Dreams Come True (11 page)

David drove in to the ranch and drove down to the building
where he would be working.  Roger walked up and shook his hand as he climbed out of the van.
“This is my headache.  The whole building went up in smoke.  It has been cleaned out.  There is nothing left.”  They walked in to the building.
“How did it catch fire in the first place?”
“Poor wiring.  There was a short.  It caught fire when we were all out.”  David nodded.
“I need to get a few things first.”  Roger nodded.
“I am going to head to town and get everything that I need.”  Roger nodded. 

David took a walk through the building.
“Is this your bunkhouse?”
“It was.  The boys are in a make shift down the way.”  David nodded.
“Did they lose everything?”
“Everything.”  David nodded.
“Poor guys.”
“I reimbursed them.  They didn’t have any valuables thank heavens.”  David smiled and nodded.
“So five rooms.  The two bathrooms.  And the lounging area.” David took out his notepad and made notes.
“Where is the board?”
“What board?”
“This building should have its own board.”
“No it runs off of the main house.”
“Going to have to change that Roger.”  Roger nodded.
“David do you have a license?”  David smiled and nodded.
“Yes I do have a wireman’s license.  That I have.  So the work comes with a guarantee.”  Roger smiled.
“I didn’t mean to ask that.”
“No.  You have to ask.  The chap that did this job.  And I hope he is not family or friend.  But he should have known to have it on its own board.”  Roger nodded.
“Yeah.  He is long gone.  Left months ago.”  David nodded.
“I am off.  See you in a while.”  Roger chuckled as he hopped in to the van.
“Don’t run away.”  David grinned as he drove off.

He
took his cell phone out and dialed Amanda.
“Hey sweetheart!”  David chuckled.
“I am heading for town.  I have to fetch wiring and sockets and all sorts of things.  Anything you need?”
“All good my side.  Take it easy.”
“I will.  Hey!  I love you!”
“Ooooh David.  I love you!”
“I always wanted to say that.”
“And it is something I want to hear.  Now take it easy.  Something tells me you will be home just in time for supper.”
“Quite a job that.”
“I am sure.  See you later.”
“See you later.”

David smiled as he drove.  He put the phone on speaker phone and dialed his supplier.  He gave the list of everything that he needed and he ordered two of everything that would come in handy.  His stocks were rather low.  He drove straight to his supplier.  Everything was ready.  He took out his wallet.
“We can put it on your account.”
“No Basil.  I am paying my account and I am paying for these.  I will use my account so don’t close it.”  Basil chuckled.
“A big job you are doing there.”  David nodded.
“Rewiring a building.”
“I am glad you are busy.”
“So am I.”  David smiled as he walked out.  The youngster carried the goods for him.  He loaded them in to the van.  David smiled as he tipped him.  The youngster had a huge smile as David drove off.

As David drove off his cell phone rang.
“One tiny little favor?”  David chuckled.
“Sure.”
“Can you take a drive past the Varsity.  There are two boxes that I need collecting please.  They are in the office.  Right at the front of the building.  Ask for Mrs. Rae.”
“Will do.”  He smiled as he drove to the enormous University buildings.  He followed the signs and walked into the building.  He walked in to the office.
“Mrs. Rae?”  She nodded.
“Miss Rosendale sent me.”
“Oh goodness.  Yes.  I have two boxes for you.”  She walked to the corner.  He took the one box and walked out and loaded it.  He walked in for the second.  Mrs. Rae smiled.
“Your girls are one up on everyone.  The books arrived this morning.  Luckily enough Miss Rosendale called.”
“What is in those boxes?”
“Text books for next year.”
“Heavens!”  She chuckled and nodded.
“Thank you.”  She smiled as he walked out.

David looked about as he drove around the campus.  It was such a big place.  He hoped the girls would find their way about the place.  He smiled to himself.  It was such an opportunity.  But he would have to bring in a lot more work.  As he drove
along he wondered how he would charge Roger.  He would have to work out a price.  He always charged double for the actual spares and added on a little labor.  He drove straight back to Roger’s ranch.  He pulled up to the building.  He took everything out and put it where it would go.  He took his Invoice book and listed the spares and the wires.  He didn’t add in any labor.  He would work that out later.  What he had charged was double the price of the spares.  He left the book open to add anything if there was anything else used.  He got to work immediately.  David stopped at lunch time.  He sat and ate his sandwiches.  He drank his coffee.  It was the first time that he actually had a lunch box filled with food.  He finished eating and closed the lunch box.  He drank the last of his coffee and got busy. 

It was almost six in the evening when David went to the board.  He did the final connection.  He walked to every single room and checked the plugs and the lights.  There would be no short and no fire.  He walked to the board and put his sticker on as he always did.  Roger quietly walked in.  He stopped at the
Invoice book and did a quick calculation.  He picked up the book and the pen.  He wrote the number of hours worked and the rate and totaled the Invoice.  He signed it and wrote his name.  He tore the page out.  He took out the wad of notes as per the price as it was on the Invoice.
“David?”
“Right here.”
“Are you finished?”
“They can move in Roger.  There is a plug in each room.  I saw there was a bit of a shortage.  Let me show you.” 

David took Roger to each room.  Roger nodded and nodded as David showed him the plug sockets.  He switched each light on and off.  Roger smiled.
“My men will thank you.”  David chuckled.
“Home sweet home for them.”  Roger nodded.  He took out the cash and handed the thick wad to David.
“But I haven’t even given you the price yet.”
“Easy enough.  Your rate at the hours you worked.  And the price in the Invoice.”  David smiled.
“This is too much Roger.”
“No David.  You have been on the job since seven.  You made it happen.  No arguments.”  David smiled and looked at the money.  He doubled it over and put it in his back pocket.
“Took my Invoice thanks.”  David chuckled.

Roger grinned as he walked to the little lounging area.
“Oh great!  You put in an extra plug!”  David nodded and smiled.
“Always need an extra.”
“Thank you.”  David smiled as he closed his toolbox and started carrying things to the van.  He was in and out loading.  Roger smiled as he drove off.  David waved and headed home to the ranch.  As he drove he did the calculation in his head.  He hadn’t checked what Roger had paid him.  He couldn’t wait to take the bundle of notes out and count them. 

He drove up to the ranch and smiled.  Victoria and Nicola were s
itting on the porch waiting.
“About time Dad.  Nicola and I are starved!”  David chuckled.
“Oh I bet.”  He walked inside and heard the little chuckles.  He walked in to the kitchen.  Amanda smiled.
“Told you so.”  He chuckled and pulled her in to his arms and kissed and hugged her.  Mrs. Dudley chuckled.
“And supper is ready.  Please holler for Laurel and Hardy out there.”  Amanda chuckled.
“What are they up to?”
“Heavens alone knows.  They have been sitting on those rocking chairs laughing their heads off for the last fifteen minutes.”
“Oh I will sort that out chop chop.”

David walked out.
“Ladies.  In my van.  Two boxes.  Fetch!”  They both groaned as they got up.  David grinned.
“If you are groaning now wait until you carry those boxes.”
“You can’t say fetch.  You didn’t throw a branch.”  David looked around.  Victoria roared with laughter.
“No branches Dad!”  They walked to the van and both carried a box.  They walked inside complaining.
“And where do they go?”  Amanda grinned.
“One in each of your bedrooms.”
“All the way up the stairs?”
“Well if you put them down you could train them to walk up all by themselves.”  Nicola chuckled.
“Right.”  David grinned as they listened to the running commentary all the way up the stairs.  Mrs. Dudley shook her head.
“I would hate to hear them when they reach the ripe old age of ninety nine.”  Amanda chuckled. 

“Wait for the squeal.  I know one of them will have to be nosy and open a box.”
“Should we place a bet?”  Mrs. Dudley chuckled.
“Oh there it is now.  The squeal.  And the second squeal.”  David roared with laughter.  Victoria and Nicola came running down the stairs.
“Do you know what is in that box!”  Amanda smiled and looked at David.
“You can thank Uncle David.  He collected your textbooks from the Varsity this morning.  That is all you need for the new year.  The next thing will be your exercise books and stationery.  But that we can get when we go to town.”  Nicola beamed.
“So scared to even open one.”  David chuckled. 

“So how was the day?”
“Your crystal ball was right.  Extremely busy.”  Mrs. Dudley smiled as she put the dishes on the table.
“Night folks.  See you all in the morning.  Tomorrow is the lambs.”
“No reminding me Mrs. Dudley.”  She chuckled as she left the kitchen.
“And what did you ladies do all day?”  Victoria nodded.
“We had to round up the sheep.  That took forever.  Some of them do not want to move.  So we got them half way.  Then we stopped and had lunch.  That was nice.  We had a bit of a barby.  Meat on a bun.  I had two.  And then back on the horses and get them all to the paddocks.  For tomorrow.  There are so many little lambs.  That is why it takes long.  We don’t want them to run.  Just a slow stroll will do.  So that the lambs don’t lose their mothers along the way.”  David nodded.
“And how is the horse riding coming along?”  Victoria nodded.
“Got a few tips today.  So I know how to ride.  I practice all the time.”
“Good.”

Amanda smiled.
“And your day Mister MacGuire?”
“I arrived there early this morning.  I didn’t even realize the time.  Got there before seven you know.”  Amanda chuckled and nodded.
“Then I had to go and fetch all the stuff from the supplier.”
“I hope you bought a few more things.”
“I did.  I need to find a hidey hole for them.”  Amanda nodded and smiled.
“And then when I got back I started.  It actually looks rather nice.  As wiring goes.  I put all the wires in tubes so that they are not exposed.  I didn’t see any casings.”
“No the wires weren’t covered.”  David nodded.
“So it really looks good.  And I put a separate board in.  Which it never had.  So if the power trips it will only trip in the bunkhouse.  Not blow the entire house.”
“Word will be out if Roger is impressed.”
“That is one thing that I do have.  A wireman’s license.”
“So you are qualified then.”
“I meant in everything when you asked.”  Amanda smiled.
“So that makes you a qualified electrician.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“But you don’t really have to have qualifications to build.  Or do you?  Isn’t that something that you learn?”
“Yes by practicing.  I have been on a few courses.  The same as plumbing.  Been on a few courses.”
“Gosh it is good to be able to do all those things.  What I have seen though.  Some people can be so messy.”  David chuckled.
“If I take something out of a box I have learnt to flatten the little box and put it straight back in to the packet.”
“Then you don’t have them lying all over.” 

David chuckled.
“I did a job.  Years back.  The guy hovered all the time.  I took a part out of a box and had it on the counter.  He picked it up and checked the price.  That is why I put them away.”  Amanda chuckled and nodded.
“I see your thinking.”
“But I am a lot tidier than most.  I tidy as I go.  Then you don’t have the great tidy afterwards.”  Amanda nodded.
“Very easy to just take a syringe out of a packet and throw it on the floor.  I know what you mean.  Seen that happen.”

“I have this wad of money in my pocket and I am itching to count.”
“We will excuse you for five minutes.  Go.”  David chuckled as he got up and ran up the stairs.  He sat on the bed after taking the wad of money from his pocket.  He counted and counted.  The wad was so thick it would not fit in his wallet.  He opened his bedside cabinet drawer and put it inside.  He smiled to himself.  He just sat for a few minutes.  He hadn’t expected half the amount.  He closed the drawer and ran down the stairs.  He washed his hands and sat down.
“Right.”  They all started dishing up.  Amanda said grace and they started eating.

“Itching
to know the answer of the unasked question.”  David chuckled.
“My hourly rate plus the parts that I used.”
“Good heavens Dad.  You are rolling in the dough!”  David chuckled.
“Well on my way to achieving my target.”  Amanda smiled and looked at David.
“Good!”
“Loads to do this week.  Victoria I need you to make a list of all the furniture in the house.  Chairs.  Whatever.  We are moving baby shoes.”  Victoria giggled.
“Oh Dad!”  He grinned.
“Oh this is going to be awesome!  Do you realize we are both going to be living here?  Oh magic!  Now we can put your posters up.”  Victoria nodded and smiled.
“I can’t wait to move.  Well we actually have moved.  But really everything.”  David smiled and nodded.
“Make that list.”
“I will Dad.  I will start the list and you can go through it and see what I have forgotten.”  David nodded and smiled.
“The minute the house is empty I am going to rent it out.”  Victoria nodded.
“You need to tell Gran.”
“And I will.”  Victoria smiled and nodded.
“What are they going to do now?  They like to pop in on a Saturday.”