Transitions by Mike Hormek - HTML preview

Chapter 5

Weeks seemed like months went by, anticipating what was in the will. Bill was able to continue his work and maintain the house and livestock. Money was now a struggle because of the hospital and funeral expenses. He asked for a loan from Chris, who agreed and told him he could work it off.

He continued selling the farm products he and Pauline had set up. The lawyer finally called with an appointment to review the will, so Bill drove back to North Dakota. What he was about to hear would change his life forever.

“Hello, Bill,” the lawyer said. “My name is Jack.”

“Hello,” Bill said.

“Did you know Pauline had a will?” Jack asked.

“I did not know that.”

"Well, she had it drawn up shortly after your marriage, as North Dakota does not recognize common law. And you should have had one drawn up as well, so you are the sole beneficiary as she had no living children.”

“What do you mean, ‘no living children’?”

“You did not know she had a child, a boy, who died in childbirth?”

“No, I did not.”

"First, an accountant is responsible for the financial dealings on her estate. She had a thirty-percent interest in all the income generated from the farm, which you now have as an asset. Her sisters want to buy you out. Regarding the income, the accountant has all the details, but there was a split on the oil leases and royalties from the oil wells."

“What oil wells?”

“You didn't know about the two oil wells?”

“She never told me.”

"The financial assets could be well over a million dollars."

Bill felt faint.

“There is also a sealed letter that she added as a supplement to the will,” the lawyer added, handing him the letter.

Bill did not open it.

He stayed in town until he could meet with the accountant and update his information for future work. The money was in an annuity, so he would have to wait till its maturity for past earnings. Current income, however, would be transferred to his account. He met with the sisters, and they agreed to buy his portion, but because of the oil income, they could not agree on a price. So, it stayed the same for the time being.

When he returned to Montana, Bill was distracted by all that had happened. He had mixed emotions about the secrets the lawyer had disclosed.

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“Why would she want to live a pauper’s life when she could have a life of luxury?” he thought.

“Maybe she did not trust me with the money because I was not responsible in our early marriage. I hope she says something in her letter."

So he mustered up the courage to read it.

Dearest Bill,

If you read the letter, the lawyer is reading my last will. I kept secrets from you all these years, but you must know the truth and forgive me for my indiscretions. First of all, you probably know about the baby that was born dead. It resulted from a relationship I had when I was seventeen years old. It was a complicated pregnancy, and I had a cervical tumor that caused harm to the baby and ultimately made it impossible for me to have children. That was why I never married at a young age; my husband would want kids. Secondly, I want to thank you for the years we were married. I know we had hardships and struggled financially, and I could have easily made our life more comfortable, but Bill, I know I would not have been happy. I saw a dramatic change in your behavior when you had all these challenges, which you suc -

cessfully overcame. I know we worked hard, but we saw the results and were successful without the distraction of wealth. So, darling, I hope you can continue being the character you have become and do not allow the money to be the spoiler. I would like you to try to buy the piece of property we both love and remodel the house. After all, your new wife may not want to live as we did, paupers. I love you. Have a good life.

Love, Pauline

Bill was strong, but the letter brought him to his knees.

“I only wish she had told me about the baby,” he thought. “The money part is not as important to me because we were happy as we were."

Bill was able to buy the one-acre lot where the bunkhouse stood from Chris. He told Chris about the money and paid him back all the couple owed. Chris even assisted Bill in the remodel, which was Pauline's wish.

The sisters had a conversation about Bill after he left.

"What do you think Bill will do with the money?" one asked.

"Well, he was not very responsible when they lived in North Dakota," the other replied. “I think he will squander it.”

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Interestingly, Bill remained working for Chris until the annuity matured and he received the lump sum. His first order of business was to purchase six hundred and forty acres of combination farm-land and pasture. He then purchased several cows and a bull.

Bill continued to prosper and eventually became wealthy in his own right, with substantial land and cattle in Montana.

Bill had Pauline cremated, and Bill had her ashes one day on a mountaintop.

As he scattered her ashes into the wind, he yelled out loud."Look what you could have had. This land is mine as far as I can see all around."

He credited Pauline for his transition. He never remarried and left no heirs.

The end

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THE WASHICHU