Bits of life

A-29 Words-1550

to be one of their last rides together before their marriage I was sure. Then I turned back and entered the house. Mom, aunt Sarah, uncles Rod and Jeremiah were seated in the drawing room after having had their leisurely breakfast. It looked as though they hadn’t had enough time to remember and recapture their childhood days. It was as if they were starved for each other’s company and conversation. All this seemed pretty natural to me. Same might happen with me too when I might meet my cousins, sit together and chat.
On dad’s side all his relatives were in Ireland. We had very little interaction with them. dad had a brother and sister who lived in Dublin. I certainly wanted to meet them and their children who would be my cousins. I heard that Shannon a daughter of my dad’s brother Ambrose’s daughter Alana had settled in a Cornish village at the tail end of England. When I researched that part of England I found that that it was pleasant village with great environment. Alana’s husband Artur owns a fleet of fishing boats and he also had a factory where they processed the fish the boats brought home early in the morning. They got the catch of fish, cleaned and packed for immediate transportation to the cities from where they received the orders for export. I heard he was very wealthy and much in love with Alana whom he met in Dublin University where Ambrose and aunt Caitlin worked as professors of History and English respectively.
I intended to meet these guys from my dad’s family after I got married to Ashley. I was sure she would enjoy her honeymoon on the Cornish coast and Ireland.

Again I brought myself back to the immediate present and sat by my mom.
“Jim, my son, you Ashley should leave now. You have done your duty and it is time for you and Ashley to go home and enjoy the rest of your vacation by doing whatever you feel like doing,” said my sweet mother.
I looked at Ashley as if asking her if she was ready to leave. She nodded her head in agreement.
“OK mom, if you are fine with things here, I don’t mind going back. Ring me when you are ready. We will come back to take you home,” I assured her.
Uncles Rod and Jer were up in arms against me.
“What do you think Jim? Do you think we wait for you to take our sisters back to their places? Do you think we are not able to do that minimum service to our own sisters? Remember we too have to leave after this little meeting we are going to have.”
“OK uncles Rod and Jer. No need to be offended. Sorry if I had hurt your feelings. Consider that as my innocence or ignorance. I am so used to bringing mom home that it slipped out without my realizing the present situation,” I tried to pacify them.
My mom was smiling. It was wonderful to see her secure with her maternal family.
In the meanwhile uncle John came out with few files in his hand and with him I saw the manager of his farm, Mr. Richard Lovelace. I remember the way we used to tease him by calling him the poet of Emerald Farm. We used to quote lines from the famous seventeenth century English poet, Richard Lovelace’s well read poem, “To Althea, from prison.”
“stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;” adding our own two lines
“No one in the world can take
the fame won by Richard Lovelace.”

We used to have hilarious time teasing and pulling the leg of Richard when we went there. He looks aged now but his sincerity and hard work increased many folds.
“Hi Jim, how are you,” he asked with a smile.
“I am fine Richard, you look good.”
“I am pushing seventy, my lad,” he mocked.
“Remarkable, the way you keep health,” I commented.
“Well, I owe that to your uncle and the Emerald Farm, “he responded and went in with uncle John. It was a well known fact that the people working for Emerald Farm were being given every facility and health benefit including health insurance.

A little later I said good bye to uncle John, Elvira, mom, aunt Sarah and my other two uncles.
By lunch time we arrived in the city. Had our lunch in one of the roadside restaurants and then I dropped Ashley at her home and I went back to my place to rest and relax before another busy week began.
Early next morning mom and aunt Sarah returned home with uncles Rod and Jer. The brothers dropped the sisters and went back to their places with a “good day” to all.
The sisters looked very happy and as if they were on top of the world. Their grins were an indication of some good tidings.
I had a lot of time before I went to office at “Future Solutions.” So I decided to make some breakfast for all of us. I made scrambled eggs, fried some bacon, made the toast and stirred some coffee. I arranged the breakfast dishes on the table and called my mom and aunt Sarah to breakfast.
“Oh, thank you Jim. We are starving to tell you truth. We didn’t get any breakfast at the Emerald farm today. Betty went to her daughter’s house to help her in the weekend and John was busy on farm along with Elvira. We lazed and so did Rod and Jer,” explained aunt Sarah.
“so make the best of this humble breakfast mom and aunt Sarah,” I invited them. they both started enjoying the French toast and eggs. While on coffee, my mom told me what transpired at the Emerald Farm after the guests departed.
“A lot of change has taken place in Rod and Jer. The three of them decided to divide the property equally among the siblings. They realized that we all come from the same stock. Sisters need not be treated as outsiders. In fact, said John, they help more than the brothers in times of need.”

Aunt Sarah took over from there and said “a document was prepared by Richard and properly attested and registered. Our family lawyer who prepared the will had read it aloud to all of us. All five of us will get equal shares of every field, farm and orchard. So it is with the stud farm. This was according to the jurisdiction of law of the state.”

“So mom and aunt Sarah, both of you will be millionaires!” I exclaimed. They just laughed as though they were agreeing with the prospect.
“OK Jim, we will celebrate it by getting you and Ashley married. I don’t think you have a reason to object for the wedding. You are well settled and I don’t have any more worries. I too want to play with my grand kids as soon as possible,” said my mom a little more seriously.
“Alright mom. There is nothing to worry. We will just consult Ashley and her family and decide on the date of marriage,” I gave in.
I left the sisters happily making my wedding plans and left for my office.

My boss Mr. Moore was waiting in my office. I offered my apologies for his wait which brushed aside and asked me to take a seat.
“Jim, I have some news to break to you. It truly a breaking news,” he said mysteriously. I started becoming a little tensed and a little worried. Will they close down the subsidy on my latest project?
“What is it sir?” I asked a little tremulously.
“Come on Jim, cheer up. The higher ups at the head office loved your latest projected and granted you a free hand in shaping it up further,” he said with a wide grin on his rugged face.
My face lit up I was sure. This was a project for building houses for the economically backward sections of our state. My proposal was that our company was to buy land from the government at a cheaper cost and build a number of apartment complexes.
I was high up in clouds after receiving this wonderful news. I was happy that a few poor families will be able to buy a flat at a cost they could afford. What we did was to act as liaison between the government and the buyer. Whether we get any commission or not, our company will be able to use the grant money sincerely and every penny should be accounted for. So what we are getting is a good reputation besides whatever the authorities decide to give us. The news traveled through the company and by the next day it was announced in all the local daily newspapers. Once again my project or my brainchild saw light and it was going to grow well.
Ashley came to know about the latest news from a friend of hers and she gave me ring soon after learning the good tidings about the housing project of mine.
“Hey Jim, you big guy, haven’t you felt like telling your future partner in marriage about your work? Do