Age is But a Number

Ann point blank asked Toni and me at breakfast the next morning after the BBQ if we were sleeping together. Toni said we were sharing a bed but nothing else to which her mother replied, "You are both adults. Please don't do anything that might cause problems in the future. You are both in love with each other, that is very evident to everyone. Enjoy life together and learn everything there is to know, you have all the time in the world. When you are both ready for marriage, you will understand the commitment you are about to make to each other."

Eighteen months later:

Harold Patterson retired on the farm with occasional forays with his wife Mary, to 'the big smoke' to see his sister-in-law, Ann, now a widow after her husband passed away two months almost to the day, after the sale of the Booderlockin Rocks field was completed for $35 million dollars. The gold field which extends north for some 25 kms has so far produced nearly $250 million worth of gold plus other metals.

Toni finished her uni studies and will graduate at the end of this year. She is working for my company designing security in Data Management.

I still fall on my knees on many occasions, especially when Toni surprises me in some moulded creation that she has managed to shoe-horn on to her body.

I also fell onto my (one) knee when I proposed for her hand in marriage, after asking her mother Ann for permission. Toni agreed, thankfully, and now Antoinette, or Toni, depending on our mood and what we are doing, or about to do, has agreed to become the mother of our first child, having conceived six months after we were married. Every now and again, she reminds me of those words she said the first time we had tea and coffee together: "Don't worry about the age thing, I'm not, and you shouldn't. Like I said, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be."

Nicky still lives with us and as she learns more about her chosen career, moves further up the ladder within my business. I expect her to become my COO within a few short years. She's currently being squired by a lovely young girl of the same age, Mandy, and they are both as madly in love with each other as any two could be. They are going to be married next Saturday at a ceremony at the farm, an event to which we are all looking forward.

Simon is now my CEO and the proud father of twins. Apparently the hugs on that Saturday morning achieved the desired purpose, although Kathy still blames me for the twins. "It was supposed to be One, not Two. Don't you men listen, ever?"

The Petrelli farm was sold for land value only and bought up by Mark Patterson, who, along with his new wife Marion, planned to work the three adjoining farms as one. He had almost overnight become one of the largest, and wealthiest, land holders in the district of Bullaring. He and his wife live in Henry Patterson's house after some renovations were completed with a new kitchen, and a couple of extra bedrooms added, while all the buildings except the workshops and tractor sheds on the former Petrelli property were demolished to add to the cropping area. New shearing sheds of the most modern type were built providing shearing facilities that are technologically far superior to others in the district. It now seems that Mark is shearing other farmer's flocks as well as his own while they upgrade their own sheds.

April 6 ^th

A small notice appeared in today's local Times Newspaper for the district which read:

Giovanni (John) Petrelli was found guilty of Insurance Fraud, Money Laundering and Arson in the District Court in Perth on Friday 26^th March. He was sentenced to 8 years gaol on three charges of Insurance Fraud, five Years gaol for a charge of money laundering, and six years gaol for two charges of Arson. The sentences are to be served concurrently and he will be eligible for parole after serving five years, after taking into account time already served.

Pietro Petrelli has been found guilty of Insurance Fraud in the same court by assisting Giovanni Petrelli to commit fraud by claiming insurance for crop losses due to fire on two separate occasions. He has been sentenced to four years gaol.