"Love in the Great Pine Woods" by Gratiana Lovelace (2015-2016) (Completed)

Ch. 37 (PG-13): Festival & Fate Part 2

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 37 (PG-13): Festival & Fate Part 2,
May 23, 2016 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #914)

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; all rights reserved) [(1) story cover, left]

Author's Content Note: "Love in the Great Pine Woods" is a mature love story with dramatic themes of love and relationships. It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of: L for language, D for dramatic emotions, and S for sensual themes. And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter's events at the beginning of the next chapter.

Author's Recap from the Previous Chapter: A man named Mr. Quimby is trying to track down Sam Wakeforest on Saturday June 11, 1956—him having first gone to Sam's and Olivia's home and was turned away by the home's caretakers the Ventura's—and then tried the closed for today Wakeforest Family Lumber Mill. Tessa informed by the Venturas of the ominous visitor and she raced to the Wakeforest County Festival and Flower Festival. Sam Wakeforest doesn't know what this man Quimby wants, but Sam's years as a full time practicing attorney before the war give him an inkling. But what puzzles Sam is that he can't figure out what it could be about. And a chilly breeze catches Sam and he shivers, then looks up at Wakeforest Mountain. It is his home, his livelihood, his family's legacy. Next to Olivia and their coming child, Wakeforest Mountain means everything to Sam.

However, Mr. Quimby will soon present himself to Sam Wakeforest with tidings that will not be good for the Wakeforest Family—nor for their legacy on Wakeforest Mountain.

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 37 (PG-13, D): Festival & Fate, Part 2

Fate has a way of favoring some people and not others. And, when good fortune has gone your way for so long, it is bound to turn in the opposite direction—as if an invisible balance scale must account for others needing to have their turn at good fortune. But just as two wrongs don't make a right, sometimes one cannot escape being held accountable for devastating events—even if it was not directly your fault.

And as Sam and Olivia enjoy this weekend's Wakeforest Summer Family and Flower Festival on Saturday June 11th, they will be reminded once again that Wakeforest Mountain has been under Wakeforest Family conservator/ownership for a mere 100 years, since the 1850's—when the Wakeforests settled this untamed Northern region of the United States and were granted ownership of Wakeforest Mountain and developed their lumber mill business.

Wakeforest Mountain belonged to itself and the creatures that inhabited it long before the Wakeforest Family claimed it and became its owners and conservators. And yet, the Wakeforests—especially Sam Wakeforest—feel almost wedded to the Mountain. The Mountain belongs to them and they belong to the Mountain. Sam feels that he belongs to the Mountain. But what if the Mountain no longer belonged to the Wakeforest Family? Or to Sam?

But those worries had yet to surface as Sam and Olivia Wakeforest proudly walked hand in hand throughout the Wakeforest Summer Family and Flower Festival held at the Wakeforest County fairgrounds just outside of town this bright and sunny June 11th, 1956. There are carnival rides, booths by Wakeforest County businesses and locals with homemade crafts, food, and furniture to sell, the flower show—as well as, various fundraising booths for local charities such as the Wakeforest County Hospital, the Wakeforest County Orphanage, etc.

However, their Wakeforest Mountain, the life force of their Wakeforest Family Lumber Mill business—and Sam's life's work as the mountain's chief conservator—will receive unwanted and malicious attention.