Maybe, Just Maybe

Normally Jon helped Gramps with milking chores. He loved this time with Gramps who found him a willing subject on which to spin a few stories. On this particular morning as they were putting on boots and jackets, Gramps asked Jon to move the sheep to the north pasture and count the lambs born. He then said to Anne, “How about you helping me in the barn this morning?”

Anne looked toward her dad with a surprised expression and then to Jon who was just slipping on his second boot. She knew the routine in the milk parlor. She and Bud took turns helping there since she could remember. Anne smiled to her dad. “I’d like that. It’s been a few years.”

Jon turned to Anne as he zipped up a light weight jacket over his ‘T-shirt’. “When I finish with the sheep, I’ll feed the cows in the holding pen, and muck out the stanchions when milking is done.” One by one they filed out from the mud room to the awaiting chores.

In the milk parlor, the work went as it had a thousand times before. Anne let in four cows and locked them in the stanchions, while Oliver readied the milkers. As usual Gertie and Florence competed with each other to be first in. With fresh filters inserted and the milker heads reattached to the pans, both Anne and Oliver set the belts in place over each cows back and hooked the milkers to the bottom of each strap. From there it was just a matter of sliding the vacuum pumper on each teat. All of this was done without a word exchanged between Anne and her father. As the milkers did their job, they stood by and watched for any problems that may develop.

Over the noise of the milkers Oliver said, “I’m still having trouble adjusting.” Anne knew her dad was referring to the double loss of Jon and Bud, especially Bud. All the years when Bud was growing up, he and Oliver worked side by side every day. They were not just father and son, they were a team. Bud told Anne years ago he planned to remain on the farm and continue operating for another generation. Bud, just like his father, could not imagine living anywhere else but on Clover View.

“I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on.” Anne nodded. She struggled daily with her own depression.

“I’m wondering Anne if you and the children, well if_,” his words tapered off. He just couldn’t quite get the idea out of his mouth. He knew he had no right to burden Anne with his problems. After all she had her own and they were much larger than his, what with the kids and all. Anne looked her father square in the eye. She could see a single tear slid over his rounded cheek and slip into his yellowed mustache. She didn’t say a word and looked away. She busied herself realigning the belt hanging over Gertie’s back while thinking about her father’s words.

A half hour later, Jon entered the parlor from the holding pen. He said, “There’s 16 lambs born, leaving five yet to come.” Oliver nodded and made a mental note. “Gramps, I think you better have a look at the inside of Kate’s left foreleg when she comes in. I think she will need some salve on a cut.” Kate was Jon’s favorite cow and she always received special attention from him when he was there. Jon named her when she was born, after Kate Smith, a very popular singer. Gramps tried to get him to give Kate another name. He thought a Kate and a Katie on the same farm would be too confusing.

Gramps nodded as he was looking in another direction. Without any hesitation in her voice Anne asked, “Jon how would you feel if all of us moved here to Clover View?”

Jon was turning to return to the holding pen when Anne’s words fell on his ears. He stopped in his tracks and turned to his mother. “You mean for good?” Anne gave a slight nod with a little smile. Perhaps two seconds passed while Anne’s nod was converted into an answer. What happened next was nothing short of pure exuberation on Jon’s part. He jumped into the air with both arms outstretched and let out the loudest, “yahoo” ever to be heard in the parlor. Suddenly all four cows panicked. If it was not for the fact they were locked in the stanchions someone might have been hurt. She didn’t get any other answer from Jon. He broke for the parlor door. They watched through the parlor window as Jon jumped and yelled all the way to the house.

Turning to her father Anne commented, “There’s one in favor.” Oliver was busy removing the milkers from the cows when shouts of excitement drifted into the parlor from the direction of the house.

Suddenly Jane popped through the door, followed quickly by Shelly. “Is it true? Jon said we were moving here.” Anne only smiled to the girls.

Shelly could no longer contain herself and began jumping up and down with excitement. “Come on mom, tell us it’s so!” Anne nodded to them. The girls screamed in unison. They turned and ran back out the parlor door and for the second time in less than five minutes the cows were in a panic.

“Well dad, there’s two more yes votes.”

“What’s your vote Anne?”

She thought for a moment, “Well, we can’t make the move until school is out.”