Chapter 158

 

158.

Ike still weren’t sure about the deal offered to him an’ his family.

There was still a feelin’ of entitlement back in the back of his mind.In his mind, bein’ a Carpenter an’ also bein’ descended from the Choctaw clan that lived on the same land, gave him some sort of right to that land.

He’d made nice an’ all. Mostly he was sincere about his apologies. Mostly he was sincere about Nels an’ Lilly bein’ foolish for not acceptin’ that huge offer to buy the land.

Mostly.

Truth be told, he was still very human. He was glad in his heart that they didn’t take no other deals. He was glad they did offer the Carpenter land to him at a very reasonable price.

A price way below what was probably the actual market value.

His pride was still stingin’ a little at bein’ set down an’ told what were what.

He weren’t used to that.

As they did one last walk around in that grove, Joe Henry came up beside him.

“Cousin, you need to be sure you’re OK with the deal as it stands for the other land, the Carpenter land.”

Ike nodded. “I suppose. It actually is a very good deal, now that I know they could get more.”

“I know. They spoke with me an’ Aunt Bess about it. Told us the amount they wanted to offer. I’ll be honest, I told them it was too little. Told them my dog weren’t in that fight, but they asked what we thought. I have no idea what y’all could have paid. What y’all have set aside. You need to understand what a gift they’re offerin’.”

“I suppose I do understand. An’ you’re right. It is too little. Folks would be happy to pay more.” Ike answered.

Joe Henry shook his head. “They won’t accept more. They were adamant about that. Ike, what I’m also worried about is the other terms in the deal. Worried that you might not understand the terms.”

Ike turned, “What terms do you mean? Them livin’ there too?”

“No. Not just that. I mean the ‘partnership’. The advisory role Nels said was part of the deal. I am afraid you, bein’ who you are, will go head to head with Nels as he tries to help.”

Ike smiled a tight smile. “Well, as long as he knows who the boss is. As long as he don’t push things.”

Joe Henry stopped an’ looked right smack dab at Ike.

“That’s the problem I see. Ike. Please don’t take offence, but, you don’t really know much about farmin’ or raisin’ livestock. You have grand dreams. Worthy dreams. Y’all, all of you, could come here an’ fail. I know, Ike. I absolutely know what it could be like. I went from bein’ a shopkeeper, a business owner with my Daddy to goin’ to Limestone Ridge an’ becomin’ a beekeeper, a farmer. I’d never kept mules, horses, cattle, pigs an’ such as that. Along the way I had to learn. I made stupid mistakes. We lost almost thirty hives my first year because I didn’t listen to Charlie an’ Margie. I was put off that Aunt Bess didn’t trust me. She said I had to work for Charlie an’ Margie. Sure they were kin, but they were old people.”

“You had to work for them? I thought you were part owner. Thought your daddy was, anyways.” Ike asked.

“He was part owner, not me. However, I had no idea about his involvement. Daddy an’ Aunt Bess set things up with the Carpenter Brothers Bee Tree Farms Board of Directors so that I wouldn’t receive Daddy’s part unless I proved myself. I had no idea. I worked under Charlie and Margie. Charlie was a hard taskmaster. He knew how to run a farm. Him an’ Margie did things, worked the farm over to Limestone Ridge mostly by themselves for years.”

“You lost a bunch of hives? Thirty hives?”

Joe Henry said, “Yep. Thirty hives.”

“That’s a big loss.” Ike said.

Joe Henry nodded. “Was much bigger loss back then. We’ve expanded since. We have more bee yards, more hives now. Thirty hives that first and second year I worked there was a huge loss. Figure maybe fifty, sixty pounds of honey minimum per hive. Then figure the loss of the bees. Three or four hundred dollars lost in honey plus the cost of bees for each hive, say one hundred, hundred fifty if we had to buy bees back then. That’s for just one year. Not even takin’ into account multiple years lost production on each hive. Ike, My stupidity cost the company over $16,000. We lost that much from one mistake.”

Ike’s eyes got big. “Wow.”

“Wow is right. It’s a big loss even now. Way bigger then.” Joe Henry said.

“But I can figure things out. I’m not stupid.” Ike said in his own defense.

“Not sayin’ you are. Not sayin’ I was makin’ an accusation. But Ike, here’s an example. What if you forget to shut a gate to a field where your beef cattle graze? What if y’all have two, three steers in that field. They get out, wander into your gardens. You lose your garden to them steers. No fresh vegetables. Nothin’ to can an’ put up for winter.”

“We can always buy things from other farmers. There are always roadside produce stands in this part of the country.” Ike answered.

“Yep. There are. What will you spend to replace what one gate bein’ left open costs you? Even worse, what if one of them steers gets out onto the road. Gets hit by a car or truck. Not just the loss of the price of a steer. Maybe you’re sued if someone gets hurt. Maybe someone gets hurt bad or killed. Just because one gate is left open.” Joe Henry said.

“That’s dumb, Joe Henry. I’ve always shut the gates over at your place.” Ike said in his defense.

“Yep, you did. That’s just an example. What happens when y’all don’t have enough hay to last the winter? Who does the calculations? How will you decide how much it takes to feed the cattle y’all will raise? Or hay for the buffalo? What if you forget to feed them buffalo? What if it’s winter an’ you forget to go out in the cold one mornin’ an’ forget to feed? Forget to break the ice on the water troughs? Even worse, what if you forget them’s crazy wild animals an’ go out where you shouldn’t because you’re not used to raisin’ livestock? Nels knows things, Ike. He’s done farmin’ for decades. Not that he has any experience with your buffalo. He does have experience with livestock though. Experience with farmin’, raisin’ gardens an’ puttin’ a harvest up. Somethin’ as simple as knowin’ when to mow a field for hay. How long to wait to get it in the barn. That’s what he’s offerin’. That’s a gift, cousin. A gift I worry you’ll spoil with your tryin’ to be the boss.”

Chapter 157

 

157.

It took Ike a bit to calm down. He was a mite embarrassed at the way he acted. Still was holdin’ on to wisps of his anger.

“Nels, Lilly, I’m sorry. Anita knows I get wound up about all this. It’s been a dream, a passion for me for ever so long. I’m a terrible example for others. For my youngin’s. I’m such an idjit. Did I really almost spoil it for myself? Would you have walked away from the offer your gave me?” Ike asked.

Nels nodded.

Lilly did too.

“Honey, here’s the thing we needed to consider. We don’t need no heartache at our age. We don’t need no feller that would be mean spirited, angry, hateful buyin’ our place over yonder. Ike, Cousin, we are caretakers of a wonderful legacy. We can’t just surrender it all to you iff’n you aren’t worthy of that place.” Lilly told Ike.

That comment did make Ike sort of snort just a mite. He weren’t completely a changed man just then.

Nels added, “Ike, me an’ Lilly talked about all this for a long time even before y’all showed up. We’re the last. Not the last Carpenter, of course. Bess, Joe Henry, James, all them folks over to Kentucky, they’ll still be there when we’re gone. We’re the last to live here, where our families started. But, you need to understand that. It weren’t a burden. It weren’t just land. Weren’t just an’ ancient cabin. This is us. You dreamed of a place to return to. We lived that place. We’ve lived it ever’ day of our lives.”

“Ike, Anita, we already paid up for our funeral. We already paid for stones to be laid in the Carpenter cemetery. I told Ike I didn’t want it laid yet. Didn’t want anyone to see my name on a stone till I was under it. Done paid for an’ all. Just not havin’ my name or his on no stone, waitin’ for us to die.” Lilly explained.

Then she smiled. “You need to know them stones ain’t our monument. Not at all. This grove here, my land, David an’ Jane’s cabin over yonder, that’s my monument, our monument. That’s goin’ to stand way longer than me, Nels or even y’all. My hope is, because of what Bess is goin’ to set up, my hope is it will be there for generations of Carpenters. My hope is generations of your line, our common Choctaw line, Joe Henry’s line will be able to come here too. Maybe they can come an’ celebrate who we all was.”

Nels came an’ held out his hand for Ike to take.

Ike took that ol’ man’s hand an’ looked him in the eyes.

Ike’s young, sharp eyes looked deep into Nels’ old, faded blue eyes.

Nels smiled a little smile.

“Youngin’, all we want, all we’ve wanted as we grew older here on this Carpenter land was to make a difference. That’s all any man wants, I reckon. I suspect that’s all y’all want, if y’all studied on it. Lilly didn’t have to do any of what she’s doin’, you know. We ain’t rich, but we sure ain’t dirt poor neither. Got a little socked away in the bank. When a CD comes due, we go shoppin’ to find the best deal on them rates an’ all. Not a lot, enough to pay for some beans an’ bacon in our old age. Sis’s had developers come an’ offer way more money than she’d ever spend for her four hundred seventy one acres. She wouldn’t sell her mineral rights when them swindlers came sniffin’ around. Said I was foolish to do so. One feller offered her $1,200 an’ acre for her land. Offered us $1,500 an acre for the farm.” Nels said.

Ike was shocked. “Wait. Wait. Nels that’s over $300,000 for y’all’s farm. Over half a million dollars for Lilly’s land. That’s getting’ close to a million dollars. Invest that well an’ in a couple years y’all could be millionaires. An’ Nels, his offer for your farm is way, way more than the amount y’all offered it to us for. That’s crazy. Maybe y’all should…”

“Just stop there. What would me an’ Lilly do with that kind of money? Move to Beverly Hills?” Nels asked.

That made Joe Henry, Anita, Aunt Bess an’ Lilly giggle.

Chapter 156

 

156.

Lilly was quiet an’ was lettin’ that sink in.

Ike finally asked, “So, you’re not sellin’ it? Puttin’ it in a land trust? Why? We might could buy it too? Might give you more money to help you out if needed. It should be ours.”

Lilly shook her head. “Nay. ‘Should be yours’. Hmmph. That’s enough of that sort of talk. Ain’t interested in sellin’ it. All this here is mine. I’m doin’ exactly what I want to do. I figure me an’ Nels is OK when we sell to y’all. We can split the money from that. Not tryin’ to offend y’all. I believe the land we’re sellin’ to y’all will set y’all up right good. We’re doin’ right by y’all. Doin’ right by your Choctaw ancestors too. Honey, besides that, from what you said, they ain’t none of them buffalo like you talked about livin’ free in nature. Right?”

“That’s true. But maybe this can be part…” Ike started.

“No, honey. Ain’t happenin’. I done made up my mind. It’ll be set up in that there land trust includin’ this grove, this burial place that’s part of my land. The home place cabin too. It’ll be preserved like it is. No one will be able to sell it or harm this place. Family can still use it. Y’all could hunt, fish, maybe even some day run them buffalo on it. I suspect that’ll be a long time. Y’all have to establish a small herd first. That might take most of your lives. Them that are the trustees of my land trust can decide that after I’m long gone. If the time comes, someone who knows will make them decisions.”

Nels took his sister’s hand. “Youngin’s, it’ll be named the ‘Lilly Carpenter Land Trust’. As long as we’re alive an’ of sound mind, we will have the controllin’ vote on the trust. Bess here, Joe Henry an’ your cousin, James Jones, I think he’s your partner in your business, they’re the rest of the Board of Trustees Sis’ll set up. That’s what she asked for.”

“What about us bein’ on that board?” Ike asked.

“Well, honey, I thought about that. Talked to Bess about it. I reckon y’all might have a conflict of interest. Don’t want to offend y’all. I just think there to ought to be a separation between my land an’ the land you an’ your two brothers an’ sister will own. Like I said, y’all can use it as much as y’all like. Just not own it.” Lilly explained.

Ike thought about it. He nodded.

“I reckon that makes sense. If some of my tribe wanted to come here, honor these buried here?” Ike asked.

“They’d be welcome. They are, after all, family too.” Lilly said.

Anita was smilin’. “I think that is a good thing. A wonderful way to honor you.”

Come Go With Us Chapter 155

 

155.

Them two wasn’t sure what Lilly was talkin’ about.

Her land? What was that all about? This grove? This burial site? Was hers an’ hers alone?

“Why would they give this burial site to you? What purpose was there in that?” Ike asked.

Lilly sighed. “Bess, is all my distant kin like this? Or is it just the menfolk? Worries me about the future of our clan.”

Aunt Bess laughed.

Joe Henry grinned but knew he better keep quiet.

“Mostly the fellers, Cousin. Some of the women are right nimble minded. I understood as soon as you started explainin’ things to me when we spoke. Maybe you better start back a bit an’ take a good run at it.” Aunt Bess said as she continued to grin.

Lilly sighed. “Very well. Nels, take me back over to the spot where I was sittin’. Ike, you an Anita follow an’ sit where I can know where you are.”

With that Lilly had Nels turn an’ walk away.

Ike an’ Anita obediently followed.

Lilly sat with Nels’ help. She settled on a little rise in the grass.

Then she pointed to a spot just in front of her.

“Right there. Let me know when you’re settled.” she told them.

Ike an’ Anita sat down an’ settled cross legged.

“We’re sat.” Ike said, real obedient like.

“OK. This is for the addle-pated men-folk and kin-folk. Them’s mostly the same, I reckon.”

Aunt Bess an’ Joe Henry had followed an’ was sittin’ close by to address any questions the others might have.

They both chuckled at Lilly’s “addle-pated men-folk an’ kin-folk”.

“First of all, Daddy an’ Uncle Walter ended up ownin’ the land we been talkin’ to y’all about. Like Nels said, over two hundred acres. That was the best of the Carpenter land for farmin’ an’ such as that. The other members of Daddy’s family, Aunt Sally Ann, his brothers Uncle Gib an’ Uncle John, them three owned this part together.” Lilly told them.

Ike interrupted. “This part? The burial grounds?”

Lilly looked in his direction. She was givin’ him a blind stink eye, if they was such a thing.

He could tell she was a mite put off by his interruption.

“Sorry.” he said.

“Anyways, Aunt Sally Ann, Uncle Gib an’ Uncle John ended up ownin’ this part. This part ain’t got much in the way of tillable fields. There’s a meadow back yonder. Pretty good sized lake too, from what I been told. Lots of timber too. Now an’ again the family has select cut trees for land management an’ to sell. Sold a lot of them chestnut trees when the blight hit. Pays the taxes that way. One good tree might pay taxes for a year or two.”

“They all wanted to make sure I was took care of. As they got older, they all went together an’ gave their land to me. What’s left of it, that is.” Lilly told them.

“What’s left? What land?” Ike asked.

Lilly paused. “I’ll let that interruption go. They all got together an’ gave Uncle Walter an’ Daddy the portion of land we’ve been talkin’ about since they lived here. Farmed the land all their lives. The brothers an’ Aunt Sally Ann was given the rest. It was actually always two parcels. The first parcel was where Great Grandpappy David an’ Grandmammy Jane settled. However many grands they are. That’s what is ours. What Daddy an’ Uncle Walter got. The second parcel is mostly behind the parcel that was the original parcel. Y’all do know that David got a land grant just like the four brothers got, right?”

Ike nodded then spoke, “Yep. Aunt Bess told us about that. She showed up in the journals that each of the four brothers got five hundred acres in land grants. We saw that David Carpenter got more.”

“He did. He was a corporal in the Revolutionary War. He got seven hundred fifty acres. That’s the other parcel.” Lilly said.

Aunt Bess added, “That’s the land we was never able to find. We found no record of it in any of the journals me an’ Joe Henry worked through. Couldn’t find any mention of it in the journals Ike brought from Oklahoma either. We thought it was lost.”

Nels spoke up. “Nay. Never was lost. Just not as fertile an’ tillable as the home place land. Family’s owned it for generations. The state came through an’ took some for a road. Our Daddy, our Great Uncles an’ Aunt gave some smaller parcels to family members. Them families all sold them parcels to others an’ they’s out of the family ownership.

“Wow. How much is left?” Ike asked.

“There’s four hundred seventy one acres left. Four hundred seventy acres left that Aunt Sally Ann, Uncle Gib an’ Uncle John gave to me to help care for me if Daddy, Mama, Uncle Walter an’ Nels wasn’t able to take care of me. I was told to log it if I needed help with medical care an’ so on. They told me to sell the whole thing if I was in need.” Lilly said with a quiet voice.