Dana's Valley (10 page)

Corey, beside himself with excitement, scampered through the trees, exclaiming at each early bird he noticed. Apparently they had been studying birds at school, and he was setting out to become the expert. Dana dutifully followed him. I moved around with Brett more systematically, wanting an overview of the property.

The street side was thick with trees. A jumble of bare branches stretched up to form a tangled web above us, and the air smelled wet and woodsy. There were still mounds of snow in places where the sun hadn't been able to reach, but we tramped forward as if we were frontier explorers. It was wonderful.

Once we were through the trees, we could see we were on a hill that sloped down from the road. We knew that somewhere behind us the property line stopped, because we could make out the stubbled stalks of a cornfield. A wonderful view stretched on to where there had to be a river. A line of trees meandered away to the west.

To the south, Brett pointed out, there was another cluster of trees and a big house tucked into it, looking as if it had been built recently and the grass hadn't been planted yet. To the north, there was a steeper slope that stretched downward to a sprawling assortment of farm buildings. We weren't quite sure what the shapes were that dotted the field, but they seemed like they might be cattle or sheep.

Brett looked back over his shoulder at me. “We could build a ramp. For skateboards. Out here we could build an awesome ramp. I could never build one in town. But I'll bet Dad'll let me build here. Just imagine how big we could make it.”

I was still wondering how the conversation between Mom and Dad was going. I didn't want to make too many plans until I saw how that turned out. Actually, I didn't see Dad as a country dweller.

Just then Mom and Dad emerged from the wooded area and joined us on the hillside. It appeared she'd been able to talk him into walking around with her. They stood looking out over the valley together and talking quietly.

“I like the view so much,” Dana enthused. “It's like a picture. Where would we build the house?”

Dad was the one who answered. “It
is
a nice property. There's no question about that. A person could clear a few of the trees up near the road for a lane and put the house back here where it looks down this hill.” He seemed to be thinking things through as he spoke. “I suppose a well would be necessary. Or maybe the housing development has water out here. But there would be the added cost of bringing in the utilities. In a neighborhood, that would already be included in the lot price. I wonder how much that would run.”

“We could ask John and Nancy Kelly,” Mom pointed out. “They just built their home a few years ago. It might be unreasonable to pay that extra, but it does seem that you'd get a nice location for your effort.” The two had gone back to talking only to each other.

“Well, there's no denying that the location is nice. But I think it's also more costly to build out here and harder to sell. I'll have to check around and see how other homes compare.”

“But if the money from Dad's estate can cover the added expense of the land, it shouldn't cost us any more than what we'd planned.” Mom was trying hard not to sound as if she were pressing him, but we could tell where her heart was.

I listened quietly, trying to decide if I liked the idea of country living.

“Possibly,” I heard Dad say.

“I know that it's farther from school and friends, but—” Dad interrupted. “That's another thing we'd have to check on, Angie. I'm not sure it would be the same school system.”

Dana, Brett, and I froze. Mom looked thoughtful. They had mentioned once or twice that we might have to change schools if we couldn't find a lot close enough, but we had each held out hope that it wouldn't happen.

“Where would we go to school?” I knew Dana was working hard to keep her voice under control.

Mom and Dad suddenly seemed aware that we were listening. Dad sounded cautious as he answered, “I'm not sure. This little town is much too small to have its own school, so maybe there's a bus that comes out here to take you back to your school. I'm just not sure. It would be another thing we'd have to check.”

“Well, anyway,” Mom concluded the discussion brightly, “we've enjoyed our first picnic of the year and dreamed a little dream. Maybe that's all that will come of this, but I've enjoyed myself. Anybody else had a nice time?”

“It was great!” Corey's exuberance hadn't ebbed.

We wandered back through the trees and climbed into the van, avoiding the topic of the acreage. It wasn't until days later that we kids managed to overhear more as our parents gathered information. The land behind the neighboring house would soon be developed, and many new homes added. So the lane from the housing development would become a paved road. The field behind the land we'd looked at would stay as it was. Dad said it would help the resale of any house built on that land to have the subdivision near it. That was one point in favor of the land. On the other hand, it might be some time before construction there would begin, and we probably would have to watch it being developed over the next five to ten years. That might be unsightly.

The biggest drawback to the property came when it was confirmed that the school system would be different. Children in that area were bused in the opposite direction from our town. And in my mind, that was the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Dad said we'd need to pray about it for a while, but the real estate agent was saying we didn't have long to decide. I hoped God would speak quickly. My own feelings were torn. I had seen Corey nearly burst with excitement every time he described the acreage, and I could picture him living there. The vivid image drew me. Even Brett had become excited about the possibility of living “out,” as he called it. Dana and I were the ones who hesitated.

I personally was surprised that Brett was so open to the idea. I think it helped him to remember that Dad was allowing him to try for his driver's license during the summer, and so the place seemed less isolated to him. I think he pictured bringing all his friends over and having room to roam—or build a skateboard ramp, or whatever. Brett was talking a lot about skateboards lately.

I hoped I wasn't expected to be excited about Brett's dreams of his own ramp. He'd likely bring all his new skateboarding friends to enjoy it. I couldn't imagine much peace or solitude with a gang of guys Brett's age occupying our yard. I could almost hear the clunk and whir of the skateboards against wood, and it seemed to me to be hopelessly out of place on that quiet hillside. And I was certain he wouldn't let me participate anyway. We didn't even play basketball together much anymore. He was much more anxious to be with his new friends. No, the ramp was not something I would look forward to.

One day passed, and then another. There were frequent calls from the real estate agent alerting Dad that someone else had been looking at the property. Even Mom had lost her conviction that it was “just right.” Switching schools was not what she'd had in mind.

In the end, the land won out in all our hearts. For various reasons, we each came to believe that it was worth the sacrifices we'd have to make in the short term to have what we pictured as an idyllic setting in the long term. Dana and I agreed to it because, being best friends, we were sure we wouldn't really be lonely. And Corey's excitement was contagious. Also, Dad had promised that we'd still make the drive to our church so we weren't going to lose touch with our friends completely. The turning moment for the two of us was when Dana pointed out that she and I probably would be in different schools next year anway, and we might as well move to an area we liked so much.

Once we had finally decided for sure, Grandma went to meet with Uncle Patrick to make the arrangements for him to put her house on the market. We knew then that she was with us to stay.

So Mom and Dad left us watching Corey while they dashed about to numerous meetings with architects, contractors, and bankers. It was all happening so quickly now. And I found myself daydreaming about what it would all be like when it was finished. I guess, without realizing it, I was becoming as excited as Corey.

Immediately after Brett's birthday, he tried for his driver's license. He failed and spent the rest of the day slamming around the house, muttering things about unfairness and biases against teenage guys. He and Dad took frequent trips to parking lots, where he practiced for next time. He was sure he'd be ready. I wondered if Dad felt Brett had been failed unjustly or if he too thought Brett needed a little more experience. But he kept encouraging and coaching.

I was beginning to think the whole driving issue was tougher on Mom. Even though Brett had grown just as tall as Dad during the last school year, I could tell that Mom wasn't convinced he was ready for the responsibility of driving. And I noticed she was never the one to take Brett out for his practice sessions.

After a couple of weeks, Dad took Brett to the city to try again. I think this time they were both very excited. We watched them drive off down the street and wondered if the next time we saw Brett he'd be beside himself with joy—or glum again. I was certainly hoping for joy.

When the two returned, it was definitely joy we saw. That joy radiated out through the windshield from Brett's face, behind the steering wheel of Dad's car. Corey and I rushed to the front porch and cheered as they mounted the steps. Corey was twirling and bobbing in fits.

“He made it. Brett can drive by hisself! He can drive
me
around. Let's go. Come on.”

Brett picked him up and tossed him into the air. Then he looked back at Dad. “Can we?”

Dad grinned and held the keys out to Brett again, saying, “You'd better take the van this time.” With an air of excitement, everyone jumped at once to climb in. Only Grandma stayed behind.

We kept mostly to the less-traveled roads, Mom telling Brett to slow down a bit and Corey repeating, “Speed up. Speed up.” Finally Dad insisted that he hush.

It was exhilarating to watch Brett. His face shone even though he tried not to let his excitement show. And on the way home, Mom suggested that we “hit the drive-through for ice cream cones.” We all caught the pun and howled our response.

Dad said with a grin, “Don't bother to hit it. Just pull up at the window.” That brought a rowdy whoop from the backseat where Corey and I were riding.

Mom patted Brett's shoulder, and Dana just smiled and looked content. I suppose each of us was anticipating the additional possibilities we'd experience with another driver in the family.

When we celebrated Dana's thirteenth birthday in grand style, it had an underlying feeling of a “farewell party.” All Dana's school pals were invited, and most of them managed to gather in our backyard for hot dogs and games. I wandered through the crowd of familiar kids and wondered if we'd ever fit in so well in the new school. Mom and I had spent much time together preparing for the party. I tried not to let my feelings spoil the day, but I'm not sure I succeeded very well. Looking at these friends and realizing that I would rarely see them anymore, I had a hard time getting myself up to celebrating anything. This was besides the fact that Dana was now a teenager and I was still just a preteen.

And, further, Dana had become increasingly distant. She seldom wanted to ride bikes or do anything with me. In fact, outside of school and church, Dana rarely went anyplace anymore. We were all a little baffled, but we had hopes she'd pull out of it shortly. Mom maintained that it was all part of growing up. I sure hoped I wouldn't become gloomy and introspective when it was my turn.

Shortly after the party, Dana fell ill. We assumed it was a simple cold with a mild fever, and that it might even explain her recent sullenness. Then she developed a strange rash on her face. So Mom took her into the doc~tor twice, and Dana was given antibiotics. It must have worked because the rash went away, though she still dragged around. And, try as I might, I couldn't talk her into joining me when I explored our emerging new house. She routinely waited in the car reading a book while Mom and Dad talked to the builders and Corey trotted along behind me.