John (3) | (51.06)

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John (3) | (51.06)

Post by mragland » Wed Jun 15, 2022 6:03 pm

10.06.1927 – Unincorporated Ventura County

"Yessir, John, my boy, what you're looking at here is the future," said Harry as the two of them sat on Harry's porch, watching the sun set behind the hills. John was enjoying some lemonade while Harry puffed away on an after dinner cigar.

Harry was Dot's older brother, and Dot was John's girl. John and Dot were serious in a way that had a lot of people assuming marriage was not far off. They were also serious in a way that led to a pregnancy scare a couple of months back. Crisis averted, the two pledged to stop fooling around, and this pledge withstood the test of about two weeks time.

Harry took to John as if he were the kid brother he never had. When he could, John would borrow Georgie's car and take Dot out to Harry's house in a little place Harry had built by the Santa Clara River. The two couples would spend the better part of the day together. Harry fashioned himself a real estate tycoon in the making. This place, not quite a town and really just a collection of a couple dozen homes nestled in a small valley, was Harry's brainchild. He purchased the land and partnered with a builder on the construction. Harry's house was the last one built, on a double lot with plenty of room.

"The future," said John between sips of lemonade, "how so?"

"This little spot is pretty remote," said Harry, "for now. But as the quality of our roads and automobiles improves, distances will become shorter. Someday we might reach the point where a fella might not think twice about driving twenty, even thirty miles to work in the city. And it will be worth it to enjoy the peace and quiet of a place like this in his free time. Serene, away from the noise and the dust of the city. That's the dream, John. There's still plenty of suitable, buildable land in California, but it won't be that way forever. This is the time to be in real estate, I tell you, while the choice cuts are still there to be had."

John turned and gave Harry a look. "Say, are you trying out a new pitch on me or something? And I can tell you we're a bit further than thirty miles from the city out here."

Harry chuckled. "May be, may be. But I happen to believe every word of what I said. This place here, Alicante, is just the beginning for me, John. I've been scoping out rancheros and orchards all over. Closer to the city than Alicante, but with similar environs. I've got plans, big plans, potentially very lucrative plans. As ever, the challenge is access to capital. I made out alright here in this little spot but the kind of capital I'm talking about you need to partner with a bank, and maybe more than one. That's the next phase, if you will."

Harry's wife, Edna, trundled through screen door. She was a woman of about thirty, and in the family way herself. "John, Dot sent me out to rescue you from my husband. I couldn't hear a word he was saying, but I could tell just by looking out the window what he was on about."

As Edna led John back into the house Harry made as if to get up from his chair, but Edna shooed him away. "I've told you before, Henry, those cigars are not welcome inside this house."

Harry started to object, but seemed to think the better of it. He tried charm instead. "Of course, dear. You go on and I'll join you shortly," he said, smiling and compliant. "This home may be my castle, John," Harry said loudly through the door after they had departed, "but I enter it only at the sufferance of its true master."
Morris Ragland
President, Baseball Ops, Beirut Cedars (8/25/46 - 10/23/47)
President, Baseball Ops, Valencia Stars (10/24/47 - present)
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