It Takes Money To Make Money And Water To Get Water....

 "What were you doing under my Jeep? I saw you under there. What's the matter with your head? Did you get the buckets so we can clean a place for us to sleep tonight? What's the matter with you anyway?"

Josh really had a bad headache and her high pitched angry voice made it worse. But he felt like he couldn't tell her the truth just yet. He liked Allie, but he didn't want to tell her that his dad had him put a tracking device on her Jeep. He also didn't want to tell her that for some reason probably money he didn't want Allie to live on the ranch. He hadn't figured out what connection his dad and Allie's Uncle Bill had except a long time friendship. It was a mystery to him and until he had it all figured out he was going to keep his mouth shut. He had no idea what had hit him on the head. It must have been a fallen branch or something. He needed to tell Allie about the water situation. He was sure her yelling was going to be heard across the next county. He took a deep breath and said, "Well, Allie, it's like this. You don't have any running water in the house. We will have to pump it from the pump in the yard. But before we can do that we have to find some water to prime the pump with. It's like the old saying goes 'it takes money to make money'; well it actually takes water to get water so you and I need to go for a walk before it gets dark or I sleep in the Jeep and you sleep in the camper."

Allie looked at Josh and grinned. "No way! I'm sleeping in my very own house in my very own bed. You are telling me stories. Now come on let's go get some buckets so we can clean this place up." Josh looked at his new friend, "No, Allie. I'm telling you the truth. There is no water. We do need to find a bucket, but we really need to find a pond or stream or something. We have to prime that pump. I'm not telling you stories. I've read all about these old farms. That's what you have to do. Come on, get your dog and let's go over there by those trees. Trees usually grow by water. We can't be gone too long or it's going to be dark. We sure don't need to get lost out here." 

Josh and Allie and their little dog walked for as long as they thought it was safe. Then they returned to where the Jeep and camper were. "Well, I guess we need to set up camp for the night and start out early in the morning. If nothing else we can go to town and buy some water to get the pump started. I found some batteries for the lights. in the back of the camper. We have had a really long day. Is that okay with you? Go to town tomorrow?" Allie saw no way around it. It was late and they both were exhausted. Josh seemed to know his way around a camper.  He unhooked the camper from the Jeep, hung some battery operated lights up and then all they needed was food and water. "Do you have anything left in the cooler? I am starved and thirsty."

"All I have is a little bit of water and a candy bar that I got at the gas station. I drank some water even though you told me not to after that horrible chili. Okay, here's the plan. We go to sleep and when we wake up we go to town, get something to eat and buy some supplies. Have you got enough money for us? Oh I forgot. I have money in the bank. We can use some of my money now that we are here. Are you sure you will be alright sleeping in the Jeep?" Josh grinned and said, "Yes, I'm fine. See you bright and early in the morning."

The neighbors had been watching the young people and weren't a bit happy, but decided that they too would go ahead and get some sleep and call the lawyer in the morning.

Marlee called to her brother. "Kyler, come over here. Look what I found. It think it's an ancient cell phone, but there's a magnet thing on the back like Mama puts on the refrigerator when we do stuff that she likes." Kyler "I think it's boring, why don't you just throw it in the trash? Let's see if Mom will take us to the park."

"Okay, it doesn't work anyway. It doesn't have any numbers on it only lines and blue spots and stuff. I could use it for pretend though. It has a cool little red light that blinks all the time. I think I'll put it in my new birthday purse. I'll think of something to use it for. Okay, let's go to the house and see what Mom is doing. Race ya!"

Marlee and Kyler ran to the house and asked if their mom would take them to the park. She grinned and said, "Sure! Let's pack a lunch and have a picnic while we are at it, or do you want to eat at the pizza place?" Kyler and Marlee agreed that pizza would be good.. Marlee quickly put her treasures in her new purse added the old cell phone she had found along with the broken one that Kyler had found. Now they each had one for make believe play days. She was soon  ready to go.

Arie and her little sister and mom were at the Pizza Palace having pizza when Arie looked out the window and said, "Mom, look. Here comes Marlee and her little brother. Can we have them sit with us? I haven't seen her forever." Her mother grinned and said, "Of course."

The families were having such fun visiting and laughing they didn't pay any attention to Lill sitting in the booth behind them. She had taken a much needed day off from work at the chili cafe. She was busy thinking about all the money she would have someday when Bill's dude ranch finally sold when her cell phone rang. "You say they are right by me? Well, they aren't. Wait, just a minute. I think I know what's going on. I'll call you back." Lill sat back and listened to the two girls chatter about Marlee's new toys she found in her yard. "Arie, I left it out in the car, but it even has a red light that blinks. It's so cool."

"Yeah K.R. you were right. Some kids must have found his cell phone and the tracking device you had Josh put on the girl's camper. I don't see Josh and the girl anywhere, so I'm not sure where they are.  I'll keep looking. I know they won't come back into the cafe after the stunt I pulled with the hot peppers in her chili. Now you said I get a piece of the action, right?  So how much are we talkin' here? I'm wanting out of this hick town. What do you mean you gotta go? I'm talkin' to you...K.R.!"