*****
Grandpa’s face was too serious for Tyler’s liking. “You’re not in trouble,” Grandpa said, surprising Tyler. “However, there are things we need to go over, rules you’ll have to follow, and I need to make sure that the three of you understand and agree to those rules.”
Tyler gave a mental huff, relieved that his grandfather wasn’t using all this intimidating energy as a punishment for an unknown crime. He’d wondered this morning if there would be a list of chores or rules for them to follow and he supposed he was about to find out.
The old man still looked far too grave for Tyler’s piece of mind, but in his experience, it was par for the course when dealing with authority figures. Maybe they thought if they were serious enough, their charges would be serious too. Tyler knew this tactic rarely worked, but he didn’t think pointing it out to anyone would be very helpful or well-recieved.
“I don’t have a lot rules for you and most of them are simple.” Grandpa Lee rubbed his chin absently before continuing, “However, I know that you’re more likely to listen to what I say if I explain myself and let you ask questions or lodge a protest here and now, instead of later on.”
“That makes sense,” Sarah agreed. She had loosened up, settling back into her chair, but she still sat upright and alert. She glanced at her brothers for their input. Benji just shrugged, but Tyler nodded in accord. He was curious now as to the exact nature of these new mandates for their behavior.
“Good,” Grandpa said with a slight smile. He relaxed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Sunlight streamed through the green glass window and gave Grandpa’s mane of white hair a melon colored tinge. It reminded Tyler of the first time Dorothy and her crew met the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. He hoped grandpa wouldn’t turn out to be as phony as that guy.
“You’ve already seen this is a working farm,” Grandpa began, “but this is also a place of refuge for endangered species. It is my responsibility to care for these creatures and see that they aren’t harmed in any way. They must be able to live and grow in peace, hopefully, even in prosperity.” His wrinkled hands were flat on the desk again. “For you, this means staying off the sanctuary property.”
“Aren’t we on that property just being on the farm?” Tyler asked.
“No,” answered Grandpa, “the land the manor and farm occupy is not technically part of the wildlife sanctuary. The protected areas begin just beyond the tree line that surrounds the farm.”
“Just how do you keep them separate? And what kind of stuff is out there?” Benji demanded.
“Just beyond the tree line we’ve taken precautions to prevent any animals from wandering the farm. We use certain scents and things repulsive to the wildlife population to keep them in check.”
“What kind of wildlife?” Tyler was genuinely interested in what was beyond that boundary. It was the contrary nature of most teens to find breaking a rule extremely appealing simply because it was a rule. Tyler was no exception, but he also really wanted to know.
“The most fragile of the animals out there are probably the birds. We have some incredibly dangerous creatures, too, like wolves. There are also certain endangered plants growing here. Some of the caves are protected places, too,” Grandpa added, “along with the animals that live in them.”
“So, like birds and bats and trees and stuff?” Benji said disgustedly. “That doesn’t sound too interesting, except for maybe the wolves.”
“Yes,” Grandpa agreed, “the more dangerous a thing is, the more interesting it seems to us. But the more mundane wildlife is just as carefully protected. Some of our inhabitants are the only ones left of their kind in the entire world.”
Benji huffed at that. “Why does that mean we get to be trapped in the yard?” he asked pointedly.
“You might accidently crush and animal’s burrow just by walking on it,” Grandpa explained patiently. “That creature’s home would then be destroyed without you ever knowing. The very oils in your skin can be harmful to certain plants and stunt the growth of rock formations in caves. It’s very easy to cause harm and often it is done by an unaware aggressor.”
“But don’t you have to go into the Sanctuary?” Benji inquired acidly. His younger brother’s antagonistic behavior was beginning to get on Tyler’s nerves, but Grandpa seemed unfazed by it.
“Sure do,” Grandpa replied genially. “I have to check on the living conditions, count the populace, and mend boundaries and fences.” He sounded friendly, but Tyler was aware that his gaze was still stern and unflinching. He was glad it was focused on Benji and not him.
“This is why we use horses, instead of trucks or other vehicles,” the old man continued. “It’s an effort to disturb nature as little as possible.” Grandpa rubbed his chin again and looked thoughtful.
“If you were to go beyond the tree line, you would not find any paths. There are no true markers or lanes that I follow when I go out. I take a compass and map of the territory when I go and even then I tend to get turned around,” admitted Grandpa. “This is another reason not to go beyond the tree line: it’s easy to get lost.”
“So, to clarify,” Sarah affirmed, “we’re not allowed to go beyond the tree line?”
Grandpa nodded. “Unless you’ve got my express permission and are in my company, there should be no trespassing in the sanctuary.”
“Do Jessie, Adam and Kimmy have to follow these rules too? Or are they ‘more experienced’ than us?” Benji interjected in voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain. It made Tyler want to groan. Instead, he asked Grandpa to clarify exactly what was out of bounds.
Grandpa ignored Benji‘s remarks and told them the circular drive and the lane up to the gate were ‘safe.’ They were allowed to take walks or runs down to the gate and back or get the mail with Sylvie, but they were advised to stay on the driveway and not wander into the trees on either side. “Getting lost is much easier than getting found,” warned Grandpa.
“These rules apply to everyone,” Grandpa said. “We treat everybody fair.” He asked the three teens if they agreed to this rule or had any more questions. When all three shook their heads (except Benji, who just shrugged again), they were each prompted to consent to the rule out loud before Grandpa moved on.
“Another place to stay out of,” Grandpa informed them, “is this study.” His wrinkled hands gestured around the room. “I have to keep very detailed records, which means there’s a heck of lot of paperwork. Besides the fact that I don’t like to be interrupted, it would be easy for someone to misplace something important or shuffle papers that might have taken me a week to put in order. So aside from this meeting, I want you kids to stay out of here. Got it?”
Tyler resented being referred to as “you kids” and considered it vaguely insulting but he didn’t have any objections to the rule, itself. There was the library if he wanted a book or a quiet place to read and this room was kind of creepy, anyway. He didn’t have a problem staying out of it.
“Alright,” Grandpa said, “let’s go over chores and responsibilities.”
Tyler heard Benji groan beside him and barely refrained from doing so himself. He might have been expecting such a conversation, but that didn’t mean he’d been looking forward to it.
“It won’t be so awful,” Grandpa said frowning at Benji. “Each of you will have to help do whatever needs doing during the morning hours, which means you’ll have to get up early with the rest of us.” The old man turned to include each of them in his frowning gaze. “After noon, though, you’ll be free to do what you want with your days.”
“What exactly are we going to have to do?” Tyler wanted to know. He was no farmer.
“Your aunt will need occasional help with the scents and soaps,” Grandpa clarified. “You’ll also learn how to take care of some of the livestock and tend to the garden and crops. There’s never a lack of chores.” Tyler wasn’t exactly comfortable with this, but he didn’t figure he could get out of it, either. “I hope that
’s not unreasonable for any of you?” Grandpa asked them.
Tyler didn’t complain and neither did Sarah. He really wasn’t excited by the prospect of doing farm work (whatever that entailed) every day, but there were probably worse ways to dole out chores than giving them half a day’s labor. It wasn’t the slave labor Tyler had been secretly dreading, but it wasn’t a free pass either. He could live with that.
He thought Benji would argue against the chores, but the kid stayed quiet. He’d folded his arms in front of him and was glaring defiantly, but it was just show. Benji muttered his assent with the rest of them.
“Before you go,” Grandpa said, “I wanted to make sure we were clear on something else.” He looked uncomfortable, but his pale blue eyes were warmer as he addressed them. “You’re Aunt and Uncle and I want you to have no doubts about we feel having you kids here.”
Tyler sucked in a breath, afraid the next statement was either going to be mean or sappy. He wasn’t normally a fan of sappy, but right now, he was hoping it was the latter. The former would be too much to handle for all three of them.
“I don’t agree with Todd going off for a year so soon after your mom’s death,” Grandpa began. His face hardened for a minute, but went soft again when he continued. “But I’m happy to have you three here.” A breath Tyler hadn’t realized he was holding whooshed past his lips. “For lots of reasons: time, responsibility and the like, I haven’t been able to get to know you as well I would’ve liked. I’m grateful to have a chance to change that. I just wanted to assure you that you’re wanted and that we’ll all give you whatever help and support you need. And if you don’t need anything at all,” he added gruffly, “that’s all right too.”
Sappy it was, and an awkward silence followed his grandfather’s declaration. Tyler was unsure of how to respond. He might actually like these people, but he still resented the sudden departure from his own life. He cleared his throat loudly, hoping to break through the awkwardness. Sarah said a soft “thanks” and Benji grunted in reply. They were both looking as uncomfortable as Tyler felt. Even Grandpa looked ill at ease.
“Yup,” Grandpa declared abruptly, as if that summed everything up. He slammed his hands on the surface of the desk and pushed to his feet. “Talking’s done, go find something to occupy yourselves and I’ll see you at dinner.” Grandpa opened the study door and motioned for them all to precede him. They filed out quickly and Tyler rushed up to his room for a much needed music break. He wouldn’t mind cultivating a little forgetfulness after that meeting.