Today as I walk through town, I find myself reflecting on the humble beginnings. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that such prosperity was possible, and to have it happen based on the values and beliefs of me and my family gave me an extra sense of pride. I truly feel that Asante’s success is primarily due to everyone buying into the bartering system. We have grown into a community that is responsible for its own in every way. The exchange of goods and services was just the tip of the iceberg. People have created a bond that goes far beyond just the working relationships. Families help out with each other’s kids or watch over the elderly as needed. Our town is like one big family, and I could not be happier about how things have turned out.
When we were having the town hall meeting about growth, I was amazed at the participation and enthusiasm of the townsfolk. It seemed that everyone was all for growth. They wanted to share the good fortune that was created here. Giving back was the most consistent sentiment on everyone’s lips. It was so inspiring to see how everyone had bought into the concept and were flourishing because of it.
Along with the passion to give back was also conviction that whoever we allowed to come in must share the same fundamental beliefs and principles. There was no shortage of the exchange of ideas for the best practices that they believed made Asante a success. One thing that was unanimously agreed upon was that bartering was here to stay and anyone inquiring about moving in would have to be on board with that one hundred percent.
When it came down to the specifics of how to bring in the business professionals that we needed, no one really had any existing contacts that they could call on. Everyone agreed to put the word out during their travels or to any one passing through town. I decided to write my friend Rebel to see if he knew of anyone who could help us out. I was sure that he was that best hope I had in making any good contacts, and he was fully aware of what quality of person I would be interested in.
Here we are almost six months later after holding those meetings and contacting Rebel and the town has gotten bigger. I have a sneaky suspicion that he came through for me, but the doctor and the banker that arrived denied knowing him. Nevertheless, the two of them and their families were a perfect fit for Asante, and the doctor didn’t come a moment too soon because Millie was getting closer to her due date.
Along with the doctor’s office and a bank, the town now boasted an additional bordering house, two saloons, and a bakery. At this point, Asante was about as self-sufficient as a town its size could be. Going on two years of existence and bartering was still going strong and getting stronger with no signs of fading in sight.
As the sheriff or mayor, I still only had to worry about the petty violations of the law and minor dealings with the township. Being nearly halfway through my second deal with JW, I constantly thought what would occupy my time once our arrangement was over. As much as I hated to admit it, the town ran fairly well with little to no input from me. In short, I was staring into the face of a life of boredom without my duties at the ranch. JW sweetened our deal even more by appointing me overall in charge of all of the business workings of the ranch. I really did enjoy the work I was doing and hated the thought of life without it. I had not yet shared these thoughts and feelings with my family yet. I had decided to wait until I was closer to the end to see if I still felt the same way or perhaps some action would arise in Asante to give me a challenge and a sense of purpose.
Most everyone else was settling into their roles in town quite nicely. Joshua helped out at the ranch less and less, and JW didn’t seem to mind as long as I was around to run things. Joshua, meanwhile, used the additional time to spend with Chloe because she would be going away to school soon, and he also had expanded his role at the school. He had trained another lead instructor and was working on developing an assistant. He was working vigorously because he had vowed to train suitable replacements before he left at the first of the year to start school in the winter semester. He did not want to abandon Asante and leave it without any source of education.
Millie was still working even though she was a month or less away from delivering our first child. She, like Joshua, had been busy training her assistants to run things without her, but as she put it only for a short while. It was no surprise to me when she had Bear add a nursery onto her shop. She had him childproof the whole area and equipped it with all the comforts of home so that she could take the baby to work and continue the craft that she loved so much. I didn’t even bother to argue with her about taking time off after the baby came because I knew that was not a debate I was going to win. It would be like asking a fish to breathe on land or asking a lion to become a vegetarian. So I knew to say little and just be supportive in any manner she required.
Bear found solitude in mainly working alone, but it also gave him an excuse to knock off early and go play poker. My brother was a really good player, and it wasn’t the gambling that he was drawn to, but it was the challenge, man against man, wit against wit. He was a damn good player and loved the recognition he got around town as being one of the best. Not to say his work as a blacksmith was neglected or unappreciated because he was extremely skilled and people raved about the quality of work he did and the craftsmanship.
Asante was a place we could all be proud of and we each had our slice of its success. I often wonder what my parents would have thought had they survived to see it. At night I say my prayers in hopes that they are looking down and smiling at the family they left behind and how far we have come.