THE AWAKENING
By: Deborah S.
Adam Cartwright arrived home. How good it was to be there. When he looked at
the house, he thought about what it represented to him. Family. Adam walked
to the front door, listening to the sound his boots made on the wooden
entryway. He reached in his pocket to retrieve the key to the lock, and
opened the front door. It was dark inside. He walked to the dining room, and
opened the shutters on both windows. The sunlight flooded in, making the
house light up. Adam walked to his father’s study, opening the curtains on
both windows, allowing the light to flood in there as well. He looked at the
fireplace. He walked over to it, picturing the many fires that kept both he
and his family warm through the years.
Adam walked back to the dining room. He pulled out his chair, and sat down.
He smiled, as he recalled the many happy meals his family had eaten there
together. He thought about his brother Hoss, and how he would take more than
his share of food. How Hop Sing would curse in Chinese at him every time.
How his father would say grace every Sunday with their dinner. Adam could
hear his father’s voice saying that prayer. “Thank you for this food, Dear
Lord, and for my sons who gather around this table with me, to partake of
the food you have provided for us. Thank you for all the many blessings you
bestow on our family, each and every day. A-men.” He thought about the many
conversations that went on at this table with his family. His family, Adam
thought. He would see them later.
Adam walked to the blue chair in the living room. He sat down, running his
hands along the arms. How many books had he read, sitting in this very
chair, in this very spot? How many conversations had he held with his
family, while seated here. He looked at the sofa. He pictured his brother
Joseph sitting there, his feet on the sofa. “Joseph, how many times do I
have to tell you to get your feet off the sofa?” his father would ask. Adam
smiled, recalling his brother promptly removing his feet, only to return
them to the sofa, when his father wasn’t looking.
His father. Adam looked at the burgundy leather chair. He walked over to it.
Standing behind it, he ran his hands over the back of it. He could picture
his father sitting there smoking his pipe, or reading a book.
Adam looked over at his father’s study. He walked to his father’s desk ,
sitting down in the chair. He thought of the many times he had seen his
father doing paperwork at this very desk, or giving the orders for the day,
to one or all of them. He ran his hands over the top of the desk.
Adam looked at the stairway. It seemed to be calling to him. He got up and
climbed it. He stopped at his father’s bedroom door. He opened it, walked in
looking around. He smiled, then left, closing the door. Adam walked to
Little Joe’s room. He opened the door and went inside, looking around. He
smiled, and walked out, closing the door behind him. He walked to Hoss’s
room. He opened the door, and walked in. He looked around, and smiled. He
left the room, closing the door behind him, as he went to his own room. He
opened the door. He walked in, and headed to the window. He opened the
curtains, and the sunlight flooded the room. He smiled. He looked at his
room. He walked over to the desk, where he had spent many hours drawing
architectural plans. He picked up one of the rolled up plans from the floor,
spreading it open on the desk top. He put a paperweight down on each side to
keep it from rolling back up. He looked at the plans. They were for the
house he was going to build for himself someday on The Ponderosa. Adam
rolled the plans up, and put them back. He walked to his bed, and laid down.
He was tired, and the bed felt good. He rolled on his left side. He had time
to nap, because he would see his family later.
When Adam awoke, he took one more look at his room, closed the curtains,
walked out and closed the door, but this time, he didn’t smile. He walked
downstairs. It was time for him to see his family. He paused at the front
door. There on the pegs to the right of the door, were his brother Hoss’s
hat and vest, and his brother Joseph’s green jacket and hat. He opened the
front door. It was time to see his family, and he knew where he would find
them.
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Adam walked to the right side of the house. He thought about his family, and
how long it had been since he had seen them. He knew it wouldn’t be much
longer now. They were just up that small hill. Adam stopped in his tracks.
There was his family sawing, and chopping wood. He could hear the sawing,
and chopping when he awoke. Adam smiled, and quickened his step in
anticipation. . Ben was the first to see Adam. He put his axe down, and
walked fast towards him. Hoss and Joe looked up, seeing Adam. They smiled,
let go of the saw, and walked quickly towards him as well.
When Ben and Adam met, Ben put his hand on Adam’s face. “It’s really you
son. For a moment there, I thought I had been seeing things,” Ben said,
tears coming to his eyes. Adam had tears as well. “No Pa, it’s really me.
I’ve come home.” Adam said.
When Hoss and Joe got there, Adam hugged his brother Hoss. You’re alive. You
didn’t die. You‘re all alive,” Adam said. Ben could see Adam was pretty
shaken. “Let’s go inside, and you can tell us all about it son,” he said.
Once inside, Adam sat in his blue chair. His father on the hearth next to
him. Hoss in his father’s chair. Joe on the sofa. His feet there as well.
“Joseph, how many time do I have to tell you?” Ben asked. Joe brought his
feet down to the floor. Adam smiled. Ben put his arm on his son’s shoulder.
“Adam, talk to me son,” Ben said.
Adam sat forward in the chair. “I thought I could leave home Pa, but I
couldn‘t. When I arrived home, none of you were here, so I went up to my
bedroom, and took a nap. I had a dream. It was more of a nightmare. I dreamt
that I was seventy-seven, and I had been gone, all this time, and when I
finally came back, you had all died,” Adam said.
Hoss spoke next. “Adam, you dreamt we had died?” he asked. Adam sat back,
and took a deep breath, thinking of how he came home, in his dream, to find
Hoss had died. “Yes. Don’t ever die Hoss. Promise me, you’ll never die,”
Adam replied. Hoss looked at his father. Ben placed his hand back on Adam’s
shoulder. “Adam, it was just a dream son. You’re home now. We’re all here,”
Ben said. Adam looked at his father, and his brothers. “Where’s Hop Sing?”
Adam asked. “Hop Sing right here, Mr. Adam,” Hop Sing said from the dining
room. Adam smiled. “What Mr. Adam like for dinner?” Hop Sing asked. Adam
didn’t even have to think. “I would like a steak, baked potato, vegetable of
your choice, homemade bread, and Pa to say grace,” Adam replied. “Hop Sing
make it for you,” Hop Sing said, walking back to the kitchen.
Adam got up, and walked out the front door to the barn. From the front of
the barn, he looked at the house, and smiled. He went inside, and looked at
the dining room, the living room, the fireplace, the stairway, his father’s
study and the grandfather clock. He smiled. His brothers looked at each
other, wondering what he was doing. Adam walked to the front door. There, by
the door, on those pegs, were his black hat, and yellow coat. Also there,
were Hoss’s hat and vest, Joe’s hat and green jacket, and his father’s hat
and vest. Adam smiled. “You kept my hat, and coat here. How come Pa?” Adam
asked. Ben walked over to him. “Your hat, and that yellow coat of yours,
hanging there, was our way of hoping that someday, you would come home. Have
you come home Adam?” Ben asked, looking Adam in the eyes. Adam smiled. “Yes.
I’ve come home Pa, to my family, and to The Ponderosa, where I belong,” Adam
replied. Adam's black hat fell to the floor. He picked it up, placing it on
his head. He thought back to his dream, and his son picking up his black
hat, and placing it on his head, the day he himself, supposedly died. Maybe
it was a sign, that someday he would meet Sarah, and have that son, who
looked just like him, and carry on The Cartwright name.
THE END
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