Summary:  A most important day in the life of young Little Joe, and he feels neglected.

Rating:  K  (2,075 words)

A Seedling Challenge inspired story.

Never Forgotten

Funny, he’d never noticed that loose board before. How many times had he hidden there… for whatever the reason… Hiding from a brother or hiding from his father. Seeking solitude to quiet a perceived injustice, or to make them worry…

Squinting curiously, he wedged his fingers underneath and pulled. Normally he would have gone to retrieve a hammer and nail it back down; his father and brother were always telling him not to put off doing a job, but this time, he was mad. Mad because on top of everything else, as he ran his hand along the rough-honed wall, he’d jammed a splinter into his hand. He was so mad that he wanted to throw something, anything. And that loose board was the next best thing, better than throwing a punch.

It came up easily enough… His madness evaporated as the box within the hidden cubbyhole drew his curiosity. Cautiously he looked around to make sure no one from his family was close, nor any of their hands. He pulled out the box and set it on the ground at his feet. A smile graced his lips when he took note of the flimsy padlock that wasn’t even fastened.

The lid squeaked as it opened. His eyes widened as he saw… the coins contained within. He pulled out the scroll of paper and began to unroll the parchment. The words at the top captured his imagination.

“A treasure map,” he exhaled as he held the full sheet in front of him.

He recognized his home and barn, and he recognized a few other landmarks and giggled at the X marked on the sheet.

“I’ll show them. I don’t need them,” he said as he rolled up the sheet and went to saddle his pony. He’d already slipped the coins into his pockets. Before leaving, he retrieved a trowel that Hop Sing used in his garden and slipped it into his saddle bag, along with several empty flour sacks in order to carry home his loot.

“Well, even if this isn’t my home anymore, I still need something to carry all my treasure,” he stated as he stared at the large home, having walked his pony out of the barn. “Come on fella, let’s go.”

Without looking back, the boy rode away to start his adventure.

*****

Hop Sing nodded as he slipped back into his kitchen, their plan was working perfectly. Another set of eyes watched and followed the boy at a distance.

*****

Pleased he had made good time and that his family was not wise to his departure, the youngster jumped from the saddle and tied his horse to a low hanging branch. Being sure his pinto would appreciate the shady location; he loosened the cinch.

Pulling out his map, he proceeded to follow the instructions to the location marked; but was confused when he came up against nothing but boulders. Looking around he didn’t know what to do next.

*****

“I was wondering when you would show up…” came from behind him. Joe spun around to see a stranger walking out from a nearby grove of trees.

The clean-shaved man was taller than his father, with dark hair and ever darker eyes; wearing dark trousers and an off-white colored shirt. He didn’t look mean, but Joe had been told by his father to never go anywhere alone. It was a rough territory, and the Cartwrights were making a name for themselves.

“What are you doing here?” Joe demanded, his hand gripping tight to the trowel.

“Waiting for you.”

“Me? Why?” Joe looked to the man who stopped short of where he stood and leaned against the boulders that blocked the boy from his treasure. With a carefree attitude the man crossed his arms.

Joe canted his head sideways as a memory niggled its way into his consciousness, but he pushed it aside. “You’re on the Ponderosa,” he declared hoping his words sounded braver than he felt.

“I know.”

“My pa don’t like trespassers,” Joe answered.

“I’m not trespassing.”

Warily Joe began to back away from the man. “You better leave if you know what’s good for you.”

“Are you supposed to be out here all alone?”

Joe thought about the man’s request.

“I’m not alone. My pa’s just behind me, so you better get.”

“I happen to know ‘Pa’ isn’t anywhere near here.”

Joe turned to run, but felt a hand clamp on his shoulder, stopping his forward movement; but that didn’t stop his fight. Elbows and feet were directed towards the stranger who easily evaded the blows.

Growing breathless and weary, Joe stopped his struggles, and began to cry.

“Oh, Joe. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” the dark haired stranger stated as he let go of Joe’s shoulder.

Joe felt arms wrap around him as he was picked up and sat onto the man’s lap, after he walked over and took a seat on a nearby boulder.

“I’m not crying,” Joe snuffled out. There was something familiar gnawing at him.

“You’re okay, and Pa and Hoss are on their way home from town.”

“How do you know that? Hey…”

“Yes?” an eyebrow rose on the man’s forehead.

“You said, ‘Pa’.”

“I did.”

“Do I know you?” Joe wiped the tears from his eyes and looked intently into the man’s face. “I know you, don’t I?”

“I would hope you’d remember me…”

“Adam?” Joe quietly questioned.

“Yeah, it’s me little buddy. How do you like your birthday present?”

“You remembered my birthday?” Joe queried.

“Sure I remembered your birthday. You don’t think I’d forget the day my little brother turns eleven, do you?”

“Pa and Hoss forgot… They didn’t wish me a happy birthday this morning… They said they had important things to do and had to get to town…”

“Joe, I’m the important thing Pa had to do… I wanted to surprise you today. I figured Pa’s probably gone on and on about my return… Planning a welcome home party for all his friends to show off his college-educated son… It’s been a long time since he was a young man such as you, and I’m sorry my return coincided so close to your birthday.”

“That’s okay…” Joe answered as he rested against his brother’s chest.

“I wired Charlie and conspired a way for you to find your treasure map, just in case I was right. And Charlie followed you out here to make sure you arrived okay.” Adam pointed to where their ranch foreman was leading his and Joe’s horses from the trees.

“Welcome home, Adam,” greeted Charlie.

“It’s good to be home,” Adam answered as he shook the man’s hand.

“I’ll head on back to the ranch.  See you soon,” Charlie offered with a wave of his hand.

“So if Pa and Hoss are on their way home, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I wanted to spend some time with my little brother. Just the two of us. You know if you came to town with Pa and Hoss, I wouldn’t have gotten any time alone with you.”

“I guess there wasn’t any real treasure…” Joe said disheartedly.

“I’m not enough?”

“Sure, but you’re not pirate gold… pantaloons…”

“What do you know about pantaloons?” Adam asked in surprise.

“Isn’t that what they call pirate gold?”

“That’s doubloons,” Adam laughed.

“Oh. What are pantaloons?”

“I think you should ask Pa that question, when you’re older. Are you ready to head home?”

“Sure,” Joe replied as the last of his tears had died. Even if his father and brother had forgotten about his birthday, at least Adam hadn’t.

*****

As they rode, Adam explained why it had taken him so long to return… saying goodbye to friends, there were so many parties celebrating their graduations, and he wanted to spend considerable time with his grandfather; who knew if he’d ever be able to travel east, again. Their conversations floated to what Joe had been up to since the last letter Adam received before he left Boston.

“By the way,” Adam began to ask, “What are those flour sacks for?”

“I was gonna use them to carry my treasure.”

“Don’t think I’d fit inside,” Adam answered.

“Nah, ‘sides you wouldn’t want to, you’d get all caked with flour,” Joe responded with a giggle.

*****

Upon entering the yard, Adam and Joe began to lead their horses into the barn.

“I’ll take care of your horses for you,” Charlie said as he reached for the reins and nodded to the eldest son that all was as planned. “I can smell Hop Sing’s cooking from here, and you don’t want to be late.”

“Charlie’s right, Adam. Hop Sing threatens to go back to China whenever we’re not there when he puts food on the table.”

“Okay,” Adam laughed as Joe fell into step beside him. It felt good to be home, and he couldn’t wait.

Adam reached the door first and opened it, allowing his youngest brother to enter in front of him.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” assaulted Joe’s ears, causing him to jump back into the expectant arms of his oldest brother.

“Gotcha!” Adam whispered. “We got you good.”

Joe looked around the great room, gaily decorated with streamers and a large banner above the fireplace reading, “Happy Birthday, Joe!” On the low table in front of the fireplace were a multitude of presents of all shapes and sizes from all their friends who were in attendance.

“B-b-but?!” Joe stuttered as his Pa and Hoss approached, both with large smiles across their faces. Adam grinned and nodded, their plan had worked to perfection.

“Happy Birthday, Joseph,” Ben greeted as he held out his arms to which Joe eagerly jumped into them.

“Happy Birthday, Shortshanks,” Hoss offered as he slapped his brother on the back. “I think we got him, Pa… He’s speechless.”

“You… You… You didn’t forget,” Joe answered as he wrapped his arms around his father’s neck.

“Never. Can you forgive us?”

“You planned this surprise party all along?”

“Yes, we did. By the way, I hope you’ll put your birthday money to good use.”

“Oh.” Joe was a little disappointed that the money had been intended for him all along, but hey, it was intended for him, he realized as a smile reappeared. “Did Hop Sing bake me a chocolate cake?”

“With chocolate icing,” Hop Sing announced as he waited at the table.

*****

The guests had long left and it was way past Joe’s bed time when Ben finally carried his sleepy, eleven year old son upstairs and placed him in bed.

“Pa?” Joe roused.

“Yes, Joe.”

“Thank you for my surprise birthday party. You really had me going.”

“THAT, was the plan.” Ben poked his son in the chest. “I don’t know how you’ve always done it in the past, but you’ve always figured out what we were trying to plan.”

“You and Hoss, and Adam got me good… Huh…”

“Yes, we did,” Ben answered as he pulled the blankets over his son’s chest.

“Hey Pa, Adam said when I was older I should ask you… and since I’m older… What are pantaloons?”

~The End

Authors Note:

If you’d love to read more of Little Joe and pirates, I highly encourage you to read Frasrgrl’s story (click on the link) Captain Joe.

~ B ~ O ~ N ~ A ~ N ~ Z ~ A

This story was written in response to a Seedling Challenge; however, when it came time to post in the library I realized how prophetic this title was, even though it wasn’t planned.

Never Forgotten alludes to the fact that none of the Cartwrights would ever forget Little Joe’s birthday, and everything in the story led up to the surprise birthday party for the youngest member of the family. But once I decided to post in the library, the title took on another meaning, that we will never forget the men who made such an indelible impression in our lives.

Long live the memories of: Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, and Victor Sen Yung.

~ B ~ O ~ N ~ A ~ N ~ Z ~ A

The prompt given for this July 21^st Seedling Challenge:

Funny, he’d never noticed that loose board before. Squinting curiously, he wedged his fingers underneath and pulled.   It came up easily enough… His eyes widened as he saw…

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