Jake's Arrival at the Farm

Jake's Arrival at the Farm

The car seemed to creep up the driveway. Jake bounced up and down excitedly.

"Look, it's Chuck!" he hollered as he flailed his arms.

"Mom, tell Jake to stop bouncing. I'm trying to color and he's knocking my arm," I called out in frustration. Jake glared at me in that brotherly way.

"Calm down, Jake," Mom called over her shoulder, "and keep your seat belt on until the car is stopped completely."

The car rolled to a stop as Jake unbuckled his seat belt so he'd be ready to open the door the moment the tires stopped moving. He knew better than to disobey Dad, who was stern, yet kind.

Jake's door flew open with such force that he almost fell out of the door in his rush. He bounded up the steps, two at a time. There was a lot of back slapping.

"Man, I never thought I'd get here. I can hardly believe it. I get to spend a whole month here with you. Boy, will we have fun..." Jake sputtered without breathing.

"Glad you're here! Grandpa, this is Jake." Chuck's Grandfather bent down to shake Jake's hand as Mom and Dad walked around to the trunk to get Jake's things.

"Come help us unload your bags, Jake," Dad interrupted the reunion.

"Chuck," his Grandfather turned and looked at the boys. "You two get over there and help with those bags. Put them in the spare bedroom where you are bunking. You two can unpack and get Jake settled later."

Chuck's Grandfather was standing precariously on one good leg while the broken one was supported in a white plaster cast with a walking shoe on the bottom. He was using a dark wooden cane for balance. He had broken it in a fall from an apple tree a couple of weeks before.

"A silly accident, really", Chuck's Grandfather blurted as he stood helpless on the front porch of his farm house. "Picking those apples is something we had done every year since we had bought this farm--back when Gertie and I had been first married in 1947--after I had been mustered out of the Air Force." Mr. Clemmens seemed sad. "Now look at me. I was thinning the apples from the tree. That allows the remaining ones to have space," he explained. "They will grow bigger, faster. If there are too many apples on a tree, the apples will be small and unusable, except for cider and juices. The buyers don't pay as much for cider apples as they do for the eating kind."

Chuck jumped down off the porch with Katie, his collie dog, right beside him. She sniffed the car, then Jake, and then the bags. She then returned to the rag rug near the front door and laid down. She rested her head on the rug while still maintaining a good view of the comings and goings.

"Here, boys," Dad said as he handed each boy a large suitcase from the trunk. "We'll get the rest."

The two friends giggled, half dragging, half carrying the heavy bags up to the porch where Chuck's Grandfather held open the screen door while they struggled inside, giggling all the way.

"You leave those things right here on the porch," Mr. Clemmens turned his attention to Mom and Dad as they carried the remaining boxes up the steps. "Those two hooligans can tote them in after you leave. It will be good for them to learn to work. I will see to it that it is one lesson they will learn this summer." he smiled almost wickedly.

Dad smiled and winked at the old farmer. That was the exact reason why he had agreed to this month-long stay with Chuck's Grandfather.

"It is time Jake learned a good work ethic," he had told my mother last month when Mr. Clemmens had called and asked if Jake could spend some time at the farm. "There was no better place than a farm to learn that. There are few opportunities, these days, for kids to learn the lessons that I had learned growing up." Mom nodded in agreement. "I certainly don't want Jake growing up like most of these city boys, who have too much idle time on their hands. It often gets them into mischief," he smiled knowingly.

"No, Jake will learn the value of hard work, and helping out when someone's in need," Mom had added to the conversation. "That will be a good start on teaching him the things that are important in life, like treating women with respect, helping out in a pinch, being dependable, and the idea that work comes first. They both nodded and smiled. "Then he can play a little...a reward for being dependable and doing an honest day's work for an honest day's pay." Dad had explained, over his cup of coffee, that he would have to teach him about working smarter, and about investing what he earned in true assets at a later time.

"First things first," Mom had said. First he has to earn the money, then we can worry about teaching him good money management." They had both laughed.

Dad set the boxes filled with treasures on the porch. Mr. Clemmens smiled. "I doubt they will get much of a chance to "play" with the toys."

"I think the lessons they will learn this summer will be a good trade off. I doubt they will forget this summer's adventures." A look passed between Mr. Clemmens and Dad. It was a look I did not understand. Perhaps it was a boy thing. Something girls were not privy to.

"Well, well, what have we here?" the Grandfather chuckled. Looks like Jake has brought his entire bedroom with him."

"Just about, I'd say," Jake's Dad said as he sat the last of it on the porch.

"Dad," I yelled from the car window. I was still sitting in the back seat while they unloaded my brother's things. "You forgot his Power Ranger. He left it here," I yelled, holding it up in the open window for Dad to see.

"Toss it here, Christy Lee," he said, cupping his hands out in front of him. My aim was a bit short and the action figure thudded in the dirt at his feet.

"We won't say a word," he laughed and put his finger up to his lips and smiled. He tossed the Power Ranger on top of the box and gripped the old farmer's empty hand. "I appreciate this. It was generous of you to allow Jake to stay here with you and Chuck. I hope he isn't going to be in the way."

"Oh, he won't be," Chuck's Grandfather grinned again. "I think I can find plenty to keep them two busy and out of trouble. Believe me, it is me who much thank you for letting him come. Since I broke my leg, I need a bit of extra help with the chores. Darned nuisance if you ask me. But, they say I'll be better than new in a few weeks. Won't be climbing no more ladders though. Gertie won't let me near one now." He was scowling as he adjusted his balance with the cane. "Too much fuss over a little accident," he mumbled in a hushed tone, as if he didn't want his wife of 53 years to hear.

Mom had followed the boys into the house with a small bag that contained Jake's toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush, a change of underwear, one pair of socks, a pair of pajamas, a swim suit, and his robe. She was prepared for everything.

"Ok, boys," she turned in the doorway to give out last minute instructions to the troops. "You two mind Chuck's Grandfather and help him around the place. Jake, you brush your teeth every night and every morning. Don't forget to bath every night and change your socks. I put more in your suitcase....and change your shorts every day too." The boys grinned sheepishly.

"Ok, mom, I understand." Jake didn't see me peering around the door jam. I wanted to see what Chuck's room looked like. It looked like any other boy's room I had ever seen. I was disappointed. I was hoping it would be different some how. But, boys are just boys, after all.

"And help Gertie with the dishes after dinner. Don't stay up talking all night. And please, Jake, don't forget your table manners. Be polite and say please and thank you and..."

"Mom, we understand. You can go now. I'll be fine," he nodded as Chuck chimed in.

"Grandma and Grandpa will take good care of us. And you can trust me. I won't let nothing happen to him. I promise," Chuck assured mom as he placed an arm around Jake's shoulder. "We're buddies. We take care of each other."

"I'm sure you will be a good influence on Jake, Chuck. But what ever you do, be safe. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Use your heads and don't go near the lake without a grown-up with you. Understand?" Mom stared down at the boys as she waited for confirmation.

"Ok, Mom! Gee, you're taking all the fun out of it and vacation hasn't even started yet."

"Jake, you promise me you will follow my instructions."

"Ok, Ok, Mom! Now go. We have man things to do." The boys fidgeted and shuffled their feet as Mom hesitated in the doorway.

"Clare," Dad called from the front porch. "We have to be leaving now."

"You boys promise," she said, refusing to leave without hearing the words.

"We promise, Mom. Now go!" he urged her in as stern a voice as he could muster without upsetting his mother.

"Ok, now remember..."

"Clare! Now, please. It is getting late and we still have a long ways to go." Mom paused again in the doorway and raised a finger at them as if to say something, but resignedly turned and walked out to the porch where Dad was patiently waiting.

"Please let us know if there is any problem," Mom urged the farmer as they stood briefly on the porch.

"There won't be no problems, Mrs. Green. They'll tow the line here," he smiled. "You can bet your life on that one."

"Well, in any case, here is the phone number where we will be staying. We can come back if there is any problems."

"Clare, there won't be any problems. The boys will be fine. This will be a summer he will remember for a lifetime. Trust me, he'll be just fine," he interjected quickly. "Now, let's get moving before it gets too late. We have just enough time to drop Christy off at your mother's and arrive in time for our dinner reservations."

Mom hesitated, but a firm hand on her shoulder guided her back to the car. She took one brief worried look over her shoulder and entered the car.

I was busy coloring in her coloring book by the time Dad got the car started. I was glad to have the back seat all to myself. I was going to enjoy every minute of my time with Grandma. It wasn't often I didn't have my big brother around to torment and harass me.

Jake watched the car roll down the gravel road until it disappeared around turn in the road. A moment of fear crept over him, but he brushed it away with a smile at his friend, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through the box of toys he had brought with him.

Click on the Book Bird to make your next choice.

To End this story line and return to beginning - Click Here

To End Story and return to For Kids Only - Click Here

Home