The Whittaker Saga

When Christmas Eve comes around, Nash is desperate. He now has another mouth to feed, and a holiday coming up, and no money to pay for either. As Josephine dotes on her new boy, Nash tries to find some way to come up with the money to at least buy a tree for the family. Taking on the odd jobs he can find on a Christmas eve, he still doesn't even cover the cost of the tree he brings home. Behind Josephine's back, he pawns the gaming table and chairs instead of just moving them to the attic. She won't know until the holiday's over and it pays for the tree, for some nice food for Christmas and then some. Of course it does not pay the §15 000 bill that looms overhead. Unless he can come up with something fast, lights will be cut off tomorrow. Now wouldn't that be a fantastic Christmas gift? Perhaps he should tell Josephine, but he doesn't want to spoil the evening, so instead he lets the family rejoice at the tree, and Josephine cook a fantastic meal, and pretends ...

  As the news of the stock market crash reach the world, Nash is more worried than he lets on. Josephine has never been one to care too much of economics and numbers and politics, but Nash has to, and he knows how much they owe the bank, and how much less money they now have when the stock he's invested in has plummeted in value. What is worse, is that his clients money has done the same. The bank isn't pleased. It's also not doing very well. As many other banks at the time, they have loaned out too much money to too frivolous investments, and they now see the worth of their loans dwindling - and those who have money in the banks more eager to remove them. During the depression 9000 banks in the US failed and had to close. Several of them overnight. It is not that bad for the bank Nash works for, but that doesn't stop them from laying off people, and Nash is one of the ones being laid off. He returns home devasted and embarrassed, but tries to keep up appearances fo...

  As 1928 turns to 1929, Josephine is in heaven. Her son is doing well in school and has friends in his cousins which he sees a lot, her daughters are adorable and cute. Yes, perhaps Nash is a bit lazy and leaves his clothes all around the house (as does Thomas who takes after his father), but Josephine does not mind cleaning up after him. It's her job as a wife after all. And Nash is what many other men is not - a devoted and present father who enjoys playing with his children more than he does working and Josephine loves him for it. And life is only getting better, as Josephine finds herself pregnant again. She loves having the family over and the children love their grandma and aunt Ida who are there often, and when thanksgiving rolls around, Josephine begs to host it. As they are getting on in years, and William cannot attend as he is in Britechester, Joseph and Abigail agrees. Josephine spends all day preparing, and the family gathering is a resounding success. Everyone i...