A/N: Hi everyone. I am sorry that I haven't updated this story in a while, but I just kind of forgot about the story. Sorry!
Chapter 6: Life
It was now the week after New Year's Day, so life was back to normal after the both fun and stressful Christmas holidays.
Ma's job was now much easier than it had been in December. The only work that she had to do was the occasional tailoring work. Everyone had just gotten new dresses and suits for the holidays, so they were not in need of any new clothes in January. Ma was able to spend her time at home for personal business, rather than having to take home work, as was the case in December with all of the work that piled up and the looming deadlines.
School picked up in earnest, however, to make up for the lost time due to the holidays. Laura and Mary each came home with a hefty load of home assignments each day. They had lots of math problems, a large amount of reading and long writing assignments. Even with all of the added work, the girls were happy to be back in school because the holidays had gotten boring cooped up inside the house all day long.
Pa's job at the mill office resumed and was very much like it was in December. There was work to be done, but it was not easy or difficult. Pa was still very happy doing the office work, because it brought home money.
In mid-January, Pa decided that he should go home and check things out in Walnut Grove. He was anxious to see how the town was doing, and how the Ingalls farm was doing. He mentioned that he was going the next time that he saw Mr. Oleson and Mr. Garvey, and they asked to come with him. They were both curious as well as to how their homes and places of business were doing. Pa told Caroline one night when he got home that he would be going to check up on things in Walnut Grove. She thought it was a wonderful idea.
The three men secured their jobs and left on January 15, and expected to be back by February 15.
The trip to Walnut Grove was uneventful, but the time after that was anything short of uneventful. The town was not a pretty sight. Given word about the abandoned town, looters had come through and taken most everything from the mercantile as well as every other place of business and home in the town. The three men spent several days in the mercantile assessing the damage done by the looters, both to the building and the cost of what they had taken. It was a very large number, and Mr. Oleson was worried that he and his wife would not be able to get the business up to the level that it was at.
When business at the mercantile was settled, the men went to the Garvey and Ingalls homesteads, fearing the worst. Pa was very anxious, so they went to the Ingalls homestead first. Pa had nothing to worry about because the looters had not gone as far as the Ingalls homestead. The men spent a day there cleaning the dust off of the surfaces in the house, and cutting down the weeds behind the house.
Next came the Garvey's homestead. Everything was not well there. The looters had come through there, so the men spent several days there straightening up and cleaning up. The Garveys had lost several of their family heirlooms and smaller furniture pieces. Trash was gathered up, as well as salvageable items, and then the house was cleaned of glass shards and broken pieces of wood. Before they left to go home, the men gave the Garvey home a good cleaning, similar to what they had done at the Ingalls home.
After everything was taken care of, the three men went back to St. Louis. Everyone was happy to have them back and eager to hear news of the town. The three families decided to get together the following Saturday evening for a potluck so that everyone could hear at the same time.
That evening, the three families shared a nice meal. After everyone had eaten and the dishes had been cleared, the men couldn't wait any longer. Mr. Oleson began the discussion, telling everyone about the Mercantile and the town in general. Upon hearing word of the store, Mrs. Oleson cried out in disbelief.
Mr. Garvey gave word of the Garvey homestead. Mrs. Garvey cried over the loss of the family heirlooms. Ma worried about what Pa was about to say about their homestead. When it was Pa's turn, he relieved Ma by saying that the Ingalls homestead had been spared, and that everything was exactly the way they left it.
Before leaving that evening, the men decided to go back there sometime in late March or early April to get a crop started for the summer, and that they would possibly go back there for good.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Again, I apologize for not updating in who knows how long. I just forget to write. I hope to have the rest of the story up by the end of August, but we shall see. I just want to be finished, and I'm sure you want to find out how the story ends!