But things in our community changed for boys when they reached 18. The men would drive into the city every week to sell our farm produce at markets. This was how we made extra money, by selling hand-made butter and things to others. The bulk of our money (and the money of everyone in our community), I would later learn, came from leasing mineral deposits. We just sort of played farmer while we collected the royalties that actually paid the bills. Not that it seemed that way; life was an unceasing list of chores and farm routine.
That is what made my brother’s 18th Birthday so exciting, and how it began the most important change in my life. Joseph and my father woke up very early and met up with the other men to drive to the city. I was still sleeping by the time they left. But that entire day was a blur. I got up, ate breakfast with my mother, tended the chickens, weeded the vegetable garden, and did some sewing. These were all normal activities. But I wasn’t really thinking about them, I was just thinking about Joseph’s trip from the farm. My Father never told me what the rest of the world was like. Joseph had already sworn to our Father that he wouldn’t tell me anything either. But he’d also sworn to me in secrecy that he would share everything that he learned.
It was already dark when they arrived home that evening, which was normal on market days. Mother had the supper ready and we all sat at the table and bowed our heads in prayer. I looked at Joseph and he had sort of a glazed look on his face. I tried to get his attention, but he didn’t seem to notice anything. At dinner, my father did most of the talking. As usual, his conversation was little more than an inventory of the items sold and money collected. My Mother nodded and made all of the appropriate noises of appreciation.
Finally, dinner was done. Mother and Father went to the sitting room to talk. Joseph and I always cleaned out my father’s truck after marketday, taking all of the unsold items back to the barn to await the next trip. This was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. I washed up quickly and rushed outside. Joseph came more slowly, he still had that look.
“Well how was it?” I asked excitedly as soon as he was within talking distance. I couldn’t let Mother and Father hear me, even outside I spoke softly. At first he just shook his head. But I kept asking him a million questions and finally he spoke.
“Anna, it was just… so much. There is just so much,” he said. That didn’t really explain anything to me, it just made me more anxious to learn.
“Did you see other people?” I asked and he just gave me the most serene smile I’d ever seen, “What?”
“I saw hundreds of people… thousands,” he said. He went on to describe all of the strange sights he’d seen. People wearing garish clothing, tall buildings, and cars in many colors, long buses filled with people, and a thousand other things. I couldn’t even picture these oddities in my mind.
“I don’t believe it,” I said.
“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it,” he said. And I was so jealous at that moment. My little brother got to see all of the excitement of a city and I was still here, just waiting to pick up the leftovers. “I wish you could’ve been there,” he said, and my jealously faded into a gentle longing.
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