Changing Seasons. Autumn part 2

Autumn Part 2 “Look at this beautiful bedroom we’ve got ready for you.” It was the only lovely room in the house – and there wasn’t much in it – but it was ready for the baby.
“Not long now.”
“The sooner the better! Go and see Old Tench on your own – I’m going to take a rest. I’m exhausted. Send him my love, won’t you.”
“Promise you’ll rest?”
“Don’t worry! That bed is calling me loud and clear.” “See, the thing you need to know is, that company you’re workin’ for, they wrecked this town.” Old Tench had decided Euan could be trusted with the whole story. He was no company spy.
“Ain’t your fault you’re workin’ for them, and I reckon they cheated you the way they cheated us all. ‘Cept we got a bit of our own back on them at the end. Come outside, and I’ll tell you the rest.” They were good friends with Old Tench now. They hadn’t met Clara yet, but then they didn’t get out much, one way and another. Euan had been busy repairing floors, starting a haphazard garden and working. And Patience was getting bigger – a lot bigger! – and tireder. Euan listened to Old Tench’s story.
“So each of those old factories used to be owned by different companies?” “Yep. Then that company bought them all up, one by one, secret-like. See, when they was owned by the people who lived here, no-one went foulin’ the water or drainin’ the lake dry. Why’d they do that to their neighbours? But that company didn’t care nothin’ ‘bout that. Move in, squeeze the place dry, move on.”
“But they didn’t get away scot-free?” “No sir!” Old Tench grinned, pure mischief gleaming in his eyes. “We forced ‘em to make re-parations. Clean up the waterways – not too hard, once they stopped foulin’ ‘em – and provide clean power for the town. And provide free clean water and free power for as long as anyone was livin’ or workin’ here.”
He paused and chuckled reminiscently.
“So that’s why I stayed. And that’s why no-one would sell their homes or businesses to them. Else they’d have knocked it all down and claimed the town didn’t exist any more.”
“So if Marcus and Annette make a go of their farm, then the company will have to keep paying out?”
“Yep. They thought it was just me they had to worry about. I’d kind of appreciate it iffen you don’t mention Marcus and Annette…”
“They p-pushed m-me out of my job, stuck m-me and m-my wife here to g-get rid of m-me…” Euan’s stammer was getting worse in his agitation and anger.
Old Tench merely grinned again. “Guess it’ll suit you too to make them go on payin’, huh?” “Three babies! What are we going to do?”
“Love them,” Patience said, and the simplicity of her answer calmed Euan instantly.
“You’re right. And Annette and M-Marcus are thrilled, and offering us food by the b-barrow-load. We’re n-not on our own.”
“And we have each other. I still wouldn’t swop anything, Euan. We’ll get by. I think we better order two more cots though.” But despite her words, Patience was a bit worried. There was so much that still needed doing round the house, and three babies were going to be expensive, both in terms of money and time. This was going to be more of a challenge than they had bargained for. And Euan was a good man and a good husband, but the way the company had treated him had shaken him badly. Would three babies be one straw too much? “What do you think we should do first then?” Patience asked, a bit nervously.
But Euan’s prompt answer showed that he had been thinking about this, not panicking about it.
“The windows. We’re not cold, but the babies will feel it more than us, and it is going to get colder. I’ll ask Marcus and Annette to pick up some glass for us as we can afford it, and I can fit new glass.”
“That’s one of the many things I love about you,” Patience said, getting a bit misty-eyed. “You’re so practical.” Little Barnabas had the smaller bedroom at the front. Euan had repaired that window first – one more down, lots to go, Patience thought with a sigh. Joy and Hope shared the larger room at the back of the house. But the babies were warm and safe and loved and fed. “And that’s enough,” Patience reminded herself. “And how are you doing then, young Barnabas? That’s my nose, you know.” Marcus was a natural with the babies. “Patience, this is Clara. Clara, this is Patience, who has single-handedly almost doubled the population of this town.”
“Not quite single-handedly,” Patience said demurely. “I did have some help.”
Clara did a double-take and then burst out laughing. Patience collected Barnabas from Marcus, who said they’d be happy to pick up more diapers next time they were in Newborough.
“Do call round some time if you’d like to,” she said to Clara. “If the thought of three babies doesn’t put you off.”
“I’d love to,” Clara said after a bit of thought. "I’ll take you up on that sometime.” “Patience, they’re gorgeous. It almost makes me want to have a baby myself – except I haven’t got the time. Hey did I tell you our new news?”
“No,” Patience said, smiling to herself as she watched Annette.
“We have a kitchen! A real kitchen – one fridge, one cooker, one sink and one counter. It’s as good as yours. We're keeping up with the McPhails.” And they both laughed. “And I forgot to comment on your upgrade. You’ve bought a rug.”
“I needed something to put the babies down on that wasn’t filthy or splintery! It’s our big extravagance for the month!” “Tell me a bit about Clara before I put my foot in it with her. There’s something going on there, but you two and Old Tench aren’t worried about it…” “I’ll tell you what I can. Not Clara’s own story – that’s for her to tell you if she wants to. But what she’s run away from truly is awful – and she does need the sanctuary of this place…”
Love, as well, Patience thought at the end of Annette’s account. The girl needed loving. And I have love to spare. Euan and the babies – they give me so much love. I can give it away to others. Patience was sleeping the sleep of the truly exhausted and Euan was doing the midnight feeds before he went to bed too.
“I should be worried and fearful,” he thought. “But when I look at these babies, all I can think about is how lucky I am. Patience is right. We’ll find our way through all this. And we have friends around us to help us.”