The Story of Per and Lilly (née Christensen) Falkenberg-Andersen
Learning to Drive
Per worked hard on his uncles' farm near Dickson. He cultivated, harrowed and seeded from dawn to dusk. Soon he was allowed to drive the grain truck. He got his driver's license for a dollar at the liquor store, no road test required.
On his first day of driving, he headed to a new field. He saw a good parking spot––nice green grass with no stumps or snags. Per hadn't known about prairie sloughs. Now he did and he was badly stuck. Per's uncles shook their heads, then fetched the tractor to pull him out. It took a while.
A Good Wash
Per found work in other places nearby, too. He cleared trees along the highway. He helped a nearby farmer build a barn. That job wasn't too bad. He had a good tent and there was clean water on hand.
At another place, Per greased and fuelled three combines, drove truck and fed 200 pigs every day. There was water in the barn but by the time he finished his chores, he was too tired to fetch the water and heat it. Most nights he went to bed filthy and sweaty.
Eventually, Per couldn't stand it any longer––he needed a good wash. He filled a basin with water in the morning and placed it outside in the sunshine to heat. All day, he looked forward to washing with that warm water.
But while our Per was working, the chickens found his basin. They spent the afternoon dipping and playing in the water. When Per returned, the water was filthy and full of feathers, not fit to wash in.
Per felt like the prodigal son but he couldn't afford to go home to Denmark. There must be a better way to make a living.
Adapted from the 2007 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
More Immigrant Stories:
• Where will Per go next? See Per the Carpenter
