Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:05:21 -0500
From: Retta Michaels <rettamichaels@gmail.com>
Subject: Rural Love: Chapter 3 (Rural Young Friends)

Rural Love

by

Retta Michaels


Chapter 3


Disclaimer:


If you are not old enough to read this story, or if you are not legally
entitled to read this story in your country, please don't do so and
jeopardize other's abilities to do so for your own pleasure. With this
stated, you are told...what you do after this point is not our
responsibility.


Retta's Note:


Rural Love is fiction. It is not one bit biographical. Please notice I
say it's fiction. The characters are exactly that...characters in a
fictional story. If you think after this statement, they are real, please
understand so I am not held liable for what is said in answer to the
emails you write.


Chapter 3


That night, on the way home, I was really excited and probably relived
all the experiences to Aunt Paulette twenty times. Each time, Uncle Nick
would interject in with, "Be sure to tell her about Mike Jr.!" He'd laugh
and I'd be sure to tell her about Jr. again.


When we got back to the farm, Aunt Paulette got out of the truck and went
to the house. I rode with Uncle Nick to the livestock ramp and we began
to unload the cattle from the trailer. The cattle we had were Uncle
Nick's and he sure seemed happy.


He said, "Billy, what you did today was really special to me. I really
appreciate it."


I looked at him and said, "Uncle Nick, I love you and you're doing more
for me than this, so please don't mention it again."


He said, "Billy, we're going to have to go over it again as your Aunt
Paulette is going to hit the ceiling when she realizes what I did."


We fed the cattle and Uncle Nick said, "Billy, we're going to be keeping
these in the holding pen until we can get them ear tagged, so please
don't open that other gate."


I said, "Uncle Nick, what all are we going to need to be doing to get my
farm ready for Mike to go to work there?"


He said, "Billy, we need to talk about that. Mike will need a house and
the barns over there aren't really good at all. We're going into this at
a disadvantage because we don't have much for the cattle to eat. We'll
have to feed them, and I'll order up a bunch of feed, but it's going to
cost a lot."


I said, "Do I have enough money?"


He said, "Billy, you easily have enough money, but I'm not sure how
strong the fences are over there. Your dad was really a private man with
those sorts of things and didn't want any help. You probably know more
about those things than I."


I said, "Uncle Nick, he never mentioned it to me. He'd mention going to
repair fences, but I never got took out and he never even tried to show
me more than feeding."


Uncle Nick nodded and said, "Billy, we've got to get a holding pen set up
and we'll be forced to use the old barn. I do know Mike and I talked
about getting new barns built, but that's going to take time."


I said, "Well, we need to get them a house so they can get over there.
From what Jr said, they're going to be without a place to live soon."


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, let's get these head fed and then we'll get on
into the house. Your aunt has several surprises she and her mom made this
afternoon, so I'm anxious to see what they are. If anyone can cook better
than Paulette, it's her mama."


He smiled and I said, "Well I know Aunt Paulette is a real good cook."


He said, "Billy, you need to tell her more things like that. It'd make
her feel good."


I nodded and said, "Uncle Nick, will it hurt your feelings if I start
getting closer to Aunt Paulette? I don't want her to think I don't want
anything to do with her."


Uncle Nick looked shocked and said, "Billy, do you think it'd hurt my
feelings?"


I said, "Well, Uncle Nick, you two were talking about sending me to a
shrink and I don't want that. I was worried she didn't want to be around
me." Tears sprung in my eyes, and I didn't want Uncle Nick to see me
crying.


He said, "Billy, we didn't know how to handle the situation. We think
it'd be better if you had someone to speak with about it who knows how to
deal with these things with kids."


I said, "Uncle Nick, you've known me all my life and how is someone who
doesn't know me going to know how to help me better than you? Just
talking to you about this has helped me more than anyone. I think if I
have Jr's friendship, and you watching over me, I'll be fine. It's just I
feel sad a lot. I miss my mom and dad but talking to a stranger isn't
going to stop that."


Uncle Nick nodded and said, "Billy, I'll talk to Paulette, but you can't
be wanting to kill yourself or have me kill you, and not go. The next
time you say anything like that, or just disappear, I'll be taking you to
that shrink myself."


I said, "Uncle Nick, what if I forget and go to my farm?"


He said, "Billy, we'll do what we can to make a board in the house which
will have a way of you letting us know you'll be over there. Then, if
you've not marked that board, I'll be speaking with you. You've got to be
letting us know."


I said, "Uncle Nick, will you be sure to stick with me the first few
times I go over there. I've not been back over there since the fire."


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, I'm really worried about you seeing the
condition of the place. I don't think that's going to be good for you.
Would you mind if we went through slowly and you got a chance to speak
with me about everything which is on your mind while we do it?"


I said, "Uncle Nick, as long as I hold your hand, I'll not be so scared."


He smiled and said, "Billy, I'll probably more scared than anything about
you being hurt by all this. I'll be holding onto you tighter than your
hand."


He came over and picked me up and hugged me. He said, "Billy, today, for
a few moments I looked at you more like my son than I did you being my
nephew. I can't take the place of your mama and daddy, but I don't think
I could handle losing you too."


I hugged him back and said, "Uncle Nick, I'm not going to die. I want to
get to know Jr more and I think he's really neat."


Uncle Nick smiled and said, "Mike knows about his son. He was worried
about you not liking Jr if you found out. When you two went to lunch,
Mike and I had a talk about it. I told him you'd be fine with Jr."


I said, "Uncle Nick, he's really a nice person. I think he's cute and all
that, but the more I'm getting to know him, the more I like him than as
being someone who's cute."


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, just be careful and don't do anything you'll not
be sure you want to do. Having friends is fine, but don't let everyone
know as they'd not understand."


He put me down and I said, "Uncle Nick, what's there to not understand? I
like him and he likes me. If they don't understand that, how stupid can
they be?"


He said, "Billy, just be careful not to touch him more than a buddy would
do out in public. People can be really hateful."


We walked towards the house and when we got to the kitchen, it smelled
really good. Aunt Paulette was sitting at the table and she had the
invoice from the livestock auction in her hand. She said, "Nickolas,
would you sit at the table and William, I need to speak to your uncle, so
please go to the living room and watch something on t.v.."


I looked at Uncle Nick and he said, "Billy, go on to the living room. I
need to talk with Paulette."


I went to the living room and sat on the couch. I turned on the
television and watched the Power Rangers.


Soon, Uncle Nick came to the living room and said, "Billy, your aunt
would like to talk with you. Would you come in here please."


I saw him and he smiled. I went into the kitchen and Aunt Paulette was
still sitting at the table. I went and sat down and she said, "Billy, I
was looking at the invoices from the livestock auction today and noticed
your uncle spent quite a bit more money than what he went with. He never
told me he got any money from you, so I was immediately worried about how
we were going to pay the bill. When you two came in, I asked him about it
and he told me you were kind enough to offer. Billy, I want you to know
the money you have is for your farm and not to pay us one dime. We've
taken you in because we love you and want to raise you. Not because we
want to use you for your money, While it is true that someday, this farm
will probably will go to you, I really wish your uncle had spoken with me
about this before he went ahead and made that decision. What's done is
done, and as much as I'm not used to getting help from my family or his,
I understand you two did it with good intentions. All I'm asking you is
to ask your uncle along with me to make these decisions in the future.
What I want to let you know is when those cattle are sold, your portion
of their sale will be returned to you."


I looked at Aunt Paulette and said, "Aunt Paulette, I was just trying to
help. I didn't know it'd make you mad."


She said, "Billy, I'm not mad, my feelings are hurt. Your uncle and I
have a partnership in this. How would you feel if you had a friend who
you two went into a partnership on a kool-aid stand and you came home for
lunch and when you went back, you suddenly saw your kool-aid stand was
selling ice cream and popcorn and lots of candy. Wouldn't your feelings
be hurt he would do that without asking?"


I said, "No, I'd ask him which I could eat first!"


She laughed and said, "Well Billy, what if your partner told you it was
alright for you to work there but you couldn't eat anything."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, I'd look at him and ask him who he thought he was
fooling!"


She said, "What if you saw he was serious?"


I said, "Well, it depended if we could still play matchbox cars on the
counter, because if we couldn't, I wouldn't want to stay working there."


She said, "Billy, your uncle did the same thing to me this afternoon. My
feelings are hurt, but I'll still work here and I'll still play matchbox
with him, but when the profits come in from the cattle, you're going to
be repaid every cent your uncle took from you."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, please don't do that. If you give me back the
money, it will hurt my feelings. You aren't letting me give you anything
and yet, you can give me everything. Is that fair?"


She said, "Billy, it's not the same."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, I don't understand. If I bought you a mixer and
you made pie crust and then took it to the county fair and won a blue
ribbon, would you give me the ribbon?"


She looked at me and said, "That's not the same."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, it is the same. I gave something freely from my
heart. No, uncle Nick didn't speak with you about it, but it was a
gift...just as I'd be giving you a gift. Now, you're telling me the gift
was a loan and you're going to make him repay his gift back and your's is
different."


Uncle Nick smiled and said, "Billy go on to the living room. I think your
Aunt Paulette is seeing things your way now."


Aunt Paulette said, "Billy, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were doing
this to help us and was thinking about what everyone else was going to
think if they found out. I'm sorry."


I went over to Aunt Paulette and said, "Aunt Paulette, I love you and I
want you to know you're a real good cook. If I get you a mixer it's
because I want you to be the best cook around, not because I'm wanting
you to cook better. It's the same with Uncle Nick. He could have cattle
which aren't the best, but when I went into the livestock auction and
heard how all those farmers really liked the cattle because they were the
best...well, I wanted the best for myself and I also wanted the best for
you all too." I hugged her and said, "I just want you all to know I think
you're the best and that's it."


She said to me, "Billy, your Uncle has said some really kind words to me
through the years and I love him all the more for it, but besides him, no
other man has ever said anything as sweet. I want you to know how special
you are to me."


I smiled and said, "Aunt Paulette, that's what I think."


She said, "Billy, I don't normally do too many things about this farm,
but tomorrow, I'm going to be over there with you guys to make sure you
aren't getting too sad. You'll make sure to tell me what you're feeling
won't you?"


I said, "Aunt Paulette, I'll tell you and Uncle Nick everything, just
don't send me away to no shrink."


She said, "Baby, we wouldn't send you away. Is that what you think?"


I said, "I didn't think you two wanted me." I started to cry and she
hugged me to her bosom.


I cried for a long time and then finally, I stopped. She hugged me to
herself and said, "Billy, no one is ever going to take you away from us.
Please don't ever worry about that again."


Uncle Nick was squatted down by us and said, "Paulette, he's been worried
about this because he's been overhearing us talk about it. In the future,
I think we should speak with him about all these things and us just
working through them with him.Yes, tomorrow is going to be a big day, but
I think if we take it slow, we can talk with him and get to know
everything he's feeling. We can share some of our feelings too and he can
know it's alright to feel sad, and remorseful."


Aunt Paulette said, "I understand."


Uncle Nick said, "Today, Billy asked me if it was o.k.. if he could be
around you more because he was worried about what I thought. I think just
as much as he needs me to be a male role model in his life, he needs a
woman in his life too."


She said, "Billy, please don't ever think you can't come talk with me. I
can't replace your mom, but I think your mama wouldn't mind one bit if
you came to me and told me things you went and spoke with her about."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, this may be hard to understand but my biggest
fear right now isn't what everyone's going to think but it's about what I
think. My biggest fear is forgetting them." I began to cry and said, "I
don't want to forget them."


Tears came to her eyes and said, "Billy, tomorrow, we're going to be over
there, and I pray there are a lot of things we can get out of what's left
of the house. There are a lot of regrets I have regarding your mama and
that's we didn't spend enough time together and we didn't share enough
with each other. The only photos I have of them are their wedding
pictures and that's just not right. I now pray there are some photos
which weren't damaged."


Uncle Nick said, "Paulette, let's wait until tomorrow and not worry about
what we are going to find and not. I'm sure everything we find will be a
blessing to Billy."


She nodded and I said, "Can we go to my bedroom? I have a lot of things I
want to get from there. Mama and daddy's bedroom is it burned real bad?"


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, it's not burned real bad, it was a whole lot of
smoke in there which they died from."


I said, "Well, Mama kept the photo albums by their bed as she said it was
the one thing she wanted to get out of there in case of fire. She just
never had a chance."


I began to cry and said, "Why didn't they have smoke detectors?"


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, I bet they never thought about it. Otherwise,
they would have had them."


Aunt Paulette said, "Billy, not once in my knowing them did they ever
think anything bad would happen. They were so excited about tomorrow and
seeing what you'd be doing they never thought a bad thing like this would
happen. Let's remember them like that, o.k.?"


I said, "Uncle Nick and Aunt Paulette, do you all have smoke detectors?"


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, let me show you where they are. Each month, I
change the batteries. The extra batteries which come out of them, I use
in the sensors from the electric fences, so they are always fresh in the
smoke detectors."


He carried me through the house and then he showed me where the fire
extinguishers were located. He told me, "Billy, if there's ever a fire,
you get out of the house and don't you ever try to fight it yourself. Run
and go call the fire department."


I said, "Uncle Nick, who called the fire department when our house
burned?"


He said, "I don't know."


The look on his face suddenly became alarmed and said, "Billy, your mama
and daddy were found asleep in bed, and we live the closest, so I don't
know, but tomorrow, I will know." He said, "Billy, let's go downstairs as
I want your Aunt Paulette to know what you just asked."


I went downstairs with him and he said, "Paulette, Billy just asked a
question which has me perplexed. If his mom and dad were found asleep in
bed and we're the closest people who live around here, who called the
fire department? Everyone's assuming the fire started in the living room
as it was in that wood stove, but I don't think anyone checked it."


I said, "Uncle Nick, daddy said at supper that night he had seen one of
them hellions in town that day and had words with them."


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, I'm going to find out who called them, but let's
not be thinking it was anything more than what it was."


Aunt Paulette said, "I'm going to call my father and ask him to speak
with the fire chief. They're good friends and he should know."


She went and got on the phone and Uncle Nick said, "Billy, there are
times we have questions we don't know the answers for. Sometimes, they
are one's which perplex us. So, what we're going to do is not go into
your house tomorrow until we have someone in who will answer the question
to our satisfaction. It wouldn't be good for us to not fully find out
what the cause of the fire was without knowing."


Aunt Paulette got off the phone and she said, "My dad is going to call
the fire chief and ask. He'll call back when he's spoken with him."


She went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a pot which she put on
the stove. She said, "Guys, today, my mama and I made up some Hungarian
Goulash. I'll reheat it and then we'll have it with French bread. Billy,
would you mind setting the table for supper?"


I said, "No, I don't mind, mom always asked me to do it at home, so I
know how to do it."


I went over and pulled the step stool up so I could get out the dishes
and then took them to the table. I set the table just as we did at home
and put out glasses for everyone to drink from."


Uncle Nick had taken the invoices from the auction and went to the room
which he used for an office.


Aunt Paulette said, "Billy, would you take that loaf of french bread out
of it's package and put it on a baking sheet?"


I did and she then said, "In the drawer over there is a long knife which
is a bread knife. It's got a wavy blade and isn't real sharp. Would you
use it to slice the bread and then butter the slices?"


I said, "Sure." and began to do it as I had done it at home. It made me
feel good I was able to help


The phone rang and Aunt Paulette answered it. I listened to her end of
the conversation and she told her dad she's be sure to keep us away from
the house. She got off the phone and said, "Billy, tomorrow, we're not
going to be able to go to the house. The fire chief is perplexed like us
as to whom called it in as the call went to the 911 dispatch center. He's
going to get the records and wants to call in the state fire marshal as
an actual investigation was never done. Usually it's done, but in this
case, they were sure it was the wood stove as you and your Uncle Nick
both told the fire department it was the wood stove."


Uncle Nick came in and she told him. He said, "Paulette, if it's the wood
stove, right now, I'll be relieved. I'd really hate it to be something
else."


I said, "Uncle Nick, I threw the buckeyes into the wood stove. Will I get
into trouble?"


He came over to me and said, "Billy, I don't think you'll be in trouble
at all if it's the wood stove which caused the fire. Billy, is there any
other thing you can remember your daddy saying for you to be careful of
as he thought it would start a fire?"


I said, "No, not that I can remember. He always said it about the barn
with the hay and to always turn off the light out there, but nothing in
the house."


Uncle Nick hugged me and said, "Billy, tomorrow, we're going to put your
livestock out in the back pasture. Your bulls we're going to put in a
metal pen we're going to have over here."


I said, "Uncle Nick, why don't we put all the livestock over here until
things can be built over there?"


He said, "Billy, there's not enough space."


I said, "If we use the hay from the barn and I buy the feed, will it work
out better until things are built?"


He looked at Aunt Paulette and said, "Honey, what do you think?"


She said, "I think until you have someone over there to watch them full
time, and until we know something more definite, I think we should have
them over here. It's an awful lot of money and I don't want anything to
happen."


Uncle Nick said, "Tomorrow, I'll call the livestock barn and tell them we
want the delivery to be made here. Billy, we're going to go to the Kubota
dealer and we're going to get you a RTV."


I said, "What's that Uncle Nick?"


He said, "Billy, it's an atv which is 4 wheel drive and is enclosed so
you can go out with to the cattle and be able to tend to them. I'll feel
safer because wherever I see it on the farms, I'll know that's where you
are."


Aunt Paulette said, "Nick, isn't that an expensive toy for him?"


My Uncle Nick said, "Paulette, he's going to need something, and if we'd
get him a horse, then it'd not serve the purposes around here like he'd
need. With the RTV, he can hook any of the wagons to it and be able to do
the chores better."


She said, "Nick, when you go, I want to go too to make sure it's safe."


I was perplexed. Yes, I would love to have a bigger bike, but Uncle Nick
was getting me an ATV. How cool is that!"


Uncle Nick said, "Paulette, you can go, but it's a choice. We can get him
a tractor which would serve the purpose, or we could let him drive one of
our tractors, but I'd feel better if he had something with a lower center
of gravity which wouldn't tip over as easy."


She nodded and began putting the goulash on the table. Uncle Nick pulled
the french bread out of the oven and put it out on the stove. Then, he
put it into the bun bowl which had the lid on it so it'd keep it warm.


Aunt Paulette said, "Billy go ahead and sit down. Would you like milk, or
iced tea with your dinner?"


I said, "Aunt Paulette, I can get it. Mom and dad used to let me get the
drinks at home."


She smiled and said, "In the future, you can get them, but I'm up
anyways, so I'll get them."


I said, "I'll have milk."


She got it and poured her and Uncle Nick a glass of tea. They sat down
and we said grace.


As we ate, she said, "Billy, those cattle are a huge responsibility. Your
uncle thinks you're old enough to be a farmer and handle the
responsibility, but I'm going to make sure it doesn't affect you in any
way which it shouldn't. Hopefully, we can get Mike and his family moved
in over there soon and things in order so it's not on you to help. I just
don't feel right in putting that on you."


I said, "Aunt Paulette, I'll help in any way I can. I want to help."


She said, "Billy, I understand, but I also think a puppy would have been
more responsibility that you should have had."


I laughed and said, "Daddy wouldn't let us have a dog. He said he didn't
like them."


She smiled and said, "Billy, I understand, but handing a child a whole
heard of cattle isn't a way for anyone to learn responsibility. I'm
thinking it's a whole lot more than what should be done."


Uncle Nick said, "Paulette, by the time I was Billy's age, my daddy had
me out doing all the chores to run that farm. No, I didn't help bucking
the bales, but I sure drove the tractor while they did it. A farm kid is
just different than a city kid."


She smiled and said, "Nick, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying we need
to let him be a child as long as he can."


He smiled and said, "Billy, your aunt and I aren't having a disagreement,
o.k.? I understand she's concerned and I am too. I just you to know I
think you're capable of doing anything you set your heart to doing. I,
myself, don't feel comfortable with you being around all the working
machinery on this place. For those times, I'd rather I do it. With you
operating an atv which can't go real fast and can pull the trailer, there
shouldn't be no harm. I'll load the trailer and then all you'll have to
do is drive it to the pasture and unhook it so the cattle can feed off
it."


I nodded and Aunt Paulette said, "Nick, you take him down the first few
times and make sure he knows how to do it safely."


He smiled and said, "Honey, I'm planning on doing that, so don't worry."


We ate and carried on the conversation about the RTV. About the time we
were done, I looked at Uncle Nick and said, "What's semen?"


My Aunt Paulette began choking and said in a panicked voice, "Billy,
where'd you hear that!"


Uncle Nick smiled and said, "Honey, that damned Mike today mentioned
semen at the auction barn when we were discussing the bull."


She looked pale and said, "Oh Lord!"


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, semen is something the bull gives which you can
sell to other ranchers to make money from the bull."


Aunt Paulette said, "Nick, not at the supper table. Leave that sort of
talk out at the barn, o.k.?"


He smiled and said, "Billy, one thing you learn is women get all
flustered when you discuss a bull. Leave the talk about them out at the
barn."


I said, "Can I discuss cows in the house?"


He said, "You can, but not the bulls."


I didn't understand it, but I didn't understand girls either.


Uncle Nick smiled at Aunt Paulette and he said, "I'll remember to tell
Mike you appreciated hearing that at the supper table." He winked at her
and she smiled weakly.


I learned one thing about my Aunt Paulette during that conversation. She
had my Uncle Nick thinking she was strong, but all she was was a girl.


After dinner, I said, "Uncle Nick, I'm not interested in a bonfire
tonight, can we save it for tomorrow night?"


Uncle Nick said, "Billy, sure, maybe tomorrow night we can have Jr over
and you two can have a bonfire and a weenie roast."


I said, "That'd be neat!"


Aunt Paulette looked a bit better and said, "Billy, tomorrow is going to
be a big day, so after supper, why don't you go take your shower and get
your pj's on and then we'll watch some television."


I said, "Good, I like taking showers."


I then looked at my plate and said, "I'm done eating, may I please be
excused from the table so I can go shower?"


Uncle Nick said, "Sure, your pj's are under your pillow, so just go ahead
and get them. You know where everything else is."


I left the room and as I left the room I heard my Aunt Paulette say,
"Semen! Nick, you just wait until I see Mike tomorrow!....." I heard my
Uncle Nick chuckling.


I never heard the rest as I was running upstairs to get my Tonkas.


Retta's note:Hi everyone. Thank you for all the kind letters about "Rural
Love". Yes, it's a short story and yes, it's building character
development, but at the same time, you all are loving getting to know
Billy.

This week has been rather hectic and I've gotten more on my plate at this
time than I intended. Things are settling, so I'll get the stories posted
which will help you all get to read more.


From My Keyboard To Your Heart,
Rhett

RettaMichaels@Gmail.com

Copyright Notice - Copyright © October 2007 by RettaMichaels

The author, RettaMichaels copyrights this story and retain all rights.
This work may not be duplicated in any form, media, - known or unknown ^Ö
without the authors' expressed permission. All applicable copyright laws
apply.



Disclaimer: All individuals depicted are fictional, and any resemblance
to real persons is purely coincidental