After my husband, our three small children and I relocated to a new town, we were fortunate to find a small rental home in the country. We loved the location and the beautiful setting, and it was an efficient home. We settled in during spring and enjoyed the home and the many acres for the children to explore.
As summer wore on, we discovered the only downfall to the house was that it did not have air conditioning. My husband and I prided ourselves on being hardy people, and we liked to use ceiling and stationary fans. However, after several weeks of 90- to 100-degree temperatures and high humidity, we had met our match. It was the kind of Midwest heat that brought you to a sweat by merely existing. Sitting in front of a fan was about all a person could do.
Unable to find a window air-conditioning unit at local stores, my husband suggested the children and I visit family out of state until the heat broke, and he would stay at home and bear the high temperatures.
After the children and I had packed up the van and left, my husband took a cold shower and lay down to take a nap on the hard — but cool — kitchen floor with an industrial fan pointed directly on him.
After waking from the nap drenched in sweat, he was amazed to find an air-conditioning unit sitting on the front porch. At first he thought he was hallucinating as it gleamed in the bright sunshine. It didn’t take him long, however, to get the unit installed in one of our windows. It was a perfect fit. That night my husband slept cool, relieved from the heat, and we enjoyed the cool, dry air for the rest of the summer.
Bewildered by this random act of kindness, we discovered by process of elimination that it was neighbors who lived several miles from us, Bjorn and Anne Aamot, who helped us out. Turns out the Aamots had an extra AC unit and were kind enough to drive it to our home on that sweltering day after only having met us earlier that morning.
After getting to know the Aamots, we can say they are the kind of people who prove that there are good people in the world. The Aamots can be found lending a hand to help move a neighbor’s cattle, sharing their fresh produce, and speaking positive words of encouragement, among other things. They are involved in a church youth group, myriad 4-H activities, barrel racing at rodeos, and they have two young daughters, Callie and Candice. They garden and raise cattle, chickens and horses.
We will never forget the summer of the mystery air-conditioning unit and the kindness of our neighbors.
