Going Home

"Yes, without question. I'm still young enough. It also may be a moot point. I haven't exactly been sexually active for the last eight years. We didn't use protection so considering the time of the month..."

"Nothing would make me happier."

"What happens now?"

"We have a house to build and considering the short building season in this climate we need to get cracking. We have a wedding to plan. We still need to bring the children up to speed. We have a class reunion to go to. I have a job to go back to for a least another two or three months."

Katherine and Walter decided to begin by stopping by to see a friend of her father's who was the most respected local home builder. They considered possible house designs; they drove back up to survey the site with the builder; he was pretty sure he could get the job done before winter. The deal was sealed with a hand shake. They drove the thirty miles to the court house and registered the deed. They also applied for a marriage license and took care of the other prenuptial requirements to include picking out rings together. Late in the afternoon they stopped by the small church in which Katherine had been baptized and confirmed to discuss their plans with the elderly and soon to retire pastor. Returning to Katherine's home they made love and then dressed for the opening reception of the reunion.

The small town grape vine was as usual very efficient. As Walter and Katherine entered the reception hall hand in hand it was as if royalty had arrived. People cheered, whistled and even applauded. Every stop they had made that day had been telegraphed across the county. Possibly the only question that had not been discerned was, "Have you set the date?"

For Walter it was almost like being transported back in time. After enduring an ample amount of chiding for staying away for so long he came to the stark realization that he had been sorely missed; these people were his friends; they cared for him and were glad to have him back in the fold.

The rest of the weekend was a blur for the new couple but a deliriously joyous one. There parting late on Sunday was not easy as if each had some insane fear that they might again lose each other. Walter's departure was preceded by a meeting with Katherine's two children. The two adults felt almost silly at having been concerned about how the kids would respond. They were happy for their mother; both were of an age where they had a fledging understanding of how important love and the companionship that goes with it were. The icing on the cake was the announcement that they would not have to move away.

Walter could well have stayed a few more days but he wanted to get back and take the steps to move his professional and personal life forward. On Wednesday he traveled to the corporate headquarters to discuss his career desires with the top three executives.

"Walter, the plant is well ahead of schedule which is no small testament to the work ethic which seems to exist in that little corner of the world. Our HR staff had already begun to do initial screening; we will be the largest employer in the area."

"Not really Fred; the largest employer in that part of the world is Mother Earth---the land. I'd like to be very 'hands-on' in the personnel process. If I don't know every person who is applying---I probably know their parents. If it's okay with you gentlemen, I'd like to make the transition as soon as humanly possible."

"We're going to hire almost exclusively locally; bluntly not too many of our existing employees are interested in moving there. We'll give you all the tools you need in terms of incentives and spiffs but you've got a rough road ahead of your in terms of encouraging relocations."

"I'll chat with Rhonda in HR before I leave; there are a surprising number of people with excellent educations and prime skills who have moved back to that area in recent years. One of the kids I went to school with---a graduate of a top business school with a graduate degree in accounting---is currently driving a school bus and doing little more than day labor to bring in a few extra bucks. He got tired of the big city grind and crime and left a promising career to...go home. Along with the high unemployment rate there is a lot of 'under-employment'. I'll know more after I spend some time up there but I'm hopeful that we will be able to fill our needs almost exclusively locally."

"Where will you start?"

"The former junior-senior high school principal---he ran that school for over forty years with an iron hand---knows everyone and everything there is to know about them. There's an old doctor...the local insurance agent....banker...police chief..."

"Walter, it's your baby; as of today you are officially in charge. We trust you to do it right."

Walter didn't personally dislike the VP of HR. He just didn't really appreciate Human Resources people. As he sat across from Rhonda in her office he had to endure more 'personnel-speak' than he would have liked.

"Walter we have done initial testing and interviewing; the potential labor force is remarkably bright and well educated. I have some real concerns about diversity issues but..."

Walter cut her off. "Rhonda, as long as I've known you diversity has always been about the color of ones skin. In fact there's lots of diversity in that locale. There are the children of first and second generation immigrants from virtually every war torn or oppressive regime in Europe. Additionally gender diversity is not even remotely an issue. Let me give you something to think about. First there is not an African-American presence in that area. There probably aren't six black families within fifty miles and I'd bet that not one of them is applying to work for us---because they already have successful careers and professional educations. Slavery never happened up there---it was fiercely rejected. It's also frightfully cold and inhospitable to those folks who 'arrived' from a distinctly warmer clime. Farmers and their children tend to farm their own land; their parents and grand parents in the 'old country' were quite likely to have been little more than slaves, indentured servants, 'serfs of the manor' or essentially share croppers---and they rejected that style of life when they arrived on our shores. They found it repugnant and had no intention of perpetuating it in their new homeland. The migrant worker mentality also offended them and the brutal climate offered little attraction to a south of the border population. Since the majority of our Asian population in this country is from southern Asia, once again the climate didn't attract them. Virtually every religion you could imagine exists up there. Yet in spite of the fact that an astoundingly diverse array of people---people who might well have been bitter enemies in the 'old country'---settled there, I can't recall a single incident of ethnic animus when I was growing up. From what I observed during my most recent visit that hasn't changed one iota."

"Touché---I deserved that lecture. Here's the list of people who have passed the initial screening."

"Let me see the list of ones that didn't."

"Why?"

"Just curious." Rhonda provided him the reject list. He circled a hand full of names. "Let's reevaluate these few names. At least two of these people as I recall had disabilities and might not have come across as 'sharp' enough but they were all about heart---and hard work. Look, Rhonda, I don't want to fight with you; by the way, have you been up there?"

"No, I..."

"You can learn a lot more about who these people are by spending some time with them, talking to their teachers, the local constables...I know that's not easy to do 'officially' due to all of the legal crap but I'd like to do my own detective work. People will talk to me...when they might not talk to you. Many of the people applying own marginal farms and have large families; we may want to consider job sharing opportunities, transportation issues, part time versus fulltime, flex-time---damn! Rhonda this is an opportunity to get creative and assemble a stellar, hard-working and intensely loyal work force. It's just the kind of challenge that should have you salivating."

"It should...you're right; I'd be more comfortable if I even had a candidate to handle HR there---which I don't at the moment."

"Look, Rhonda, while I was attending my high school reunion I ran into a lady I went to school with---we even dated once or twice---who used to be pretty high up in the HR world in the Fortune 100. She took a couple of years off to raise a family, write a book and move home. Her name is Carolyn Hulsted and she..."

"The Caroline Hulsted?"

"Pardon me?"

"If it's the same person---I've read both of her books and she is one of the most respected HR people in the country!"

"I sensed that she might be willing to get back in harness; she's currently working part time as an assistant guidance counselor at the school. If anyone has an inside track, she does. And she's but one example; there are many more with superb credentials in finance, engineering and manufacturing who made the trade---big bucks versus quality of life. I'm going back up there at the end of the week. If Carolyn is interested I'll put her in touch with you. You already know that the plant is ahead of schedule by several months; we need to get moving quickly."

Before the week ended Walter had put his existing home on the market. He called his old school bus seat mate. "Al, when we were kids your dad bought an airplane, a Piper Comanche as I recall, does he still fly it?"

"We traded up several times, buddy. 'Preferred the security of that second engine---and ultimately the increased speed of a turboprop. He still flies now and then as do I but he hired a full time pilot who is also part of his construction firm a number of years back."

"Where the heck do you keep it?"

"We moved that old horse barn of your dad's and converted it to a hanger."

"So you still have a landing strip?"

"The same one; it's still a grass strip but it's smooth and hard and surrounded by a field of wheat, oats or corn. We've got lights, a windsock, a Unicom receiver and even an ADF. It not remotely an IFR field but you can at least find it in the dark. What's on your mind?"

"Your dad got me hooked on flying that first day he took me up in his brand new airplane. I started with a 150; now I've got a turboprop, one of the small Beech King Airs."

"Well there's thirty-five hundred feet of grass and another five hundred feet of reasonably open terrain at either end so that should be no problem. There are no wires for two miles on either approach. When are you coming? I'll get one of the boys to go out and mow it close. I didn't show you when you were here but we got tired of driving all the way around on the road or fording the creek so dad built a one lane bridge to get to your dad's farm. It can't be a five minute ride over to your little hill side."

"Al, I'm just doing a little preliminary flight planning right now. I had to laugh...we really did grow up in a place that you just, 'can't get to from here' didn't we? It's all of 1,500 miles by car and requires two airplane changes commercial but as the crow flies it's a scant 1,000 miles or four hours depending on the winds. I'm going to leave here as early as I can get away Friday. If I could beg a ride from you, I need to buy a car. The one I have is decidedly inappropriate for that part of the world so I'm going to sell it."

"Not a problem buddy! 'Looking forward to seeing you."

With a little bit of tailwind it turned into just under four hours. Walter made a low pass to check out the terrain and made his call in the blind even though he hadn't seen or heard another airplane for miles around. He had planned to surprise Katherine; that never works in rural small town America. She was there to meet him. If he'd ever had the slightest doubt he knew instantly that in this woman's arms he was finally home.

"So, you didn't tell me about this little toy!" She said with a grin.

"Probably one of the few surprises in my 'other' life, babe. I started flying for fun; it got serious back in the Army. I still fly for fun but my current---or former---job entailed visiting a number of manufacturing locations so this worked out pretty well and the company had no problem paying me the mileage which was almost always less than commercial flying."

"In our frequent phone conversations you didn't really tell me how long you are visiting for."

"I'm going to have to go back and forth a few times to tie up some personal and business things but for all practical purposes----I'm here to stay."

"And have you arranged suitable lodging?"

"I was sort of hoping that there just might be a fetching young colleen who'd be willing to rent me a room."

"That sounds a little scandalous---but terribly sweet---we'll see what can be done. Do you want to see the house site?"

"Are you serious? They've actually broken ground?"

"Come on---hop in!"

Five minutes later as Al had promised they arrived at the hill side. Someone, and Walter was pretty sure it had been Al or his family had laid a new layer of fresh gravel on the road----formerly little more than a two wheel dirt trail---leading to the home site. Walter had forgotten that Al's family was also in the gravel quarry business. The builders had not only broken ground they had poured the foundation and were in the early framing stages.

"Wow! Any idea what the schedule looks like?" Walter asked.

"The weather forecast looks good; if it holds they hope to get a roof on it early next week---and then the weather becomes less of an issue."

As the couple drove back to town Walter brought Katherine up to speed on his plans for filling the employee ranks of the new plant. "I called the construction manager and she won't be able to give me access to office space for a few weeks so I need to find an office and..."

"You could use a room at the school."

"Is that legal?"

"You have been in the city too long. For a whole lot of people that factory---and therefore you---are going to be a savior for this town. The principal---and you dated her as I recall----already suggested it. I'm glad that budding romance didn't work out. Look, the kids are in camp for the next two weeks---a regular summer event. How can I help?"

Walter briefed her on the key people he had already decided that he wanted to approach first. "I suppose we should wait until Monday; I hate to disrupt people's weekends."

"Walter you are just going to have to get back into the real world---this real world. It sounds to me as if you've already got your HR director, chief engineer and finance director in mind. Let's just go see them---unless you had something else on your mind." Katherine said with a mischievous grin.

"Business before pleasure?"

"Oh, Darn!"

By dinner time Walter did in fact have his key direct reports onboard. The high school jock, now a CPA who had once lent him a set of weights one summer which changed his life. A girl he had dated a few times and one who had provided his most adventurous teenage back seat exploration would run HR. His chief engineer would be a fellow geek from the old days who had gone off to a top engineering school and returned a decade and a half later no longer remotely geeky with a stunning brunette and two beautiful children in tow. He even had a secretary; the school secretary who had taken that job at the age of nineteen---and never held another job for the next forty-six years had recently been forced to take mandatory retirement. She had not been remotely ready to retire and was thrilled at the chance to get back into harness. All of the kids always believed she really ran the school anyway and she knew every student who had attended by name and more. Perhaps the biggest surprise and greatest find was the man who would become his plant manager; Dennis' brother Donald.

Unlike Dennis, Donald had left the area after high school and did not return after college. He had exceptional educational credentials and significant line management experience. He had even worked in a similar technology industry. He had only returned a couple of years earlier ostensibly to help run the family business as his father's health began to fail. He hated it; the good news was that his younger sister loved it and really wanted to run it.

"Thank you Walter."

"I should be thanking you! Who would have guessed it! You're more qualified to run the floor operations than virtually anyone I could have brought in from outside."

"Well, thank you for the job but thank you for coming back; and thank you for putting a smile on my sister-in-law's face. Have you got time for a short ride before dinner?"

The two men drove across the bridge and pulled off on the other side; both exited the car silently. Donald spoke first.

"I never had the talent, personality and charisma that he had; I knew if I stayed here I would end up continuing to live in his shadow---yet I never resented him for one minute. He was the best brother a guy could have asked for. Dennis went to state college---came home almost every weekend. I went to school as far away from this burg as I possibly could---and seldom even came home for holidays. I lived in the big cities, discovered California and had a successful business career. My marriage fell apart; fortunately we had no children. I finally came back one Christmas a couple of years ago...and I never left again. I still hate the family business and not unlike Katherine was thinking seriously of leaving again since Kathleen is more than qualified to run things here. Now you've given me a chance to start over...here. Remember Lee Harrison? I never gave her a second look back in school. She came back about ten years ago...has her own small business. I was going to ask her to marry me but she'll never leave. As soon as I drop you off I'm going to tell her the news on both counts. I miss him Walter and I still don't get it. I lived the life outside this valley; it has its good and bad points. Dennis never really left here until he...he just never really had another life to compare it to. I'll always believe he was destined to be a star---and not just the star he was in this little world. In some twisted way he couldn't accept what he had---how good he had it---because he had nothing to compare it to...felt that he had horribly missed something...and it killed him. It's the only explanation I can come up with."

The two men were silent for several minutes before getting back in the car for the short drive back into town.

"Donald, yours is as good an answer as anyone can come up with; I've thought about it a lot over the years. He befriended me when most kids ignored me---or worse. He touched all of us in a good way...a special way. I miss him too."

Katherine and Walter were married in the church of her baptism almost exactly four weeks later. There really was no need to send out formal invitations; everyone was invited. She was in fact pregnant but not showing; she and Walter had two children, one of each sex. The new house was completed well before the first chill hit the air in early September. The house was more than large enough for their anticipated family enlargement. They had not had the same taste in furniture so nothing really went together. In the end certain rooms were dominated by her furniture, others by his and they ended up buying new things together for the most used areas.

The plant opened well ahead of schedule; in the end not a single employee was brought in from outside the area. Technically even Walter was a local. As demand increased the plant ended up adding a second shift providing more needed jobs and an economic boost to the local economy. Senior management could not have been happier and made it very clear that Walter had his job as long as he wanted it. Kids graduated from high school and left; many trickled back. Some took over family farms, others taught school, still others started small businesses or provided needed professional services and more than a few ended up working at the plant.