At 4:45 pm, their father, Jefferson Wheeler, was a third-generation farmer, who stood six-foot, seven-inches tall, with muscular arms, and a matching barrel chest. He was a hardworking, strict disciplinarian, and his deep baritone bass voice commanded the attention of everyone when he spoke.
When he drove his tractor into the barn, he saw the twins digging a hole in the ground behind Johnathan’s tractor. He stopped his tractor and pointed at the twins, who look up to see and hear their fathers booming voice over the sounds of his tractor yelling, “what are you two doing!”
The boys stared at their father in shock, and when he shut the tractor’s engine off, the twins responded in unison, “yelling at the top of their voices.”
“We are digging a hole to China!”
Mr. Wheeler stared perplexed at his twin sons with total amazement. However, the look on his face caused tears to form in the twin’s eyes, who dropped their shovels and ran toward the house yelling for their mother.
When Johnathan heard the twins enter the house yelling for their mother and crying, he knew it was time to call Samantha Kaslowski. Johnathan had a crush bordering on love for the beautiful 16-year-old Samantha who lived two miles away from his parent’s farm. He so desperately wanted to see her Saturday evening knowing her parents were planning to go to town for a movie.
Johnathan knowing family dinners lasted 30-minutes from 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm. But if his mother and father debated the twins, digging in the backyard and the barn during dinner that discussion would last well past the 6:00 pm and the time his mother and father typically left for a night out.
Johnathan imagined hearing his father apologizing to his mother, and their evening would end with the two cuddling on the couch watching television, with the twins playing in their room or asleep.
Johnathan also believed he was providing his parents with an opportunity for some alone time like he wanted with Samantha.
When Samantha confirmed agreeing to meet him after dinner, Johnathan was so excited about the evening he could hardly stop smiling.
Johnathan’s here’s his mother calling him to dinner, and he said goodbye to Samantha telling her he will see her a little after 6:00 pm.
After Mr. Wheeler blessed their food with a prayer, they all began to eat. However, Johnathan noticed his father eating unusually fast and neither of his parents was discussing what the twins did. His mother started to explain how Johnathan will have a particular task for his Saturday evening.
The words “particular task” caused Johnathan to developed a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and he sensed his evening with Samantha was going to slip away. When he asked what the particular task was?
His mother smiled looking at him and said, you are going to watch the twins, but not hear at the house. Looking puzzeled and somewhat sad, Johnathan nodded his head in agreement, then asked where?
Your dad and I will tell you when we leave. Now you finish your food so you can wash the dishes while Jacob and Jason drys and you all better work together putting them away.
All of the boys in unison said, yes, mam.
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