Da New Generation of Youngins Keep Us Alive

Have you ever heard of da Barter System? It's like exchanging or trading without involving any money. 'Twas a big part of our lives; we lived in rural country– a big farm with huge fruit and vegetable gardens, apple and pear trees, cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits– bartering– 'twas a popular ting, dats da way of things back den.

Every few days, a lady always brought over three loaves of delicious fresh baked bread– we'd stroll over to da gardens to dig out and pick whatever she liked.

My husband handled bartering of da cows, pigs, piglets, chickens and rabbits for tools, man power, animal feed, fire wood, among utter ting-a-ma-bobs and ting-a-ma-jigs.

At da end of season we'd never let stuff spoil by doing lots of canning, pickling and making different kinds of jams.

Da farm ran smooth as butter as we all kept on top of everyting 24/7, 'twas our livelihood!

My husband and eldest boy were incredible men, so strong and hard workin– friendly, fun loving and down right silly at times!

My son never found da right girl, never married nor had any children and it kina saddened me as he missed out on dat part of life, he woulda ben a wonderful father.

Back when he was 15, he suffered a severe electrocution; da accident coulda killed him, but God willin he survived!

Doctors told us he sustained a brain injury– don't recall da name of it– but as long as he takes his pills, he's fine– well– da odd time a bit confused or forgetful, but thankfully da fizzes, head banging and inconsolable crying stopped! I'd make sure, every morning at breakfast, he don't forget dam pills and he'd be good to go!

My youngest child, his sis, dere such great buddies like peanut butter and jam! He'd take her riding on da tractor as he cuts da grass, he'd fill da spare water trough each morning, so da sun warmed it for her to swim, well sit and wiggle about, not really swim, but dats what day called it.

He'd stand dere holding da hose up high as it showered down on dam, laughing and carrying on. Day'd take walks in da woods, play cards and sing songs.

When he was a little tyke his father taught him to play the guitar and harmonica.

Oh gosh darn, his drawings! He loves dose little black books and sharp pencils!

He'd sit on da grass or da big rocks talking to whichever animal came to see him and be drawing whatever caught his eye. Never did I see dam as deir his private things and we'd respect dat.

At times I'd catch him goofing around instead of doing his chores.

He had a ting about da hose and water!

Being a talented resourceful boy, he found odds and ends around and made himself a large cart with wheels dat attached to his bike; he wasn't allowed to get a driver's license for some medical reason.

Many times a week he'd load it up with fresh fruits and vegetables and off he'd go!

Each day's explorations resulted in his cart returning with a variety of tings he'd bartered– stuff like watermelons, pineapples, baked goods, corn on da cob, pumpkins, bullets, a shot gun, a chainsaw, tools and utter ting-a-ma-bobs and ting-a-ma-jigs.

Once on da utter side of da barn, he'd taken cart loads of fire wood, stacked dam four high in a big square, explaining dat he was making us a swimming pool.

Tears came to my eyes as he didn't quite understand why his plan wouldn't work!

Unfortunately, da closes swimming hole was full of leeches, so we couldn't use it.

Next ting I knew he came home with a huge water trough from somewhere so he and his sis could each have deir own, sit inside horsing around and splish-splashing each other.

Life was exhausting, dirty, sweaty, even a bit smelly and a lot of hard work but also full of love, laughter and happiness!

My life turned inside out and upside down da day I heard about da bear attack up in logging country!

A state of shock set in trying to grasp and comprehend my husband and son were gone!

'Twas so devastating– excruciating pain flooded my body and mind, right down to da depths of my soul!

It's never left me– I've just learned to live with it over da years but day'll are forever be in my heart and memories!

As winter rolls in, da farm slows, 'twas time– even though I didn't wanna, it had to be done.

My daughter got crates from da barn and helped me. 'Twas kina weird as I stood at da door looking in and could smell my husband, it soothed my soul!

We folded and packed, as tears slid down our cheeks, I kept a few sweaters and shirts to make some pillows and aprons, den as I wear dam he'd be hugging me and I could hug him holding dose pillows.

Da next morning, da plan was to do da same in my son's room. She got some more crates and we started. We both sobbed and I comforted her, I think it hit her– her best friend was gone forever, not just for da day on his bike!

In his closet we found two big heavy metal tool boxes on da floor and four smaller ones up on da shelf– wondering why he'd have dese barn things in dere– we jimmied dam out, piled dam outside his bedroom door, later day'd go to da barn. I guess he'd traded someone for dese.

At breakfast, I told my utter son's to take dose boxes to the barn but day wanted to look inside dam first. I got a little irritated as I didn't want old tool and rusty smells in da house. Before I knew it, day'd flung open da big boxes and inside were all his little black books!

We browsed through dam; everyone was amazed by da beautiful drawings he'd made, such astonishing details! Our mouths hung open flabbergasted at da obvious talent he had!

Some of his books had drawings of dose city type swimming pools; he'd always ben a little obsessed with swimming pools and water. None of us had ever ben in one for real, just saw dam in pictures, which clearly made an impression on him. It brought me down memory lane to when he tried to make us a swimming pool out of dat fire wood.

Immediately, da boys grabbed da utter boxes and opened dam up, our eyes froze as we stared, totally dumbfounded, day were full of money!

We were gob-smacked to say da least!

Da boys dumped dam all out and started counting, da total was $367.21! I couldn't believe it, what an utter shock!

Bewildered, my thoughts figured dat over da years he must have received bits of money as he drove his bike and cart around.

We packed it all back up and put dam under my bed.

I didn't know much about money tings, as my husband always handled dat, so I figured da best ting to do was go talk to da bank man in town and get his advice.

Da next day my son drove me to town and da bank man told me to come back tomorrow and bring da money boxes!

We all and dose four boxes went to town da next afternoon. Arriving da kids took off to go look about, as we're not off da farm much.

Da nice bank man took me to his office and we chatted about da money and keeping it safe in his bank.

I'll never forget his eyes, day got wider and wider as he counted it, telling me about a colleague he wanted to show it to. I agreed and left it with him.

Went back about a week later, da bank man told me he had exciting and wonderful news!

Showing me various coins and many paper bills, talking about deir audanticity, year made, serial numbers, imprints, designs and conditions; honestly it flew over my head as I felt lost in da conversation!

He mentioned about many paper bills being called Devil Faces! Hearing dat scared me!

Clarifying what he'd meant, he showed me–

What I heard next made me gasp loudly and nearly fall out of da chair!

Dese moneys were worth $20,000!

Delirious as to what was happening, I couldn't quite grasp it all– den hearing him say, dat in the next few days he'd be puttin $20,000 into a bank account for me!

Oh my good Lord, 'twas all my brain was tinking at da moment! I signed some papers he gived me and left the building!

You know a blazing hot day is upon us when, at five in da morning, it's already hot!

A strange car drove up da lane later dat day, to my surprise 'twas dat nice bank man. He give me copies of dose papers I signed and a tiny plastic pouch with a bank book inside.

He opened it and showed me da balance– $20,000!! Good ting my daughter was beside me so I didn't fall!

Each night before going to bed, I'd look at pictures of my husband and dose drawing books, wishing I had a handy place for dam, so dese big smelly old tool boxes could go to da barn.

Visitin with friends we came up with a good idea– make some shelf cases in da living room by da doorway for dose drawing books and utter nick-naks. I knew by boys could make dose, as deir father taught dam building skills over da years.

So lovely day were when all done and I proudly displayed dam on da shelves– now I could get dose smelly boxes out of da house.

His beautiful little black books were now handy to look at, enjoy and show everyone!

Glory be! I swear, my soul could feel his glorious presence in da room!

Over da years, da family grew with daughter and son in-laws, along with many grandchildren.

I'd reminisce and share my many splendid memories of life, dose two incredible men, dose spectacular books and beautiful drawings!

Sweet voices, laughter and giggles would take me down memory lane often– 'twas so amazing to see da incredible resemblances of my husband and son, throughout da new generations of da family– comforting my soul to know dose men live on!

Out of da blue a spectacular thought came to mind, I dashed to da little black books and found da perfect drawing, den went to da phone–

My thought, I'm gonna make dat drawing come to life!

'Twas about three months later, 'twas done! I'd gaze at it as it gleamed majestically over yonder and I could feel dam magically hovering over it!

Everyone was overjoyed and love it!

We'd all including me, da leader-of-da-pack, swam, played, horsed-around-splish-splashing each utter as laughter echoed throughout da farm!

Down da road, day will eventually inherit da farm and in my Will, each one gets one of dose little black books to treasure forever, along with all my memories and stories to reminisce about and share with future generations!

At night, I dream of being re-united once again– I loooong to see, hug and kiss my beloved husband and son!