Lydia's Dream Ch. 13-14

After several minutes, we walked together into the house. The fragrance of pine filled the room and a very large tree stood in the corner. Both fireplaces were burning and the subtle aroma of hickory and oak smoke added to the wonderful ambiance. The tree was only partially decorated and I could see many boxes of ornaments still to be opened.

Pam exclaimed, "You left some of the tree for us to decorate! Thank you, Mom. I've always enjoyed that."

"I haven't had a tree in many years," said Janie. "Can I help?"

Ruth replied, "Of course you can. We popped corn to string along the boughs like we did in the old days. Who wants to work on that while we get the ornaments and lights on?"

I volunteered along with David and Rudy. Ruth sent us to the dining room to string the popcorn using small needles and sewing thread. The girls opened the boxes and began adding more ornaments and strings of lights. Many of the ornaments were quite old and had been cherished by Ruth from the early days of her marriage to Richard. The pleasant banter among the ladies was nice to hear. Ruth would occasionally stop to explain the history of a particular ornament. The girls were amazed at their mom's memory of each one and Ruth seemed to enjoy passing on this piece of the family history and tradition.

After two hours of "hard" work, we put the empty decoration boxes back in the attic and relaxed in the living room with hot chocolate. The tree was very special and we gazed at it for a long time remembering past Christmases. Janie told us some of her special Christmas memories with her parents. I shared a few of mine, as did Ruth and Rudy. Many smiles were once again shared as those happy memories were recounted.

Before dinner, everyone put presents under the tree and we marveled at the beauty of this classic Christmas scene. Ruth said, "It's sad to think this might be the last time, after 120 years, our family will have a tree and celebrate Christmas in this house." None of us wanted to think about that, even though it was reality. Ruth had told us in early December that it would go on the market in January.

Ruth had roasted a turkey and baked a ham plus six different vegetable dishes and several desserts as well as her wonderful sour dough bread. Jerri and David had arrived on Friday and pitched in to help Ruth with all the food preparation.

After dinner, we talked in the living room about many things with Jerri and Janie leading the discussion. Ruth had shared some of Janie's history prior to our arrival and nothing else was discussed about her career.

Ruth said, "Janie. You remember Fred from the last time you were here?"

"Of course, he's cute."

"He called earlier this week and asked if you were going to be here for Christmas. I assured him you were coming. He wants to come call on you."

We all turned to see Janie's reaction. It was surprise mixed with joy and questions. "He wants to call on me? Does that mean he wants to come here and talk or what?" Everyone smiled.

Ruth replied, "In this part of the country, it means he wants to come meet you officially through me and then take you out on a date with my blessing. If you were younger, say 15 or 16, he would visit with you here. That way I could keep an eye on you two." Everyone laughed.

"How quaint. I love it," Janie said. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him I would let you know and if you're agreeable, I would call him."

"Does that mean you're my agent?" Everyone laughed again.

"In social matters of our family, you could call me that, I suppose," Ruth replied with a smile.

"Mom, I'm agreeable. Please let him know." We all cheered. "This is going to be fun," she added.

We adjourned for bed at 11:00 pm. Janie was in the guest room. I slept with Pam and, of course, Jerri and David were together. To our surprise, Rudy stayed and slept with Ruth. As we entered the bedroom, Pam said, "The sisters are having a meeting in Janie's room. I'm not sure how long I'll be."

"Oh, uh okay. Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"Yep, for now anyway." She grinned. "More will be revealed tomorrow."

Pam left and I fell asleep not long after. Sometime during the night, I felt her cool body snuggle up to mine. I turned and we cuddled.

****

Rising early, I walked to the end of the lane for the newspaper. Christmas morning was clear and very cold. Only my shoes walking on the gravel disrupted the quiet solitude.

David was up and working on the coffee. We visited, just getting to know each other better. His engineering career was very impressive. He thanked me for helping Jerri and him work on their marriage issues. I thanked him for loving Jerri enough to forgive her and accept her forgiveness.

Rudy walked in with Ruth just a minute behind him to join us at the table. We talked about their upcoming wedding in March and about Fred coming to call on Janie. All of us were excited about that but we weren't sure how a relationship would work with Janie in California and Fred needing to be at the farm most of the time.

Jerri and Pam came down next. Both had bathed and dressed for the day, which I still needed to do. There was excitement in the air for some reason as both girls were almost giddy. Poor Janie was fighting jet lag and she was still asleep at 9:00 am. Ruth decided to go ahead with breakfast and several of us pitched in to help. Janie showed up just as we were sitting down to eat.

"Hey sleepyhead," Pam joked.

"This three hour change is tough," Janie replied.

I asked, "Did your plane make it to the maintenance center?"

"Yes, right on time. I heard from one of the pilots that he was home with his family and wished all of us a Merry Christmas."

After breakfast, Ruth suggested we open the presents. Like children, we quickly went to the tree and took our seats. Presents were passed, opened and admired by everyone. Lots of clothing, electronics and books were given. The final present was an envelope addressed to Ruth that Janie "miraculously" found behind the tree.

Ruth slowly opened it and read the document inside. She gazed at Janie as her hands began shaking and she burst into tears.

Janie moved to sit beside her and they hugged as the tears flowed. I glanced at Pam and Jerri and saw tears running down their faces as they smiled at their mom. It was clear that they knew what was in that envelope.

Ruth regained her composure long enough to announce that Janie had purchased the farm. I was blown away. I didn't see that as even a remote possibility.

"Mom, your real estate agent promised to keep this a secret until now," Janie explained. "With your signature, she is ready to move ahead and we can meet with her and your attorney tomorrow. I want to close on it while I'm here if possible. I don't need title insurance, a survey, or anything that normally delays closing."

I said, "But Janie, your bank will require that for the loan."

"There's no loan involved," she replied.

"Janie, what do you have planned for the farm?" David asked.

"As soon as I can sell my companies, I plan to retire and move here permanently. This is where I feel loved and at home; and I just couldn't let this land go to houses. I also plan to remodel the house but keep its existing farmhouse character. I'll keep the land exactly like it is. I don't know much about cattle but I'll learn.

"This house has been in our Davis family for over 120 years. It deserves a face-lift and some tender loving care. Pam and Jerri have promised to help me with ideas."

"Was that why you girls were meeting last night?" I asked.

They all smiled. Pam replied, "We've been talking to Janie about her plan for many days now and promised to help. Jerri and I believe that this old house is part of us and we love it just like Mom does. We want to help Janie save it and improve it."

David asked, "What's the process for selling your companies? Is that going to be easy or difficult?"

"I've contacted a few people who might be interested but have set nothing in motion yet. One of my directors has said he's interested but he probably doesn't have the money. He's talking to the other directors and they might be able to put an offer together. We'll see. The good thing is that we have time to move in an orderly fashion. I will not leave any of my employees hanging or wondering about their future."

Jerri asked, "Mom, when do you think you'll be moving in with Rudy?"

"After the wedding, sweetheart."

Janie replied, "That's what I was planning on. The end of March is perfect. I want to get an architect in and start working on ideas before then. By the time I have all the plans and a contractor found, it'll be late summer anyway. Plus I have to sell the house in Santa Monica."

Rudy asked, "Don't you think it's going to be too big a change for you? These farms are quiet and boring, unlike the life you've known."

"It will be different, Rudy." Janie replied with a smile. "But I'm ready for different." She reflected, "I never knew why there was always a part of me that yearned for the country. Even as a child, I watched shows about farms and the outdoors. I suppose it was in my genes. When I found out about being from this family, I understood those natural feelings. Now, I find myself daydreaming about sitting on the porch is a swing and sipping iced tea while thinking about my life and what to do going forward. I'm not going to veg, however. I want to get involved with charities such as shelters and the Red Cross."

"I'm doing that in Chattanooga," Pam said.

"I know. Mom told me."

Ruth asked, "Janie, what are some of the things you'd like to do to the house?"

"I've wanted a house with a steel roof. I slept in one down in Costa Rica for a week when we were shooting on location there. It rained several times at night and I loved the sound of the rain pelting the roof. I slept like a baby. The first thing will be to convert the shingles to steel."

"There's slate under the shingles," Ruth said, "so that will be a lot of work."

"It will also take a big weight off the rafters which will help the house withstand snow load and ice," David added.

Ruth smiled and said, "Your grandmother always wanted to do the same thing. There was just never enough money."

"I like the porch but want to re-build it with new columns," she continued. "Although the fireplaces are great, I want to take some of them out and put in a new natural gas forced air system and central air conditioning. I'd like to rebuild the central fireplace in this room and convert the brick facing to mountain stone. The floors all need to be refinished but I would never cover or change this wide plank flooring. These boards are beautiful and can only be found in these old houses.

"The windows in this house are amazing, just beautiful; but they need either storm windows or thermal insulated glass to conserve energy. Those will have to be custom-made, I'm sure.

"The kitchen needs to be modernized, in my opinion. Maybe Mom can teach me how to really cook, not just mess around like I do now."

"I'd love to but you do well as it is," Ruth replied.

David asked, "Are you planning to rebuild the barn?"

"Yes, I'd like to build a new one that has the same character as the current one. It must fit with the property but the current barn is probably original to the time the house was built. It's definitely seen its best days."

Pam asked, "Won't you need a man around here to help do all of that?" Everyone smiled.

"That reminds me, I need to call Fred," Ruth responded. We all grinned.

"Please," Janie pleaded.

****

That evening, Fred drove up the lane. The girls, as usual, looked out the window and saw his pickup truck park next to our rental car.

Janie announced, "He's here mom. Do you want to greet him or should I?"

Ruth responded, "Let me do it." She walked out on the porch and greeted him as he walked up the steps. They hugged as the dear friends they'd become from all the help Richard and Ruth gave his family during his dad's recovery.

Upon entering the crowded living room, Ruth formally introduced him to everyone. Pam and I had previously met him the morning the bull chased us. It was a very pleasant exchange of greetings.

Fred saw Pam and Janie side by side for the first time and was unsure before the introduction who was who. Ruth helped by pointing out the subtle differences in height and hair color. Of course, that only helped when they were standing side by side. The big difference was their vocal accent. Although Janie was making progress, her Southern dialect was not even close to Pam's.

Janie and Pam shook hands with Fred and asked him to be seated. There followed a very nice exchange concerning Christmas, his family and our family. Backgrounds and lots of laughs were shared. After a while, Fred asked Janie if she would go to a movie with him and she instantly accepted.

****

We retired early but Pam was determined to wait up for Janie. The next day, Pam told me that she dozed several times before hearing footsteps in the hallway. Peeking out, she saw Janie walking to her bedroom and followed her. Janie's smile could not have been bigger.

Pam said they sat on her bed and talked. Janie told her that was the first pickup truck she'd ever ridden in. She liked the bench seat and scooted over to sit beside him. They talked about themselves on the way to Greenville. He seemed a little shy but she understood that.

They bought popcorn and a huge soda. They held hands and watched "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Janie managed to lay her head on his shoulder for a while but he didn't put his arm around her.

"He's obviously shy," Pam added.

"Yes, but that's natural. Were I in his situation, I would be," I said. "You girls have that effect on guys."

"Janie liked that and the fact he didn't take her for granted. She said he was a good conversationalist and a genuinely nice guy. She likes him very much. He even kissed her goodnight and he's picking her up for dinner tomorrow evening."

****

The week went quickly. Janie and Fred went out four times and she was invited for dinner at his parents' house. It was clear to everyone that this budding romance had a chance to blossom.

Janie and Ruth met with the real estate agent and lawyer to put the land transfer in motion. The funds were transferred from the California bank to the lawyer's holding account and closing was scheduled for the following week. Janie signed all the papers before she left and then participated by conference call along with her attorney for the final settlement meeting. There were no liens on the property, which allowed a very smooth transaction.

All of us dreaded the conclusion of this very special week of family togetherness. We learned much about each other and it was all very good. Janie's plane came for us on Saturday, New Year's Eve. Fred came to see her off and was given a quick tour of the plane. He knew she was wealthy based on her purchase of the farm, but he had no idea she had a plane like this. They spent a quiet few moments in each other's arms on the tarmac before she boarded. I noticed she had a tear in her eye as she took her seat.

****

Ron scheduled the new dish taste-off for January 3rd. Dad was selected to be a judge from the time it was announced and I asked Pam to be the second judge. All the entries were brought to The Meeting Place after it closed at 9:00 pm. There were a number of creative combinations that included ostrich, emu, rabbit, and elk. Judy shocked us by preparing an Australian plate featuring a grilled kangaroo kabob accompanied by an emu filet. We also had two seafood entries that featured tilefish and pompano.

Dad and Pam tasted each of the six dishes, along with their sides and the wine parings. It took at least 30 minutes to taste, savor and record their scores. The teams also tasted the dishes prepared by the other teams and worried looks were common as each thought another team had done better.

Once the scores were added, Dad stood and said, "First of all, Pamela and I are impressed by the effort all of you gave to this contest. I can honestly say that I would be proud to have any of these on our menus. Judy, that was my first taste of kangaroo and I loved it. Y'all gave me some new ideas to consider and after all the years I've been preparing food, I'm very happy for that. Pamela wants to say a few words and announce the results."

Pam stood and said, "I agree completely with James. I approached this tasting as if I were the customer. Presentation was a major consideration but taste and overall enjoyment of the pairings was paramount. Our scores show that we were most impressed by the pompano. You guys at The Rusty Rudder knocked it out of the park with that creation." Murmurs of agreement and applause filled the room.

"The meat dish we enjoyed the most was the elk loin with the pinot noir reduction sauce, risotto and dried cherry compote. Those flavors combined beautifully with the very tendon loin and the pinot noir you selected. Tim and the team at The River Bistro created a real winner, in our opinion." Again, there was general agreement and applause.

She continued, "Tom and I talked just now and he's decided to add all six of these new creations to the menus and all of you will receive the two extra days of vacation."

Everyone stood and cheered and congratulated each other. It was an amazing success and I was very pleased with the team efforts.

I then made an announcement. "While we have some of our key people together, Dad and I would like to announce a big new project we have underway. We've recently acquired the old Signal Mountain Lodge property and will be building a new high-end restaurant for fine dining." Everyone looked around, wide-eyed, and then cheered. I went on and explained the concept and approximate timing. That resulted in many questions, comments and cautious warnings that it might take business away from Bistro.

I replied, "We've debated that concern and feel we can expand the market so that there's plenty of business for both. The new property will accommodate weddings, large banquets and large business meetings as well as fine public dining. Bistro can't do that without major expansion, which would prove difficult on the current site. Plus, we want to put in a bed and breakfast wing with about 15 rooms to accommodate guests. No one in Chattanooga has that." Everyone nodded understanding and agreement.

****

Pam and I settled into a routine with our work at the bank and the restaurants. She also resumed her volunteering at the two shelters.

We began counseling sessions with our minister. Although it was initially difficult for us to talk about our problems, our pastor made it easier by being non-judgmental. His experience in working through sexual conflict problems with other couples benefited us tremendously. He helped us see what we valued in life, in our relationship, and how we reinforced those values with our actions. We had six sessions with him that taught us volumes about each other and ourselves.

Another person who helped Pam was Janie, of all people. The two of them talked quite often and Pam had high value for the advice she gave. Our sexual relationship improved in many ways and we felt a sense of fulfillment, of a growing together, that we'd not previously experienced.

****

Pam and I brainstormed with Mom and Dad one evening on how we could help the Center City Shelter on a more frequent basis. After a lot of thought, we contacted the shelter to see if they would like our prepared but un-served food at the end of each night. We normally had soup, vegetables, bread and desserts plus the remaining prime rib, turkey and roasts which had to be prepared ahead of time. Normally, this food was just dumped and picked up by a local pig farmer who used it. The director quickly accepted our offer. The pigs would have to go on a diet.