Chapter 27

"That's the old Haynes place over there," Charlie said, as Sam slowed to a stop. The gravel road was wide enough for vehicles to pass easily and in good condition. But they were now a good ten miles out of town. Alex and Jessica were in the back seat of Sam's Explorer, in the middle of an expanse of farmland with a house every mile or so.

Alex looked over at an old house, with a small barn and a couple of smaller outbuildings near to collapsing. A small grove of trees surrounded the area of an acre or so. There were a lot of pines and a few large cedars, already green while the other trees were just budding.

"If it's OK with you and Sam," Charlie said, "I want to buy it. Since we own all of Mama and Daddy's property, we can work it out among ourselves.

"It's the first property Daddy and Uncle Jim owned. They bought it just before Daddy went into the Army. An old couple, friends of the family, lived there until about ten years or so ago. It's forty acres, plenty of space."

The last house they had seen was back on the highway.

A little far out for an old person. But it seems we're fixed pretty well financially. Guess she can afford all the help she might need.

Sam drove on, another quarter mile or so. Then the road turned to the right. More fields, crossing a small creek, finally another house. It was another half mile or so before the mostly level road suddenly descended, gradually but a good twenty feet or so, before leveling out again. Sam stopped at that point.

"This is it." She announced. "We're at the south end of the family farm. A lot of it is in the old Brushy Lake area. I suppose it was an old river valley, at some point in the past. When Daddy bought it there was just a shallow stream flowing through it, full of mostly dead trees. Daddy had most of the land cleared and the stream filled in. He built a levee around the two hundred or so acres of lowland. The rest is over there on higher ground.

"Uncle Jim died just after they bought it - I guess you don't remember anything about him."

Nope. I must have had an interesting life. Wonder what it's like for people that have memories.

"Uncle Jim was in bad health most of his life. He died less than a year after his fiftieth birthday. On your birthday."

When is my birthday anyway? Always asking me that in the hospital. Something with identifying you.

"Anyway, Daddy continued farming. Charlie and I and you worked until we were grown. Drove tractors, worked in the rice fields. Maybe looking around will help."

She drove on, across the lowland, about a quarter of a mile. Then they were going uphill, the road ending in front of a house with a couple of metal shop buildings and an old barn for company.

"This is our old home." she said. "Daddy built the house, from timber cut down there in the old river bottom. There was a sawmill about five miles back, on 64. He took the logs there and had them cut to his specifications. That was almost sixty years ago.

"We lived here until Charlie and I married, and they bought a place close to town, and rented the place out. Across the road back there, is the old Harris place. A full section. Daddy only farmed for a few years after he bought it, when Mr. Harris died, and decided to retire. Farming was changing, like everything else. He had no debts and a lot or property, and was pretty well set."

"It looks like the Spencers are home. They rent this place, the house and five acres around it. So it's well taken care of. Let's go meet them."

Them, at the moment, was an older woman, about the age of Sam or Charlie. Maybe a little older, he saw after they exited their vehicle and met her on the front lawn.

"Sam! Charlie! Good to see you."

Hugs. One for him too.

"Alex. this is Miss Kitty," Sam said.

"I feel old to be a kitty now." she said.

Warm grandmother smile.

"Margaret fits better now. Sam and Charlie told me about your ordeal. It's good to see you up and around. You look good."

Everyone keeps sayin' that. What did I look like before? In the hospital probably not so good.

"Let's get inside, get you something to drink. Bill's out in the shop. He'll want to see you."

Inside the big living area, a huge couch and several well-padded chairs occupied one end, facing a large television in what looked like a custom-built entertainment center. Kitty picked up her phone.

"Bill's probably got noise going one out there," she said, "but he looks at his phone regularly, in case I need him."

She sent a message and disappeared to somewhere. To the kitchen apparently, as she returned with a tray with four glasses of iced tea.

"There you go," she said, handing a glass to each, "Bill should be here in a bit."

She left again. Before she returned a large man entered.

Sam and Charlie both rose to hug him.

"Bill, you remember Jessica, don't you?" Sam asked. "She came by a time or two."

"Yeah, hi Jessica. Alex, good to see you vertical again."

I kinda like it too, when I can manage it. Don't know these people though.

Kitty returned with tea for her and Bill.

"We're trying to get Alex reacquainted with the world." Sam told them. "He had a bad time, affected his memory. We hope seeing some of the places in his past it may help."

"Charlie told us what happened." Kitty said. "It's hard to believe that could happen, the money we spend on doctors and hospitals."

"Yeah." Charlie said. "I went through something similar, but they didn't manage to damage me more than they fixed me."

"Is it just your memory, Alex?" Kitty asked. "How are you physically? You look good."

"Pretty much," Alex said, "or I think so. I'm still a little shaky, but that could be nerves. Or whatever the drugs go."

"Have you tried hypnosis?" Kitty asked. "I don't know it would do any harm, even if it didn't help."

"We haven't brought it up yet." Sam said. "But it might be something we should look at. We'll see how things go for a while."

As long as I'm still sitting around listening to people talk about me...

"You might see what Brenda thinks." Kitty said.

"Yeah, it would be interesting." Charlie said. "She helped me out a lot."