You Gave Me a Mountain Ch. 01

I was now planning for my future. It did make prison life go by much faster and a bit easier. I always remembered how people would say, "There's a man outstanding in his field." It made me think differently than most.

Now, when they looked out in the field, they would see me. Joshua John Evans, tending to his crops. That was my new goal in life.

I had two months to go before my parole hearing. My lawyer explained that I needed a place to stay and a job to go to if we were to be granted a release. I was a little worried. My record in prison was pretty clean and the parole board would be able to see that I was really trying.

I said to myself, "God, please no more mountains. I don't think I could climb another one."

I couldn't believe it the next day when I received a letter back from my grandmother. I was almost afraid to open it. She wished me well and said my lawyer's people had been out to see them. She said my grandfather's health was somewhat failing and she had something she had to tell me. She asked me to call her and that she would accept the charge.

I called the next day. It was so nice to here her voice. "Grandma, why is it you needed me to call."

"Josh, your father was killed in a truck accident in Kansas last month. I know you two weren't close but he listed you as his beneficiary on his insurance. The insurance company sent you a check to our house and we deposited it for you in a savings account in your name. When you get out you can come and get it."

"Grandma, why me? Why did he leave it to me?" I asked.

"I don't know. Maybe in someway he really loved you but couldn't face life with the hurt of Martha's death. Anyway, I wanted you to know it's here for you."

"Grandma, how's grandpa and the farm doing?"

"Not so well lately. Grandpa had a minor stroke and we had to hire someone to help with the farm. We're thinking of selling it."

"No, Grandma! Don't sell it. I've been studying farming and if you and grandpa let me come back, I can work it for you. Please talk to grandpa."

My grandmother said to call her again in a few days to give her a chance to talk to grandpa. God, I hoped they would let me come back. Just maybe things would change for me.

It occurred to me that grandma never mentioned how much insurance money my dad left for me. At the time, it really wasn't important to me. I wondered if it would be enough to help me get on my feet if I got paroled.

When I called Grandma back a few days later, she said that she and grandpa would be at my parole hearing. She told me grandpa agreed that I could come back, and help work the farm. He just hoped I had really changed.

At the parole hearing, I cried when I saw my grandmother. I hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. I could see she had tears in her eyes also. I shook hands with my granddad. He wasn't the hugging sort. He did back me up at the parole hearing though.

He told the board that I had a job waiting for me, and that I had a room to stay in. He told the board that my dad had died and left me some money so that I would be able to get back on my feet.

I still had no idea how much money I had in my account. I asked my lawyer when we left the courthouse and he told me my father left me two-hundred thousand dollars. I couldn't believe it.

"Where did dad get that kind of money?" I asked.

"He was a truck driver and the company carried a policy on each driver for a hundred thousand dollars. His death was accidental and paid double indemnity."

"Who paid for dad's burial and stuff?" I asked.

"Your grandparents did. They had a small policy on your father and they always kept it up. They didn't want to use your money. They figured you've been through enough."

I did get my parole and moved back to the farm. I had a great talk with my grandparents. I told them I wanted to invest in their farm. I would use most of my savings to upgrade the equipment and help fix up the place. In turn, they had to promise me that they wouldn't sell the farm.

It was the first time I ever saw tears in the eyes of my grandfather. He had always wanted to keep the small farm in the family but my dad wasn't interested in being a farmer. Life was finally going better for me.

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There I was sitting in the little cafe listening to 'You Gave Me A Mountain' for the fourth time. The waitress walked up and said, "Josh, don't you think you listened to it enough times?"

I looked up and there stood Sherry, my best friend from the past. She had tears in her eyes when she looked at me. Me, I was damn near in shock.

*

Look for Chapter 2 in the next couple of days

Thank you for reading my story.

Comments are always welcome.

Let me know what you think of this story.

DG Hear