| Fantasy Science Fiction posted November 5, 2022 |
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A young man inherits a farm, and plants acorns
A Field of Acorns
by wierdgrace
The sound of a motorcycle could be heard for miles as it went up and down hills going to Monterey County in California. Fred Brady had inherited land from a distant relative and after working and saving for this trip, was now on his way to see where it was.
His bike was loaded: pup tent, sleeping bag, utensils for camping out, the maps and deeds to these areas of land he had inherited, the location, etc.
On the maps, he could see it was close to the Ocean and he was to check in Sand City, at a Real Estate Office to get the right location and direction to his property.
Fred was an auto mechanic and had worked on nearly every make of car. He was good and he knew it, so if all this panned out okay he wanted to open his own shop and make his home in California. He was thirty-three years old and it had been a long, dusty trip from Oklahoma.
Now he was almost at his destination.
He turned off the highway where it said, "Monterey," and his bike purred as he sped along the highway going to Monterey. The beauty had him spellbound. There were beautiful trees on both sides. He could smell the salt air from the Ocean. He saw the sign that said, "Sand City." Therefore, he turned off at the exit and within moments was in front of the real Estate Office.
Fred got off his bike and got all his papers to the property out of his duffle bag. He was shown on a big map where it was, so with the directions on how to get there, he was once more heading into the hills. Following directions, he came to his property. The outside perimeter of his property was all Pine trees, from the street it looked like a forest.
He saw a break in the trees, parked his bike, and pushed his way through the trees. As he stood there he could see the whole plot of land that was his, all surrounded by the Pines on the outside with weeds here and there in the open space, plus a sickly looking stunted tree.
In the middle of the section an old hut stood. It was like a shed and falling apart. Close to the corner was a very old house trailer. Its paint was all peeling off but from where he stood it looked solid. There was a break in the trees.
He squeezed back through the foliage, and then got on his bike and rode to the end.
Although the dirt road didn't seem to be used, there was the opening, so he walked his motorcycle through. With that, he was in front of the trailer. The door was open, so Fred went inside. The inside really surprised him, it was cheerful and completely furnished, even a built-in stove, a refrigerator with the door standing open, and a bedroom at the back and in between was a tiny bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink.
The trailer was about thirty foot long, he guessed. The bed even had blankets and pillows on it. The cupboard was filled with dishes; the pots were below the sink. He tried the stove, no gas, but there were butane tanks in the front outside. The water was connected, and he washed the grime and dust off his face and hands. Fred was ecstatic, not only land but a place to live.
He unloaded his bike, bringing everything inside. Then it was starting to get late, so he took one of the butane tanks off, since he remembered seeing a butane gas place at a service station and went and had it filled. He would fill the other one tomorrow. Now he had gas heat, and he could warm up a can of Pork and Beans for his late dinner.
He had his little portable; battery operated radio on and was in heaven here. He had inherited a home and all this beautiful land. He was very tired and when it was dark, he just took his clothes off and used the sleeping bag he had with him, first stripping the bed. He would wash everything the next day.
Fred slept like a log all night and awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. He got up early and put water on the stove for instant coffee. He even found an old, old toaster under the sink. You just put it on the burner of the stove with four slices of bread leaning against the four sides you toasted one side and then turned them by hand.
After burning a couple of pieces, he caught on when to turn them. He had canned peaches with toast and coffee and that was his breakfast. He was in his glory with all of this new land and house.
He headed downtown and had the lights turned on and put the water in his name. Afterwards, he bought groceries. Now he was set and could look over his property. After putting the groceries away, he walked over to the old shed. As he walked, he thought how friendly everyone in this part of the country was.
When he had gone into the electric and water companies they had said, "Oh, you are taking over the old Hamilton place."
It seems when his great uncle had lived there he was liked by all. Fred walked over to check out the shed and saw the electric men on a pole.
He waved at them and one yelled back, "You will have lights in a few minutes."
The door of the shed had rusted off one of its hinges so he lifted it and opened the door and there sat an old washing machine.
It was old, so old you had to put the clothes through a wringer. "If that works when the electricity is on, I will put those blankets off the bed in it," he thought.
The shed had shelved all full of tools and shovels and spades were in a corner, even a lawnmower you worked by hand. Fred felt as if he had come into a fortune, patting the lawnmower, he said, "I'll work out with you."
A bag of clothespins hung in one corner, so now he knew he could wash and hang his clothes.
Fred saw another door at the back, it was closed tight. He pushed and pushed but no way could he open it.
Therefore, he came out and went around the shed to find that weeds and crabgrass had frown around the door. He also discovered a clothesline there to hang clothes on. He went to work pulling weeds so he could free the door.
Just as he got the door open the electrician yelled, "You're all set!"
Fred went into the shed and plugged in the washer, it worked great. There was an old sink beside it with a water pump to fill up the washer. The gasman had lit the pilot light on the heater, and that took care of all those problems. He turned on the water to fill the machine and went to the trailer to get the blankets.
However, the time he got back, it was almost to the full line. He put the cover on it and turned off the water, and then he started looking for soap. There were several boxes of stuff; one box he looked in had seeds like small acorns or nuts. He laid that aside while he was writing on the outside of the boxes their contents.
Then he found some soap, he had been sure among all the stuff there should be some. Now the washer was chugging away and Fred, by this time, was hungry, so he carried the little box with the seeds into the trailer.
Fred made himself a lunch inside his new home, and read as he ate the sandwich he made.
It was the directions on how to plant the nuts: "Plant nuts six inches apart, they are very fast growing."
At the bottom of the directions, sprawled in his uncles handwriting it said, "I didn't get to these, whoever takes over please plant them as soon as possible."
Well, Fred knew nothing about planting but he said to himself, "I will give it a try as soon as I get some ground cleared."
He finished eating and took the seeds back to the shed.
He really kept busy putting rinse water in the machine, then running them through the wringer, then hanging them all out to dry.
He was beat by now and decided to stop for the day and let the blankets and sheets hang out all night. Then he took off on his motorcycle to see the ocean.
It was so beautiful, the sea hitting the rocks and throwing sprays high into the air. Pelicans by the dozens were diving straight down to catch the fish in the water below.
He slept that night with the windows opened, smelling the salty sea air.
He awoke early and fog had set in so he made a long list of all the things he wanted to do. One of his first priorities' was to see if he needed a license to work on peoples cars.
He found out he would need a garage or building with a pit to get under them. Therefore, that would be his project later. He had plenty of room and decided he would build it. Right now, he had to clear some land and plant those seeds or Acorns. He laid them all out on the table. They came to a point on one end and so he sat them upright and counted an even dozen.
The sun had come out now and was burning the fog off, so he got a shovel and rake and dug a plot to plant the seeds.
By noon, he had them all planted and then he watered his garden.
"Okay, that's done," he said. Then he got paint and started first on the shed, after putting on his hinges to hold the doors. He had white paint already so he used that, and by nightfall, his shed looked good. The next day he started on the outside of the trailer with a Silver paint.
Within a week, Fred had his trailer and grounds looking good.
Each morning, his first project was to check his garden he had planted. In three days, he saw the ground around each seed crack and started to push up. He was really excited and anxious to see what they looked like.
At the end of the week, all of them had grown and he could see the green sprouts coming up, with foliage the color of tender lettuce. They had a thick stem like a tiny tree.
Fred was kept busy with neighbors dropping in and once the word got out he was a mechanic, people with cars, motorcycles, etc, dropped in to have him check their vehicles and see what was wrong, and if he could fix it.
As long as he just fixed cars in his yard he didn't need a license, so there was usually a car there being worked on. As he worked, he would glance over at the growing plants.
They were getting bigger every day and now they had a think bud on the top of each plant, almost like a Tulip bulb. Fred was using the shed to keep all the tools he needed to work on cars, gradually getting other tools, as he needed them.
He was doing a tune-up on an old Ford truck and went into the shed to get a tool he needed, to put in the spark plugs. As he was going into the shed, his eyes caught a movement in the plants. He stopped and looked, one of the buds had half opened, and it looked like a tiny head and face. He walked over and looked closely, others were opening up and all looked like tiny baby heads.
Fred stopped what he was going after in the shed, and got the hoe and loosened the ground around all the plants. As he worked, he talked to them.
"You surely look like little faces, my cute babies," and then he laughed to himself. As he laughed, all the plants moved as though a breeze had gone across them, but no wind was blowing.
"Well, there, that should help you to grow." He said. "I have got to get back to work."
He got the tool he had originally gone after, went out, and worked on the truck.
Every morning he came out and watered the plants. The bulbs on top were about five inches thick now but remained closed with thick greenery around them. The leaves were almost hiding the bulbs. Fred talked to them as he watered; telling them, what he was going to do that day.
Once morning after he had to turn a job away because he required a pit to get under it, he decided to dig one and gradually build the garage over it, so he started digging.
At first, the ground was hard but when he got his shovel into it, he lifted the dirt easily. As he worked, he could feel something watching him. He stopped a few times and looked all around but no one was in sight. The ground moved very easily, something he hadn't expected. In the garden, all the bulbs had opened, and all were tiny baby faces. They were all turned towards him, as if they were sending energy in that direction, also a big flash of light had gone to his trailer.
Fred came out of the hole he was digging and headed for the trailer to get something to eat. As he opened the door, the smell of food cooking hit his nostrils. He entered and opened the door to the oven and there was a roast, all cooked with vegetables around it.
Fred was amazed and asked, "Who did this, I wonder?"
They would have had to be in the trailer to fix it. It didn't take long to get it out and eat, either. It was the best meal he had ever eaten.
When neighbors came by, he asked them if they had been there before and told them about the roast.
They kidded him and said, "Looks like you have a girl struck on."
Therefore, it was a mystery, one of many mysteries in days to come. Everyone was amazed that he had dug the hole for the pit so rapidly.
By nightfall, it was all ready for him to pour cement for lining it. He had never done that one thing so he decided to see how much it would cost to have it cemented the next day.
Fred went into the trailer and took a good long shower, then heated up the rest of the roast. When he opened the refrigerator to get out a carton of milk, there sat lemon cream pie. He was in total shock and decided not to tell anyone about this. They would think he was losing it, or on drugs. He had started building up business and did wanted the town's people to trust him.
The pie was the best he had ever eaten, of course, he only ate half. He was tired from all the work he had done and went to bed early and slept soundly until 6:00 A.M.
The fog was covering his land, but he walked through it, fog, and all, like a cloud around his feet. He came to the hole he had dug and stopped in amazement, it was all cemented and completely dry. The plants behind him all shook as if they were laughing, or giggling, and quickly closed as he looked in their direction.
"Well, I just don't know what's happening, but someone or something is helping me. I wish I knew who to thank."
That day Fred measured and drew a line where the garage was to be built over the pit. He then went in and counted the money he had made fixing peoples cars. He had kept it in a green tin box he had found in the shed when he was getting the bulbs and as it had a lock and key, he decided to put the cash he made into it. He thought, this way, he would not have to touch his bank account.
It was being transferred to a bank in town, but he knew he could us it if he needed too.
Fred counted and found he had one hundred and sixty dollars in the green tin box. Therefore, he decided to go and order the lumber and see how much it would come to.
Fred got on his bike and headed for the lumberyard.
There was a nice man there by the name of Clint and Fred told him exactly what he wanted. It would cost much more than he had planned, but by buying sections, he got the material necessary for the framework.
Clint brought it out in his truck and admired the pit saying. "That's the best work I have ever seen."
Fred sawed and laid the lumber around for the start of his garage, then went back to work on a truck he was fixing for a customer. As he worked, he figured he would use this money for the siding. He worked late until it got too dark to see, then he headed towards the trailer to take a shower and had decided to just open a can of something to eat. He opened the door and the aroma of stew met his nose. There sat the pot on the stove simmering away.
Now, he knew no one had been in the trailer so this had to be some kind of Psychic experience. However, he knew the stew was real, no joke about that. In his mind, before he ate, he thanked whomever, or whatever was helping him and blessed them.
Outside in the darkness the Acorns grew another two inches, their stems thick and strong. About midnight the stems opened up and the children of the Acorns came out of the stems. They were like tiny imps and flew upward getting exercise, and then they all gathered over by the pit with the lumber laying around it. Fred, in a light sleep could hear hammering, sawing, etc. However, when he would get wide-awake, not a sound could he hear, so he thought he was dreaming.
After he got up, ate, and went out, the first thing he saw was that the framework of the garage was all finished. He was in complete shock again, but now he knew he had not been dreaming.
Fred finished the truck and the man came, got it, and paid him in cash. Fred went into the trailer and opened up his green tin box and there was the money replaced that he had taken out and spent for the lumber.
Again, he went and paid for all the siding. Nick again delivered it, and said, "You must have worked all night."
Fred said, "I had friends helping me." Moreover, he was very close to the truth.
Now, Fred decided he was going to catch whomever was doing this, so that evening he went to bed with his clothes on and lay there trying hard not to fall asleep. It was midnight hours when he heard the first sound. He opened his curtain a tiny bit and peeked out and he could see three little fairy like people coming clear out of his plants.
They were beautiful, like tiny Angels, he had seen in many pictures. Fred pinched himself to see if he was awake, but it was real. Then after they flew around awhile, they all went to the garage and then Fred saw a sight not for human eyes. These tiny beings, by using a light beam that came from their tiny hands sawed the lumber.
He could not hear the sawing noise as each piece was sawed the right length. Others came and carried it to where it fit and more of the Acorn children with tiny hammers took over. Bill could not believe his eyes. He watched these little people really working. He knows if he went outside they would all leave so he went back to sleep. The next morning the garage was all finished except for the roofing.
Fred got up early and went outside, and then he walked over to his plants.
"Okay you kids, wake-up! I saw you last night so come out, you all!"
He stood there and there was a quiver on all the plants. He called again and first one little head came up and then another. They were darling, all had different features like human babies, but these plant babies looked to be four, six and eight years old. They all had scared looks on their faces.
Fred told them, "Come on out and don't be sacred. I am so proud of all of you. Can you talk?"
Then in unison, they all said, "Hello," in tiny voices.
Fred picked up a stool, sat down, and said, "come to me, I won't hurt you. I love you!"
Then all of them said, "I love you." Then one, which looked like an eight-year-old, pushed a leaf aside and the plant opened. He came straight into the air and over to Fred.
He sat on his shoulders, and had dark curly hair and his skin, as all the others, had a greenish tint to it. The chest, arms, and legs were all naked. A leaf was around his private parts like a tiny diaper. He smiled and his teeth were perfect. He was one handsome little tiny person.
The tiny little hand stroked Fred's face. The hand was soft, like velvet, and Fred could feel something like energy coming from it. All the rest watched.
Fred said, "What is your name?"
"I don't have a name," it answered.
"Well, we will have to fix that," Fred said.
"Let's call you Jackson. Where did you come from Jackson?"
"Out of the Acorns you planted. We have all been waiting a long time to be brought to life! We came from space, went into the ground. But sinkholes of earthquakes pushed us out of the ground."
"How do you build things, cook, and give me money that I can spend?"
"I do not know," Jackson, answered. Then he raised each of his tiny arms and said, "Our orders come from down there," pointing at the ground.
"Something tells us what to do and we are not supposed to be seen on this planet, but you discovered us so we all thought it would be nice if you could see us. The orders came back that it was okay to come to you, but we were scared," Jackson explained.
"It looks as if you are the bravest one," Fred said.
"I'm the oldest; I grew faster than the others. We had three more born last night," Jackson stated.
"I would love to see them," Fred said.
Jackson waved his hand and tiny buds opened; showing what looked like newborn babies' heads and faces.
"They are darling," he said. "Can I go over there?"
"Sure." Jackson answered. As Fred walked gently between the rows, the rest were all up in the air now, flitting all around him.
There were girls of all descriptions, Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads, some curly, some straight. One little one lit on Fred's shoulders and said, "Did you like my pie?"
"Did I ever. So, you are the cook?" Fred said.
From all around him a dozen more declared, "I made the stew," and all were gabbing in their tiny voices.
"We are so glad to see you up close. We have peeked out and watched you, and all think you are nice."
Then he was kissed on his cheeks, tiny fairy kisses from those in the air.
Suddenly a car was heard. In a second, all were back into their blossoms. A man drove in, so Fred walked over to him and said, "Looks like you just made it.
"Yeah, I had a hell of a time getting the car started. Hey, you have just about finished your garage. That's a great job."
"Yes, I like it," Fred answered, and out of the corner of his eye he could see all the plants move.
"I must put the roofing material on now. I'm going to spread it out so it will get warm and not crack."
"The sun is coming out and the fog is lifting," the man replied.
"Can you leave your car here?" Fred asked
"Yes, if you will give me a ride home on your bike?"
"Sure will."
As they climbed on, the man asked, "How long do you think it will take?"
"Give me a few days and I'll bring it to you and you can bring me back," Fred replied, and so it was settled.
When Fred came back all the tarpaper for the roof was spread out in the sun. These little tiny ones surely worked. Now they were all asleep.
Fred went to where the oldest one was and said gently, "Thank you, Jackson."
A tiny voice came back, "You are welcome, Fred."
He worked on the car while his mind was going over a miracle that had happened to the acorns he had planted. He wondered if they were going to stay there with him.
They didn't know where they had come from, or anything about themselves, but he had a hunch that they had come from Outer Space. There are no humans on this earth that small and they surely did not come from plants.
It was getting close to noon, and he was getting hungry and noticed two of the acorn females heading for his trailer. They almost looked like large butterflies if you didn't examine them up closely. They both waved at him as they went by. He stood there and watched as one hung onto the doorknob and turned it. The other one at the bottom of the door pushed. That's how the opened it and went inside.
Shortly, he washed up at the faucet outside and went in. There was his sandwich and milk waiting and this time he had company. They were beautiful little girls and had on thin robes as if they were made from a spider web. Fred touched the material and found it was strong, not thin like a spider web. The sunlight hitting it made colors like the rainbow. He asked them questions, but he could see they did not know the answers. Then they left, going back to their cocoons.
Fred rested awhile and then went back outside. The tarpaper was on the roof; a ladder with his hammer and nails was laying alongside so up he went and worked on the roof with his little helpers assisting.
They did not need a hammer; all they did was put their finger to the nail and in it went. However, the sound of hammering was in the air. A neighbor came by so all the Acorn babies hid.
The neighbor said, "You sure are working."
Fred went on hammering while he conversed with the man, who soon left after saying, "You are doing it just in time as it will soon start raining."
Fred got the car inside his new garage and that night the rain came. He wondered if those little children were all right and got up. He put on his raincoat and with a flashlight went out to check on them.
The buds were closed tightly. He called out but there was no answer. Then he checked his garage. Everything was in line and the car was dry. It rained day and night for three days and he heard not a sound from the Acorn children.
During this time, there was no food being prepared or any other chores by them. He went out there many times but not a sound or answer when he called out and the buds were all tightly shut.
Fred finished working on the car, it ran fine now, and he called the man and told him he was bringing it over. When he started out the rain was coming down so fast that the windshield wipers could hardly keep the windshield clear.
Upon arrival, the man asked him into his house and gave him a hot cup of coffee. Fred asked him if he know where any old trucks were for sale as his bike was not good in this kind of weather. Even if the truck needed considerable work, he said he could fix it. The man told him he would look around and let him know.
It kept raining and as much as he hated to, he had to use the motorcycle to go to the store as he was running out of food.
By the time he got home the big paper bag containing the groceries was soaked, but he did get them into the trailer without it bursting.
After doing that chore, he rode his bike into his new garage and cleaned it all up. He missed those tiny people like mad and was very, very worried that maybe they all had drowned. During that night, the rain stopped, and the sun was out when he woke up.
The leaves on the Oak trees were a beautiful green from the rain and the trees had grown taller. The leaves hid the buds the children had come from. They were all dripping from the rain but still there was no sound of children yet.
Then Fred heard a truck back firing and said, "Oh boy, here comes more work!"
Well, it was more work but for himself. The man he had fixed the last car for had told a young man he was looking for an old truck for a friend of his. It so happened he did have one. It was a mess, but the guy only wanted two hundred dollars for it, so the two of them drove it over for Fred to look at.
After checking it out, Fred decided to buy it. It was his last two hundred in cash that he had left in his tin box, but he had food and would not need anything today. He would have to get a check cashed tomorrow.
It was a beautiful day, and the ground was drying rapidly. There was still no sight of his kids, as he called them. He went over and walked between the tiny trees coming up and he called and called but no answer at all.
Fred thought to himself, "Well, I guess they have all left, but, it was a pleasure knowing you all for a little while. I hope, wherever you are, you are all right."
He worked on the truck he had purchase, giving it a complete overhaul. It was rusty and a sight, but he was interested in getting the motor working well. It was an old, a 1942 Ford, with big wooden racks on the back.
Now any lumber he needed to carry or other large items, he could easily transport. Before he could do that, he needed to get a transmission.
Fred got on his bike and started going to wrecking yards. The third one he checked had one. They also had other parts he needed, so he asked them if they would deliver.
"No Way!" was their answer.
Fred told them he would try to get his truck started and then come back and buy the parts.
The price for the parts came to more than he had paid for the truck. He told them he would go cash a check and be back. Besides the transmission, he needed seats, mirrors, etc.
It was about noon, so he decided to go by his place and eat, see how the truck runs, and then go to the bank.
When Fred opened the door to the trailer, he found there was his lunch all ready for him. He ran out, looked, and called, not a sound. He went back in and ate, then took his tin box down to get his bankbook. There in a neat pile was five hundred dollars, all in twenty-dollar bills. Just enough money to get all the parts he needed.
Fred sat there in shock, holding the bills in his hand and said a little prayer for those little individuals that had helped him so much, praying they were all right wherever they were.
Then, he went out and tried to start the old truck. It moaned and groaned, but he got it started. Finally, he got it in gear and drove off to the wrecking yard.
It started to rain again, so he brought a canvas drop cloth to cover the parts on the way home. Arriving home, he drove directly into his garage, knowing that no matter how hard it rained he could now work on his truck and be out of the elements.
He loved the garage and was so proud of his place. He knew that without the little Acorn children it would have taken him at least a year to finish what he now had.
The small Oak trees were growing each day. Each was completely covered with tender green leaves. It would be a forest on his place when they reached full growth, but he decided to let them grow in case the tiny ones wanted them. He knew they had to be close by, as they had fixed his lunch and left him all that money.
He could not figure out why they did not come to see him or answer his calls. He worked on his truck for days and still no sign of the children. However, when he went in at night, his food was always prepared.
He finally finished working on his truck and it ran in top condition. He also had two more cars to fix. His business was really picking up and he was doing the work he loved to do, but truly missed the tiny ones.
He came out one morning and many of the Oak trees had died. They were all withered and laying on their side. He went over and pulled them out. He opened the part where the children had emerged; it was like a soft fur lining inside the empty bud.
They were gone, but where? He sensed they were not far away.
The one day he went out to his garage, opened the big doors and there they all were, all over his truck and sitting on the edge of the shelves.
They all yelled, "Surprise," and the one he called Jackson, who seemed to be the spokesperson for the group, came over and sat on his shoulder and said, "We all came to say goodbye as we are going home."
"Where is your home? I thought this was your home."
"We did too, but this was just our birthplace. Our group needed to find out about the planet EARTH."
"You know there are many worlds like this above and below this planet that revolves around the sun. You know when you leave this Planet Earth; you will go on to another Planet or shelf, as we call it, one that is more advanced than Earth."
Fred queried, "You mean when I die?"
"Yes," the little Acorn boy said, and continued with, "There's no such thing as death. We go on and on to the glory above. Someday it will all blend, and everyone will be together."
Fred had a million questions to ask, but the little one said,
"That's all I'm allowed to tell you now. It is the law of the universe, but you can be sure you have many adventures ahead of you. We were here to do good and having completed our job, we must now go on. We all love you, Fred.
All the others repeated their love for him and one by one came to Fred and patted or left a fairy like kiss on his cheeks. They all streamed out in a line as Fred watched them go up and out of sight. They just disappeared. The spokesperson was the last to leave and he put a Red Rose into Fred's hand. It was beautiful.
Fred is now sixty years old, and he has several men working for him. The trailer has been rebuilt into a big mobile home and the Rose the Acorn child, Jackson, gave him is still in a vase and throws off its special fragrance. The rose never died.
Every evening Fred looks out at the yard and says a prayer to the Acorn children, a part of him that will never die.
Sci Fi or Fantasy Writing Contest contest entry
The sound of a motorcycle could be heard for miles as it went up and down hills going to Monterey County in California. Fred Brady had inherited land from a distant relative and after working and saving for this trip, was now on his way to see where it was.
His bike was loaded: pup tent, sleeping bag, utensils for camping out, the maps and deeds to these areas of land he had inherited, the location, etc.
On the maps, he could see it was close to the Ocean and he was to check in Sand City, at a Real Estate Office to get the right location and direction to his property.
Fred was an auto mechanic and had worked on nearly every make of car. He was good and he knew it, so if all this panned out okay he wanted to open his own shop and make his home in California. He was thirty-three years old and it had been a long, dusty trip from Oklahoma.
Now he was almost at his destination.
He turned off the highway where it said, "Monterey," and his bike purred as he sped along the highway going to Monterey. The beauty had him spellbound. There were beautiful trees on both sides. He could smell the salt air from the Ocean. He saw the sign that said, "Sand City." Therefore, he turned off at the exit and within moments was in front of the real Estate Office.
Fred got off his bike and got all his papers to the property out of his duffle bag. He was shown on a big map where it was, so with the directions on how to get there, he was once more heading into the hills. Following directions, he came to his property. The outside perimeter of his property was all Pine trees, from the street it looked like a forest.
He saw a break in the trees, parked his bike, and pushed his way through the trees. As he stood there he could see the whole plot of land that was his, all surrounded by the Pines on the outside with weeds here and there in the open space, plus a sickly looking stunted tree.
His bike was loaded: pup tent, sleeping bag, utensils for camping out, the maps and deeds to these areas of land he had inherited, the location, etc.
On the maps, he could see it was close to the Ocean and he was to check in Sand City, at a Real Estate Office to get the right location and direction to his property.
Fred was an auto mechanic and had worked on nearly every make of car. He was good and he knew it, so if all this panned out okay he wanted to open his own shop and make his home in California. He was thirty-three years old and it had been a long, dusty trip from Oklahoma.
Now he was almost at his destination.
He turned off the highway where it said, "Monterey," and his bike purred as he sped along the highway going to Monterey. The beauty had him spellbound. There were beautiful trees on both sides. He could smell the salt air from the Ocean. He saw the sign that said, "Sand City." Therefore, he turned off at the exit and within moments was in front of the real Estate Office.
Fred got off his bike and got all his papers to the property out of his duffle bag. He was shown on a big map where it was, so with the directions on how to get there, he was once more heading into the hills. Following directions, he came to his property. The outside perimeter of his property was all Pine trees, from the street it looked like a forest.
He saw a break in the trees, parked his bike, and pushed his way through the trees. As he stood there he could see the whole plot of land that was his, all surrounded by the Pines on the outside with weeds here and there in the open space, plus a sickly looking stunted tree.
In the middle of the section an old hut stood. It was like a shed and falling apart. Close to the corner was a very old house trailer. Its paint was all peeling off but from where he stood it looked solid. There was a break in the trees.
He squeezed back through the foliage, and then got on his bike and rode to the end.
Although the dirt road didn't seem to be used, there was the opening, so he walked his motorcycle through. With that, he was in front of the trailer. The door was open, so Fred went inside. The inside really surprised him, it was cheerful and completely furnished, even a built-in stove, a refrigerator with the door standing open, and a bedroom at the back and in between was a tiny bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink.
The trailer was about thirty foot long, he guessed. The bed even had blankets and pillows on it. The cupboard was filled with dishes; the pots were below the sink. He tried the stove, no gas, but there were butane tanks in the front outside. The water was connected, and he washed the grime and dust off his face and hands. Fred was ecstatic, not only land but a place to live.
He unloaded his bike, bringing everything inside. Then it was starting to get late, so he took one of the butane tanks off, since he remembered seeing a butane gas place at a service station and went and had it filled. He would fill the other one tomorrow. Now he had gas heat, and he could warm up a can of Pork and Beans for his late dinner.
He had his little portable; battery operated radio on and was in heaven here. He had inherited a home and all this beautiful land. He was very tired and when it was dark, he just took his clothes off and used the sleeping bag he had with him, first stripping the bed. He would wash everything the next day.
Fred slept like a log all night and awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. He got up early and put water on the stove for instant coffee. He even found an old, old toaster under the sink. You just put it on the burner of the stove with four slices of bread leaning against the four sides you toasted one side and then turned them by hand.
He squeezed back through the foliage, and then got on his bike and rode to the end.
Although the dirt road didn't seem to be used, there was the opening, so he walked his motorcycle through. With that, he was in front of the trailer. The door was open, so Fred went inside. The inside really surprised him, it was cheerful and completely furnished, even a built-in stove, a refrigerator with the door standing open, and a bedroom at the back and in between was a tiny bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink.
The trailer was about thirty foot long, he guessed. The bed even had blankets and pillows on it. The cupboard was filled with dishes; the pots were below the sink. He tried the stove, no gas, but there were butane tanks in the front outside. The water was connected, and he washed the grime and dust off his face and hands. Fred was ecstatic, not only land but a place to live.
He unloaded his bike, bringing everything inside. Then it was starting to get late, so he took one of the butane tanks off, since he remembered seeing a butane gas place at a service station and went and had it filled. He would fill the other one tomorrow. Now he had gas heat, and he could warm up a can of Pork and Beans for his late dinner.
He had his little portable; battery operated radio on and was in heaven here. He had inherited a home and all this beautiful land. He was very tired and when it was dark, he just took his clothes off and used the sleeping bag he had with him, first stripping the bed. He would wash everything the next day.
Fred slept like a log all night and awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. He got up early and put water on the stove for instant coffee. He even found an old, old toaster under the sink. You just put it on the burner of the stove with four slices of bread leaning against the four sides you toasted one side and then turned them by hand.
After burning a couple of pieces, he caught on when to turn them. He had canned peaches with toast and coffee and that was his breakfast. He was in his glory with all of this new land and house.
He headed downtown and had the lights turned on and put the water in his name. Afterwards, he bought groceries. Now he was set and could look over his property. After putting the groceries away, he walked over to the old shed. As he walked, he thought how friendly everyone in this part of the country was.
When he had gone into the electric and water companies they had said, "Oh, you are taking over the old Hamilton place."
It seems when his great uncle had lived there he was liked by all. Fred walked over to check out the shed and saw the electric men on a pole.
He waved at them and one yelled back, "You will have lights in a few minutes."
The door of the shed had rusted off one of its hinges so he lifted it and opened the door and there sat an old washing machine.
It was old, so old you had to put the clothes through a wringer. "If that works when the electricity is on, I will put those blankets off the bed in it," he thought.
The shed had shelved all full of tools and shovels and spades were in a corner, even a lawnmower you worked by hand. Fred felt as if he had come into a fortune, patting the lawnmower, he said, "I'll work out with you."
A bag of clothespins hung in one corner, so now he knew he could wash and hang his clothes.
Fred saw another door at the back, it was closed tight. He pushed and pushed but no way could he open it.
Therefore, he came out and went around the shed to find that weeds and crabgrass had frown around the door. He also discovered a clothesline there to hang clothes on. He went to work pulling weeds so he could free the door.
Just as he got the door open the electrician yelled, "You're all set!"
Fred went into the shed and plugged in the washer, it worked great. There was an old sink beside it with a water pump to fill up the washer. The gasman had lit the pilot light on the heater, and that took care of all those problems. He turned on the water to fill the machine and went to the trailer to get the blankets.
However, the time he got back, it was almost to the full line. He put the cover on it and turned off the water, and then he started looking for soap. There were several boxes of stuff; one box he looked in had seeds like small acorns or nuts. He laid that aside while he was writing on the outside of the boxes their contents.
Then he found some soap, he had been sure among all the stuff there should be some. Now the washer was chugging away and Fred, by this time, was hungry, so he carried the little box with the seeds into the trailer.
Fred made himself a lunch inside his new home, and read as he ate the sandwich he made.
It was the directions on how to plant the nuts: "Plant nuts six inches apart, they are very fast growing."
At the bottom of the directions, sprawled in his uncles handwriting it said, "I didn't get to these, whoever takes over please plant them as soon as possible."
Well, Fred knew nothing about planting but he said to himself, "I will give it a try as soon as I get some ground cleared."
He finished eating and took the seeds back to the shed.
He really kept busy putting rinse water in the machine, then running them through the wringer, then hanging them all out to dry.
He was beat by now and decided to stop for the day and let the blankets and sheets hang out all night. Then he took off on his motorcycle to see the ocean.
It was so beautiful, the sea hitting the rocks and throwing sprays high into the air. Pelicans by the dozens were diving straight down to catch the fish in the water below.
He slept that night with the windows opened, smelling the salty sea air.
He awoke early and fog had set in so he made a long list of all the things he wanted to do. One of his first priorities' was to see if he needed a license to work on peoples cars.
He found out he would need a garage or building with a pit to get under them. Therefore, that would be his project later. He had plenty of room and decided he would build it. Right now, he had to clear some land and plant those seeds or Acorns. He laid them all out on the table. They came to a point on one end and so he sat them upright and counted an even dozen.
The sun had come out now and was burning the fog off, so he got a shovel and rake and dug a plot to plant the seeds.
By noon, he had them all planted and then he watered his garden.
"Okay, that's done," he said. Then he got paint and started first on the shed, after putting on his hinges to hold the doors. He had white paint already so he used that, and by nightfall, his shed looked good. The next day he started on the outside of the trailer with a Silver paint.
Within a week, Fred had his trailer and grounds looking good.
Each morning, his first project was to check his garden he had planted. In three days, he saw the ground around each seed crack and started to push up. He was really excited and anxious to see what they looked like.
At the end of the week, all of them had grown and he could see the green sprouts coming up, with foliage the color of tender lettuce. They had a thick stem like a tiny tree.
Fred was kept busy with neighbors dropping in and once the word got out he was a mechanic, people with cars, motorcycles, etc, dropped in to have him check their vehicles and see what was wrong, and if he could fix it.
As long as he just fixed cars in his yard he didn't need a license, so there was usually a car there being worked on. As he worked, he would glance over at the growing plants.
They were getting bigger every day and now they had a think bud on the top of each plant, almost like a Tulip bulb. Fred was using the shed to keep all the tools he needed to work on cars, gradually getting other tools, as he needed them.
He was doing a tune-up on an old Ford truck and went into the shed to get a tool he needed, to put in the spark plugs. As he was going into the shed, his eyes caught a movement in the plants. He stopped and looked, one of the buds had half opened, and it looked like a tiny head and face. He walked over and looked closely, others were opening up and all looked like tiny baby heads.
Fred stopped what he was going after in the shed, and got the hoe and loosened the ground around all the plants. As he worked, he talked to them.
"You surely look like little faces, my cute babies," and then he laughed to himself. As he laughed, all the plants moved as though a breeze had gone across them, but no wind was blowing.
"Well, there, that should help you to grow." He said. "I have got to get back to work."
He got the tool he had originally gone after, went out, and worked on the truck.
Every morning he came out and watered the plants. The bulbs on top were about five inches thick now but remained closed with thick greenery around them. The leaves were almost hiding the bulbs. Fred talked to them as he watered; telling them, what he was going to do that day.
He headed downtown and had the lights turned on and put the water in his name. Afterwards, he bought groceries. Now he was set and could look over his property. After putting the groceries away, he walked over to the old shed. As he walked, he thought how friendly everyone in this part of the country was.
When he had gone into the electric and water companies they had said, "Oh, you are taking over the old Hamilton place."
It seems when his great uncle had lived there he was liked by all. Fred walked over to check out the shed and saw the electric men on a pole.
He waved at them and one yelled back, "You will have lights in a few minutes."
The door of the shed had rusted off one of its hinges so he lifted it and opened the door and there sat an old washing machine.
It was old, so old you had to put the clothes through a wringer. "If that works when the electricity is on, I will put those blankets off the bed in it," he thought.
The shed had shelved all full of tools and shovels and spades were in a corner, even a lawnmower you worked by hand. Fred felt as if he had come into a fortune, patting the lawnmower, he said, "I'll work out with you."
A bag of clothespins hung in one corner, so now he knew he could wash and hang his clothes.
Fred saw another door at the back, it was closed tight. He pushed and pushed but no way could he open it.
Therefore, he came out and went around the shed to find that weeds and crabgrass had frown around the door. He also discovered a clothesline there to hang clothes on. He went to work pulling weeds so he could free the door.
Just as he got the door open the electrician yelled, "You're all set!"
Fred went into the shed and plugged in the washer, it worked great. There was an old sink beside it with a water pump to fill up the washer. The gasman had lit the pilot light on the heater, and that took care of all those problems. He turned on the water to fill the machine and went to the trailer to get the blankets.
However, the time he got back, it was almost to the full line. He put the cover on it and turned off the water, and then he started looking for soap. There were several boxes of stuff; one box he looked in had seeds like small acorns or nuts. He laid that aside while he was writing on the outside of the boxes their contents.
Then he found some soap, he had been sure among all the stuff there should be some. Now the washer was chugging away and Fred, by this time, was hungry, so he carried the little box with the seeds into the trailer.
Fred made himself a lunch inside his new home, and read as he ate the sandwich he made.
It was the directions on how to plant the nuts: "Plant nuts six inches apart, they are very fast growing."
At the bottom of the directions, sprawled in his uncles handwriting it said, "I didn't get to these, whoever takes over please plant them as soon as possible."
Well, Fred knew nothing about planting but he said to himself, "I will give it a try as soon as I get some ground cleared."
He finished eating and took the seeds back to the shed.
He really kept busy putting rinse water in the machine, then running them through the wringer, then hanging them all out to dry.
He was beat by now and decided to stop for the day and let the blankets and sheets hang out all night. Then he took off on his motorcycle to see the ocean.
It was so beautiful, the sea hitting the rocks and throwing sprays high into the air. Pelicans by the dozens were diving straight down to catch the fish in the water below.
He slept that night with the windows opened, smelling the salty sea air.
He awoke early and fog had set in so he made a long list of all the things he wanted to do. One of his first priorities' was to see if he needed a license to work on peoples cars.
He found out he would need a garage or building with a pit to get under them. Therefore, that would be his project later. He had plenty of room and decided he would build it. Right now, he had to clear some land and plant those seeds or Acorns. He laid them all out on the table. They came to a point on one end and so he sat them upright and counted an even dozen.
The sun had come out now and was burning the fog off, so he got a shovel and rake and dug a plot to plant the seeds.
By noon, he had them all planted and then he watered his garden.
"Okay, that's done," he said. Then he got paint and started first on the shed, after putting on his hinges to hold the doors. He had white paint already so he used that, and by nightfall, his shed looked good. The next day he started on the outside of the trailer with a Silver paint.
Within a week, Fred had his trailer and grounds looking good.
Each morning, his first project was to check his garden he had planted. In three days, he saw the ground around each seed crack and started to push up. He was really excited and anxious to see what they looked like.
At the end of the week, all of them had grown and he could see the green sprouts coming up, with foliage the color of tender lettuce. They had a thick stem like a tiny tree.
Fred was kept busy with neighbors dropping in and once the word got out he was a mechanic, people with cars, motorcycles, etc, dropped in to have him check their vehicles and see what was wrong, and if he could fix it.
As long as he just fixed cars in his yard he didn't need a license, so there was usually a car there being worked on. As he worked, he would glance over at the growing plants.
They were getting bigger every day and now they had a think bud on the top of each plant, almost like a Tulip bulb. Fred was using the shed to keep all the tools he needed to work on cars, gradually getting other tools, as he needed them.
He was doing a tune-up on an old Ford truck and went into the shed to get a tool he needed, to put in the spark plugs. As he was going into the shed, his eyes caught a movement in the plants. He stopped and looked, one of the buds had half opened, and it looked like a tiny head and face. He walked over and looked closely, others were opening up and all looked like tiny baby heads.
Fred stopped what he was going after in the shed, and got the hoe and loosened the ground around all the plants. As he worked, he talked to them.
"You surely look like little faces, my cute babies," and then he laughed to himself. As he laughed, all the plants moved as though a breeze had gone across them, but no wind was blowing.
"Well, there, that should help you to grow." He said. "I have got to get back to work."
He got the tool he had originally gone after, went out, and worked on the truck.
Every morning he came out and watered the plants. The bulbs on top were about five inches thick now but remained closed with thick greenery around them. The leaves were almost hiding the bulbs. Fred talked to them as he watered; telling them, what he was going to do that day.
Once morning after he had to turn a job away because he required a pit to get under it, he decided to dig one and gradually build the garage over it, so he started digging.
At first, the ground was hard but when he got his shovel into it, he lifted the dirt easily. As he worked, he could feel something watching him. He stopped a few times and looked all around but no one was in sight. The ground moved very easily, something he hadn't expected. In the garden, all the bulbs had opened, and all were tiny baby faces. They were all turned towards him, as if they were sending energy in that direction, also a big flash of light had gone to his trailer.
Fred came out of the hole he was digging and headed for the trailer to get something to eat. As he opened the door, the smell of food cooking hit his nostrils. He entered and opened the door to the oven and there was a roast, all cooked with vegetables around it.
Fred was amazed and asked, "Who did this, I wonder?"
They would have had to be in the trailer to fix it. It didn't take long to get it out and eat, either. It was the best meal he had ever eaten.
When neighbors came by, he asked them if they had been there before and told them about the roast.
They kidded him and said, "Looks like you have a girl struck on."
Therefore, it was a mystery, one of many mysteries in days to come. Everyone was amazed that he had dug the hole for the pit so rapidly.
By nightfall, it was all ready for him to pour cement for lining it. He had never done that one thing so he decided to see how much it would cost to have it cemented the next day.
Fred went into the trailer and took a good long shower, then heated up the rest of the roast. When he opened the refrigerator to get out a carton of milk, there sat lemon cream pie. He was in total shock and decided not to tell anyone about this. They would think he was losing it, or on drugs. He had started building up business and did wanted the town's people to trust him.
The pie was the best he had ever eaten, of course, he only ate half. He was tired from all the work he had done and went to bed early and slept soundly until 6:00 A.M.
The fog was covering his land, but he walked through it, fog, and all, like a cloud around his feet. He came to the hole he had dug and stopped in amazement, it was all cemented and completely dry. The plants behind him all shook as if they were laughing, or giggling, and quickly closed as he looked in their direction.
"Well, I just don't know what's happening, but someone or something is helping me. I wish I knew who to thank."
That day Fred measured and drew a line where the garage was to be built over the pit. He then went in and counted the money he had made fixing peoples cars. He had kept it in a green tin box he had found in the shed when he was getting the bulbs and as it had a lock and key, he decided to put the cash he made into it. He thought, this way, he would not have to touch his bank account.
It was being transferred to a bank in town, but he knew he could us it if he needed too.
Fred counted and found he had one hundred and sixty dollars in the green tin box. Therefore, he decided to go and order the lumber and see how much it would come to.
Fred got on his bike and headed for the lumberyard.
There was a nice man there by the name of Clint and Fred told him exactly what he wanted. It would cost much more than he had planned, but by buying sections, he got the material necessary for the framework.
Clint brought it out in his truck and admired the pit saying. "That's the best work I have ever seen."
Fred sawed and laid the lumber around for the start of his garage, then went back to work on a truck he was fixing for a customer. As he worked, he figured he would use this money for the siding. He worked late until it got too dark to see, then he headed towards the trailer to take a shower and had decided to just open a can of something to eat. He opened the door and the aroma of stew met his nose. There sat the pot on the stove simmering away.
Now, he knew no one had been in the trailer so this had to be some kind of Psychic experience. However, he knew the stew was real, no joke about that. In his mind, before he ate, he thanked whomever, or whatever was helping him and blessed them.
Outside in the darkness the Acorns grew another two inches, their stems thick and strong. About midnight the stems opened up and the children of the Acorns came out of the stems. They were like tiny imps and flew upward getting exercise, and then they all gathered over by the pit with the lumber laying around it. Fred, in a light sleep could hear hammering, sawing, etc. However, when he would get wide-awake, not a sound could he hear, so he thought he was dreaming.
After he got up, ate, and went out, the first thing he saw was that the framework of the garage was all finished. He was in complete shock again, but now he knew he had not been dreaming.
Fred finished the truck and the man came, got it, and paid him in cash. Fred went into the trailer and opened up his green tin box and there was the money replaced that he had taken out and spent for the lumber.
Again, he went and paid for all the siding. Nick again delivered it, and said, "You must have worked all night."
Fred said, "I had friends helping me." Moreover, he was very close to the truth.
At first, the ground was hard but when he got his shovel into it, he lifted the dirt easily. As he worked, he could feel something watching him. He stopped a few times and looked all around but no one was in sight. The ground moved very easily, something he hadn't expected. In the garden, all the bulbs had opened, and all were tiny baby faces. They were all turned towards him, as if they were sending energy in that direction, also a big flash of light had gone to his trailer.
Fred came out of the hole he was digging and headed for the trailer to get something to eat. As he opened the door, the smell of food cooking hit his nostrils. He entered and opened the door to the oven and there was a roast, all cooked with vegetables around it.
Fred was amazed and asked, "Who did this, I wonder?"
They would have had to be in the trailer to fix it. It didn't take long to get it out and eat, either. It was the best meal he had ever eaten.
When neighbors came by, he asked them if they had been there before and told them about the roast.
They kidded him and said, "Looks like you have a girl struck on."
Therefore, it was a mystery, one of many mysteries in days to come. Everyone was amazed that he had dug the hole for the pit so rapidly.
By nightfall, it was all ready for him to pour cement for lining it. He had never done that one thing so he decided to see how much it would cost to have it cemented the next day.
Fred went into the trailer and took a good long shower, then heated up the rest of the roast. When he opened the refrigerator to get out a carton of milk, there sat lemon cream pie. He was in total shock and decided not to tell anyone about this. They would think he was losing it, or on drugs. He had started building up business and did wanted the town's people to trust him.
The pie was the best he had ever eaten, of course, he only ate half. He was tired from all the work he had done and went to bed early and slept soundly until 6:00 A.M.
The fog was covering his land, but he walked through it, fog, and all, like a cloud around his feet. He came to the hole he had dug and stopped in amazement, it was all cemented and completely dry. The plants behind him all shook as if they were laughing, or giggling, and quickly closed as he looked in their direction.
"Well, I just don't know what's happening, but someone or something is helping me. I wish I knew who to thank."
That day Fred measured and drew a line where the garage was to be built over the pit. He then went in and counted the money he had made fixing peoples cars. He had kept it in a green tin box he had found in the shed when he was getting the bulbs and as it had a lock and key, he decided to put the cash he made into it. He thought, this way, he would not have to touch his bank account.
It was being transferred to a bank in town, but he knew he could us it if he needed too.
Fred counted and found he had one hundred and sixty dollars in the green tin box. Therefore, he decided to go and order the lumber and see how much it would come to.
Fred got on his bike and headed for the lumberyard.
There was a nice man there by the name of Clint and Fred told him exactly what he wanted. It would cost much more than he had planned, but by buying sections, he got the material necessary for the framework.
Clint brought it out in his truck and admired the pit saying. "That's the best work I have ever seen."
Fred sawed and laid the lumber around for the start of his garage, then went back to work on a truck he was fixing for a customer. As he worked, he figured he would use this money for the siding. He worked late until it got too dark to see, then he headed towards the trailer to take a shower and had decided to just open a can of something to eat. He opened the door and the aroma of stew met his nose. There sat the pot on the stove simmering away.
Now, he knew no one had been in the trailer so this had to be some kind of Psychic experience. However, he knew the stew was real, no joke about that. In his mind, before he ate, he thanked whomever, or whatever was helping him and blessed them.
Outside in the darkness the Acorns grew another two inches, their stems thick and strong. About midnight the stems opened up and the children of the Acorns came out of the stems. They were like tiny imps and flew upward getting exercise, and then they all gathered over by the pit with the lumber laying around it. Fred, in a light sleep could hear hammering, sawing, etc. However, when he would get wide-awake, not a sound could he hear, so he thought he was dreaming.
After he got up, ate, and went out, the first thing he saw was that the framework of the garage was all finished. He was in complete shock again, but now he knew he had not been dreaming.
Fred finished the truck and the man came, got it, and paid him in cash. Fred went into the trailer and opened up his green tin box and there was the money replaced that he had taken out and spent for the lumber.
Again, he went and paid for all the siding. Nick again delivered it, and said, "You must have worked all night."
Fred said, "I had friends helping me." Moreover, he was very close to the truth.
Now, Fred decided he was going to catch whomever was doing this, so that evening he went to bed with his clothes on and lay there trying hard not to fall asleep. It was midnight hours when he heard the first sound. He opened his curtain a tiny bit and peeked out and he could see three little fairy like people coming clear out of his plants.
They were beautiful, like tiny Angels, he had seen in many pictures. Fred pinched himself to see if he was awake, but it was real. Then after they flew around awhile, they all went to the garage and then Fred saw a sight not for human eyes. These tiny beings, by using a light beam that came from their tiny hands sawed the lumber.
He could not hear the sawing noise as each piece was sawed the right length. Others came and carried it to where it fit and more of the Acorn children with tiny hammers took over. Bill could not believe his eyes. He watched these little people really working. He knows if he went outside they would all leave so he went back to sleep. The next morning the garage was all finished except for the roofing.
Fred got up early and went outside, and then he walked over to his plants.
"Okay you kids, wake-up! I saw you last night so come out, you all!"
He stood there and there was a quiver on all the plants. He called again and first one little head came up and then another. They were darling, all had different features like human babies, but these plant babies looked to be four, six and eight years old. They all had scared looks on their faces.
Fred told them, "Come on out and don't be sacred. I am so proud of all of you. Can you talk?"
Then in unison, they all said, "Hello," in tiny voices.
Fred picked up a stool, sat down, and said, "come to me, I won't hurt you. I love you!"
Then all of them said, "I love you." Then one, which looked like an eight-year-old, pushed a leaf aside and the plant opened. He came straight into the air and over to Fred.
He sat on his shoulders, and had dark curly hair and his skin, as all the others, had a greenish tint to it. The chest, arms, and legs were all naked. A leaf was around his private parts like a tiny diaper. He smiled and his teeth were perfect. He was one handsome little tiny person.
They were beautiful, like tiny Angels, he had seen in many pictures. Fred pinched himself to see if he was awake, but it was real. Then after they flew around awhile, they all went to the garage and then Fred saw a sight not for human eyes. These tiny beings, by using a light beam that came from their tiny hands sawed the lumber.
He could not hear the sawing noise as each piece was sawed the right length. Others came and carried it to where it fit and more of the Acorn children with tiny hammers took over. Bill could not believe his eyes. He watched these little people really working. He knows if he went outside they would all leave so he went back to sleep. The next morning the garage was all finished except for the roofing.
Fred got up early and went outside, and then he walked over to his plants.
"Okay you kids, wake-up! I saw you last night so come out, you all!"
He stood there and there was a quiver on all the plants. He called again and first one little head came up and then another. They were darling, all had different features like human babies, but these plant babies looked to be four, six and eight years old. They all had scared looks on their faces.
Fred told them, "Come on out and don't be sacred. I am so proud of all of you. Can you talk?"
Then in unison, they all said, "Hello," in tiny voices.
Fred picked up a stool, sat down, and said, "come to me, I won't hurt you. I love you!"
Then all of them said, "I love you." Then one, which looked like an eight-year-old, pushed a leaf aside and the plant opened. He came straight into the air and over to Fred.
He sat on his shoulders, and had dark curly hair and his skin, as all the others, had a greenish tint to it. The chest, arms, and legs were all naked. A leaf was around his private parts like a tiny diaper. He smiled and his teeth were perfect. He was one handsome little tiny person.
The tiny little hand stroked Fred's face. The hand was soft, like velvet, and Fred could feel something like energy coming from it. All the rest watched.
Fred said, "What is your name?"
"I don't have a name," it answered.
"Well, we will have to fix that," Fred said.
"Let's call you Jackson. Where did you come from Jackson?"
"Out of the Acorns you planted. We have all been waiting a long time to be brought to life! We came from space, went into the ground. But sinkholes of earthquakes pushed us out of the ground."
"How do you build things, cook, and give me money that I can spend?"
"I do not know," Jackson, answered. Then he raised each of his tiny arms and said, "Our orders come from down there," pointing at the ground.
"Something tells us what to do and we are not supposed to be seen on this planet, but you discovered us so we all thought it would be nice if you could see us. The orders came back that it was okay to come to you, but we were scared," Jackson explained.
"It looks as if you are the bravest one," Fred said.
"I'm the oldest; I grew faster than the others. We had three more born last night," Jackson stated.
"I would love to see them," Fred said.
Fred said, "What is your name?"
"I don't have a name," it answered.
"Well, we will have to fix that," Fred said.
"Let's call you Jackson. Where did you come from Jackson?"
"Out of the Acorns you planted. We have all been waiting a long time to be brought to life! We came from space, went into the ground. But sinkholes of earthquakes pushed us out of the ground."
"How do you build things, cook, and give me money that I can spend?"
"I do not know," Jackson, answered. Then he raised each of his tiny arms and said, "Our orders come from down there," pointing at the ground.
"Something tells us what to do and we are not supposed to be seen on this planet, but you discovered us so we all thought it would be nice if you could see us. The orders came back that it was okay to come to you, but we were scared," Jackson explained.
"It looks as if you are the bravest one," Fred said.
"I'm the oldest; I grew faster than the others. We had three more born last night," Jackson stated.
"I would love to see them," Fred said.
Jackson waved his hand and tiny buds opened; showing what looked like newborn babies' heads and faces.
"They are darling," he said. "Can I go over there?"
"Sure." Jackson answered. As Fred walked gently between the rows, the rest were all up in the air now, flitting all around him.
There were girls of all descriptions, Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads, some curly, some straight. One little one lit on Fred's shoulders and said, "Did you like my pie?"
"Did I ever. So, you are the cook?" Fred said.
"They are darling," he said. "Can I go over there?"
"Sure." Jackson answered. As Fred walked gently between the rows, the rest were all up in the air now, flitting all around him.
There were girls of all descriptions, Blondes, Brunettes, Redheads, some curly, some straight. One little one lit on Fred's shoulders and said, "Did you like my pie?"
"Did I ever. So, you are the cook?" Fred said.
From all around him a dozen more declared, "I made the stew," and all were gabbing in their tiny voices.
"We are so glad to see you up close. We have peeked out and watched you, and all think you are nice."
Then he was kissed on his cheeks, tiny fairy kisses from those in the air.
Suddenly a car was heard. In a second, all were back into their blossoms. A man drove in, so Fred walked over to him and said, "Looks like you just made it.
"Yeah, I had a hell of a time getting the car started. Hey, you have just about finished your garage. That's a great job."
"Yes, I like it," Fred answered, and out of the corner of his eye he could see all the plants move.
"I must put the roofing material on now. I'm going to spread it out so it will get warm and not crack."
"The sun is coming out and the fog is lifting," the man replied.
"Can you leave your car here?" Fred asked
"Yes, if you will give me a ride home on your bike?"
"Sure will."
As they climbed on, the man asked, "How long do you think it will take?"
"Give me a few days and I'll bring it to you and you can bring me back," Fred replied, and so it was settled.
When Fred came back all the tarpaper for the roof was spread out in the sun. These little tiny ones surely worked. Now they were all asleep.
Fred went to where the oldest one was and said gently, "Thank you, Jackson."
A tiny voice came back, "You are welcome, Fred."
He worked on the car while his mind was going over a miracle that had happened to the acorns he had planted. He wondered if they were going to stay there with him.
They didn't know where they had come from, or anything about themselves, but he had a hunch that they had come from Outer Space. There are no humans on this earth that small and they surely did not come from plants.
It was getting close to noon, and he was getting hungry and noticed two of the acorn females heading for his trailer. They almost looked like large butterflies if you didn't examine them up closely. They both waved at him as they went by. He stood there and watched as one hung onto the doorknob and turned it. The other one at the bottom of the door pushed. That's how the opened it and went inside.
Shortly, he washed up at the faucet outside and went in. There was his sandwich and milk waiting and this time he had company. They were beautiful little girls and had on thin robes as if they were made from a spider web. Fred touched the material and found it was strong, not thin like a spider web. The sunlight hitting it made colors like the rainbow. He asked them questions, but he could see they did not know the answers. Then they left, going back to their cocoons.
Fred rested awhile and then went back outside. The tarpaper was on the roof; a ladder with his hammer and nails was laying alongside so up he went and worked on the roof with his little helpers assisting.
They did not need a hammer; all they did was put their finger to the nail and in it went. However, the sound of hammering was in the air. A neighbor came by so all the Acorn babies hid.
The neighbor said, "You sure are working."
Fred went on hammering while he conversed with the man, who soon left after saying, "You are doing it just in time as it will soon start raining."
Fred got the car inside his new garage and that night the rain came. He wondered if those little children were all right and got up. He put on his raincoat and with a flashlight went out to check on them.
The buds were closed tightly. He called out but there was no answer. Then he checked his garage. Everything was in line and the car was dry. It rained day and night for three days and he heard not a sound from the Acorn children.
During this time, there was no food being prepared or any other chores by them. He went out there many times but not a sound or answer when he called out and the buds were all tightly shut.
Fred finished working on the car, it ran fine now, and he called the man and told him he was bringing it over. When he started out the rain was coming down so fast that the windshield wipers could hardly keep the windshield clear.
Upon arrival, the man asked him into his house and gave him a hot cup of coffee. Fred asked him if he know where any old trucks were for sale as his bike was not good in this kind of weather. Even if the truck needed considerable work, he said he could fix it. The man told him he would look around and let him know.
It kept raining and as much as he hated to, he had to use the motorcycle to go to the store as he was running out of food.
By the time he got home the big paper bag containing the groceries was soaked, but he did get them into the trailer without it bursting.
After doing that chore, he rode his bike into his new garage and cleaned it all up. He missed those tiny people like mad and was very, very worried that maybe they all had drowned. During that night, the rain stopped, and the sun was out when he woke up.
"We are so glad to see you up close. We have peeked out and watched you, and all think you are nice."
Then he was kissed on his cheeks, tiny fairy kisses from those in the air.
Suddenly a car was heard. In a second, all were back into their blossoms. A man drove in, so Fred walked over to him and said, "Looks like you just made it.
"Yeah, I had a hell of a time getting the car started. Hey, you have just about finished your garage. That's a great job."
"Yes, I like it," Fred answered, and out of the corner of his eye he could see all the plants move.
"I must put the roofing material on now. I'm going to spread it out so it will get warm and not crack."
"The sun is coming out and the fog is lifting," the man replied.
"Can you leave your car here?" Fred asked
"Yes, if you will give me a ride home on your bike?"
"Sure will."
As they climbed on, the man asked, "How long do you think it will take?"
"Give me a few days and I'll bring it to you and you can bring me back," Fred replied, and so it was settled.
When Fred came back all the tarpaper for the roof was spread out in the sun. These little tiny ones surely worked. Now they were all asleep.
Fred went to where the oldest one was and said gently, "Thank you, Jackson."
A tiny voice came back, "You are welcome, Fred."
He worked on the car while his mind was going over a miracle that had happened to the acorns he had planted. He wondered if they were going to stay there with him.
They didn't know where they had come from, or anything about themselves, but he had a hunch that they had come from Outer Space. There are no humans on this earth that small and they surely did not come from plants.
It was getting close to noon, and he was getting hungry and noticed two of the acorn females heading for his trailer. They almost looked like large butterflies if you didn't examine them up closely. They both waved at him as they went by. He stood there and watched as one hung onto the doorknob and turned it. The other one at the bottom of the door pushed. That's how the opened it and went inside.
Shortly, he washed up at the faucet outside and went in. There was his sandwich and milk waiting and this time he had company. They were beautiful little girls and had on thin robes as if they were made from a spider web. Fred touched the material and found it was strong, not thin like a spider web. The sunlight hitting it made colors like the rainbow. He asked them questions, but he could see they did not know the answers. Then they left, going back to their cocoons.
Fred rested awhile and then went back outside. The tarpaper was on the roof; a ladder with his hammer and nails was laying alongside so up he went and worked on the roof with his little helpers assisting.
They did not need a hammer; all they did was put their finger to the nail and in it went. However, the sound of hammering was in the air. A neighbor came by so all the Acorn babies hid.
The neighbor said, "You sure are working."
Fred went on hammering while he conversed with the man, who soon left after saying, "You are doing it just in time as it will soon start raining."
Fred got the car inside his new garage and that night the rain came. He wondered if those little children were all right and got up. He put on his raincoat and with a flashlight went out to check on them.
The buds were closed tightly. He called out but there was no answer. Then he checked his garage. Everything was in line and the car was dry. It rained day and night for three days and he heard not a sound from the Acorn children.
During this time, there was no food being prepared or any other chores by them. He went out there many times but not a sound or answer when he called out and the buds were all tightly shut.
Fred finished working on the car, it ran fine now, and he called the man and told him he was bringing it over. When he started out the rain was coming down so fast that the windshield wipers could hardly keep the windshield clear.
Upon arrival, the man asked him into his house and gave him a hot cup of coffee. Fred asked him if he know where any old trucks were for sale as his bike was not good in this kind of weather. Even if the truck needed considerable work, he said he could fix it. The man told him he would look around and let him know.
It kept raining and as much as he hated to, he had to use the motorcycle to go to the store as he was running out of food.
By the time he got home the big paper bag containing the groceries was soaked, but he did get them into the trailer without it bursting.
After doing that chore, he rode his bike into his new garage and cleaned it all up. He missed those tiny people like mad and was very, very worried that maybe they all had drowned. During that night, the rain stopped, and the sun was out when he woke up.
The leaves on the Oak trees were a beautiful green from the rain and the trees had grown taller. The leaves hid the buds the children had come from. They were all dripping from the rain but still there was no sound of children yet.
Then Fred heard a truck back firing and said, "Oh boy, here comes more work!"
Well, it was more work but for himself. The man he had fixed the last car for had told a young man he was looking for an old truck for a friend of his. It so happened he did have one. It was a mess, but the guy only wanted two hundred dollars for it, so the two of them drove it over for Fred to look at.
After checking it out, Fred decided to buy it. It was his last two hundred in cash that he had left in his tin box, but he had food and would not need anything today. He would have to get a check cashed tomorrow.
It was a beautiful day, and the ground was drying rapidly. There was still no sight of his kids, as he called them. He went over and walked between the tiny trees coming up and he called and called but no answer at all.
Fred thought to himself, "Well, I guess they have all left, but, it was a pleasure knowing you all for a little while. I hope, wherever you are, you are all right."
He worked on the truck he had purchase, giving it a complete overhaul. It was rusty and a sight, but he was interested in getting the motor working well. It was an old, a 1942 Ford, with big wooden racks on the back.
Now any lumber he needed to carry or other large items, he could easily transport. Before he could do that, he needed to get a transmission.
Fred got on his bike and started going to wrecking yards. The third one he checked had one. They also had other parts he needed, so he asked them if they would deliver.
"No Way!" was their answer.
Fred told them he would try to get his truck started and then come back and buy the parts.
The price for the parts came to more than he had paid for the truck. He told them he would go cash a check and be back. Besides the transmission, he needed seats, mirrors, etc.
Then Fred heard a truck back firing and said, "Oh boy, here comes more work!"
Well, it was more work but for himself. The man he had fixed the last car for had told a young man he was looking for an old truck for a friend of his. It so happened he did have one. It was a mess, but the guy only wanted two hundred dollars for it, so the two of them drove it over for Fred to look at.
After checking it out, Fred decided to buy it. It was his last two hundred in cash that he had left in his tin box, but he had food and would not need anything today. He would have to get a check cashed tomorrow.
It was a beautiful day, and the ground was drying rapidly. There was still no sight of his kids, as he called them. He went over and walked between the tiny trees coming up and he called and called but no answer at all.
Fred thought to himself, "Well, I guess they have all left, but, it was a pleasure knowing you all for a little while. I hope, wherever you are, you are all right."
He worked on the truck he had purchase, giving it a complete overhaul. It was rusty and a sight, but he was interested in getting the motor working well. It was an old, a 1942 Ford, with big wooden racks on the back.
Now any lumber he needed to carry or other large items, he could easily transport. Before he could do that, he needed to get a transmission.
Fred got on his bike and started going to wrecking yards. The third one he checked had one. They also had other parts he needed, so he asked them if they would deliver.
"No Way!" was their answer.
Fred told them he would try to get his truck started and then come back and buy the parts.
The price for the parts came to more than he had paid for the truck. He told them he would go cash a check and be back. Besides the transmission, he needed seats, mirrors, etc.
It was about noon, so he decided to go by his place and eat, see how the truck runs, and then go to the bank.
When Fred opened the door to the trailer, he found there was his lunch all ready for him. He ran out, looked, and called, not a sound. He went back in and ate, then took his tin box down to get his bankbook. There in a neat pile was five hundred dollars, all in twenty-dollar bills. Just enough money to get all the parts he needed.
Fred sat there in shock, holding the bills in his hand and said a little prayer for those little individuals that had helped him so much, praying they were all right wherever they were.
When Fred opened the door to the trailer, he found there was his lunch all ready for him. He ran out, looked, and called, not a sound. He went back in and ate, then took his tin box down to get his bankbook. There in a neat pile was five hundred dollars, all in twenty-dollar bills. Just enough money to get all the parts he needed.
Fred sat there in shock, holding the bills in his hand and said a little prayer for those little individuals that had helped him so much, praying they were all right wherever they were.
Then, he went out and tried to start the old truck. It moaned and groaned, but he got it started. Finally, he got it in gear and drove off to the wrecking yard.
It started to rain again, so he brought a canvas drop cloth to cover the parts on the way home. Arriving home, he drove directly into his garage, knowing that no matter how hard it rained he could now work on his truck and be out of the elements.
He loved the garage and was so proud of his place. He knew that without the little Acorn children it would have taken him at least a year to finish what he now had.
The small Oak trees were growing each day. Each was completely covered with tender green leaves. It would be a forest on his place when they reached full growth, but he decided to let them grow in case the tiny ones wanted them. He knew they had to be close by, as they had fixed his lunch and left him all that money.
He could not figure out why they did not come to see him or answer his calls. He worked on his truck for days and still no sign of the children. However, when he went in at night, his food was always prepared.
It started to rain again, so he brought a canvas drop cloth to cover the parts on the way home. Arriving home, he drove directly into his garage, knowing that no matter how hard it rained he could now work on his truck and be out of the elements.
He loved the garage and was so proud of his place. He knew that without the little Acorn children it would have taken him at least a year to finish what he now had.
The small Oak trees were growing each day. Each was completely covered with tender green leaves. It would be a forest on his place when they reached full growth, but he decided to let them grow in case the tiny ones wanted them. He knew they had to be close by, as they had fixed his lunch and left him all that money.
He could not figure out why they did not come to see him or answer his calls. He worked on his truck for days and still no sign of the children. However, when he went in at night, his food was always prepared.
He finally finished working on his truck and it ran in top condition. He also had two more cars to fix. His business was really picking up and he was doing the work he loved to do, but truly missed the tiny ones.
He came out one morning and many of the Oak trees had died. They were all withered and laying on their side. He went over and pulled them out. He opened the part where the children had emerged; it was like a soft fur lining inside the empty bud.
They were gone, but where? He sensed they were not far away.
The one day he went out to his garage, opened the big doors and there they all were, all over his truck and sitting on the edge of the shelves.
They all yelled, "Surprise," and the one he called Jackson, who seemed to be the spokesperson for the group, came over and sat on his shoulder and said, "We all came to say goodbye as we are going home."
"Where is your home? I thought this was your home."
"We did too, but this was just our birthplace. Our group needed to find out about the planet EARTH."
"You know there are many worlds like this above and below this planet that revolves around the sun. You know when you leave this Planet Earth; you will go on to another Planet or shelf, as we call it, one that is more advanced than Earth."
Fred queried, "You mean when I die?"
"Yes," the little Acorn boy said, and continued with, "There's no such thing as death. We go on and on to the glory above. Someday it will all blend, and everyone will be together."
Fred had a million questions to ask, but the little one said,
"That's all I'm allowed to tell you now. It is the law of the universe, but you can be sure you have many adventures ahead of you. We were here to do good and having completed our job, we must now go on. We all love you, Fred.
All the others repeated their love for him and one by one came to Fred and patted or left a fairy like kiss on his cheeks. They all streamed out in a line as Fred watched them go up and out of sight. They just disappeared. The spokesperson was the last to leave and he put a Red Rose into Fred's hand. It was beautiful.
Fred is now sixty years old, and he has several men working for him. The trailer has been rebuilt into a big mobile home and the Rose the Acorn child, Jackson, gave him is still in a vase and throws off its special fragrance. The rose never died.
He came out one morning and many of the Oak trees had died. They were all withered and laying on their side. He went over and pulled them out. He opened the part where the children had emerged; it was like a soft fur lining inside the empty bud.
They were gone, but where? He sensed they were not far away.
The one day he went out to his garage, opened the big doors and there they all were, all over his truck and sitting on the edge of the shelves.
They all yelled, "Surprise," and the one he called Jackson, who seemed to be the spokesperson for the group, came over and sat on his shoulder and said, "We all came to say goodbye as we are going home."
"Where is your home? I thought this was your home."
"We did too, but this was just our birthplace. Our group needed to find out about the planet EARTH."
"You know there are many worlds like this above and below this planet that revolves around the sun. You know when you leave this Planet Earth; you will go on to another Planet or shelf, as we call it, one that is more advanced than Earth."
Fred queried, "You mean when I die?"
"Yes," the little Acorn boy said, and continued with, "There's no such thing as death. We go on and on to the glory above. Someday it will all blend, and everyone will be together."
Fred had a million questions to ask, but the little one said,
"That's all I'm allowed to tell you now. It is the law of the universe, but you can be sure you have many adventures ahead of you. We were here to do good and having completed our job, we must now go on. We all love you, Fred.
All the others repeated their love for him and one by one came to Fred and patted or left a fairy like kiss on his cheeks. They all streamed out in a line as Fred watched them go up and out of sight. They just disappeared. The spokesperson was the last to leave and he put a Red Rose into Fred's hand. It was beautiful.
Fred is now sixty years old, and he has several men working for him. The trailer has been rebuilt into a big mobile home and the Rose the Acorn child, Jackson, gave him is still in a vase and throws off its special fragrance. The rose never died.
Every evening Fred looks out at the yard and says a prayer to the Acorn children, a part of him that will never die.
Wrote this a while ago and republished it, so enjoy
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and 2 member cents. Artwork by meg119 at FanArtReview.com
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