THE CHAIR
It was massive! The leather was worn and cracked. The ball legs were scuffed. An occasional stain was evidence of the tears of joy, pain, sadness and happiness of days gone by. The chair was brought to our new home on a ship that journeyed through storms and gales that made all of the passengers think they would overturn and be sunk at any time. The long days at sea with no wind for the sails brought our family to the brink of despair but not for the chair. Our father would sit an hold us close and whisper the tales and songs of our clan of yesteryear. Hope was always in his eyes and his voice. Even mother would sit with our father in the chair and he would stroke her autumn gold curls until they shone as bright as a summer's sun. Finally, we came into port and disembarked for a new life in a new world. The year was 1790. Our father was a tailor in the English army and his best friend was from Scotland and a man of the sea. They became fast friends on the moors as my best friend Jessie and I dug the peat for warmth and the shillings it brought. My father was lost at sea on a voyage with his comrades and found a home in this land called Scotland after his shipwreck. After a time, he sent for my mother and me and we came to love Scotland and its beauty and the grace of its peace. My Father and Jessie McBrayer were to become the best of friends, brothers that day by the sea when he found my father in clothes tattered and torn and body lashed by the perils of the sea. Half dead, Jessie took my father, Jonathan, into his home and nursed him back to health. When Jonathan was healed, he sewed a wardrobe for each of Jessie's family. At that time there were only three of them. My sister died at childbirth and my mother was much better but not yet well from her ordeal. Jonathan and Jessie began to sell their wares and peat and soon had a thriving business. After my mother and I arrived at McBrayer Castle, I became best friends with Jessie. It was if we were brothers; a bond was immediately formed from the first moment we met. After that, we were inseparable. My mother gave birth to my sister and my brother at McBrayer Castle an eventually we built our own home on land we shared with the McBrayers. Tipton Castle and McBrayer Castle was a haven for all sojourners and they were known far and wide for their hospitality and generosity. Hard work and frugal saving brought a wonderful life to both families until the great famine and plague. My sister and brother died from the plague and the famine wiped out the fortunes of both the McBrayers and the Tiptons. The land was desolate and sustenance scarce when finally a letter from Samuel Tipton, father's brother, arrived telling us to travel to a new land and a new life with abounding bounty. Both families packed their belongings but no furniture was to be taken on the voyage. Space was at a premium but my father managed to get the chair loaded aboard the ship. I later discovered he traded his family ring with the Tipton crest for the price of passage for the chair. The gold ring was passed down in the Tipton family from generation to generation. As prized as it was, it did not compare to the chair.
The chair was always the focal point of our living room and it was used by not only my father and family but the McBrayer family as well. Mr. McBrayer told my father that they would someday make up for his ring but agreed the chair was much too important to leave behind.
The chair was made from the finest wood and highest quality leather. The horsehair seat was from a fallen steed of the Prince of Wales while battling a marauding band of Norsemen. My father had the coat of arms of both the Tipton and McBrayer clans carved into the arms of the chair. The wooden frame above the back of the chair was inscribed with the words in Czech, the language of my mother, "Láska je život rodiny je největší požehnání" (The Love of Family is Life's Greatest Blessing). I know my father and Mr. McBrayer used to laugh about that inscription but my mother was adamant about having a part of her history a part of the chair.
Through the trials of life, weddings, births, deaths, christenings, the rearing of children, intimate touching of the soul and reflection, the chair stood the test of time. As my mother wept and came to my father sitting before the fire in the chair the last night before we left Scotland, I heard him say to her as he held her close; "have not faint heart my love, we shall prosper in the eyes of the Lord". A quietness fell over them and they fell asleep in each other's arms till the dawn. As we loaded our possessions, Mr. and Mrs. McBrayer were talking to my father and mother; all of them sitting on the chair. My father and Mr. McBrayer sat on each arm while both of our mothers sat in the chair. My father motioned for us to remain outside and then they began to pray. Each of our mothers cried and clung to our fathers for reassurance and security for the journey ahead and what was to be left behind. Jessie and I looked through the window and vowed to do all we could to make a better life for our mothers and fathers. Then, we drove the carts to the ship with the chair being the last item to be loaded. Our mothers covered the chair with loving care and our fathers secured it for the long trip to the port.
After setting sail the next morning, spirits were high and the day was glorious with streamers of sunlight peeking through the dissipating clouds. The wind was steady and Jessie and I ran to the bow and the stern many times until the port was out of sight. Our parents gathered us together and gave us the rules to be followed on the ship, no exception. There were chores to be done and studies to be kept up with by our mothers teaching. The weeks to come would have been sheer drudgery if not for our school work. Jessie and I never thought we would ever say that but our studies gave us something to do during the long uneventful hours. One day Jessie and I were playing near the stern of the ship when we saw a school of dolphins race beside the ship. Jessie leaned out too far while his outstretched hand tried to touch one of the dolphins. Jessie fell over the side and luckily got caught in the netting on the side of the ship. He did not have the strength to pull himself up and out of the water. His legs were dragging in the wake of the ship and I knew he could not hold on for long. I climbed over the side and entwined myself in the netting and reached down and grabbed one of Jessie's hands. I called to him to reach up and grab hold of my arm with his other hand and I would pull him up. For my age, I was very strong and much bigger than Jessie. The trust in his eyes! I will never forget his eyes as he looked into mine. I used all of my strength and pulled Jessie to safety. Jessie said, "Buster, I knew you would save me", but let's not tell our parents. I laughed and said we had a secret and we would both be in a world of trouble if they knew.
Later, before our fathers died, they both called us into the drawing room of Jessie's house and told us they saw the whole thing. Mr. McBrayer was sitting in the chair with my father sitting on one arm. The chair was moved to Jessie's house because my mother was painting the rooms in our house and did not want paint to get on it. They said they could not get to us fast enough and had to rely on Buster to save Jessie, but they never said a word to our mothers. One day after both of our fathers had passed away, our mothers said they also knew what happened that day Jessie fell overboard. My mother and Mrs. McBrayer were hanging out washing when it all happened but did not see our fathers. After all was safe and sound, they both decided not to tell anyone about the incident and knew we both learned a lesson that we would not soon forget. It was so wonderful that our parents had such faith in us and Jessie and I both shed tears while our mothers told their story.
After thousands of miles and many weeks sailing across the ocean, we finally arrived in the new land, The United States of America! The land of opportunity and freedom. New York was a thriving, bustling city and so very big! We had never seen anything like New York. There were so many different nationalities, languages, and different kinds of food. Our parents had just enough money in gold and silver to get us started in this new land but we knew we would have to work hard and save our money. Jessie and I had faith in our fathers that they would enter into to some endeavor that would be profitable. We knew that they depended on us and we welcomed the challenge to prove ourselves worthy of their trust. It was exciting and a bit scary at the same time but we were determined to be strong and weather the storm of hardship if need be. After we left New York for the colony of Virginia, we did not experience any difficulty except Jessie broke his little toe on the wagon. He got his foot caught on a spoke on the wheel and fell down between the horses. About the time he got up one of the horses swatted a horsefly with his tail and stomped his foot stepping on Jessie's little toe in his boot. Other than that life on the trail was mundane to the point it was boring. One night under a big sycamore tree by a small stream where we camped, my father took down the chair and set it on a canvas tarp and smoked his pipe. I always loved to smell the aromatic tobacco he used; it was flavored with apple and cherry juice and left to dry. Jessie was 12 and I was 13 and we were always day dreaming of the future to come. We would look up into the clouds and tell each other what we thought the shape was and how long it would stay that way. My father called to me to come sit a spell with him and talk to him before I went to bed. He told me he loved me and that he knew I would grow up to be a fine young man and have a family of my own. One of the main reasons we made this journey to the United States was to give me the opportunity for a chance for a better life than they had. He said Jessie's father and mother felt the same way and they decided together in the decision to come here. He said he knew it was going to be quite different from Scotland but wanted me to give it a chance and to help Jessie too. In fact, they needed to help each other and always remain close when they became men and on their own. He asked me if I remembered when I broke my arm when I fell off the Shetland pony he bought for me for a birthday present. Did I remember all of the days and nights when he and my mother held me when I was sick and hurt in the chair.
He said that it was Jessie's parents and him and my mother that decided to bring the chair. It was a symbol of family and love and it was to always be kept in the family. Jessie's family and ours were one and we would always be together. He made me promise to keep the chair and care for it as the most prized possession of both families. I told my father I promised to do that and I would always be there for Jessie because he was not only my best friend but my brother. Just like he was with Mr. McBrayer. My father smiled and said he was proud of me and gave me a hug and sent me off to bed. We camped there for two nights and went fishing and swimming and just relaxed before starting out on the road again. That last night Mr. McBrayer and Jessie's mother were sitting on the chair and called Jessie over to them. My father and mother took me off and we strolled along the path beside the creek while Jessie talked with his parents. After we got back, Jessie found me and was crying. He told me of the talk his mother and father had with him and it was basically what my father said but much more intense and in depth about the McBrayers and the children they lost. Jessie never knew that he had a sister and that she died with pneumonia. His father talked of the McBrayers of old and what his family crest meant. He also told him that when they were gone that Buster would be his family and to always be there for him. Buster was big and strong but very shy and sensitive inside. They were the perfect match as friends and brothers and to always care for each other.
The trip took 3 weeks and they stopped by friends of Uncle Samuel's to rest and resupply with provisions for the next part of their journey. Uncle Samuel left word and directions where they were to go but that it was another month before they would get there. The weather was good and travel should be no problem. Uncle Samuel had already made arrangements for land for both families and help was there to build barns and homes when they got to their destination. Tiptons had settled there some time ago but there was no town yet. It was a good two days ride to the nearest settlement and another 3 days to the county seat where wares could be bought and sold and provisions obtained. The name of the place was Kentucky, the bluegrass state. It was beautiful and rugged. There were frontiersmen and Indians and militiamen that lived in the woods and traveled through with news from time to time. The home places were built and crops planted and the small one room schoolhouse was built for the girls and boys when they had time to attend. Buster's mother taught part of the time and Jessie's mother taught too. They said at least the children would get some semblance of an education in this wilderness.
After two years had passed a town was formed in 1792 by Hugh Forbes from Scotland. It was called Mt. Sterling. Mr. McBrayer knew Mr. Forbes well and so did my father but not as long as Mr. McBrayer. Life was hard but good in the following days. My father started a tailor shop and Mr. McBrayer started a distillery. Mr. McBrayer and my father located a suitable place where the water was good for the distillery. My father had made some money and invested it the distillery with Mr. McBrayer. The water came right out of the mountain and was sweet and pure. Mr. McBrayer found a recipe for making bourbon and put his own touches to the ingredients. He made the finest bourbon whiskey in the land.
People came from far and wide to get his Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Mr. McBrayer called where he built his distillery and home McBrayer Springs. When the railroad finally came through, they called it Newmarket but it would never be called that by the folks in those parts. Mr. McBrayer made a lot of money and built a mansion for Jessie and his mother. My father did very well with his tailor shop and it grew into a large general store for that part of Kentucky. We had a very nice home built too and bought more land where ours joined with Jessie's parents land. It was less than a mile into Mt. Sterling where my father had his store and only a mile and a half from McBrayer Springs. Jessie and Buster were always together and what one did the other did too. As time passed and Jessie and I grew to be men, my father died and mother and I ran the store when she insisted I go back East to college. I wanted Jessie to go with me but Mr. McBrayer had to have Jessie take over the distillery until he came back from Louisville. Jessie's mother was not well and had to be cared for in Louisville where there was a specialist to treat her. Jessie stayed an ran the distillery while his father took Mrs. McBrayer to Louisville and I went off to college at William and Mary. It was founded on February 8, 1693 and was a very good school. I studied law and medicine but much preferred medicine in which I became a doctor.
Mrs. McBrayer died and I came home to help with the arrangements and be with Jessie and his father. My mother was terribly upset and shaken by her death and I found her not to be in good health.
Mr. McBrayer said he was going to sell the distillery and part of the proceeds would go to my mother and me. Jessie was to go to Louisville with him until he was settled and then he could join me at William and Mary. That never happened. My mother sold the store because of her health and called me home before she died that winter. Jessie came in to be with me but had to go back to help his father. Mr. McBrayer was too frail to travel the distance to be at the funeral but sent his sentiments and a lengthy letter to me about our families. The land our parents owned was now ours and was not to be sold, ever. The mansion at McBrayer Springs was now Jessie's and I sold our home and all of our possessions but one, the chair. Jessie and I moved it to the McBrayer mansion and that night reflected on what had transpired since we met as boys. The chair meant so much to both of us, we could never part with it, no matter what. Jessie went back to Louisville and never did get to attend college with me but instead went to law school in Louisville. I completed medical school and Jessie became a lawyer. We wrote each other frequently but began our lives and moved further away. Finally, one day we decided to meet in McBrayer Springs. We sat in the chair at the fireplace and came to a decision. We would both soon be married but wanted our families together, so, we decided to come back to McBrayer Springs. I contracted for a home to be built close to the mansion and Jessie and I moved back. We both went in together and bought back the old distillery and since it was closed we bought it for a very good price. Just pennies on the dollar for what it was worth to us.
We married and both entered into politics and I became a Senator and Jessie a Supreme Court Judge for the state of Kentucky. My doctor's office never suffered because of my public service and neither did Jessie's law practice. We just made it work.
We found that Mr. McBrayer left a secret storeroom that held 117 barrels of Old McBrayer whiskey and we enjoyed it for several years to come. We both had wonderful wives that bore us exceptional children and led rich, fulfilled lives. The distillery was never opened again in our lifetime and Jessie and I lived out our lives there in McBrayer Springs, Kentucky. I too smoked a pipe as my father did. I so enjoyed the smell of the tobacco; the flavored one with the haunting aroma of memories past. Many a time Jessie and I watched the sunset and listened to the tinkling of the spring that came from the mountain; me with my pipe and both of us with a snifter of Old McBrayer straight Kentucky bourbon. Life was as we dreamed it would be on those long days sailing the ocean to this new land.
Our Legacy lives on through our families but before I died, Jessie and I sat one last time in the chair. I was very ill and my wife and family along with Jessie's waited outside while Jessie and I sat in the chair and reminisced on our lives. We loved each other as only brothers and friends can. Then he called all of our families together. My wife took my hand and my children and Jessie's family stood around the chair. I said to them, always remember " The Love of Family is Life's Greatest Blessing".
Jessie and I looked deeply into each other's eyes while Jessie held me in his arms and as I took my last breath; we vowed to always keep "the chair".
The chair was always the focal point of our living room and it was used by not only my father and family but the McBrayer family as well. Mr. McBrayer told my father that they would someday make up for his ring but agreed the chair was much too important to leave behind.
The chair was made from the finest wood and highest quality leather. The horsehair seat was from a fallen steed of the Prince of Wales while battling a marauding band of Norsemen. My father had the coat of arms of both the Tipton and McBrayer clans carved into the arms of the chair. The wooden frame above the back of the chair was inscribed with the words in Czech, the language of my mother, "Láska je život rodiny je největší požehnání" (The Love of Family is Life's Greatest Blessing). I know my father and Mr. McBrayer used to laugh about that inscription but my mother was adamant about having a part of her history a part of the chair.
Through the trials of life, weddings, births, deaths, christenings, the rearing of children, intimate touching of the soul and reflection, the chair stood the test of time. As my mother wept and came to my father sitting before the fire in the chair the last night before we left Scotland, I heard him say to her as he held her close; "have not faint heart my love, we shall prosper in the eyes of the Lord". A quietness fell over them and they fell asleep in each other's arms till the dawn. As we loaded our possessions, Mr. and Mrs. McBrayer were talking to my father and mother; all of them sitting on the chair. My father and Mr. McBrayer sat on each arm while both of our mothers sat in the chair. My father motioned for us to remain outside and then they began to pray. Each of our mothers cried and clung to our fathers for reassurance and security for the journey ahead and what was to be left behind. Jessie and I looked through the window and vowed to do all we could to make a better life for our mothers and fathers. Then, we drove the carts to the ship with the chair being the last item to be loaded. Our mothers covered the chair with loving care and our fathers secured it for the long trip to the port.
After setting sail the next morning, spirits were high and the day was glorious with streamers of sunlight peeking through the dissipating clouds. The wind was steady and Jessie and I ran to the bow and the stern many times until the port was out of sight. Our parents gathered us together and gave us the rules to be followed on the ship, no exception. There were chores to be done and studies to be kept up with by our mothers teaching. The weeks to come would have been sheer drudgery if not for our school work. Jessie and I never thought we would ever say that but our studies gave us something to do during the long uneventful hours. One day Jessie and I were playing near the stern of the ship when we saw a school of dolphins race beside the ship. Jessie leaned out too far while his outstretched hand tried to touch one of the dolphins. Jessie fell over the side and luckily got caught in the netting on the side of the ship. He did not have the strength to pull himself up and out of the water. His legs were dragging in the wake of the ship and I knew he could not hold on for long. I climbed over the side and entwined myself in the netting and reached down and grabbed one of Jessie's hands. I called to him to reach up and grab hold of my arm with his other hand and I would pull him up. For my age, I was very strong and much bigger than Jessie. The trust in his eyes! I will never forget his eyes as he looked into mine. I used all of my strength and pulled Jessie to safety. Jessie said, "Buster, I knew you would save me", but let's not tell our parents. I laughed and said we had a secret and we would both be in a world of trouble if they knew.
Later, before our fathers died, they both called us into the drawing room of Jessie's house and told us they saw the whole thing. Mr. McBrayer was sitting in the chair with my father sitting on one arm. The chair was moved to Jessie's house because my mother was painting the rooms in our house and did not want paint to get on it. They said they could not get to us fast enough and had to rely on Buster to save Jessie, but they never said a word to our mothers. One day after both of our fathers had passed away, our mothers said they also knew what happened that day Jessie fell overboard. My mother and Mrs. McBrayer were hanging out washing when it all happened but did not see our fathers. After all was safe and sound, they both decided not to tell anyone about the incident and knew we both learned a lesson that we would not soon forget. It was so wonderful that our parents had such faith in us and Jessie and I both shed tears while our mothers told their story.
After thousands of miles and many weeks sailing across the ocean, we finally arrived in the new land, The United States of America! The land of opportunity and freedom. New York was a thriving, bustling city and so very big! We had never seen anything like New York. There were so many different nationalities, languages, and different kinds of food. Our parents had just enough money in gold and silver to get us started in this new land but we knew we would have to work hard and save our money. Jessie and I had faith in our fathers that they would enter into to some endeavor that would be profitable. We knew that they depended on us and we welcomed the challenge to prove ourselves worthy of their trust. It was exciting and a bit scary at the same time but we were determined to be strong and weather the storm of hardship if need be. After we left New York for the colony of Virginia, we did not experience any difficulty except Jessie broke his little toe on the wagon. He got his foot caught on a spoke on the wheel and fell down between the horses. About the time he got up one of the horses swatted a horsefly with his tail and stomped his foot stepping on Jessie's little toe in his boot. Other than that life on the trail was mundane to the point it was boring. One night under a big sycamore tree by a small stream where we camped, my father took down the chair and set it on a canvas tarp and smoked his pipe. I always loved to smell the aromatic tobacco he used; it was flavored with apple and cherry juice and left to dry. Jessie was 12 and I was 13 and we were always day dreaming of the future to come. We would look up into the clouds and tell each other what we thought the shape was and how long it would stay that way. My father called to me to come sit a spell with him and talk to him before I went to bed. He told me he loved me and that he knew I would grow up to be a fine young man and have a family of my own. One of the main reasons we made this journey to the United States was to give me the opportunity for a chance for a better life than they had. He said Jessie's father and mother felt the same way and they decided together in the decision to come here. He said he knew it was going to be quite different from Scotland but wanted me to give it a chance and to help Jessie too. In fact, they needed to help each other and always remain close when they became men and on their own. He asked me if I remembered when I broke my arm when I fell off the Shetland pony he bought for me for a birthday present. Did I remember all of the days and nights when he and my mother held me when I was sick and hurt in the chair.
He said that it was Jessie's parents and him and my mother that decided to bring the chair. It was a symbol of family and love and it was to always be kept in the family. Jessie's family and ours were one and we would always be together. He made me promise to keep the chair and care for it as the most prized possession of both families. I told my father I promised to do that and I would always be there for Jessie because he was not only my best friend but my brother. Just like he was with Mr. McBrayer. My father smiled and said he was proud of me and gave me a hug and sent me off to bed. We camped there for two nights and went fishing and swimming and just relaxed before starting out on the road again. That last night Mr. McBrayer and Jessie's mother were sitting on the chair and called Jessie over to them. My father and mother took me off and we strolled along the path beside the creek while Jessie talked with his parents. After we got back, Jessie found me and was crying. He told me of the talk his mother and father had with him and it was basically what my father said but much more intense and in depth about the McBrayers and the children they lost. Jessie never knew that he had a sister and that she died with pneumonia. His father talked of the McBrayers of old and what his family crest meant. He also told him that when they were gone that Buster would be his family and to always be there for him. Buster was big and strong but very shy and sensitive inside. They were the perfect match as friends and brothers and to always care for each other.
The trip took 3 weeks and they stopped by friends of Uncle Samuel's to rest and resupply with provisions for the next part of their journey. Uncle Samuel left word and directions where they were to go but that it was another month before they would get there. The weather was good and travel should be no problem. Uncle Samuel had already made arrangements for land for both families and help was there to build barns and homes when they got to their destination. Tiptons had settled there some time ago but there was no town yet. It was a good two days ride to the nearest settlement and another 3 days to the county seat where wares could be bought and sold and provisions obtained. The name of the place was Kentucky, the bluegrass state. It was beautiful and rugged. There were frontiersmen and Indians and militiamen that lived in the woods and traveled through with news from time to time. The home places were built and crops planted and the small one room schoolhouse was built for the girls and boys when they had time to attend. Buster's mother taught part of the time and Jessie's mother taught too. They said at least the children would get some semblance of an education in this wilderness.
After two years had passed a town was formed in 1792 by Hugh Forbes from Scotland. It was called Mt. Sterling. Mr. McBrayer knew Mr. Forbes well and so did my father but not as long as Mr. McBrayer. Life was hard but good in the following days. My father started a tailor shop and Mr. McBrayer started a distillery. Mr. McBrayer and my father located a suitable place where the water was good for the distillery. My father had made some money and invested it the distillery with Mr. McBrayer. The water came right out of the mountain and was sweet and pure. Mr. McBrayer found a recipe for making bourbon and put his own touches to the ingredients. He made the finest bourbon whiskey in the land.
People came from far and wide to get his Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Mr. McBrayer called where he built his distillery and home McBrayer Springs. When the railroad finally came through, they called it Newmarket but it would never be called that by the folks in those parts. Mr. McBrayer made a lot of money and built a mansion for Jessie and his mother. My father did very well with his tailor shop and it grew into a large general store for that part of Kentucky. We had a very nice home built too and bought more land where ours joined with Jessie's parents land. It was less than a mile into Mt. Sterling where my father had his store and only a mile and a half from McBrayer Springs. Jessie and Buster were always together and what one did the other did too. As time passed and Jessie and I grew to be men, my father died and mother and I ran the store when she insisted I go back East to college. I wanted Jessie to go with me but Mr. McBrayer had to have Jessie take over the distillery until he came back from Louisville. Jessie's mother was not well and had to be cared for in Louisville where there was a specialist to treat her. Jessie stayed an ran the distillery while his father took Mrs. McBrayer to Louisville and I went off to college at William and Mary. It was founded on February 8, 1693 and was a very good school. I studied law and medicine but much preferred medicine in which I became a doctor.
Mrs. McBrayer died and I came home to help with the arrangements and be with Jessie and his father. My mother was terribly upset and shaken by her death and I found her not to be in good health.
Mr. McBrayer said he was going to sell the distillery and part of the proceeds would go to my mother and me. Jessie was to go to Louisville with him until he was settled and then he could join me at William and Mary. That never happened. My mother sold the store because of her health and called me home before she died that winter. Jessie came in to be with me but had to go back to help his father. Mr. McBrayer was too frail to travel the distance to be at the funeral but sent his sentiments and a lengthy letter to me about our families. The land our parents owned was now ours and was not to be sold, ever. The mansion at McBrayer Springs was now Jessie's and I sold our home and all of our possessions but one, the chair. Jessie and I moved it to the McBrayer mansion and that night reflected on what had transpired since we met as boys. The chair meant so much to both of us, we could never part with it, no matter what. Jessie went back to Louisville and never did get to attend college with me but instead went to law school in Louisville. I completed medical school and Jessie became a lawyer. We wrote each other frequently but began our lives and moved further away. Finally, one day we decided to meet in McBrayer Springs. We sat in the chair at the fireplace and came to a decision. We would both soon be married but wanted our families together, so, we decided to come back to McBrayer Springs. I contracted for a home to be built close to the mansion and Jessie and I moved back. We both went in together and bought back the old distillery and since it was closed we bought it for a very good price. Just pennies on the dollar for what it was worth to us.
We married and both entered into politics and I became a Senator and Jessie a Supreme Court Judge for the state of Kentucky. My doctor's office never suffered because of my public service and neither did Jessie's law practice. We just made it work.
We found that Mr. McBrayer left a secret storeroom that held 117 barrels of Old McBrayer whiskey and we enjoyed it for several years to come. We both had wonderful wives that bore us exceptional children and led rich, fulfilled lives. The distillery was never opened again in our lifetime and Jessie and I lived out our lives there in McBrayer Springs, Kentucky. I too smoked a pipe as my father did. I so enjoyed the smell of the tobacco; the flavored one with the haunting aroma of memories past. Many a time Jessie and I watched the sunset and listened to the tinkling of the spring that came from the mountain; me with my pipe and both of us with a snifter of Old McBrayer straight Kentucky bourbon. Life was as we dreamed it would be on those long days sailing the ocean to this new land.
Our Legacy lives on through our families but before I died, Jessie and I sat one last time in the chair. I was very ill and my wife and family along with Jessie's waited outside while Jessie and I sat in the chair and reminisced on our lives. We loved each other as only brothers and friends can. Then he called all of our families together. My wife took my hand and my children and Jessie's family stood around the chair. I said to them, always remember " The Love of Family is Life's Greatest Blessing".
Jessie and I looked deeply into each other's eyes while Jessie held me in his arms and as I took my last breath; we vowed to always keep "the chair".
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