Todd Famine & Forgiveness

1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 979-8-3509-1344-6
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 180 Seiten

Corey Singer is a handsome high school senior with a full ride to the University of Houston in the fall. After he completes his undergrad and MBA, he plans to take over the family's Texas ranching enterprise. Just before graduation, Corey goes missing during the family winter hunting expedition and is presumed dead. Vengeance for Corey surfaces in the most unusual way when, over a decade later, a catastrophic economic collapse and worldwide famine become the catalyst for an unexpected collision with the past.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Todd, T. E.

Leseproben

Chapter 1

Family

Jacob lives in Laredo, Texas. He bought a small acreage ranch located just outside city limits and settled there with his sons 17 years ago. Before the boys were born, Jacob learned how to ranch in northern California. He was there for 21 years working for the boys’ grandfather. He started as a teenager and became the ranch manager when he was only 23 years old. Jacob’s boss, the ranch owner, Rich, was known regionally for his successful agricultural enterprise, but was best known for his sneaky business practices.

Rich had two daughters. The youngest was Elizabeth, smart, gorgeous, and ten years younger than Jacob. His eldest daughter Eleanor followed in her father’s footsteps, long in the tooth and willing to trade integrity for greed any day of the week. Rich agreed to Jacob’s proposal for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage when he was 26, Elizabeth was only 16 at the time. But Rich’s agreement and approval was conditional. He wanted Jacob to stay on at the ranch for another seven years. The contract stipulated he would manage the ranch for seven years, then he could marry Elizabeth and leave the ranch if they so chose. Jacob loved only two things, ranching and Elizabeth. He was a private man and serious about his future with Elizabeth, so he agreed to the unique request.

At the end of 7 years, the ranch-family set up a simple, yet naturally beautiful evening ceremony. On a hill overlooking rolling pasture and grassland with the silhouette of the Coastal Range in the backdrop, Jacob stood next to the officiant and waited for his bride. With the sun setting in his eyes, Jacob pledged his love in holy matrimony to his bride, hidden behind a beaded, thick tulle veil with layered lace applique. Pronounced as legal husband and wife by the local county judge, Jacob raised the veil of his bride.

Suddenly Jacob was horrified and sickened. His stomach regurgitated in the back of his throat. He looked at the minister, thinking eye contact might bring a quick answer. Nothing there. He glanced to his left at those observing and saw smiles and applause. He couldn’t even hear the clapping, his legs told him to run but his feet turned to lead. He wanted to puke. No doubt Rich had done this. Jacob’s heart was betrothed to Elizabeth. How could it be that the woman standing before him, whom he pledged to love and cherish til death us do part was not Elizabeth, but Eleanor? His head swiveled from left to right. All the ranch hands and farm family were cheering. His eyes met with Rich’s who stood in the front row clapping and stoic. A cool rush of evil tingles shot through Jacob’s cheeks. Rich knew no one would ever marry his eldest daughter. He had no intention of letting the ranch manager who made him wealthy just leave. No, there was more money to be made and Jacob would help him do it.

Before dawn broke the next morning, Jacob found Rich. He pleaded and argued, confronted and challenged. Rich made his objective clear. He required another 7 year contract and asked that Jacob ensure Eleanor had as many children as she wanted. He was dumbfounded, his spirit utterly broken. He thought about running. But refused to leave the woman he loved, Elizabeth. Jacob committed to work another 7 years. He did it for her. No matter what, Elizabeth would be his wife.

Eleanor did not agree to an annulment or a divorce. Elizabeth reassured Jacob of her love and devotion and prayed for the day they would be free from her father. Jacob saved everything he earned for the next 7 years and made strategic decisions for the ranch, animals, and ranch hands. Everything he did was intentional. He would be ready to make the break from Rich and begin his life with Elizabeth.

The day had come and they were packed. Rich insisted that he would not stop them so long as Jacob continued to care for both his daughters and his grandchildren. Jacob agreed. With everything they had loaded in a horse trailer, they left the ranch for good. Just outside the property line underneath an 80 year old oak tree, Jacob and Elizabeth recited vows to one another. Their vows had been written for nearly 14 years. Before God and the golden sunrise, they made their commitment to each other and set out for their life together and a fresh start in Texas.

Jacob had 6 sons with Eleanor and 2 sons with Elizabeth. He loved all his children despite the events prior to their births. Yet the elder boys, like their mother, were jealous of the love Jacob had for Elizabeth and their two youngest sons together, Corey and Ray. Elizabeth died in childbirth with Ray and Jacob was devastated. He mourned for nearly two years. Corey and Ray were Jacob’s world. After Elizabeth passed, Jacob no longer buffered the way he felt about his two younger sons. He knew he treated them differently, because they were different. Elizabeth’s sons represented hope, new beginnings, and they were his future. He kept his word to care for the elder sons. But Corey and Ray were now the sweetest, and only, reminder of the beautiful love and tenderness he once had with his beloved Elizabeth.

Corey, the eldest of the two, was tenderhearted like his mother, smart and able to perceive things beyond his years. Jacob nurtured this ability and spent time with his boy, sharing wisdom and studying his heritage of faith. At only 9 years old, Corey told his elder brothers about a dream he had. At the dinner table, passing the mashed potatoes, Corey was tired of being picked on, so he blurted it out.

“Well, last night I had a dream that I was standing on the front porch of a mansion watching all of you ask me for help.” The older brothers burst into laughter and Corey got a swift boot kick from under the table.

During family time a year later, Corey told them about another dream of becoming their boss and quickly took a sofa cushion whop to the stomach. Jacob questioned Corey privately about this kind of talk and asked him if he was making up dreams. But deep down, Corey’s father was stirred in his heart, like he was when his beautiful Elizabeth was alive. He didn’t know what to make of Corey’s dreams, but he knew this boy was special.

When Corey was 12, the older boys were instructed by their father to go camp at the southernmost tip of their property. Jacob started with a small acreage that was not even completely fenced in. He bought more land every year. The sprawling Singer Ranch outside Laredo, Texas grew to more than 36,000 acres for their cattle, sheep, and grain business. But being so close to Mexico was not without its challenges. As his business grew, so did the immigration problem. He had to protect his property line. When news reports or Texas gossip spread about threatening encounters with migrants, smugglers, or traders, Jacob organized the ranch-hands and his elder sons to deter crime on the property. They camped near the areas on his property line where migrants had been spotted. The truth was Jacob cared less about the land and cattle than he did for Corey and Ray. He would give up anything and everything to protect these boys and their future. The elder sons all knew the ranch well. Sam and Jeremy, the two eldest, worked on the ranch full-time. Vaughn, Elliott, Chris and Tanner all chose other professions but spent weekends and some evenings helping out in the barn, working the fields during harvest or driving cattle in the spring and fall.

As the elder boys prepared the gear and mapped out the spot for the campsite, to Corey’s surprise, Jacob gave him permission to go along this time. Only his younger brother Ray would be left behind with pops. Jacob gave Corey the usual safety speech and the excited 12 year old did his best to pay attention. They were off. When they arrived at the location, roughly 45 miles away, all hands were on deck to set up camp. Corey had camped with his father at least a dozen times but on the opposite, east side of the property. The ranch was in the coastal plains of south Texas and included grassland, low boggy valleys, and two basins near the border and river that were spectacular to see. Corey unpacked his gear and began assembling his tent as the others unloaded the truck. His mind was running through the sequence of what he and his father usually did to set up camp. As the youngest, and Elizabeth’s son, he didn’t want to slow anyone down, or worse, embarrass himself and never live it down. He knew his older brothers looked for any opportunity to arrow a zinger. Even at 12, he could feel the grudge, but didn’t fully understand it.

He hammered the last tent stake in, proud of completing his tent before anyone else had even started. No novice here. As he hammered the final peg, proud of his might, Corey heard a diesel engine start. He whipped around just in time to see everyone had climbed back into the Dodge dually, the break lights lit up. Elliott yelled out the window.

“Did you see this in your dream, kid?”

All the brothers laughed. The eldest, Sam, told the others to knock it off. The driver side window was down, and Sam’s arm hung out.

“We’ll be back, kid. Put our tents up too would ya?” He winked. The tail lights blinked as Sam released the break.

Corey couldn’t believe it.

He stood there holding his tent hammer as he watched the dust roll off the knobby tires of the dually fading over the hill. He was frozen with dismay, fear, and bewilderment. He quickly rationalized they were just checking fence posts and would be back. They liked practical jokes, he thought to himself. The evening sky got very quiet. He could no longer hear the truck. The main house was over 50...