The House

By Dawn Natelle

Another little chapter that brings another 24 beings to the house: Dawn.

Chapter 17 –

After Lois and Dan got to the house in early afternoon, Daisy told them that they were to stay as long as they wanted. There was a fantastic aroma in the house while Willow’s first batch of bread was baking. She had left it in the oven when she went over to the store to cover the two evening buses, and Daisy took it out of the oven.

After it cooled in the pans for a few minutes, Grey was anxious to get the wonderful smelling food out where it could cool faster, and be tasted quicker. He lifted the pans and turned them over, and shook. And shook. The bread wobbled a bit, but would not release from the pans.

“It’s stuck,” he said.

“Try running a knife around it,” Daisy suggested.

Grey did that, around all four sides of all four loaves, and nothing happened, except a bit more wobbling. “Can you pull on one?” he asked Daisy.

She did, and soon the loaf popped free. Or at least part of it did. The top and sides of the loaf came free, but the bottom inch or so was stuck in the bread pan. Grey set the pan down, and used a fork to scrape it off the bottom of the pan.

“It looks like Willow didn’t use anything to grease the pans,” Daisy said.

“Anyway, it is good,” Grey mumbled with some of the bread from the bottom of the pan in his mouth. “How do we get the rest out?”

“Same way, I guess,” Daisy said. “There is no way to get it out intact.” So Grey just pulled the tops of the bread out, scrapping the bottoms, and then set the pan in one of the sinks to soak.

“It is still edible, just not pretty,” Grey said. “Willow will be so upset.”

Over supper, more than a loaf of the bread was eagerly eaten, and Willow explained that at the grocery store you didn’t need to grease the pans. “Now that I think of it, every six months or so they sent half the pans to a place in Ottawa to put some Teflon kind of stuff on them.”

“Well, until you get those Tefloned, you will have to grease them,” Daisy said. “You can use butter, shortening, bacon fat (which gives the bread a wonderful flavor), or even Sun’s bear fat.”

“Nobody is touching my bear fat,” Sun said, mock-angrily. “Do you know how hard it is to get more? You have to kill a very angry bear.”

“I will try bacon-fat tomorrow,” Willow said.

“Tomorrow?” Grey asked. “I mean we ate an entire loaf today. There are almost three left. Will we need more tomorrow?”

“I want to take it to the store, if it turns out better,” the woman explained. “I’m hoping that Frank likes the idea of using fresh bread in the sandwiches for the buses. I’ll go in a half hour earlier for the morning and test it out on them. Four loaves only makes 36 sandwiches, so we need a lot more than four loaves in a day.”

“Nine per loaf,” Dan calculated. “You could get more if you sliced thinner. I cut the slices big today because they aren’t full loaves without bottoms.”

“No, I love that thickness,” Willow said. “I mean it is about half again as thick as a Wonder Bread slice, but that adds to the charm of the whole home-baked thing.”

After dinner Sun practically dragged Willow to the phone to call her parents. She came back with tears in her eyes.

“They are coming down from Sudbury tomorrow. Apparently Dad has a job with the Ministry of Natural Resources up there, but he said he would take a couple personal days. Mom wanted to get into the car immediately and drive through the night. They really want to meet Darryl.” She turned to her son. “Make sure you put some clean clothes on tomorrow. Your grandparents will be in around noon, if Dad leaves at 6 a.m. like I suspect he will.”

Grey woke before dawn, as usual, and was surprised to hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Willow had been up for most of the night, making another batch of bread: eight loaves this time, in pans greased with bacon fat. She had slept for short periods while the bread was rising, and decided that the bread in the proofing chamber was ready to go into the hot oven. She smiled at Grey when he came in just as she was loading the second set of pans.

“I decided to double the recipe and make eight loaves,” she said. “I really hope it will turn out well, and that Frank likes the idea. I could use the second oven, and make 16 in a batch. That might be enough bread for the store each day.”

“What will you sell it for?” Grey asked.

“I don’t know. Frank buys Wonder Bread for $2.50 a loaf. To beat that I would have to charge $2.25,” she said. “So 16 loaves would be $36 a day, or about $250 a week. That would help with my salary.”

“How much do the ingredients cost?”

“Oh, I forgot that. I will have to figure it out.” She sat down and did some calculations, finally looking up in shock. “The ingredients cost $1.40 a loaf, and that doesn’t count the cost of power for the stoves, or any rental to Daisy for using this kitchen. I guess I won’t make a fortune like I thought. I’ll make less than a dollar a loaf.”

“Maybe you are looking at it the wrong way,” Grey suggested. “Your bread is way better than Wonder Bread, so it should cost more, not less. Price the bread at $3.50 a loaf for anyone who wants to buy a loaf. You can offer it to Frank for $2.90 a loaf. That way you earn $1.50 per loaf.”

“That is better,” Willow agreed.

“But is it worth $24 a day to be getting up in the early morning to make bread, especially on the days when you are working eight hours at the store?” Grey asked. She didn’t have an answer to that but was committed to her plan.

In a short time the smell of baking bread permeated through the house, causing people to wake earlier than normal. Sun was first out, and she started to fry up bacon and eggs for the crew she knew would be coming in soon.

“Another dozen eggs gone,” she mentioned to Grey. “We may need to get the old henhouse up and running again.”

“Dan has something in the works,” Willow said, but she wouldn’t go into detail and others came into the kitchen just then.

“Fresh bread smells wonderful,” Lois said as she came in for her first breakfast in her new home. Dan and Dary were right behind her.

“This batch is for the store,” Willow said.

“But we still have yesterday’s broken loaves, and they are still fresh,” Grey said as he sliced some of that bread.

As the breakfast dishes were being washed, Willow took out the bread. She inverted each of the four greased pan sets, and the bread slid out easily, with the slightest aroma of bacon on them. They were set out to cool, and just before Willow went to the store they were piled into two clean pillowcases. Willow put one over each shoulder and carried the bread off to the store.

“My god, I love your new perfume,” Frank joked as she walked into the store. The smell of the fresh bread quickly filled the store. Willow went into the back of the sandwich counter and pulled out bread, piling it on the counter behind. She took one loaf and sliced off several thick slices. She buttered one slice, laid a base of lettuce, a slice of ham and another of cheese, and then spread mayo over the top slice. She cut the bread in half and handed one to Frank and the other to Miriam. Their eyes widened in amazement as they each bit into their samples.

“I want one too,” Wendy cried out as she watched the foodgasms that the others were experiencing. Willow made another, this one egg salad, slicing it in half for Wendy, and then the other half in quarters for the bosses to taste.

“Okay, that was wonderful,” Miriam said. “It looks like you have over a dozen loaves here. Have you started a bakery?”

“Sort of. I was hoping you would want to try it out.”

They really didn’t have much chance to refuse. People coming into the store smelled the fresh bread, and by the time the bus came in they had already used up almost three loaves, and the rest of the first one. The remaining dozen went during the two buses, but the riders would not realize what a treat they were getting until they got on the road again.

“You head out now,” Frank said when they were cleaning up after the second bus. “You came in early. I don’t suppose you can make more bread for the evening busses, can you?”

Willow calculated, and decided it was impossible. Bread is a food that cannot be rushed. “Sorry, a batch started now wouldn’t be ready until nine, and the last bus comes at 7. Besides, I have some company coming today. I can make more tomorrow. Do you want 24 or 32?”

“Go with the 32,” Frank said. “I suspect we will sell more to the café crowd, and some people will want to take full loaves home as word-of-mouth gets around town. A couple asked to buy a loaf today, but I had to turn them down.”

Willow took her empty pillowcases for the house, and was just walking out the door when she noticed a car filling up at the self-service. The man looked familiar: “Dad?” she said.

“Jennifer,” he said, looking up from the pump. “What are you doing here?”

“I work here,” she said, and then suddenly rushed to hug the man she hadn’t seen in over 12 years. She was in tears almost immediately. The woman in the car got out, wondering who was hugging her husband, and immediately recognized her.

“Jennifer, my baby,” she sobbed as she cut into the hug. “I have missed you every day since you left us.”

“You girls get into the car,” her father, Wilf, said. “I’ll pay for the gas and then you can take me to meet my grandson.”

Minutes later they were at the house. It was an hour before lunch, so they went into the Great Hall living room where Darryl was reading his new books.

“Darryl,” Willow said. “I want you to meet some people. This is your grandfather, and this is your grandmother.”

“I already have a grandmother,” the boy said as he stood up.

“Yes,” Daisy said. “But most people have two grandmothers. Go give her a hug.”

He walked up to Wilf, and politely shook his hand. But Elaine, his grandmother, was having none of that. She immediately pulled the boy into a hug, and after a minute he melted into the love that she was radiating.

“This is a wonderful house, Jennifer,” Elaine said, with the boy still trapped in her arms.

“I go by Willow now,” Willow said. “Getting closer in touch with my heritage, and washing away some of the pain of the last 12 years. Oh Mom, I was so stupid. I should have listened to you.”

“But then you wouldn’t have this treasure, would you?” Elaine said, still holding Darryl. “We knew he was not a good man, but the more we tried to tell you, the more you fought for him.”

“He wasn’t bad for the first few years,” Willow said. “But after a while, especially when he felt Darryl wasn’t turning into the kind of man he was … well, things got bad. He started drinking: a lot.”

“Where is he?” Wilf asked. “I’d like to take a cane to him. That is the only thing that makes that type learn.”

“He is gone,” Willow said. “An accident a few days ago.”

“I’m glad,” Dary said from his position on Elaine’s lap. “He can never hit us again.”

“He hit you!” Wilf nearly roared, getting red in the face with rage.

“It is over, Daddy,” Willow said. “Everything turned out right. Daisy here owns this house, she adopted Darryl as a grandson.” She introduced the others as well.

Lunch was sandwiches made from Willow’s first batch of bread, and her parents had a chuckle about why the bread didn’t have bottoms on the slices. They did rave about the bread’s taste, though, and another loaf and a half was eaten.

After lunch the older ladies went to nap, and Willow and Sun took Elaine on a tour of the house and the property. The men went out to the grove, and surprisingly Dary stayed with the women.

Wilf, as a conservation officer, was interested in all aspects of the property, and Grey gave the explanation of how the natives had cared for the land for so many years, until Lone Goose had died.

“It was a bit of a mess when I took over,” Grey said. “Saplings and underbrush all though the grove. I finally cleared that all out.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen such a beautiful stand of Black Walnut,” Wilf said, immediately recognizing the species. He then looked at piles of underbrush. “I like the way you have piled all the underbrush between the rows of trees.”

“I call them the hedges,” Grey said. “I left about five foot wide sections between the trees, and then piled all the cut saplings and branches over them: anything where the wood was too small to be usable. It makes a good hiding place for smaller animals like chipmunk, gopher, and squirrels, and even ground birds like quail. It keeps the Grove alive and busy.”

The three men stood in the center of the grove and just let the ambience of the setting wash over them.

“It is a mystical place,” Dan suggested. “Grey brings people out here to let them find their spirit animal.”

“Can you do that for me?” Wilf asked. “My parents didn’t get into the old ways, and both my grandparents died when I was young.”

Grey sent Dan back to the house, asking him to bring the women out to the Grove. He then put his arms around Wilf and sang his calling song, while both of had closed eyes. When Wilf opened his, for a moment he could not see any animal. Then, far into the forest, he saw a wolf staring at him intently. It moved slightly, then ran away.

“That was amazing,” Wilf said. “You have to do it for Elaine.”

“I will. I sent Dan back to the house to get them. I did Darryl a few weeks back, and he saw a squirrel. Dan is a hawk, and Willow was a raccoon. You are the first wolf. It only works for people who are at least a part native. Look, there they come.”

“He is a lovely boy,” Wilf said, eyes on his grandson skipping beside the women in the distance. “You know he adores you like a father? I see it in his eyes. I am so glad that there is a good man in his life now.”

“Me?” Grey scoffed. “I am only a few years older than him. He calls me his uncle, but it is really more like a big brother.”

“Uncle, big brother, father: the title doesn’t matter,” Wilf said. “It is what you do for him that counts.”

“Dan left to make his afternoon calls on the seniors,” Sun said as they approached.

“Why don’t you take the others over to see the spring, Sun,” Grey asked. “Leave Elaine with me. Wilf wants her to discover her spirit animal.”

Five minutes later he led the awestruck woman to the spring. Willow and her Dad were catching up, and Sun was cleaning up the wigwams, feeling that Grey’s level of housekeeping was not up to hers. Dary was off near the edge of the clearing, apparently having a chat with some squirrels.

“She is a chipmunk,” Grey told them, getting her a drink of water in the tin cup that had somehow made it to the spring.

Her eyes opened wider as she drank down the ice cold water. “This is wonderful. This whole experience is wonderful. It is the most rewarding event of my life, other than getting married and giving birth to Jennifer.”

“Willow,” the girl reminded her.

“Oh yes, sorry. But you will have to give an old lady a break. I’ve thought of you as Jennifer for years. My poor, lost daughter,” Elaine gave Willow a hug.

“Let’s head back to the house now,” Sun suggested. “I don’t worry about Daisy being left alone anymore, now that Lois has moved in. But I have some more work to do in the mill, and Grey can show Wilf how he makes a canoe. He has three in various stages of construction. Willow has to head off to the store for her afternoon shift.”

“I would dearly like to see canoe building,” the older man said.

“So would I,” Elaine said. Darryl decided to accompany his grandparents, since the dirty old mill had no attractions for him.

Almost two hours later, Dan drove into the lane, and came out to the canoe shed carrying a cardboard box. There was a noise coming from the box.”

“What’s in there?” the curious little boy asked.

Dan pulled back the top of the carton, and Dary immediately saw that it was full of two dozen day-old chicks.

“How cute,” Darryl sang out. “Can I hold one?”

“If you are very careful,” Dan said. “Those little suckers cost me almost $3 each.” He turned to Rabbit, who was running back and forth in excitement. “These are not for your dinner,” he told the dog, who immediately stopped, and reacted with a ‘who? me?’ look.

Dary scooped up one of the little birds and gently cuddled it in his hands, bringing it up to his cheek, so he could run the tiny feathers against his face. “What do we do with them?” he asked.

“I talked about this with your Mom, and she thinks you are ready for this. Do you want to be the Mama chicken for these little ones? They need to be fed and watered several times a day at this age, and most importantly have a place where they can be warm. Do you want the job? It does involve cleaning up bird poop as well.”

“Oh, yes please,” he said in a small voice. “I would love to be their Mama. What do I need to do?”

“Come into the stables then,” Dan said, picking up the noisy box. Darryl held his chick in his hands as he followed Dan.

Inside the stable you could see that there had been quite a bit of work done. The five stable stalls had been cleaned and scoured, but at the back of the building there was a chicken coop. A long piece of eavestrough pipe was lying on the ground. Dan set the birds down there.

“This used to be a blacksmith, I think,” Dan said. “There is an little apartment in the back that I think the smith lived in.”

“There is a water tap right between those two big fire pits. Take this pail and fill it about a quarter full. Don’t fill it any more, or you won’t be able to lift it. Water is heavy.” Darryl did so, and then filled the eavestrough slowly. Water sloshed all the way to the blocked ends, and the pipe was tilted so that the small birds could reach the water level. They all went straight for the pipe and started to lap up water.

“They are thirsty,” Darryl said as he watched his young charges drink.

“They haven’t had water for a day,” Dan said. “They were sent in the mail to the TSC store in Tweed, where I picked them up. Next we need to feed them. I have several bags of feed in the truck.

“I’m ahead of you,” Grey said. “Here it is.”

Dan tore off the top of the bag, and told Dary to take out two big handsful of chick starter feed. He put it in a little pile, and as soon as some chicks had their full of water, they moved to the pile. Soon there were too many to feed comfortably, so Darryl made three other piles, with five to seven chicks at each.

“That should last them for about an hour,” Dan said. “Then you will have to refill the piles. The next ones will probably last four hours, since they won’t be so starved by then. You need to come out early in the morning to put more out and check the water. You want these to be full laying chickens in four or five months.”

He then led the boy to the coop itself. There were 30 nesting places in three rows at the back. “The chicks are too small for these,” Dan said. “But when they get bigger they will want to make nests. Before that we will have to bring in straw and make starter nests. I know where to get a bale of straw. And after that, you will have to start checking for eggs. I expect we will get 14 or 15 eggs a day for about a year, and then we need to get new chicks in and go through it all again.”

“What happens to the old ones when the new ones come in?” Dary said, suspecting he knew the answer.

“They will become dinner. We will eat a lot of chicken for about a month,” Grey said.

“Oh,” a small voice said. “It is that circle of life thing you told me about, isn’t it? Will I have to kill them?”

“No, I think one of us will handle that,” Dan said. “Your job is just to keep them alive. There is one more thing they need that I didn’t tell you about yet. They have to be kept warm. Momma hens actually sit on the babies until they get bigger. Here we have a hot box.” He took Darryl over to a wooden box that had three 150-watt incandescent light bulbs burning in it. These bulbs will keep them warm. Two will do the job, but with only one, or worse none, the chicks will die. So you have to check each day that no bulbs are burnt out. And if there is a power outage, you will need to come out here with some blankets, and lie down so they can crowd around you for heat.”

“I would be like the Momma then,” Dary said proudly.

“Yes you would. And look! There are four that have already found Rabbit and are cuddling up to him.”

“Let them stay with him for a bit,” Grey suggested. “He will become protective of them. I don’t think Rabbit will spend any more nights in the house. That is a good thing. We don’t have any foxes around the house now, but if there are adult chickens, we will. Rabbit is big enough to keep foxes away.”

“Good idea,” Dan said. “You can stay here till Sun comes in for dinner. By then Rabbit will be fed up being a Momma, so you can start taking the chicks into the hotbox when there are 10 or so cuddling him, and the rest when Sun comes. I guess another job for you will to bring Rabbit his dinner each night.”

“You can come back to check on them after dinner,” Grey said. “But you are to come to bed when it starts to get dark.”

“Dan said there is a room back there,” Dary said. “Can I live there?”

“No, I don’t think your mother would approve of that,” Grey said. “Besides, as the chicks get bigger, they need less and less care. It won’t be a full time job. For you. Rabbit might find it is. After supper you should bring out the skins from his bed, along with his supper. He can drink out of the eaves trough.”

As the men walked back to the house, leaving the excited boy with his new tasks, Wilf spoke for the first time” “That is a good thing you two are doing for Darryl. He is just old enough for some responsibility, and he will grow with it.”

“Responsibility?” Dan said with a laugh. “I’m doing it for the fresh eggs.”