My true life

Going from city life to country life can be a real culture shock. One minute you're surrounded by the cement jungle, blaring horns, rude obnoxious people and a thief on every corner. The next minute, fields, barns, dirt and hard labor. I would never trade it for the world now, but in the beginning it was a nightmare.

I never knew my grandfather on my mothers side, or any of that side of the family actually. But they are all gone, he was the last to pass. I had heard horror stories from my mom, about how hard life was when she was growing up with my grandfather, but I just marked it up as one of those 'Why I remember when' or 'I had to walk 10 miles to school in the ass deep snow.' stories.

My mother has always been the bell of the ball, the social butterfly. I hated the whole ordeal of doing my hair and makeup, wearing appropriate clothing, and always being the proper little lady.

I do just fine with my short brown hair blowing in my face, no make up, no Botox, just me, all natural. She says 'you could be a pretty girl if you just applied yourself'', not that she would even notice, she's never around.

Her second (or third) husband, recently died and left her belly up in the dirt broke. He went under a mountain of debt, 'keeping up with the Jones', just to keep her happy.

He was a pretty cool old dude, with childhood memories and acting a fool, but he was the fool just the same, for marrying my mother. My mother was never happy, I don't think she even knew the meaning of the word. She was always hell bent on having the best of the best.

The best for me too, which meant being sent away to boarding school. She always said I had a wild streak in me, that needed to be weeded out. I needed to learn to be a proper lady, so that hopefully one day, I could attract a worthy man to take care of me. But no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she was still just a dirt poor girl from the country.

I loved my mother, don't get me wrong, but I hated everything she symbolized. And at 17, I knew I would never be like her, if I had my say, which I rarely did. It had gotten to where I had rather stay at school on holidays, than go home and listen to her preach about being a proper lady and having a proper life.

The first and only time I met my grandfather, was at his funeral. And the only reason we went, was because she learned that there was an inheritance. How, I do not know, for we never had contact with him. And she wanted everything she was owed.

I stood looking at him laying there in his coffin. I could tell he was a big man. His grizzled weather face was still very handsome. His large leather hands were scared from years of working hard. He just looked like a peaceful kind man, even though he was now dead.

During the wake, my mother had to be the center of attention as usual. She fluttered around, letting everyone know that she was a recent widow and how he had left she and her daughter penniless. She was beyond herself with grief.

By mid day, she had latched on to a local lawyer, which an hour later, she found out he was as piss poor broke as she was, and she moved on.

The reading of the will was the next day. She played the grieving daughter to the max. I was the only grandchild and she was already counting the money from the sale of everything.

Everyone kept telling me what a shame it was that I never met my grandfather and that he was such a wonderful man, everyone in the community loved him. I caught my mother's eye a couple of times, glaring at me when someone spoke kindly to me, as the attention was not on her.

Before the reading, I needed some fresh air, the whole ordeal was just suffocating. I stepped out into the warm bright sunlight, I could feel it's caress on my skin and wondered how wonderful it would be to feel that everyday, rather than be holed up in a class room, and worrying about my delicate complexion.

He had over 500 acres of prime land that supported a herd of cattle and horses. He lived in a simple farmhouse, drove a beat up old truck, there was a dairy barn, huge garden and a big hen house. There was a huge Oak tree in the front yard with the remnants of an old swing left behind.

I walked around just breathing in the clean country air and basking in the sunlight. Around the back of the house, I found a wood stump with an axe buried in it, and a huge pile of firewood off to the side. I could see a large red barn just a piece from the house and I wandered down to look around.

As I approached, I could hear someone talking inside, I slowly walked through the doors, letting my eyes adjust to the dimmer lighting. At the mid point, I saw a young shirtless man holding a bucket in front of a small calf, the bucket had a tit on it and the calf was feeding,

"Hello."

The young man turned and smiled.

"Hello, you must be Henley's granddaughter, I'm Axe, I worked for him," He wiped his hand on his jeans and offered it to me.

"Yes, I'm Alexis, but people just call me Lex," I shake his hand, It is rough and dirty, and he has a hard handshake. He pulls a red handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes the sweat from his face and smiles. He has the most beautiful bright smile.

"Nice to meet you Lex, even under these circumstances."

"Thank you. So what do you do around here?" I walked around the barn just looking around. There were bales of hay and feed neatly stacked, farming implements hanging from the wall, and an old tractor.

"Well, I did whatever he needed help with, I've done it all."

"So you live nearby?"

He scratches the back of his neck with a grimace on his face."

"Well I did live here, but now...," he shrugs.

"You mean you will lose your job and home now that he's gone?" I was shocked.

"Looks like, but it's fine, I'll find another job," he turns back to the calf which is yanking on the tit.

"Sorry Chloe, that's it." He pulls the bucket out of reach, and roughly scratches the top of her head. He knees her into a stall and closes the door quickly.

"Alexis, Alexis! Where are you girl? It's time. Alexis!" I flinch every time my mother yells my name.

"I guess it's time," He laughs.

"Yeah," I mumble

"Bye," I give him a half wave

"Bye," he chuckles and walks away. I emerge from the barn just as my mother spots me.

"What the hell were you doing in that nasty ass barn? Look at you, you're all sweaty. It's time for the reading. Let's get this done so we can get on with selling this damn dump. Look at you!"

She storms off towards the house. Mumbling the whole way. I follow behind thinking about what Axe had said.

"At least go to the ladies room and wash your face, sometimes you are such a disgrace!" she snarls at me in the hall.

"Yes mother," Her demeanor suddenly changes, as she enters my grandfather's office. She becomes the sweetest woman on the planet, covering up how harsh and cruel she can be sometimes.

"I found my darling daughter. She was just outside. She will be here shortly," She beams brightly.

I wash my face and dry it, and quickly join the others. The only available seat, is on the opposite side of the room from my mother. She frowns at me, I shrug, what could I do? The proceedings are long and boring, the attorney just goes on and on.

"And to my granddaughter Alexis, I leave the majority of all of my holdings. This includes all lands, livestock, house, out buildings and all accounts," The lawyer stops and looks directly at my mother, who is wearing an un-lady-like frown on her face.

"With certain stipulations. Nothing listed may be sold, donated or given away. All deeds will be transferred to her name and her name only."

"What?" My mother jumps up and shouts.

"That's bullshit! He was my father, by rights everything belongs to me, not her!" The entire room glares at her. She is furious and beet red, very un-lady-like, I think to myself.

"Mrs Westin, These are his wishes and they will be upheld!" the lawyer shouts.

"I'll sue you, I know my rights, this will not hold up in a court of law!" she turns on me with a hateful glare.

"Mrs Westin! Sit your ass down so we may continue! Now woman!" this lawyer is a kick ass, I think to myself. She ungraciously flops down in her chair, and pulls out a lacy kerchief and begins to sniffle. Oh please, I roll my eyes.

"Also," The lawyer begins again and looks at my mother.

"Also, Alexis is to move to said property, on her 18th birthday, in order to conclude the transfer of deeds," he looks at my mother again.

"To my daughter Carolyn, I leave my prayers that you find peace in your heart and learn what happiness truly is," she storms from the room.

"This concludes our business, thank you all for being here, and God bless," The lawyer closes the file.

"Alexis, a word?" I remain after everyone leaves.

"Come here child," he points to a chair next to him.