A Thousand Acres Page #2

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I wonder how much he paid for it.

It's a big outfit for a guy his age.

Daddy was the most respected man

in the county.

No farmer within 50 miles...

would make a decision

without first consulting Larry Cook.

Caroline came home every third weekend

to visit him. They were always close.

Somehow, she seemed to understand

him better than Rose and I did.

Our farm has been

in the Cook family for 100 years.

Provided us with a fine living.

In my lifetime, it's become

the most valuable property in the county.

If I died tomorrow...

you girls would be

lumped with all those inheritance taxes...

giving the government money for nothing.

- Coffee, Daddy?

- So there you have it.

- I have a plan.

- What's the plan?

We're going to form a corporation.

And you girls are all going to have shares.

You girls, and Ty, Pete...

you'll run the show.

You'll each have a third.

Well?

- What do you say?

- It's a good idea, Daddy.

It's a great idea.

I don't know. I want to think about it.

You don't want it, my girl, you're out.

Simple as that.

It was no use telling him

that Caroline hadn't turned him down.

She'd just expressed a doubt.

She'd spoken as a lawyer,

when she should've spoken as a daughter.

But my father's pride had been injured.

And we all understood that something

important had just happened.

Who'd ever thought Larry would do

something like this? I can't believe it.

If he doesn't change his mind,

I want a hog-confinement building.

And I want it air-conditioned, too.

They've got these automatic flush systems...

so one man can keep the place

clean all by himself, no trouble.

How are we going to pay for it?

The bank will roll out the carpet for us.

- You mean borrow?

- Sure.

We get a good breeding line

of our own going...

we can put those babies up for adoption.

Everybody wants one.

I'll say, "Yeah, Jake, but you got

to feed them with your own spoon...

"and let them sleep

on your side of the bed. "

He'll say, "Sure, Ty, anything.

I've already started his college fund. "

This is where we stop working for your

dad, Ginny, and start working for ourselves.

It'll be our place, our way of doing things.

You know, sleeping here

is only going to make Daddy madder.

Daddy changes his whole life overnight.

Take it while it's on offer.

He's a farmer, Rose.

He doesn't know how to be anything else.

Do you remember...

I was just remembering it.

Before Mummy died,

guess you were about five...

and you said, "When I grow up...

"I'm not going to be a farm wife. "

And she laughed, and she asked you

what you were going to be.

And you said, "A farmer. "

I don't remember Mummy, you know that.

Anyway, I was five.

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