Happiness Is Family Not Money

 The packrat family was very busy today. Since the old man died it seemed like there were new treasures all over the place. They had gathered up pearls, silver and diamonds along with bits and pieces of aluminum foil. They so loved shiny objects. He had hidden the silver and diamond necklace and earring set in one of the dolls' apron pockets in the old spare room.  They had gently taken each piece over the last months to their home beneath the floor boards. He had left a silver pocket watch which was very heavy, but with the whole family helping, they had successfully dragged it into their cozy little home. It definitely was a conversation piece. They had invited relatives to visit just so they could show it off.  Their life had become a life of luxury lately after months of being poor. There was food and water once again since a young man and woman had moved in the main house. They no longer had to go for days on end  being hungry and thirsty.

They had started their nest years ago when Naomi was just a little girl. She had accidentally discovered their home while playing in the attic, but had not told her parents. She had brought them bits of cheese and visited them every day until she grew up and married her husband. Their house had been little more than a shack, but they were happy. They were happy until her husband discovered silver. Then he became obsessed with working the mine and getting rich. 

He built her a new house and they had a baby boy. Naomi loved her son, but her husband didn't seem to have time to spend with him. He was always working at the mine. He was determined to build her an even bigger house and to become the richest man in the state. Naomi often wondered if her husband loved her or their son. It seemed he constantly was telling his son what to do and never asking him what he wanted or liked. She found herself alone many nights. As her son grew older he too, stayed away and often didn't come home. When he did visit, her husband and son often argued and her home would be turned into a battleground and eventually became an empty house; no longer a home.

At one time he started to buy horses and became known as the horse trader of the county. He had huge stables built and made sure that the horses were well fed and trained. He never lost a dime on his trading. His motto was buy low sell high. He started having trouble sleeping at night. He dreamed of hitting the mother load of gold and silver in his mine and buying the fastest horses. He often would pack a blanket and canteen and sleep at a little shack he had built not far from the entrance of the mine. One cold and lonely night he woke to the sounds of coyotes howling and wondered if his wife had coffee made. He missed the comforts of home.  He got on his horse and went to the house. When he opened the door, he immediately knew something was wrong. He went upstairs only to find his wife's belongings gone and a note sticking out of the corner of her quilt that was laying haphazardly across their bed. As he read the note a tear slid down his weathered cheek. She said that he had caused her unforgiveable sadness because he had also driven their son away. She would not be back.

There was no fixing it at this point. He knew what he had to do. He was going to send a letter to his sister, Maggie and her family. He knew they would come and live at the ranch. Her oldest son, Bill, loved horses and seemed to be a hard worker. Yes, that's what he would do. He'd send that letter tomorrow. First he had to get a good night's sleep because he was going after Naomi in the morning. He loved her so much. She was probably spending the night with her best friend, Laura. He'd apologize and ask for her forgiveness. Maybe she would like to go on vacation for a weekend or so. Yes, she would like that, then she would come home. He just wouldn't spend so much time at the mine. Yes, that would do the trick.

He fell asleep with their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary picture in his hand. He had put it in a silver frame...

The old man looked out the window at the assisted living facility where he now lived. He  wondered what could have been. Oh how he missed his wife. She had been gone for years now. He had a son somewhere. He hadn't talked to him in years either. He had really messed up his life with his greediness. All the money in the world does not make a person happy. Family. That's what should have made him happy.  He had talked to the only friend he had left and asked her to to go the sheriff. He was concerned about his sister's niece. Her son had indeed come to the ranch. He had made his ranch into a Dude Ranch. Ah yes, something entirely different than he had ever imagined for his land and life, but Bill had made a lot of folks happy. He had lived there for many years. He had died a short time ago and left the ranch to Aaliyah. "At least it's still in my family. Hopefully Laura can convince the sheriff (my old friend) to keep the vultures away from the girl. I think her real hope in saving the ranch is the young man that came with her. I wonder what his story is. Laura will find out. Yes, she will find out...