The boys quickly put on their clothes and shoes and headed out the door, heading towards the stables hooked up the wagon head for the farm. With Robert driving, giving a quick nod to Richard and the Deputies, within a few minutes they were back at the farm. Looking at their new house the boys whistled. "Wholly cow," seeing the size of it and all the chimneys. "Man, alive it's going to be huge," Robert replies.
Driving around over by the rooster pin, Robert finds a shovel and some picks in the barn a bag of feed, and a stack of hay for the rooster. Whispering to the men around the back of the barn. "The coast is clear so far," Robert replies. The boys go inside his pen, making sure he is inside they lock him in his pen and lift it on the back of the wagon as gently as they can.
The boys quickly dug up the poles and wrapped the wire fencing around them, putting it in the back of the wagon. Then quickly headed back to New Downing with their loot in tow, wondering what was happening to him and where he was going. The boys pulled up behind their cottage and began setting up his new home. Setting his pin down gently on the ground and unlocking it, so he can get out.
Robert coaxes him out with some feed with some honey on it, nodding to the boys around the cottage. Mr. Rooster, seeing the boys, felt safe and sound, after all, he'd been with these boys since he was a young rooster and knew them quite well and he missed them, too. Robert puts the wagon away, and the boys go inside their cottage. The boys on watch gave Robert a final nod.
The boys all climb into bed with a great big sigh. "Now it feels like home," as they all look out their bedroom window, seeing Mr. Rooster right where he belongs.
"Thanks, Robert," EJ replies.
"Hey, that's what brothers and friends are for, besides I missed him, too." The boys drift off to sleep happily with friends, a full belly, and a rooster by their side.
* * * *
When the new dawn breaks over New Downing, there's a new morning sound that morning, a happy sound to some and others as well. COCK A DOODLE DOO!" The boys happily sigh. "Good morning, EJ," Will laughed at Frank, hitting the ceiling. Mark and Peter sprawled on the floor. COCK A DOODLE DOO. Pa and Ma wondering where the heck the rooster came from, and Richard laughing and the girls and three little boys smiling thinking about their brothers. COCK A DOODLE DOO! To Sheriff Whitmore and his wife, all sprawled out across the floor. COCK A DOODLE DOO! To the town folk who miss having the rooster on their farm, and Grandma and Aunty M. making it feel more like home. Yes, sir, what more can a rooster ask for than to be loved by his boys and family and COCK A DOODLE DOO all morning long.
Of course, Pa and Sheriff Whitmore weren't as thrilled as the boys having Mr. Rooster next to them, especially Sheriff Whitmore having been so rudely awakened sprawled out on the floor but after some coaxing by their wives. After all, it wasn't their idea in the first place, putting their boys next door as they looked at them straight in the eye and crossed their arms. "Yes, dear, but" they tried to reply, with another hard cold stare from them, they soon let it pass.
If you think about it, it was someone else's idea, they just helped it along if you think about it. That is Wayne is almost but not quite as guilty, but still guilty all the same. Except for a few minor details as Grandma nods to the boys out of the window. "I do have to say, Granny, my grandson and those boys got style," as she looks out the window seeing Mr. Rooster out in his pen down by their window. "Yes, sir, here, let me help you with that," pouring her a cup of joe, "now just a drop from the jug, no more now."
"Ah, that's the stuff," Granny said taking a sip, "just right, it needed that extra kick."
"Yes, sir, fine morning," Grandma said, looking at the schedule. "Well, I need to get going if I'm to help them with breakfast. Heck, I remember the days when my kids were growing up and their first time. It wasn't like this, too bad we didn't do it, then it wouldn't hurt them one bit," Grandma said, looking at them down from the window. "No, sir. Well now's my chance to make sure we get it right. Yes, sir, don't need any more bad apples. I love them too much you see," Grandma replied, drinking the last drop.
Grandma heads down across to the boys looking back down the road towards EJ's home. Thinking and pauses just a moment. "Yes, sir, no more bad apples. I won't let it happen, no, sir," she said, knocking at the door with a quick nod to the sheriff's boys.
EJ opens the door. "Hello, Grandma," he replied.
"May I come in?" She asked.
EJ looks around the room. "You bet," and smiles, lets her in, and Robert grabs her a chair, and introduces the three boys, Frank, Mark, and Peter.
Grandma nods. "Hello, boys, you can call me Grandma; everyone else does, you can, too. So what's for breakfast and who's doing the cooking?" She asked.
"I am," Robert answers, handing her the menu. "I thought we'd try flapjacks, scrambled eggs, bacon, freshly squeezed orange juice, and milk with cranberry muffins," he said.
Robert pulled out the recipe for the flapjacks and cranberry muffins. The boys all pitch in to help set the table, helping Robert gather the ingredients as Grandma watches the boys work as a team. Will starts a small fire to take off the cottage's chill, adding a little coal while EJ makes the orange juice like he has done several times before.
Grandma notes and smiles. "Looks like you have done this before," she replied.
"Yes, Grandma, I have more than a couple of times I think," EJ said as he laughed back, watching his brothers and friends smile back. EJ also tries to avoid getting juice in his cut that he can't remember getting. Strange? How? And where did I get this? As he shakes his head with a puzzled look on his face, Mark and Frank set the table with all its splendor. Glasses and plates and silverware, making sure they set a place for Grandma as well, after all, she is their guest of honor today. EJ asks. "We're packing a lunch today, Grandma, would you like to help me with that as well?" He asked.
She said. "Oh, didn't you hear, boys, your Ma's bringing your lunch today? I think she's supervising dinner according to the schedule. I'd plan on extra tonight, too, because you are feeding your families for dinner before Danny goes home on Monday morning," she said.
EJ looks worried because that would mean that he would be fixing dinner instead of lunch, not just for him and his roommates but for his entire family and his friends. He swallows hard looking over at Will, Robert, and his roommates; they smile, whispering encouragement to him. EJ pours the milk and the orange juice into the glasses as Robert flips the flapjacks into the air, stacking them on a plate.
Mark heats up the butter and syrup and puts it on the table. Peter starts cleaning up the kitchen while Robert fries up the bacon and scrambles up the eggs. Will makes the batter for the muffins, and EJ pours into the tins. Then Robert puts them into the oven to bake at 350, whistles and pats everyone on the back.
The boys set all the food on the table, taking a bow, wiping down the countertop, taking out the muffins to cool, and setting them on the table. "Mm, mmm, looks good, let's eat," as they gather around the table. Robert stands, making his toast, "To Grandma and our friends and Mr. Rooster by our window, let's eat."
They ate their breakfast laughing and smiling, and Grandma thanked them for a lovely morning, letting EJ walk her back home to her little cottage with a smile. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Grandma, if I have chosen to stay here, Grandma, will you still love me?" As he looks into her eyes, "Because I won't go back."
"Yes, EJ, I will love you just the same and always have," as she bends down, kisses his forehead, hugs him whispers. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, Grandma," gives her another hug, and walks back to his cottage as Grandma watches her grandson go.
Whispering. "What more could I ask for?" As she looks down the road, she sighs. "Two bad apples and two sours," shaking her head. With a final nod to the Sheriff and the boys, she wiped a tear before going back inside.
The boys cleared the table and prepared for the day. They even took some muffins out to Mr. Rooster and gave him some extra feed. Leaving the cottage, the boys headed for the stables, getting their horses, helping EJ with his pony as they headed for the farm to help build their house. Seeing Pa and Richard working, they wave laughing putting their horses out to the pasture for the day; they would pick them up tomorrow after school. Since now that EJ was well enough to go to regular school.
The mere thought troubles him more than ever now, the questions they would ask, he always hated this part, starting a new and old school. It used to be he was never there very long to get to know anyone or to make any friends, and bullies were always there just around the corner to pester him. Of course, nothing was worse than going home. Bullies you can outrun and outsmart most of the time.
"Well, boys, it's about time you got here," Pa said, standing by the new house, giving them each a nod.
"Sorry, Pa, I think the rooster was late," Robert replies.
"Yes," as Pa looked towards the rooster pen, finding only one rooster instead of two and rubbing his chin, laughs. "Your belts are in the barn, give us a hand."
The boys worked all day helping with the house, sawing the planks of wood, and watching the walls go up around the house. Singing a song as they all rolled up their sleeves; soon it was lunchtime with a quick, cool autumn breeze.
Ma and the buggies with Danny and the boys right behind her were Julie and Anna sitting beside them, Ned and Bill in their buggies coming to join them. The farmers set up the picnic tables in front of the house while the aunts, Mary, Aunty M., and Lizzy, and a surprise guest, "Mr. Death himself," whom we all met before and danced with and is after Mary or Lizzy as he helps set the table.
Climbing down from the ladders and gathering around the picnic table, the man dressed known as Death to some or keeper of time to others dressed in all his splendor. He stands before the group of farmers at the table and smiles at the ladies and the gents. "Let me kindly introduce myself if I may," with a twinkle in his eye that made the ladies giggle. "My friends call me Mr. Jaydan Faith," as he tips his hat to the ladies, "Howdy, ma'am," giving a wink to Aunty M. as he sits down right beside her as she winks back, giving her a nudge and whispers back. "Now's a good time, you promised, Margaret," he said.
"I know, I know," she replied whispered back, looking over at the two aunts, Mary, and Lizzy. Aunty M. thinking of excuses, too, stands looking over at Mr. Keeper of Time, I mean Mr. Death. Her mind struggles for the words and sighs. "Mr. Jaydan Faith," twisting her mouth, pouting her lips like a sour apple. Not a bad-looking young man if I do say so myself, looking at him at the corner of her eye, actually rather handsome. I wonder if he knows anything about who's after EJ. Or could it be him himself? Derrick said he was sending me some help, maybe this is one of his friends he sent to help me.
Jaydan nudges her one more time, whispering to her. "You're stalling."
She whispers back. "Yes, I am, and I am trying to figure out what to say."
He smiles. "I'll whisper to you some ideas, you take it from there."
Aunty M. stands clicking on her glass to get everyone's attention, and clears her throat "Ah― I have known Mr. Jaydan Faith for a long time, in fact, my husband Mike could tell you stories about him if he was still here," as she winks back, him laughed. He didn't seem at all that amused by the looks of his face. "
He told me," Jayden whispers a thought into her mind, "he was a schoolteacher and a headmaster." Now that surprised everyone, including her. "He plans on teaching again this fall at Payson Jr. as a music teacher." Aunty M. and Lizzy look straight at him with surprised looks on their faces.
He nods back and stands, so everyone can see him, lets Aunty M. sit down. "So that means I am sticking around for a season or so and looking to build a little cottage of my own and try a little farming, too, if you wouldn't mind. I'd like to help with this house, and I brought my tools and my belt and know a thing or two about carpentry as well," Jaydan said, then sat down whispering thanks to Margaret. "You did well," he replied.
The table was all abuzz about the stranger as Mary and Lizzy kept peeking over, taking another look at him all throughout lunch. Sometimes you could hear whispers down the row. "A schoolteacher did you hear that" or "Headmaster" and so forth. "Music teacher," it rolled off the ladies' tongues.
The men were whispering among themselves as well, peaking at him. "Farming in those clothes that we got to see," laughing, "says he knows carpentry, right?"
"Good for a laugh, boys, we'll see, we're not playing with Legos or building toys. Better watch him closely, make sure he doesn't hurt himself," laughed, looking at those fancy duds he was wearing.
Lunch was running smoothly; the little ones were sent off to play on the farm. Everyone was busy, back to work as usual while they watched Mr. Faith go around to the barn to change his clothes. When he comes back, he is dressed just like them in a pair of worn-out overalls and work boots that have seen better days but were comfortable to him. With his belt over his shoulder and a smile, he waves. "Alright, boys, where do you need me? I'm all yours."
The men could not believe their eyes, except Pa and the boys, he taught them well the meaning of clothes on a man. "Never judge a man by what he wears, it is what he does and what's inside that counts."
The men put him to work cutting planks of wood, trading Robert for him to start making the staircase for the house while the boys set the studs of the walls around the outside for the main house.
"Sheriff Downing?" Sheriff Whitmore called out to him.
"Yes, Sheriff Whitmore?" Wayne replies.
"Mind if you take a ride with me for a minute?" Sheriff Whitmore asked.
"No, not at all, what's on your mind?"
Wayne asked, looking back towards the house over at the rooster pen.
"No, it's not about the rooster, they can have him," he said as he laughed. "In fact, my wife was thinking of adding a few chickens back there for some fresh eggs, can you believe that?" He said as he rolled his eyes.
Wayne laughs, not being all that surprised. "So, what's on you are mind?" As they head towards Cracken Villa.
"It's time, Wayne, we need to get these folks moving before winter starts in. I hear it's going to be a bad one, and they know it. Of course we can't fit everyone in New Downing, not yet anyway, but these folks need to know it's time to either go home or start helping the ones that are still there. "Doc says they are starting to get sick, and my hospital is getting full, and I hate the cemetery. It's really bad in Downing Villa, Wayne. We are going to have to bring the boys in for that one to start clearing them out, putting them down here for a while. So, we can build more homes. We need more lumber, and I just don't know where we are going to get it and fleece to make coats and beds, and we still have all that cotton to deal with here," Sheriff Whitmore sighs.