No title yet
an excerpt

Today is the day after the funeral. The lawyer is coming to the farm to read the will before everyone heads home. We’re staying for the summer as planned, and my Dad and his siblings have been trying to figure out what happens after that with the farm. No one really wants to get rid of it, but no one really wants to live here either. The closest Uncle lives six hours away, and we live 27 hours away, everyone else is scattered in between.

Mr. Jacobson arrives and we all gather in the living room. All 27 of us are there. I’m not really paying attention. I don’t know why I need to be there- but the lawyer said that there was something for all of the grandkids, so we needed to be present.

“… and to each grandchild who is currently born and to be born in the future $20,000 from the Johnson Family trust upon graduation of high school for the express purpose of paying for college.”

Well hey, that’s pretty cool. I guess I won’t have to worry about paying for college now. That’s pretty cool of Grandpa. There is some whispering and my aunt Jamie who is pregnant with her 5th child is softly crying.

“…To Emily Lynn Johnson, the property known as the Johnson farm, which includes the house, barn and other outbuildings and the land which is in trust. Emily Lynn Johnson is to occupy the Johnson farm and consider it her permanent residence beginning immediately and for the next 50 years or the farm will be put up for auction and must be sold to a non family member. After the 50 year period Emily Lynn may do what she wishes with the property. If the conditions of the will are not met and the farm is to be sold Mr. Jacobson has been instructed that the money will be donated to a charity, as well as the contents of the family trust and all other monetary gifts in this will are null and void. ”

My aunts and Uncles all start talking at once to the lawyer. I just sit there. I don’t believe my ears. I’m 14. I’m not old enough to own or run the farm. There is no way. What about our house in California? What about my friends there? What about my school?

“I don’t think he can do that can he?” My Dad asks. “That is a lot of commitment for a 14 year old to make. “

“There is no way that is legally binding!” shouts my Uncle Jake.

He looks really upset. The room erupts into shouting and yelling and tears. My Aunts and Uncles are quite upset about the will. I’m in shock. I’m not sure what to think. This certainly wasn’t expected. I loved Gramps and I felt like we had a special relationship- but I didn’t think that it was so special that I’d get the farm and not my dad or one of my aunts or uncles or something. Of course last night no one wanted the responsibility to keep the farm going. They had tentatively decided to sell off most the property and just keep the acre the house and barn were on and keep it as a family vacation home for all the siblings to enjoy because no one wanted to live here.

“If I may interrupt,” Mr. Jacobson, the soft spoken lawyer says, trying to make his voice heard above the arguing and exclamations of my aunts and uncles. “Excuse me,” he tries again.

This time they seem to hear him.

“Mr. Johnson was quite explicit about this clause in the will. It was very important to him that Emily live here. He didn’t want the farm to be sold or parceled or changed in any way. If there are major changes to be made or Emily decides not to live here then the farm will be sold. That is my instruction.”

The Aunts and Uncles start all talking all at once again. My dad has stopped talking and is just sitting quietly and looking at me.

“May I finish reading the will?” Mr. Jacobson seems flustered and nervous.

“Maybe it explains what’s going on,” Uncle Jake says hopefully.

Mr. Jacobson continued, but there weren’t any great revelations. There were monetary gifts for each of my Aunts and Uncles and my Dad was made in charge of the family trust. But nothing more was said about the farm or the property. At last Mr. Jacobson finished up with a final note from my grandfather to his posterity,

“My Children and Grandchildren,
I know that this will was a bit unusual, in that the bulk of the property went to one grandchild. I have my reasons and I can’t explain them. It is important to me and the longevity of this farm that my wishes are carried out explicitly. Please know that I love you; please know that this is important.

Love, Dad/Gramps”

There is complete silence in the room.

Mr. Jacobson clears his throat.

“Um, so I’ll be going, unless you have more questions. I’ll give you 24 hours to think about and talk about the farm. Let me know your decision regarding the farm Emily.”

With that he left us sitting in stunned silence, and he walked out the door.