Smallville

Chapter 2

 

We were all happy, healthy, warm, and well fed. We had a new barn with plenty of food and herbs, our stockpiles sufficiently full of firewood and building supplies. By early spring of year 5 we had a population of 30, 2 more nomads had joined us and construction of the new mission church was well underway. 

The cross had only just been placed on the roof peak of our beautiful new church when 2 nomads appeared on the doorstep. We needed a hostel and a gatherer so the wild foods would not be lost. Already one of the mission passages was being used for storage. We had a good supply of wool now, plans were underway to build a mission tailor. Those plans were put on hold in favor of an infirmary when, in late summer there was an outbreak of mump. Many took ill, work slowed. I was not happy that the chickens we ordered still had not arrived. Homemade chicken soup was no cure for mumps but would go a long way to ease the suffering. The mumps claimed no victims, the last one to contract it was the first and only patient of the new infirmary. 

In spring of year 6, 3 nomads appeared at the Town Hall and waited at the well: 2 more arrived at the mission. They said they could help plant more corn in that new field they saw. With a mission kitchen they could make tortillas, a flat corn bread that would feed many more mouths than corn alone. We would need more workers and more food because the following spring 5 nomads arrived at the mission and 10 gathered at the well. 

There was a great controversy growing over that well. The occupants of the houses down by the river did not like having a large number of strangers loitering around their houses and wanted the well torn down. Others claimed the well should be named a historical landmark and preserved. It was one of the towns first constructions. The nomads that arrived at that well helped the town grow. We now had 2 tiny docks, although my chickens still have not arrived, nor has the walnut or apple seeds. We also have a new tiny pier and hunter's stand, both in prime locations according to town forum wise elders. The last nomad arrivals are now working in the new tiny quarry and iron mine. The well was saved.

 

 

Chapter 3

 

There were many who were not happy the well was saved. In Spring of year 8, 2 nomads arrived at the mission and 8 gathered at the well; they were followed by an outbreak of influenza in late spring and an outbreak of yellow fever in summer. The infirmary was full but the cemetery remained empty. Despite the illnesses, the mission construction continued. Several housing units and a kitchen were added to the mission itself. The corn tortillas were delicious. The infirmary wall was dismantled and rebuilt and extended. A garden shed and tiny chopper occupied the sheltered spot behind the infirmary and the wall was further extended to the foot of the mountains to pasture the 3 cattle the trader brought. We got bean seeds earlier in the year. The mission chef said if we had peppers, he could make a tasty new dish with the beef and beans. He also had recipes for herbal liqueurs that could be brewed if we built a distillery. 

Construction progressed well throughout the coming year. A second hostel was ready for the 10 nomads who arrived in spring. Our education rate continued to drop despite the mission school that was build. I was now teaching at the old village school and Jeral was a stonecutter at the tiny quarry. The pocket of colored stone he unearthed was used to pave the roads throughout the mission complex. The mission tailor was making warm wool coats and an herbalist claimed a spot near the new storage passage by the distillery. We discovered that to make liqueurs we needed honey. The next boatman to arrive assured us there was a market for the liqueurs which had a high trade value. We ordered honey, peppers, and pepper seeds, and reordered chickens, walnut and apple seeds.

 

 

We would have plenty of hide coats, iron, and iron tools to trade; a second tiny mine was dug to extract iron or coal for the new mission blacksmith. Rome and Corinda's oldest daughter, Loycelyn, was making steel and hardened tools. She liked the location of her shop, it was close to the mission house she shared with her new husband, Brantle the coal miner and she often got a glimpse of him coming and going from the mine. She could also see how much iron and coal was on the nearest stockpile, but she lost count of how many people were going through the tunnel to see what was going-on on the other side of the mountain.

Chapter 4

 

The tunnel through the mountain was dug before the first mine, it proved that the minerals within that mountain were worth mining. Afterwards it was only used to retrieve stone and iron from the other side until now. In spring of year 10, for the first time, nomads were turned away. There was room at the mission for 3 but 11 were given some food and supplies and good advice before being sent on their way. None of us were happy about that decision but we were beginning to be concerned about our food supply. The east side of the mountain seemed to be the answer to the problem. Land was already cleared for a few new fields and the southeast point was definitely a prime fishing spot. The area was protected by mountains on 3 sides and would get plenty of morning sun. But what was drawing curiosity seekers was the new house being built. It was different than anything we had seen before.

Other than the crop field, the east side project was put on hold in favor of a new fishing pier to the west. It was constructed in such a way as to take full advantage of the prime fishing spot without interfering with the deer grazing land. Rome, now age 25, preferred to stay where he'd been fishing from shore since shortly after we arrived, remaining the best fisherman around. Additional hunters and gatherers were added to all locations when, in spring of year 11, 9 nomads were accepted at the mission but 21 were sent on their way. We were right to be concerned for our food supply, we were using much more than we were producing. Our population was now 101. We would accept no more nomads until our production stabilized. 

 

 

Construction on the east side of the mountain continued. The housing complex was amazing, colorful houses for 5 families in a small space. Every time you went to take a look, another unit had been added. They were occupied as soon as they were completed. The crops were doing well and a market was built. The fishing pier had been completed and hunters and gatherers crossed the small bridge to the mountainous shoreline on the other side. By harvest time of year 12 all were doing well.

 

Prosperity continued, the first boatman in spring of year 13 brought honey and peppers, and as always news from Smallville. The mission kitchen was now making chili con carne and the distillery produced the first liqueurs. By summer the trading ports had a good supply in inventory. We had an early winter that year, in autumn I barely got the wash in off the line when big fluffy flakes of snow began to fall, and wouldn't you know that's when our chickens finally arrived. The mission schoolyard seemed the best protected place for them, we were worried about the survival of the baby chicks. They were so cute, we brought the preschool children to the mission to see them. So despite having no apiary, the school children were learning about the birds and the bees.
 

Chapter 5

 

 

The chickens thrived and so did our Mountain Mission. In spring of year 14 the boatman brought pepper seeds, more honey, and word from Smallville. Mother was sending us walnut and apple tree seedlings. I had been thinking a lot about Smallville especially after the quiet garden was completed in early autumn. I spent many hours contemplating the past and the future as I stood there watching the deer grazing and the gardener planting trees. It was there in that quiet place I made my decision and discussed it with Jeral. I wanted us to go home. He agreed it was time, and so did our daughter Clorayna and her new husband Ranson. They would go too. They were so young, younger than Jeral and I when we ran away from home. They are living in the 2nd floor green unit of the housing complex on the east side and are hunting and gathering on that side of town. 

 

We discussed our decision to leave at the town meeting. We were thinking spring. Our two younger daughters would be ages 10 and 3. Being a teacher I can finish Antos's education on the way and we should be home and settled long before Adalys reaches school age, and before Clorayna and Ranson start a family of their own. The town would need a new teacher. Since the town now had a stable food supply and enough trade goods should more food be needed, it was decided that come spring year 15 nomads would be accepted again at the mission. In the past 3 years 151 nomads had been turned away. So, weary traveler, should you decide to move from the mission hostel, the green 2nd floor housing unit and this cozy forest house will be vacant very soon. And should you decide to accept the teaching position at the village school, teach what is new but remember to teach the old ways too.

 

My mission here is complete.

 

 

The End