IV
That night, they all three met for their first dinner at home. The picnic looks like a feast, as they are happy. Although the camp is for the moment summary, they are satisfied with their lot and full of projects and ideas.
As it is late, Peter moved the TV, while Boris goes to sleep, a little sad all the same to the forthcoming departure of his mother. Even if they do not speak, Peter and Monika are also sad at this thought. Therefore, they prefer to discuss what they will do in the coming days.
Peter plans to move the "camp" in the second "room", now dry, during this week. Monika is concerned for Peter to be a lot of work to do in the coming days, but also for Boris will have to adapt to a new school. She also knows that the next day will be long for all three. Peter and Boris will bring her to the station very early, so that she can be in time at the office, where a busy day ahead her.
Here, all three take their new lifestyle ! Boris has soon new friends. Every day, his father takes him and picks him up at school. Quickly, Boris is used to go buy bread and snack at the bakery, while his father was waiting in the car. He is very proud. Peter moved the washing machine, dishwasher, stove etc. He does his best to improve their lives.
When on the following Friday night, all three find themselves the new "camp" is installed. Peter and Boris are looking for Monika at the station. D. accompanying as planned to help Peter. The trip was quite painful, with delays, frequent stops, in a crowded and uncomfortable train. All are happy to find calm in the house, even if the weekend looks laborious.
They are all three so full of projects, develop ideas for those places where they feel comfortable. The landscape around the buildings like sometimes to Impressionist paintings, sometimes in English watercolours. In the evening, they look forward to beautiful sunsets. Boris finds a quieter pace of life less stressful than he had experienced before.
The two central pieces are empty, Peter can begin the planned work. They reflect on future developments, costs, priorities. They had established a budget, knowing that the risk of exceeding was not negligible, as always in the case of renovation, where you can never be sure of what you will find.
There they are in the concrete, they must now find the right solutions to best manage it all !
So they calculate to better plan to stay in the can. Given that agricultural activity cannot start until early next year, as the previous owners had leased the land and meadows until the end of the year, they decided to stick to their initial project.
They will therefore continue to advance development work indoors during the fall and winter. There are so many things to do and places, much more than they thought. When they visited the site, they were not only filthy, but also very crowded especially for dependencies. That is why, once they are cleared and cleaned, they can better evaluate, but also to specify their project needs.
Ideas do not miss them. The shed that housed the kitchen and the pantry is crumbling, and a discount to face the house. As to the barn, it was summarily reinforced in the past, but its roof is high, steep gables and split. Fortunately, the roofs of residential buildings, extended by the stables, are in good condition as the shell.
During the next season, they do not provide a year or two, it will cleanse the land of culture, and cool meadows. Peter also noted that in some places, the thorns that close the meadows were much thickened, it will cut.
Nevertheless, it seems plausible to predict their starting a rabbit farm in the next spring. There they can feed them with pellets, and then they reap the hay.
They are optimistic about the success of their project. More so than the consulting business now emerges a comfortable income, with prospects for the coming months rather promising.
During the month of September, they become acquainted with their nearest neighbours, whose homes overlook the path to their own. Some are C, whom had visited shortly after their arrival. Others, G., bought a second home for retirement also scheduled in the next few years.
Their relations with each and other are courteous, they make them menu services. Monika is relieved as she felt that Peter and Boris are not alone and isolated. She knows that if necessary, their neighbours could help to support revenge.
In contrast to the property, they have two other neighbours, who had also come from the Paris region, but they see few : only the fields are adjacent. On the back, the neighbouring property is rarely busy and, again, only the fields touch. On the other hand, their neighbours also live in the Paris region where they practice the same profession as Monika, they come here from time to time.
Most from their neighbours are about the same age, a decade older than them, so their children are adults or almost, if parents of young children. For others, they significantly younger.
Shortly after their arrival, they had also made the acquaintance of the previous occupant, the tenant farmer of the former owners, as was his father before him. He came to retrieve business remained there when he noticed the disappearance of kids bikes, which had greatly upset.
However, Peter and Monika were unaware that there was something in the shed, they did not know where the key was. The farmer, Bd, had them said about the theft of his bicycle while being strong recovery at the earliest his property. At that time, they had thought a dispute with members of his family, or a disagreement with a neighbour.
It had been a few years that Bd and his family had moved due to various problems. As he and his wife were divorced, their children, now adults, had sided with one or the other, for those entrusted to them, some had been placed elsewhere, others became major.
At that time, Peter and Monika understand that their home was part of family events more or less dramatic, but perhaps more sordid, some details that Peter to discover as that he rid the attic or outbuildings.
Later, Bd will make a watered evocation, about the neighbours, they leave many cast innuendo. It will take time for them to get an idea. The time unspoken started ! However, they could not perceive it.
Monika accrues bank accounts, personal and professional, for the first sampling in early repayment deadlines. They deliberately chose a short-term loan with monthly payments higher than their means allow them the time.
A little over a month has passed since the signing of the deed of purchase. Of course, they have suffered some cons meantime, some things did not go as they had hoped, but overall, their project is progressing as planned, or almost.
After foggy September to the point that some days we hardly saw, October is more clear and mild. Peter has spent the last few weeks to finish cleaning, burning debris and boxes, etc, ... but also to remove the rubble and compacted around the house to do, then, a sidewalk and a terrace.
Around the house, the campaign takes fall colours in soft amber light. Hedges composed of various species exhibit the full range of this season. Many birds inhabit whose songs punctuate the day.
D. comes regularly to lend a hand to Peter. Gradually, the facilities of which will be later a large room, a living space, into place. The stones are laid bare, beams also, the partition parts is halfdepressed, as the ceiling of the entrance room, later to develop a mezzanine.
Until the insulation is placed, tarps will do. Arrive soon extended weekend of November, during which friends come to visit. They must find ways to accommodate them the best in their yard, and Peter is never short of ingenuity !
That autumn, Monika has a lot of work, it may even she brings some records, to advance the preparation of documents to be rendered, during the weekend. Whenever possible, she helps Peter, she tries to spend time with Boris. However, two days is so fast past, and there is so much to do. No more than Peter, she takes time to truly relax fatigue and stress of the week.
Boris has made new friends at school with whom he invented games. Academic achievement is satisfactory. His mistress congratulate his essays, he greatly appreciates. He likes in his room in the house yard. Obviously, his current life suits him, since he seems more radiant than before.
On Saturday morning, they go shopping together, they enjoy to chat while the ride. In the afternoon, they will often picnic snack time, many small corners of the property lend themselves well, they especially like. Monika and Boris appreciate those moments when they are both to tell their stories, their small problems, catching laughter.
The old farmer, Bd, is pressed see repeatedly, and offered come to help with the restoration and, when appropriate, to those fields. Peter accepted his proposal, happy to be helped by someone familiar with the property, but also have a long experience of farming. Therefore, he takes contact MSA to perform the necessary steps to create the activity, but also declare Bd as an employee thereof.
They also take an appointment with the accountant who provides tax returns, Monika holding current accounts according to his directions. As agreed, Monika starts to gather different documents, and documents to be included in the inaugural year. They buy the books of accounts required by the accounting firm, anxious to do things properly.