A Price To Pay - Part Three
Posted: Monday, July 26, 2010
by Richard Radtke
http://www.cottagebythelane.com
"The land is a wonderful thing, it has a beauty that is all its own no matter where you are. To one man it may look like a desert, devoid of life, while to another that same place may seem abundant. It is just in how you look at it. Usually if you look deep enough and work hard enough, you will find it, because the land does not give up its hidden beauty easy, there is a price, there is always a price."
It was a gray half light outside, that short bit of time that was neither night nor dawn, but between them both. In the east a glow lay on the horizon and the world was hushed, waiting for what was to come. He stood there on the porch, looking out, taking in the beginning of this new day, it was his favorite time. In his hand he held a cup of coffee, the steam lazily wafting up into the air. Here, now, he could think and not feel rushed. He looked out over the crops that stood straight in the windless fields, looked beyond them to the river, where a fog hung heavy in the air, unmoving. It was as though even the wind was waiting for the sun to peek above the horizon and chase the last of the darkness of the night away. As he stood watching, the glow slowly became a light and the first sliver of the sun appeared, peeking over the horizon. As it did, birds began to sing and a few took wing in the air. The wind began to push across the land gently rustling the leaves in the trees, playing in the field, moving the crops that grew there.
Seth watched all this as it occurred, and though he had done the same a thousand times before, the sight of it still made something well up within him. A feeling that grew from deep inside, welled up in his soul and brought him a feeling that this day would go right and that this life, his life was good. It was the right way to start a day. Now, as the sun pushed itself up higher in the sky, Seth turned, went back into the house. He stopped briefly at the sink to rinse out his cup and placed it in the rack, then walked out of the back door and made his way to the barn to start his day
The homeplace had changed over the years it was no longer the small place his grandfather had started and knew, over the two generations past it had grown, like the farms around it had grown. The look of the land itself had changed, gone was the wild look of natures hand, man had changed that. Roads crossed it, telephone poles dotted it, and the mark of the plow was obvious upon it. Orderly rows of corn grew under the warming sun, fields of hay stretched toward the horizon. Yes, it had changed, and in such a short time. This land hidden for thousands of years under slow moving ice that cut it, compressed it, that had know the beat from a million hooves of buffalo as they crossed, now knew a new master. But it also knew the soon, not in the years measured by man, but in the years measured by the land, soon he too, would be gone and change would come again, as it always had, as it always does
Will woke up that morning, getting out of bed shortly after his father had gone out to the barn. In his ten year old body one could already the resemblance to his dad, he had the beginning of the same tall, thin build his father had had at that age, and the same brown eyes that while not penetrating, you could see the fire in them. But he also had the gentle personality of his mother, Liz, she and Seth had married eleven years ago and now lived in the homeplace with Seth's folks Aaron and Agatha, whom they called Aggie, or in the case of the grandchildren, grandma Aggie. Will had a brother named Josh, or more formally Joshua, he was eight, and two sisters, Becky or Rebecca, and Louise, they were twins and just six years old. It was a large household with everyone living there. Their Uncle Sam still lived in the old log house that was the original place on the farm, though it too had changed over the years. Will's mom was in the kitchen talking to his grandma over coffee, breakfast was on the stove. His grandpa Aaron had gotten up a bit earlier and was out at the barn with Seth, and they were probably doing chores, or just talking, waiting for Sam to come over and join them. It promised to be a nice day, already the sun outside was shining, and there was a breeze wafting into the kitchen through the screen door. Will was anxious to get on with it, he had his chores to do, then the rest of the day was his to do with as he pleased, and that was not something he had come up with yet, but the day was young, and the possibilities endless, at least they are when your eight
Seth and his Dad, Aaron were in the barn, waiting for Sam, Seth's uncle and Aaron's brother, he was a bit late today, usually he was there when Seth got there, waiting on Seth, but today he wasn't. Not that it had not happened in the past, but it was a bit out of character for him. Seth and his dad waited a little while longer, both taking sidelong glances at the old log house, waiting to see Sam come out of the door. They finally gave in to their worry, although perhaps at this juncture it would be best described as curiosity, and began to walk over to Sam's place. As they approached Seth half expected Sam to come out the door hitching up a strap on the bib overalls he always wore, and giving them each a gruff good morning, gruff, simply because he was running late, having overslept or something else, and that was not something he was ever happy with. But it did not happen, the door remained shut.
Will had just finished his breakfast, and after saying thank you to his mom, he was ready to get his chores done and get to the best part of his day, he had thought about as he ate his breakfast, had even come up with a plan of sorts. If dad would let him he was thinking this would be a good afternoon to head down to the river and do some fishing in the lazy heat of the day. He knew that usually going was not a problem, he was ten after all, almost a man he thought, and his dad knew that he could be trusted down there by the river, he had enough common sense to not jump in, but it all depended on what his father may or may not need him to do today, sometimes there were more things to do than just his regular chores, living on a farm made it that way. So, with this plan in mind he went outside to do his chores and find his dad to ask if there were other things to do and if not if he could go fishing today.
He went to the barn that is where he usually began his chores in the morning, checking the stalls and cleaning them as the need arose, never something he relished, but it had to be done. He also knew if he did not get it done his dad was sure to say something, would never hit him, but would say something and perhaps find some extra things for him to do as a measure of punishment.
Seth and Aaron had by now knocked on Sam's door, and getting no answer they went in, Sam was there, sitting in the chair he always sat in by the fireplace, although right now the fire was nothing more that a few embers that glowed under a pile of ash. Sam was leaning forward in his chair, and they both knew at the same time that he was gone, and nothing they could do would bring him back. Aaron stood still, leaning on the door frame, and Seth approached the chair where he sat. Years of working on the land had aged Sam, his skin was like leather, lined from the sun of a thousand days. While never a large, muscled man, Seth could remember seeing him throw hay bales like they were nothing, but that had been years in the past. It seemed in the last few years Sam had slowed down a bit, and while the passion was still there, the body was showing its age. Every morning had brought a few more aches and pains. But the one thing that had never changed it seemed, was the fire that always seemed to smolder deep in his eyes. As Seth drew closer, looked down on his uncle, he could see the fire in them was no longer there
Seth looked up to where his father had been, he was gone, no longer in the doorway. He could her him out in the yard talking to someone, Seth moved toward the door and saw Aaron out there, his arm around Will, who had come looking for them. Will's eyes were big and round, he was upset as his grandfather held him close. Seth went out into the yard put his arms around his father and son, all of them, each of them feeling the loss that engulfed them. Together they headed toward the house to break the news to Agatha and Liz. The day that had seemed filled with such promise, had changed and while the sun still shown with a bright light, for each of them it was gray, foggy, and sad, most of all sad.
At the house they met Liz outside where she had been working in the garden, Seth called to her, and she knew as she approached them that something was wrong, something had happened. She moved a bit faster as she came, alarm and concern on her face. Will letting go of his grandfathers hand ran toward her, the tears of a ten year old man streaking own his face, she stopped and gathered him in her arms holding him tight, as silent sobs wracked his body. Seth and Aaron arrived at her side, she looked at them and then she knew, though as of yet not a word had been spoken, but the look in their eyes told her all she needed to know. She stood up with them and with Will still clutching her side, She, Seth and Aaron walked as a family to tell Agatha that Sam had died.
Weeks had gone by, the funeral was in the past, on the top of the hill another grave mark the passage of time, and the life that was. It was early morning again and Seth as was his habit was again out on the porch in the early light thinking about the day and remembering the past. It was so strange not having Sam around, he had always been a part of Seth's life, even more so after Tom had been killed in the war. Aaron had become withdrawn then, and Sam had stepped in to help fill that void. He was someone Seth had always felt comfortable talking to, with. He had been more like a big brother than an uncle. But that was in the past, and as Seth looked over to the now darkened and closed up log house that had been Sam's, he knew that Sam would no longer be coming through that door. He could not go over on those nights he needed someone to talk to, it was someone missing in his life, someone he knew would never be replaced. But he also knew that he would never forget him
The sun was now above the far horizon, its rays illuminating the fields and fingering their way into the trees around the house. Seth looked around and realized that he had spent to much time thinking on the past, there was a full day of work waiting, you could not call in sick the land was not that forgiving, he laughed softly to himself when that thought popped into his head, Sam had said that to him, more than once in the past, but Sam had always had something to say, even when it was not the thing you wanted to hear, but all in all, time usually showed him to be in the right. Seth reflected on that thought for a few minutes, swallowed the last swallow of the now lukewarm coffee, and turned heading back into the house. He stopped briefly at the sink to rinse out his cup and placed it in the rack, then walked out of the back door and made his way to the barn to start his day.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)RichardReally nice story line. The biggest issue here is the passive voice. Show don't tell. Just an example and a suggestion."Seth watched all this as it occurred, and though he had done the same a thousand times before, the sight of it still made something well up within him. A feeling that grew from deep inside, welled up in his soul and brought him a feeling that this day would go right and that this life, his life was good. It was the right way to start a day. "Watching everything that occurs just as had a thousand times before, the sight making something well up inside. A feeling growing from deep inside the pit of his stomach rising up to his soul. This all all bringing about a feeling that the day would go right and life was good. It is a good way to start the day.I actually had begun it in that tense, but I guess I opted for passive, but who knows maybe your way is better. I am certainly no expert.Richard
This trilogy deserves to be a book, Richard. I love your ending, it's gracefully uplifting.Perhaps, and thank you for your comments on the ending I kinda liked it that way too.
Hi Richard.I haven't read the first two parts. I'll have to do that now. Excellent.Dianne
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