Wayne and Martha continued walking down the hall to Sam's and Danny's room, Wayne watching her kiss each boy. "Martha, dear, I never asked you who the new boy is?" Wayne replies.
"Oh, dear, didn't I tell you? That's Teddy, their new playmate."
"No, dear," he replied, "you didn't tell me."
"It must have slipped my mind, old age I guess," she said as she brushed his little blond hair, placed a kiss on his cheek, and tucked him in.
"I'm glad he has a friend," as he kissed her when he closed the door.
Martha then wiped the tear from her eye, "Dear, he lost his father two years ago and his mother, too, according to Doc. I was wondering if?" Martha looked away to hide her eyes. "If we could?" She asked, not daring to say the words as they felt them in their heart. Knowing their family, Motto. 'There is always room for more.'
Teddy was roughly the same age as Danny and the same. Six and a half and would be seven come January, blond hair, blue eyes with full face and puffy, adorable little cheeks and pudgy-like nose. He was a runt, unlike most boys his age, being only three or four inches taller than Sam. He was an orphan being passed around from home to home in a small little town known as Erika after both his parents were killed in a fire, including his little sisters who died soon after.
Wayne just kissed her and held her tight and whispered in her ear. "Dear, there's always room for one more," he said finishing the family motto. Ma and Pa turn around the corner to the girls' room, Ma with tears in her eyes whispers and sweetly kisses her darling angels goodnight and closes the door, giving Wayne one more hug and kiss, then wrapping his arms around him, headed to their bedroom, closing the door. "Thanks for the meal, dear, my house is bursting, my, my heart is always bursting," she said as she fell into her man and moon and her Sheriffs arms.
"You are welcome, dear. Now it looks like you are already trying to fill that new house," as he laughed, gave her another kiss.
She whispered. "I'll do my best," as she falls asleep in his arms.
* * * *
Mr. Rooster sees the shadows as the weeds blowing images of shapes on the canvas tents and the cattails pound noisily on his barrel. A loose sheet flies above as he cocks his eye, leaps, staggers, and heads back to the farm as fast as his two little rooster legs can carry him. The shadows were not done playing with old Mr. Rooster as they swiped on his right, then on his left. Creeping up right behind him, they pluck a feather or two, laughing at him as he hops, whispering. "Cock a doooo doodle dooo, Mr. Rooster from Downing farm."
He leaps in the air higher and higher, leaping, flapping in the air as they laugh. His poor little legs run faster up the road as they goose him to keep him hopping until he reaches home. Mr. Rooster seeing his pin ran right for it, and slammed the gate closed with a bang. Pushing his little tail feathers against the door. Taking a wing of his breast, wiped the sweat from his head down to his gobbler shaking. "Oh, there's no place like home, please don't eat me." Climbs into his nest of straw, tucked his head hiding under his wing, shaking.
Someone whispered. "Welcome home, Mr. Rooster," as they leave a chill that ran down his little chicken spine as he nestled in the soft hay. Someone pushed the card the boys made and Aunty M's sweet pan of cornbread by his bed of hay before he fades away.
"Please, Mr. Rooster we're sorry, please forgive us, we would never, never, never eat you. The Downing and Aunty M. Please stay home where you belong. We miss you."
Mr. Rooster wiped his tears with his checker bib cloth. "Ah, they missed me, ladies," as he wiped his beak. "Man, this sure is good cornbread," dropping another piece into his mouth, "Yes, sir," kicking back his two legs, falling to sleep in his nest until sunrise.
* * * * *
The sun is just starting to rise and a new rooster steps out of his coop, eager to explore the barnyard. He takes a moment to admire his new surroundings and then greets the hens with a friendly "Good morning, ladies." The hens are quick to compliment his impressive tail feathers. "Thanks," as a young brown rooster sticks out his breast, and hops on the fence. They swoon with delight as he winks. "A cock a doodle do."
"What in tarnation?" As old Mr. Rooster flings out of his nest, out of his pin he sees this young brown rooster standing on his fence. "Who and the heck are you? And what are you doing on my fence?" He said, strutting over as the hens watched two male roosters.
"Oh, my," Their eyes gleamed for those sparking tail feathers, cackling excitedly. "Mr. Rooster, you're back," cackling, swooning, gleaming as they watched. "Now we have two male rooster ladies, handsome, fine specimens," as they swoon and faint. Imagine the possibilities. The late-night Ronda views with them as they look towards the house at Mr. and Mrs. Downing. They cackled more excitedly. Who was going to get the first crack in the hen house? Start the bidding with feathers, eggs, softer hay, and extra feed, and then scratch that off due to too much fattening up for chickens, which would not be good right now.
There were just too many kitchen knives around, and they agreed with a soft nest and rolled in the hay as they all cackled with delight. All the hens were Looking at the two roosters as they dueled it out on the fence. It was exciting as they each brought a bag of feed to watch the contest popping seeds into their mouths.
Mr. Rooster turns. "Of course, I'm back, ladies," then turned to the intruder. "They can't get rid of me that easily, no, sir," as he jumps on the fence, and sticks out his breast. "Sonny, this how an old pro does it," taking a deep breath. "COCOCKDODDOLE DO!" And ran to the top fence on the other side of the farm. "COCOCKDODDOLE DO!" And top of the house, "COCOCKDODDOLE DO!"
Mr. Rooster winked at the gals and the cows and waved his piece of straw in the air. The chickens tap to the beat of the farm. Grabbing Mr. Brown Rooster off the fence, giving him a whirl as he, too, does cock doodle do to a western beat. That makes the other chickens swoon and go wild over him on the farm. "Cock doodles do, moo, clack, clack, and wee. Cock doodle doo, moo, clack, clack, and wee" as the animals on the farm chime in, and Mr. Roosters waved his straw in the air happily to the merry song. And they sing and did the cock doodles do cock doodlum, moo, clack wee left wee trot the right back into the pin.
* * * *
Will hits his head on the ceiling, yelling. "Mr. Rooster's back," as Robert and Richard sprawl out on the floor, grabbing their overalls, and rushing down the hall yelling. "He's back!"
Pa, stiff as a board, smiling as he comes to with a start. "No, Martha, he's right where he is supposed to be."
Aunty M. peeked out the window seeing two roosters on the fence smile and give them each a nod, goes back to sleep. Granny writes on the menu fried chicken back on but leaves na ote circled in red, Mr. Downing's eggs only, leaving all chickens and roosters alone.
The egg count on the Downing farm tripled for some reason that day. They had eggs coming out of their ears and baskets full as they laughed and baked lots of goodies for the boys and the children, plus sweet cornbread for both roosters. Ma whistled a merry old tune in the kitchen, fixing breakfast for her little family. Watching all the boys whizzing by her towards the barn, Sam, Danny, and Teddy with Julie and Anna right behind them. Must be bath time. EJ heading out to join his brothers out in the barn. "Is it just me, or are you a little slow?" Ma asked.
"Hi, Ma," as EJ goes by and stops, hugs her.
"Are you alright, son?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma."
"You feel a little warm to me," Ma said.
"I'm fine, Ma," EJ heads out to the barn hobbling along.
"You'd tell me, right?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma," EJ hobbles further away as she shakes her head
"Just nerves," Martha said and rubbed her arms as a cold chill walked by her, seeing a shadow in the corner of her eye. "Nah, it's nothing. Aunty M. and her stories got us all spooked, that's all."
Ma looked towards the barn laughing, Julie and Anna caught her prizes heading for the tub, knowing one of them would be leaving soon as she wiped a tear from her eye. "There you are, Do you mind helping me set the table, Wayne? While the girls have the three boys in the tub," she asked.
"No, dear, not at all," he said as he looked towards the hall.
"Have you told Danny yet and the other children, Martha, that he is leaving today and about your little secret?" Wayne asked as he gazed over at Martha from across the table.
Martha shook her head, looked out the window, and wiped a tear from her eye. Gasps in a soft whisper to him. "I can't, dear," runs outside to cry. Wayne follows her out the door, wraps his arms around her, holds her tight against him, and tries to comfort her even though it, too, is breaking his heart as well to let Danny go. But he knows he must be strong for both of them. That's why he had Grandma called in this morning; she would be here soon to help if it would help at all.
* * * *
"Donna, Peggy, finish your breakfast please while I make sure everything is ready when your brother Danny comes home today," Grandma said as her mind worried. "Draught, this is just not working out, if only we had more time," as Grandma whispered to herself and looked down the hall toward Jim and Linda's room. She just stays in there day after day. Jim won't talk to her or visit with me, except to find an excuse to go somewhere. I mention anything about having fun, "What's that? Sounds boring, can't afford it. That's what everyone else thinks, or not in the mood." Linda, she sits and stares at the wall all day. "Do I have to do everything? You do it or yell JIM until he gets up to do whatever needs to be done."
Grandma heard a knock at the door. "Are you Betty Stuart?" The boy asked, holding the telegram.
"Yes, son," she replied. "Telegram for you, ma'am, sign here please, thanks, ma'am," he said, climbing on his bike.
Dear Betty: If you find those trees are hard to chop, uproot them. Stop.
Try a change of scenery and move them, chop wood elsewhere. Stop.
Aunty M. Stop― End of telegram.
"Thanks, boy," hands him a bill, and stuffed the note into her purse. Pondering the message, "Uprooting trees," she said as she looked at Jim, seeing him come up the driveway, rubbing her chin. "Danny's coming home today, can't go to the farm, this place is a mess."
A light went on in her head, picked up the phone "Steve?" she asked.
"Hello, Mother," he replied.
"I need a favor, I'm coming home today, bringing all those trees with me. Steal them, borrow them, just have everything ready, axes are sharp, dear, I'm swinging it," she said.
"Yes, Mother," Steve said as they hung up the phone.
"Jim, start packing," seeing him walk through the door, "we're leaving," she said as he gave a big grin, "and we are going home." She heads down the hall, grabbing Linda, closing the door. "Grab a suitcase, dear, say goodbye to this room. Then after that, you and I are going for a ride to pick up Danny and then I have a little surprise," Grandma said as she tossed her clothes into the suitcase.
Jim quickly loads his mother's things out to the car with a grin on his face. "Now, Jim," Grandma said seeing Linda nicely dressed. "When we get back, I want you and the girls packed and ready to leave," she said as they hop into the car, leaving him standing there, pulling out of the driveway, and heading towards the farm.
Jim yelled down the road, "MOTHER!" But all he gets is the dust in his face.
* * * *
Wayne and Martha walked into the house slowly, gathering strength for the day as everyone gathered around the breakfast table. Aunty M. passes everyone gleefully, kissing all the boys on the heads, and sitting down. Pa looked at each of the boys and cleared his throat. "I have an announcement," he said as he glanced at Ma, but Ma didn't smile; Pa nodded, went on. "It is a custom in our family to welcome our guest, and one has slipped under my nose," as he rubbed Teddy's hair. "What's worse, boys, it has come to my attention that he is now one of your brothers," as he laughed walking over, picking him up, tossing him in the air to listen to him squeal.
Robert, Will, and EJ laugh, getting up and hobbling over, giving him a knucklehead squeeze. "Pa, we knew that, but thanks for telling us," they said. Sisters each tickled him, hugging the stuffing right out of him. Pa looked surprised. "Oh, you did, why didn't you say something?" he asked.
They just laughed. Ma broke a smile. "Because there's always room for more, right, boys?" As she winked back at the children.
"Right, Ma," everyone said in unison.
Pa wipes a tear from his eye and places his hands on Danny's shoulder, whispers, "Right," nods his head, clears his throat again, then nods to Richard. "Now we knew the day was coming, and it has," he said as he stood over by Danny, and EJ whispered. "It's time for you to go home, son," Pa said as he wrapped his arms around both of them, and Ma joined them with the rest of the family. Then left the two alone to say goodbye while they waited for Grandma to get here.
Danny wraps his little arms around his brother's neck, and gives him a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in two weeks, you wait and see, plus there's school, EJ," he said. As they both laugh, Ma and Pa know it is just not the same thing. Danny trying to figure out why everyone is so sad. "Silly grownups giving all these hugs," rolled his eyes.
EJ smiles, watching his little brother with amazement, wondering if he really knew what was going on. He probably wouldn't be so calm and was glad he didn't know and reached over, gave one more hug and kiss on the cheek anyway, and tickled him just because he felt like it. Ma and Pa, wiping a tear from their eyes, looked away.
Ma wipes her tears and gives him another hug. "Finish your breakfast before Grandma gets here," she said, kissing him on the head. Pa rubbed his head, poked him in the ribs, watched him giggle, slapped another piece of meat on his plate just to make sure, and told Ma. "Ma, she can just wait outside till he finishes it all," and nods, "I have a starving boy to feed," he said. Danny thought we were all crazy, but we did not care, not this day.
It wasn't too long before a car came driving down the road, and pulled into the farm. "You there, who goes there," Granny pointed her two-barrel shotgun at the two women in the car.
"Grandma Stuart, that's who, where's the Sheriff?"
"Oh, you want the Sheriff, what fer?" Pointing the shotgun at Grandma Stuart. "Make it quick like, or I'll fill ya full of lead," Granny said.
Ned ran towards the house and yelled. "Sheriff," Ned pointed to the car.
Pa, he didn't know to laugh or to cry. "Alright, let them through," as he stands by the doorway, waving at Granny with his hat.
Martha stood by Pa. "Maybe we could let Granny shoot her while she got the chance," Ma said.
Wayne whispered back. "I would if I knew it was loaded."
They pulled up to the house. Grandma tells her to wait by the car; she does not listen as usual and pushes herself into the house. EJ sees her and hobbles behind Pa and Ma's back then steps further into the room. "Sorry, Linda," Pa said overstepping the path. Grandma sidesteps, her shaking a finger. "You promised," Grandma said, walking her back outside the house. "He's fine, Linda, that's all you need to know," she said.
Richard brings out Danny's hands Danny to her and lets him kiss his mother's cheek, whispers. "He doesn't know." She nods and kisses Richard back.
"Thanks, Richard, you know where I'll be if you need me," she said.
"Yes, Mother, goodbye, Danny, see you at school," giving his mother a wink, rubbed his head. Then opens the door for Linda, and leans forward to remind her, "I'll be watching Danny closely, you can count on it," he said. Gave her a wink, shut the door, and waved her goodbye. Danny and Grandma wave goodbye and head back to the house.
Jim, of course, is not packed and is waiting for an explanation as his mother loads them all in the car. Drives them all to her house, packed or not, she was not waiting for any more excuses. There were no more doors to close or slam or rooms to hide in as she registered all the kids for school, including Danny. Keeping her promise for him to be back at the farm in two weeks whether his mother liked it or not, and she did not.
The Downing family watched little Danny leave the farm; it was a sad day for them all. No matter how hard they tried to go on about their work on the farm, it seemed so empty without him. Ma was hoping that another little boy would help fill the gap. Sam would not be alone and would not be as hard. Every time she heard the laughter of a little boy or little boy crying, she would look for Danny, and he wasn't there, and it would break her heart knowing she couldn't hug him one more time. Yet at the same time, she knew he was all right because Grandma was with him and watching every move they would make, making sure he was all right.
Ma gazed over at EJ, she knew right then what to do, and she pulled back her shoulders. "He's mine, she can't have him," marches right over there, places her arms around him, bends down, kisses his cheek, and smiles." This one I am going to keep; if I have to fight you for him and I will," wiped a tear from her eye. "EJ, you look peek' ed, son, are you sure you are all right?" she asked.
"Yes, Ma, I'm fine," EJ sighed, kissing him on the head, checking his stitches to make sure as EJ shook his head. "I told you I was fine, Ma," he sighed.
The Sheriff and the boys looked over the charts and rosters of the day. Pa was proud of his boys for what they have completed so far. "Boys, it has come to my attention that there are more still coming," Sheriff said, looking outwards towards the farm down towards Downing Villa. He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the spot where the house was to be built that hadn't yet been started. The wood still piled in the corner to build it, "Boys, I'm left with two choices. One, turn them away and start building the house. Second, fall and winter is coming to build tent barracks and beds for them to stay in."
Pa gazed up at Martha and the boys as he paced up and down, running his fingers through his hair. "Our community needs good farming folks like these, would be strong for it, but there's our family too. What do we sacrifice?" He asked as he looked at Martha.
Martha smiled and walked over with her boys. "Pa, we sacrifice nothing, but pride and some land," they said, giving him a hug and a kiss. "There's always room for more. We will just make do as we have always done before. Put up the tepee, open up the barn," she said as she laughed. "There's always room for more or a corner at our farm. Right, boys?" She said.
"Right, Ma." They all agreed.
With a tear in his eye, a choked voice yells. "Men," shoving them out the door. "Let's get crackin'," grabbing his pencil, pad and charts, heads for the table. "Men, go round them up on the rosters, every last one of them, let's get them fed, dressed, and ready to work in one hour, right here waiting for my orders."
"Yes, sir, Sheriff, sir."
"Minus one because you will be in school, sorry, Robert," he said.
"Yes, Pa," he replied.
"Doing a class project in the barn," he chuckled. "With EJ and Will, building bunk beds for the men and the children stuffing pillows and sewing sheets for the beds," he replied.