The Inheritance

The Inheritance

by

Austin Mitchell

The Growing up in Banana Ridge, Wally Webster was always proud of his brothers. Luton and Norton were brilliant men, both had received scholarships to United States universities. Luton was an economist with a top fortune five hundred company. Norton was a surgeon at a top hospital in Georgia. His two sisters, Nicolet and Aesha, were also in the United States. Nicolet was pursuing her doctorate in Mathematics while Aesha was a computer specialist.

"I wished Wally was like Luton or Norton or even as good as Nicolet or Aesha," his mother, Miss Herma said.

"He's a big man now, it's time for him to be on his own," his father, Mister George replied.

"I agree with you, give him a piece of the land and let us see what he does with it," Miss Herma said.

"That's what I'm going to do. Maybe it's farming he's cut out to do, though most of the young people don't like it.''

***

Wally could remember the disappointment on his parent's faces when he failed his high school entrance examination and the opportunity to go to Kingston and board with the Walshs and attend school there was gone. Instead, he attended secondary school in Banana Ridge. Wally had acted like any normal boy, playing practically all the sports and enjoying the company of the opposite sex.

Deborah Laing was his special girl. They had been friends from primary school. In grade eleven they became lovers, but by the end of the second term in that grade it was over. Before that, they went everywhere together. Even now Wally was still feeling a bit hurt by what Deborah had done.

***

"Wally, I've cut off five acres of my land for you to start your farm. Since you left secondary school you've been working on Willie Smith's farm. I think it's time you had your own farm," Mister George told him.

"Thank you, daddy, I'm glad that John Bulla moved out of the house. You should have given him notice a long time ago. The time I spent working for Mr. Willie has given me a lot of experience."

"It's a lucky thing that it's only the two bedroom house he rented and not the land too."

"I am going to move my things in from tonight, sir, and from tomorrow I'm going to start farming the land. Give me three months and see what I do with it."

Wally was now twenty years of age. Mister George felt that he would be a good farmer and his lack of certificates would not be a hindrance. Mister George himself had not made it further than elementary school and it had not hindered his success.

***

Wally rode his motorcycle up to Dania Andrews' house early one evening. He wanted to begin seeing her. She lived about a kilometer from them. Dania was on her verandah when he got there. Wally had bought the motorcycle from money he had saved up from his work with Willie Smith.

"Wally, what's going on? It's a long time since I've seen you," Dania said.

Dania was of medium height. She was pretty and from their primary school days Wally had always admired her.

"One day you must teach me how to ride your bike, Wally."

"Any time you're ready I will show you what to do."

"You want something to drink, Wally?"

"I feel for some lemonade, do you have any?"