The Dreams We Share

Chapter 3 On the Road

Lucas was packing his bags for his next trip. He would be heading north to meet with a group of farmers about distributing their crops to regions to the south and east and in turn accepting other products from farmers in those regions. The idea was to open markets. The Province of Alberta was large and covered many types of terrain. The foothills of the mountains to the west were suitable for growing certain crops but there were gaps that could be filled by other areas on the prairies. And the opposite was true as well. Lucas and the Minister of Agriculture were working closely on a plan to facilitate economic development through farm product exchange. Not just crops but animals as well. They were eager to talk to farmers across the country by meeting with both United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) leaders and local farmers that they represented. Lucas was excited about the possibility for growth that this plan could provide. Farmers were struggling with excess crops with limited local markets and by receiving products not grown locally, the community could benefit from availability of a wider selection.

He checked his watch; his train left in two hours and he would need to leave within the hour. He rang for Marcus and asked to have his luggage loaded in the car so that he would be ready when it was time to go.

"Ah, Marcus. I was on the way to my study for a little while but wanted to let you know that my bags are packed and ready to be transported to the car."

"I will attend to that straight away, Sir. I mean Lucas. There is another letter from Hope Valley on your desk. I thought you might want it before you leave."

"Thank you, I can carry one of the bags and my briefcase if you carry the other." Together they made their way down to the foyer.

"I will meet you here at 11:00 so we can head to the station," Lucas told him and then headed down the hall to his office. He found the letter on his desk. He saw the name 'A. Grant'. "Why would Allie be writing to me?" he thought to himself as he rounded his desk and sat to read it.

Dear Lucas,

I know you are probably surprised to receive my letter. While I haven't written to you myself, you probably realize that I help Jack with his letters and read yours to him sometimes.

I hope you are well. I am both excited and nervous about graduation in June. It is less than a month away. I believe I told you when you visited after New Years that I plan to attend college. I have applied to the University of Edmonton and have an interview with them in June.

I have a favor to ask you; would it be okay if I came and stayed with you for a few days while I am there? Dad has offered to bring me, and we can stay in a hotel, but I would really like to do this on my own. I know staying with you is not exactly on my own, but at least you are my friend and not my Dad. I would take the train to Edmonton on the 19th. My interview is two days later on the 21st.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Sincerely yours,
Allie

Lucas set the letter down. He thought back to the day that he first met Allie. She was skipping her first day of school to go fishing and had slipped into the saloon to hide from Nathan who was standing outside. He couldn't believe that she was already eighteen and ready to start her own life. She had always been more independent than most; with a dad who was gone for periods of time, she had to be. But Hope Valley had helped Nathan with her; both Opal's mom and Elizabeth had provided support and a mother's touch in her life. As she had grown into young womanhood, others including Mei, Faith and Fiona had stepped in to give her some guidance. It may have taken a team, but Allie had grown up and was ready for her next chapter. He took out a sheet of paper and wrote Allie a quick note.

Dear Allie,

I was pleased to receive your letter and will be happy to have you stay with me. Write or call me with the details of your scheduled arrival time and I will come to meet you at the station. I would like to take you out for dinner to celebrate your graduation so bring an outfit for a night out.
With best regards,
Lucas

He addressed an envelope; placed the note inside and applied his wax seal. He took it with him to drop it off in the foyer where the mailman would collect it. It was almost 11:00 and Marcus would be joining him any moment. He checked his briefcase one last time to ensure that he had his speech with him. He and Marcus planned to go over it again during their trip North. The meeting with the UFA and speech before the local farmers were important milestones in their plan. Mayors from several towns were also expected to attend. He hoped to convince the farmers and the town officials of the benefits of the plan. Fences needed to be mended between farm groups but he hoped that by providing more opportunities for all, the next phase would fall into place. He had taken on the area to the north of Edmonton and the Minister of Agriculture was delivering a similar speech to the area to the west. His would be held in Robb which was close to Hope Valley; Lee Coulter would be attending. They were hoping to get the news out to both the northwest and southwest areas simultaneously and then head to deliver the same messages to the eastern regions the following week. He needed to be back in Alberta before the 19th of June when Allie would be arriving.