You Gave Me a Mountain Ch. 03

He laid down a five until I looked him in the eye and he replaced it with a twenty. He went straight for the door. I felt good that I was able to hold my temper. Sherry came up to me and hugged me.

"I was so worried you would do something stupid and I'd lose you again."

"It's okay, baby. I'll always be here for you and our family," I said as I rubbed her belly. Any chance of getting some lunch?"

Six months later, I was at the hospital to help deliver my babies. Yes, I said babies. We had twin girls. There I was the big proud daddy. Sherry's parents were there also. I know people say all babies are beautiful but mine really were.

Mikey and Molly were almost as happy as we were. It was funny that there was no animosity toward the babies. Both Mikey and Molly pitched in and helped their mother whenever she asked. Mikey had started school and we put Molly in a daycare a couple of days a week since she wanted to go to school too. It also gave Sherry a break with the two babies.

---------------------

It's been four years since the twins were born. Sherry is a wonderful mother and still a great lover. We do make love whenever given the chance. We are also content with cuddling and holding one another. Mikey's tenth birthday came and we did get him his horse.

He looked at me and said, "You kept your promise. I always knew you would."

Molly asked if she was getting one when she turned ten and I told her only if she promised to take care of it. It's a big responsibility. I had a feeling we would be getting her one.

About six months had gone by and I came in from the fields and saw Mikey playing with another boy. I figured it was one of his schoolmates. Molly was out there with them. The twins were playing in the house.

"Who's the boy playing with the kids out there?" I asked. It wasn't uncommon for the kids to have other kids over but I usually knew them.

"Josh, I have something to tell you. Please don't be mad at me," said Sherry.

"What is it? What's the matter?" I asked.

"I kept a secret from you for about six months now."

"Secret, what secret?" I asked.

"The boy out there is Jerrold."

"What? You mean my Jerrold? I don't understand. What is he doing here? Where did he come from?"

"Let me explain. I know every time you do things with Mikey you have wondered about Jerrold. I asked dad if he could find out anything about him so I could hopefully ease your mind. I didn't intend on bringing him here."

"Where's his parents? Cindy Lou and her boyfriend, husband or whatever?"

"Dad said he looked up the records and they were both arrested for using and dealing drugs. Children's Services took Jerrold away from them four years ago. There weren't any living relatives who would take him, so they put him in foster homes for short periods of times. He is a ward of the state. He has no home."

"So what is he doing here?" I asked.

"I want you to talk to him. He's somewhat of a troubled youth. We could be a foster home for him or adopt him if you want," said Sherry.

"Honey, we have four kids already. Are you sure you would even want to consider this?" I asked.

"Go talk to him. He doesn't have any idea who you are, or that you ever existed. Talk with him and then decide. Children's Services will be by tomorrow to pick him up."

I walked out to see the kids. "Dad, this is my new friend Jerrold. He's eleven. He came out here to see what farm life is like. Molly and I have been showing him around."

I said hi to him and listened to him tell me how nice the farm was. He had never been on a farm before. He always lived in the city and it was kind of rough. When I asked what he remembered about his parents he told me that when he was about seven the police came and arrested them. He said since then he was placed in either orphanages or foster homes.

We all went inside and ate dinner. I couldn't stop watching Jerrold. After dinner, I asked him to walk outside with me. "Jerrold, what's the matter. I can see you're really troubled."

"I'm sorry, the case workers said maybe if you guys like me I could live here awhile."

He started crying.

"What is it, Jerrold?"

"I don't understand. Why does God hate me? I never did anything wrong."

"Believe me, Jerrold, God doesn't hate you."

"Why can't I have a family like Mikey and Molly. It was my parents who did bad things. Why do I have to pay for it?" He kept crying.

I couldn't help putting my arms around the young boy. I knew exactly what he felt. My life was just like his. I figured God kept giving me mountains to climb.

"Maybe a nice family will adopt you, Jerrold."

"That's what the case worker says but whenever I go to foster homes, it's always the same. They think I'm nice and all, but they want a much younger child or a baby. All I want is to be wanted, live in a nice home with people who might love me."

Sherry was listening at the door. I could see she was crying along with Jerrold. I could see myself in him. I could almost tell you everything that would happen to him until he turned eighteen. He was just one of the unlucky boys that would fall through the cracks of society.

"Jerrold, what do you think of the farm? You know animals. What it would be like living out in the country, that sort of thing?"

"Oh, this is the nicest place I've ever been. I can't believe how far I can see without a bunch of buildings blocking my view. I love it out here."

"I'll tell you what. Let's enroll you in school here and we'll give it a few months to see how it works out. You'll have chores to do just like the rest of the kids, and you will have to listen and do whatever Mrs. Evans or I ask you to do. Do you think you can do that?"

He started crying again. "You mean it? I can live here and have friends and everything?"

"Let's go and call a family meeting and let everyone know that you're part of the family now."

Sherry kissed me as we walked in the house. "He's like a little you, isn't he? I knew you wouldn't let him fall through the cracks. Besides, it helps fill that little void you've always had in your heart.

To make a long story short, we took Jerrold as a foster child for six months. During that time, we had Sherry's dad start adoption papers. When the adoption went through there wasn't a happier boy in the world unless it was Mikey who now had a brother.

On the name change form, Jerrold asked if he could just be called Jerrod Evans. When we asked him if he wanted a middle name, he asked for John, after me. He was Jerrod John Evans.

I now had to buy two more horses. Both Molly and Jerrod got one for their birthdays. It's fun to watch the boys always protecting the girls. As always Mikey was Molly's protector, whereas the twins looked to Jerrod when they wanted something. All the kids including Jerrod called me dad and Sherry mom.

A few more years had passed and we had our family and joint farm. The farm was thriving better than we could have hoped. The boys and even the girls had their farm chores. Sherry was our bookkeeper. I often counted my blessings having Sherry as my wife. For all the mountains I climbed, it was worth it to have her by my side.

One day we were all at Grandpa's celebrating his eightieth birthday. Once I really got to know him, I found out, he had a lot to say. I remember Susan's dad asking him what he thought the problem with society was today.

He said, "We don't have enough private farms anymore."

"Grandpa," I asked. "What do farms have to do with family values, crime and the fast pace in which people live today?"

He said, "Many years ago when we had more farmers and private farms, families spent more time together and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together.

"The dinner table was a place where everyone told of their day's activities. The kids had a chance to speak to their parents and told them what went on at school.

"If they got in trouble at school, they were in bigger trouble when they got home. Don't misunderstand me here. The kids were punished for wrongdoing but were loved. It really did hurt a parent more when they had to punish their kids.

"Evenings were spent around a radio listening to good stories or we all sat around the table and played board games. It wasn't kids going in their bedrooms with a computer and no one knowing what they were doing. The music back then was songs that had words that everyone could understand and sing to," laughed Grandpa.

"People learned early in life that you had to earn respect and life is a bumpy ride, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

"Farmers loved their work and the idea of accomplishment. Being able to pass their life's work down to the next generation. Most families now sell out their farms to big companies and the following generations spend the money.

"We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking to school with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along. Now we coddle them and make sure they get driven to school.

"There was less crime in our streets when we had more farms. You could spot strange cars pretty easy and criminals didn't walk to rob or rape if they knew they'd be welcomed by a lot of barking dogs and a farmer with a double barrel shotgun aimed at them. Our values seemed better when we had more farms. People really seemed to care about other people, always helping the neighbor. Now people don't even know their neighbors; how sad.

"I remember when going to town was a treat on the weekends. We'd all get in the car or truck and head into town. Stop and get some feed and maybe even take in a movie. At least once a month there was a good old fashioned barn dance. All the neighbors would show up for a good time. The food was always homemade and plentiful.

"There was nothing better than to finish the chores and head over to the nearest fishing creek or a swimming hole. Life just seemed so much simpler back when we had more farms.

"Now, families congregate to the big cities and really don't take the time to smell the roses and look up at a beautiful country sky. There is nothing prettier or more beautiful than taking a ride through the country and seeing miles and miles of golden grain or the tall green corn stalks," said Grandpa with a tear in his eye.

We all learned more about Grandpa that day. He was a proud man who held a lot in. I guess growing up I never really got to know him. That ended up bad for both of us. I remember grandpa telling me the day when I asked him if I could come back home after being locked-up as a juvenile and he said "No" that it was one of the hardest decisions he had ever made. I'm so glad I had that second chance and things worked out for us.

My grandpa said he made a lot of mistakes. One being that I was a lot like my father and that he took it out on me instead of working with me. For that, he would always be sorry. He told me that now he couldn't be prouder of me as he handed me some papers in front of everyone.

"Josh, the farm is legally and totally yours. Here are the documents. Grandma and I still hold ownership of our house. We expect to be here and watch the farm grow. Besides, we love watching the kids play on the farm. It's been a lot of years since we've been this content."

My Grandpa began to cry. I got up and just hugged him. "I know you don't like to be hugged Grandpa but this time you don't have a choice." Sherry came over and hugged him also.

Life went on and we did our day-to-day chores. It was nice to see Grandma and Grandpa sitting on their porch enjoying the kids who would often go over and sit with them.

As for me, I have a great family, a beautiful wife and five kids. I do love them all equally but I do have to say that I'm proud of the two boys who will someday be part owner of this farm.

As for Sherry, there is not a better and more loving person on the planet. I'm the luckiest man alive.

This time, Lord, you gave me a mountain. A mountain I know I can climb.
With Sherry as my wife and my lover, I can climb any mountain, anytime.

*

Thank you for reading my story.

Comments are always welcome.

DG Hear