The day wore on. Jesse had packed everything he needed for his trip. Being alone often put him in a thoughtful mood. He sat on the steps throwing crushed corn to the chickens who were scattering around his feet. He gently brushed a big rooster aside with his work boot. "Now you behave yourself Rodney. Stop being such a bully and share with the hens."
The patriarch sighed and spoke softly to himself. "I reckon I'm a gittin' too old fer stuff like this but when an old ridge runnin' friend from 50 years ago might be in trouble I ain't got much choice. I just gotta go. I just can't figure out how I'm gonna explain it to these kids. I did keep my word to him that I'd never say what was going on."
Then the old timer's face lit up. "Ha! I got an idea. I reckon I'll need more pencil and paper."
He got up, went inside wrote a note, sealed it tight in a secure envelope and set in on his dresser in his bedroom and waited for his nephews to come home.