Country Boy

"Great. I'll be in tomorrow morning if that's ok with you?"

"Works for me. Say about 10:00 a.m.?"

"Fine. Have you got anything for Beth yet?"

"Yes, a little. If you bring her with you tomorrow we can talk more about that then if that's acceptable."

Larry and Beth left home early the next morning for town. They stopped at a local cafe and had a large country breakfast before they went to the attorney's office. Beth was alternately excited and bubbly and morose and worried about the visit. She was happy Larry was so successful in his lawsuit but she felt as if her problem was a lost cause and she would continue to be a drag on Larry. Nothing he could say seemed to break her out of her cycle of happiness and fear.

After the normal greetings and obligatory small talk Saul gave Larry the settlement agreement to read. As Larry read the agreement Saul explained the segment he was reading. Finally, over 30 minutes after he began reading Larry sat back and picked up a pen. As he signed the papers he asked, "Ok, now how long will it be before I see any money? I'm afraid I've been spending quite a bit and the accounts are getting pretty low."

When she heard that Beth began to cry and moaned, "Oh, I'm sorry Larry. I was afraid I would be a drag on you. I will leave as soon as I can find a way."

Larry reached over the table and grabbed her hand. He said, "Bullshit. That's not what I meant at all. The small amount of extra expense I have feeding you is completely lost in my expenditures. What I meant was I have spent almost my entire nest egg on the improvements and construction we've been doing out at the place. Generators the size I purchased and the other equipment and building materials DON'T come cheap. I'm really getting tired of you running yourself down and worrying about what I'm spending on you. I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to and if I didn't think you were worth it."

Saul gave Larry a moment to finish calming Beth down then said, "That leads us into the next topic of conversation. Beth I don't know how you would label the news I have to give you. To me, some of it is good and some not so good. To start with, I think you may have some money coming if we can get to it. On the other hand, some of the funds I was checking on for you won't be available to you.

"Your guardian, Bert Simmons, did sell your parent's house. He also filed for your Social Security Survivor's Benefits and collected a small settlement from the trucking company whose truck killed your parent's. The down side is the Social Security was paid with the intent it support you until age 18. Bert was supposed to use the funds for your care and maintenance and save any excess. According to the records at the Social Security office, he did just that. They require he account for the fund expenditure yearly and he did so satisfactorily therefore you have nothing due from them.

"The sale of your parent's property did net a small amount of money over and above the pay off for the loan against the house and the realtors commission. The amount owed the hospital for your parent's treatment, which Mr. Simmons paid, more than used up those funds.

"Guardians in this state are required to account for fund use to the court yearly. I accessed the court records and viewed the accountings. They appear to be acceptable. Even if they weren't accurate, the Judge accepted them so we can't contest the accountings unless we can prove misuse of those funds or that Bert falsified records used in the accountings. A significant sum of the initial settlement was used to pay the remaining medical bills for your parents and the balance was invested in a trust account for you, to be paid you at your 21st birthday. There have been occasional withdrawals from the funds over the years, ostensibly for items for you such as clothes, education costs, medical care and so forth, all documented correctly.

"Right now, the balance of the trust fund is slightly over $47,000. The rent Mr. Simmons paid for your house after you left his home has been the largest expense over the last two years."

Beth exploded when she heard the last statement. She actually jumped out of her chair and almost knocked it over. She shouted, "The rent he paid for my home? That's a load of crap. I was sleeping in a lean to shed on the back of his damn bait shop on a broken down old couch. There wasn't even any heat or running water in the darn shed. In the winter I used to sneak into the bait shop after he left so I could be warm. He made me work for free in his shop for my food and the supposed rent on the shed. That asshole was just stealing my money."

Saul looked shocked at her statement and said, "Please calm down Ms. Jenkins. If what you say is true, we may be able to recover some of those funds if Mr. Simmons has any assets to go after. The good thing is, when you turn 21 you can claim the balance of the saved funds and he can't do anything about it. Do you have any proof you were living in the shed and working for your food? He also claimed several hundred dollars a month expense for your food and clothes."

Beth slowly sat back down and shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't have any real proof. Oh, I suppose someone knew I slept in the shed but I tried to keep it secret because some of the local assholes tried to bother me once when they found out I was there. I had to move somewhere else for a while until they quit trying to find me there. I guess almost everyone that came into the bait shop for a meal knew I worked there."

"Well, I'll do some more digging and see what else I can come up with. If we can prove the rent is bogus we might be able to recover some of those funds but the food, I'm not so sure about since you say you did eat at the bait shop."

"Fine, but can he do that? I mean charge all that money for my meals then make me work there for them too?"

Saul got a large smile on his face then he said, "You might have hit it. Did he ever give you a W-2 form for you to file your taxes with? Did you even file tax returns?"

"No. I wasn't earning any money so why would I file tax returns?"

"Because you received something of value for your labor. He was required to give you a W-2 form with the dollar value of your pay on it and showing the amount he withheld for taxes on your salary and your tips. As an employee, he was also required to pay unemployment taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes on your pay and tips. If he didn't do that and didn't give you the proper forms he is in violation of the law. I'll look into this also. Now, can you prove you worked there?"

"Well, no, but everyone that come into the shop knew I did. All the regulars left me large tips too so they know I made some money. The Sheriff and some of the Police Officers came into the shop to eat sometimes also. I bet they could verify I worked there and the hours I worked. Would that work?"

"Oh, yeah. I'll check with some of them also."

After they left Saul's office Larry drove them to another cafe for lunch before they made their grocery and other purchases. On the way home Beth was still bouncing from excitement over the chance to get several thousand dollars and the fear that something would happen to prevent it. She was also afraid of what Bert would do when or if he got in trouble for what he did to her.

In fact, her fears were justified the very next time they were in town for supplies. Larry heard a loud male voice, a female scream and crashing sounds from behind him. When he turned he saw Bert getting ready to hit Beth once again. She was cowering behind their shopping cart and trying to dodge Bert while not stepping on some of the stock that had fallen from the shelf when she was slammed into it.

Bert yelled, "You fucking cunt. How dare you sick that fucking attorney on me trying to get money out of me. I took you in out of the goodness of my heart and gave you a place to stay when your papa died and now you're trying to fuck with me. I'm only going to tell ya this onct bitch. You get ahold of that there attorney and call him off or the whuppin's I've give ya before will look like childs play. I earned every penny of that there money and I'm keepin' it. If ya hadn't of stuck yer nose into my business it would all be over with in four more months anyway. After ya was 21 it would all of been mine free and clear."

Larry had moved through the scattered groceries covering the floor and approached Bert by the time his diatribe ended. Larry said, "You'd better back off asshole. This is the last time you ever lay hands on Beth. And you're wrong about the money being yours when she turned 21. We know for a fact that any unused money in that trust becomes hers at age 21."

Bert turned toward Larry ad exploded, "YOU. All of this is your fault isn't it? You fucking damn do gooders just can't leave things alone can ya? Well tha same goes fer you asshole. You back off or you'll be sorry too. Everything was going great until you come into my shop and began nosing around. Now you and this cunt have fucked everything up."

Bert pulled his fist back to hit Larry. When he began his swing Larry used his arm to deflect the blow and slammed his fist into Bert's stomach. Bert let out a loud ooooffff and bent forward. Larry started to step into Bert for another blow when he heard, "Sir. Stop right now. Step back and let us handle this."

Larry looked down the aisle to see two patrolmen moving rapidly toward Bert. When they got to him they quickly searched him for weapons then cuffed his hands behind him. While they were doing that, Bert was mouthing off. He said, "What the hell're ya cuffin' me fer? He's the asshole that hit me."

"Well Bert, I think we've finally caught you mistreating and assaulting this girl and committing assault on this man. Look up there." The officer pointed to a black protrusion in the ceiling of the large store. He continued talking, "That is a camera and if we're lucky it caught everything that happened here. You weren't too smart doing this inside here. Of course, no one I ever met ever accused you of being too smart anyway."

One of the Patrolmen led Bert out to the squad car while the other one took information from Beth and Larry. Larry held a crying Beth in his arms as they talked to the Patrolman. After he left, they completed their shopping and returned to Saul's office.

When he came out of his office to see them Saul said, "I thought we were done for the day. How can I help you this afternoon?"

Larry said, "Something came up and we thought you needed to know about it as soon as possible."

Larry and Beth explained what had happened in Wal-Mart to Saul. By the time they were done Saul was smiling. He said, "This is great." He saw the looks on Larry's and Beth's faces and hurried on, "I don't mean your assault is great but if you were going to be assaulted, this is the way for it to happen. I'll get right on this and get copies of that surveillance tape and the police report. This will probably help when we go after Bert for the pay and refund of the rent he supposedly paid out of your trust fund."

The days were getting cooler as the fall progressed. Larry and Beth worked from nearly dawn to dusk to finish the important work so they could live comfortably during the winter. It took them nearly three weeks to get the water wheel built and mounted then another week to connect it to the generator. They had a roof on the building that would house the generator, mill, and shop but no walls. Finally, the day arrived when they made the final connection, opened the millrace, and watched the generator begin to turn. A barely audible hum arose and gages flickered to life as the waterpower was converted to electricity and flowed down the wires.

Larry and Beth went from switch to switch turning on lights and equipment. They were both smiling widely as the power flowed and their small home came to life. According to the gages, he was generating nearly four times the power everything he had connected was using. They had every light in the place turned on. The refrigerator and a freezer were working as well as an electric stove with all the burners and oven on high. They even turned on a small window air conditioner. Larry watched carefully as the generator worked.

After checking and rechecking connections, shafts and everything else he could think of Larry turned to Beth and wrapped his arm around her waist. He said, "I wanted to live off the grid but I think now we need to connect to the power lines. We are generating four times the power we are using and the law requires the power company to purchase our excess power if we are on their grid."

That afternoon Larry called the power company and arranged for them to come out and connect his new home to the grid. Over the course of the next month his initial assessment was proven accurate. Depending on the time of day, they sold between three and five times the power they actually used. It looked as if they would have a nice little check coming in every month for the excess power they generated.

The long winter passed slowly. Neither of the couple did much outside other than the necessary chores. Larry made arrangements to purchase a used 40 horsepower tractor and implements so they could raise their own vegetables, then, when it arrived they cleared and plowed their garden patch. He purchased some turkey litter and worked it into the ground for fertilizer.

In March the whole mess with Bert was finally settled. He was forced to refund the funds he took out of her trust fund for food and rent so Beth ended up with almost $81,000 from it. In addition, he was in trouble with the Federal and State government for all kinds of violations dealing with his failure to pay Beth for her work and failure to withhold and pay taxes on her earnings. He was also in trouble for not providing the documents for her to file taxes and reporting income. After the dust settled, Bert had a whopping fine from the Federal and State governments for the violations plus he was sentenced to a year in prison for the assault and for lying about Beth's work, sentences to run concurrently. The restitution and fines were great enough he lost his business so when he was released from prison he would be destitute. What he didn't have to give Beth, his wife got in the divorce...

CHAPTER 4

A COUNTRY BOY WILL SURVIVE

BY SW MO HERMIT

Larry only received $179,000 from his lawsuits against the companies responsible for his wife's death and his injury. They filed bankruptcy and were forced to liquidate so he did receive some satisfaction from that. His employer had structured the ownership well enough that they were only responsible for the wrongful dismissal part of his lawsuits and the permanent health insurance requirement. That might not have been possible except for the sneaky way his attorney structured the settlements, piggybacking the insurance on the employers policy.

After Larry and Beth received their funds they invested the majority of the money. Beth did purchase the first new clothes she ever bought for herself and made a few other personal purchases. Larry bought some equipment that would make life easier for them. By growing their own food—animals as well as vegetables—the couple was able to actually save money even with no full time employment. The power Larry sold to the electric utility each month came to between $150 and $250 per month. Many months that was enough to purchase the items they did not produce themselves. Rarely did they have to dip into the interest their invested funds generated.

The next year seemed to rush past before they hardly knew. They worked hard and rested as the mood struck. They had acres of food growing and built pens for hogs and chickens. They fenced in a pasture for some young cattle they were going to raise for beef. Of course, they also built shelters for the animals. Many hot days in the summer found them on the Buffalo river swimming, fishing or just sitting around visiting with the many people who floated down the stream in canoes.

It was a fantastic life, one of minimal responsibility and maximum pleasure. The peacefulness of their surroundings allowed each to heal from the trauma of their earlier existence. And, as they each healed, they each found something they missed. They became closer to each other as the year flowed by. Neither noticed how unsettled they were when not in the other's presence but each knew they felt much more content if they were with the other.

Finally, it happened, they realized that, without knowing, they became a family, committed to each other and neither knew how to take the relationship to the next level; or if they even wanted to do so. They were comfortable with each other but there wasn't the deep love Larry felt for Sharon.

Finally, Larry decided to take the bull by the horns. They were having one of their rare down days, a self imposed holiday if you will. Larry was doing a BBQ on a rack of ribs, Beth made a killer German Potato Salad and they made a lettuce salad for a green veggie. Larry also threw four ears of corn on the grill to go with.

We all know the recipe for good BBQ and so did Larry. Of course, the recipe starts 'First, pour several beers into the cook, then...' Each of the two was well into the beer when Larry wobbled up to the BBQ he built near the dam. He checked the ribs, detoured past the cooler and snagged each another beer before resuming his seat.

Larry looked at Beth and said, "Beth, you've been here a little over a year now and have been a super help to me. I'm not trying to get rid of you but lately it seems as if there is something bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?"

Beth started crying and turned her head away from Larry for a moment. She took a shuddering breath and finally said, "I just don't know Larry. I mean, there has to be more to life than this doesn't there? I mean, you're so smart and know everything about computers and electrical things and stuff and I just barely got out of high school and don't know squat. You've been to so many different places and seen so much. I feel like such a dummy when you start talking about things. I love our place here and our life but I want to know more, I want to do more..."

"Ok. What are you trying to tell me here Beth?"

"Larry, I guess. Well, do you think I could go to college too? I don't want to flip burgers all my life and I don't want to just exist either. I want to do something and, oh, I don't know. I want to see the world. I want to lay on a beach and eat fancy meals and wear fine clothes and I can't do that now. Do you think I could go to college and learn something that I can make enough money at to do those things?"

"Beth I don't know. I mean, I know you could go to college and make something of yourself. I have no doubt about that but I don't know how much you can earn. A lot of that depends on your degree and the job you take. What are your interests?"

"I always liked building things and fixing broken things. Can I make much doing that?"

"I don't know what you could do in those lines. Look, I'm too messed up right now to do this. Why don't we go to the school tomorrow and get your records so we can see what you were good at in school. We'll talk about what you like and think you might want to do then make a plan for you. If you work some and are careful the money you have in the bank will pay for your education at a fairly good college if you are accepted."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in raucous merriment drinking, eating and swimming in the millpond. From time to time Beth would ask, "Do you think I could do XXX" or "I think I might like to study YYYY."

As he promised, the next morning Larry and Beth went to town and got her school records. To Larry's surprise, many of her grades were very good. Some weren't however. She actually made almost perfect grades in Mathematics and the few science courses she took, except for biology. She had top grades in wood shop and metal shop also. Not many women even took those classes. Her grades in history and english were not so good. Over all, she graduated from high school with a 3.14 out of 4.0 average and placed about the middle of her graduating class.