Chapter 4
Once again my readers astound me with the kind words and encouraging words. Thank you all for letting me know what you think about this story. As always, I don't own anything, and this is just for fun! I do enjoy writing.
one year earlier
The crisp morning air made it feel more like winter than the spring day it was. The grass was wet with frost just starting to thaw from the sun beginning to peak over the tree tops. Sue was wearing coveralls that were splotched with paint. She had a utility belt tied around her waist with a hammer hanging from it, and nails piled in the front pocket. She was up on a ladder nailing a board to the side of a stand.
A car pulled up to the front of her house, stirring up the dirt that had finally defrosted from the long New England winter.
A tall, slender man got out of his car and walked over to where Sue was perched up on the ladder.
"Hi!" The man called out. Sue didn't notice him standing there. The man was perplexed. "Hello!" He said again, still no response. "Hmm, maybe she doesn't want to be bothered?" He said to himself. "Umm, hello?" He said. Just then, Levi came running from around the back of the house and barked a happy 'hello' to the stranger. The constant companion to Sue jumped up on the ladder and pawed at Sue's let.
"Levi! Get down. I'll come play with you in a little bit." She said. He pawed at her again but then ran toward the visitor. She turned and noticed the handsome stranger standing there. "Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry! Have you been there long?" She said, blushing.
"No, no worries. I've only been here a minute." He said. Sue climbed down and brushed off her hands. She put a hand out to him.
"I'm Sue Thomas." She said. He shook her hand.
"Chris Alden" He smiled, holding onto her hand just a second too long.
"I'm sorry if you were calling to me. I'm deaf, and Levi is my hearing dog. He usually… usually lets me know when someone is trying to get my attention. He apparently was in the back of the house exploring again." Sue explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Umm, I don't sign…" He said.
"It's OK, I read lips. It's nice to meet you Chris." Sue said. She climbed down from the ladder.
"When I heard that someone had finally bought the old Landis place, I had to come see for myself." Chris said.
"You knew my uncle?" Sue asked.
"Your uncle?" He looked surprised.
"Well, he was my mom's uncle. I don't think I'd seen him since I was a little girl. He showed me how to pick blueberries from the bushes outback when I was four." Sue laughed.
"So, he left the place to you?" Chris asked.
"Something like that." She laughed.
"Harry was a great guy. I would come by a couple times a week and pick up dinner." Chris laughed. "Well, parts of it anyway. Nothing better than fresh picked sides."
"Agreed. I hope things go as planned." Sue pushed the front of the stand up, and set it with a long stick. She put on a pair of safety glasses and began to run a chisel up the peeling paint on the inside of the board. "I have so much to do around here still."
"Getting ready to open up the stand?" He asked.
"Hoping to. I have to find something to do with my time, and maybe make a little money on the side." Sue explained. "I have some room out back to put a garden, plus the berry bushes and fruit trees."
"Sounds like you're going to be busy this summer. Certainly looks like you have your hands full. Do you want some help?" He asked. "I have an appointment today, but maybe I'll stop back." He smiled. He put his hand out. "It was nice to meet you Sue Thomas."
"You too Chris. And, if you do, maybe I'll put you to work."
Sue watched as the handsome stranger walked back to his car and drove back down the road. She smiled as he disappeared in a cloud of dust.
Weeks past and Sue had finished the front of the yard, stand and cleared the path to the back area where her garden would be. The days were getting longer, and warmer. She was now able to walk out in the morning air with only a sweat jacket on. She was more comfortable with her surroundings, more secure. There were no shadows here in the country that would threaten to sneak out and get her. Her time in Washington DC had been one of the best in her life, until the last four months. Those were hell on Earth, she was convinced of that. The thought of her recent past made her shiver, and she shook off the memories that threatened to spill into her consciousness and got back to work at hand.
Levi was finding it difficult to adjust to country living. There were so many new smells and sounds that his canine instincts desperately wanted to investigate. His training kept him glued to Sue's side, most of the time. Little did either of them know the changes that were about to come to their lives.
On the days it was too cold or wet outside to tend to any of the yard or house needs, Sue set to planting her garden. She took any old pot, cup, box she could find to plant her seeds. Milk jugs were one of her favorite pieces to use. Peas, beans, corn, carrots, squashes, cucumbers, melons, and her favorites, green leafy veggies. Her flower garden would be next. She'd found some old pots in the shed to use for that phase of planting. The one ingredient she was desperate for was dirt. The back yard was still too frozen to dig in, so she would have to settle for the local hardware store.
When she walked through the door of the local Ace the bell that hung from the door rang out to indicate there was someone there.
"Hello there!" came an older woman's voice from behind the counter. Levi jumped up on Sue.
"Oh, Levi!" Sue looked around and noticed the woman, in her sixties walking toward her. She was plump around the center, shorter than Sue. Her hair was more grey than the brown it once was, her eyes sparkled the deepest blue. "Hello!" Sue said.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked. "Who's this handsome fellow?"
"This is Levi, he's my hearing dog. I'm Sue Thomas." Sue said putting her hand out.
"Nice to meet you Sue. I'm Hillary Langley. Your hearing dog?" She asked.
"I'm deaf. I can read your lips, if you look in my direction. I know how to sign as well." Sue said.
"Wow." Hillary said. "So, did Levi need a new bone or rope for a good game of tug a war?"
"Actually, I need some soil." Sue said.
"Spring planting already?" She asked. Sue nodded.
"I just moved into the old Landis place, and want to take advantage of garden area." She explained.
"Well, I have just the thing." She led Sue to the soil area. "Any kind you can think of…" She waved her arm over an entire twelve foot shelf area stacked high with bags of soil. "How much do you think you'll need?
"Hmm, I have no idea." Sue said laughing. "I'm kind of new at this. I want to start some plants for the whole garden area. I have containers and seeds."
"OK, so, how about if you show me the area you have in mind for the garden, and I can help you out from there." Hillary suggested.
"Oh, ok." Sue said, not sure what to make of the offer.
"I can come by in about a half hour. You can show me the space, tell me what you're planting, and I'll set up the order for you." She said.
"Great!"
An hour later, Sue was picking through the brush in the side yard when Hillary pulled up in the company pickup truck.
"Hi!" Sue called out to her visitor.
"Well, someone's been hard at work! This place is starting to look great." Hillary said.
"Thanks. Come on out back, you can see the space I have picked out." Sue said as she led the way to the back. As they came to an opening, Sue pointed. "There it is. I was thinking from that tree stump to the edge of the hill, to about here." She said indicating the square spacing she wanted to use.
"Wow, that's ambitious. Are you sure you'll have enough time to handle something that big?" She asked honestly.
"Sure. It's not like have to divide my time with work." She answered.
"Umm, Sue? You don't think this is going to be enough to keep you afloat, do you? I mean, having a fruit/veggie stand is a great supplement to your income, but it won't do much to keep you fed or wood in that stove of yours." Hillary informed Sue.
"I have some money saved, and I get a pension." Sue explained, leaving out the fact that she also was on SSI. She couldn't go back into the field since the incident, and gladly took whatever she was allowed to be able to move on with her life.
"Wow, lucky lady. And here I was going to offer you a job!" She joked.
"Well, if you need some help, and I have some time I would love to lend a hand. I've never worked retail, so it would be a new experience for us." She giggled.
"Us?"
"Me and Levi." Sue answered.
"Ahh, yes. Where is Levi?"
"Probably off chasing some wild creature's scent. We have a lot of them that cross the yard during the wee hours, and he loves to follow them around the yard in the morning." She laughed.
"Be careful he doesn't track a skunk back to its den. It won't like that, and it will let him know." Hillary said with a chuckle. "So, what did you have planned? And where?"
"Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? I just made a fresh pot."
"Sure, and we can go over the details. That back corner near the raspberry bush would be perfect for pumpkins or melons of some sort. There's a lot of room for it to vine without being in your way." Hillary pointed as they retreated into the house.
"Excuse the place, it's livable, but that's about all I can say about it." Sue said.
"There's a lot of work to be done in here, that's for sure, but it's all cosmetic. Don't get stressed, you'll get it done." Hillary reassured her.
Sue poured the coffees and Hillary began to draw a basic outline of what the garden would look like when it was done. All of Sue's favorites were chosen as well as some local favorites. If she was going to be successful, she would have to have what the towns folk wanted too. Sue was shocked at what it was going to cost, but Hillary reassured her that it was usually a one-time investment. Next year, she would only have to worry about some fertilizer and seeds.
"Umm, I don't know many people around… actually, there's you, Preacher Michael and Chris… Alden. I was wondering if there was anyone who might be interested in tilling this for me? I don't want to have to turn all that soil by hand." Sue cringed.
"I don't blame you. There are a few people who do it. I would suggest Tony. He'll bring his ox down and tear that up for you pretty quickly. You might want to keep Levi inside though." She laughed. "Old Christian- the ox- doesn't take too kindly to overzealous pets."
"Thanks for the warning. Do you have a number for Tony?"
"Nope. He doesn't have a phone. He'll be in on Thursday. He comes in every Thursday." She laughed. "I can ask him for you if you like?"
"Thanks."
Hillary put her cup in the sink, rinsing it before she left, and drove her old beat up pickup truck back down the road to the center of town.
The days passed quickly, Sue was kept busy from sunrise to sunset, and beyond. During the days, she worked on the yard, trimming bushes, tree limbs, raking leaves, and planting. At night, she worked in the house. She'd painted the kitchen a nice shade of yellow to brighten it up. The addition of curtains and a table cloth to match actually made the appearance of a cozy home.
Sue had set up a ladder on the outside of the house, and was cleaning gutters and scraping loose paint from the side boards of the house. Levi pawed at Sue's leg to let her know she had company. When she turned, she spotted the handsome Chris getting out of his car, wearing something that looked like it had gotten caught in a wood chipper. Sue climbed down from the ladder and smiled at him.
"Hi Chris!" Sue called. Levi bolted toward him, tail wagging.
"Hi!" He called back, waving. "Wow! You've been busy!"
"Yeah, I've had to be. I love it though. Keeps me busy, keeps my mind from wandering, and I feel like I've accomplished something." Sue said.
"You've certainly accomplished something here!"
"Thanks. So, since you came back, can I put you to work?" She teased.
"Hey, that's why I'm wearing my Sunday best." He joked. "Do you have another ladder?"
"In the shed." Sue said. "But, really…" She began as he made his way to the shed. "You don't have to, I was just kidding."
"I wasn't." He said as he ducked inside the shed.
"I'm going to start on this side. Are you prepping it for new paint or siding?" He asked.
"Paint. I can't afford siding. Besides, I like the look of paint on an old farm house." She said.
The pair worked for a couple hours in silence on opposite ends of the house. Finally Sue decided to take a break with some lemonade and cake.
"You are covered with paint chips." Sue laughed.
"Hazard of the job." Chris agreed, sharing the laugh.
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking and getting to know each other. As a thank you, Sue offered to make him dinner. Chris gladly accepted. He was funny with a sharp sense of humor. Before long, night began to fall, and Chris took his leave.
Late Thursday afternoon, Levi spotted Hillary coming up the road and alerted Sue. Sue walked out to meet her. Hillary greeted her with a big hug.
"Hi! I have your supplies. I was going to call, but…" She began.
"I have a phone." Sue said.
"Ahh, but I don't have your number." Hillary said.
"Well, let's remedy that." Sue said writing her number on a piece of paper. "Sorry, it's still a DC number. One of these days I'll get around to changing it." She laughed.
"Well, that's alright." She said looking at the number. "So, you're from DC huh?"
"No, I'm from Ohio, I just came from DC. I was working there, but left to come up here." Sue explained.
"Ooo, what did you do in DC? Did you work for the government?" She asked while making a face.
"Sort of. I'm an FBI agent- I used to be an FBI agent." Sue said
"Oh, really? That's a story I have to hear… but another time." Hillary laughed. "Davis gets cranky if I'm gone too long. He wanted to come himself to make the delivery, but I said no, I wanted to say hi again."
"Thanks. So, what do you have back there? It looks like you emptied your entire store in the bed of your truck!"
"Almost!" She banged on the truck and two young men jumped out of the front seat. "Sue, this is Travis, my oldest boy, and Jerry, my youngest." Travis was about 20, clean cut with just a hint of a beard line along his jaw. His sandy colored hair complimented his green eyes. Jerry was only about 16, pimple faced and shy. His hair was roaring orange, with the same green eyes. Sue figured they took after their dad. "They're going to unload this haul. Boys, Ms. Thomas is deaf, please remember to look at her when you're talking to her. Tell them where you want it…" Hillary said.
"Umm, back yard?" Sue said hesitantly.
"Boys, put the soil and fertilizer spaced around the garden, and open the bags." She laughed.
"Yes mom" They said nearly in unison.
"Thanks." Sue said. "I guess it's pretty obvious I really don't know what I'm doing."
"Nah! We're just old pro's at it. I talked to Tony. He'll be here at first light. He'll do it for $75.00." Hillary said. "If that's too steep, tell him that when he gets here… I'm sure he'll lower the price."
"No, that's fair." She said.
"Ma'am, we're going to dispose of the bags for you back at the store, is there anything else we can do for you? Would you like us to spread any of that for you?" They asked.
"No, thanks. I think I'll do that later. I have manure coming in too." She smiled.
"Good. Then we will leave you to your chores. Oh, Sue? Would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow night? I'm making turkey."
"I would love to, thank you." Sue said. "Where?"
"Just stop by the store about 5:30. The boys will show you the way." Both boys smiled.
The next morning Sue woke to a nauseated stomach. She was sure it was the change in the water since Levi had been experiencing similar issues lately. She didn't have time to dwell on things before Tony was knocking on her front door. Sue knew he was there from the smell. She could smell Christian.
"Wow, he's potent." She said right before she lost her dinner from the night before. "Oh, Levi! It's going to be one of those days!" She opened the door and told Tony it was around back. He went right to work. She showered and brushed her teeth. She was feeling better already, but didn't want to press her luck with getting too close to the ox. When Tony was done, he packed up Christian and drove away. Sue thought it was odd that he didn't even knock to get paid.
Sue decided a cup of coffee was a good start, and a trip to the store necessary. She grabbed a half a dozen apples, flour and other ingredients to make apple crisp to bring for dessert at Hillary's that night.
Sue loved the fact she'd already made some new friends. She loved Hillary's family, they were warm and welcoming.
The days and nights seemed to run together as Sue planted her seeds, worked on the house, and tried to create a new sign for the stand. It was simple, but she didn't want it to look like a 4 year olds lemonade stand sign. The more time that passed, the worse Sue felt. She couldn't shake the bug she had come down with. She finally decided to say uncle and call a doctor. The only problem was, she didn't know any. But Hillary would.
Sue made her way down to the hardware store to have a chat with her new friend. Hillary gave her the name and number of her own doctor. She was only a town over. Sue was able to get in the following morning.