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Unable to hide my excitement, I zigzag through the crowd, smiling at my neighbors as I exit. Thankfully, polite drivers from both directions stop to allow me to cross Main Street. I can’t remember ever seeing downtown this busy. More traffic means more business for the local shops and restaurants, and for a small town that relies on summer tourism, this is sensational.
Hopping onto my truck’s running board, I slide into the driver’s seat. I promised myself I’d call my parents as soon as the residents’ meeting was over. Knowing this will be a tough conversation, I figure I won’t even wait until I’m back at the cabin. I’ll sit right here and get it over with.
I slip the key into the ignition and the engine roars to life. A cool, calming breeze pushes the stale, musty air out as I lower the windows. I shut the car off when the windows open and tilt my seat back slightly to get comfy.
I figure my mom will answer the quickest, so I call her. My assumptions are correct when her cheery voice blares through the speaker, “Solia, hi!”
“Hi, Mom. Am I catching you at a good time?”
“Anytime is a good time, honey. What’s up?”
“Is Dad there?”
“Oh boy. Should I get him? Are you OK? Did something happen? Do you need us to get in the car, because we can … damn, I knew this was the wrong decision.”
“Mom! I’m fine. Nothing is wrong. I figure it’ll be easier to speak to both of you rather than having you relay the story to Dad. If he’s there, you can just put it on speaker.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Hold on, let me find the button. Solia? Are you still there? Ben, Solia is on the phone and wants to talk to us. No, no, she’s fine. What? Just come here and have a seat. Can you hear us, dear?”
The two of them are just too much, making a simple task harder than it needs to be. “Yes, Mom. I can hear you. Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, honey. It’s so good to hear your voice. Are you doing well? How’s the cabin?”
“I’m doing well, and the cabin is still standing, if that’s what you mean.” I hear a snicker from my mother.
“I’m sure we would’ve heard if the place burned to the ground, Solia.”
“Right, well, anyway, there is something pretty important I need to talk to you guys about. A few weeks ago, I received a letter from this company—”
My dad cuts in. “Honey, instead of torturing yourself, I’ll stop you and let you know we already have the facts. We understand what Green Breeze wants.”
Stunned, I sit back in my seat and try to find the words, but my father continues.
“Solia, we’ve known for a week. You’ve got to remember that even though we aren’t up there anymore, we still have quite a few connections. And these phones make it easy to find things out.”
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” I ask, more confused than ever.
“Honey, your father and I know how strongly you believe you can survive there on your own. An old friend gave us a call. I wanted to see how long it would take for you to fill us in. This is a big deal, Solia. Your father and I were ready to sell, so this isn’t a battle we are willing to fight. It might be perfect timing and even more money than we were planning on.”
Go figure. Just when I’m one step ahead, I step into quicksand.
My father speaks next. “We certainly had hoped if we were to sell the cabin, another family would spend years there making memories. To have a wind farm installed is not what we ever would’ve imagined. When we received the call enlisting our help and asking our opinions, your mother and I told the Green Breeze people that this is now your fight. We’ll hold up our end of our original bargain, but that’s the only thing we can promise. Most of this will be out of our control.”
Tears fill my eyes listening to my father’s words. I want the cabin. I want a new life here, but this wind project has me completely rattled. I guess I’d planned on them being in my corner to help me figure this out. I never actually considered the possibility of standing alone, taking charge of this situation.
Listening to myself, I sound ridiculous. I came here to be independent, to start fresh. I’m a fucking twenty-six-year-old woman, for god’s sake. I can’t expect my parents to dig me out of every difficult problem that comes my way, especially if I want to be a homeowner.
“Honey?”
“I’m here, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of the possibility of someone telling you. Sorry you didn’t hear the news from me. I should’ve told you sooner.”
“Maybe, but like I said, this is up to you now. We’ve added your name to the property deed, so you can decide what’s going to happen with Green Breeze. Either way, we will discuss the financial aspects, but the decision is ultimately yours.”
“Dad, I will not let this happen. There is no way I’m going for this deal, and you shouldn’t either.”
“Solia, Dad just told you, we are not dealing with this—you are. You may have to come to terms with the fact that it may not work out. Dad and I decided it is time to move on to another chapter in our lives, too, so this is your battle to fight. Do you even have a job yet?”
My mother’s words cut like a knife. “Actually, I interviewed and was hired for a third-grade position in the fall. So, yes, Mom, I do have a job. Maybe you could back off a little and have faith in me for once.”
