“Honey, I have got bad news,” Papa exclaimed with a tormented expression.

“Oh no, what is it?” Mama bombarded as she cast a rough look towards the children, signaling they needed to leave the room. The two children scurried off into the other room. Only Anne, the older of the two, knew something horrific was happening.

“I lost my job. My boss said he needed to start firing people from the mine. He said they have too many hustlers and a bunch of guys got cut from the job,” Papa responded.

“Oh my gosh! Did he let you off easy? Or did he berate you?” Mama wondered as she began to sob
furiously.

(Here she goes again. Always crying. She has a ridiculous amount of vehemence,) Papa thought to himself. “He let me off easy. He was very sympathetic. I noticed a lot of contrition in his voice.” Papa replied.

He glanced to his left and saw Anne had popped her head through the doorway. She had been analyzing the conversation. Papa was not happy with her eavesdropping, so he gouged her out of the room. She’s always so inquisitive, she got it from her mother, Papa thought.
He instantly regretted yelling at Anne so he walked into the main room to apologize. But all Papa found was his youngest daughter Mary dancing to a tune on the radio. The family had three radios in the house, more than any other family in town. Papa sat on the rocking chair and as he watched Mary pirouetting, he mulled over his situation. The family was considered somewhat affluent, due to his patrimony. His grandparents had left him some money, but that was almost all gone. Part of his inheritance was also a vast stretch of magnificent and luscious land jut a few miles down the road. There was a farm house and some animals which were cared for by an older couple. Since Papa had rebelled against his family and chosen to be a miner instead of following in the family farming footsteps, the farm land just sat there, barely attended but fertile. Enough thinking about that, I’ll go out tomorrow and look for mining jobs at nearby towns, Papa thought with determination. He was ashamed and lamented the loss of his job but he was extremely hopeful that his reputation as a good, solid worker would help him land a new mining job.

For a full week, Papa frantically looked around for jobs in different mines while Mama worked at home and the kids went to school. Mama sure hoped Papa would come home with a new, good paying job so the family could continue to prosper. But unfortunately, that was not the case and after much disappointment and deliberation Papa came home with a new idea.

“Papa’s home!” little Mary yelled from the washroom in her usual boisterous way.

“How did you make out?” Mama asked.

“Not good. I got offered a job, but the pay was pittance!” Papa complained.

“Why didn’t you take the offer? We could still use some income,” Mama wondered.

“Because I have been pondering and I have a grandiose idea. I think my heritage is calling me and we should dedicate ourselves to making the farm prosperous. You know my father was a farmer and he taught me all the ways of a farmer in my teenage years! I know how to run one on my own, and with a little help from you and the kids and some hired help we can definitely make it work.” Papa explained excitedly.

“Oh my. Just change our way of life and become farmers? I’m not sure we can”. Mama exclaimed.

“Yes we can. (With not only my volition, but our family’s as well); it is the best choice the family¬ as a whole can make.” Papa assured.
Anne rushed into the living area, bawling like a baby. “I don’t want to move! This is atrocious! I don’t want to leave all my friends!” Anne screeched.

“Don’t worry Anne. Bannish any unhappy thoughts, the farm is only three miles away. That is about half an hour from here (by horse and buggy).” Papa comforted her.

“Since you are so close you will not lose any cronies!” Papa added.

“I don’t care I will be farther away from them!” Anne muttered. She was reluctant to believe that farm life would be fun.

* * *

“I cannot wait to move Papa!” yelled little Mary and stared at Papa in adulation.

“What!? How are you not angry at Papa and Mama?” Anne screamed, flabbergasted.

“I don’t have any really good friends and maybe I can make some over at the new school by the farm,” Mary hoped excitedly.

“Mary, I hope you know that you deeply agitate me!” With that, Anne stormed off.

“I am glad you are excited honey. Lets start planning and begin girding for the move,” Papa explained.

“Ok, Papa.” Mary responded as she gave him an overwhelming hug.

(She never fails to invigorate me! Too bad the other one isn’t the same. . .)Papa thought.
* * *

“Wakey wakey!” Papa yelled into the loft. “It is moving day!”

“Yay! We are finally leaving here!” Mary shouted.

“Papa, can I bring a few more trinkets from my room?” Anne pleaded half-awake.

“Sure, just a few though. The moving wagon is nearly full!” Papa exclaimed.

After a quick breakfast in the now empty living area the family hopped into their buggy and Papa whipped the horses, alerting them to start moving. Attached to the back of the buggy was a wagon filled with all of the families belongings. The trip took them about forty minutes – which was not too bad considering the two horses were pulling a veritably heavy load.

“See, I told you it was outstanding! It is in pristine condition!” Papa shouted exuberantly as the farm came into view. The landscape transcended everyone’s expectations.

The fields were ready to be farmed and begging to be harvested. The big red barn was glimmering in the sun. Stacks of hay could be seen sticking out of the second-story window. The farm house (where the family was going to live) was a bit run-down, some shudders looked decrepit, dangling by a thread and in dire need of a new coat of paint. The older couple had certainly not done much to the house and they had vacated the property the prior day. Papa had promised the ladies that he would do his best to fix it up as soon as possible. He already had a long list of “to dos”. The animal count was very low at the moment with only two pigs and a horse left in the barn. Papa had already used the last of the family savings to purchase some chickens and cows, hoping that they would bring in money with the sale of eggs and milk.

“You were right! It looks beatific!” Mama replied.

“I hate it! It is extremely eerie and uncivilized!” Anne exclaimed with anger.

“Oh stop being so pessimistic! Once we get some cows in the fields, pigs in the pen and some chickens cooped up, this place will be as lively as the train depot on a weekend!”

Anne seemed to ignore Papa’s response and once she finished unloading her stuff she began to traipse around looking for something else to rant about. Meanwhile, little Mary was savoring the place and was very anxious for the new animals to arrive.

Three days later, as the family was starting to get used to “farm life”, dozens of chickens, a few hefty cows, several chunky pigs and some feisty, macho roosters (to wake everyone up) arrived. With a simple, yet eloquent, speech Papa announced the official inauguration of the farm and got loud cheers from everybody—including Anne! By the end of the year, the farm was widely known by everyone within a 5 mile radius, and as predicted by Papa, it was wildly successful. People came by horse back or in covered wagons from all the surrounding towns to purchase fresh vegetables and dairy products. Many of papa’s miner friends were now his loyal customers. Papa was feeling triumphant, but he was even prouder that his family had followed him to the farm and put all of their trust in him!