Empire, Nv II

George pounded the last nail on the porch swing he had just finished for Margaret. He attached the chain to a set of hooks on the broad wooden arm rests, making sure there was a place to set her Coca Cola, he made the arms extra wide. It was a beautiful swing he was excited to give it to her on her birthday tomorrow. He felt as giddy as a little a kid.

George Hargroves was an honest, hardworking man, full of integrity, never shirked from a challenge or ignored a sure fire opportunity. Tall and lean, with a somewhat unruly mop of ginger colored hair, ruggedly handsome, considered a good catch by the women who knew him. He met Margaret on a blind date his buddy Vince set up. They were to meet at the Coney Island Cyclone and spend the day on the boardwalk, maybe impress her by wining a Cupee doll or souvenir pillow at the arcade, have a dance and grab some dinner.

Margaret was a natural beauty inside and out, well groomed, popular and grounded, she sensed about George, while very handsome and virile, he was equally just as shy, a quality she embraced. One could say it was love at first sight because they were married before the year ended. This delighted Vince who was always trying to get George to settle down and partner with him. Their marriage fit right into his plans!

Vince, if you had to sum him up it would be a big hearted gruff, Irish Immigrant’s son, charismatic, fiercely honest, and very intelligent. He thought of George like a brother. They shared mutual admiration. Vince was a wannabe inventor, some of his ideas might be revolutionary if he could just find someone to back his schemes. Which eventually someone did.

George was attaching the last chain to the swing, reminding himself he still needed to call Mrs. Everly about delivering Margaret’s favorite chocolate cake tomorrow. Then 5 year old Robbie burst into the wood shed, he never stopped running, “I never saw such a rambunctious kid, where you going in such a hurry?” Out of breath and panting, “Ma needs you quick” Geogre jumped up from his work bench and headed for the shed door, Robbie right on his heels, “What’s the matter with Ma?” Stumbling trying to keep up with his dads long strides, he panted “Nothin’s the matter there’s some men here to see you,”

George stopped, his shoulders dropped as he relaxed and sighed with relief. He walked over to the well and dipped a ladle into the bucket of water, and took a long slow drink, wetting his handkerchief and mopping his face to refresh himself. “You scared me boy.” “Sorry Pa.”

Parked in the driveway was a tan colored sedan with government emblems on the door. “Now what could this be about?” Heading for the front door, into the house, two men in Army uniforms were standing in the living room. Margaret appeared with a tray of lemonade and held it up to the men. “George Hargroves?”said the taller of the two, reaching for the drink. “Yes, I’m George, what is this about?” He waved his hand for them to sit. “Please have a seat.”

Apparently they were here on official Army business to arrange a meeting with Col. Jeffries about an invention he and Vince had discovered a few years ago before they bought the farm. The two held a patent for a gyroscope instrument designed to help navigate airplanes through heavy weather. Astonished, George sat down in his chair, adjusting the Coney Island souvenir pillow behind him.

His thought immediately went to Vince, instinctively wanting to share this long anticipated news. But…Vince was dead, accidentally killed two years ago, in a freak logging accident when the chain broke on a pile of logs and instantly crushed him to death. All the patents they held together automatically went to George.

It was 1940 the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor was still a year away, but war was on the horizon when the Nazis invaded Poland last month, FDR was forwarned and the Government started preparing their defense by building more ships and squadrons of airplanes. This invention was the beginning of Aerospace’s outfitting planes with guidance systems. He was exulted but also deeply saddened that Vince would never see their invention literally take flight.

After the men left, George sat in the easy chair sipping his lemonade, imagining some future version of their new life. Things were about to change he wasn't so sure it’s what he wanted. He loved their life, the Pear Orchard was what he’d always dreamed of and Vince made sure when his inventions started paying off that George and Margaret were well compensated for the effort they put into the work.

After meetings and agreements made, contracts signed it was agreed the prototype and assembly would be done at the farm under George’s supervision. The government agreed to build a barn large enough to test it out on real airplanes. That’s how the Army Corps of Engineers got a green light from the Hargroves to build them a magnificent barn.

Once the war got started, the instrument was tested and perfected, the job completed, George was finally free to turn the barn into a proper farm building. The Pears were his pride and joy, he spent weeks perfecting his craft, cross germinating them with a European strain more resistant to bugs. The many nights in freezing temperatures when all three Hargroves hustled setting out the smudge pots to protect them from the frost. He thought of them like an extended family.

It was a happy life. And as the sign George carved their first year there, it was most definitely Hargroves Hideaway. Especially after the intense secrecy the Army insisted he maintain, they found being isolated suited them. Robbie was allowed to invite his school friends over to ice skate when the pond froze in winter. But they chose to avoid social gatherings.

They had skating parties for the kids and roasted sweet potatoes in the fire. Robbie had a wholesome childhood, and loved helping his Ma and Pa harvest and load the pears into bushel baskets then take them to market. It was a labor of love since clearly they were well paid from the Army, and received royalties on their patents. Being simple folk they didn’t have much use for money. Their joy was expressed in a day of hard work.

Even with all this good fortune no family is immune from tragedy. It was December 1945, an unusually mild winter. The pond was frozen but one part of it was partially thawed and dangerous. Robbie and his best friend Jake were practicing figure eights when Robbie skated too close to the thin spot and fell in. Jake tried to reach him but the ice kept cracking. He ran still in his skates to the emergency bell George had built just for this kind of accident.

Inside the house George heard the clear clang clang clang and scrambled into his rubber boots and coat running out, responding to the clanging bell heading for the pond. There was Robbie floating face down in the freezing water. George jumped in dragging his boys limp body onto the snow. He carried him into the warm house and proceeded to wrap him in blankets. A faint shallow breath was there, he was unconscious but alive.

George and Margaret scrambled into the car holding Robbie rocking back and forth keeping the blood circulating.

“Jake call your folks to come pick you up we’ll let you know after we get him to the hospital in Fernley.“ It was a quick hour’s drive. Margaret was vigorously massaging Robbies little body trying to focus through her tears. The roads were slippery with black ice and gusts of wind made driving treacherous.

Jake called his Dad to come pick him up telling him what happened. When he got home his Mom was waiting to smother her boy in hugs so grateful he was safe. The hours passed without any word it was four o’clock when Jakes dad carried him to bed. When he woke the next morning there was still no word. Jake stayed home from school waiting to hear news about Robbie, but the call never came, no word ever came. They just disappeared.

The following day in the Reno Gazette an accident report reported a fatal car crash 3 miles outside Fernley, 2 unidentified Adults dead on impact, one child survivor rushed to the Hospital in a coma.

Three months later, Robbie woke from his coma, completely lost and confused. Unable to remember anything. Not even who he was. “Wh..where am I he asked the nurse.”

End Part II

Part III