The Free Spirit

Tried and True; 1974 (Part Two)

"I spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze and I just want you back by my side..."

Our new home definitely took adjusting to. I wasn't used to having so much space, only ever having lived on a postage stamp or only a house nearly as big as the lot, as all three of our California houses had been. The house was rather large and spacious and the property was four acres and extended into the woods, where a creek ran through the woods and an old abandoned barn sat. The kids had seen it when we were exploring the lot to see what came with our new home and wanted to go check it out, and I couldn't let them go alone in case they got hurt. "Mum, I'm fifteen, I'll be fine," Elton tried to tell me.

"I'd rather just go with you kids just in case. And maybe I want to check out the barn, too. I'm not just some boring adult, you know," I told my son, and he chuckled.

"Fine, but don't yell at us if we check something out that you don't like," he said. We were actually surprised to see a worn down, rusted but beautiful 1937 DeSoto Business Coupe sitting covered in branches and leaves as well as parts of the roof that had caved in.

"Look at that beautiful car!" Don exclaimed when we brought him over to see it again. "And it's just sittin' here? Are we sure this is still on our property?"

"Yes, Donald, our property goes all the way to that fence over by the creek," I told him. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I'd like to pull it out and tow it to the barn and work on it. This car's beautiful and I had to sell all my other ones," Don replied somewhat sadly, having greatly admired his car collection that he had in the early sixties. "'Course, some of these trees are gonna have to go. They're gonna block the path gettin' out."

"Well, I suppose that'll be your little project," I told him. "Maybe something you and Elton can do together."

"I dunno, Mum, cars aren't all that exciting to me," Elton replied.

"Elton likes guitars and records, he ain't never been so crazy about cars," Don said. "Stacey, do you wanna help Daddy fix the car up?" Stacey was about to say no when Maggie suddenly chimed in.

"I wanna help! I wanna help!" she said.

"Maggie, you're too young! You'll just get in the way of everything!" Stacey scolded her sister, who stuck her tongue out at her.

"Nah she won't, I think she'll be a fine help," Don said, wrapping an arm around Maggie's shoulders and pulling her closer to him to mess up her blonde hair being held back in a ponytail. "I suppose I'll look into tree removal companies to get these things outta here and then we'll get on our way." He did find one eventually, but by the time Don had had a path cleared and had the car towed to the barn, he had very little time to actually work on it, as he was asked to do tours in California with the Sundance Band.

"I think you should go, Lord knows we need the money," I told him. "I'm already looking into finding a job in the maternity ward at the hospital in town."

"You're goin' back to work?" Don asked me, and I nodded.

"Yes, Don. I have to. We can't afford to live as a touring musician and his housewife anymore. Especially since you're barely touring anymore," I replied. "Elton's looking for a job, too, he's applied at both the supermarket and the cinema."

"He should try and apply for a job at Ernest Tubb's, I'll bet I can talk to 'em and get him a job there workin' with records since I know 'em and all."

"Have you even spoken to any of them since 1957?"

"We've done a lot of recordin' in Nashville, ya know. I've spoken with 'em a few times. I know a girl I used to date is married to one of the Tubbs."