Excuses
By: Michelle Denson
Rating: G for GREAT!
“I just do not understand you boys!” Ben Cartwright thundered to the three
men that stood sheepishly before him.
The oldest and youngest of the three looked to their larger brother, mentally
they encouraged him to offer an explanation for the current events.
As if hearing the encouragement of his beloved brothers, the largest of them
all began his speech.
“Pa, it weren’t our fault. How’s we to know that, well, that things would
turn out as they had.” Hoss seemed satisfied with his answer and the smile
that lit his face proved it. Well until he looked into the unrelenting eyes
of his father, he slowly dropped the smile while he shook his head no, mimicking
his father.
Ben had to keep his hands firmly planted on his hips, otherwise he felt
he would loose control and tan the hides off his boys. “What did you think
would happen when you three started this GRAND adventure of yours?”
**Uh oh** was the look of youngest and oldest gave one another. Unconsciously
they took a small step behind their big brother. “But Pa” Hoss began again,
he looked to his two brothers and frowned at their backwards progress. Adam
felt he had to speak up, “Pa if you hadn’t forced the three of us to work
together none of this would have happened.” Even as he spoke the words he
knew his father’s reaction would not be kindly to them.
“Forced you? FORCED YOU? I seem to recall the THREE of you jumping at the
opportunity! I just don’t know what to do with you! My sons! I can only imagine
what will come from the clean up of this mess!”
Joe looked up sheepishly towards his father; he fiddled with the leather
strap he held in his hands. “Uh here Pa.” Joe handed him the leather strap
and quickly replaced his hands behind him. Years of his Pa’s tannings left
him with an unconscious response to save his backside.
Ben squeezed the strap as tightly as he could and watched his knuckles turn
white from the effort. He grimaced as he looked to each on of his sons. “Boy’s
I just cannot understand how such an easy task could have caused so much destruction.”
Again that brotherly support sent Hoss into his heartfelt pleas. “Pa well
we’s was just bringing down that bull from the pasture like you said. He done
just went loco is all.” Again Hoss grinned at his own reasoning, and again
shook his head no with his father’s conclusion.
Adam and Joe found that moment to find their voices, “It was Hoss’ idea
Pa.” Adam suggested. Joe ever willing to lay the blame elsewhere chimed in
as well. “Yeah Pa Adam’s right it was Hoss’ idea.” Hoss’ jaw dropped at the
clear backstabbing by his own flesh and blood. He smacked his bottom jaw back
up and scrunched up his face in disgusted anger.
Ben saved further arguing as he lifted his hands towards his boys to ward
off anymore of their excuses. “Enough! I don’t care whose idea it was. All
that I care about is that you clean up this mess!” Ben turned on his heel
and stormed back towards the house.
The three brothers looked at each other and then at the surrounding mess
they called the Ponderosa. Hoss always willing to forgive and forget suggested,
“Well where shall we start?” Joe scratched his head and surveyed the yard;
he could only shake his head in reply. He hadn’t a clue just where to start.
Adam also looked at the mess before them, he figured it would take them hours
to clean up the debris and put things back in working order. “Well let’s start
by putting the doors back on the barn, then why don’t you clean up that wood
pile Joe, while Hoss and I fix the corral.”
“But Adam, what about all those chickens?” Hoss asked.
“Yeah and what about the outhouse, that things in a lot of pieces!” Joe
added in.
“I’d say we are in for a long afternoon!” Adam sighed. “Well let’s get started.”
Throughout the rest of the afternoon and early evening the three boys set
up to clean the mess from around the ranch house yard. The three of them smiled
as they entered the house and sat down at the table for dinner. Adam couldn’t
help but feel they were forgetting something, but for the life of him he
couldn’t remember. He had asked Joe and Hoss, but they two seemed to not
recall a single thing they forgot. So each helped themselves to Hop Sing’s
good cooking. Ben had felt weary over the day’s events and offered his goodnights
and headed up to bed. It was not long after that that their father’s booming
voice was heard shattering off the walls.
“ADAM, ERIC, JOSEPH!” He cried out in ravage anger.
Each son jumped up from the table as their name was called. Adam walked
over towards the stairs, but stopped just in front of the ranch house door.
He slammed his hand to his head as he finally remembered what had been forgotten.
“Hoss, Joe, I just remembered what it was that we forgot.”
Hoss and Joe looked at their brother and in unison asked what it was. It
was Adam’s answer of the missing bull that brought a look of Hoss swallowing
a toad and Joe to bring a twisted and contorted look to his face. “Oh No”
Joe cried as he heard a crashing noise from the top of the stairs. Hoss swallowed
a lump in his throat when he heard the loud bang into a wall above him. Adam
turned on his heel and grabbed his hat, coat and gun belt. He held the door
open as he turned to his brothers, “Would either of you like to join me into
Virginia City tonight?” The three boys took one last look up the stairs and
with a responding crash they hurriedly ran out the door and didn’t look back
as they raced for the city.
Ben stood at the top of the stairs his arms crossed and shaking his head
in anger to the retreating backs of his sons. “My sons!”
The End
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