by Heather Gray
Minnie, with all of her usual enthusiasm, kneeled next to Mary and grasped both of the younger girl's hands in her own. "Mary, please let me give it to you. I know we're not the closest friends and we don't know each other as well as we could, but I want you to have all this. I know you can use it, and I want to be able to do something for you. Please let me give it to you."
Wondering herself at the change of heart and how radically different she felt now compared to the last time Minnie had offered her clothes, Mary nodded and said, "I would like that, Minnie. Thank you."
Not too long ago, Mary would have refused the gift out of pride and anger. That anger she had so tightly held onto, though, had been slowly dissipating. That stubborn pride was still there, but Mary could feel it slowly losing its hold as well. She wasn't sure what had changed exactly. Mary felt as if she were being stretched and pulled in new directions. It was uncomfortable, but a tingle of excitement raced through her at the thought that she might eventually find a way to not merely survive this life, but to be happy in it as well. Though she couldn't pinpoint the reason why, Mary knew that accepting this gift from Minnie was the right thing to do.
Minnie, not sensing the profound emotional revelation in Mary, jumped up and screamed, "Yeah! Thank you Mary! Thank you, thank you, thank you! There are eight trunks in all. We'll load them up and bring them out to you either later today or sometime tomorrow, okay?"
Mary stood slowly, gave Minnie a hug, said, "Thank you," one more time, then made her way back to the front of the house and out the door. Minnie's excitement convinced her that she had, indeed, made the right choice.
Mary saw some birds in a tree at the edge of town and stopped to watch them for a bit. Some were still quite young and struggling to stretch out their wings. I think I understand what it feels like to fly for the first time…and to succeed. With a smile, she continued on her way home.
****
"Minnie, what's all the commotion?" Mrs. Smith asked as she walked into the room.
"I saw Mary in town and brought her to show her all these trunks. She said yes, Mum."
Shocked, Mrs. Smith said, "Mary will take it? She didn't even argue?"
"Not a single argument. Then she hugged me and left."
Putting her hand to her heart, Mrs. Smith said, "Well, I'll be."
****
Mary arrived home to find Mrs. Wilkes sitting on her front porch. Surprise hurried her step and rang in her voice, "Mrs. Wilkes, is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine, dear. I had something I wanted to talk to you about, though, and I thought it best to have the conversation away from those young'uns, so I came on over here to wait for you. How did your meeting go in town?"
When Mary stared at the older woman, Mrs. Wilkes smiled and said, "You know there's no keeping secrets with kids around. Clive is trying to convince my husband and Grady they should tell you this farm needs a horse. He's using a contract at the hotel as leverage." Mary tripped her way from curious to disgruntled at the mention of a horse. "Don't you worry none, Mary. My menfolk aren't easily swayed. They'll give you their advice if you want it, but they won't pick sides in what is a family matter about how you spend your money. I'm here about something different."
"Can I get you a drink?" Mary asked, liking this woman despite wishing she didn't. She still felt Mrs. Wilkes was a threat to her relationship with Gigi and Lizzie, but the panic that used to grip her at the thought was lessening.
Mrs. Wilkes nodded, and Mary retrieved them both a tall glass of cool tea. Taking a seat in one of the rocking chairs, she waited silently. "Mary," Mrs. Wilkes began, her tone unusually hesitant. Mary often thought no one but she battled insecurity, but it seemed Mrs. Wilkes was afraid of how Mary would react to what she wanted to say.
Clearing her throat, the older woman began again. "Mary, you and I haven't had a chance to talk much, and so I'm not sure how you will take this. I'm afraid you might think it's an insult when I don't mean it as one." Mrs. Wilkes paused and then began again. "I was in the attic the other day and found some clothes Grady used to wear when he was younger. They wouldn't fit him now, but some of them would probably fit your boys, and I'd like to give them to you."
The woman took a deep breath then forged ahead. "I would also like to offer my sewing skills. I love to sew. It's enjoyable to me. There are some dresses folks have given me that could be cut down for your girls. I'd also like to buy some material and make you a couple of dresses. You're too tall for any of the ones I have, although I suppose I could add a trim to the bottom of some of them, but then the sleeves are still too short. Yes," she said, mostly speaking to herself now, "I'd like to make you some new dresses."
When Mary sat there quietly, Mrs. Wilkes continued, "I know you are capable of providing for and taking care of those kids. This is something I enjoy doing, and it's something I'd like you to let me do for you. You and your brothers and sisters have come to be like family to us, and this is what I would do for my kin if they lived nearby."
Surprising herself yet again today, Mary nodded to Mrs. Wilkes and said, "That would be lovely, ma'am. I would appreciate it and be thankful."
"Really?" Mrs. Wilkes half-exclaimed and half-asked, clearly having expected more of a fight than she was getting.
Mary laughed, again surprising both of them, "Yes, really. I can sew, and I do a passable job, but I could stand to have someone teach me how to do better. I wasn't too keen on it before Ma passed away, so I never learned from her. What I know how to do, I taught myself, and the kids'll tell you it's not all that great. They don't complain, mind you, but they're not dumb."
Mrs. Wilkes reached out her hand and placed it on Mary's arm. "It would be an honor to work with you. Thank you for letting me into your life. I don't take the privilege lightly." Mary knew she could no longer blame Mrs. Wilkes for the girls liking her so much. If Mary had given the woman half a chance before now, she'd likely be feeling the same way toward her that Lizzie and Gigi felt.
Changing the subject, Mary asked, "So, what does Mr. Wilkes think we ought to spend the money on?"
"You'd have to ask him to be certain, as he may have changed his mind since I left them," the older woman answered with a smile, "but I think he's said at least twenty times that your family needs another milk cow if it wants to supply a hotel."
With another laugh, Mary nodded her agreement. The women continued to chat warmly as the afternoon passed.
****
"Grady, Grady, come quick!" Gigi's frantic voice took a moment to sink in and get his attention. Grady had been oiling the leather on his favorite harness inside the cool shade of the barn.
"What is it, Gigi?"
"The boys're fightin'! They're fightin' bad. You got t' come quick!"
Having witnessed more than a few disagreements between Clive and Bobby over the summer, Grady was certain they would work it out eventually. They didn't always see eye to eye, but they generally showed respect for each other. Grady made a move to accompany Gigi, but he wasn't in any kind of a hurry.
When Lizzie came running in and yelling, "Grady, come fast! There's blood everywhere, and they won't stop!" Grady picked up his pace and ran to the far side of the barn where the boys were brawling. The sight stopped him in his tracks.
Clive and Bobby were indeed fighting. Both their shirts were ripped, and they had blood on their faces from split lips. They would definitely be sporting their share of bruises by tomorrow. Clive was the larger and the more muscular of the two, but only by a bit, and Bobby was holding his own. Grady stood in indecision for a moment, not sure if he should let them get this out of their system or step into the middle of the fisticuffs and pull them apart.
As the girls continued to fret, he could see how upset they were by the violence. Remembering the home this family had grown up in and how distressful this scene had to be for Gigi and Lizzie, he waded into the midst of the fray and grabbed the back of a shirt in each hand, lifting the boys apart from each other. He took a co
uple blows to his midsection before the boys registered what had happened.
When Grady noticed Bobby had tears running down his face, he shifted his attention to Clive and asked, "What is going on here? You two are acting like a couple of starved coyotes fighting over a kangaroo rat."
"None of your business!" came the shouted reply. The bitterness turned Clive's eyes a murky brown and gave them a harsh edge that had not been there recently.
Grady wasn't used to the boys speaking to him like that. He gave Clive a slight shake and said, "I'll have none of that, Clive Fitzgerald. You are on my grandparents' property, and you are terrifying your little sisters. I expect you to tell me what this is about, and I expect you to do so now."
Still maintaining a grip on the boys' shirts, he lowered them until their feet touched ground. The sight of his frightened sisters loosened Clive's tongue, but when his words came out, they were venomous and hateful. "Bobby's planning on abandoning his family."
"Am not!" was Bobby's hot retort.
"Are too!"
"Boys!" Grady raised his voice enough to put a stop to the heated exchange before it became repetitively childish. "Bobby," he said firmly, "tell me what this is about."
Crossing his arms in defiance, Bobby declared, "I want to go to college and become a doctor."
Grady turned his head back to Clive in time for the older boy to shout, "And he ain't never comin' back here once he leaves, you watch!"
"Am too!"
"Are not!"
Clive was much like Mary in the way he viewed his family. Understanding what was at the root of Mary's anger, Grady had insight into what was actually fueling the older brother's rage. Nothing but fear could cause him to come to blows with his little brother. "Clive, let me get this straight," he said. "You believe if Bobby goes away to college, he won't ever come back, is that right?"
Rolling his eyes in angry rebellion, Clive said, "You ain't gonna convince me otherwise!"
"Okay," Grady said, keeping his voice soft. Turning to Bobby, he asked, "What do you plan to do after college, Bobby?"
"Come back to Larkspur and practice medicine. Doc Billingsly will probably be getting ready to retire by the time I finish college."
Lizzie and Gigi were still standing outside the circle of where the fighting had occurred, but they were listening to every word, eyes wide, clasping each other's hands. Grady needed to find a way to reassure them while also calming Clive down. "So," he asked Bobby, "your plan is to come back to Larkspur and be the town's doctor?"
"Of course. Where else would I go?"
"Where would you live?" Grady continued his questioning.
"Above the doctor's office like Doc Billingsly does now. I'd have to be in town so people can find me easily when they need me. I wouldn't be able to live out on the farm, but I'd still be here, and I'd still help whenever needed."
"Why," Grady questioned, "have you never mentioned this before now?"
Bobby looked at Grady as though he were daft, then answered, "It don't matter how much I want to be a doctor. I could o' never left my family if Pa was still livin'. With him being dead and all, I know they'll be okay. I can go to college now. I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember, but I never said anything because it was nothing but a dream. With Pa gone, though, I've got a real chance"
Clive was kicking his toe into the ground as boys sometimes do when they regret something but don't dare say it out loud. Looking at Bobby, all he said was, "What am I supposed to do then? I can't run the farm by myself. 'Sides, I hate farming. Always have."
Bobby's face revealed how torn he was. Grady was sure, if Clive manipulated him into it, Bobby would stay and farm the land with him. Then both boys would be miserable. "Clive," Grady said lightly, "have you ever thought about horses?"
"Huh?"
"Horses. Have you ever thought about working with horses?" Clive's face lit up for a moment and then dimmed again. Grady saw the excitement long enough to give impetus to his train of thought. "I've seen you, Clive, and you have a gift when it comes to horses. You can tell who's riding into the yard by the sound of the horse's hooves. The horses here all love you. You have the touch. I think you could be a mighty fine horse trainer if you decided you wanted to be. I have friends in Texas who raise and train horses for a living. I'd be happy to look into getting you an apprenticeship with one of them so you can learn the trade."
When both boys stared at him dumbly, Grady said, "Boys, you don't have to be chained to this land. You have to do what's needed to make sure the girls are taken care of, you know that. If you can help them build a business with eggs and milk, then the farming won't be as vital. Make some plans, decide what y'all want to do in the future, and then try to make it happen."
Looking from one boy to the other, Grady said, "Bobby, I think you'd be a great doctor, and I think you ought to talk to Doc Billingsly about assisting him. Maybe you could even get paid. You'd learn a lot, and then he could give you a recommendation for medical school. Clive, if you want to work with horses, then you should talk to the blacksmith or the livery owner and see if they can hire you so you can earn some money and learn more about the animals. The possibilities for you boys are endless. You can do whatever you want."
Clive was the first to ask, "We can get a job in town?"
Laughing, Grady ruffled the hair of both boys, Clive's brown and curly, and Bobby's red and straw-straight. "Your pa's not here anymore. You don't have to stay close to home to protect the girls. You can provide for them by working in town, farming that land, or collecting eggs. You have choices now that you never had before. Think about it."
The aftereffects of the boys' fight was evident on both their faces. Swelling and bruising were becoming apparent. It didn't stop Clive from smiling, though, as he asked, "You mean I could work instead of going to school?"
"Oh no, you don't," Grady said. "Your sister would tan my hide if she thought I'd told you it was okay to quit school. You'll stay in school until you finish, even if it is hard. If you want to work with horses, that apprenticeship will be there for you when you're done with school and not a day before."
"Can I think about it, the apprenticeship?" Clive asked.
"Of course you can." Grady replied as he put a hand on each boy's back and directed them toward the house. "Now go clean up before Mary sees you like this."
Chapter Twenty-One
Heart heavy, Grady sat on the front porch of his grandparents' home. He heard the front door squeak behind him and didn't have to wait long to learn who had come out to join him.
"What's on your mind, son?" Gramps' voice was worn and rumbly the way it had been for as long as Grady could remember.
"It's time for me to head back to Texas, Gramps. All the crops are in, you're set for the winter, and I told everyone I'd be back by October."
"You been keeping in touch with your folks this summer?"
"We've exchanged some letters," Grady answered. "They know I'll be heading out soon."
"Which do you like better, Grady?" Gramps asked. "Idaho or Texas?" When Grady watched him in consternation, his grandfather continued, "It won't hurt my feelings none if you say Texas. Your ma loves it there, and I accepted that long ago. I'm wonderin', though, which you prefer."
"Ah Gramps," Grady said, sadness in his voice. "I love it here. I used to think it was because you and Gram live here, but this summer, coming back as an adult, I realized I love the Idaho Territory. It's wild and beautiful and untamed. I haven't been here in the winter, and I know it's a hard place to live during those long months, but the beauty of it takes my breath away. I feel more at peace when I'm here, maybe even closer to God, if that make sense."
Laughing, Gramps said, "Now you know God's as much present in Texas as he is here in Idaho."
"I know, Gramps, but there's something right special here."
"I hear ya. I feel it too. That's why I homesteaded here and built a life for me and your gram. Wouldn't live anywhere else."
"Maybe I can come back next summer." Grady's voice didn't hold a lot of hope. His folks wanted him to commit to working the ranch down there. He'd held off on making a commitment this long, not sure he wanted to be tied down.
"It's all yours if you want it." Gramps said. Grady's head whipped around faster than a rattler strikes. "The spread's always been yours, Grady, if'n you want it. Your ma is our only child, and you're the only grandchild we got. Elizabeth's life is in Texas. She and your pa love it there and will never leave it. It's not my intent to pull you away from the life God has for you if that life's in Texas. If you think that life might be here, though, then this is all yours."
"Gramps," was all Grady could say. Emotions clogged his throat and confusion swirled through is mind. His life was in Texas, wasn't it? The plan had always been to return there after his summer in Idaho.
"Take your time, son. Head on back to Texas and fill the commitments you made. But think on it, and let me know when you decide." Gramps stood then and started back inside. One hand on the front door, he turned back to Grady and said, "We couldn't be more proud of the man you are becoming, Grady. Our love for you won't change one whit if you decide you don't want this place. You do what God tells you to do. That's all we ask." Then, stepping inside, Gramps closed the door behind him and left Grady alone on the front porch where the younger man remained long after the sun had set.
****
"Well, Grady," Gram said, "I think this is the last of it." Sadness etched into the lines around her eyes, she handed her grandson a small stack of shirts she had washed, dried and ironed for him to pack. He was going to be on horseback for part of the trip back to Texas and then traveling by train for the rest of it. All his belongings needed to be crammed into a few saddlebags, and so far it wasn't working out very well.