Pulling up to the gate I sighed. My husband took my hand and asked, "To much to soon?"
Sighing I said, "She planted all of this from seeds months ago if we don't get started we can lose all of it. But first let's look around."
"Angie it is ten acres plus five greenhouses," he said. "You said a lot of the ground plants she threw the seeds out as you were walking. Could it have survived?"
"Yeah," I said. "Grandma was the queen of chaos gardening."
"Is anyone else coming out here?" He asked.
I gave a snort and said, "No. When she was dying she told them I get it all. They left and never came back."
He pulled up to her cabin and walked around to open the door. I stepped into the sun and looked around as I said, "You can smell all the vegetables, fruit and herbs she planted. I am going to have to compost a lot of plants so the land doesn't go to shit."
Putting a arm around my waist he said, "well I guess we better see what we are working with."
We walked to the front door and Charles opened it for me. The smell coming from inside hit me and he took my hand and said, 'You got this babe."
Opening my eyes I said, "This is her legacy. I cannot let her down."
Looking around I walked to the pantry and opened it up. The shelves were almost bare and after checking the freezer's I saw they were bare as well. In the center of the room even the work bench was bare.
Charles asked, "Angie, where are all the jars and supplies she had?"
We went to the kitchen and sat down. In the center of the table was a box and letter on the table. The letter was simply labeled Angie. I sat down and opened the letter and read it to Charles.
"My sweet Granddaughter I am sure by now you and Charles have looked through the house and noticed that all the items I canned and dehydrated are gone. When I was sick I had Pastor Mike and his wife Sally come to the property and to take my work and bring it to the soup kitchen with firm instructions the lids, rings and jars need to come back to you. The fish I harvested and cleaned as well as the meat from the animals I harvested also went to the soup kitchen at the church. Let Charles know the animal pens are ready to be filled and all my fishing equipment is in the lake house for you both to use. Do not compost the plants this year, it is time for them to be burned. I left you a map for you to get started. I had an order of mason jars ready for you to get started at Rural King as well as two new dehydrators. While you are there you can get chickens as mine were harvested. Many family members were mad that you got everything, but you were the only one there during the good and bad times. I hope you and Charles live a long life in this home and she will take care of you. I will be watching over you. Grandma."
Charles smiled and said, "Well I guess after I unpack the SUV we can go to Rural King and then food shopping before it gets dark. I hate I have to head home to continue cleaning everything out and packing before we sign the sale papers."
Looking up I asked, "You okay with selling the house."
"Yes," He said. "You own this outright. With my bad leg I can slow down at work some and we can live peacefully out here. I just hate being away from you while I work and pack. Thankfully the new buyers are working with us while I pack and work, while you start here."
We unpacked the SUV and headed to Rural King. Charles loaded up the order and I picked up even more Mason Jars, a new pressure cooker, baskets for the harvest and a fire pit. Then we headed to the food store and filled two carts with groceries. You may ask why we are stocking the house. Well that's easy we live four hours away and until Charles goes through and packs the house I am on my own at Grandmas when he is working. When we got home there was a truck waiting by the gate.
Sighing I said, "Its my Mom and Dad."
He pulled up and I saw luggage in their truck. Dad said, "We are taking over the place."
Sighing I said, "No Dad leave. We sold our house and are moving here. There is nothing here for you. Do not make me call the police."
Taking out my phone he said, "You would call the police?"
"Yes I have will for the police if I need to call them," I said. "The money you stole from Grandma was your inheritance and the fact that she did not call the police."
He put his truck in reverse and said, "We will see about that."
We pulled in and Charles asked, "He doesn't know that we have security cameras here does he?"
"No and that is why I am working the front of the property starting tomorrow after we set up the fire pit in the driveway," I said. "By the time you leave I will be harvesting and getting everything started. But I think I will call the non emergency line and get a report and ask for a drive by every once in a while."
"Go inside and I will bring everything in," Charles said. "Call the police and unpack."
I called the non emergency line and they said they would have an officer come by sometime tonight. As we finished unpacking and walked to the front of the property a cruiser pulled up to the gate and Charles let them in. I explained to the officer what had happened and he looked around as he asked, "You are worried that your parents may try destroying your Grandmas legacy?"
Charles said, "They want to turn the ten acres into a camping estate and when they found out Angie inherited it they went crazy. She has no relationship with them due to years of emotional trauma. Angies Grandma raised her."
"Understood," He said. "I go to the church your Grandma belonged to. Her donation to the soup kitchen has helped many families. She spoke about you both all the time. I patrol the area during this time and will have other officers do the same."
We thanked the officer and as he was leaving he said, "I will be dropping the used mason jars off later this week I will call you and arrange a time. My wife is one of the kitchen workers and she has loved using your Grandmas garden."
After he left Charles said, "I know you need some time. I am gonna set up the fire pit and grab some of the wood on the pile. Go ahead and pick a spot and start to harvest I will grill some burgers for tonight."
I grabbed the basket and waste cart and walked to the front of the property and found a green pepper plant on the edge of the driveway. With my gardening sheers I started to remove the green peppers filling the basket quickly. Walking back to the house I placed the green peppers on the outside table. Grabbing another basket I went back to the plant. By the time I finished filling the second basket Charles was walking up to me saying, "Well I guess you have a lot of work ahead of you with processing everything."
Smiling I said, "I have ideas. However, I think I am going to fill four baskets at a time and them process those four baskets. I will knock out those baskets before I continue."
He grabbed the waste cart and added the debris to the fire as we passed by. We made our plates and sat next to the fire. Talking and eating I felt more at peace than I have since Grandma passed away. When we finished eating Charles went to the river to see what type of fish he could see from the dock. i took the peppers inside and started prepping them. By the tome he returned I had frozen some strips, cubes and had both dehydrators full of pepper rings. I set up jars to pickle the next morning. Charles came back carrying more harvest baskets saying, "I found these in the fishing shed. I figured that you can use them to get more together at once. Also if your okay with I want to fish for an hour or so."
"That's okay," I said. "Just clean whatever you catch before you leave for home."
Smiling he said, "Deal."
We fell into the bed exhausted from the drive to the property. Laying in bed listening to the sound of nature I knew we made the right decision to sell the house and move here. I fell into a deep sleep waking up the next morning to the sun shining on my face. There was a note on the bedside table from Charles saying he went fishing. I got up and made a cup of tea. Sitting on the porch I smelled the plants growing and smiled. knowing Charles would be gone for a while I grabbed the baskets and waste cart and went down to where I was harvesting the day before. For the next three hours I harvested the remaining green pepper plant, a few different tomato plants, green beans and two baskets of sweet potatoes. When all my baskets were full I started to burn the plants. Once I was done I went inside and emptied the dehydrator adding the dried pepper strips to a jar to store. Then I started to process all the food that I harvested. Saving the scraps in a bag I had in the freezer for the pig I had being delivered later this week I got everything canned, frozen or in the dehydrator.
Charles came back with fresh catfish ready to be frozen in filets. After a quick lunch he said, "I have to head back. Work starts early in the morning. But do me a favor, I saw some animal tracks and worry about your safty. Keep the shotgun with you and at night please stay closer to the house or work in the greenhouses after sundown."
"I will," I said as I sighed. "You never know we may have game meat by the time you get back."
We said our goodbyes and Charles started the four hour drive home. After I watched him leave I grabbed my baskets and found more containers hidden amongst the plants. I got to work starting to take back the land, removing everything from the ground that was not meant to be there.
After Charles left I started to hear howling in the distance and I figured it would be smart to stay closer to the cabin. Grabbing a basket I walked over to a cherry tomato bush that was breaking because of the weight of the fruit. I started to pick off the fruit, separating the ripe and unripe tomatoes. When the sun started to go down I headed into the house and processed what I had picked. I had just placed pickled green cherry tomato into the water when Charles called.
Picking up my phone I said, "Hey babe you made it back home."
He laughed and said, "I sure did. I was making sure you were safe inside."
"I am," I said. "I am processing everything I had picked today. I may do a walmart delivery for more dehydrators as all of mine are full."
"Do it," He said. "Your Grandma left you so much money you should spend it on what you want. I wish I could say I am calling to check on you but we have a small problem."
"Did my parents come to the house?" I asked.
"No, Bethie called me," He said.
Groaning I asked. "What is going on?"
"She wants us to take Sam again," He said.
"She knows we are moving four hours away, right?" I asked.
"She is going through the I can't handle being a Mom phase again," He said. "She can't keep doing this to him."
"I agree," I said. Then I heard a sneeze in the background and asked, "Is he there now?"
"Yup," He said. "She called me when I was on my way home and told her to let me talk to you. I came home to Sam sitting on the front porch. She told him she can't do it."
"Let me talk to him," I said.
I heard Charles call Sam to the phone and Sam said, "Hey Aunt Angie."
"Hey buddy," I said. "What happened?"
"She met someone new," He said. "Said the guy does not want kids. Aunt Angie I will get a job, please do not make me go back to her."
"Sweetie was there any doubts that me and Uncle Charles would not let you stay with us," I asked. "But we are moving and you will have to start a new school. Are you alright with that?"
He said, "I was being homeschooled this year so mom would not have to take me to school. She even got me a laptop. I can finish the year online."
"Is that what you want?" I asked.
He laughed and said, "I actually like it. Besides you know me I am not that fond of people."
"Okay bud," I said. "Did uncle Charles tell you about the new house?"`
"He said you are at Grandma's cabin," He said. "He said its ten acres of food plants. I can help you know.I always liked when you let me garden with you."
"Kid you know your already staying with us right?" I asked. "But if you help out you will get paid for it like an allownce or more."
"Awesome," He said. "Thank you Aunt Angie."
"Let me talk with Uncle Charles," I said.
"Hey babe," Charles said.
"I am calling Jasper in the morning," I said. "I am also calling Bethie and telling her we are keeping him till he turns eighteen. I am not letting him get messed up from this. Did you know he is home schooled now? Freshman year just started last month."
"I did not know but we will figure this out," He said. "I will talk to Dan tomorrow and arrange to bring him out to the house."
"Go food shopping on your way in so we have things Sam likes," I said.
"I will," He said. "I am going to cook him dinner and get him settled."
"Okay, I have a call to make," I said.
Hanging up with him I dialed Bethies phone number. It rang and after a moment she picked up, "Hello?"
"Bethie its angie," I said.
"What Angie," She said irritated.
"I am keeping Sam," I said. "There is not going to be you want him back in three months do you hear me. You are giving him up for a guy."
"I can see you any time you live a few minutes away," she said.
"We sold the house Bethie," I said. "We are moving to Grandmas cabin. I am here now while Charles packs the house. I am contacting my lawyer tomorrow and you will sign papers is that clear. Sam needs stability."
"I won't sign," She said. "I will lose my benefits."
"You will or you will go to jail for child abandonment," I said. "We played the game long enough and he to old for this. You want to play house with this new guy, go ahead. How would he feel when the police show up?"
"You wouldn't," She said.
"We should never have let you have him back," I said. "Try me and see what will happen."
"Whatever, keep him," she said. "He cramps my style anyway."
She hung up and I texted Charles, "She is lucky I am four hours away. She was more worried about her benefits than her own kid."
"Okay we will be his parents," He said. "We will need to get him clothes and stuff when I come up. She has barely provided anything. I will also go through my closet to see what he can have. I am gonna spend some time with him tonight and see how bad things were. Will you have a room for him ready this week?"
"I am working on it tonight while processing what I am canning," I said. "I will order some stuff for him when I place the Walmart order. He will have a few surprises when he gets here. Send me his sizes as well and I will order some stuff for him as well."
"Okay," Charles said. "Remember to eat something and I will talk to you in the morning. Love you."
"Love you too," I said. Looking at the timer for each item I was canning, I made a sandwich with chips and guac. Sitting at the table with my laptop I opened up walmart site and added three dehydrators in my cart along with another pressure canner. I also added another twenty cases of different-sized mason jars for canning and larger jars for dehydrated items. Then I picked out a brand new comforter, pillows, and two sheet sets for Sams room. Then I started adding more decorations and art items he likes. Then I ordered a brand new PS5 and a handfull of games along with a newer television. Then as a after thought I added some clothes so he has some here waiting for him. Finishing the order I paid and a few minutes later I recieved a call.
"Hi this is Kylie from walmart and we see a large order was placed," She said. "We are calling to confirm the large items were indeed a legitimate purchase."
Chuckling I said, "Yes it is. I am getting custody of my nephew and I am setting up his room but my husband is away at work."
"Aww that is so sweet," She said. "Thank you for confirming and we will start processing it. It will arrive in the morning around 9."
"Thank you," I said. "Have a great night."
Removing jars from the canners, I added a batch of pickles to the water and set the timer again. Going into Sams room I opened the closet and found my Grandfathers clothes still hanging in the closet. Emptying the closet I removed items I knew Charles and Sam would not use and bagged them up for the churches clothing pantry. That was when I realized that I would have to clear the house of everything we were not keeping for when Charles brought things up to the house. Picking up the phone I called Sally.
She answered right away, "Hey Angie are you worried about the mason jars?"
Laughing I said, "Nah I am harvesting things now. However, When is your food pantry?"
"Every Monday," She said. "Whats up?"
"Well I was going to store things from out house in the spare room," I said. "However, We are taking custody of my nephew. I know you have the clothing pantry, but do you accept donations of other items? Furniture included?"
"We sure do," She said. "Do you need a pickup arranged?"
"Yes," I said. "Charles will be bringing Sam up soon and I need to clear the house. Also I will have produce every few days for the soup kitchen and pantry. I am working the land now. I am processing things as I clear and burn so I may need pick ups multiple times a week."
"Wow a reason to visit," She said. "We got you Angie. I will be out there tomorrow so I can grab whatever you have."
"Alright," I said. "Bring some boxes for the produce, and I will see what I have for the items. I am working on Sams room."
"Okay see you around 1pm tomorrow," She said. We hung up, and I cleaned out Sam's room as I canned everything that was harvested that day. Byt he time I was finished canning I had a pile on the porch of things I was donating to the church. When my alarm went off for ten at night I had sorted and cleared more than half the house. I texted Charles and said, "If you have items you are going to toss from the house the church accepts donations. I have them picking things up as well as some of the produce for the soup kitchen."
I figured charles was sleeping when he replied, "That is a great idea. I had not started sorting yet. What I will do is pack everything and we can sort it when we get there. That way we can see what will fit in the house. Then I can get the house done sooner. All I will sort is my tools to put in the shed ahead of the time."
I sent the thumbs up emoji and went to take a shower. Laying in bed I drifted off and when I woke up to my seven am alarm I woke up feeling refreshed. Living out here has done so much for my healing. Going to the kitchen I made a cup of tea. Sitting on the porch I set a timer for my Walmart delivery. I emptied the dehydrators that were done drying the vegetables. Grabbing my baskets, I walked to acre 1 and section a. Looking at the plants I grabbed a cart to lay full branches on to make things easier and started to harvest. By the time the walmart delievry arrived I had filled all my baskets and had to add the food donations to walmart bags. Placing my harvest in the kitchen in wooden bowls, I placed all of sams new things in his room to decorate at sundown.
Stopping to eat a sandwich, I sat down for a moment and saw a message from Charles. "Will be Friday before we can come out there. I will hopefully have a trailer of things."
I replied, "Sounds like a plan."
Then I sent a message to Jasper, "Need your assistance on a custody case. Message me when you are free."
I got up and set an alarm for one. I continued to harvest, split the food for the food pantry. I dug out plants that were not being kept and placed them in the still-burning pit. My alarm went off and I brought the baskets to the porch splittng the harvest. Leaving the front door open, I started to add items to the dehydrator. While I waited I started to clean and peel the items that I was keeping for canning that night. After thirty minutes, I heard Sally use the gate code and pull up to the cabin.
Pastor Mike/Sally
Bethie- Charles sister
Sam- Nephew
Jasper- Lawyer
- House Boarder 1 2 3 4
- Greenhouse 1 section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Greenhouse 2 section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Greenhouse 3 section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Greenhouse 4 section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Greenhouse 5 section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Acre 1 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 2 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 3 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 4 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 5 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 6 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 7 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 8 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 9 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
- Acre 10 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n
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