Death of An Angel
“Where
you headed son?” Ben Cartwright asked his youngest son, Joseph. Ben watched as his son mounted his pinto.
Turning
the horse around in order to face his father who stood on the porch of his
home, Joe noticed the worried look that appeared on his father’s face. “I’m
the cause of that,” Joe thought to himself.
“I’m
just going to ride up to the lake for awhile.
Please don’t worry Pa, I’m fine.
I just need to be alone for a little bit. You understand, don’t you?” Joe said in a
voice that was close to sounding like a plea.
“Yes,
I understand, completely. Remember
Joseph, I have been where you are now, not once but three times. Go ahead, but please be careful,” Ben
instructed Joseph.
Smiling
down at the silver headed man that was Joe’s sold rock in his life, Joe told
him, “I will Pa, I’ll be back later, honest.”
And with that Joe turned his pinto around and headed out of the yard.
Joe
thought about his father. Yes, Pa was
his anchor, his lifeline. How many times
this last year had his father tossed him that line? More times than he could
count. Joe wondered if he would
have been able to make it this far if his father had not been there for him.
But he had been there, every long lonely day, and every nightmare filled
night. Pa had held him each and every
time he had cried and had wiped away all those tears. When he was just about ready so succumb to
the sorrow that plagued his heart and soul, Pa had been there, refusing to
allow him to give up. What he owed his
father for his love, his encouragement, his wisdom, patience, understanding and
his faith in him could never in a lifetime be repaid.
“Thank
you God for giving me Ben Cartwright for my earthly father. Thank you for making him the kind of father
that you knew I would need and thank you for both of my brothers, Adam and
Hoss, who love and care for me, especially during those times I tend to make it
really difficult for them to do so. I
know I am truly blessed having this family.
Thanks God for letting me be a part of their lives,” Joe prayed.
Joe
pulled his horse to a stop just on the edge of the secluded little alcove and
tied the reins to a low hanging branch.
Walking the short distance to his favorite spot, he sat down propping
against the nearest tree. As he reached out his hand, he touched the soft bed
of pine needles that lay as if someone had once fashioned them into a bed of
sorts. His eyes sought the crystal clear waters, and stared at the lake, seeing
nothing but blue as he closed his eyes remembering another time, another blue.
Rebecca
Elizabeth Adams had arrived in
Rea,
as she was known, rested upon the wonderfully soft bed in the spare bedroom of her
Aunt Daisy’s suite above the café in which her aunt owned and operated.
Reflecting back on the circumstances, which had led her to this frontier
community, she sighed deeply. Just a
year ago at the ripe old age of seventeen she had married her best friend and
childhood sweetheart, Matthew Cable. Six
months later she found herself a widow, her new husband, Matt, killed as a
result of an accident. He along with
several other men had been helping their neighbor, Abe Birchfield,
rebuild a barn that had been destroyed by fire.
Matt had been at the highest point of the new barn when he lost his
footing, causing him to fall some twenty feet to the ground below. Matt had died instantly when hitting his head
and neck on the rafters on his final descent, thus breaking his neck.
The
memories of her young husband and all they had endured together brought tears
to Rea’s huge, sky blue eyes. Matt had
been the love of her life. She could not
remember a time when she had not been in love with him. She could recall his brown eyes and the love
that spoke there, the long lashes that seemed to lie on his cheeks when the
eyes were closed. Rea remembered the
muscular build of Matt’s body, large and powerful for a man of his size, yet
gentle and caring. She longed for his
touch and remembered the feel of him as he made love to her for the very first
time. How she had thrilled to his love
making each and every time there after.
The old longings began to creep into her very being and she turned into
her pillow allowing the tears to flow freely until at last sleep claimed her.
Little
Joe Cartwright had yet to meet Miss Daisy’s niece, newly arrived from
When
Joe stepped into the café he was greeted immediately by Daisy. “Why hello Little Joe! What a nice surprise.”
“Howdy Daisy. Got anything good on the menu
tonight?” Joe asked as he gave the motherly Daisy a hug, all the while scanning
the room with his eyes.
Laughing
she returned the hug. “You know
perfectly well young man everything on my menu is good. Come on, sit down.”
Joe
followed Daisy to a table over in the corner closest to the swinging door that
separated the dining room from the kitchen.
She knew this was his favorite table, or at least it was Hoss’ because
of the proximity to the kitchen.
“Have
a seat honey, Rea will be out to take your order in just a minute,” instructed
Daisy as she moved toward the front door to greet a family of new-comers who
were here for an evening out.
While
Joe waited for “Rea” to wait on him, he searched the room with his eyes a
second time. He still had not located
the girl who had caused such a stir among his friends. So intent was he in finding the pretty face,
he was not aware that someone had spoken to him.
“Excuse
me, I asked if you were ready to order?” came the soft voice, laden with a
southern drawl.
Coming
to his senses, Joe turned his face toward the girl who stood before him. What he saw caused him to draw in sharply his
breath. The world suddenly stopped, his
heart skipped several beats, he was sure, and to his own amazement, he found
for the first time in his life, he was speechless.
Before
him standing no more than five feet two inches tall was the most beautiful
young woman he had ever seen. She was
petite by all standards, slim with an hour glass figure. Her hair was the color of golden wheat,
falling in soft curls to her shoulders and beyond. Her features fine and delicate,
her hands showed work but yet maintained ladies like qualities. Raising his eyes to meet hers, he became lost
in the depths therein.
Finding
his voice at last, Joe smiled his most radiant smile and asked for the special
of the house for the evening. As Rea was
writing down his order, he rose from his chair and in a gentlemanly manner that
even his brother Adam would have been proud of, he introduced himself.
“Pardon
my manners, Miss, my name is Li---Joe Cartwright,” said Joe, omitting Little
from his name, not wanting to make himself to sound any younger than his
nineteen years. “You must be Miss
Daisy’s niece?”
“Yes
I am. It’s nice to meet you Mr.
Cartwright, I’ll be right back with your order,” said Rea as she turned to
escape to the kitchen.
Once
inside the kitchen Rea let out the breath she had been unaware that she had
been holding. ‘Shame on me,’ she
thought, ‘I was staring at him as openly
as he stared at me! Whew,’ she
breathed as she dipped hot beef stew onto the plate she held in her trembling
hand.
Those
green eyes had seemed to bore all the way through to her soul. Try as she might, she had been unable to
break the stare, knowing full well that the young handsome man had taken in
every inch of her. But Rea had not felt
insulted, she reasoned that there had been no malice in his observation of her
body as there had been in the eyes of the other young men who had come to check
her out.
Joe
Cartwright was a gentleman, raised by a loving father who insisted on manners
and respect, both in public and within his home. Daisy had already told her about the
Cartwright family, mainly Little Joe.
She smiled to herself, she had noticed when he introduced himself to her
he had not added the endearing nickname.
She
turned, leaving the kitchen to take Joe his supper. Stopping at the door to take a deep breath,
she smiled as she neared the table of the green-eyed man who watched her.
“There
you are Mr. Cartwright,” Rea said as she placed the plate of stew, biscuits and
hot coffee before him.
“Just
Joe,” he smiled.
“Excuse
me?” asked Rea.
“Mr.
Cartwright is my father, I’m Joe but my friends call me Little Joe,” Joe
informed the beautiful girl. “Except
when my pa’s mad at me, then it’s Joseph!” laughed Joe.
Rea
noticed how his green eyes danced in amusement as he spoke and joked about
himself to her.
“Rea,
that’s what my family and friends back home call me. When my father is mad, it is always Rebecca
Elizabeth Adams!”
Why
she was feeling so light hearted all of a sudden, she could not figure. She had been so sad for so long. Now within a matter of ten minutes a total
stranger had her laughing. And a very
good-to-look-at stranger to boot she thought.
It
was not long after that first meeting that the good people of
Rea
who was now over eighteen years old was in somewhat of a shock, having found
herself so drawn to Joe. Because she had
spent her whole life in love with one boy she now found that she was taken back
at these newfound feelings she was experiencing.
With
Matt she had experienced love for the first time, a love born out of honesty,
respect, and the fact that they had known each other so well and for so
long. It was as if everyone, friend and
family alike who had lived in her Cades Cove community of
Matt had been a few years older than she had when they married. He already had a small cabin and a few acres nestled in the woods. He was more mature than she had been and seemed to have more wisdom about matters than she herself had. But that hadn’t bothered her, she was happy to have Matt take the lead, figuring most of the boys her age were too immature for her liking. So when Matt had asked for her hand in marriage, she had agreed and with her parents blessings were married three months later.
Rea’s
wedding to Matt had been a simple affair.
She had worn her Sunday best dress and tied her hair up with ribbons and
added a few flowers for the final touch.
Matt had dressed in his best dress suit, used only for funerals and
weddings, this wedding being his own.
She remembered how handsome he had been and how full of love his eyes
were for her as he watched her walk with her father down the short aisle of the
church to stand at the alter with him, ready to become Mrs. Matthew Cable.
She
had taken her wedding vows seriously as she repeated the words the preacher had
spoken. Promising to love, honor and
obey until death do part, little did she realize that parting would come so
close on the heels of promising.
But
Rea had a new life now, one she liked and enjoyed. She had a new home, made new friends, both
male and female, she loved living with her Aunt Daisy
and most of all loved being with Little Joe Cartwright. She found him exciting and funny. She loved that he could make her laugh at
nearly anything, something she had not felt like doing in a long time. Thinking back, she realized that she had
never laughed so much in her life. Matt
had been more of the serious type while her parents, especially her father, had
been very strict. Her
up bringing had been done mostly in church, her father and grandfather Adams,
having been both traveling preachers and pastors of the Baptist churches in
Cades Cove and the out lying areas.
Being
with Little Joe always lifted her spirits. His laugh alone put the merriment
into her heart. He was sweet, he was
kind, and he was gentle. He always used
his manners and he treated her like a lady.
Rea had spent several evenings at the Ponderosa with Joe, getting to
know his family. Here was a family like
none she had ever known. Ben Cartwright,
Little Joe’s father, was a man who by just the sight and size of him, commanded
respect. His eyes, the color of
chocolate, spoke of great love and kindness when addressing one of his
sons.
Joe’s
oldest brother Adam, was Joe’s senior by twelve
years. At first Rea had thought that
this brother was what she would refer to as uppity. But later, as she got to know Adam, she
realized that he was very soft spoken, thoughtful and very obviously
educated. That fact alone was enough to
intimidate her. Nonetheless, Rea liked
Adam and had spent several evenings enjoying listening to him playing his guitar
and singing his ballads.
Rea’s
favorite Cartwright family member, next to Little Joe, was Joe’s other brother,
Hoss. Here she found not only the
largest man she had ever known, but also the kindest. His eyes spoke of love for his family, his
heart was full of care for his home and the land which his home stood. Hoss had shared with her tales about all of
his critters, past and present. In Hoss
she had found a true friend and what she admired most about this giant of a man
was his gentleness and his open love of his family,
namely his baby brother, Joe.
Joe
was happier than he had been in all of his nineteen years. He was in love, real love, for the first time
in his life. At times he felt as if his
heart would surely burst wide open when thinking of Rea. Never before had he felt such strong feelings
for a girl. Lying alone in his bed at
night his thoughts strayed, wondering what it would be like to take the
beautiful young woman into his arms and make love to her. At times when he had been really close to
her, his body had begged him to find out.
Just remembering the times he had stolen kisses from her would at once
awaken his desires.
Oh,
he thought, this is driving me crazy!
Joe had in the past been sweet on several girls. Even some of the girls in the Bucket of Blood
saloon had stirred the desire in him but as of yet he had not given in to that
yearning. He had waited and hoped that
maybe someday someone really special would come along. Maybe that someone was here now, in his life,
just maybe.
Saturday
evening arrived and Joe was hurrying to get dressed for his date with Rae. As he stood before his mirror combing his
hair, Ben walked by the partly opened door.
Seeing his son primping, he smiled to himself thinking what a
good-looking son he had.
“Hey
handsome, going somewhere?” chuckled Ben.
“Sure
am, got a date with a blue-eyed angel,” replied Joe as he stood back to admire
his appearance in the dresser mirror where he could see his father standing in
the bedroom door.
“Well,
have fun and Joseph, be careful,” cautioned his father.
Ben
had begun to worry about his youngest son and his relationship with Rea. One would have to be blind not to see how
much Joseph loved the pretty girl. More
than one of his friends had commented to him about the young couple.
“Ah
Pa, don’t worry, I know how to drive the surrey,” Joe teased, knowing what his
father really meant when telling him to be careful.
“Joseph,
that isn’t exactly what I was referring to,” began Ben.
Laughing,
Joe turned to his father and placed both of his hands on his father’s broad
shoulders.
“Pa,
don’t worry, really, I know what you are talking about,” grinned Joe.
Leaving
his father smiling after him, Joe left for the waiting surrey. Jumping in and heading toward town, Joe knew
in his heart how very hard being careful was becoming.
As
usual thought Joe, Rea looked beautiful.
Her new blue dress matched the blue in her eyes. Rea herself was thinking how handsome Joe looked, dressed in his white shirt and black string tie,
topped with the green jacket he always wore.
That green jacket always seemed to add to the color of his emerald eyes
and it was difficult for Rea to pull her own eyes from Joe’s face.
As
they rode along enjoying the comfortable silence Joe asked Rea, “Tell me about
you life back in
“What
do you want to know?” she said, turning to look once again into Joe’s face.
Joe
pulled the horse to a stop where they could enjoy the view of the lake. “This is
As
the pair looked out over the moonlit lake, Rea had to agree to its beauty. The moon cast it’s
light on to the still water, giving the appearance of diamonds gleaming in the
dark.
“Where
I come from Joe, the mountains look as if they are on fire. The clouds rise up from the valleys giving
the appearance of smoke. The Cherokee’s
call it ‘Tanasie’, meaning ‘Land of the Big Smoke.’ Cades Cove in it’s
own right is as pretty as this, Joe. It is a flat, fertile valley surrounded on
all sides by the mountains. Hunting there
is very good. The deer were always
coming out of the woods and into the fields to graze right along with our
cattle. And you could hunt bear, turkey
and if you were lucky, you might be able to get a wild hog,” Rea said as they
sat comfortably on the old blanket that Joe had taken from the surrey and
placed on a bed of pine needles within a secluded little alcove which over
looked the lake.
“Of
course we always had the most common of wildlife to hunt, squirrel, grouse,
quail, and rabbit. And if you liked to
fish Joe, there are plenty of streams that ran through the fields and the
forest. One thing for sure, you’d never
really have to worry about going hungry,” finished Rea, laughing lightly.
“You
make it sound really nice. Do you miss it
much? I mean, you were born there, its
home to you, right?” asked Joe as he reached up and removed a pine needle from
Rea’s golden hair. Joe caught the scent
of lavender in her hair and the sweetness sent his senses reeling.
“Yes,
I miss it at times, Joe. I did grow up
there, just like you did here. I fell in
love for the very first time there, I married in the same church that my great
grandfather Adams had started and I buried my heart in the cemetery out behind
that same church. Yes, I miss it, a part
of me will always be there, in the Cove,’ explained Rea as she turned from Joe
and gazed out at the lake, seemingly lost in her memories.
“I
think I know what you mean, I feel the same way about
the Ponderosa. I am the first Cartwright
to be born here. My ma is buried here,
I’d hate to think of leaving,” Joe told her as he also turned to gaze at the
lake.
The
young couple sat in silence for several minutes before Joe finally asked,
“Rea?”
“Yes,
Joe?” replied Rea, turning to face Joe.
Rea noticed how Joe’s eyes had taken on a darker hue than was normal for
his green eyes. She wasn’t sure what she
was reading there.
Softly
Joe asked, “Do you think you could be happy here? I mean…with me?” he asked, all the love he
held for the young woman showing in his eyes.
“ I love you, Rea,” he added in a soft whisper.
Rea
sat quietly looking into Joe’s face. She
knew that Joe had just opened his heart to her.
She also knew that for Joe to be doing so, he had left himself wide open
to heartache if she did not choose her words carefully, very carefully. Fleetingly her thoughts turned to her
deceased husband, Matthew, remembering he had, years earlier, asked her the
same question that Joe was now waiting an answer to. She understood that she was to Joe, what Matt
had been to her, a first love. A love so
tender, a sweet innocent love, unburdened, without cares, without hurts and
sorrows. Was she ready now to start
over, to begin anew? Was she ready to
give her heart away a second time? Was
she sure she did love this handsome, sweet, green-eyed man-child enough to risk
whatever might lie ahead? Could she trust him forever with her heart,
with her life? Could she give of herself both body and soul completely?
Looking
into the face and eyes of the expectant man before her she knew what her answer
would be. Her heart was telling her and
her mother had always advised her to ‘follow you heart, it will never lead you
wrong’. She was ready to follow her
heart.
“Joe,”
she said taking one of his hands and cupping it with her own two. Smiling into his eyes she continued, “I love
it here, yes, I could be very happy, and Joe,” she paused, “I love you, too.”
Joe
hoped that the woman to whom he had just professed his love would not notice
the tears that had suddenly appeared unannounced into his eyes. Gathering Rea gently into his arms, he placed
his lips to hers, kissing her softly at first.
As Rea responded to the kiss, Joe’s own kiss became more intense, until
at last she opened her mouth and received his tongue. The thrill that past between the two lovers
sent shivers through each of their own bodies.
Joe moved Rea gently to the ground, never taking his lips from hers. At last he slowly moved his lips to her neck
and began kissing the soft spot under her chin; he worked his way to the side
of her neck, stopping at the ear to nibble the lope. A soft moan escaped from Rea’s partly open
mouth. Joe stopped long enough to look
at Rea’s face. She had begun to perspire
slightly and her breathing was becoming shallow.
Rea
kept her eyes closed and whispered to Joe, “Don’t stop Joe, please, don’t
stop.” Her desire for him was so great
that it had begun taking total control over her body and her mind.
Joe
wasn’t sure how or just when they had removed their clothing, only that now
both he and she lay naked in the cool night air. Neither seemed to notice the chill so intent were they in putting out the fire that was consuming their
bodies.
“Now
Joe, now,” cried Rea as she arched her body to receive what Joe was
offering.
Joe
remembered the feeling that past through his body as he entered her for the
very first time. All
of his desire, his longing and his need of her spewed forth too soon, not
giving either the satisfaction they both craved. Before he could remove himself from her, Rea
locked her arms around Joe’s neck whispering, “It’s
okay my love, let me show you how.” And
with that Rea began caressing his body with her hands, with her fingers and
finally with her lips until Joe found himself once
again wild with passion and desire.
“Slowly,
slowly,” Rea instructed as Joe began moving his body to match the movements of
hers.
Joe’s
breath came in ragged gasps, as his movements became the driving forces that
would ultimately take him to the point of total surrender. Rea cried out as she reached the peak of
ecstasy and began her final descent. Joe
pushed once more and his heated body quivered and jerked in total submission to
his desires.
Twice
more that evening, Joe and Rea made love in the moonlight that shone brightly
on the banks of
Joe
straightened his back and leaned back against the tree. Everything had been perfect then, his
happiness complete. Rea had agreed to
marry him. Plans were being made and his family was happy for him. They had come to love his blue-eyed angel and
welcomed her into their family as daughter and sister. The Cartwright home was filled with the sound
of laughter, both male and female. It
was alive with activity, all preparations were being made and the hustle and
bustle of people helping poured from nearly every room in the large home.
And
then tragedy struck. Joe rested his
weary head on his knees that he had drawn up to him to bring warmth into his
body. He shivered slightly. “I need to get home,” he told
himself. “Pa will worry.” But the
heart broken man could not make himself get up.
Joe closed his eyes and his thoughts took him back to that awful day.
He
had come into town to pick up his new suit for the wedding. Adam and Hoss had come into town earlier to
try their suits on so Ben had decided to ride in the wagon with Joe. They had another list from Hop Sing that
needed filling and intended to take care of that after the fittings.
“You
run on down to the tailor’s Joe. I have
to see Roy Coffee for a minute and I’ll meet you there,” Ben had informed the
future bridegroom as both father and son jumped down from the wagon.
“Sure
Pa, but hurry, you have to try on you suit, just in case it needs fixing,” Joe
smiled at his father as he tied the horses to the hitching post.
Ben
thought he had never seen his youngest son so content. Joe appeared to glow with happiness. Ben was pleased with Joe’s choice of wife; he
respected the young woman and had come to love her as a daughter. She would make a good wife for his son he
thought. True, he would prefer to keep
his baby with him for a few years yet, but he refused to interfere in his son’s
happiness. With these thoughts in mind,
Ben headed into the sheriff’s office to talk with Roy Coffee.
Joe
was making his way to the tailor’s shop, stopping occasionally to speak with
passing folks who wished him well on his pending marriage, when he heard his
name called.
“Joe!
Joe!” called Rea as she stepped from the boarded walkway and started across the
street to where Joe was once again talking to friends.
Joe
turned toward Rea to let her know he had heard her, as he continued his
conversation with the couple who had detained him. When Joe heard the scream that came from the
center of the street he knew instantly who had made the blood chilling noise.
Jerking
his head in the direction of the street, the scene that his eyes witnessed was forever
stamped into his memory. The earth
ceased to rotate, the sunshine minutes before so bright had suddenly stopped
shining and his brain registered no sound to his ears. His body seemed as if it were frozen in the
winter ice. And though he tried, no
movement could be made until at last the lady, to whom he had been speaking,
screamed.
Awakened
from his shocked condition, Joe heard a man screaming, “NO! NO! Oh God NO!” and
realized that it was his own voice that he was hearing.
Joe
ran to the middle of the street where a runaway freight wagon, laden with out
going freight, had just collided with his future wife. Joe’s screams as he gathered Rea’s broken and
mutilated body into his arms, brought his father running from the sheriff’s
office. From the opposite end of town,
Adam and Hoss were making their way through the crowd of people that had
gathered, to come to their brother’s aide.
The
scene that met the eyes of the three older Cartwright men tore at their
hearts. Ben found his eyes over flowing
with tears, as did Hoss. Adam swallowed
several times and tried blinking away his own tears, with little success. There in the street sat young Joe Cartwright
holding in his arms the dead body of Rea Adams.
Joe was rocking back and forth and cared not that the wails that were
torn from his heart were heard by all.
Instantly,
Ben was beside his son. “Joseph,
Joseph,” whispered Ben as he put his arms around his youngest son.
“She’s
dead Pa, she’s dead, my beautiful angel,” wailed Joe, his sad eyes seeking his
father’s face.
“I
know son, I know,” Ben tried to comfort his over wrought son.
“Here
Joe, let me have her,” Hoss said, trying to remove the battered body from Joe’s
arms.
“No!
No!” screamed Joe, refusing to relinquish his hold on his beloved. “Pa! Help me! Help me, please!” Joe begged as
he turned into his father’s chest, burying his face, his sobs uncontrolled. Ben immediately wrapping his son’s shoulders in a tight embrace.
Hoss
gently gathered Rea’s body into his arms as Ben gathered his heart broken boy
into his own arms. Slowly making his way
through the throng of curious bystanders, Ben carried Joe into Doc Martin’s
office, followed quietly by Hoss. Ben
felt certain that Joe would need something to calm him down and steady his
nerves before they would be able to take him home.
Hoss
carried Rea into the back room of Doc’s office where he laid her broken body
gently on the cot there and covered her with a white sheet. Grief stricken, Hoss cried tears of sorrow,
both for the loss of this beautiful woman who would have been his sister and
for his baby brother who he knew would carry his loss for years to come.
When
Hoss entered the room where his father had taken his youngest brother, Adam was
already with his family.
“He’s
in shock, Doc gave him a sedative to calm him down.”
Adam informed Hoss. “We can take him
home in the morning, looks like he is going to be out for sometime. Doc said to
just let him rest here til then.”
“Okay…Poor
thing. How’s he ever gonna get over this
Adam? How?” cried Hoss as he wiped away more tears.
“With
our help and with time I suppose. Pa
would know far better than we.” Adam explained to Hoss as he placed his arm
around the big man’s shoulders, trying in some small way to offer comfort.
The
days that followed were lost to Joe. He
walked around as if in a fog, he did what he was told, went where he was sent,
he ate small portions, worked as instructed, but slept little. Each night had been filled with nightmares
that disturbed his sleep and that of his family’s as well.
Life
in the Cartwright home continued like that for several weeks before Joe
gradually began coming to himself. He
found himself and his father alone one night sitting before the fire that
burned brightly in the massive fireplace which warmed the great room of the
Cartwright home.
“Are
you okay son?” Ben asked Joe as he came to sit on the stone hearth facing Joe.
Joe,
who sat on the large wood table, was staring into the fire. It broke Ben’s heart to see how unhappy his
young son was. It was all Ben could do
to hold his own tears in check as he watched his son who appeared lost in
thought.
“I’ll
do,” Joe answered, never looking at his father.
“Joe,
let me tell you something son,” started Ben
“Pa,”
began Joe, at last looking up, into his father’s face.
“No
Joe, let me finish, please,” Ben began as he cupped the boy’s quivering chin in
his hands and forced the boy to meet him eye to eye.
“You
know son, everyone has trouble in their lives.
No one can escape it. It comes in
some form or shape and people either hides it way down deep inside, or they
bare it and go on. Others worry or
complain about it. Sometimes people
rebel and allow themselves to become old and bitter by it. They let their hopes die and let their hearts
turn cold,” Ben explained to his son, releasing his hold on Joe’s chin.
Ben
got up from the hearth, moved to sit next to Joe and wrapped his arm around the
shoulders that had begun to shake.
“Joe,
it is the wise man that accepts whatever God sends. You have to be able to bend as a tree does
during a storm----yielding. Remember
that God never makes a mistake. Trouble
is a part and parcel of life, and no man can grow with out strife, trouble,
sorrow or regrets. Son, when we learn to
accept, we’re given great grace and courage, and faith along with strength to
face what comes at us daily.” Ben continued.
“Son,
look at me,” said Ben as he once again gently turned Joe’s chin so that he
could look into his eyes. “Someone once
said ‘For the grandeur of life is born or defeat—For
in overcoming we make life complete’”.
“Joe,
it’s time to move on, life goes on, you have to. Rea learned how, she moved on when her
husband died. She would want you to do
the same,” finished Ben.
Joe
looked at Ben and the tears ran from his eyes.
Lovingly, Ben gathered his grieving son into his arms and held him as he
wept. When at last the tears were spent, Joe whispered to his father, “I loved
her,
“And
she loved you, Joseph,” the father said as he kissed the top of the curly
headed young man.
Joe
got up from his spot on the ground where he had been sitting for such a long
time. It had grown colder out and he
shivered slightly. As he untied Cochise
and started to mount, his father rode into the little alcove where Joe and Rea
had first made love.
“I
was getting worried son,” Ben said as he adjusted his position in the saddle.
“I’m
sorry Pa, I was just starting back,” he informed his father as he sprang into
his saddle.
“Are
you okay?” questioned Ben, concern evident in every feature of his face.
“I’m
fine Pa, now. I just had to come up here
for awhile. I had to say good-bye. I had
to tell her that I loved her and I had to know that she was okay.” Joe said as
he looked into his father’s caring eyes, so filled with love for his son.
“Is
she son? Okay, I mean?” Ben questioned.
“
Joe
smiled at his father and for the first time in many months Ben saw the lights
come on again in the emerald eyes of the man, Joseph Francis Cartwright.
THE END
Aug. 2001
Note: Parts of the
conversation between Ben and Joe while in front of the fireplace were taken and
jumbled from a verse by Helen Steiner Rice. (Trouble Is A Stepping-Stone To
Growth). I liked the message and thought
it fit the situation. No infringement
rights were intended.
The names Cable, Birchfield
and Adams are actual names of families living in Cades Cove,