HONOR THY MOTHER & THY FATHER
by
Prolonged_Debut10
Chapter 14
Note: This is a work of FICTION! Although the areas this story takes place in are real; all of the landscapes depicted, the people described, and everything else this story uses to make it enjoyable reading for you are NOT REAL. As you read this story, try to remember:
THIS IS A NOVEL
59. Happier Days
Patricia had finished putting away 1000 pounds of feed into the loft of the barn, using her new forklift. The heavy equipment store manager had offered to give her lessons on using it, when he brought it to the ranch. Patty had taken the users-manual home and read it overnight. As she closed the cage around her, the manager started pointing out the features of the machine. Patty said, "Let me take it for a test ride."
He watched her do things on the forklift that a 10-year veteran could not do any better. When she finished he asked, "How many of these have you driven before?"
"This is my first one, but I read the entire manual last night. I just knew it would be fun."
"I have never heard anyone call driving a forklift fun before."
"I will not be using it that often. If anyone in this area is in real need, and wants to borrow it, let them know it is available."
"They could drive off with your forklift, and you will never see it again."
"I will take them inside, and put their names into my computer. I will show them what will happen to them if they do. I guarantee you they will bring back my forklift."
"Okay ma'am, I will keep it in mind. If you need anything else just give me a call."
Patricia used the forklift to pick up the huge round bales of hay and separated them all over her property. The horses were looking better, but still on the skinny side of healthy. The Vet had it given them a complete work over, and they were now on vitamins and minerals to bring them back to health.
She had a blacksmith re-shoe all of them.
The residential lawnmower company she had come out to mow the entire 35 acres, told her she was out of her mind.
Patricia asked him if he was averse to making money.
"No ma'am, I'm not, but this is going to cost you a fortune every time I am here. It is going to take me eight or nine hours to do this place and that is six people working full-time. It is going to cost you $900 per cut, and that is only an estimate, until I get the first cut out of the way. If it takes me more time, I am going to have to charge you more money."
Patricia responded, "Let's start out at $1000 a cut. However, if I see one clump of grass left by your mowers, you are fired. If you are men leave any long grass stems around the fence posts, you are fired. If you break anything, you are responsible for it. If you do a good job you and your men will get bonuses at Christmas. There will always be drinks available for you in the barn. I expect your blades to be sharp, every time you start this job. I want my property to look manicured. Whether I am here or in California, the bank will pay you. Someone will always be looking over your shoulder. I want to make this property look like a golf course fairway. I want my property cut once a week. If I like your work and my property begins to look like I want it to look, next year we will start out at $1200 a cut. If it needs fertilizer, don't wait, fertilizer it. If it needs to be sprayed for bugs, get someone to spray it. Stay with him, and make sure he does every square foot with insecticide, not water. This property is your responsibility. Present the bill to the manager of the bank, and he will pay you on the spot; no questions asked. If you screw me, as my last foreman did, you will be in jail, just like he is going to be.
When the weather starts to cool down, and the grass stops growing you can reduce the amount of cuts as necessary. When it snows I want the driveway clear the day after it stops. No excuses will be accepted. I want the horses to be able to go out the front and the back doors of the barn. Is that clear?
"Yes Miss Parent, I understand."
"Good, you may start as soon as you put new blades on all your mowers."
Every night she dreamed of her mother. She talked to her mother, in her dreams, and asked her what she wanted from her. Her mother always answered, "I want you to be happy." She answered her mother saying, "Mom, those days are over. You are gone, dad has his own life, and I have no one. I am going to get the property back to where it was, and then I'm going to sell it. I thought I could keep it, but it hurts too much. I walk over to where our beautiful house was, and all I can picture is you dying there. I have to move on; to where, I don't know, but I can't stay here much longer. I will go crazy."
One night she was sleeping, and her mother came to her, and said, "You should let the horses out of the barn, there is going to be an earthquake tonight."
She mumbled, "Mom, New York does not have earthquakes."
Patricia rolled over, and fell off her bed. Her head popped up off the floor, and looked around her room. It was pitch black all around her. "Mom, that was not funny."
She hit the light switch. Everything in the room was normal. She checked the alarm for the motorhome and it was on. The air-conditioning was functioning normally. Now, she was wide-awake, with nothing to do. She remembered the earthquake dream, and decided it could not hurt to let the horses out for one night.
She turned off the alarm, and walked outside into the muggy night air, turned on the lights in the barn, and opened the stalls. Most of the horses were sleeping. She went to each one and woke them gently. From the looks in their eyes, they did not want to be bothered by her. Eventually they got up and went into the pasture.
As an afterthought, she moved the forklift out of the barn, also. She walked back to the motorhome, locked up, and went back to sleep.
At 4:57 AM, for the first time in 108 years, New York experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, which started in the Carolinas went through Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and into Canada.
For the second time that morning, Patricia found herself on the floor of her motorhome. "Mom, enough already, I got the message the first time. I let them out. "
As she climbed back into bed, an aftershock hit. She said, "Holy shit!"
She screamed, "Mom, what do you want from me. I can't take it anymore. Leave me alone; just let me die in peace."
Moments later she smelled smoke, and she did not know where it was coming from. She threw on her jeans, zipped up her boots, threw on a blouse, and ran outside. Thankfully it wasn't her motorhome, but the barn was ablaze. The south side was totally engulfed, and she knew there was nothing she could do to save the structure. The motorhome was only 20 feet from the barn. She could not get it down off its mounts, get it started, and move it away to safety, if the fire decided to come its way.
She grabbed the water hose and started wetting down the area between the barn and the motorhome. Every time a spark flew, she wet it down. Within five minutes, the entire barn was engulfed in flames. The heat was intense, but she would not back away. She would not lose everything again.
In the distance, she heard fire engines, but she did not know if it was for her fire or if someone had a house fire.
The fire blew out a window in the barn, which knocked her back into the motorhome, hitting her head. She was on the ground, dazed, confused, and disoriented. Someone grabbed her by her arms and pulled her away from the heat and flames of the fire. He called for a paramedic, and when a bright light was shined into her eyes, she lost consciousness.
She woke up in Glens Falls hospital 90 minutes later. She was being treated for minor burns and scratches, on her hands and face, and a mild concussion. The doctor looked at her and asked, "Exactly how dumb are you, trying to fight a wood structure fire with a garden hose?"
"I wasn't fighting the fire. I was trying to save my motorhome. I lost everything else; I did not want to lose that also."
"What is your name? You did not have any identification on you when you got here."
"My name is Patricia Parent. Laura Parent was my mother."
"Oh God, I knew your mother. I'm so sorry."
"How am I doing?"