Time for a New Life - chapter 4

Last time we left the Wrights holding the answer to their prayers in their hands.  A letter telling them that they have a place to live.  A new home, in a new town, a whole new life is waiting for them.  If you missed the first 3 chapters, you can find them all together under the YankeeBurrowStorytime tab at the top of this page.

chapter 4 - Moving Day

Jeweled Picture Frame

It's here.  It's finally here, moving day.  John and I just spent the last week, moving the last of our boxes into the moving van.  In those boxes was the remnants of the first 13 years of our lives.   Some clothes, family photos, vacation souvenirs ..the rest is all gone.  The big house, the cars, the boat, the furniture, the fancy clothes and expensive shoes.  I should be sad, but instead I feel...relieved.  While filing bankruptcy was hard, it was also a relief.  The phone calls have stopped  (of course, we had to turn in our very expensive smartphones and take a loss when we cancelled our cell phone plans), but the burden of wondering how we would continue is gone.  A weight has been lifted.  I can see it in John's face now, he's smiling and laughing again.  Last night, we all camped out in the empty living room, talking about our future.

Early this morning we headed home. When we had left Caryville, Pennsylvania all those years ago, we never looked back.  Oh, at first we made the required visits for family weddings, funerals, and reunions.  But with our new, busy, upper class life, we just couldn't find the time anymore. 

Main Street print

Now we're back, full circle.  Life is funny that way.  Most of our families have either left the town, or passed away, so there was no one to tell that we were back.  Driving down Main Street, the memories came rushing in.  Nothing much has changed.  The school that housed all the grades still stands, and City Hall still holds court in the center traffic circle.   We saw the signs declaring the recent craft fair at the local fairgrounds.  On the other side of town, we turned left and headed out of town, to our new home.  It was hard to find...it had been so long...but finally, after many stops, and u-turns, we found the old wooden sign at the end of the long dirt road that would take us home.  Jacob was quiet most of the drive, while the girls couldn't stop chattering in their excitement.  When we pulled up in front of the old clapboard farmhouse with the big barn out back, I could see his frown.  But when we all piled out of the moving van and stood in the slightly overgrown front yard, he couldn't stay quiet any longer.  "I hate this place.  It's old and and it smells out here.  Where are the stores?  The movie theater?  Just WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO OUT HERE?"  Jacob runs behind the house, but John holds me back when I start to follow him.  "Sarah, let him go.  He needs to come to terms with the new direction of our lives.  He needs to make peace with himself."  

Spiced Vanilla Syrup

Then behind us we heard the crunch of tires on the dirt, and turning we see about 10 cars and trucks pull up and park.  People start getting out of their vehicles, and surround us.  Men, women, old, young, they all came and shook our hands, introduced themselves.  Some brought us canned fruit and vegetables.  Some brought us cakes and cookies.  And one older woman directed a young man carrying a large covered pan.  "I'm Grannie Mae" she says, and with a gleam in her eye she continues,  "the boss of this here town. I cornered that young man, the lawyer  and got him to give me the keys to this place to bring to you.  Well, we all wanted to check out the new family, so here we all are, ready for a good old country picnic.  Your gramma was my best friend, so now I'll be yours."   The smell of bbq pork and the sights of these wonderful strangers brought tears to our eyes.  We knew now that this was where we needed to be....home again.

And so we'll leave off here, for now.  Let the Wrights visit with their new found friends, while I go visit with mine.  Please remember, the people and places of this story are fiction, and any resemblance to any real person or place is accidental.  You can click on the links below the pictures to find yourself some great handmade items for your own home.

Be blessed,

Debbi