Goerke's Corner Pt. 01

Reality set in shortly after they arrived and discovered there was no local shopping. The closest Walmart was 40 miles away and the closest hospital was 60. There was a clinic in Clairemont, the hospital facilities had closed years before. That couple moved back to Two Rivers after one harvest season and basically let it go to waste. Oh yes, there was great potential, but not if you didn't pay attention to what needed to be done for a decent harvest. Though I knew they had it listed at 75K I was hoping an offer of 50K cash would be enough to close a deal.

They arrived just before 10 and walked to where I was sitting. I stood and shook their hands, then introduced myself. They in turn told me that they were Edward and Lenore Carroll. We walked the orchard with me pointing out this and that along the way. She was visibly impressed that I knew so much about the orchard. Him, meh, he could care less. All he wanted to do was take the money and run.

When we got down to brass tacks, he told me they wanted 100 grand. As much as I wanted to, I wasn't going to laugh in his face. I pointed out that the trees hadn't been properly pruned or taken care of, that several needed to be cut and new ones planted. He scoffed, shuffled his feet and acted like he was annoyed but not angry and then blurted out, "80 and it's yours."

I dug deep in my mind for a wild card, and there it was. Staring me in the face was the run down, neglected and empty pie shop of so long ago. I put my shoulders back, pointed to the former pie shop now ready to fall down and countered. "The property is listed at 75 and hasn't had a single offer in six months. Will you take 60" Cash?"

It was he who laughed, "You gotta be shittin me buddy. 75 and that's as low as I can go."

I shook my head with a disappointed look on my face, turned and started to walk away when I heard his wife speak.

"65 cash and it's yours."

As I turned to face her he started to say something, she held her hand up, "Be quiet Ed, we need to take the money and be out from under this weight. So? Can you do 65?"

I reached forth my hand to shake on it with her, smiled and said, "You bet. Did you happen to bring the deed with you?"

She grinned, "I did. I knew we were gonna sell this thing."

"Are you guys busy?" I asked. "If not let's go to Clairemont. I have a lawyer who will do a bill of sale so we can get this thing taken care of legal and square. I'll have the bank issue you a certified check."

Once again, he was going to say something until she gave him that look. The one that says *shut up and move along*. I took them to lunch at Cat's Meow while the lawyer drew up the necessary documents. By two twenty in the afternoon I owned the Goerke's Corner apple orchard. To sweeten the day further I received a call from the doubtful loan officer I had spoken with a day ago. The bank would accept my offer of 50 thousand for the building if I would cover the back taxes of just over six grand.

That would deplete more of my savings than I intended but it was too good a deal to pass up. I had enough left over to fix up the station and get some staples in the store area. With my retirement pay to live on, and investments I didn't want to touch, I would be okay as long as I didn't waste money or spurge. Thinking to myself something my dad used to say, *in for a penny, in for a pound* I made an instant decision.

"Sure. I can do that. When can you have the paperwork ready. I'll pay for a title search, I want to complete this thing as soon as possible."

He informed me the bank had a title company they worked with exclusively and that he would initiate a title search the following morning. I wondered why is it always first thing tomorrow? Why not today? Any further thought along those lines wasn't worth my time though, not my pasture, nor my cows. I was ready for a fat juicy burger and onion rings. I was smiling to myself as I drove south, Lone Pine Saloon here I come. Considering all I had accomplished in one day it would be worth the drive. Besides, their chow was downright delicious for bar food.

Rummaging through the shop the next day I found my dad's old Stihl 031 chain saw. There was even a new chain in the case. There was still gas in the can, I wasn't sure if it was good any longer, but I put some in the tank and gave the saw a pull. It kicked off on the sixth pull and ran for about two minutes before it died. There was no sense screwing around, I headed to Clairemont. Woods Ace Hardware and Lumber was a Stihl dealer and would have everything I needed to tune up the old girl. While there I grabbed an extra chain, some 2-stroke oil to mix with fresh fuel and a gallon of bar oil.

It was late afternoon before I had the chainsaw running smoothly. I stunk like oil and gasoline. I tossed a frozen pot pie in the oven before I jumped in the shower. The cable guys had been by earlier to hook up internet to the house. With ethernet connections in what would soon be an office I could start using my laptop again. I didn't own a TV so as far as I was concerned the rest of the cable hook up was useless. However, it came in a package with no way to separate the two.

I hadn't heard from the bank by the next morning, so I called. I was informed that the regular loan officer was out for the day and was transferred to the bank manager. He informed me that the title office was ready to close at 11 Monday morning if I was available. Was I available? Hell yes. I wanted this shit over and done with so I could start making improvements. With the chainsaw running properly I spent the next two days cutting dead trees at the orchard and along the property line of my backyard.

Andy knew a guy with a Bobcat that would put the apple trees in a pile for me to cut up later. Apparently apple wood was very popular with the barbecue crowd and meat smokers. More money to be made, yeah, I could handle that. The trees had little to no moisture left in them. I knew where I could rent a splitter, they would be dry enough to sell in no time once I had them cut up and split.

On Monday I treated myself to breakfast at Cat's Meow and napped in my truck while I waited in the parking lot of the title company for eleven am to roll around. By 11:45 all the paperwork had been signed, the payment made and my bill of sale in hand. I immediately walked across the street to the registrar's office and filed the paperwork for a deed. I was told to look for it in the mail within a week. The rest of the week was spent either on my laptop researching or calling different state agencies to determine what needed to be taken care of to bring the gas station up to code. I had researched everything online, but I still needed to hear it from a human being.

I had been so busy I nearly forgot Memorial Day was the following Monday. As a kid the village always had a Memorial day parade with WWII and Korean vets on hay wagons being pulled by someone sponsoring a business. Not anymore. I went to the cemetery Saturday late and found my parents grave plot. The grass was mowed but the grave sites were no longer being cared for. Budget cuts and all that rot you know. I wanted more for my folks' graves and headed to Clairemont for flowers to plant on their plot.

It was early Monday morning, Memorial Day 1999 when I began loosening the barren ground on my folks' graves in Elm Creek Cemetery at the edge of the village. I was so lost in what I was doing that I hadn't noticed the people four graves to my left. What caught my attention were the voices of young girls asking their mom how to do this and that as they planted flowers. I looked their way, nodded and went about watering what I had just planted. As I was walking past them I heard my name.

"Robert? Robert Tillman?"

I stopped and looked more closely. In a moment I realized who was asking. It was Hilda Friedrich. And those were obviously her daughters.

I was smiling from ear to ear as I said softly, "Hilda Friedrich? I never thought I would see you again. You look good. Are these your girls?"

She smiled, stepped forward, gave me a friendly hug then backed away.

"It's so good to see you Robert. It's Hilda Strang now. Girls, this was my best friend growing up and all through high school. We used to pick apples at the orchard just down the road. He went into the military after graduation and if I'm right you just got out recently. Your mom used to keep me updated from time to time. I was at your mom's funeral, but you were so busy you never saw me, and I wasn't about to barge in."

"Oh I wish I had known. That would have been wonderful to catch up."

Drawing a girl on each side of her she nodded to the right. "This is Elizabeth, she's 11." Looking to her left she said, "This one is Grace, named after my mother and she's 13. Girls, meet Robert Tillman."

I gently shook hands with the girls and was pleased that they actually shook my hand. It was obvious their mom had passed along her farmgirl traits to them.

"Are you home to stay Robert? Or just passing through?"

I laughed, "Yeah, you could say I'm home to stay. I just bought the old gas station and the orchard. I'll spend the summer upgrading everything and be open for the fall harvest. If you guys don't have to be somewhere special why don't you come to the house and visit. I have ice cream and a laptop the girls can fool around with. Please?"

She looked at the girls who had smiles and were nodding their heads profusely. I had accumulated an old couch from Andy's spare room. Hilda and I sat talking while the girls found some horse video to watch on the computer. When I asked where her husband was, she looked down. When she lifted her head there were tears in her eyes.

"Theodore died three years ago. I married a doctor eleven years older than me while I was in med school. He was by my side and supported me through the long ordeal. I went on to be a surgeon, I specialize in knees and hips. I had the girls as soon as I was done with residency and here we are."

I had to ask, "How did he die?"

"On a mission trip to Guatemala. His plane crashed in a heavy fog. It never should have left the ground in the first place. That's where his ashes were spread, in the mountains of Guatemala. He loved going there to visit the mountain people and have open clinics for the villagers. They're forgotten people. And what about you? Married? Kids?"

I shook my head, "Nah, never happened. I thought it would when I was in Okinawa the first time. She couldn't bring herself to leave family and it fell apart. Nope, the Marine Corps was my life for 21 years."

"Do you think you'll marry again Hilda?" I asked.

'No. The girls are my life. The girls and my practice. Theodore's older sister grew up rough. She's a widow and was on her own struggling to exist. No kids and no family except me. I have her living with me as a nanny. I pay her well and the girls love her to bits. I don't have to worry if I need to be later than anticipated."

Then she laughed, "Tell me more about the station and orchard. Did you really buy them?"

I laughed as well, "I sure did. I'm going to focus on bringing the station up to current standards. At the same time I need to invest in the orchard. That won't happen as fast as I would like it to. I used most of my liquid assets to purchase the properties and the station will probably run me around 70 grand by the time all is said and done."

I could see the gears turning as he stared into my eyes.

"I have a proposition Robert. Let me be a silent partner. The accountant said I need to make some investments this year or pay an enormous amount in taxes. How much do you have invested so far?"

I wasn't sure if I should tell her or not, but then decided to. I had trusted her all through my growing formative years, surely, I could trust her now.

"Around one hundred seventeen with the legal fees and such. What do you have in mind?"

"I need to find somewhere legal to invest at least forty thousand, probably more. Is that enough to do the store and orchard as well?"

I was flabbergasted and relieved at the same time. I shrugged, "Yeah, that would cover everything including planting new trees to replace the dead ones I cut down. Are you sure though Hilda? I mean, that's a lot of money."

She leaned over and put her hand on mine, with a giggle she said, "I never have repaid you for beating those boys up on the bus. So yes, I'm sure. I live in Two Rivers and can maybe help a little on weekends unless the girls have sports activities. One thing for sure though. I want my girls to be hired for apple picking, it will be a life lesson they'll treasure all their lives. Just as it was for you and me."

I offered to take them to lunch somewhere of their choice. She refused with a no thanks.

"We need to be at Theodores gravesite at one o'clock. He was Ex Navy, they're doing something special for him this year. You could come along."

I shook my head, "Thanks but no. I have too many things rolling around in my head at the moment. I would like your phone number though. We need to talk and get this deal taken care of by the legal beagles. All I have is a cell phone so if I don't answer I may be out of range."

After exchanging phone numbers she chuckled, "Mine is the same. Service outside the cities can be challenging. We need to go. Call me soon. Oh, don't be surprised if I text."

Texting. Not new to the world but certainly new to me. Little did I know how fast it was going to catch on over the next few years. The 21^st Century was about to become a reality.

With a hug from Hilda and a wave from the girls they were on their way down the road. I smiled to myself. Hilda, still as practical as ever. Though she had loads of money she chose to drive a Honda minivan. Mind you, it was loaded, but a minivan none the less. Soccer moms were becoming a popular thing, I imagined her as one. Cheering the girls as they ran from end to end, ice cream or pizza afterward probably, whether they won or lost. That's who Hilda was.

With the addition of Hilda's investment I spent the entire afternoon and evening re-evaluating my plans. I would be able to not only remove the old steel tanks, install new fiberglass tanks along with new piping, I would have money to invest in newer pumps. Preferably something with a card reader so gas could be pumped whether the station was open or closed. Yeah, things were definitely looking up. Knowing I was not going to be able to be the general contractor for the station and be at the orchard as well I decided to make a phone call Tuesday morning.

Steve Orson, the HVAC contractor, answered his phone on the second ring. Impressive I told myself. After a short time of chit chat I got down to brass tacks. By the time our conversation ended an hour later I not only had the name of a local reputable general contractor but the names of guys he worked with extensively. A plumber, electrician and carpenters. Oh, and a reliable HVAC guy.

Steve suggested that I drive to the county seat and talk one on one with the building inspectors and county engineer. After giving me the names of those I should contact and their phone numbers I set about making appointments to see each individual. I spent the next three days filling out forms, paying for permits and hiring an architect to make drawings for state approval. I offered to kick in extra if he could expedite the process, which he hardily agreed to.

While waiting for final clearances I busied myself around the homestead. I had Steve put in a new furnace with the addition of central air. I also had his guys go through the unit heater in the shop to make sure it was safe to run come fall. I hadn't heard from Hilda during that time and wondered if I should contact her. Lo and behold she texted me that very day.

Hilda: Hi Robbie. Are you busy Wednesday evening? If not you're invited to watch the girls soccer games with me. We'll grab a bite to eat after the games.

Me: No. I'm not busy. Watching the girls with you sounds fun.

Hilda: Okay. Text your email address and I'll send you directions. The soccer field is easy to find. See you Wednesday.

I spent a day walking the orchard painting an orange X on the trees that still needed to be cut. All were in need of pruning but that would have to wait until the fall. The blossoms that were prevalent when I had first arrived in Goerke's Corner were now tiny buds. Back in the day the owners always had bee hives. They served two purposes. First they pollinated the blossoms and second, they produced honey to sell along with apples. Without bees I wondered how the crop would turn out. I was back in the orchard Wednesday morning cutting the dead trees into firewood sized pieces when I looked up and saw Andy.

Whenever he wasn't with Lisa he always had what he called a cheek full of "chaw." The rest of us knew it as chewing tobacco. True to form there was thin river of brown spit running from the right side of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, spit on the ground and yelled.

"Hey there Rob. I see you been busy. Nice bunch of firewood, as dry as it is that'll sell right away. Guys with smokers will grab that up, you'll see."

I sat on a stump, Andy did the same with one about five feet away. When I mentioned there were no bees to pollinate he chuckled.

"Aint no problem. The bees from down by the cemetery buzz around and get the job done. Course it would be better if you had some in the orchard. Old man Semrow bought the hives that were here. He don't use um no more, probly sell um to you cheap. Still in good shape, they been in his lean-to for years."

I shrugged, "Sure, but what about bees?"

"Oh hell boy. Bees fer sale all the time. They even deliver um these days. Ya oughta look into that. You got any beer?"

I shook my head.

"He laughed. Well then, I gotta go. Lisa's gone to her sisters for two days and I intend to make the most of it. See ya later Rob."

I'd finished up cutting the limbs into short pieces and had the trunks cut into similar lengths to split when I glanced at my watch. Shit, two in the afternoon. I needed to get home, shower, shave, get dressed and get on the road by five. I liked the fact that the soccer field was on the edge of town I approached and not in a suburban area. I quickly found Hilda and joined her on the fence line with the rest of the mom's, dad's, aunts, uncles, and God only knows who else.

In between the younger one's match and the older we grabbed some popcorn and a soft drink to tide us over. Elizabeth stayed on the other side of the field with her teammates, waving to her mother and throwing a kiss. With both matches over the girls found us, the first thing out of their mouths was.

"I'm hungry. Where are we going for supper?"

Hilda looked down at the girls. "How's pizza sound?"

All I saw and heard were two girls jumping up and down yelling "Angelo's, we want Angelo's."

Hilda looked at me and smirked, "I guess it's Angelo's then. You ever been?"

I shook my head.

Hilda chuckled, "Yeah, it's only been in town about ten years. Silly question."

When the pizza arrived at our table the girls dove in like ravenous wolves. Hilda and I laughed as we attempted to be more civilized. They wolfed down their two pieces each and asked to go visit with other girls at different tables. With the girls gone I sensed Hilda had something to say. I looked at her and quipped.

"Spill. What's eatin your cheerios?"

She lightly backhanded my shoulder, "You always did know when something was on my mind. I've talked with my lawyer, everything is a go for the investment. Since we're going to be partners, I want to make sure we're on the same page. It's been a few years since Theodore died, my friends say I need to get out there and find a new guy. Here's the thing. I don't want a new guy. Like I said before, the girls are my life."