Earned Land

His foot tread lightly for he was in awe at what he saw, rolling hills, a tree line and a fence already in place dividing the property where the line ends, all his life he had dreamed of owning a piece of ground and here it was right before his eyes. This was just land but in five years he could see a house just beside the tree line, cattle grazing on the hills, a garden in a back yard, and hunting dogs ready to hunt the winter rabbit. He had dreamed so long and to see a piece of land that was for sale right there before him was almost too good to be true, in his minds eyes he could see a long drive way coming from the road right up to the house, all he had to do is work, such a small word for such a hard life, but a good clean life. When the young man came back to the road and got into his truck he went to the land agent and asked about the property, it didn't take him long to leave because he wouldn't have that kind of money for a long time for even the down payment, his credit was poor and his job didn't pay that much so then harsh reality had to set in, he could never have it. He could dream yes but dreams can't pay bills or feed his stomach, so he went back to work the next day and devised a plan, he went to a local farmer and asked, "I was looking for some extra work, do you have any right now?" The old farmer looked right at the young man and examined him, "Well you don't mind being here every morning at four-thirty then I may have some work for you." The young man was over joyed, "I don't mind at all sir I'll be here in the morning." The young man worked in the morning to around eleven, then left there and went to his full time job and worked there until eight every night, then he went back to the farm, did some extra chores for the old man, and then went to his apartment. This went on for a few years until one day the man, came to the old farmer and said, "Well sir I've done what I set out to do and now I have a down payment enough for my own farm, but if you ever need any help around here just let me know and I'll come runnin." The old man was saddened to the see younger man leave him but he knew he had his own life to live so he just simply said, "Well if you ever want to just come over you know your welcomed to." The younger man felt like the old man was a relative after so many years, "I will at least once a week to see you and the Misses." Then the younger man went to the bank and they told him about a piece of land for sale with rolling hills and a tree line just like his dream so off he went to see it, when he arrived to see the land his eyes wouldn't let him believe that this was that same piece of land from so many years ago that set him in motion to work as much as he did. When he got back to the bank he saw the old farmer and his wife, "Well I'm here to buy a piece of property about two miles down the road from y'all we'll be neighbors for sure now." The old farmer smiled, "I know I just told the banker to drop the price on it for you, you sure earned it." The young man couldn't believe his ears after all this time this was the owner of the property that he wanted to buy, "You own it, why didn't you ever tell me." The old farmer smiled a toothless grin, "Well boy, when you first came to us you were looking for work, because you wanted to earn land and I respected that, so I let you work and sure enough you earned land." The younger man knew he was telling the truth, and he felt all the more grateful for his silence it made him respect the land all the more.