Summary:  It isn’t easy for Jamie, to find his place in his new family. And for Joe the role of an older brother is new, too.

Written for the Poker Tournament in 2013  Rating:  T  WC  2700

 

It Isn’t Easy to Be the Yongest

Joe waved a last good-bye to his father and brother; then he shut the door. Jamie was looking at him expectantly so he nudged his little brother slightly into the ribs.

“Just the two of us for a while. Let me know if you plan any trouble for the weekend. I’m in charge, you know.”

Startled Jamie gave his brother an uncertain glance. These were the first couple of days he spent alone with Joe. His ‘new Pa’ and Hoss had just left to Carson City and even Hop Sing was away to visit his cousins in San Francisco. He noticed the wink in his brother’s eye and relaxed.

“No trouble, I promise. Let’s have a final cup of coffee and then head for Virginia City. Before Hop Sing left Hop Sing made a long list of supplies we need,” the boy suggested.

Joe nodded. They went back to the breakfast table and sat down again. Joe took the coffee pot, but stopped before Jamie got his cup filled.

“Nice try, little brother, but since when are you old enough for coffee? Have some milk instead.”

Joe ignored the empty cup Jamie held out and poured himself some coffee.

“I prefer coffee,” Jamie said stubbornly and reached for the pot himself.

“Jamie, don’t! Pa said you’re too young for coffee.”

The boy hesitated. “Pa isn’t here,” he argued, giving it one last try.

“But I’m here and I don’t allow it. Understood?”

Joe’s sharp tone made it clear he had to accept the rules. Defeated the boy blushed, jumped from his chair and headed for the door.

“I’m done with breakfast. I saddle up,” he said.

“Jamie, use your brain. Hop Sing’s list is pretty long. We need the buckboard no saddle bags,” Joe corrected.

Feeling patronized again Jamie escaped to the yard.

Half an hour later Joe had finished his breakfast. After cleaning the table he grabbed his hat and gun belt and went out. Jamie sat sitting on the buckboard in front of the house. He was reading one of his treasured dime novels but put it away when he saw his brother approaching. Too late, Joe had already seen it.

“How is Jesse James doing today?” the older brother teased but got only an irritated stare for an answer.

Joe walked slowly around the wagon and inspected running gear and harnesses. Jamie watched him sulkily. Finally he climbed the buckboard, sat next to his little brother, took the reins and urged the horses into a slow trot. For a while they rode in silence.

Suddenly Jamie blurted out: “I am able to harness a team! I did it a hundred times!”

Joe brought the horses to a halt. “Yes, I know. What’s the problem?”

“There was no need to check my work.”

“Nope,” Joe objected astonished. “I always check the horses before I leave – even when I did harness them myself. A matter of precaution – it has nothing to do with your work.”

They continued the ride in silence again. Annoyed with himself Jamie was chewing his bottom lip. Joe was right. Even worse, he had seen his brother doing it many times. He felt so foolish now. He fought hard not to burst into tears. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief when they finally came to a halt in front of the mercantile store.

The brothers jumped of the buckboard and entered the store. Mr. Cropin, the shop owner, saw them coming. He asked his assistant to take over his customer and hurried to greet Joe and Jamie personally. The Cartwrights were his favorite customers; they always needed a lot of supplies for their big ranch and, more important, they were always punctual in paying their bills. Soon he was discussing Hop Sing’s list with Joe.

As long as Mr. Cropin was collecting the goods, there was nothing to do for Jamie. Bored with the waiting the boy picked up one of the few new books on display and started to read. Soon he was interrupted:

“Jamie, do you know by chance what Hop Sing means by ‘spices’?”

“Yep, Peppel, Cinnamon and Tulmelic,” the boy answered with a big grin.

Joe and Mr Cropin ignored the little joke about Hop Sing’s pronunciation. Jamie shrugged, continued reading and was interrupted again when the shop owner suddenly grabbed the book from his hands.

“Found an interesting read, young man?”

He skimmed through the book himself, picked a page randomly and started to read out:

…She turned round. “Are you looking for anything?” she asked.
“My whip, if you please,” he answered.
He began rummaging on the bed, behind the doors, under the chairs. It had fallen to the floor, between the sacks and the wall. Mademoiselle Emma saw it, and bent over the flour sacks.
Charles out of politeness made a dash also, and as he stretched out his arm, at the same moment felt his breast brush against the back of the young girl bending beneath him. She drew herself up, scarlet, and looked at him over her shoulder as she handed him his whip…

Mr. Cropin shook his head in disgust, shut the book firmly and put it out of reach on the highest shelf.

“This is absolutely not a book for a young feller like you.”

Jamie blushed. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Joe stifling his laughter. Would this dreadful weekend ever come to an end?

Finally the buckboard was loaded. But to Jamie’s disappointment Joe didn’t intend to head for home. Instead he said:

“I’ve to talk to our attorney about the army contract. It will take a while. I suggest you get yourself a haircut while you’re in town.”

“Why?” Jamie protested. “I just got one a couple of months ago, Joe.”

“More like three months. Get your hair cut. I don’t want any brother of mine going around like a cheap riverboat gambler. We’ll meet at the barber shop in an hour.”

Joe turned around and went to the attorney’s office. He didn’t see Jamie making faces behind his back.

Half an hour later – and his red hair half as long as before – Jamie left the barber shop. A quick glance at the clock next to the door told him that he had enough time for a short stroll through Virginia City. Like always on a Saturday the town was crowded, because most families from the surrounding farms did their shopping on that day. Was there a chance to see Jenny Marner? This would make up for the troubles of the day. Unfortunately it was another member of the Marner family he bumped into a couple of minutes later: Silly, Jenny’s older brother. Like his sister he went to school with Jamie, although he was at least four years older than the boy. Obviously Silly was a very slow learner.

“Hey now, why don’t you look where you’re going?”

“Sorry. I didn’t see you.”

“You don’t sound half sorry to me.”

“Look, I said I was sorry. Why don’t we leave it at that?”

“Because I don’t like you. It’s as simple as that.”

Jamie hesitated. All brawn and no brains Silly was ready for rumble. The youngest Cartwright doubted that the story of David and Goliath would work in Virginia City just as well. But to chicken out was impossible. He slowly raised his fists.

“Jamie!” Suddenly Joe shouted from the other side of the street. “Jamie, come here!”

“Your daddy’s calling you, little boy,” Silly smirked.

“He isn’t my daddy!” Jamie snapped back, ready for the fray.

Out of nowhere Joe stepped between them and took Jamie by the arm.

“What’s the matter, Jamie, didn’t you hear me calling you?” he asked. Pretending not to notice the awkward situation he drew Jamie away from the Marner boy.

On the way home Joe advised: “Better find some proper companions or at least think twice before starting a fight with Silas. He is much bigger than you. ”

“I didn’t start it. Silly did,” Jamie explained.

“You call him Silly? That’s very rude, Jamie. His name is Silas, Silas Marner.”

“Nope, everybody does it, because he acts silly all the time. One day he came to school in his underwear. Miss Griggs had to send him home. Silly is not quite right in his head, you know.”

“Yes I know,” Joe answered in a serious tone. “But do you know why he ‘isn’t quite right in his head’ as you put it?”

Jamie shook his head and Joe continued.

“Silas was a boy just like you until the age of eight or so. One day his little sister Jenny went into the barn. She wanted to play with a new-born filly. Just four years old she didn’t know how dangerous a mare with a foal is. Jenny climbed into the stall and the horse went berserk. She kicked, buckled and lunged out. Silas jumped into the stall and pulled his little sister out of reach. But he was hit on the head by a hoof. Silas survived but the damage in his head was incurable. I think he doesn’t deserve it to be called Silly.”

Against the lump in his throat Jamie murmured: “I’m sorry, Joe. I didn’t know that. I’ll call him Silas next time.”

“Then let’s leave it at that,” Joe said and to cheer his little brother up he added: “This time of the year rainbow trout are biting like crazy; and I fancy a trout for dinner. What do you say to that?”

Of course Jamie was hooked at once. So after unloading the supplies they saddled the horses and set off again. Joe took the lead as he knew a good fishing spot on the shore of Lake Tahoe. They rode for a while passing wide meadows and the dark pines that gave the Ponderosa the name. When they reached a small clearing, Joe reined in his paint.

“Do you mind a little break?”

Jamie shook his head. They dismounted. It was very quiet, only a few birds were chirping. Between the trees Lake Tahoe gleamed like a clear blue crystal in the sun.

Joe went to a small hummock at the edge of the clearing. Jamie followed him curiously. A simple grave stone showed the name ‘Marie Cartwright’, the date of her birth and death. She had died young. Jamie waited in silence until Joe had finished his prayer.

“Who’s that?”

“My mother.”

Jamie hesitated for a moment, but finally he said: “A beautiful place.”

“It was her favorite spot on the Ponderosa,” Joe explained, “and it is my secret place.”

“What’s a secret place?” the boy asked.

“If I have some thinking to do or if I want to be alone, I come here.”

“It’s not much of a secret if you tell everybody,” Jamie commented dryly.

Joe replied: “Only my Pa and my brothers know.”

“But you told me,” Jamie argued.

“As I said: only my Pa and my brothers know.”

Finally it sank in! Jamie beamed with pride.

Half an hour later they reached the fishing spot, found a green patch for the horses and made themselves comfortable at the lakeshore. They sat for a while in silence, just watching the fishing line floating in the water. Jamie suddenly asked:

“Do you remember your mother clearly?”

Joe thought it over for a moment.

“No, I remember her hardly at all. I was very young when she died. From pictures I know she was beautiful. Pa and my brothers told me she was gentle, fun-loving and spirited. But that’s more their memory than mine.”

“Do you miss her sometimes?”

“Yes, of course. But I have Pa. He was always kind of father and mother to me. I can count on his understanding and help with any problem. And my two older brothers, Adam and Hoss, in a way they brought me up, too. I guess half of my upbringing comes from Hoss and Adam. Actually I’m missing Adam more than I miss my mother.”

“Didn’t it annoy you, when your brothers acted like secondary fathers?”

“Come to think about it … at times I was rather mad at Hoss and Adam because they were always ready to tell me what to do and what not to do.”

Clearly visible under the surface of the water a small trout approached the fishing lines. It seemed interested. But suddenly two bigger ones appeared and circled the bait. Twirling in the cold water they disappeared together in a rush.

Joe smiled. “I was pretty Pa-ish today, huh?”

“Yep,” Jamie nodded. “I have a father. Strictly speaking, I have two already. It would be nice to have a proper big brother for a change.”

Understanding his brother’s feeling all too well Joe nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. How is this for a start?”

He pulled something from his jacket and handed it to Jamie. The boy opened the small package. It was the book he had seen in the store: Madame Bovary.

“I know it isn’t easy to be the youngest. On the other hand sometimes it’s an advantage to have an older brother,” Joe said with a wink.

Somehow their conversation resulted in a new understanding. Joe showed Jamie how to catch fish by hand without a fishing line. With a little practice the boy got the knack of it and successfully caught a couple of big trout.

The fresh fish grilled over the open fire tasted excellent. Satisfied Joe and Jamie enjoyed the work-free afternoon. Joe took a thick branch, which lay by the fire, took his jackknife and began to carve. After a while Jamie put his new book aside and watched his brother artfully shaping a little horse from the branch. When Joe stopped to inspect the little piece critically, Jamie took the knife. He touched the silver handle decorated with engraved ornaments; then inspected the two sharp blades, the little corkscrew and the small scissor. He carefully weighed the little masterpiece in his hand. It was surprisingly light.

“That must cost a fortune,” he remarked approvingly.

Joe saw the excitement in the eyes of the boy and made a spontaneous decision.

“Do you like the knife? Keep it. I have a similar one at home. ”

Jamie’s look switched from the knife in his hand to Joe’s face in disbelief.

“Are you serious? You want to give me the knife – just like that?”

Joe laughed. Teasing he stretched out his hand:

“If you don’t want it, give it back to me.”

Quick as a flash the precious treasure disappeared in Jamie’s pocket. The boy was all smiles.

“Of course I want it. Thank you, Joe.”

“Under one condition…”

The smile on Jamie’s face died.

“What kind of condition?” he asked suspiciously. Joe fumbled for words.

“I’ve been the youngest Cartwright for a long time. I guess I need some practice to be a proper older brother. Promise to tell me if I get carried away again. Agreed?”

The smile returned. “I promise!”

The boy stretched out his hand. The brothers sealed the deal with a solemn handshake.

On the way home Jamie suddenly chuckled. Their horses trotted slowly side by side, so Joe noticed the boy’s amusement.

“What’s so funny?” he wanted to know.

“It seems he got what he wanted.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“About your pa. He…”

“Our Pa,” Joe corrected.

“Alright, alright, it’s our pa. He asked Hoss to accompany him for a reason,” Jamie continued, “he wanted us to come to terms with each other. And we did.”

“He always gets what he wants. You better get used to it. If fishing doesn’t work, he’ll send us hunting together next time.”

“And to make sure we talk, one gets the rifle and the other one the ammunition,” Jamie added.

Laughing together they urged their horses to a gallop and headed for home.

 

~The End