CHAPTER 8: Cartwright Ranch

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MANY months later...

Candy and her boyfriend, Todd, were dining in their favorite pub finalizing their plan on their incoming summer holiday. Todd poured Candy a glass of lemonade.

"To Niagara Falls," he toasted.

Candy raised her glass and countered. "To our vacation!"

They clinked glasses and took a sip.

"So, Niagara Falls..." Todd put his glass down. He leaned back in his seat with a thoughtful expression. "Hm... What do you think... What if we go abroad... Europe, say? Like the Cornwells!"

"Nah, I don't want to spend $74," said Candy.

"Oh, I know you have $74! Or just ask the Cornwells to pay for you. They offered, didn't they?"

"But, I don't like them to pay for me," said Candy, mystified.

"Then get a bank loan. You have a full time job, it's easy."

Candy had to suppress herself from replying, "Do yo know anything about loan? It needs to be returned and with interest!"

Instead she answered softly, "Honey, If you want to go abroad, we can go skiing in Canada. Why has to be Paris? I'd rather save money for Pony's Home than to waste it for a holiday trip."

Todd took Candy's hand in his. "Paris is romantic," he whispered. "Besides you have done enough to Pony's home-"

Candy felt lucky that the waiter came up bringing them more plates of food so she didn't need to answer.

She never asked Todd to do or pay anything for her or Pony's Home. Who was he to judge if she had done enough to Pony's Home? He never asked why she cared so much about Pony's Home. He never met the children. He never went there! From how he said things, it seemed Todd didn't know her well enough and all he cared about was himself.

Candy thought of Neal. Even during the difficult time Neal said he wanted to support her...

She was still thinking about it when her bus came and she kept thinking about it inside the bus and at home when she's packing.

"Candy! Phone call!" her landlady called cutting her train of thought.

Candy was getting ready to go to Pony's Home to pick up Molly. No family adopted her although Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne always bragged how gifted the girl was. Molly was accepted in University of Chicago. Molly got financial aid and Candy generously paid the uncovered expenses. Today, Molly would enter the university dorm and Candy would take her there.

"Coming," Candy ran downstairs.

It's Annie.

"We go picnic, Candy! Get ready we pick you up!" cried Annie.

"Oh, I can't. I go to Pony's Home today," said Candy.

"Wait...! Don't hang up," said Annie.

Candy heard Annie talk to the other three.

...

"Why not? It's pretty stiff here."

"Country air must be better!"

"We can try my car!" Stear just modified his Austin's engine.

...

"Candy, we take you there!" cried Annie excitedly.

And half an hour later saw them jolting along, in a merry automobile adventure in the direction to Pony's Home.

When they arrived, Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne just finished picking up tomatoes in Pony's home garden.

"Hi everyone, great to see you!" Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne greeted Candy and the Cornwells.

Stear and Archie hurriedly helped carry the baskets of tomatoes from Ms. Pony's and Sr. Lanne's hand.

"Where's everyone?" asked Candy.

"The children already left for Mr. Cartwright ranch," said Sr. Lanne. "Molly wants to sing one more time for him before she leaves."

"Candy, would you mind going to the ranch to give our tomatoes to Mr. Cartwright?" asked Ms. Pony.

"I'd love to!" Candy was willing to do anything for Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne.

"A mailman said that Mr. Cartwright is sick. He just came home from the hospital," added Sr. Lanne.

"What happened?" asked Candy, concerned.

Sr. Lanne shook her head. "Some says Mr. Cartwright is at least eighties - The weather has been quite chilly lately."

So, taking the tomatoes Candy and the Cornwells set to Cartwright ranch.

Mr. Cartwright looked pale. He smiled when he saw Candy. Leaning on his cane he arose to greet her.

"Hi Candy!" His smile widened. "Oh thank you. I love these tomatoes."

"Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne said your men have fixed our roof. We thank you so much, Mr. Cartwright," said Candy.

"Anytime." He smiled broadly. "Anything else? What about the plumbing?" the kind man asked.

"All perfect! Thank you!"

Candy introduced her friends to him too.

"Come on in!" invited Mr. Cartwright.

"I heard you just came back from a hospita-," Candy started.

"No, nurse. Please, Candy. If you think I want to talk about my health when these little angels are about to sing, then you don't know me enough." He smiled. "They are my best medicine."

And it's true as soon as the children sang Mr. Cartwright looked twenty years younger. He clapped his hands praising the children for their angelic voice.

Then Mr. Cartwright took everyone to the ranch's large dining hall. He gave Molly a toast, congratulated her for going to University of Chicago and gave a best wishes speech for her. After that he served everyone a glass of fresh apple juice made with his famous apples as well as apple jam and freshly baked bread with the ranch ham and sausages.

"This looks fantastic!" said Stear. "Homemade sausages!"

"Love your apple, sir!" added Archie.

Mr. Cartwright laughed. "Why thank you! Please dig in!"

It's so tasty beyond anything. Archie and Stear filled their car's back seat with as many apples as they could to take home. Mr. Cartwright didn't forget to give a basket of apples for Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne.

Because the car was too full of apples, there's no more room in the car for Candy. She opted to got back to Pony's Home by walking with the children. Archie and Annie accompanied her.

"Lots of cattle, Candy," said Annie. Her gaze swept the landscape. "I don't remember seeing these many cattle before."

"Also apple trees," added Archie.

"Their apple business has been booming. The ranch, too. That's why now they have a fence surrounding Pony's Home so the cattle didn't come to our place."

Archie and Annie saw the wooden fences trailed through the meadows and apple orchards.

"This all belongs to Mr. Cartwright?" asked Archie, impressed.

"Yes, big land. But rumors said that Mr. Cartwright is retired. The ranch is now divided into several sections and managed by his relative or close friends."

"Rumors?" asked Annie.

Candy shrugged. "Mr. Cartwright is a nice man but extremely reserved. What we heard about him usually comes from rumors - including his age."

"These relatives and friends... are the okay that Pony's Home is using Mr. Cartwright's land?" Annie asked thoughtfully.

"Never thought of it," answered Candy truthfully. She looked at Annie. "Why asked this?"

"Nothing. I felt some people were looking at us in a weird way just now in the ranch. Tell me again, why Mr. Cartwright let Pony's Home stay in his land?" asked Annie.

"They originally asked Pony's Home to leave because they wanted to use the land." Candy told the story again. "So we went to the ranch to sing a Christmas carol. Mr. Cartwright liked it so much that he let us stay."(1)

"Lucky," Annie said in a low voice.

"Very lucky!" said Archie loudly. "By living in Mr. Cartwright's land, Ms. Pony and Sr. Lanne don't have to file paperwork. Mr. Cartwright has it covered for them. Paperwork is very complicated. I wouldn't know how to do it."

"Really?!" Candy asked, feeling uneasy. She never really understood paperwork either.

Archie nodded. "Very difficult."

"Well, lucky us." Candy exhaled. "Mr. Cartwright also protects us from whoever wants to get rid of us." She turned to Annie.

Annie would have commented but they were just coming in Pony's Home.

The Cornwells immediately excused themselves since Stear and Archie had to get ready for important work tomorrow morning. Candy stayed.

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-To be continued-

Neal is not in this chapter. He's very busy. Next chapter, ok?

Thanks for reading. Not sure if it's interesting, but anyway Hoho... digress to the ranch. Will try my best.

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1: About Cartwright ranch: comic / manga book 2

Remember: $1 here is DIFFERENT from our $1

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