An Inheritance

Chapter 9

Sam just took a sip and shook his head.  “No, this is fine.  It’s just the way I like it.

“I used to visit your grandmother quite often.  Her knowledge of plants and herbs was astounding.  She sometimes came out back when I had the kids here testing the water or soil.  She would tell them about the indigenous plants and interweave the history of the area in relation to them.  She made it all so interesting.  I think what she told them sank in much more than any of my lectures did.” 

“It seems no matter what I start to clean out or go through, there’s always something surprising I’m learning about my grandmother.  As an example; that garden is really big for just one person to handle.  Did she have anyone helping?”

“No, not on a regular basis anyway.  She hired a few of the high school kids to help with the tilling and the harvesting, but all of the rest she did herself.”

“That greenhouse is really amazing and that watering system much more sophisticated than anything I’ve ever seen before.  When was that done?”

“I read about this new system that could be programmed to sense when plants needed to be watered and how much was needed.  Your grandmother was really keen on the whole idea, and had the system put in about four years ago.  It saved her a lot of time and she didn’t have to worry if she wasn’t to be around for a few days.

“Oh, that reminds me, Jerry Washburn said your grandmother had left her Range Rover at his shop; he’s been holding it for you.  It was in for some general maintenance, but it’s all set to go now.  Paid in advance.”

Jerry. Another name from the voice mail.   “My grandmother drove a Range Rover?”

“Yeah, and believe me, when people saw her coming, they got out the way.  Not that she drove so poorly, but she was determined to get where she was going and didn’t suffer slow drivers very easily.  Lately she only drove to the store or to church; not very far.  She had begun to see her limitations.”

That lopsided smile again.  Lauren could tell that he really had enjoyed her grandmother and liked relating her stories.

“I saw she was planning on making improvements on the cottage and putting up a new barn.  That seems like such an undertaking.  How could she even have afforded it?”  Lauren was suddenly embarrassed that she knew so little about her grandmother’s affairs, even though she had been designated as the executor.  She really had to get to the bank and check out the lockbox.

Sam cocked his head a little and looked at her as though surprised at her ignorance.  “I don’t think she had any money worries.  She seemed to be doing very well.”  Then on a more neutral note he continued.  “She relied on the barn when the weather got bad.  She always said that if the water got up to the door handle, it would be time for her to evacuate … never did."

Lauren thought that was a strange way to gauge whether to stay or go.  “But that barn is almost completely flattened, I would have thought that would have been reason enough to leave.”

“Yah, well that happened during that really nasty hurricane last year.  Your grandmother said she had been close to leaving, but her house was built at the highest point and she thought that as long as the barn didn’t completely collapse she’d hold out.  Luckily the storm started to subside before that happened.  But she was adamant about putting up another barn.”

“Oh, yes, well, I guess that’s natural.”  But Lauren still wasn’t convinced that a barn door handle was a good way to determine safety, especially in a storm.  “I really like the cottage though, it’s very homey and it probably was even considered pretty updated … of course that was in the 1950s.”