They decided to store some of the fabric at the farm's new nursery, and Pa would check out the shop in the morning while the kids were at school. They were all excited about their shopping trip to Salt Lake City on Friday and planned to spend the night there. They wanted to do as much shopping and sightseeing as possible for their new house and have some fun. They also planned to invite the Whitmores to join them.
The house was busy, and no one could sleep. Pa suggested they stay up and plan for the day. They decided to let the kids sleep a little longer, and Ma prepared breakfast while Pa went to the Whitmore farm to get everyone for a little weekend fun. Ma prepared a large picnic basket filled with goodies and even bribed Mr. Rooster with some honey cake to delay his call.
Wayne arrived silently at the Whitmore's farm, making sure not to make a sound. The rooster was about to crow, so he tossed him some of Martha's honey cake to keep him quiet. Wayne carefully removed his shoes and glided up to the porch. Once inside, he made his way down the hall to the boys' rooms, slowly waking them up one by one and handing them their clothes. "We're all playing hooky today," he whispered to them. They all laughed quietly and nodded before quickly getting dressed and carrying their shoes out the door.
Next, they walked far enough away from the house to explain what was going on. Wayne handed them a feather to wake their parents and told them to meet at the cottage for breakfast in thirty minutes. He shook all their hands and then snuck back towards home, laughing as the lights came on and laughter erupted at the farm.
Wayne reached the cottage, opened the door, and saw Martha in the kitchen. "Almost ready to go?" She asked. She winked back at him. "Martha, everything set," Wayne said quietly. He laughed, grabbing a feather for himself, and setting his shoes by the door.
Ma and Pa quietly sneak down the hall to where their children are sleeping and open the doors one by one. Pa finds Robert's foot, and Ma finds EJ's; they begin slowly until the war starts in the room. Soon, pillows were flying everywhere across the room. Boys jumping everywhere out of the beds, tickling each other as the sisters run to help the three little ones dog-piled on Pa and Richard as they turn them over, tickling them. Till the Whitmores came in and joined in, the wilder it got, the more laughter roared throughout the cottage with tears in their eyes from laughing so hard and feathers everywhere.
Ma finally called it quits for now and announced that breakfast would be ready soon. Ma got up from the floor as Pa grabbed her hand to balance her back onto her feet. Pa handed the boys a broom, laughing, and they left the room so the grown-ups could talk as they got dressed for breakfast.
Wayne puts his arm around Kollie and Renee as they go down to the kitchen to set the table. "Kollie, Renee, welcome to hooky day," Wayne said as he laughed, passing him the plates to put on the table.
"Hooky day?" They replied to a surprise start.
"Yes, hooky day; today, we are taking the day off to do whatever we want to do. Here, let me explain. Our farmhouse is done and ready to be moved into. Renee and Martha have a new shop that needs to be cleaned and looked at, and we're all going to Salt Lake City this weekend to buy new appliances and see the sights. There just wasn't enough time to do it all, so we needed an extra day, so we made one called hooky day," Wayne said. "Besides, Renee, didn't you say Kollie looked run down and tired and needs a day off?" He asked. Renee smiled and nodded her head. Wayne said, "Well, so did Martha and I. Plus, the boys and we have been working so hard, and so have the girls, so let's have a little fun of our own and play hooky today and see if we can get some things done and have a little fun," he replied.
"By George, you're right, Wayne. Let's do it. What do you say, Renee?" Kollie asked, looking into her amber eyes as she nodded.
"Yes, my dear," and yawns. "Oh my, I do need a day off," she said.
"First things first," Wayne said, looking at the table. "This will not work," Wayne said, shaking his head, "no, sir,"
Pa handed them plates and silverware, and the boys placed them in a box. "Julie, go grab a couple of tablecloths, and Anna, you grab the glasses. Renee, help me with this food." Martha looked at him like he had fallen off the planet, watching her food disappear into boxes and baskets. "Kollie, load this in the cars," he said.
"Yes, sir," he replied. As soon as breakfast was all packed and loaded, Pa drove everyone to the farm and had the boys set the table on the new dining room table. Ma walked into the house and saw her large new kitchen table; she nearly cried as everyone sat around it for breakfast. Pa started a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off the room; it wasn't much, as it echoed and sparked.
The room had no curtains, and the walls were unpainted. Despite this, it was home, and Ma's tears flowed down her cheeks. She couldn't find the words to express how grateful she was to everyone around the table, so she just whispered. "Thank you." Then she sat down, gazing at the man she loved, this was her man of the moon. She then turned to look at each of her boys, and the beautiful table they had built for her. After breakfast, Pa pulled out a schedule of tasks they needed to complete that day. School was not on the agenda.
"We need to start with what needs to be done first," he said, looking at the house. "The painting and moving. We can't move in until the rooms are painted, and the appliances are in. We have some from the cottage to get us by if we want to, but the painting still needs to be done.
Martha, you need to meet with Mr. Stringham to give him the colors you want. Then he and the boys can start painting the rooms today while we work on the cattle and your shop. So we boys will let Renee and you ladies work here with the colors and curtains you've made. Kollie and I, with the boys, will work on the move and clean out the shop. Then we can meet back here for lunch. Now, let's go see this shop of yours and get this day started, shall we?" Wayne said as he distributed the tasks.
Martha is standing in her farmhouse, admiring the view through the window. She is happy to be home with her children and EJ, who is feeling more secure now that he knows this will be his new home.
They walk through the house with Pa, and he asks EJ which room he would like. EJ hasn't thought about it yet but requests that his room be painted light blue with light green curtains. Pa agrees, and they pick out the colors of the other rooms. The girls choose their rooms downstairs, and the boys have their own bathroom upstairs.
The parents have their master bedroom, a nursery, and three guest rooms. Mr. Stringham and the boys work outside the house, and Martha discusses the color swatches with them. Mr. Stringham informs Martha that the house will be ready for them to move in next week after the outside and painting work is completed. Yet they can start moving in now if they like.
Martha gives him a big hug and a big fat kiss on the cheek before leaving as Wayne turns around the corner, watching her skip to the house with a smile. Mr. Stringham sees Wayne and smiles as he blushes red from his wife. Wayne merely laughs. "Here are those colors you needed for the boys' rooms, Mr. Stringham," as he grins ear to ear, looking at his house. "Sure, turned out nice. After all is said and done. Well, off to see what kind of mess the wife got me into now," as he shakes his head, heading towards the house.
They loaded everyone up and headed back to the cottage. Julie and Anna put the three boys down for their nap so they could pack some of the things up for the house, placing them in boxes and having Richard and Will load them in the wagon while Ma, Pa, and the other boys went with Kollie and his wife Renee to see the shop. Wayne let Ma and Renee open the shop doors, but something awaited them when they opened them. It had two beady red eyes and a long tail. The ladies screamed as the rat jumped out of the shop and down the road.
The women shook in their husbands' arms like leaves. The boys rolled their eyes, watching the rat high-tailed it out of town, gently setting them back on their feet. The women picked and prodded with their brooms to make sure no more of them would come out, covering their noses, and sneezing because of all the dust.
The men and boys cleared out the room, setting the junk out on the street while the women washed and swept the place clean. Wayne and the boys went through the junk, finding odds and ends of old pallets and discarded rags, and hauling it away to be burned. While the women finished cleaning, rubbing their hands on their filthy aprons, smiling, and wiping their brows with a long sigh as they sat down. Wayne gets out his notepad and measuring tape and looks around. He yells. "Martha, Renee, please tell me what you are looking for in your shop," as he measures the walls.
"Well, dear, it has to have a long counter, some shelves, and walls for the fabric."
"Yes, yes, I know that dear," he said as he smiled at the three women and ten men; his size barely fit in the room.
"Oh my, looking at Renee, nearly wanting to cry, this won't do at all; it's too small," she said. Renee puts her arms around her and whispers.
"No, it's not, dear; if you think about it, we still have to have a place to store the inventory for the moment," she said and took charge. "Wayne, could you build us some shelves instead that go all around like this," she points out. "That is this high about this long?" Wayne nods and sees where she is going. "Now then, all we have to do is find another shop. Didn't Mr. Rivers say something about adding shops on Third Street, Martha?"
"Why yes, he did."
"Well, let's go take a look," Renee said as they took off their aprons and threw them in a box of cleaning supplies.
Third Street was getting underway, much bigger than the First or Second Street around the New Downing Square. These shops were bigger and wider, with nice open storefronts made with brick and glass and cobblestone streets, and the lights were just being placed on the corners. There was a new grocery store, a toy store, and a sewing shop. "Look, Mr. Rivers and Grams' newsstand and post office inc."
Some shops were empty and waiting for other businesses to enter town. Martha and Renee walked down the cobblestone streets; the Mayor and his wife were in a carriage and, noticing them, stopped by to say hello. "Hello, Wayne, Martha, boys, and how are the Whitmore's on this fine day?"
"Just fine, sir," the boys replies.
"Hey, aren't you boys supposed to be in school today?" Looking at their parents.
Wayne laughed., "We're all playing hooky today, Mayor," and laughs.
"Oh, I see. Well, don't make it a habit," the Mayor said as The Mayor rubbed the boys' heads.
"We won't, sir," they replied.
The Mayor's wife gives him a nudge. "Oh, yes, that reminds me. Martha, Renee, I understand you are opening a fabric store down here. That's wonderful," pulls out the signed license. Pick out a store," he points to empty spots. We'd be glad to have you," he says, tips his hat, and rides down the street with his wife waving, toodle-oo.
Martha and Renee looked at each other for a moment, then at the empty shops on the corner, and back at their husband with a new excitement in their eyes. They raced to the shops, looking through the window before entering the empty spaces, which echoed their emptiness once inside. Finally, they picked one with smiles, jumping up and down. "We'll take it," they said, looking at each other and shouted at the top of their lungs. "This is our fabric shop," as they hug each other again. Taking a piece of paper, writing on the door, "Martha and Renee Fabrics. Opening Soon."
Giving Wayne a nudge and Kollie a chair, taking the boys, they headed home. "Alright, my dear husband," before leaving. "Build me a shop that we will love," with a kiss on both their cheeks, leaves them sitting there. Wayne and Kollie laughed, watching everyone leave as Wayne pulled out his pad and measuring tape, asked Kollie questions, and had him stand here and there.