Summary:  A follow up to The Final Goodbye.

Rated: K (1,915 words)

 

                                                   Joe’s  Letter

 

Joe led his horse out from the barn and looked up at his brother’s bedroom window. Seeing no movement, he quietly mounted and slowly rode away towards the lake. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his brother with him but just for a while he needed to be on his own. This last year had been hard, but having Adam with him running the ranch had helped and he was sure that Adam would understand his need to be alone.

Climbing up through the pines Joe rode out onto a ridge and looked down over the lake. It didn’t matter how many times he had been to this place, the beauty of it always seemed to take his breath away. Ever since he was a little boy and had come here with his Pa and brothers, it didn’t matter what season it was, Mother Nature was always at her best.

In winter, when the mountains were covered in snow and the air so crisp, the lake appeared to be magical, especially at night when the moon shone over the lake with a misty glow around it.  Spring came, and with that, new life started to appear, shrugging off the remains of the winter, looking forward to a warm summer when the sun shone down, wrapping the lake and earth in its golden cloak. In the fall She showed her colours to the full, mixing reds, oranges and yellows. Joe had never had a favourite season but now as he looked down towards a small crop of trees near the edge of the lake, he had to admit that today Mother Nature had outdone herself.

On reaching the edge of the lake, he dismounted, tied Cochise to a nearby branch and made his way to the crop of trees that sheltered the last resting places of his mother, brother Hoss and for the last year his much loved father.  Sitting down next to his father’s grave, his hand brushed over the surface.

“Hi Pa, sorry not to have been to see you lately, but you know how busy it is at this time of year. We had a good roundup and the drive went well with no mishaps this time, in fact Adam was most surprised to see me back home nearly a week early. Speaking of Adam, I expect he will be up shortly to see you, but I left early so I could have time alone to talk to you. It’s not that I don’t want him to come as we have been getting on really well, but today I needed to be on my own  You understand, don’t you?”

Joe took a deep breath. This was proving to be harder then he thought it would be.

“Oh Pa why did you have to go?” he whispered. Suddenly a breeze picked up and Joe had a warm feeling spread through him.

“Thanks Pa.”

Joe moved to sit with his back to a tree, reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter.

“Do you remember this Pa?” he said as he opened up the sheets of paper and proceeded to read.

 

To my son, Joseph

Hiram is writing this letter for me Joe, as I am increasingly unable to put pen to paper these days, as you well know. This letter will be given to you when Hiram feels the time is right.

I have also written to Adam and Hiram will hold that letter as well.

Joe, son, where you are concerned I don’t usually have difficulty finding words to say how I feel about you, but now, suddenly I feel lost for words. I have always loved all three of my sons, but from the moment you were born and I saw you for the first time, you took my heart, and I have worried about you from then until now.

Now, I am afraid for you, and I am asking you to get on with your life when I am gone. You have so much love to give and I am sure that you will find the girl of your dreams one day. I have always wanted to have grandchildren, and even though I may not be around to hold them, I am hoping that somehow I will be able to see them.

Over the years Joe, you have made me smile, especially when Hoss was involved with your schemes (and yes I did say YOUR schemes).

Remember when you decided to breed rabbits and when you decided that it was time for them to be skinned, Hoss was adamant this would not happen to his half and he put you in a cage and wouldn’t let you out until I intervened?.

Hoss as you know was a gentle man and I know that he loved you dearly and would have done anything to protect his baby brother and in fact all of us if he thought we were being threatened. I’ve missed the big man as I know you have but I am sure he is still looking after us.

Between the three of you it’s no wonder I went white, worrying when any of you went away on business or on the ranch in some remote area and praying that you came home in one piece. I remember being summoned home on a few times after one of you had been shot or were ill.

Though the tables were turned once or twice when you three were concerned over me, I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I was to see you all. Sometimes I felt as if I could knock your heads together especially you and Adam.

You two have certainly had your arguments over the years, but somehow I feel that if Adam should walk back through the door now, well, I think you know how I would feel and I am sure that you would feel the same. I do hope that one day he does walk through the door and possibly stay and help you run the ranch (if that is what you want).  He will know when he reads his letter that I have left you the ranch, and it would be my greatest dream that he does come home one day. I never regretted that I gave him my blessing to go, but the day he left, a small part of me died though I would never have told him.

Joe the ranch is now yours officially, but you have been running it over the last couple of years, and I know that it is in safe hands, so I give you my blessing and wish you well for the future.

 I hope you will accept a small piece of advice from me as your father who knows you so well. Take your time in making a decision and watch your temper, and I am sure you will be fine.

I am getting tired now Joe and am coming to the end of this letter, but I cannot sign off until I tell you how proud I am of you and how much I love you. You have given me great comfort since Adam went away and especially since Hoss die, but because of my own grief I was unable to help you as much as I should have and for that I am so sorry.  I hope you understood.

Take care of yourself Joe, and remember I will always be there for you. As I used to say to you after your Ma died, look up at the stars and you will know she is there looking down at you now with me by her side.

There is so much I would like to tell you, but there isn’t time, and I hope that you know how much you mean to me.

So I will say just once more.

Thank you son.

Your loving father

Joe’s hand gripped the letter as he fought back the tears that threatened to come. He stared out over the lake lost so in thought that he didn’t hear Adam ride up. He walked over to his brother and laid his hand on Joe’s shoulder.

“I thought I’d find you here when I found you gone this morning. If you want me to go I will. It’s a hard day on both of us, but for you well, you were with him and it must have been been difficult.”

Joe looked up at his brother and could see his grief etched on his face.

“Stay please, you have as much right to be here especially today. I’m sorry Adam, it was wrong of me to want to be here on my own, you are his son as well. I have just been reading the letter he left for me, and even though I have read it often, it still makes him feel near.”

“You don’t have to say anything Joe. I have come here a few times over the last year just to talk to him and as you say, it makes him feel near”.  Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out his letter. “If ever I feel lonely or need advice, I read this. Even though he can’t help with whatever problem I am having at that moment, it’s the next best thing just to read this. You can almost hear him say the words. One thing I really miss is not hearing his voice”.

Joe nodded, and smiled as he turned to Adam. “I always knew when I was in trouble when I heard him yell JOSEPH! Do you remember the time when Pa’s friend Jebediah Milbank came to visit and I threw the log and it caught him on the foot? Pa was real angry when I said I was fed up with living on the Ponderosa and he reminded me that all the time I lived under his roof I would do as he said. Then he could be soft, like when I said I had met Amy Bishop and wanted to marry her even though our families had trouble over a strip of land.  Pa turned and said he would never put the Ponderosa above his sons and he would give up everything as long as we were a family.”

“Well, I’d like to think we are still a family brother, and as much as it would be good to stay here all day, we still have a ranch to run, so let’s get moving.” Adam made to get up but Joe held onto his arm.

“Thanks Adam, for being here, and you know you’re more like Pa than you think. Still think you can boss me about? Well just remember I’m the boss and don’t you forget it!” Joe giggled as he let go of Adam and ran for his horse.

Adam watched his brother. He had never regretted coming home and working alongside Joe, feeling the happiest that he had felt for years, and as he watched his brother ride away, he looked back at his father’s resting place and smiled, knowing that his father was truly at peace. He mounted his horse and went after Joe.

The End

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