Tommy Makes It Rich

Chapter 06. 04 January 1967

4 January 1967

When I awoke it was raining but I was in my own bed in my own time. I went into the kitchen. Mum was there making the tea. “Morning mum” I mumbled.

“Morning Tommy. Did you sleep well?”

“How do you answer that?” I thought. “I haven’t had any sleep all year and yet I am not tired.” But I said. “Yeah good mum what about you?”

“Yes dear. I love to listen to the rain on the roof. It makes me sleep well. And it means no irrigation today.”

“Fantastic.” I said. “But it means getting the cows in the rain.”

“Sorry son. But it has to be done.”

After the tea and bread, I put on my raincoat and stepped out into the pouring rain. “Come on Blue lets get it over with.” While I was walking through the rain and mud I contemplated what had happened over the past couple of days. Was it really only three days? So much had happened. But then I was getting a full 24 hours of daylight. Gee if only I knew how, I could achieve so much. At least twice what anybody else could do. Maybe more because I could go forward and back in time that should make things interesting.

 First thing I will do is consult the encyclopaedia and see what is doing in 1900. Also got to find that box so I can see what I have learned over the past or rather next six years. Just my luck to be born at this point in the century. It means I can’t go back and tell myself what to expect. Oh well come the year 2000 I will be here to talk to me. God, now I am starting to sound crazy to myself.

Back at the cow yard I asked mum “What was it like in 1900?”

“Are you still on about that? Did you dream that same dream again?”

“No. I mean yes. What was it like, around here I mean?”

“Tommy how old do you think I am? I wasn’t born till 1929. So how would I know what it was like here in 1900.”

“Oh yeah I forgot. But do you know the history of the house?”

“Well, I do know the house is over a hundred years old. It was built in the 1850s I think, apparently it was moved here from town by some rich bloke. The story is that he selected four plots for the farm. Each selection in those days was 40 acres. How he got four is a mystery anyway he shipped the house out here on bullock drays and then made provision for it to be looked after till somebody came out from England to claim it.”

“Do you know who that was?”

“Haven’t got a clue. I think it is only rumour.”

“So you don’t know when or if they ever came?”

“Well, somebody came. Otherwise who sold it to the Smiths who had it before us?”

“Good point?”