Lemonade Under the Maple Tree

Grandpa  Gerald Emerick used to come to our house too.  He planted all kinds of wonderful crops in the back yard.  I would come home for lunch and eat cherry tomatoes in the garden instead of sitting at the table with a sandwich and a glass of milk.

There was a certain peace outside you could not find indoors.  Grandpa knew this.  That is why he was there.  He would occasionally get tired and take a chair under the maple tree and sit down sweating and hot.  I would see him there and bring out a tall glass of lemonade.  We would sit and talk.  I loved having someone to talk to that was not a parent.  He told me great stories. My favorite one was the story about the Beanblossoms.

When Marjorie and Gerald Emerick were first married, they lived in tenement housing in Columbus, Ohio.  This three apartment house was shared with Mr. and Mrs. Beanblossom, Mr. and Mrs.  Hohottle  and all of their children.  The children played in the back yard together, and the fathers shared the responsibility of keep the furnace going through the winter and buy the coal.  The months of October, and November went to Mr. Emerick.  The months of December and January went to Mr. Beanblossom. And the months of February and March went to Mr. Hohottle.  Each father took a week in April to shovel the last bits of coal into the furnace in the morning when needed.  The coal bin was usually empty by April 21^st and it was too warm to need any more after that. 

Everything went smoothly.  Gerry worked for an architectural firm and studied. Mr. Beanblossom was studying to be a Pastor.  Mr. Hohottle worked at the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. The wives took care of their homes.

One day Gerald and Marjorie decided they wanted to go on vacation to Grandpa’s farm.  The parents enjoyed the relaxing break they got.  They could sit in the sun under the maple tree and drink lemonade together.  They could see new things and help in the kitchen and the field to make things easier for the grandparents.  The food tasted better after a hard day’s work and the fresh garden vegetables made everyone thrive.  The sad day came when it was time to go back home. 

Everyone was loaded up in the car and out came grandpa with a bag.  Marjorie looked at Gerald with that almost frozen fearful look he only saw once before when she looked over the fence down at the raging Niagara Falls on their honeymoon.  The bag was wiggling.  The kids in the back seat were wiggling too.  This was going to be a long drive home.  She was silent. She would just let him take care of it. 

When they got home the coal bin was empty because it was June, so he put the bag and its contents in the bin.  Every Sunday for six weeks Gerald would come up from the coal bin with a fresh chicken in a roasting pan ready for Marge to cook.  They were the best tasting chickens ever. 

September came and it was time to start the new semester at divinity school for Mr. Beanblossom, and Mr. Emerick at architecture school.  It was also time to start the coal order.  So, Gerald knocked on Mr. Beanblossom’s door.  He always enjoyed a little chat.  “Come on in Gerry”  .

 “ Well, don’t mind if I do.” Gerry replied. 

“What’s on your mind?” Mr. Beanblossom said.

 “ Well, I just come from the coal shop, and thought we might settle up with our bills, and plan our schedule for the coming winter.”  He pulled out his little pad and pencil from his breast pocket.

“Splendid idea. Come and sit down at the table and try one of these sugar cookies the Mrs. just baked.”Mr. Beanblossom pulled him up a chair at the living room table.

“I could smell them in the hallway.  I was hoping you would ask.” Gerry said.

“Gerry.  Have you noticed that I just haven’t seemed myself lately?  Well… I haven’t been.  I have been hearing noises.  I thought I was crazy.  I really did.  Why here we are in the middle of Columbus. In the city and I have been hearing chickens.  I moved out of the country because I couldn’t stand the sound of chickens.  I thought I might be creating this thought that I should be in the country again, and my brain is tricking me to hear these noises.  Well, let me tell you what I did.  I went to one of them new-fangled mind doctors.  You know uh what do you call them? Psychologists?   I went to Mr. Haltsmen PhD. up on High Street.  It cost five dollars an hour, but it was worth it.  I saw him every week for six weeks. The sound got less and less until I didn’t hear it. If you ever have a problem with your mind, go to him. He really knows what he is doing.” Mr. Beanblossom  praised Mr. Haltsmen PhD. And Gerald bit his pencil so very hard that it almost broke in half. He had to leave before he burst out laughing. “Gerry, are you o.k.?  Maybe you should go to see that doctor.” Gerald interrupted “Er um I tell you what.  Can I go first this season?  I’d like to set up the coal and everything this time.” Mr. Beanblossom never did find out about the chickens.  Mr. Hohottle never did say a word one way or the other.