Uncle Plats

by Aqua Allsopp

  “What is it Father, what do you have to confess to me?”

  “You have never told me so, but I have seen you steal looks at Femke Johannsen, and I know in my heart that you have feelings for her. I do not know if she had feelings for you, but of yours I am certain. I am sorry the girl that you love is lost. I promise you that I did not know that they aimed to kill the girl and her family.”

  “But they did not kill Femke Father—she lives! She was not at home when the fire was set.”

  “Oh thank God, this is good news son! When the fire started I knew it was Abrahams and the others. We tried to reason with Johannsen but he would not agree to sell.”

  “Why didn’t you try to do something to keep the men calm Father?”

  “I thought over time the men would continue to try and persuade Johannsen but they never talked about hurting anyone or starting a fire in front of me son. I swear it.”

  “I believe you Father, I can go with you to speak with Detective Price if you like.”

  “Thank you son, but it might not be that easy in the eyes of the English, I may be locked up. If that is so there are some things that I need to say to you. I am very proud of you. I heard how you were one of the men who walked into the flames of hell to look for survivors of the fire. I also learned that I could have lost my only son last night and I have not been kind to you. I am proud of you, my boy, please forgive me.”

  “Thank you Father, I am so happy to hear that I make you proud. It is all that I want to do Father.”

  “I know son. You continue to be a firefighter and saving Amish lives and property. I love you, Fons, I really do.” Garret stood and embraced his son as he hasn’t done since he was a boy, feeling grateful that he had the opportunity to set things straight.

  “Father, I know you were not involved. Abrahams confessed, he gave the names of the others and he said that you tried to convince Johannsen to sell but they did not tell you about the fire because they feared you would blab it to your firefighter son;” the two men shared a hardy laugh over Fons’ words through tears of pain and joy.

  The Aldenkamp family rejoice at their good fortune to have the love of each other restored to what it once was. They agreed that they owe Femke and the tragedy of her family for bringing them closer together. Mr. and Mrs. Aldenkamp are pleased to have her for a daughter-in-law but agree to keep it secret until her mother can be asked for her hand in marriage.

  *****

  “Good morning Sunshine!” The officer says to little Frits as he comes running from the bedroom in the house where the little family is staying. The officers have taken to playing catch and chase with the boys to relieve their bordem and because they enjoy hearing their laughter and screams of joy.

  “We have come to take you home Frits, are you ready to go? Asks Fons, who has ridden with the Police Officer to escort the family to their new home on the farm.

  Not knowing the outcome of the sale of their land to the County, the new house has been moved to a location that would be well away from the highway if it does run through their property.

  “Can I carry anything for you Femke?”

  “I think you have your hands full of Johannsen things right now Fons,” Femke giggles, seeing her little brother squirming and wriggling in Fons’ arms as he plays catch with himself. They all ride happily to the new house. Driving up the driveway, they can see the signs of spring and the blossom of hope all around.

  *****

  With the Spring comes new buds on flowers, trees, and shrubs. Between Femke and Fons, new love is budding too. Getting settled into their new home has been a sad yet exciting time for the little Johannsen family.

  Ilsa is at home with her children, but her psyche is still frail. Femke worries that her mother may never fully recover, but seeing her lovingly play with the boys andhow she has taken to Fons makes Femke’s heart at peace.

  “Mrs. Johannsen, may I speak with you for a moment outside?”

  “Why of course Fons.” Ilsa walks out of the house with Fons in tow, already smiling at the thought of what this very serious young man is about to say.

  “Mrs. Johannsen, I am very much in love with your daughter and I would like to ask you for Femke’s hand in marriage.”

  “Fons, I am so pleased, yes you can marry my daughter, and I know Mr. Johannsen is smiling down from heaven on his future son-in-law. You are a fine young man,” Ilsa said as she kisses Fons tenderly on the cheek.

  “I promise to take care of Ilsa, and if you will allow me, until you remarry again, I shall be a good example of a man for Frits and Faas.”

  “Thank you, Fons, but I shall never remarry, Ferdi is the love of my life, I shall never love another.”

  “Never say never mother, but I shall take care of you also, all the days of your life if you wish,” Fons says, returning Ilsa’s kiss on the cheek.

  “Now I shall go find your lovely daughter and take her on a short walk before dinner if you approve.”

  “Yes Fons, please do, I want to see my daughter’s happy face tonight.”

  Fons is elated as he practically skips into the new Johannsen home. “Femke, your mother said we may have a short walk before dinner this evening. Do you care to walk with me?”

  Fons says as he offers Femke his arm. The couple walks out of the house, passed her mother and brothers and then out into the Spring evening.

  Having walked a respectable distance away, Fons begins to profess his love to Femke once again.

  “Femke I love you and your mother has given her blessings and even said that your Papa would be glad over our match. Will you marry me Femke?”

  “Yes, Fons, I shall marry you and we shall be happy forever Fons, I know we will.”

  The Johannes family spends the rest of the evening in a joyous discussion about weddings, babies, and life with Fons as the head of the Johannesfamily until the boys come of age.

  Life can be funny, when the worst of circumstances are close to us we believe they shall never pass, and we shall always be weighed down by life’s worries. But just like winter never fails to turn to spring, bad times will come, but good times and blessing will always follow. If you ever doubt this is true just remember Fons and Femke.

  THE END

  Another bonus story is on the next page.

  Bonus Story 11 of 15

  Aspen Ice Queen

  Description

  Tristan Carter was a self-made man. He liked the mountains and had moved from Denver to Aspen, Colorado to make his home there. He worked for the Lodge. Summers he worked as a guide, leading hikes up into the high country. Winters, he worked on the slopes, repairing equipment and doing general maintenance at the Lodge when he wasn’t on the slopes himself. He could rub elbows with celebrities or regular folks, it made no difference to him. What mattered was the mountain and his way of life.

  Carmen Reiner was a wanderer not by choice. Home had only caused pain for her. She loved the out-of-doors, however, was well-adapted to any sport, but especially skiing, which she excelled at. She had taken an ad out in the paper for a job at the Lodge, serving tables. That way she could satisfy her love of the sport, while earning a living. She and the caretaker did not hit it off and were constantly at each other’s throats. Could she make peace with the man? Could she finally find a home in the Great Rocky Mountains?

  Chapter 1

  Tristan wiped off his hands on a clean cloth, having finished the second repair that day on the ski lift. He hoped the new part would be in soon, as he was getting tired of being called away from other duties to mess with the stupid thing. He had a list a mile long of stuff that needed repairs, up-keep and other projects. He sighed deeply and walked over to the main lodge, dodging skiers on their way up to the slopes. It had been a good season so far, with snow in late October that allowed them to open the slopes at Thanksgiving. The snow had kept up with the traffic and the pack was thirty inches deep with a nice overlay of powder. It was the best skiing in several years and the traffic showed it
.

  Stomping the snow off his boots, Tristan stepped in the back door of The Lodge, used only for staff. He turned left toward the kitchen. He had been working at The Lodge for five years now and had a proven track record for the ability to fix pretty much everything, especially if it had mechanical problems or if wood-working was involved. He had recently been able to upgrade the bathrooms in all the suites with more elegant plumbing accessories and new showers. The Lodge had never looked better,

  Satisfied with being able to have a break, Tristan went and got a sandwich from the employee fridge, grabbed a cold drink and sat down in the employee break room to eat, stretching his long legs out under the table. Tristan was tall and lean, with a swarthy complexion, dark brown hair and eyes to match. He was most comfortable in jeans and a flannel shirt. He didn’t dress up much and that usually consisted of adding a sports coat to the jeans and shirt. Tristan was simple, in attitude and work. If it was too emotional he didn’t care for it, and work was work. You just did it in the most economical and simplest way possible. He figured most things weren’t rocket science anyway and if you did the job right, it didn’t matter. That was true for all that mushy emotional stuff as well; don’t get involved too deeply in anyone’s drama, and nothing bad will happen.

  Tristan finished his sandwich and sat for a few minutes absorbing the quiet. His solitude was broken by one of his bosses, Mrs. Kate Thorn. She and her husband had owned The Lodge for twenty-five years, taking it from one of the places you stayed if nothing else was available, to one of the finest inns in Aspen. She was a plump, kind-hearted woman but a real she-devil when she found you had done something wrong. Tristan was always happy to stay on her good side. He knew her bark was bigger than her bite, most days.

  “Oh, good, I found you. Say, number four needs some plumbing done, the clients report the shower is leaking and thought it should be looked at. I took a trip, and it does. Can you get to it this afternoon, do you think?

  “Sure, no problem. How’s the boss coming along?”

  “Oh, him,” Mrs. Thorn replied. “He’s a real thorn in my side right now. You’d think he’d had major surgery, not just a broken ankle. What a whiner!” She gave Tristan a big grin and turned around to go. “Thanks!” she hollered over her shoulder on the way out.

  Tristan ran his list through his mind. He figured he could get the shower fixed, the work on that handrail coming up the side of the building, then he probably should go and take a minute to stop in on Bud Thorn and see how he was doing, maybe give him an update. Bud was precise in his work and liked to keep a running inventory on all the work. He told Tristan that he liked to keep his thumb on things, not too tight, but so that the whole process wouldn’t get out of hand. Sound philosophy, Tristan thought. Keeps the hounds from the door and keeps the business out of trouble with Fish and Wildlife, Public Health and numerous other agencies that like to shut businesses down. And, I get to keep my job which is another added bonus.

  He set about the afternoon’s tasks. When he finished, he went to grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen to take over while he talked to Bud. He stepped past the office to check on Louise and see if she needed anything before going over to their house. Louise was in with someone, a very pretty someone with blonde hair and incredible purple eyes that glared at him as he walked in. Don’t know what I did to you babe, but it must have been awful. She could stare icicles into being with those eyes.

  “Sorry, Louise, I’ll come back.” Tristan nodded and turned to go.

  “Not a problem,” Louise answered with a wave of her hand directing him to come into the room. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest server, Carmen Reiner. Carmen, this is Tristan Carter, our local wizard, aka maintenance man. Carmen will be staying with us at least through the winter.” The young people shook hands, muttering “Glad to meet you” under their breaths. For Tristan it was just hello to a beautiful lady. For Carmen, it was an inherent distrust of men. Without realizing it, Carmen was glaring at him even as she shook his hand. She had a thing about men; mostly it went like this: Stay away and no one gets hurt. At least that is what she believed. It made for a significantly lonelier life, but that was okay too. Carmen rather liked it that way.

  “Well, nice to meet you,” Tristan said to Carmen then turned to look at Louise. “Do you need anything while I’m out? I was gonna go stop in on Bud and harass him. Thought if you needed something, I could pick it up.”

  “Good. Please harass him well. That way he won’t be so cranky when I get home. Only two more weeks, then he can hobble around and get out of my hair for a few minutes.” She smiled wickedly. Can’t wait, Louise thought for a moment. “No, nothing I can think of, but thanks for the offer.”

  Tristan nodded his head and turned to walk out, those lavender eyes watching his every move. Maybe I need to introduce her to the mountain and get that icicle look out of her eyes.

  Chapter 2

  Carmen watched Tristan leave the room. He looks like a smooth talker, definitely trouble. Watch yourself, girl. Keep a distance from him. She turned back as Louise was talking about her room and what she could and couldn’t do. It appeared to be like many places she had been before—basic room and board, access to the slopes, and every other week-end off. General package for most resorts. She smiled and listened as Louise went through the usual spiel. Carmen had it memorized and could probably tell Mrs. Thorn the whole bit, but she just nodded like she had never heard this talk before. Soon, the two were walking through the kitchen and out the back door, headed to cabins for the employees behind the main Lodge.

  Her cabin was tucked under the trees. It looked cute and cozy. There was a small porch with a lone chair on it. The door with a large “4” hung on it creaked a little bit when it was opened.

  “I should probably have Tristan fix that squeak for you. It would drive me crazy,” Louise observed.

  “No, that’s all right. I like a little warning if the door gets opened by someone I don’t want around. Just leave it. Thanks.” Carmen smiled.

  The door opened into a nice small living area with a TV on a stand, a little love seat covered with a pretty afghan, and a cozy little rocker. A table that would seat two, a small counter with a sink, and a microwave over a small refrigerator sat in one corner. There was a door to the left which led to a bedroom, and a small bathroom off to the side. It boasted a double bed, a large dresser with a mirror and a chair in one corner next to the small closet.

  “Wow, this is really nice, Mrs. Thorn. I really like it,” Carmen looked around appreciatively.

  “Good. There is wood by the stove and a huge stack over past the next cabin. We keep a small hand cart there to bring the wood back and forth. That will be your heat so keep it going when you are home. You do know how to build a fire and use a wood stove, right?”

  “Yes, I have used one before,” Carmen replied.

  “Ok, well, don’t think I have much more for you. I’ll have your paperwork in the morning. Stop by the office around nine a.m. and we’ll go over that. Tomorrow is a free day, and then the week-end comes, so I’ll expect for you to report at five a.m. on Monday to start working. Does that sound okay?”

  “That will be great. It’ll give me a chance to settle in and learn more about the town. People tip better when you can tell them where to go and what to do around town. I need those tips, so that will help a lot.”

  “Good. I’ll leave you to your unpacking and such. See you tomorrow. Have a good evening.” Louise smiled and left, shutting the squeaky door behind her.

  Carmen took a deep sigh and looked around. She didn’t have much to unpack as the lifestyle she had led for the last year and a half had taught her to pack light and move fast. She only hoped that she had moved far enough now to avoid any more trouble. Aspen, Colorado looked like a place she could enjoy being herself. She guessed she would just wait and see. She was tired of moving constantly, never having a friend or being able to settle down into a decent life. It was wearing on her.

/>   Carmen headed back to the front of the lodge to retrieve her car. She pulled it around on the back side of the building and into the spot next to her cabin. She opened the trunk and grabbed the first box, carrying it in to plant it on the loveseat. She turned to head back for the next one when she almost ran over a petite brunette smiling as she leaned in the doorway.

  “Hey! Hope I didn’t scare ya. My name is Bobbi, and I work here too. This is my day off, so I was home when I saw you pull up. It’s a small crew, so we’re all nosy. Anyway…can I help?” Bobbi had an impish grin on her face and Carmen thought she might like getting to know her.

  “Sure, I don’t have much, so it won’t take long.”

  “Yeah, I was like that when I first came, too, but now you can hardly get in my cabin,” Bobbi giggled. “I guess I’m a packrat. I LOVE flea markets and dollar stores.” She put her hand against her heart and closed her eyes. “It’s my passion,” she said dramatically. “Anyway, when the snow gets deep around here, what else is there to do except get drunk, and that certainly is not my bag.”

  This barrage of words was flung out as Bobbi carried in a box and came back out for more.

  Carmen just listened while the two girls worked, because she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

  Bobbi stayed and helped Carmen unpack and hang her clothes and put away the few things she had. When they had finished, they stood back and looked at their progress.

  “Yep, you definitely need some things to gussy this place up. It’s pretty dreary, but that will soon change. What’s say we go out to this fabulous pizza parlor I know and get a bite to eat?” At the look on Carmen’s face, Bobbi held up her hand. “Look, girlfriend. I know that we all live from paycheck to paycheck, but this is on me. You can catch me on the down side, okay?”