Chapter 11

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Andrew received no cooperation in getting anything accomplished. Leading the opposition was his big brother. Andrew yelled and argued until everyone rolled up their sleeping bags. But then, as soon as the room was cleared, Mack produced a basketball and the game was on. Andrew and Luke rescued their sister and Joey from courtside and escaped.

They decided to explore upstairs. Cautiously, they climbed the wide, front stairway and started poking through all the rooms. Annie had already claimed the two rooms over the kitchen for her and the baby. Luke took out a small sketchpad from his pocket and sketched the floor plan. Joey could have the small room across the hall from Annie, and the other two younger boys would have the fourth bedroom in that wing. Luke suggested that he share a room with Thomas, and Andrew and John could share a room. Then Mack would his own room and their father would have what appeared to be the largest, master bedroom.

“Look at this bathroom,“ Luke called. “It’s really the only one up here and it’s a mess.“ He stepped aside so Andrew could see the rotted fixtures and holes in the floor. “The small bathrooms in Annie and Pop’s rooms are just as bad. I don't know much about plumbing, but I know they need a definite total overhaul.”

They followed the narrow stairs up to the third floor. There were some storage rooms and some small bedrooms with slanted ceilings and narrow windows. “These must have been for servants, right?” Luke whispered as though he didn’t want to awaken any spirits of these long-ago occupants.

Andrew stared at the broken windows and crumbled plaster. “If Pop saw this, do you think he’d still be as optimistic?”

“Yeah, probably,” Luke said, “Nothing is gonna change his mind. But Andrew, look at this view! There’s no people or buildings or cars – nothing’ for as far as you see!” He grabbed his notepad again and started sketching.

Andrew chuckled at his brother’s enthusiasm. “Okay, so it’s quiet, but that land that you think is so pretty needs to be cleared and planted. We know nothing about farming, and we sure as heck don’t know how to make this dump livable. Mack is right. This is crazy.”

“Mack just doesn’t like the idea of working. It’s a new concept to him.“ Luke sketched as he spoke, a look of awe still upon his face.

“It’s not the work that I’m dreading, Luke. I miss home, don’t you? This is so far from everything – the libraries, my friends at school.” He began pacing. “But Mack is ten times more upset than I am. The difference is I’m not going to be an asshole about it. I’ll put in my time until November, like Pop said, and then we’ll see who comes out on top.”

They heard the bus pull up out front, so they made their way back downstairs.

“You didn’t do anything around here?” Matthew shouted as they came in the front door. “My God, get out there and start unloading the bus. Put on your coats and boots – use your heads, will you? You too, Mack!” The unloading was done quickly since no once could eat until it was finished.

As soon as Charlie Bean arrived, Sonny and Matthew took him down to the basement to inspect the monstrous coal furnace. It stood in the dirt and cobwebs like a giant octopus ruling its domain in the bottom of the sea. “Guess we should tear it out and install a new a new gas unit,” Matthew said. They toured the entire house, measuring windows and doors, examining the roof and stairways. Charlie made a note to call the electric and phone companies as soon as he got back to town. Outside they determined the well was functional, but it would need a new electric pump and pipes. Charlie promised to round up some help and report for work early in the morning.

Meanwhile, everyone was given work assignments, cleaning up debris strewn all over the house and yard. Matthew let them kid around as long as they managed to continue working. “Better here than in school,” the little ones said.

Annie began to panic as the dinner hour approached, but Sonny came in mid-afternoon and unceremoniously browned some hamburger and poured in beans and tomatoes for chili. “Stir it every once and while,” was all he said as he strode out of the room. Annie stood close by, stirred it as directed. It did not burn or spill.

Everyone seemed to enjoy their supper, especially since Ginny had insisted on sending two fresh-baked pies for dessert. They made popcorn for snack later, and although there was some mention of having no television, the boys seemed content to sit around the fire and tell ghost stories. One by one, they curled up in their bags and fell asleep. There was no rainstorm bombarding the house, and even if there was, it probably wouldn’t have kept anyone awake.

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There was joy in the Bean household that night, the first time in a very long time.
Lori had closed the store early that afternoon, took the kids home and paced nervously around the kitchen, waiting for Charlie to come home. She heard the truck and a few moments later, he came tearing into the house, like he was ready to bust.

“It’s for real! It’s all set!” he shouted, picking up his wife and twirling her around. “We’re gonna make it! Where’s the money? You didn’t put it in the bank, did you?”

Lori opened the cupboard and took the money out of the Rice Krispies box. He wanted to touch it – to smell it and count it over and over again. They talked about going into Dubuque for dinner, maybe buying some new work clothes for Charlie. If he was going to work for a millionaire, he should at least look decent.

But in the end, they had ice cream at the Tastee Freeze and filled up the truck, which never had more than five dollars worth of gas at one time since they bought it. How sweet it was to have something to think about instead bouncing checks and unhappy creditors. What a difference a day can make.

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True to his word, Charlie Bean drove into the yard at 7:30 AM sharp just as Matthew was reaching for his first cup of coffee. There was no bacon and eggs this morning. Boxes of stale donuts were passed around.


Matthew took his coffee and went outside. “Hi there,” he called, putting on his coat and boots. “Bring along your own wrecking crew?” he asked, acknowledging the other two men getting out of the pickup with Charlie.

“Mornin’, Matthew. Yeah, I figured we needed all the help we can get. This here is Skip Dunlevy and his little brother, Roger. We went to school and played football together.”

Handshakes were exchanged. Matthew was amazed at the size of people here – wide, square shoulders, large arms and thighs. “They’re truck drivers between jobs right now,” explained Charlie. “They may look dumber than hell, but they’re good workers.”

“Well, we definitely do need help out here. I hope Charlie told you that this is not going to be a fun job,” Matthew said laughing.

“He told us. We’re used to it. Ya’ see, I played guard and Roger here was center. We’d do all the work, made all the holes, and he’d get all the glory,” Skip said, as Charlie knocked off his cap “We’ve been doin’ the dirty work for this guy as long as we’ve known him.”

“Good! Then we won’t have to do it,” Mack broke in, stepping out of the shadows with Andrew at his heels. The slim, delicate-looking city boys and the country giants faced each other. Andrew stepped forward and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Andrew, one of Matthew’s sons. Glad you came.“ He stepped back looking as though the men’s grip had hurt his hand.

Mack leaned against one of the pillars and looked the other way when handshakes were offered. When the others had gone to unload the ancient but functional generator from the back of the pickup, Matthew turned to his oldest son angrily. “You rude, stupid idiot. We need these guys, unless you want to do it all by yourself.” Matthew shrugged his shoulders, gave his son a parting scowl, and walked away.

“But, Father,” Mack called after him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You didn’t give me a work assignment.”

Matthew sucked in a quick breath before answering. “Talk to Sonny,” he said without turning around. “Maybe he has something simple you can do.”

Sonny took his cue and stepped forward. “Yeah, do you think you could handle going into town? Here’s a list of stuff we need, mostly from the lumberyard. Charlie’s wife can help you.” He thrust the list into Mack’s hand and walked away, flipping him the keys.

Mack was rather pleased with this turn of events. He was getting away from here for a while. With any luck, he could hang around town until after lunch. Even a hick town was better than breaking his back around here.

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Annie’s plan was to get the kitchen cleaned first, but she soon realized that was a joke. As soon as the generator was cranked to provide light, fifty year old dust came belching up from the basement. Sonny and Charlie were in and out. At least they understood the necessity of getting this room functional as soon as possible.

Mid-morning, Annie did a quick inventory and discovered Danny and Peter were missing. John was dispatched to find them. They were playing down by the barn. Just as she was calling them in to scold them and find them jobs, the electric and phone company trucks pulled up. At this point what had been somewhat chaotic became pure pandemonium. She was bombarded with questions that she had absolutely no idea how to answer, like, “Lady, where do you want the phone?…Where’s the laundry gonna be…?”

It was obvious by their tones and expressions that these men were of the opinion that this house was a waste of time, effort, and money, but as long as Matthew was willing to pay, they were more than willing to oblige him. The electrician said he was only responsible for getting electricity from the high-lines along the road to the house. Matthew would have to find someone to come in and completely re-wire the interior. Hearing that, Matthew offered him triple wages that he made at the electric company to come back tomorrow and Sunday to work on the wiring. And if he knew anyone who could help, bring him along for the same wage. A bargain was quickly struck.

By noon the driveway looked like a parking lot for who’s in the area construction business. There was Fratney’s Pump Service, the Skelgas LP Truck, and Lindner Brother’s Sewer and Excavating, Inc. When they came with their thousands of questions, Annie sent them to Sonny or Charlie, who was certainly earning his commission.

At lunchtime, Lori Bean came out with a picnic basket of food for her husband and the Dunlevy boys. Everyone was glad to sit down to take a break and wash down the dirt with cold beer. Annie hastily put out some bread, lunch meat, and chips for her own crew and then approached Lori, asking her if she’d like a tour of the house.

“Oh yes, I was hoping you’d ask,” she replied. Annie couldn’t help but notice how much happier and more relaxed both Mr. And Mrs. Bean were today.

They started in the kitchen. Lori laughed at Annie's expression when she asked her which kind of range she wanted. It was obvious this girl didn’t even know there were two kinds, much less how to use one.

“Ya’ know,” Lori said, trying to sound serious, “when they get this old wood-burner out of here, there’s going to be a huge space here. You already have plenty of counter space, so why don’t ya’ put two stoves here. You’re gonna be doin’ a powerful lot of cookin’ and you’d need a lot of oven space, too. As to what kind of stove you should get? Well, I reckon that’s up to you. Didn’t you do any cookin’ back home?”

Annie just laughed. “The closest I have ever come to any serious cooking was heating up water for coffee or stirring Sonny’s chili over the fire in the other room.”

“Well, then,” Lori concluded. “You’d better stick to flame cookin’. Get gas stoves.” They both laughed.

Discovering the walk-through room off the kitchen, Lori said, “Boy, whoever designed this house was smart. They put in a good sized mud room.” Seeing Annie’s face drop, Lori said, “Well, honey, that’s what ya’ call it. The men will come in from chorin’ or the kids will come in through here, see. They kick off their boots and shed off their coveralls and things. Guess you could call it a washroom cause you’ll probably have a sink back here for ‘em to use before they come in to eat n’ such. You wouldn’t want ‘em trackin’ all that into your house, would ya’?” The answer seemed obvious, even to Annie.

“Ya’ know,” Lori continued, “I bet there’s room for your washer and dryer in here. Sure would be better than makin’ a zillion trips up and down the stairs to the basement. You’re gonna need a freezer. Better get a 18.5 big chest freezer. You can put it in the basement. You’re gonna need so much food, especially in the winter when you’re snowed in out here and can’t get to town for a couple of days.” Anne was listening to all this in utter and profound disbelief. A mudroom? Snowed in for days? She followed Lori from room to room, trying to digest a fraction of what her new friend was saying.

“Don’t put carpeting in the dining room, or at least I wouldn’t. Kripes, how would you ever keep it clean? . . . The livin’ room must have been beautiful but with all these kids, I’d think about puttin’ in a family room in the basement or someplace, so they can spill and fight n’ stuff down there . . . There’s no bathroom down here on this whole floor. You’re gonna need one someplace, don’t ya’ think? You could put one in the basement, too. Or in the office, it’s big enough. They could come in from outside and go right to the shower . . . ”

“Wow,” she whistled when they ended their little tour in the foyer. “Just think how elegant this place must have been. It’s really going to be something when you get it fixed up again. I hope you don’t think I made these suggestions to drum up business for my husband.”

“No, of course not. Everything you said made perfect sense, even to me. We just have to get it at least livable. Just look at it. What a mess! And Daddy wants it finished in a couple of weeks because he wants to begin working outside!” The situation seemed pretty desperate. “Lori, can you help me, I mean, even more than you have already? Go shopping with me to choose all the appliances and things. You already have a good idea what we need. Do you have to get back to the store?”

“No, no. Charlie’s mom is taking care of the store and the kids this afternoon. She loves takin’ the place over. Sure, I’d be glad to help ya’. But…” she hesitated, biting her lip. “I hate spending’ your daddy’s money like this. Makes me nervous. Look! My hands are all a sweat just thinking’ about it.” They laughed then, giggling like mischievous schoolgirls. Annie reassured her that she shouldn’t worry about the money. She was just so grateful for her help. They went out to find Matthew and Charlie to tell them their plans. Annie found someone to look after the babies, and then they were off.

“So, should we drive on into Dubuque or do you want to stop at Nick O’Brien’s place,” asked Lori, as she started the engine of their old pickup. “He’s the Skelgas man. His wife, Debbie, runs the store in town. They got real good stuff in there – you know, like Maytag and Whirlpool. They’re expensive as hell but…” She just couldn’t get used to the idea of not worrying about money. “Nick could deliver everything and set it all up for ya’”

“That sounds good to me!” Annie cried! “The easier, the better – that’s my motto!”

Lori honked and waved when they passed the Gibson place. “They sure are nice people aren’t they? What does the good book say? ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth?’ I just hate seein’ that woman sitting’ in that wheelchair. I used to come out here, and clean for her when I was in high school. Paid me real food, too, they did.” She stopped talking then, wondering what Annie would think, hearing that she was once a hired scrub girl. “Anyway, you’re lucky to have such nice neighbors, cause not everyone around is as nice as them.” Her words were sharp, sounding almost bitter.

“C’mon, Lori. What do you mean?” Annie coaxed. “Everyone seems so friendly and easy going. Isn’t that what small town people are like?”

“How come everybody thinks that about country folk? It’s just like everywhere else – we got nice people and some not so nice people. It’s just that there’s no secrets in a town like this. I mean, it’s a nice place n’ all, and I can’t imagine livin’ no place else., but it ain’t perfect either.” She bit her lip then, looking nervous again. “I shouldn’t have said anything ‘cause you and your family are gonna get along just fine in this town.”

“Why, because we have a lot of money?”

“Well, yeah, that’s part of it, but that ain’t all. You people got class -- ya’ know, cultured like. And you’re Catholic, right? See, you got it made.”

“I don’t know, Lori. Aren’t people going to think it’s weird that we came out here when we know nothing about farming? I mean, I love my father, and it even seems strange to me. But he’s not psychotic or anything, really.”

“Nah. Don’t worry about it. Rich folks can do anything they want. See, in a place like this, it’s not what you are or what you do. It’s who you are. You can be the biggest jackass in the whole damn county but as long as you got yourself a good name, nothing else matters.”

“You talk as though you know from first hand knowledge.”

“Well, sure, I ought to. I lived here, or in other small towns like it, all my life. And down South, it’s a whole lot worse. Me and my daddy moved to Shannytown when I was fourteen. We moved around ever’ couple years. But it don’t matter much cause the rules are the same ever’ where. Take Charlie’s family for instance. His granddaddy started the business over seventy-five years ago, so John, that’s Charlie’s daddy, was well liked and well thought of around here. But the thing was, that man was about the poorest excuse for a businessman there ever was and everybody knew it. Him and Elsie, that’s Charlie’s mother, were big shots in the Chamber of Commerce, the Church, the Lion’s Club, and all that. When he died, he was so much in debt you wouldn’t have believed it. And now me and Charlie are left with the mess.”

“But my daddy,” Lori sucked in a long, bitter breath. “Well, he never got nothing from nobody. Yeah, it’s true, he drank too much sometimes. But he was a better man drunk than John Bean was sober. He was a truck driver. No matter what he did, folks just looked their noses down at him and me, too. People just couldn’t believe Charlie married me. He says I’m nuts, but I swear that’s the main reason people just don’t shop by, unless it’s seventy five cents of nails or a screwdriver or something.” She sighed deeply then. “But that’s all ancient history. I got a real good feelin’ now. Your daddy probably saved us from goin’ under. If we can put some money into the store and carry better merchandise, maybe people would come in by us. That’s what Charlie says.”

By that time, they arrived at the edge of town. It was very small. The sign at the city limits read, “Population: 568.” Main street was about five blocks long. There were two grocery stores, a farm implement business, the bank, a large grain elevator and feed store, and two other churches besides the large, white steepled one on the hillside. The buildings were mostly neat and trim, but an occasional shack dotted the small village.

As soon as they entered the store and introductions were made, it was clear that Debbie O’Brien already knew that money was no issue when dealing with the Winston's. She was quick to point out all the wonderful features of the most expensive models. “This Maytag is the top of the line,” she said as she stroked the white appliance as though it was a fine sculpture. “It even has a delicate cycle for your dainties.“ She whispered the words as though she just said something scandalous. Lori rolled her eyes and moved on to the next machine. Soon a bill of sale was being written for two stoves, two refrigerators, ad 21.5 cubic foot freezer, two water heaters, and a washer and a dryer.

Lori was not about to let her fellow merchant take advantage. “Debbie,” she said, “the Winston's will be paying cash, buying hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise. I think they would appreciate a 10% discount and of course, free delivery and hookup would be nice.”

“But Lori, they’re certainly getting an excellent price on these items. And of course, Nick would be happy to deliver everything and help in any way--”

“Oh, yes,” Annie cut in quickly, becoming aware of the daggered stares passing between the two business women, “I’m sure all the prices are quite fair. My father will issue a check as soon as everything is delivered. Here is a hundred dollar deposit-- I believe that’s customary, isn’t it? Lori, I think we should be getting back, don’t you?” She wanted to get home. Weariness was beginning to set in.

“Cheapskate!” Lori muttered as she climbed back into the truck. “Wouldn’t hurt her to give you a good deal. Do you have any idea how much mark up there is on stuff like that?” She had to make a couple of stops – once to check in with her mother-in-law at their store, buy some beer at the Pub, and get some groceries. She insisted Annie sit in the truck and relax.


Chapter 12

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