George Woodpecker

Chapter 4: A TURNOUT OF EVENTS

   The last day at the farm was like no other for the dreamy would-be sailor. It felt like the day he arrived at the farm was yesterday. It was as if he hadn't even had the time to grow up old enough to really appreciate the place, and he had a half-regretful feel about leaving it. It was a relatively warm day, with low grey clouds, filled with rain, flying overhead. It was almost sure that, after a long drought, rain was finally going to pour down on the lands.

   George was up before the bell rang. After the last long night spent with James gazing at the stars, he couldn't fall asleep, thinking with a nervous feeling in his gut, what it would be like. He didn't know what to expect, and so, he lay in his bed with his eyes closed, imagining, letting the night pass slowly and silently. He was happy knowing that this was what he always aspired to do. Ever since he was a kid, even in his darkest days he always thought of adventures never to be experienced. But now he had a great shot at achieving many goals. Everyone else woke up at once as the bell rang. The last chime he would hear, at least at this ranch. He knew he would probably never come back, as much as he wanted to. Being an explorer is not exactly flexible when it comes to going back and forth between oceans and realms, and he knew it. George stood looking out the window blindly at what seemed to be an old painting he grew up with. Mornings upon mornings he looked at the sun smothered ranch, and this morning was his last.

He was left with a feeling of sad happiness as he shook hands with everyone he knew at the farm for the very last time. With some people that he knew especially well, people that helped him so much, he even began tearing up remembering the experiences he had at the farmstead. Finally, a true feeling of thankfulness came out of the last meeting with the parson Gideon. They met in the Goldhat house, the house he went to on that day that changed everything. He remembered the words of Gideon very well, all of them. "One day your wishes will come true, you just don't know it yet". Now he knew that Gideon was right. He sat down with the Goldhat family at the long table, eating the same meal they ate when they first met, in preparation for his departure. By the high noon, George had everything he needed packed and loaded on the caravan leading to London. It was small and stealthy, and he was only going to be accompanied by two horsemen. No trouble at all was expected from his journey. 

   Before he left, he embraced Gideon, his wife and their children, persons he grew to appreciate and like so much. George knew he was ready to go. He was ready to head off into the vast world and see what it had to throw at him. With confidence, George put his right foot on the wooden edge of the coach first, followed by his left foot. Then, stepping in and seating down, not a minute later, the caravan headed off, and for the last couple of seconds he had the luxury of waving off to the foster family he felt he never deserved. Yet again, the now emotional George teared up. "A parting like a self-same meeting" he thought to himself.

   Not after long the broad landscapes of England ran continuously through the window. Green hills and trees, forests and lakes, rivers and basins, all looked a bit depressing in the shady light of the dark grey covered sky. George was prepared.

***

   Time passed carelessly. The coach rattled through seemingly endless villages scraping away at the old stone paths that were travelled by many folk before him. At various points in the journey George kept thinking of the fellow farmers. He down-right abandoned them, left without a care. He felt guilty that the others could not accompany him on his plans to sail and hunt. He felt that just as they took care of him and brought him up to be a skilled worker, he had a similar duty.

   The Goldhat farm and house were to be passed on to Gideon's children who were now hitting their 20s. George was slightly older, hitting his mid-20s. The farmstead was definitely in good hands, he thought. Gideon's children were always eager to learn from him. They didn't lack anything and as a result became accomplished adults. They received discipline and firmness from their father, love and affection from their mother, Alice, and, within the family, they learnt how to share, which was one of the most important qualities Gideon pushed.