Summary: Ben recalls a bittersweet moment from the past when a special gift from Little Joe caused a big misunderstanding. (A rare shorter story)

Rating T      WC 2,568

Remember When

** Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk. Gave our hearts, made the start, and it was hard. We lived and learned, life threw curves. There was joy, there was hurt. Remember when?** (From the song “Remember When” written by Alan Jackson)

Ben frowned as he slowly walked down the long staircase and buckled his belt. He couldn’t understand why his youngest son never seemed to learn like his two eldest had. The fourteen year old had been a challenge his whole life and now it appeared that his teenage years were going to be no different than when he was a toddler and had his share of temper tantrums. Ben eyed the brandy decanter and then the grandfather clock. *** Only five o’clock and the kid’s driving me to drink! *** He thought to himself as he walked to his desk and pour two finger’s full of brandy into his glass. Ben walked over to his red leather chair next to the fireplace and settled there with his drink. After fourteen years he couldn’t quite understand why he had to feel so guilty for simply punishing his youngest since the boy more than had it coming to him. Sighing deeply his mind went back to the way Joseph’s chin had quivered when he had gotten back off of the bed and turned to face his Pa. It had been enough to see the tears in Joe’s eyes he sure hadn’t needed the way that quiver went right to his father’s heart! Next had come the just above a whisper stammer of “Pa, I’m sorry – I really really am!” Ben groaned and set his glass onto the coffee table and looked up towards where his boy now lay upstairs probably crying over the tanning he had gotten a few minutes earlier. *** I’m not going up there! He’s got to learn about lying to me – I’ve got to be the parent – I’m all that he’s got. *** Ben tried to convince himself to remain both strong and aloof for the boy’s own good.

“Pa?” the soft voice called from the landing there on the stairs.

Ben had to shake himself out of his thoughts as he turned to glance over at his son. He fought to put on a stern countenance. “Joseph, I thought I’d told you to stay up in your room?”

Little Joe looked down at the step and broke eye contact with his father. “Pa – I said that I was sorry — but I didn’t explain why I lied.”

“Lying is enough of an explanation in itself,” Ben called across the room gruffly. *** Don’t you dare let him get to you, Ben! Stay strong – even if that chin starts quivering again! *** Ben continued to fight his feelings towards the boy who he loved more than his own life.

“I know – I know that, Pa. But – well – this time I had a good reason to kinda fib a bit. Will you just let me tell you? Please, Pa? I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.”

*** Oh no! He’s crying and wiping his eyes on his sleeve now! He’s GOT to know how that gets to me and is using it against me! *** “Okay – you can come over here in front of me and say your peace but then it’s right back up to your room and serve your time. Understood, Joseph?”

“Yes, Sir,” Little Joe whispered and, somewhat hesitantly, he drew closer to where his father sat in his chair. He looked down at his Pa’s glass and could tell that he had brandy inside of it. Joe cast a quick look at the clock and realized that Pa rarely drank before supper. He knew that it was a bad sign and that it meant that Pa was still angry with him.

“Pa – you see – I didn’t want you to know where I was —so I made up that story about helping Mitch’s pa at their place,” Little Joe stammered nervously.

“I KNOW that, which is why you just got a tanning, Boy! I warned you a couple of weeks ago what I’d have to do if I’d caught you lying to me again, now didn’t I?”

Little Joe nodded solemnly and looked down at the floorboards. He had to mop his tears off on his shirt sleeve once more and then looked back into Pa’s eyes.  Reading the displeasure still there in them, the boy abruptly turned for the front door only to hear Pa calling over to him.

“Joseph! Don’t you dare try and run off now – you’re in enough trouble with me!” Ben stood from his chair and advanced across to the door where his son stood.

“I – I wasn’t going nowhere, Pa – I – I was just getting something,” Little Joe stuttered and reached inside his jacket sitting there on the credenza. He pulled out a small brown paper bag and apprehensively stared up into his father’s angered eyes. “Here – this is for you, Pa,” He said and handed it up to his father.

Ben looked surprised and wondered just what the boy was up to now. “For me?”

“Yes, Sir,” The boy whispered nodding his head.

Ben pulled the sack open and found a pipe inside. He drew it up and gave it a quick once-over. “Where did you get this, Joseph?”

“I told you I’d been helping Mitch’s pa with his new chicken coop– that’s where the lie came in, Pa. I was really helping Mister Woods paint his old barn. He’d told me that he’d give me the two dollars if I finished by Friday. And since I’d finished on time – well — I went and bought you that today. I was gonna give it to you and then I was gonna tell you why I had to fib about being over at Mitch’s place. I knew that you wouldn’t be too happy with me doing all of that painting since I hurt my ribs a few weeks back and you said I had to take it easy. But – well – I didn’t have no money when it was your birthday because old Doc Martin made me rest after my fall from Cochise. I was planning on doing some extra work to get money so’s I could get you a present but – well – I didn’t have any time, Pa. When I was finally able to get out of my bed – it was your birthday so it was too late. I felt really bad when Adam and Hoss gave you all of those swell presents and all I could do was just draw you a picture. I just wanted to get you something you’d like – you know something that I could see you use? I just wanted to get you something special so’s you’d know how much I love you.”

Ben went down to his knees and pulled his son into his arms. He hugged his youngest close to his chest as tears burnt at the corners of his eyes. “Oh, Joseph! You should’ve told me — before I punished you.”

Little Joe shrugged his shoulders helplessly and whispered, “I didn’t really have the chance, Pa – you were pretty mad — ‘sides I did lie to you – even though I was gonna tell you the truth once I gave that pipe to you.”

Ben combed his fingers through his boy’s unruly hair and tried to gather himself a bit, but he was failing miserably. He wished that he had taken the time to ask the boy why he had lied after learning he hadn’t been at the Devlin ranch all week like Little Joe had told him. Pa’s heart was aching over the tanning he had given Joseph, especially now that he knew the facts of the matter.

“It’s okay, Pa – I had it coming for lying,” Little Joe admitted after witnessing the look of guilt and remorse spreading across his father’s face. He wrapped his arms around Pa’s shoulders and hugged him, trying to show his father that he was okay with what had happened upstairs. “But – but do you like it, Pa?” He asked, his bright hazel eyes staring anxiously up at his father.

Ben gazed lovingly into the questioning eyes of the little boy who was growing up far too fast. But then again, in his mind and heart Joseph would always be his little boy, even when he was old enough to have kids of his own someday.

“This is absolutely the grandest pipe I have ever seen in my life, Son!” Ben announced exuberantly. He broke into a broad smile as he hugged the boy tightly. Pa pulled Little Joe back a bit and tenderly took his chin into his hand. He leaned forward and softly kissed the boy’s cheek. “I love you, Joseph – thank you for working so hard just to give your father the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received!”

“I love you,” Little Joe whispered, and hugged his father’s neck. “Happy birthday, Pa.”

***************************

“Pa? Pa – are you awake?” Joe called over to his father who sat in his red leather chair in front of the fireplace with his eyes closed.

Ben shook himself from his thoughts and stared up into the eyes of his eighteen- year- old son. He stretched his arms and yawned. “Yes – I wasn’t sleeping – just daydreaming I guess, Joe. I thought you’d gone to bed?”

Joe sat down on top of the coffee table and smiled over at his pa. “No, Sir – I just came down to talk to you a minute. Did you like your surprise party, Pa?”

Ben nodded and reached over and patted the boy’s arm. “It was great – you boys sure got your old man this time!”

“And the presents, Pa? Did you like them?” Joe continued.

Again Ben nodded, “Yes, they were wonderful. You boys spent way too much! That rifle you gave me must have cost a great deal, Joseph — but I’ll sure get a lot of use out of it.”

Joe turned pensive and then dropped his head down, looking a bit dejected. Ben picked up on his son’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Joseph? Is something wrong?”

Sighing deeply Joe frowned and then answered, “Yeah – Pa – I’ve got a confession to make. You’re not going to like it — but I need to fess up since it’s been bothering me.”

Ben moved to sit next to his son on the coffee table and draped an arm around his shoulder. “Go ahead.”

“Well— I haven’t exactly been honest with you – about where I’ve been the past week. I know I said I was up at the timber camp marking those trees for cutting – but – well I lied.”

Ben thought on what his son had divulged and wondered what was going on with him. “Why? Why did you lie about being up there?”

Joe shrugged his shoulders and then stood abruptly and began to walk across the living room to the front door. “It’s like this – Pa — I ran into Mister Woods – and well– he’s getting up there. We got to talking and he said that old barn of his sure needed a good coat of paint– since it’s been four years now since the last time.”

Ben grinned and stood as he watched Joe’s performance. The kid wasn’t as good an actor as he thought that he was. “Oh? So you were painting a barn for Mister Woods instead of marking trees for your father?”

Joe nodded, his head bowed trying to appear remorseful. “Yes, Sir.”

Ben advanced to the front door and lifted his son’s chin to try and get a good look into Joe’s eyes and to see just how far he was going to take his story. He imagined his son was just making up a whopper of a lie in order to amuse him. “Oh? Did he pay you the usual fee of two dollars— like last time?”

Joe shook his head as his eyes finally met his father’s. This time there was a mixture of sincerity and satisfaction in the young man’s gaze. “To tell you the truth – the REAL truth this time, Pa– well – he couldn’t afford to pay me. He couldn’t afford the paint neither. So —,” Joe trailed off.

Beaming with pride, Ben pulled his son into his arms and hugged him. “So – you not only did the work for free, but you also paid for the paint. Why Joseph, you amaze me at times,” He whispered. “I’m very proud of you.”

“You’re not mad that I lied about being up at the timber camp?”

Ben pulled Joe back a bit and cast a knowing smile his way. “Joseph– I may be a year older, but you still can’t pull one over on me!  And besides, Hoss already reported into me that you never showed up there.”

Joe laughed and shook his head. “I see – you were just giving me enough rope to hang myself again, huh, Pa?”

“Of course!” Ben chuckled. “But – seriously – that was awfully nice what you did for Mister Woods. It even makes up for that little fib you told me.  And I learned years ago to get to the bottom of any lie you happen to tell me before getting angry with you.”

“Oh, trust me, Pa, I remember that painful lesson!” Joe insisted smiling wryly.

Joe reached over to the credenza and grabbed up his jacket.  Rummaging through the pockets his hand finally fell on the brown paper sack inside.  “Here, Pa — this is for you,” Joe announced and handed it over to his father.

Ben patted his son’s shoulder and grinned as he pulled out a pipe. He inspected it and smiled over at his son. “Cost you two dollars of your own money this time – did it, Joe?” Pa asked.

“No, Pa — the price has gone up – this time it was two and a quarter. But – nothing but the best for my pa!” Joe quipped.  “The one that I gave you when I was fourteen has seen better days you know?”

Ben sighed and closed his eyes and for just a moment he could still see the young boy standing there at the door four years previously holding up his treasure.

“Pa? Pa — do you like it?” Joe asked when several silent minutes passed by.  He wondered what his father was thinking about at the time as he seemed unusually quiet.

“This is the grandest pipe I’ve ever seen in my life, Joseph!” Ben exclaimed, pride showing all over his face. It heartened him to know that his youngest had done a very kind thing for someone in need and yet he had still taken the time and trouble to give his father a very meaningful gift.

Joe’s laughter filled the room. “C’mon, Pa! You said that very same thing four years ago. You remember when I gave you that old pipe? Those are the exact words you used!”

Ben nodded, “I remember when, Joseph— and I remember you sort of lied back then too as I recall.”

“Okay— so you gotta choose Pa – now which one is the grandest pipe?” Joe continued, insisting on an answer to his question.

“Well—- if you must know — I’d say – both of them are the grandest pipes I’ve ever seen in my life,” Pa answered, his eyes brimming with sentimental tears aimed at the eighteen- year- old young man standing there before him and the remembrance of the fourteen- year- old boy who had grown up far too fast.

Joe reached over and hugged his pa’s neck and whispered, “I love you, — happy birthday, Pa.”

The End

by Wrangler

August 2025

(Dedicated to a surprise package from a friend, and to my story consultant Rob)