IT DON’T MATTER Chapter 27 Epilogue

The Vinyard in the Valley\
courtesy photobucket

After shopping till their feet gave out they returned to the home in the city.

Nan said, “Put your things where you can sort through them and if you want to take any of them to the vineyard put them in your suitcase for tomorrow’s trip.”

The next morning they were up early and anxious to see me and the country place in the valley.

They first had to go to the baggage department and check on Grandpa’s two dogs.  He had checked on them several times during the trip to the city and made sure they were going to be cared for until he picked them up.

When they arrived at the station stop at the vineyard Pa put them on a leash and took them for a short walk.  I met Grandma and the girls and asked where Grandpa was.

About then he showed up with two old friends of mine.  One was named Red and the other was Bone.

Bessie took the leashes from Grandpa and they were all over her and glad to see her again.

Then we made the short trip to the vineyard to introduce everybody and Bessie turned the dogs loose to check everything out for they were going to live here from now own.

Bessie’s dogs and the new dogs had to get acquainted as well as the human folk. 

Baby Martha found Grandma very interesting and sat on her lap most of the way home.  It seemed like they took to one another right off.

Grandpa couldn’t believe his eyes when he looked over the valley with a lot of it already planted with vine stock.  Then he saw the green house with hundreds of young seedlings started.

He didn’t say anything until later when he said; “Looks like a lot of work to me.”

Grandma met Lucia and they talked for quite a while about something and then she met the child bride, Alcee and they talked for a short time.

Later she said to me there is a young woman who is greatly troubled and you and Nan should watch over her and help her if you can.

I asked Nan if she knew something that I should know.

She said, “I wanted to wait until we were alone.”  Then she told me about the experience of Alcee having a fit while shopping.

I was a little surprised but not completely for I sense something wasn’t right about her. 

 

After a week’s visit I took the folks back to the house in the city for I wanted to get them settled.  I expected them to live out their days there.

During their visit to the vineyard I asked them if they wanted to live here but they both declined saying it was the city for them.  They also told me the reason for moving which surprised me somewhat.

All my siblings had moved too far to visit so they never got to see any of their children.  The grandkids that were old enough were on their on and didn’t ever come to visit them so they were alone as far as family was concerned.

After thinking it over they wanted to be with us for they knew Nan and I would take good care of them.

I just said you know we are glad to have you here and especially Bessie does.  We set it up where we would go to the city for a day or two every other week and they would come to the vineyard the other week.

This way we were with them a lot of the time.  We sent letters to all our kin inviting them to come and visit the folks whenever they wanted to.  There were very few visits except for when someone had business here.

As the days went by Bessie was growing up and I had hired a young man who was a good worker as well as being intelligent.  A year later he and Bessie were married.

Since Bessie was now in charge of the whole vineyard operation, she was his boss but they never had any trouble making it work.

She liked dogs and kids and thankfully she had more dogs than kids for three was enough.

Eventually Martha moved to the city and got her college education then ended up marrying a successful business man.  She only has one child so far.

My two boys were close when growing up and are now business partners.  They married sisters have a couple of kids each.

Last I heard Elle was still bossy as she was when we were kids.

Jake and his brood have done well in the oil business and have remained there.  As I grew up I had to lean on him so many times.

Alice and Sammie ended up in Chicago and have six kids as far as I know.

Maxi and Dr. Lester are in Boston with several car sales rooms.

The rest of the family is all doing their thing and I don’t hear from them anymore.  I could chase them down but I have more than I can handle myself.

Alamo and Lucia are as close as blood kin and plan to stay with us until they die.  They still insist on doing their jobs.  Alamo goes out each day and checks on the vineyard and he usually has something to say to the foreman and it’s not always complementary but the foreman understands him for Alamo trained him.

Grandma was right about Alcee being unsettled for she ran off with a married man.  Aldo was quite upset about it and returned to Italy.

I am truthful when I say I love all four of my kids equally and they love each other the same way.  Even though two of them have a different father it has made no difference in the way we feel about each of us.

A few more years now have come and gone and my folks have checked out after enjoying their last years with my side of the family.

Nan and I are showing our age somewhat although Nan is still quite lively at times.  We have thoroughly enjoyed each other and will continue to do so till our demise.

One thing that has remained with her is the way she can communicate with her eyes.  She says so much when you look at her directly into her eyes.

I learned this shortly after we were wed for we soon knew what the other was thinking by just looking at each other. 

 

That saved us a lot of talking and sometimes arguing for I received answers to questions by looking deep into those liquid eyes.

“It didn’t matter” whether I agreed or not, her eyes were always right.

 

* * * * * * *