Read Online Tragic Renewal by Marlina Williams - Free Book Online
Authors: Marlina Williams
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faced Harper, laid out in neat precise rows along with page numbers, titles, subtitles, and various bullet points. With hands still shaking from nervous energy Harper turned to the page with its shiny clear protector guarding the words underneath. It held the probate announcement from the original property owners. I contained all the typical legalese and nonsensical plat descriptions.
The property entered probate after the death of Victor and Murine Slater who died within weeks of each other after fifty five years of wedded bliss. Harper rolled her eyes at the thought of wedded bliss that lasted fifty five years. She knew better, they were probably fighting behind closed doors everyday then presenting their conservative little town with a fake veneer of happiness. Her eyes roved farther into the document.
Victor and Murine had owned the property since 1955. The original property was closer to a thousand acres, but they sold off parcels over the years ending with the smaller one hundred acre plot. After they purchased it they built the house that still stood and made it into a working cattle farm for a number of years. A freak storm wiped out their entire herd of cattle during the winter of 1965. Once insurance claims were settled for the cattle they decided to change directions and moved over to wheat, corn, and soybeans. Over time, as crops ebbed and flowed with the economy and the fickle nature of weather they were underwater on their mortgage and various farming implements.
Starting in 1975 they began selling off parcels of land to pay off their massive debts and put food on the table for their five children. As each parcel of land was sold their farming operation had to be curtailed to fit the new acreage available to farm. For the next thirty years their farm was a veritable feast or famine. All five children grew up and left farm life for city adventures leaving Victor and Murine to work the remaining land on their own. In 2005 they sold the last parcel slice, outside of the one hundred acres surrounding their house and barn, to a man with farming dreams, but city ignorance.
That man would later purchase a pregnant chestnut mare. The mare and her filly paid the price for the man’s idyllic vision of what it meant to own a farm and two twelve hundred pound animals that needed food and a pen bigger than a hundred square feet. His daughter lost interest in the animals once she realized they needed food and care, and the newness of a cute foal wore off as the foal grew into a full-sized horse stunted from lack of food and proper care.
With the money from the last parcel sell Victor and Murine were able to retire. They lived the remainder of their golden years in relative comfort in the house they built in 1955. The house fell into disrepair as they ignored the upkeep an older home required. Upon their deaths the home was stuck in probate due to them not having a will and none of the kids willing to take over the farm. Once probate was settled the home had sat unused for a year before it was put up for sale. The kids listed the home too high for the slow housing market so the property sat on the market for two years as it continued a slow deterioration into abandoned property.
***
Cara had told Harper the story of discovering the sad house on a drive through the countryside based on a closed eye finger point to a random map of Missouri. Cara had broken up with her most recent girlfriend and knew she needed a change in her life. She dug through her desk and found an old road atlas, one with each state on its own page. In true Cara fashion she dropped the atlas on the floor with the intent of whatever page it landed would be the next destination on her train of life that was ready to move on. When it dropped it flipped open to a map of Missouri. She shrugged with indifference, closed her eyes, and called to her inner muse to guide her wandering finger. With excited trepidation she opened her eyes to see where her new
The property entered probate after the death of Victor and Murine Slater who died within weeks of each other after fifty five years of wedded bliss. Harper rolled her eyes at the thought of wedded bliss that lasted fifty five years. She knew better, they were probably fighting behind closed doors everyday then presenting their conservative little town with a fake veneer of happiness. Her eyes roved farther into the document.
Victor and Murine had owned the property since 1955. The original property was closer to a thousand acres, but they sold off parcels over the years ending with the smaller one hundred acre plot. After they purchased it they built the house that still stood and made it into a working cattle farm for a number of years. A freak storm wiped out their entire herd of cattle during the winter of 1965. Once insurance claims were settled for the cattle they decided to change directions and moved over to wheat, corn, and soybeans. Over time, as crops ebbed and flowed with the economy and the fickle nature of weather they were underwater on their mortgage and various farming implements.
Starting in 1975 they began selling off parcels of land to pay off their massive debts and put food on the table for their five children. As each parcel of land was sold their farming operation had to be curtailed to fit the new acreage available to farm. For the next thirty years their farm was a veritable feast or famine. All five children grew up and left farm life for city adventures leaving Victor and Murine to work the remaining land on their own. In 2005 they sold the last parcel slice, outside of the one hundred acres surrounding their house and barn, to a man with farming dreams, but city ignorance.
That man would later purchase a pregnant chestnut mare. The mare and her filly paid the price for the man’s idyllic vision of what it meant to own a farm and two twelve hundred pound animals that needed food and a pen bigger than a hundred square feet. His daughter lost interest in the animals once she realized they needed food and care, and the newness of a cute foal wore off as the foal grew into a full-sized horse stunted from lack of food and proper care.
With the money from the last parcel sell Victor and Murine were able to retire. They lived the remainder of their golden years in relative comfort in the house they built in 1955. The house fell into disrepair as they ignored the upkeep an older home required. Upon their deaths the home was stuck in probate due to them not having a will and none of the kids willing to take over the farm. Once probate was settled the home had sat unused for a year before it was put up for sale. The kids listed the home too high for the slow housing market so the property sat on the market for two years as it continued a slow deterioration into abandoned property.
***
Cara had told Harper the story of discovering the sad house on a drive through the countryside based on a closed eye finger point to a random map of Missouri. Cara had broken up with her most recent girlfriend and knew she needed a change in her life. She dug through her desk and found an old road atlas, one with each state on its own page. In true Cara fashion she dropped the atlas on the floor with the intent of whatever page it landed would be the next destination on her train of life that was ready to move on. When it dropped it flipped open to a map of Missouri. She shrugged with indifference, closed her eyes, and called to her inner muse to guide her wandering finger. With excited trepidation she opened her eyes to see where her new
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