Life after the Lottery Ch. 83

This is the last chapter. I promise(for now). It has been ten years of following the Smith's through many things. Before I end the series, I wanted to sum up where their lives where at. The wrap-up here will leave me with some opportunities for future additions. Copyright LATL 2023.

Life After the Lottery, CH 83

Everything changes

I had just landed with Enolia, and the girls had met us at the helipad.

As we walked by the pool house onto the patio, Enolia looked over the pool and landscaping.

"This is very pretty. Looks like some of the waterfalls in the mountains," Enolia said."

"Dawn designed all of it," Samantha said.

"Beautiful, honey."

"Wait until you see it at night," Amy added.

We went into the house, and Dawn led Enolia to the big bedroom off the den. It was a few minutes before they came back out.

"How are you two doing!" She asked Samantha and Amy.

"We are doing fine, Grandmother. Feel like I am about to pop!" Samantha said.

"Oh, you will make it until Christmas! I'm so glad you two call me Grandmother, too."

"What did you think?" Dawn asked Sylvia.

"I like the reservation. Your Great-grandparents are interesting. The flight back was wonderful."

Enolia talked to the girls as I moved her bags into the bedroom and came back out.

"Grandmother, I need your advice later," Dawn said.

"On what, honey?"

"Linda and Rachel want to deliver Christmas Eve. I want you to make sure it will be okay."

"Have you asked their babies?"

"Not yet. They will be here for dinner."

"We'll ask them then."

We all sat and talked. Grandmother had plenty of questions for Amy and Samantha. I told Dawn about the route I took back from the reservations through the mountains and showed it to her on the map. Enolia finally took Amy's hands so she could feel the baby.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Amy asked.

"Have to wait until the day they are born."

"What will be a good boy's name?" Samantha asked. Enolia smiled at her.

"Nice try, honey! Do you want a boy or girl?"

"Just healthy."

Enolia placed her hand on Amy's belly for a minute.

"Oh...your baby is healthy and ready to be here!"

"Dawn won't tell us..." Amy mumbled.

"You said you didn't want to know!" Dawn exclaimed.

"I'm sure she knew what yours and her babies' sexes were before they were conceived."

"She said she did," I replied.

"Grandmother? Do you know if they will be more Cherokee than we are?" Amy asked.

"All of the babies will be Cherokee. If not by look, by Spirit. You two are Cherokee by blood and Spirit. There is no more to being Cherokee than that. Your babies will be too. That is what you asked for. They are filled with our Spirit. You just need to wait, honey."

"I am sure you and Dawn have seen how much they will follow the Cherokee ways," I said.

"We have." And that was the end of that conversation.

She reached over to Samantha and put her hand on her belly for a minute.

"Oh, this one is going to be Spirited!"

"Like her mother?" I asked.

"More!"

"Oh boy. I'm not sure I can handle that!" I exclaimed.

"What do you mean Spirited?" Samantha asked.

"Just like her mother!"

Later, Enolia helped Dawn and the girls with dinner. I had offered to cook, but Dawn wanted to do it. We could hear Dawn and Enolia talking in Cherokee.

"What are they saying?" Sylvia asked.

"Dawn is fluent in Cherokee. I am not sure if it is her first or second language. Nothing good, I bet!" We laughed.

"Do you understand Cherokee?"

"Nope. Dawn speaks and writes it. Sylvia, Dawn spent her Summers on the reservations from the age of three, living with her Great-grandparents and learning. Ask her about it."

A little before it was time to eat, Linda and Rachel came in after Stan had dropped them off. We all sat and had a good meal. Enolia asked Linda and Rachel plenty of questions. When we finished eating, we all went to the den and sat.

"Linda? When is your nanny starting?" I asked.

"Soon."

"Let me have your hands," Enolia told Linda.

She took Linda's hands and held them as she closed her eyes for a few minutes.

"You want to deliver the day before Christmas? A day early?" She asked Linda as she looked at her.

"If it is okay?"

"Why?"

"So, it isn't so crazy Christmas Day with all of us."

"I see. Did you ask your...baby if that was okay?"

Linda looked at her for a moment.

"No...I can't do that...like Dawn does."

"You can if you try. Babies come when they are ready. Not when it is convenient for you."

"Oh...I just thought..."

"You can ask your babies later if it is okay with them to come on Christmas Eve. If it is...you will deliver on Christmas Eve because you asked. If they are not ready...your babies will come when they are ready."

"But Dawn is making theirs come on Christmas Day?"

"No, honey. Dawn knows when the babies are ready. She asked them. It is okay for her to set the time of day. She can set yours and Rachel's if you wish."

Enolia smiled at her.

"I just thought...I know doctors induce sometimes..." Linda said.

"Doctors...they do not ask the babies...you ask your babies."

"I guess I'll wait then."

"You want to deliver the day before too?" She looked at Rachel and asked.

"I'll just wait...and see..." Rachel decided after what Enolia had told Linda.

"You wait on your babies. They know what is best. Christmas day, unless they agree with you two. Just ask them."

"Dawn? If we want...can we pick a time...on Christmas Day?" Linda asked.

"If that is what you two want. Let us know," Dawn said.

"I just hope we aren't in labor for hours!"

"You won't be," Grandmother said and smiled. "Your babies will be easy and peaceful."

"I hope so," Rachel said.

Enolia took Rachel's hands and held them for a minute.

"Now yours...will be a little more stubborn!" She said to Rachel.

"What does that mean?!"

"Your baby is happy where it is! It may not want to come out!"

"Oh, great!"

"Honey...your baby and your delivery will be fine. Just don't fight it. Let it happen. You too, Linda."

"If I deliver earlier, that will let Linda deliver later in the day," Rachel said.

"We have noon, 3:00, and 6:00 picked out!" Dawn said and laughed.

"Dawn, can I deliver after you? That way, James can be with me?" Linda said.

"Sure. I can time it that close. What about you, Rachel?"

"The sooner, the better!"

"Right after noon? About 1:30?"

"Please!"

"Okay then. Amy won the toss for noon. Then Sam at 3:00. Rachel, how about between them?"

"Great! James can be there."

"Okay. Linda after me...maybe 7:30?"

"Perfect."

"Make sure you two tell your babies the schedule," Dawn said with a big smile.

I saw Dawn look at Enolia and roll her eyes. Enolia smiled at her.

They all talked for a while about babies and delivering. I could tell Sylvia was confused about Dawn being able to set the delivery times.

Later, Enolia was in the kitchen with Amy and Samantha.

"Dawn? Your Grandmother seemed to be a little cryptic about my delivery," Linda said.

"Have you cheated and asked about the sex!" Dawn exclaimed and laughed.

"No! I did as promised and told the doctor not to tell me anything!"

"Grandmother is following all our wishes. She knows...but she is not telling you!"

"Dawn! I hate you!" We laughed.

"Linda, just let it be a surprise."

"Okay..."

"You'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Things are surely going to change," Linda said.

"Yes, they are!" I added.

"More than you know," Dawn said with a smile.

"Stop that!" I exclaimed.

"James, you will be thrilled when the babies are here," Sylvia said. "But...Dawn, how do you know the exact times?"

"Remember, I am a Medicine Woman. I know how to cook up all kinds of potions, as my husband calls them. One of them will induce labor within three hours."

"Are they safe?"

"Must be. Native Americans have been using them for thousands of years!"

"I see. James, are you ready for changes?"

"I will be, but it is going to be busy around here."

"A little!" Sylvia said and giggled.

They talked for a while about plans for caring for the babies and when the other nanny would start.

Dawn looked and smiled at me.

"What?" I asked.

"For someone that is a listening expert...you sure missed something earlier," she said with a huge smile.

"What?"

"Oh, no! You missed it! I'm not telling you!"

"What!" Linda exclaimed.

"You all missed it! I'm not telling you!"

Now, I was trying to think back about all that was said as Linda pestered Dawn with no luck. When I looked at Dawn, she would only smile.

"I'll listen to the recordings," I said.

"You'll still miss it!"

We all sat and talked until about 9:00. Stan came and picked up Linda and Rachel.

"If you weren't pregnant, I would tickle you until you told me what I missed!" I told Dawn.

"No, you wouldn't! You know better than that!"

"I know what you missed," Sylvia said.

"Sylvia!" Dawn exclaimed.

"And I'm not telling you either!"

"Are you ticklish!"

"Oh no, you don't!"

We all went to bed by 10:00 after Dawn got Enolia settled in.

"What surprise do you have for me?" Dawn asked after I turned off the light.

I told her about the changes to the house we had made. She was happy about it. Amy and Samantha asked Dawn about why the babies needed to be on the reservation, but she told them much less than what I knew.

*****

Monday morning, I was in my study and called Running Bear.

"Hello, James."

"Hey, Running Bear. Did you talk to Great-grandfather about the plans for building a place for the Elders to teach?"

"We did talk. That will be great if Ahyoka is okay with it."

"We talked last night, and she is very excited."

"Very good. What are the next steps?"

"I am going to talk to the architect who built our house and see if he knows some good contractors in your area. If he does, I'll get the ball rolling after the first. Can I give them your phone number to set things up?"

"Sure."

"With the way that piece of land is laid out, they can dig out for a walk-in basement from the front. I am going to tell them to pour concrete for the walls and all of the foundation. I'll have them add a few feet to the height of the walls so that when they lay all the steel to support the house, there will be plenty of headroom in the basement."

"That should work great. How long will it take them to get that done so they can start on the outside walls?"

"I hope not more than two months. It will depend on how long it takes us to settle on a design."

"I will tell the Elders that want to teach the younger guys how to build a log home. They can start harvesting logs as soon as they can. There are plenty of White Oak trees in the forest."

"Good idea. I left money with Great-grandfather. If you need any equipment or supplies to harvest the logs and build, get it from him. I'll get the architect to get you a materials list, so you know the length of logs needed."

"Good. I am sure they will need some new logging tools."

"I know the forest is on the reservations, but do you need any permits to harvest?"

"The forest belongs to us. They are ours to use as we please, but we cannot sell the lumber off them."

"And you shouldn't be. They are for the tribe."

"The Forestry Service will come in and guide us if we ask."

"They would be a good idea. I would want to replant the trees we use. But plant back Oak and not Pine."

"They can guide us on that."

"How far away is the area they will get the tress from?"

"About five miles."

"Hmmm. That could make moving them a big issue. Are there logging roads?"

"Some."

"This is starting to sound like a lot more is needed than hand tools. Moving the big timbers will be a lot of work. I don't think you are going to be dragging them by horses!"

"I'll talk to the Elders about it."

"Why don't you do this? Call the Forestry Service and have them come in and give you some advice. There may be areas that would be better to harvest from than others. We want to keep the forest growing and renewing. Get their advice on moving the timbers. Ask what would be needed. I want to make sure this is done safely. If you think the Elders can teach them to do it safely, great. If you think we need a contractor, we'll get one. If they say we need some large equipment to do this properly, ask if they know where we can lease it."

"James, it may be cheaper just to buy the timbers?"

"No. Others need to learn this process, and Dawn wants the timbers from the reservation. I'll cover the costs. You could end up building a few other log homes."

"Okay. I'll find out what we need."

"Also...I'll call the dealer where you got the SUV as soon as I get off the phone and tell them to let you pick out a truck."

"If that is what you want to do."

"I am sure you can use it to help with the house also. What was the salesman's name there?"

"It was a lady. Her name is Candice."

"Very good. If you need anything, please let us know."

"Okay."

"I'll let you know after I talk to the architect."

"Okay. I'll talk to the Elders."

"Bye."

While it was on my mind, I called the car dealer in North Carolina and asked for Candice.

"This is Candice."

"Candice, this is James Smith. I took care of the SUV you sold to Running Bear."

"Oh, yes. Hello, Mr. Smith. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great. I need you to do a couple of things. Running Bear needs a nice pickup truck for work on the reservation. Help him get a good crew cab truck with four-wheel drive and anything else he needs for a good work truck. Do you have one with four-inch lifts already? I just bought one like that with the large tires, lights, and a winch."

"We do. I can help him with that."

"Thanks. Also, do you have another SUV like the one he picked up for the tribal police?"

"Yes, we do. He got a good basic Tahoe."

"He doesn't know it yet, but I am paying for another one."

"Okay. We sent the other to a cop shop in town and had them put the lights and radio and things on it, too."

"Great. How long did that take?"

"About a week."

"Good. I need you to get him the truck before the first of the year and go ahead and send the Tahoe to the shop and have it outfitted. I would like to pay for them before the first. If they cannot finish the Tahoe by the first, have them invoice you so you can send me the bill for it all."

"I can do that."

"Just let me know before the first so I can send you a bank transfer for everything."

"Will do. Anything else, Mr. Smith?"

"Not right now, but if you hear Running Bear say they need anything else, give me a call."

"I will. Thank you, Mr. Smith."

"No problem."

I had that taken care of.

"Did you get the truck for him?" Dawn asked as she stood in the doorway.

"Yes. A truck and another Tahoe."

"Great. They can use a good truck."

"I told him if they needed anything for the house that I gave Great-grandfather a check so they could get it."

"I'm excited about the house now."

"You'll be okay with half of it being for the school?"

"Yes! We will be able to put things in it and leave it set up. The Elders will like that."

"It will also have a full basement. Since that land is on enough of a slope that it can have a walk-in basement, that will give us more room. I'll have them add a few feet to the height of the walls so there will be plenty of headroom."

"That will be great also. We can use it for a big room for all our children and meetings. How long before that can be started?"

"I am going to call our architect and see if he knows some good contractors in North Carolina?"

"I think he will. He advertises as a designer and builder for this part of the country."

"Good. I'll give him the basics, but I am sure he will want to get the details from you."

"By February or March, I can work with him."

"Give it some thought. The basic size of the house is 60 X 70. The house will be half at 70 X 30. Or, the house can be the upstairs and the education building in the basement and a smaller footprint."

"Let me think about it."

"Okay. I am going to see if he is in the office."

While I was looking up the architect's number, Dawn left my study. I found it and called.

"This is Dr. James Smith. Is Wilson in the office today?"

"He is here today," the lady said.

"Can you ask him if he has a few minutes to talk to me about a project?"

"Hold on a minute, Dr. Smith."

I waited a few minutes.

"Hello, Dr. Smith!"

"Hello, Wilson. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you."

"I have a project. Do you have contractors near the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina?"

"Sure. We have an office in Ashville that covers that area."

"Dawn and I have a project for you then. Since Dawn is the tribe's Medicine Woman, she has a piece of land next to her Great-grandfather's old log cabin on the reservation. It is about an acre. All of us will need to spend more time on the reservation."

"You are not going to move there, are you?"

"No. It will be mostly a Summer home and a place for us to stay when we are there. Dawn flies there a lot of weekends now."

"Flies?"

"She has a helicopter now."

"I see. I would hate for you to sell that great house."

"Let me give you the basics of what the house will be. Plan on a footprint of about 60 x 70 with a full basement. Our part of the house will be half of what is above the basement, so 30 by 70 or so. The other half of the upper part will be an educational center for the tribe. Plan on that part having three big rooms for the center. For the full basement, I want the walls poured concrete so that they will support steel beams. Also high ceilings in the basement. Somehow, we need to end up with a meeting room and training center of about 2,200 square feet. Upstairs, we need at least two big bedrooms and two smaller ones."

"That may be tight for 2,100 square feet."

"Work with the ideas. Nothing is firm. We have got to incorporate this large meeting room. It may be divided. Maybe for meetings and gatherings."

"Okay. What else?"

"The Elders of the tribe are going to use the building of the house as a training opportunity to teach the younger ones the old methods of building a log cabin. I'll give you the contact there, but design the upper floor with an exterior of logs."

"That will be a big log cabin."

"Work with them. If it is too many logs, maybe just three sides. Once the basement is in and the steel is in place, they can work on the exterior walls. Your contractors can evaluate that as it is built and make sure it is sturdy. Dawn is having a baby on Christmas Day. She said she can work with you by February or so."

"Good. I'll get an engineer there as soon as possible to do the survey for the basement. Is there anything we need to know about working on the reservation?"

"To get on the private part of the reservation, you'll have to provide a list of people to the tribal police. The contact there is Running Bear. He runs the police force. If they need advice, advise and not tell."

"I understand. What level of build quality are you wanting, Dr. Smith?"

"Make sure it is well built, but as for the level of quality or details, nothing like this house. We want it nice, but not like the level of detail here. We don't want it to stand out. Most of the housing there is not that good."

"I got it. A good, nice house."

"That's it. There will not be fancy landscaping or pools or anything like that. Walkways and patios need to be in place."

"Got it."

"Do you do timber frame designs?"

"Sure. They are popular in North Carolina. Of course, they can add to the cost and time."

"I'll talk to Dawn, but that may be the design type we want. A nice timber frame log home. If you can do that, it would fit in well."