A/N: I don't know about the finish-before-school thing I promised, but here's another chapter anyway.
Chapter 7: Hope
Pa, Mr. Garvey, and Mr. Oleson resumed their jobs after their long trip to Walnut Grove. Business was as big as ever for the Olesons, and the Garveys and Ingallses were doing well at their jobs. Laura and Mary had by now become fully adjusted to a new school and life in a major city.
One evening after supper, the Ingalls family was discussing the farm and plans to return to Walnut Grove. Pa said that he and the other two men would need to leave a couple months before the women and children so they could set up their farms and shop again. Ma was okay with that idea because she didn't want to be left with nothing to eat off of their farm. Pa said that he had talked to Mr. Oleson who said he was planning to go back in April, and that Mr. Garvey was planning on leaving at that same time. Pa decided to go with them because otherwise he would be making the long journey by himself.
The men decided to leave in late March, and planned to stay at the Ingalls residence. A lot of preparations had to be made since the men would not be coming back to St. Louis.
At the Oleson Mercantile of Walnut Grove, each Oleson had different tasks. Mr. Oleson took care of the financial business, supply ordering, and farm equipment inventory. Mrs. Oleson took care of stocking the shelves and all inventories other than farm equipment. Mrs. Oleson had never had to do any of the things that Mr. Oleson had always done. Over the course of a week in mid-March Mr. Oleson gave Mrs. Oleson instructions on how to do everything that he had done, and gave up these tasks to her even though he was still there. Because Mr. Oleson was in charge of food, he spent the extra time getting that ready for the trip.
With Pa gone from the Ingalls family, things were going to be very different. Both Ma and Pa had held part-time jobs so that one could be available to run the household. Ma would have to work full-time. As a result, Mary and Laura would have to take over more of the daily domestic tasks. Pa arranged to leave his job, and Ma arranged to switch to full time with hers. Over the course of the weeks before the change would occur, Ma spent a lot of time briefing the girls on completion of several tasks that they had before only helped with.
As with the Ingalls family, both Mr. and Mrs. Garvey had held jobs. With Mr. Garvey gone, Mrs. Garvey would also have to work full-time. Mrs. Garvey had no girls to do domestic tasks for her, so she would have to do those in addition to working twice as many hours. Mrs. Garvey would have it the worst of the three women in the time when the men were gone and they were still in St. Louis.
The three men left at the end of March to journey for the final time from St. Louis to Walnut Grove. They only took one wagon so the women and children would be left with two. The journey went by smoothly. When they got to Walnut Grove, they saw that the town was pretty much the same that it was when they were there two months ago. A few families had returned, but no one who lived in town. It took no time for the men to get situated in the Ingalls residence. All they had to do was unload the food and set up an extra bed in the girls' bedroom so each man could have his own bed. During the day each man was at his own residence preparing for the return of the women and children, but they were together for supper, the night, and breakfast.
Mr. Oleson spent a few days re-inventorying and checking the January inventory to make sure that nothing else had been taken from the store. He then figured out what he needed to buy to fill in the holes, and purchased that. It was due to come in a week, so he put a sign up saying the store would re-open in a week. He wanted to stop the customers who came in looking for items he did not have yet. He was true to his word.
Mr. Garvey spent time figuring out what he would need to buy before the women and children came back. He bought two cows, a few hens, some seeds for a garden, and some household wares to replace those necessary ones that had been stolen. He was finished in no time so helped Mr. Oleson in the mercantile because Mr. Hansen was not back yet. A few more families came back, so there was more business in the store.
Pa bought cows and hens, and seeds to plant the garden. Soon all of this arrived. As soon as there was no frost at night Pa, with the help of Mr. Garvey, planted his garden. Pa then helped Mr. Garvey to plant his garden because his farm equipment was not in working order yet after being destroyed by the looters. Pa was more than willing to help because he had nothing inside to do because the Ingalls farm had been spared.
Everything was ready at the end of April. Each of the three men then wrote a letter to his respective family to say that everything was ready for them to return. Ma would have to teach, but she would not mind that. They got responses back saying that the women and children would leave in a week, which would give them enough time to close down their life in St. Louis. They were to expect them at the end of May.
A/N: So that's another chapter. Only three more to go. I will try to have at least one more up by the end of August (week from tomorrow), if not all of them. Please review!