Written for the 2016 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Tournament.

Summary:  An unexpected guest brings a lot of surprises to the Cartwright brothers.  A story told by a twelve-year-old Joe.

Rated:  K     Word Count:  3265

Aunt Tilda

“Hey, Mitch, you’ll never guess what happened,” twelve-year-old Little Joe called out to his friend as he slid from his horse. “Hoo boy, it’s a story you won’t believe!”

Mitch’s whole freckled face showed his eagerness to hear his friend’s story right away —but experience said it would be better if the two friends shared their secrets out of earshot of their parents. Therefore, he only winked at Joe and called out in his best well-behaved-boy-voice, “Is it all right, Ma, if we go sit in the shade under the apple tree? I’m not feeling sick anymore.”

And it worked even better than expected. Five minutes later, the friends not only sat by themselves under the tree but also had a pitcher of fresh-made lemonade and a plate of cookies between them.

“What happened, Joe? Tell me. Is your father back from the round-up? Did he bring you something interesting?”

“Yes, he came back yesterday, but that’s only a part of the story,” Joe waved his cookie dramatically in the air. “Let me tell you from the beginning. It all started two days before yesterday:

“Me and Hoss were eating breakfast when we heard a buggy drive into the yard and leave again right away. We were puzzled ‘cause we weren’t expecting guests. Then we heard strange noises, like the clanking of metal and the shuffle of dragging something. I thought it was a cannon or som’in and I ran to the gun rack. Had to defend our home, right? But just when I’d unlocked the safety chain someone called, ‘Boys, come out and help me inside. It’s me, Aunt Mathilda.’”

“I hope you didn’t shoot her, Joe. Your father doesn’t like for you to use the rifles, and anyway, shooting an aunt would earn you a tanning fer sure.”

“Nah, I didn’t, even though I wasn’t sure if this aunt-woman was any better than a robber with a cannon. Hoss wasn’t either, I think. I guess he also wished Adam was there. He might at least know something about an aunt we two had never heard of. So we were real careful as we went out to look at her.

“There she was: a white-haired woman, small as a bird, trying to drag a trunk up to the house. But it was too heavy.

“You know Hoss, he never can resist lending a helping hand, and so both of them were in our parlor a moment later: the small woman and the trunk. Boy, that trunk was nearly bigger than she was.

“‘Hello Ma’am, howdy. Nice to meet you,’ Hoss grinned but he did nothing else. But I remembered my manners and brought her a glass of fresh water, thinking she’d appreciate that after the journey. And really, she smiled at me and said, “You are just as helpful and well-mannered as your father described you. The both of you. I’m very glad to be here. Benjamin did tell you about my visit, didn’t he? He isn’t here now, is he? He has to work with the cattle, as he wired me, but he said the three of you were here. He wanted to wire you that I would come to stay for a while, but those modern technics sometimes just don’t work. As goes the saying, cobbler, stick to thy last. But there are only two of you. Where is your older brother? Is he well?’

“‘He’s out on the range, but he will be back this evening.’

“‘On the range? Well, fresh air is so healthy, it will be good for him.’ Then she turned round and said, ‘The house is much bigger than your father told me–but then he was never a braggart.’

“‘I can show you the guestroom. And you, Hoss,’ I nudged him in the side, ‘can bring the luggage there.’

“‘What did you call your brother? Hoss?’

“‘It’s my nickname, Ma’am.’

“‘So I will use it too, and you may call me Aunt Tilda. How about that?’

“What were we supposed to do? We agreed; and Hoss hauled her trunk into the guest room. He let it down with a mighty thump and again we heard that rattling. Hoss and I eyed the trunk—there was a mystery hidden inside, fer sure. But Aunt Tilda shoved us to the door and said, ‘It was curiosity that killed the cat. When the time’s right I will show you what’s inside, but not now. Now, my dear boys, is the moment to give me a little privacy.’

“After a while, she came out of her room, wearing an apron, and asked for the kitchen. Boy, Hoss’s eyes haven’t shone that bright for a long time, not since Hop Sing went out on the drive, and Hoss couldn’t because he’d sprained his ankle.

“And when the old lady continued, ‘It seems I’m a surprise guest here, so on this first day, I will bake a cake for us. I think I can find everything I need in your kitchen. A few berries would be a lovely addition, though…’ You’ve never seen Hoss moving quicker, even on his sprained ankle, as he grabbed a basket and said he’d be back in a spell with the best blueberries in the whole country.”

“Seems ta me, that there aunt of you was a pretty good surprise, Joe. When I’m not just sick my mother gives us cookies or cake only on Sundays.”

“Yes, I thought so too,” Joe nodded. “At first. While she mixed up the batter we chatted, and suddenly she said she thought I was bigger. You know I don’t like being called small, and I got real angry but then she said, ‘But it’s not important, your father told me you are the smartest of his sons and will someday follow in his footsteps.’”

“That lady is real smart! I always knew Adam’s no brighter than you. All he knows is books, stuff no one needs out here. What happened next?”

“We’d just sat down at the table when the door opened and Adam came in.

“He looked right dumb when he saw the woman who just served the cake and said to him, ‘Oh Sweetie, how good you are home, I’ll fetch you a plate. Sit down. Don’t worry about me, I’m your aunt Mathilda.’

“We’ve been without a cook for more than a month, so Adam’s right eyebrow twitched only for a second, then he shrugged and accepted a huge piece of cake with whipped cream. Mitch, I tell you: the cake was delicious.

“Trouble was, the first bite must have gone down the wrong way, ’cause he had a coughing fit that just didn’t stop—until aunt Mathilda thumped him on the back, over and over and  calling him ‘my poor Sweetie’. All Adam could do after he stopped coughing was mumble, ‘Thank you.’ And she pinched his cheek and said, ‘You’re welcome, Sweetie.’”

“Wow, that doesn’t sound much like him, does it?”

“He was so out of breath, he was nearly helpless, I guess,” Little Joe said with a mischievous grin. “The rest of the evening something was wrong with his voice. It just sounded raspy and small, even when he asked her…you know, like this, with at least three coughing fits breaking it up, ‘You are—cough, harrumph—our father’s—cough—sister—cough—ma’am?’”

“She looked at him with a pitiful face and put her hand on his, ‘Oh no, Sweetie, your father never had a sister. Don’t you know that?’

“‘Yes, I know—cough—but I wonder—cough—how…’

“‘Wondering is the first step to understanding, Sweetie,’ she said, giving Adam a reassuring smile. ’I’ll try to explain it to you.’

“She couldn’t have seen him rolling his eyes because she was so engrossed in drawing lines on our tablecloth with her fork while she was explaining. Finally she poked the fork at two points and said, ‘You see, my mother and your father’s grandmother were sisters. Do you understand that?’

“When Adam opened his mouth to answer and started again with a ‘harrumph’, she interrupted him, “Don’t overdo it, Sweetie. Let us call this a day and go to sleep. We’ll see each other at breakfast. Good night, boys.’ And then she went into her room. I took a piece of cake with me and read my new dime novel in bed. Oh boy, it’s a good one. I’ll lend you it when I’m finished.”

“The next morning she made us a great breakfast, with pancakes and sweet bread,” Joe smacked his lips.

“Be careful not to tell Hop Sing, Joe, you know how he feels about that.”

“I’m not an idiot, he is our cook, remember. But that breakfast was really something. Adam was outside telling the hands what to do, as each morning when Pa isn’t here, so me and Hoss started to eat.

“Our guest smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you like my cooking. But today we have to discuss a serious matter.’ She waited until we looked at her. ‘Your future! That’s the reason why I’m here. When can we talk?’

“‘Maybe after work and barn chores,’ Hoss answered. ‘About six o’clock.’

“‘Is your brother usually back from the range then, too?’

“When we both nodded, she said, ‘Six o’clock, then. I found so many dirty clothes, I think I’ll be occupied today in the washing house doing the laundry. As the saying goes, there is no time like the present. The water should be hot by now. See you later then, boys.’

“Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, when an adult says in the morning that she’ll see you at six o’clock, it means a day off, right?”

When his friend nodded, Joe continued, “So I went to the old mine. You know, the one with the half collapsed doorway and the small natural tunnel at the right side where we saw something glittering the last time…”

Another nod.

“I went in deeper than ever, Mitch, and I brought this out.” Joe pulled out of his left pocket a fist-shaped stone that glittered golden in the sunshine.

“That’s only quartz, Joe,” a disappointed Mitch mumbled after a closer look.

“I know, Mitch, but it’s good that now we know fer sure there’s no gold in the mine, especially after what happened. I scraped my knees and ripped my trousers when I crawled back…”

“That’s too bad. But still, I’d have liked to go with you. Darn cold!”

“Maybe it’s better for you…”

“Did you get in trouble for it?”

“Nah, not really. But Adam knows I was in the mine. When I came home I got rid of the torn trousers and changed into clean ones, but she found it out right away. Maybe because the laundry basket was empty now, I don’t know.”

“Women always notice things like that. My mum does it, too.”

“She fussed a lot but not over the bloodstains and holes in my clothes like Hop Sing would but about my knees. She washed them, and put that stinging tincture on them, and then, because I was a ‘brave boy’, she gave me some real good candies. And as I sat there, sucking a candy and letting my knees dry, Adam came in and made this face of his as if he’d like to tear me into little pieces.”

“I’d have laughed if I hadn’t been so scared. It looked so funny when the little lady scampered between us, trying to keep him away from me and quiet him down.

“‘Calm down, Sweetie, I have candies for you, too. You needn’t steal his. Please.’

“‘You don’t understand. There are spider webs on him. Clearly, he—again! It’s dangerous, you know, he could be seriously hurt. Dead. I’m responsible for him…’

“‘Sweetie, a little spider won’t harm your brother. And look, there aren’t any cobwebs.’

“I thought Adam would explode when he shouted, ‘I just found his coat in the barn, covered in cobwebs and dust. I know what that means! Our father warned him more than once.’

“‘Sweetie, why would your brother wear a coat, it’s so hot here. But you are right, he should have put it away last winter. No wonder it’s stained with cobwebs and dust. I’ll wash it right now, and everything will be fine. Your father won’t be angry with your untidy little brother.’

“Right then Hoss came in from the barn.

“‘Oh Hoss, here you are, we waited for you. Now we can all go into the kitchen and I’ll show you what I brought for you in my trunk.’

“I tried to ignore the glance Adam shot at me as I passed him on the way to the kitchen. Anyway, what was in there was far more interesting: on the table and on all counters were laid out a lot of things: rolling pins, forms, tablets, spoons, things like that, all made of metal, and a bunch of small bottles with liquids in different colors.

“‘This could be your future, Hoss,’ she said, waving her arms at all the tools.

“‘Kitchen things, ma’am?’ I’ve never seen Hoss’s face get any longer.

“‘Have a better look, Hoss. These are all the things you need to make candies. Like those over here. Try them, they are freshly made. My grandfather and my brother earned their living with it. The best candies you’d find at any fair. I spoke to your father, and he thought he might even have enough money to buy you a little shop in town, so you don’t have to travel. How does that sound?’

“‘A candy store…,’Hoss scratched his scalp, and then his face brightened slowly.

“‘The most important thing is this.’ She gave Hoss a little book, like a journal. ‘In here are my grandfather’s secret recipes for all his famous candies. You should have a look at them while I show your brothers what I’ve got for them. That’s all in the great room.’”

“If your brother had a candy store now that would be great!” Mitch interrupted. “And what did she bring for you?”

“A math book. To learn to balance the ranch books.”

“Oh, shucks. Well, perhaps you’ll need that once you’re running the Ponderosa,” Mitch tried to console his friend. “And what did she have for Adam?”

Little Joe grinned. “That was the best! She asked him to sit down with her on the settee and then she said to him in a very high voice, ’Look Sweetie, you are twenty years old now…’

“‘Twenty?’

“‘Surely you remember your twentieth birthday, don’t you?’

“‘Oh yes, I do if I try very hard.’ You know Adam’s almost twenty-five.

“‘See, if you try hard you can. Fine! Your father told me you’re quite bashful with women and in certain things a little…slow. So I thought for a long time about a bride for you. And I found one.’

“‘A bride?’ Adam nearly jumped.

“‘Yes. I have a picture of her. She isn’t very young anymore but a truly good cook. The two of you could have a cozy home. She will even inherit a small house. I think you don’t want children in your…condition but—hm, how do I tell you—if it happened, she would certainly be a good mother, too.’

“I’ve never seen Adam as stunned as then. He was absolutely speechless, sitting on the settee and holding a daguerreotype of a motherly woman in his hands.

“‘Do you like her, Sweetie?’

“It was really good for her that in that exact moment the door burst open, and our father came in. We’d been so spellbound by everything, we didn’t even hear his horse. I was so happy he was back and couldn’t wait to tell him the news. ‘Look, Pa, who’s here. Aunt Tilda! And she has a bride for Adam and a candy shop for Hoss!’

“I thought they would hug each other, but they stood still and stared. Eventually Aunt Tilda said, ‘You look fine, Benjamin. More grey and…certainly a lot bigger than I remember you.’

“‘And I don’t remember you at all, ma’am,’ Pa said. ‘I’m sorry. Did you say you are my cousin?’

“She was just sitting on our settee, shaking her head with her mouth wide open.

“‘Not a cousin,’ Adam said. ‘She’s your aunt, Pa, and our grandaunt. I can explain it to you.’

“Then Adam started to make a lot of lines on the tablecloth with his nail, but Pa only furrowed his brows and said, ‘What are you trying to tell me, Adam?’

“Maybe ‘Sweetie’ was a little annoyed about everything that had happened those past two days, and so he said, ‘Oh Pa, it’s not so difficult to understand, she is your grandmother’s niece—from the Cartwright side.’

“It’s never good to use that tone with our father, and for sure not straight after a cattle drive. Pa’s brows drew together, and he thundered, ‘You’d better be a little more respectful, boy. And don’t talk such nonsense. My grandmother was an only child! I never thought you were so stupid.’

“And then the argument started for real.

“‘How am I supposed to know that, Pa? You never told me! It’s your fault I don’t know anything about my relatives.’

“‘I’m sorry I forgot to include in your education a lesson about your great grandmothers non-existing siblings. I see now it was very thoughtless of me to forget that crucial detail!’

“‘When did you ever…’

“‘Sorry,’ this little voice interrupted Adam. ‘I’m not sure I heard right. You did say Carter side, didn’t you?’

“My father’s and my brother’s head snapped around.

“‘No, he said Cartwright. I’m Benjamin Cartwright.’

“At that the old lady almost fainted. We carried her back to her bed in the guestroom. That was yesterday. This morning, after a hearty breakfast, we took her to Carson City, where her real family lives.

“You see, on her way there, she fell asleep, so instead of in Carson, she got off the stagecoach in Virginia City—but didn’t notice it. She hired old Bill Miller to take her to her family, and you know how deaf he is. She told him she wanted to go to Benjamin Carter, and he understood she wanted to the Cartwrights. That’s how she wound up at the Ponderosa. I think Hoss was really sad, though, that her plans for his future weren’t going to come true, but she told him she would teach him making candies anyway. When she went inside she said, ‘As the saying goes, all is well that ends well.’ And then she smiled and closed the door.”

“Boy, Joe, that sounds like a right fairy tale. Is it really true?”

“I can show you the house of this Benjamin Carter in Carson City. And the math book. My father ordered a copy for me to study for the rest of the school break.”

“That’s bad. What’s about our gold-seeking? My mother said that from tomorrow I can do anything I like again.”

“Ah, we can still do it. The math won’t take too much time, and I’ve found another place we’ve never seen before. I only promised Adam not to go back to that one mine…” As he threw away the worthless quartz, Little Joe’s emerald eyes sparkled.

 

The End

 

Words drawn:   bashful, spider web, round up, quartz, bloodstain

 

 

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Joe / Little Joe Cartwright,