a man who asks for work and is willing to pursue it.” He helped Archie get his food before passing the dishes around the table. “I take it you have reservations about him, but who are we to prejudge people?” Dell said as he took Clay’s hand.
“Yes… well….”
“What were they?” He accepted the platter of turkey and took a few small pieces before handing it to Mark, who filled his own plate with dark meat.
“Isaac’s a member of that religious group. They usually keep to themselves, but this young man has asked about a job a couple of times. I’ve seen him walking past the farm on more than one occasion, and….”
“That’s because they walk everywhere, or ride a horse. They don’t use cars, but they’re not Amish or anything as far as I know. They believe in a simple life and live those beliefs.” Harvey set down his fork. “The reason you see him walking is because that’s how he gets to town. As for a job, he probably keeps asking because we’re close enough that he can walk.” Harvey began eating once more, his pronouncement complete.
“How do you know all this?” Clay asked. “Maybe I should have talked to you before hiring him.”
Harvey shrugged. “He’ll work hard, because if he doesn’t his father will strap him. And if he’s asking for a job, then his father has given permission, if not probably a directive, for him to get one.”
“I see,” Clay said as his expression shifted from wariness to concern. “What kind of parent acts that way?” He turned to Dell, who patted his hand.
“Sometimes that kind of work is what’s needed to survive,” Harvey said. The undertone between him and Clay was something Mark didn’t understand, and he turned his attention to the food on his plate in an attempt to ignore the sudden tension. “They’re a small community and if they don’t bring in outside money, they aren’t going to last very long.”
“I get that,” Clay said, turning to Mark. “I told him that he would be needed to help with the afternoon milking at first, as well as the care and feeding of the goats. Isaac said that he had experience with them and that he was sure he would do a good job for us. He’ll be here tomorrow at four. Show him the ropes and see how he does.”
“Of course,” Mark agreed, grateful to be getting some help.
The conversation around the table shifted to other topics and to the state of the corn crop, as well as plans for the upcoming week.
“Archie,” Dell scolded. “You need to eat your dinner and stop feeding it to Gordon. He’s going to get overweight, and you know the rules about feeding him from the table.”
“But…,” Archie countered, getting nowhere with the stern expression from his father.
“Gordon has plenty of his own food, and you need to eat your dinner or there isn’t going to be any dessert, and I think Poppy made some brownies this afternoon.” Dell narrowed his gaze, and Archie returned to his dinner with renewed gusto. It seemed the little boy was a sucker for baked goods.
“I hope we get some rain soon,” Harvey pronounced, and everyone around the table agreed. The topic of the weather was always a touchy subject with farmers. Things were either too wet or too dry, and rain—too much or the lack thereof—was always something that got a lot of interest.
“Alan said he’ll be here tomorrow to check over the vegetables. Haley apparently has a long list of clients, and Alan’s work is slow right now. I told him the garden never did as well when he left it, so he’s going to save us from ourselves.” Clay’s best friend, Alan, and his partner, Haley, had a ranch house just up the road. It had come up for sale six months ago, and they had bought it, immediately gutted it, and turned it into an amazing open-concept living space. Rather than put in their own garden, Alan had expanded Clay and Dell’s even more, and they grew vegetables and fruit for both families. It worked well for everyone.
“Yay! Uncle Alan is fun.”
“Yes, I know he is. But you aren’t to go running through the sprinklers when he turns them on,” Dell scolded preemptively. More than once, apparently, Archie had decided that he and Gordon needed to play in the water. Usually that meant Dell or Clay ended up pulling a mud-covered Archie and Gordon out of the sprinkler and directly into the bath tub.
“Daddy…,” Archie moaned.
“Poppy and I have talked, and I got you a small pool. You and I will put it together this weekend and fill it with water. In a few days, you can go swimming, but only if Poppy or I are there to watch you.”
That got a grin and even a hug for both Clay and Dell. “I’ll be good, I promise.” He finished his dinner and took his plate to the sink. “I’m ready for brownies.”
“Why don’t you go play for a while? I promise we won’t have any without you.”