Ch.24(cont.)
Ann started the hummer and despite its size maneuvered it out
my drive and onto the main road as she
was headed to Marietta with a plan. She had been searching on her I pod for a RV
to finish their trip. Yes she could have went with an economy model vehicle to
satisfy Lee’s passion to protect the environment but instead she decided to
just buy a farm and let Lee plant it full of tees and as soon as that was done
she would buy him another and another till she was left with nothing but maybe
25 million in the bank .and all this tree planting would more than make up for
the environmental tragedy she was about to undertake. She had a fortune and buying farmland and protecting
it from the ravages of real-estate developing was the least she could do.
Besides she was going to have to start paying taxes on this money, a lot more
than she did before when she was in business. So saving money on taxes is
always a good thing as politicians want o make sure all money is spent in their
budgets yearly even if it is for pork barrel projects.
Lee and Ann
will now be in another business. The business of buying real-estate and
organizing a not for profit, so that the money she donated would be tax free.
The land would be never developed in her lifetime, and any historic structures
on the property would be sold along with a small amount of land to anyone with
the stipulation of maintaining the historic residences as they are. Money would
be set aside in a special fund so owners of the property could afford to have
the work done. Also no four wheelers would ever be allowed on the property and
anyone caught using one would be subject to arrest for disturbing the natural
habitat. She didn't need all that money or would want to try and spend it in
her lifetime and having no kids to give it to, she felt that Lee’s passion to
save the environment was as good as any and yet better than most. No names were to be
displayed on any tax records as the farms would be owned by the not for profit organization.
Ann wasn't worried as some people are about trying to create a legacy that will
perpetuate the Gunnite name into the future. Let the future decide if that is
how it is supposed to be. She wanted to do this for the right reasons. Also it
would give both Lee and her a purpose again after their trip to the Sequoias,
something to come back to. She had planned on telling Lee her plans but wanted
to wait till after the trip.
Lee was so
patient and non-demanding when it came to her business. He still watched all
his pennies and kept a separate bank account with hardly anything in it since
he left the farm. He had a couple of thousand dollars but he had used most of
his money to get the new carving business up and going and also used a fair
portion buying the climbing equipment and never once asked Ann for a dime. He
bought food and brought it back to her apartment and still insisted on buying
dinner when they went out. Ann loved that about him as he was intent on paying
his way. The VW van was another dream of his and Ann wasn’t really into riding
in the van all the way out west but was sure glad when fate stepped in and
smacked the van in the butt and stopped those plans. Now it was time for her to
make new plans and hoped that Lee would go along. Also she had plans to work on
me and get me to go along also, so she would need a large RV. And she thought
she had found it in Marietta.
Ann pulled into
the car lot with all the shiny cars and had to focus her eyes as everything was
so bright. She looked around and saw the Gulf Stream RV. It was metallic green
and sitting in the back lot. The doors were open and technicians were giving it
the once over , as Ann approached the front of the dealership , a salesman
hurried out to meet her and it wasn't just any sales man it was big Cowboy Dan
as he is called in his commercials. Ann laughed when she met him in person as
he was quite short and she wondered if the camera crew who took videos of him
all the time were midgets who would get down on their knees taking those shots making him appear taller. She was
able to look him in the eye quite easily as he extended his hand to her. Dealing
Dan was waiting on her.
She had called
earlier when she had some free time and inquired about the RV as it was listed
in their sales website for 157,000 dollars , and this was for a used one that
only had 12 000 miles on it and only used by big Dan when he went on vacation.
It was her dream the Gulf Stream had a two tone paint job with olive green
metallic paint over a darker green metallic paint and looked flawless.
“Howdy Ma’am “,
was Dealing Dan’s greeting as he approached Ann . She had to chuckle at this man.
But guessed people will do anything to sell cars especially used ones. Dan showed
her all the features of the Gulf Stream and it was spotless in its appearance
also it had a maintenance guarantee that included a replacement vehicle Dan would personally offer to bring to
her anywhere in the lower 48 states in the case of an emergency that required
another vehicle to finish their trip. Also it included Dealing Dan’s personal
phone number to make it happen. Dan took Ann around the town in the newish RV
and showed her how flawlessly it maneuvered in traffic, then out on to the
interstate and across the bridge into West Virginia , then back to his lot they
went. Ann was pleased, and made a call to her personal lawyer and arranged the
money for the Gulf Stream and a new SUV , she still had to decide on as Dan
hurriedly showed her around the lot. She settled for a Ford escape. An economy vehicle , that could be easily towed behind
the Gulf Stream allowing Ann and lee to park at an RV park with the gulf stream
then head to their final destinations in the escape . All this had to be
delivered to my house in 2 days pending money transfer which Ann assured Dealing
Dan would happen at midnight tonight. She could almost see Dealing Dan the
cowboy salesman doing a dancing jig when she left the lot.
Ann then stopped
at the store and picked up the items she wanted for supper and came back to my
place and sat and waited in the shade searching up river for Lee and myself to
return from a day’s fishing and relaxing in the sun. When we pulled up she was
in the hammock asleep . Lee just left her there. When she awoke she never spoke
of her day’s deeds instead she wanted to surprise us and she did.
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