Chapter 20-1

Chapter 20-1

 

It was decided that they would store some of the fabric at the farm in the new nursery for a while and Pa would take look at the shop in the morning while boys were in school with Ma. They were all excited more than ever knowing about there shopping trip on Friday as they now plan to spend the night in Salt Lake City return that afternoon or evening so they could get as much shopping as they could plus; sightseeing as possible for their new house and have a little fun and they would invite the Whitmore as well to join them.

The house was in frantic; nobody could sleep with all the news of the house and about the shop as everyone laid awake in bed, so Pa said. “What the heck,” laughing at Ma he couldn't sleep either hearing the boys down the hall getting up to get a glass of milk than the girls following then Ma soon after that then him too.

Ma, Pa at the table laying out plans for the day decided to let them sleep just a bit longer if they can as she puts breakfast on the table. Today they were going to play hooky today from everyone as Pa sneaks out down to the Whitmore farm to grab Kollie and Rena and the boys out of bed for a little weekend fun.

Now Ma doesn't like it when Pa plays hooky with the boys, but today was very special day for them all as she prepares a breakfast and large picnic basket for later with lots of goodies inside as she hum’s and looking down the road, waiting for Wayne and them to get back from the Whitmore farm. She even bribes Mr. Rooster with some honey cake to delay his rooster call as she throws it over the fence giggling whispering to him, “alright Mr. Rooster you know what do,” as she gives him a wink and went back inside to wait.

Wayne reached the farm of the Whitmore's not making a sound. The rooster is about ready to crow, he throws him over some of Martha honey cake to keep him quiet. As he carefully removes his shoes then glides up to the porch steps into the house, opens the door making his way down the hall to the boy’s rooms, slowly waking them up one at a time, handing them their clothes. He whispered to them, “we are all playing hooky today,” he said as they all laughed quietly and nod quickly dressing carrying their shoes out the door.

Than walked far away enough from the house to explain what going on than handing them each a feather to wake their parents and tell them and have them meet us back at the cottage for breakfast in 30 min. Shaking all their hands then sneaking back with his shoes back towards home as he laughed as the lights came on as laughter at the farm begins. Wayne reached the cottage, opens the door seeing Martha in the kitchen, “almost ready to go?” He asked she winks back at him.

“Martha everything set,” Wayne said quietly laughs grabbing a feather for himself setting his shoes by the door. Ma and Pa quietly sneak down the hall to where their children are sleeping and opened the doors one by one. Pa finding Roberts foot and Ma finding EJ’s, they began slowly until the war started in the room. Soon pillows where flying everywhere across the room. Boys jumping everywhere out of the beds tickling each other as the sisters run into help as the three little one's dog piled on Pa and Richard as turn them over tickling them tell the Whitmore's came in and joining in.  The wilder it got the more laughter roared throughout the cottage. With tears in their eyes from laughing so hard and feathers everywhere.

Ma finally called it quits for now announced breakfast will be ready soon. Ma getting up from the floor as Pa grabs her hand to balance her back onto her feet. Pa hands the boys a broom laughing and they leave the room so the grown-ups can talk as they get dressed for breakfast. Wayne puts his arm around Kollie and Rena as they go down to the kitchen to set the table. “Kollie, Rena welcome to Hooky day,” Wayne said as he laughed passing him the plates to put on the table”.

“Hooky day?” They replied a surprise start.

“Yes hooky day, today we are taking the day off to do whatever we want to do. Here let me explain. Our farmhouse is done and ready to be moved into, Rena and Martha have a new shop that needs to be cleaned and looked at, we're all going to SLC this weekend to buy new appliances and see the sights. There just wasn't enough time to do it all so we need an extra day so we made one called hooky day,” Wayne said. “Besides Rena didn't you say Kollie looked run down and tired and need a day off?” He asked. Rena smiled and nods her head, Wayne said, “well so did Martha and I and the boys have been working so hard and so has the girls so let’s have little fun of our own and play hooky today and see if we can get something's done and have a little fun,” he replied.

“By George your right Wayne, let's do it. What do you say, Rena?” Kollie asked looking into her amber eyes as she nods.

“Yes my dear,” and yawns. ”Oh my I do need a day off,” she said.

“First things first,” Wayne said looking at the table, “this will not work.” Wayne said shaking his head, “no sir,” Pa handing them plates and silverware. The boys placing them in a box, “Julie go grab a couple of tablecloths and Anna you grab the glasses, Rena helps me with this food.”

Martha looked at him like he fell off the planet watching her food disappear into boxes and baskets. “Kollie load this in the cars,” he said.

“Yes sir,” he replied. As soon as breakfast was all packed and loaded, Pa drove everyone to the farm and had the boys set the table on the new dining room table. Ma walks into the house seeing her large new kitchen table she nearly cried as everyone sat around it for breakfast.

Pa started a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off the room, it wasn't much as it echoed and sparked. Thou windows had no curtains and the room was missing future and non painted walls. It was home as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She was speechless as she looked at the table and everyone around it. All she could do is a whisper, “thank you,” to everyone. Then sat slightly looking at the man and the moon and her boys and her beautiful table they have built for her. After breakfast and the table was cleared Pa pulled out a schedule of things that they would all like to do today and school was not on the menu as he announced first off the list. “Let's start with the needs to be done first,” he said looking at the house.

“Right?” Martha replied.

“The painting and the moving,” he said as she fingered the table.  “We can't move in until the rooms are painted and the appliances are in. Now we have some from the cottage to get us by if we what to, but the painting still has to be done. Martha, you need to meet with Mr. Stringum to give him the colors you want then he and the boys can start painting the rooms today, while we work on the cattle and your shop. So lets Rena you ladies work here with the colors and curtains that you’ve made. Kollie and I with the boys will work on the move and clean out the shop then meet back here for lunch. Now then let's go see this shop of yours and get this day started, shall we?” Wayne said as he passed out the assignments.

Martha smiles looking out the window of her farmhouse; it feels so good to be home as she twirls around in her new family room with the girls and her boys by her side. EJ was glad to as he looks at the home feeling a little bit more secure since he knows this was going to be his family now and his home. He knew how much they cared for him looking at his Pa and his brothers beside him. He seldom looks down the road anymore, but sense's that something is still coming.

“Well, EJ what room do you want?” Pa asked as he walked through the house with his arms around him.

“I don't know, Pa haven't given it much thought,” as he laughs, “but whatever room it is can it be painted a light blue with light green curtains?” He asked.

“I don't see why not it's your room EJ,” Pa replied.

They walked down the hall where the rest of the boys are picking out their rooms. Girls picked out their rooms downstairs and boys all upstairs with their own bathroom not having to share with the girls. Ma and Pa's and master bedroom with bathroom off to the side just for them, plus house had the nursery of course and three large guest rooms, with plenty of closet space in all the rooms. Pa had the boys pick out the colors for their rooms before going downstairs to find Mr. Stringum and the boys who were working on the outside of the house, talking to Martha about color swatches for the house.

“Yes Martha its big one,” Mr. Stringum said looking at the house, “I'd say you should be in no sooner than next week if not sooner,” Mr. Stringum looking at the colors. “Yes, you could start moving in if you like providing you can stand a little noise now and then. Like I said everything is done except the outside and the painting.” Martha gives him a big hug and big fat kiss on the cheek before leaving as Wayne turns around the corner watching her skip to the house with a smile on her face.

Mr. Stringum sees Wayne and smiles as he blushes red from his wife as Wayne merely laughs. “Here are those colors you needed for the boy's room Mr. Stringum,” as he grins ear to ear looking at his house, “sure turned out nice didn't it, after all, said and done. Well off to see what kind mess the wife got me into now,” as he shakes his head heading towards the house. They loaded everyone up and head back to the cottage. Julie and Anna put the three boys down for their nap, so they could pack some of the things up for the house placing them in boxes; leaving Richard and Will to load them in the wagon, while Ma, Pa, and the other boys went with Kollie and his wife Rena to see the shop.

Wayne let Ma and Rena open the shop doors, but something was in there waiting for them when they open the doors. It had two biddy red eyes and long tail as the ladies screamed as the rat jumped out of the shop and down the road. The women shaking in their husband arms like a leaf. The boys rolled their eyes watching the rat high tailing it out of town. Setting them down gently back on their feet the women picked and prodded with their booms to make sure no more of them would come out. Covering their noses and sneezing because of all the dust.

The men and boys cleared out the room setting the junk out on the street while the women washed and swept the place clean. Wayne and the boys went through the junk finding odds of ends of old pallet’s and rags hauled it way to be burned while the women finished cleaning, rubbing their hands on their filthy aprons, smiling wiping their brow with a long sigh as they sat down.  Wayne gets out his note pad and measuring tape and has a look around, yells, “Martha, Rena please tell me what you are looking for in your shop,” as he measures the walls.

“Well dear, it has to have a long counter and some shelves and walls for the fabric.

“Yes, yes I know that dear,” he said as he smiles at the three women and ten men his size barely fit in the room. “Oh my looking at Rena nearly wanting to cry this won't do at all it's too small,” she said. Rena puts her arms around her whispers, “no it’s not dear, if you think about it we still have to have a place to store the inventory for the moment,” she said and takes charge.

“Wayne, could you build us some shelves instead that go all around like this as she points “that are this high about this long?” Wayne nods see where she going. “Now then, all we have to do is find another shop. Humm, didn't Mr. Rivers say something about adding shops on 3rd Street Martha?”

“Why yes, he did.”

“Well let's go take a look,” Rena said as they take off their aprons, throwing them in a box of cleaning supplies.

The 3rd Street was just getting underway a lot bigger than the 1st  or 2nd street around the New Downing squire these shops were bigger and wider with nice open storefronts made with brick and glass and cobblestone streets and the lights where just being placed on the corners. There was a new grocery store and a toy store and a sewing shop. “Oh look Mr. Rivers and Grams Newsstand and Post Office inc.” Some shops were still empty and waiting for other business to come into town. Martha, Rena walked down the cobblestone streets, the Mayor and his wife in carriage noticing them, stops by to say hello. “Hello, Wayne, Martha, Boys and how are the Whitmore's this fine day?”

“Just Fine sir,” the boys replied.

“Hey aren't' you boys supposed to be in school today,” looking at their parents.

Wayne laughs, “were all playing Hooky today Mayor,” and laughs.

“Oh, I see… well just don't make it a habit,” as he rubs the boy's heads.

“We won't sir,” they replied.

Mayor’s wife gives him a nudge, “oh yes that reminds me, Martha, Rena I understand you are opening a fabric store down here, that's wonderful,” pulls out the signed license. “Just pick out a store,” pointing to empty spots, “we be glad to have ya,” and tips his hat and rides off down the street with his wife waving, “Totolos.”

Martha, Rena looked at each other for a moment then at the empty shops on the corner and back at their husband with a new excitement in their eyes. They raced on over to the shops looking through the window before going inside the empty spaces, which echoed their emptiness once inside. Finally, they picked one with smiles on their faces jumping up and down. “Will take it,” looking at each other shouting at the top of their lungs. “This is our fabric shop,” as they hug each other one more time, taking a piece paper writing on the door Martha and Rena Fabrics Opening Soon. Giving Wayne a nudge and Kollie a chair, taking the boys they headed home. “Alright my dear husband,” before leaving, “build me a shop that we will love,” with a kiss on both their cheeks, leaves them sitting there.

Wayne and Kollie laughed watching everyone leave as Wayne pulls out his pad and measuring tape ask Kollie questions and having him stand here and there. While Martha and Rena take the boys back home to the cottage to pack up their things unload as much as they can to the farm before Pa gets back without getting in Mr. Stringum's way.