Chapter 1. Return to Sturgeonville

Chapter 1. Return to Sturgeonville

Pamela Lafave stands beside her elderly father-in-law Larry looking at the old Lafave farmhouse with its fading white siding. “This old house brings back lots of memories for me Pam. I suppose it does for you too but I still don’t understand why you want to live here now. Won’t it be lonely?”

“Maybe, but a different kind of loneliness than I’m having in Grand Rapids without Billy. This hilltop house, the red barn, the fields and the river bring back so many good times Billy and I had growing up here,” Pam says lovingly as her finger point from one to the other. “My old family home across the road burned down long ago but I spent nearly as much time over here playing with Billy or hanging out in the kitchen with Billy’s mom and Grandma Lafave while I waited for my mom to get home from work in town.”

“Billy’s fatal heart attack was only two months ago. I know it’s too early to think about it now but there is going to come a time Pam when you will need to move on with your life. You are only 54 and look younger. Pat and I are concerned that you won’t move on when that time comes if you're here with all of your memories of Billy.”

“You may be right, Larry but this is where I want to be now. I’m glad to be retired from the Grand Rapids Police Department. I couldn’t cope with the human tragedies I had to deal with every day without being able to talk to Billy about it in the evenings. I know what would have happened if I tried to continue working. I saw too many old cops turning to drink when living alone and still working. I am so thankful for you and Pat giving me your family farm. I know you planned on leaving it to Billy. With Billy gone you don’t have to leave it to me.”

“It’s what we want, Pam. We don’t want to come back to this farm or even to Sturgeonville. This was never home for Pat. We had to stay here when we first married. My dad needed help with farming due to his war injuries and we didn’t have enough money to get our own place. It thrilled Pat when I took a job in Lansing even though Billy stayed with his grandparents to finish the last half of his senior year. We’re happy in our senior living condo in Lansing. That’s where our friends are. But we do want to keep the old farm in the family and you’re the last of the family besides Pat and me since my parents passed four years ago. Five generations of Lafaves lived here starting with Henri who came from Canada to work in the lumber camps. He used his earnings to buy this land. He cleared it and raised a family in a log cabin. His oldest son Jean built this house and the barn. Now you’ve got me jabbering on about the old days. Let’s get your stuff moved in and make sure the old stoves still work. It’s mid-October and you’ll want some heat at night. Mid-October, only four more weeks of politics before the 2016 election. I’ve had enough politics for the next ten years. I’ll stay the night and head back first thing after breakfast. If I get this rental truck back before 2:00 pm tomorrow I’ll save a day’s rent. Pat will be happy, she expects me for dinner tomorrow. ”

“I appreciate you helping me make this move, Larry. It was a comfort seeing you and the rental truck behind me as we drove up. I admit it would be a bit scary for me to open the old place up and stay the first night alone. After we get my stuff moved in let’s sit on the porch and enjoy the sunset with a drink. I brought a half bottle of scotch and some wine in my cooler. Then I’ll fix us dinner. I have pork chops for dinner and bacon and eggs for breakfast. After a night here and a couple of meals with you I’ll be ready to be alone. I’m looking forward to setting up my easel and the desk I use when working on art in the downstairs back bedroom. It’s got good light and I can look out across the fields to the woods and the river where Billy and I spent so many happy summer days. That view and my memories will inspire ideas for paintings.”

“Okay, let’s get this stuff moved in. You don’t have that much stuff. Are you sure you’ll be happy with all the old stuff from my parents?”

“Oh yes, I love old things and I remember many of the things in this house. I always loved the big dining room table and cane bottomed chairs. They’ll be like old friends for me. But let’s get busy. The sun will be setting soon.”

“I’m already looking forward to a scotch on the porch and watching the sunset through the cedar windbreak my dad planted. Oh, I called Northern Insurance in Sturgeonville. George Citron, who manages the insurance agency, is expecting you to come in soon and sign some papers transferring the insurance on this place to you. I think George is a few years younger than you. You may not remember him from high school. He married the youngest Collins girl from the farm down the road but I heard they divorced years ago. There’s no rush. George knows you are coming.”

Later while they sat on the porch with drinks in hand Larry says, “I’ll send you a letter when I get home telling you what you need to know to manage renting out the fields to the neighboring farmers. If I tell you now when I’m tired after that drive I’ll forget something important. Renting fields is a headache but it’ll give you a little income.”

“Are you sure you want to give me the land too, Larry? I only need the house and enough yard out back for a flower and vegetable garden. I hate to take income away from you and Pat.”

“Yes, we’re sure. We have my pension, our social security and some savings. It’s more than enough for us. We’re more worried about you having enough money now.”

“I’ll be fine. I have my pension, the income from renting our house in Grand Rapids, and money left from Billy’s life insurance, plus I sell a little art now and then. Having the farm fields to manage will be a good distraction for me. We can share the income if you want.”

“No need. You’ll find the income is barely worth the hassle of dealing with these local farmers.”

The next morning after Larry Lafave leaves and Pam finishes unpacking she drives to town. She buys a week’s worth of groceries at the IGA and all the supplies she needs to give the old house a thorough cleaning at the hardware on the edge of town. Driving back toward the main street she thinks she’s going to enjoy doing some of the household chores the old fashioned way of Grandma Lafave with one big exception. She isn’t going to dry clothes on racks in the house when it's too cold to hang them on the clothesline in the backyard. She decides to buy a new washer and dryer. She drives down the main street looking at the signs. She stops in the first hairdressers she sees, Erin’s Cut and Curl. She goes in, meets Erin O’Shea and makes an appointment for a perm two weeks later. Coming out of the hairdressers she sees the sign for Northern Insurance next door so she goes in to take care of the insurance paperwork.

George Citron is finishing his second cup of coffee when the door opens. The woman coming in is about his age. Her hair is long and jet black setting off a pale round and attractive face. She’s dressed in jeans that hug her well-shaped hips and a loose sweatshirt with paint splotches in front. She’s an artist George thinks. The woman smiles beautifully and says, “Hello, I am Pam Lafave, you must be George Citron. I haven’t seen you since high school. You probably don’t remember me. I was a senior when you were a freshman.”

George looks at Pam for a few moments then says with a smile, “I do remember you. You are Pam Novinsky, the pretty girl with the long black hair who was always with Billy Lafave. Old Larry Lafave called me and told me Billy died and his widow was coming back to live on the old farm.”

“That’s me. Larry told me you have some insurance papers for me to sign.”

“Yes, come in and sit down while I find those papers. Usually Bob Wilson, my office manager handles most of the paperwork but he’s out looking at a house that had a fire yesterday. Ah, here they are. I remember how I looked them over after Larry called. There isn’t much coverage on the contents that the old Lafave couple had because the stuff doesn’t have much value. They only wanted to insure the current value rather than the replacement value. You may want to increase the coverage if you’re getting newer things.”

“No, I plan on keeping their old things. I love old things and I remember the things in the Lafave home from when I was a kid.”

“You love old things. I’m glad to hear that. Let me tell you about something that may interest you. Do you remember Doctor Arra?”

“Sure, I remember the doctor. My parents always went to him and they took me there when I was sick or needed a vacination. I liked going there. He had so many interesting things in his waiting room.”

“Yes he did. He died six months ago and left his home, the attached medical clinic and his collections of old things as a museum for the local community. He didn’t have any family so he directed that Peter Brown and I take responsibility for preserving his collections and overseeing the museum. We were close friends of Doc Arra’s. You may remember Peter, he was in my class.”

“Was Peter the soft-spoken athletic boy whose father was the plumber?”

“Yes, Peter now runs the plumbing business. Before we can open up the place as a museum we have to develop a digital catalog of what’s there and figure out how to maintain the place. We are looking for volunteers who like history or old things to help us. Is that something you might be interested in?”

“Maybe, I like old things and I do need something besides my art to distract me from missing Billy. How many volunteers do you and Peter have?”

“Three that are regulars and a few that come occasionally. The three regulars, Peter and I comprise a board of directors for the museum. We can use lots more volunteers and if you get seriously involved we’ll add you to the board.”

“When do you meet to work on the cataloging?”

“Every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00.”

“That would work for me. Tell me about the other volunteers. Would I remember any of them?”

“You may remember Mary Anderson. She was Mary White then and a year or two behind me in school. Mary divorced several years ago but keeps her married name. She works in the County Court House. She’s good with computers and takes care of all the court records from what I understand. The other two are men who moved here a few years ago. There’s Reverend Joe Penny, the new Episcopal priest and Samuel Weiss, a retired history professor from Michigan State. Sam is a widower and in his 70s. He retired here to live on the lake and fish for salmon. He met Doc Arra and discovered Doc had collections of historical things that interest him. He’s a big help in determining if things are valuable enough we need to take special care of them. Reverend Joe worked for some big corporation before retiring here and being ordained. He came in for insurance one day and when we got to talking I learned he likes gardening. Doc had a big flower garden and a lot of shrubs around the house and clinic that needed care. Joe offered to help keep the garden cleaned. Then he learned about Doc’s old books about pioneers and that got him to volunteer with the cataloging. He especially likes books and old letters. Joe’s wife Eliza sometimes joins him here.

“I don’t remember Mary White but it sounds like an interesting group. It’ll be good for me to reconnect with some of the locals and meet new people. Tell you what. I’ll come next Wednesday and meet everyone if you’ll show me what to do. I think I’ll like it but let me try it before I commit to coming every week. If I remember right, the doctor’s place is just south of the traffic light on the highway.”

“Yes, that’s where it is. Then I’ll see you there Wednesday evening. Now, here are the papers you need to sign. Larry paid the premium for the next year so signing is all you need to do if you’re not going to increase the coverage,”