The Old Farm

Chapter 5

      Hope couldn't sleep all night. She was tossing and turning. It was two in the morning still she couldn't get some sleep. She thought about the child. Where is this child or is this child lives here in Clarkdale? Questions that Hope wanted to know. Hope tries to remember anything in her childhood that she recalls if her mom or aunt would of mention about a child. Nothing.       Hope got dress and went downstairs. She saw John on the phone. He was talking to someone. She went into the kitchen to start breakfast. John walks in the kitchen."Hope I was in the phone with a friend of mine. He helps people who are looking for their love ones. I told him about your story. He said that it is going to be tough because it happen back in the 40's.""How can you tell someone about this? He is a perfect stranger. I mean I'm so confused. My aunt had a child that I didn't know about. What other secrets that she had?""Hope you don't know what was your aunt life was she can only answer that. But, she is no longer living." John told her that she was calm and quiet."I'm sorry. Is that I'm mad at her for not telling me about this secret of hers." She started to cry. John hugs her and caresses her. He looks into her eyes and got close to her lips and began to kiss.Hope was kissing him back. They kiss with a passion. She couldn't hold back and he continued to kiss her. They fall for each other like two peas in a pod. Hope stop. "I can't do this. "Hope I want you because I have fallen in love with you.""I think I fallen in love with you too.""So what is the problem?""It's not you. It's that I'm afraid to be hurt.""I will never hurt you. I believe you are the one for me. The first time I met you, I thought to myself she is the one. When I lost my girlfriend, I thought I couldn't find anyone in my life until I met you."

     Hope believed he was telling the truth about his feelings."I want to take my time. I don't want to rush anything right now.""I will wait when you are ready. I understand how you feel."Hope gave him a smile. There was a knock on the door. Hope went over to open it. It was Mr. Nile standing at the porch all wet with muddy boots. "Why Mr. Nile what are you doing here?" as Hope invited him inside."Miss Brooks while I was feeding the animals, I recall a conservation I had with your Aunt Lucy. She did mention that one summer her mother sent her away. How her mother was disappointing it with her? Then, she just looks sad. So, I didn't ask anything else of it.""Thank you Mr. Nile. You can go back with your chores."As Hope closed the door behind her, she looks at John."What can this mean?""I don't know Hope; I believe your aunt wanted to confront with Mr. Nile about her past like she needed a friend." John sat down at the table. "Maybe she wanted to tell him."John was about to go to get a glass of milk when Hope left the kitchen." Hope where are you going?" asked John."I need to go to town maybe someone knew my aunt or she might have had a friend."She grabs her coat and purse. John stayed behind at the farm. Hope got to town and asked if anyone knew her aunt. But, no one knew her. She tries at the cafes, the church, and the small shops. Hope was about to give up when an old woman approach her."Excuse me miss. Are you Lucy's niece?" asked the old woman. Hope turn around. She saw an old woman maybe about early eighties. The woman dress with old clothes; Hope believed she is maybe homeless or living at a home."Yes I am. Did you know her?" asked Hope."Yes I did know her. You see she and I were good friends when we were young. We were close until one summer. I remember it like it was yesterday.""Can you tell me about that summer?" as Hope waited patiently."Well we were about fourteen years old. Your aunt and I hang out a lot. Your aunt was acting kind of strange that summer. She told me that she was going away for a while." said the old woman as she sat down at a park bench. "Did you ask her why?""She told me that she was going to live with a cousin of hers and go to school there. But, I was surprised to learn that about Thanksgiving came she moved back home. I went to visited her but she didn't want to talk to me.""How come she didn't want to talk to you?""I really don't know, she never leaves her home or go out to town. She was at home all the time and talk to no one. One day I walked by her home and saw her light in her bedroom. It seems she was crying. Years pass, I learn when she was twenty she married some young man and lived here for all her life.""Did you ever talk to her again?" asked Hope."No, I got married and I didn't return back until three years ago after my husband pass on. But, I couldn't visit her because I didn't have a car. I had no money so I live at a shelter near here.""Thank you, you have been helpful." Hope gave the old woman some money. "I want to give you this; I hope it will help you." The old woman looks at her hand. "Thank you very much it sure will." as the old woman walks away.     Hope never had gotten her name.Hope returned back to the farm. She told John about the old woman and the story she had told her. He couldn't believe what she was saying. She told him everything about their friendship as young girls. John sat down at the couch. "Hope you think maybe just maybe your grandmother knew about the child?" "I believe my grandmother had sent her away to have the child. But, I don't get is that why are the baby clothes and the furniture here?" Hope just couldn't get this mystery out of her head. "Unless my aunt bought back the child after she got married. No it can't be right. The child will be a little older.""Maybe your grandmother raised the child after she got married and said it belong to a distant relative that got kill.""That make sense John, my aunt probably was heartbroken to leave her baby behind. How can that be because my mother would of mention about growing up with another child?" Hope didn't know what to think. Her aunt left home and her grandmother was raising her child at the same time with her mother. Unless the child die before her aunt got married and kept these items for remembering. Hope tried to put the pieces together."We need to go to the clerk office to see if there is death records of children back in 1945 or go to the cemetery. How about we leave in the morning?" said John.Hope said," Yes I agree we should go tomorrow."