Christmas with Tucker by Greg Kincaid

Author:Greg Kincaid
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780307589644
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2010-11-01T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

THE NEXT MORNING, after I finished milking the cows and clearing the ice on the pond, my grandfather and I went to the barn. He asked me to remove a milk can from the cooler and help him pour it into twenty sterile glass bottles. What was left in the can he took outside the west barn door and let spill out onto the ground. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“The dairy trucks can’t get through and the cooler is full. The dairy won’t accept milk that’s not fresh.”

“Aren’t we keeping the roads clear enough?”

“We’re doing fine, but the other county maintainers are behind. They have not been able to get north to the dairy road and the last six inches of snow has really slowed them down. The dairy can’t take the risk of coming this far out and getting stuck. If that happens, they lose an entire day of collection. It’s safer for them to wait until the roads are better.”

“Why don’t we help? We could do the road to the dairy for them. I can do it today. Right?”

“Getting through to the dairy might be what’s best for us, but there are others in this county that we have to think of, too. How would it look if I did what was good for us and ignored all the other people that have needs?”

“Not that good.”

“That’s right. We have a list of priority roads that have to be cleared first and the road to the dairy does not happen to be one of them.”

After we sat down to a quick breakfast, he drew up another map and put two large milk crates on the table. Not only did I have roads to grade, but I also had deliveries to make.

“People can’t drive on the roads and we’ve got milk to give away. I will put twenty quarts of milk in the back of the maintainer in the crates. There’s already a box in there with eggs and other staples. I’m collecting extra food and supplies along the way from our neighbors and trying to redistribute to the families that don’t have enough. With more and more phone lines down, and roads blocked, people are short on basics.”

“What do you want me to do, Grandpa?”

“I want you to pull into every house you pass and clear their driveway for them. Most of the farmers have small driveway blades they pull behind their tractors, but with the maintainer you can do in two minutes what would take them all day. Next, get off and knock on the door; try to make sure everyone is getting along all right. Offer them anything they need from our supplies and try to collect back their extras in exchange, including empty milk bottles, so we can refill them.” He hesitated and looked up at me. “Can you do this, George?”

I hesitated for just a moment. Tired and unaccustomed to working so hard for so long, I needed a break. My grandmother’s words were still lodged in my mind.

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