A SCARY DREAM

The seventh birthday of Mitch was coming nearer and he kept silent about the presents.
One evening Adam asked, “Mitch, what do you want to have for your birthday?”
“Why do you want to know that? You always give me the wrong things”, Mitch said.
Adam looked at him amazed and said, “That is not true. Then you said it wrong.”
“Oh? Now I am to blame for it. That is nice. Keep your money in your pocket because I don’t want nothing more for my birthday and for my Christmas either”, the young Cartwright gowned fierce.
“To your room and to bed at once”, Adam said strict.
Mitch went straight to his room and hit the door with a big bang.
“That will be a very nice Christmas if he stays in that mood”, Little Joe remarked sarcastic.

It was Christmas Day. Everybody was sitting at the breakfast table and waiting for Mitch who didn’t come downstairs.
“I’ll go and fetch that lad”, Adam finally said.
He got up and walked to the bedroom of his son.
“Are you coming downstairs? Everybody is waiting for you”, Adam said.
“Just leave me alone. Go ahead and celebrate Christmas with your wife and family but leave me out of it”, Mitch replied fierce.
“If you want it that way, it is fine by me”, Adam said.
He closed the door and went back downstairs. Everybody looked at him when he came downstairs alone.
“He sits in the corner of his room and doesn’t want to come downstairs. Just let him sit there then”, Adam said offended.
He went to sit in the living room and kept silent. A moment later he got up again and went again upstairs.
He opened the door of the room of his son and said, “Pack all your things!”
Mitch heard at the tone of his voice that Adam really meant it and did what him was told. Adam looked on but still didn’t say why Mitch had to do that.
When the boy had done that Adam said, “You go to the orphanage. I refuse to take care of you any longer.”
“You never really loved me, did you? According to me you did kill mama”, Mitch said furious.
Mitch hadn’t not said that because Adam threw him down the stairs. The boy remained lying on the landing.
Ben,  Hoss, Little Joe and Candy ran to the stairs and Ben asked his eldest son, “Do you know what you  just have done?”
“He asserts that I killed Mary which isn’t true. He knows that himself as well. From now on he isn’t my son anymore”, Adam answered furious.
He went past Mitch to the dining room and began to have his breakfast.
“Adam, he comes round”, Ben said when his grandson remains to consciousness.
“Then he can leave. His home is now the orphanage. Although that is actually still too good for him”, was the comment of Adam. Mitch came round and went to sit.
“You’re okay Mitch?”, Ben asked concerned.

“Yes. I better leave before I gets thrown from the stairs again by your great eldest son”, Mitch said sarcastic.
He got up and walked down the stairs. He got his coat and put it on.
Before he left he threw one last look upon the trimmed tree and he said,  “What an ugly thing. Really something for you.”
He threw the door behind him and left his family perplexed behind. Even Cody stayed inside.

Mitch got his horse and saddled it. Here after he mounted on to leave the Ponderosa. It was true is seventh birthday but ever since Sally had announced her pregnancy he didn’t exist anymore for the Cartwrights. Adam didn’t love him anymore and he had made really clear just now. Or otherwise he hadn’t thrown him from the stairs. Right now the young Cartwright really felt alone in the world.

The cosy Christmas spirit had changed into an intense pressure in the Cartwright household. Ben looked at his eldest son like he had murdered Mitch.
“Adam, you know for yourself that the children in the orphanage don’t have it as good as here. Why do you send Mitch to it then?”, the rancher asked.
“He doesn’t appreciate what he has here. Since Sally announced that she is expecting our child he has been like that. I had better left him in Boston”, Adam replied.
“Has it come to into your mind that Mitch might be jealous at the new baby?”, Ben suggested.
Adam looked at his father and asked, “That is nonsense. Why should he be jealous?”
“He has been alone with you all those years and now he must share you with Sally and the little child. Many children are jealous when a new one is born”, Ben said.
“Mitch always had been jealous”, Adam reacted.
“How do you mean?”, his father asked amazed.
“Mitch said to me time and time again that he never wanted to be an only child and that he was jealous at me because I have two brothers and he doesn’t”, Adam explained.

In the meantime Mitch thought, Let them enjoy their Christmas breakfast. They wont see me ever again. He rode fast ahead and didn’t notice that he fell off his horse and fell into the soft snow. The horse rode back home . Unexpected it started to snow.

Hoss was the first one to hear the whinny of Caramel.
“That is the horse of Mitchy”, he said.
He opened the front door but only saw the horse.
“Where is Mitchy?”, he asked amazed.
Adam looked up and asked, “How do you mean?”
“Only Caramel has come. Your son isn’t here”, his younger brother said.
Adam came to the door and saw only the brown horse of Mitch standing.
“Mitch can’t just fallen off. He is an excellent horseman”, Adam said.
“Do you come to look for him?”, Hoss asked.
His older brother nodded. Ben and Little Joe came along looking as well. Not long after that they found in the snow a little  bundle lying. Adam jumped off Sport and kneeled down near the bundle. He wiped some snow away and found his son motionless. Ben kneeled down them and tried to feel a pulse.
“He is already cold and I cannot feel a pulse. I am afraid that he was surprised by the unexpected snow and died by that. I am sorry Adam”, the rancher said seriously.

Suddenly Mitch began to scream. Adam came directly out of his room and woke the boy up.
“Kid, did you have another scary dream?”, he asked right away.
Mitch went to sit and said, “I dreamed that you became a father again. I got nothing for my birthday and Christmas and got send to the orphanage by you. I ran away from the ranch and died in a snowstorm.”
“Silly boy. I would never send you to the orphanage if I would become a father again”, Adam said smiling.
“Do I not get a baby brother or sister then?”, the boy asked.
“No, not right now. Sally wants to adopt you as her so but only when you want it”, his father answered.
“Alright”, Mitch said while he went to lie again. A moment later he fell asleep again till the following morning. Fortunately he didn’t have no more scary dreams.

 

THE END


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