He buys an old Chevy pickup truck. Blue, like he had back in the farming days. It's a beautiful day, he takes a long drive out to the country. Finds a huge farm with a for sale sign. The farmer is on a back field, well past the old farm house and outbuildings, driving an old gray Ford tractor, dragging a single bottom plow. As the old tractor labors through the spring ground, the engine labors and revs up and down, the smell of beautiful black earth, the first furrows the center of the field turned toward each other, the farmer working his way out toward the edges of the field with rhthmic efficiency, Jim remembers the first time his dad let him plow the old pumpkin field near the pond by the willow trees. It was cool that his dad had let him plow, how old was he, nine? Later, when he told him mom, she became worried and cried a little. She looked old then, that's when he knew he was growing up and the freedom he felt the first time he drove that tractor dragging the plow, and turning over the fresh black Midwest earth - that's when he knew he would leave the farm and create his own world.
Loses track of time, the farmer ignoring him, Jim lost in thought, the tractor draws to the end of the row nearest to Jim, the old farmer cuts the engine, stiffly climbs down off the tractor, walks up to Jim who holds out his hand and shakes and introduces himself.
The farmer says, yup. I saw the for sale sign. Wife's sick, kids want us to move to a retirement home near the city. Sorry. Not so bad, hear the food's pretty good. This is what I'll miss.
I'd like to lease your farm, you can come out and work as much as you want, it's still yours. I could do that for a while, but I need six thousand a month for the home. I could do that. Jim sticks his hand out
.
Done. You can't cut down that grove of trees over there. It's your land, I'll be needing your help. You wouldn't mind leaving the retirement home and coming out here and helping me with your farm? The old farmer grins.
