Summary:  Whether being stubborn as a mule or butting heads like big horn sheep, they do care about each other; and he’d waited long enough.
Rating:  T  (Words:  1,120)

Life Isn’t Always Sunshine and Rainbows

With Sport tethered to a tree in the shade and contentedly munching on grass, Adam Cartwright had spent the better part of the afternoon surreptitiously watching from high on the hill as his youngest brother threw himself into working the horses, preparing them for sale to the Army.  Glancing towards the sun, he realized how much time had passed.  Rising to his feet, he retrieved his mount and carefully made his way to the corrals.

With a quick cant of his head, he quietly acknowledged to the few hands helping Joe that he was there, and they could head on back to the bunkhouse.  Once more, Adam tied Sport in the shade, before turning to observe Joe.  Knowing how his brother was when he was in his element, this Joe concerned him.  He didn’t look tired from the work, nor did he seem happy as he would normally be.

Straightening with a little bit of alarm, Adam took note when Joe stopped midway through, dismounted and unsaddled the horse.  Lastly, he removed the Bosal, draping it over his shoulder before picking up the saddle and blanket, and walked towards the gate.

“Joe?” Moving, Adam opened the gate.

“Hey Adam.”

“Is that the last of them?”

“Yeah, Pa should be happy.”

Placing a hand to his brother’s shoulder, “What about you?”

“What do you want me to say Adam?”

“The truth.”  Dropping his hand, he allowed Joe to exit.  Taking a last look at the mare now rolling in the dirt, Adam closed the gate.

Following his sibling into the shack, it surprised Adam to see Joe wiping away the tears in his eyes.  “Damn”, Adam breathed.  Thinking to himself that maybe he should have left this for Pa to handle.  They had waited for Joe to come around; he knew neither Pa nor Hoss would push the issue. And Adam knew that was probably the best way to handle this situation, if it had only been the events surrounding the deaths of Julia and Amy.

*****

They’d returned home less than a week before. Adam remembered the look on their father’s face as they exited the barn.

After his youngest sons had gone to bed, worrying his pipe, Ben thought back, ‘Why didn’t Adam send Joe home before things got out of hand?’ But he remembered the two of them, arms across each other’s shoulders, and asking himself, ‘Who’s supporting who?’  He wanted more details than Adam’s answer that, “Joe stood up to the posse to rescue me.”(*)

Adam finally bade his father goodnight and climbed the stairs, guiltily wondering why he hadn’t tried harder to send Joe back home. 

*****

‘How much heartache is the kid supposed to accept?   It was just unfortunate that he was caught up in the aftermath of Vannie’s murder so close on the heels of…’ Shaking his head, ‘I should have realized he was too young to be exposed to any more of the wrong side of mankind.’

Quietly, Adam picked up a rag and began wiping down the leather straps of the Bosal as Joe finished wiping down the saddle.  Once finished, they placed the equipment in its designated places.

With his back to his brother, Joe asked, “You said something about wanting to know the truth.”

“I did.”

“I know life isn’t fair,” Joe answered, slowly walking towards to pot-bellied stove that stood in the corner of the room.

“That can be an understatement, at times.”

“I mean, look at the three of us, and Pa.  We’ve each lost a mother and Pa’s lost three wives.”

Pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot, Joe offered and poured one for Adam.  Carrying both cups outside, Joe handed one over as he sat on the bench, looking towards the fading sun.

“You’re still thinking about the posse.”

Not surprised that Adam knew he wasn’t really talking about their mothers, but he figured his older brother would still be focused on his failed relationships with Julia and then Amy.  Sheepishly he answered, “Yeah, I am.”  Joe inhaled the steaming dark brew before taking a sip.  Lowering his hands to his lap, “The world…”

Adam allowed the pause.

“The world seems full of good men…” Joe closed his eyes and rested his head back against the building.

“Even if there are monsters in it,” Adam finished, believing he understood the way his brother was feeling.

“Exactly.  I guess I’m having a hard time accepting that men can be so cruel and yet, I’m supposed to go on like nothing happened.”

“Joe, I wish that you could go on believing that life is nothing but sunshine and rainbows all the time.”  Emptying the last of his, not so good coffee, onto the dirt, “It’s not fair that you had to learn the dark truth of humanity so young in life.  I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to send you home.”

He watched as Joe briefly bristled before calming once more, “You don’t really mean that.  To you it’s all a part of growing up; learning lessons the hard way.”

“Joe, there are many ways to learn, and the hard way isn’t always right and doesn’t always make it easier to understand.”

“Sometimes life just stinks.” Sitting up, taking in the last rays of sunlight, “I guess a good analogy would be the sun.”

Unable to comprehend the change of subject, “Now you have me stumped.” Adam turned his head to look at his brother, intrigued that the corners of Joe’s mouth quirked up.

“Light and Dark.  Good and Bad.”  Drinking the last from his cup, “As the preacher says, we couldn’t truly appreciate the good without the devil in the works.”

“So, you’ve been faking sleeping through the sermons?”

Rising to his feet, “I guess you, Pa, and Hoss have been worried about me.”

“Yes, we have.”

“It took me a while to figure it out, on my own.” Holding out his hand, “I may not show it at times, Adam, but I do appreciate that you’re trying to protect me, wanting me to be a kid for a little while longer.”

Handing him the empty cup, “But as you’re so fond of telling us…”

Looking his brother in the eye, “I’m not a kid.”

Adam began to feel a little better when a hint of Joe’s infamous cackle slipped out.

“No.  No, you’re not.  But even grown men can feel confused and scared.  There’s nothing to be ashamed about needing to talk to someone.”

“I guess that’s your way of telling me I need to speak with Pa?”

“Only if you want to.”  Draping an arm over his brother’s shoulders, Adam said, “Come on, let’s get the horses and head home.  I’m sure Pa’s waiting for us.”

~The End

Inspired by the October 15^th Pine Cone Challenge:

“The world seems full of good men, even if there are monsters in it.” –Bram Stoker, Dracula

Thank you for the prompt.

Which made me want to expand one of my submissions for the Little Bit Challenge from 2015.

WHN – The Hanging Posse 

‘They’re home.’  Relief finally etched Ben’s face, believing Little Joe too young to experience the rigors of a posse; and fearing the worst, a lynching. Knowing Adam would do anything to protect his youngest brother had brought him little comfort.

From the porch he saw movement in the barn; heard Adam asking a hand to see to the horses. ‘I was right. Why didn’t Adam send Joe home before things got out of hand?’ Walking through the doorway, his sons came into sight. ‘Who’s supporting who?’

“What happened?”

Proudly, Adam spoke, “Joe stood up to the posse to rescue me.”

The Hanging Posse written by:

Carey Wilber
David Dortort
Fred Hamilton