Seth went to work the next day and gave his two week notice. His employer didn’t even try to talk him into staying. In fact, his supervisor, when told Seth had quit, said, “Good riddance. We really didn’t need your kind working here anyway. The employer told Seth to not bother coming back the next day. He offered to pay him through the end of the week if he would just leave and not bother them any longer. It took Seth three days to get ready to leave town. Early on a Saturday morning Seth sorrowfully hugged his mother and father good bye and departed headed for his new life on his little 640 acre plot of ground in Colorado. His old truck was loaded with his bed a comfortable chair, his clothes and a few pots, pans and other dishes. He just hoped one of the old buildings on the place was still in good enough shape he could stay in it. It had been almost six years since he or his parent’s had been there so he really didn’t expect too much.
Seth’s land was located between Silverton and Telluride Colorado back in the mountains. It had a small mining settlement and an abandoned gold mine on it. No one lived in the little settlement and it showed on the maps as a ghost town. Seth had loved the place when he and his parents visited during his childhood. He was looking forward to rebuilding his life there. It was early enough in the spring he hoped he could plant a small garden to supplement his food supply. He also planned to hunt and fish for much of his meat.
After collecting his final pay, paying his final bills and selling the possessions he wasn’t taking with him he had almost $2700.00 in cash. That would have to last him until he found work.
When Seth arrived at the narrow trail up to his place he stopped his truck. He was shocked at the mess he saw. The trail was washed out and almost impassable. There were rocks and deep ditches through it as far as he could see. Nothing but a 4 wheel drive vehicle could possibly make it up the trail. It was in such bad shape he worried about his truck making it. One of the first jobs he would have to do was improve the trail somewhat. He didn’t want it to look too inviting however. He could do without company.
Seth walked almost a half mile up the trail throwing sticks and down trees out of the trail and putting rocks in the worst of the ditches. He was finally within sight of his little ghost town. He hoped he had improved the trail enough he could get his truck to his new home. He returned to his truck and began the nearly three quarter mile drive up into the mountains to his land. The town was almost exactly in the middle of his section of land but the trail twisted enough it was almost three fourths of a mile drive. Seth placed the gearbox in 4X4 LO range and took off in low gear. He was moving so slowly the speedometer barely moved off the zero mark. The old truck was bouncing and rocking almost enough to throw him out. Every so often he would stop and work again on the worst of the ditches to make the road marginally passable so he could move on.
wpDiscuz