Summary:\u00a0 It was just a school project, something in which Hoss wanted to excel.<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (1,900 words)<\/p>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 School Project<\/strong><\/p>\n The door flew open and banged against the dresser behind the door. Hoss jumped through the entrance and toward the stairs with a big rootstock under his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Hoss what\u2019s that?\u201c<\/p>\n The boy froze in the middle of the room and turned around to face his father. \u201cHmmm, it\u2019s a rootstock, Pa,\u201d he answered hesitantly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I can see that, but I meant the banging of the door. There are other ways to enter the house, aren\u2019t there? And in our family we prefer those.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay Pa. Sorry, \u201d was the quick response and the boy headed towards the stairs again.<\/p>\n \u201cSon, I\u2019m not done with you yet.\u201d Ben could see his son was getting a little nervous.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have time Pa. I have to \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened again, and Adam entered the house.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see Hoss, that\u2019s the way we enter,\u201d Ben stated.<\/p>\n Before Adam could close the door smoothly, it got hit from the outside and banged against the sideboard behind the door again.<\/p>\n \u201cOh here you are!\u201d called the youngster of the family jumping excitedly to join Hoss in the middle of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph!\u201d<\/p>\n The little boy stood there with boots, dirty all the way up to his hips.<\/p>\n \u201cYes Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t slam the door open like you did. Why can only half of the family enter like a normal human being?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa, Hoss won\u2019t let me play with him.\u201d Joe changed the subject because he really didn\u2019t care about doors.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t Joe, you\u2019re too small,\u201d Hoss proclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not! Look, I grew this much today.\u201d The youngest held his fingers up to show his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you grew because of all this dirt under your boots.\u201d Adam pointed to his baby brother\u2019s dirty marks he left in the entrance. \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his boots. \u201cOh,\u201d was the only thing Joe said as he realized the mess. \u201cBut anyway, I\u2019m not too small.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes you are! I don\u2019t want you with me,\u201d Hoss replied impatiently and blurted out.<\/p>\n Ben cleared his throat. \u201cHoss that\u2019s not nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s the truth.\u201d He stomped with one foot and was on his way to getting angry. A mood whitch was rarely seen with Hoss.<\/p>\n Ben glanced at Adam but his oldest just raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a school project Pa,” Hoss spoke up again. “And Joe will only be desturbing me or he will destroy it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo I won\u2019t. I can help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are disturbing!\u201d<\/p>\n Now it was the little one who looked angry; tears begun to fill his eyes and the corners of his mouth dipped.<\/p>\n \u201cSee, Pa, I\u2019m not very smart at mathematics and reading. But this school project is different. I know I could do good at this one and for just once I don\u2019t want to be the loser.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben again looked to his oldest son. In this case they couldn\u2019t argue. \u201cAdam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa, I have to prepare to leave for college. I can\u2019t look after Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe dropped himself to the floor, and now the tears ran down his cheeks. Ever since his mother had died in a riding accident he was clinging to any family member.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, as far as I\u2019m concerned, I have to finish those timber contracts. Since you are going to leave, Adam, I’ll have to do this to make sure we keep the ranch running.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed and shook his head while watching his two little brothers. \u201cOkay, Pa, let\u2019s make<\/span>\u00a0a deal. How long will it takes you on these contracts? I can keep an eye on Joe for the next hour. After that it\u2019s your turn and after dinner we can have a family night. There aren\u2019t many evenings left to share untill I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked from Ben to Hoss to Joe and back to Ben. \u201cHow is that?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned towards Joe and grabbed him under his arms to pull him to his feet. He knelt down to meet his baby brother at the same level, and wiped away the tears. \u201cSo what do you wanna do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanna see what Hoss is doing,\u201d moaned the little boy and eyed Hoss across Adam\u2019s shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m not too small,\u201d he whispered again and huddled against Adams chest.<\/p>\n \u201cSee, Joe, there are some things you really aren\u2019t grown up enough for. It\u2019s like with my room. I don\u2019t want you in there when I\u2019m not around because of the books I have in there. Some of them are pretty expensive and not meant for figure drawing in them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut at night I can come?\u201d the little one asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Joe. If there are any monsters in your room or you have nightmares, you know you\u2019re allowed to come.\u201d Adam stroked his brothers\u2019 hair.<\/p>\n Joe by then watched Hoss mount the stairs and disappear toward his room.<\/p>\n Later that evening, Adam was sitting in his room and studied some of the recommendations concerning his start at the university. But he couldn\u2019t really focus on the topic. The family had spent time after dinner by the fireplace. Adam had watched his younger brothers fooling around and his father watching them. In one way he felt remorse for leaving his family. Since Marie had died Ben was trapped between business and family. He tried to balance all the demands, but it wasn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n Adam felt as if he would betray his father and brothers by leaving for his own dreams. He glanced across his room. There were so many things he would miss. The view out to the back yard from his window, the little paintings, which Joe used to make for him and which Adam had tacked over this desk. The house itself, built particular for the Cartwright family.<\/p>\n For the past six years this was his own private room, the only one he had ever known after having grown up in wagons, tents and rented lodgings for a couple days. He sighed and shook his head. This was his home. Adam\u2019s glance went further through the room and then it stopped at his bed, and his eyes grew wider.<\/p>\n What the hell was that?, he thought. His blanket was covered with little black crumbs. But wait, those crumbs were moving! Adam rose from his seat to inspect it closer. Ants! There were ants all over his bed linen. \u201cOh, come on!\u201d Adam shouted angrily. Where in darnation were those little insects coming from?<\/p>\n He checked the window but there were no signs of entrance. As he stepped to the door to check it for the bugs\u2019 entrance there was a soft knock.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Joe, it\u2019s a real bad moment to come right now,\u201d Adam said opening the door, knowing his baby brother was on the other side. \u201cSomehow, a couple of ants found their way into my bed. First, I have to find the source of this mess and then clean it out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, here it is!\u201d Joe shouted excitedly. \u201cHoss hid that rootstock.\u201d The little boy crept beneath the bed to pull out the wood. Immediately, the ants were all over his nightshirt.<\/p>\n Adam stepped out of his room and stomped to the next door. He entered without knocking. \u201cHOSS!\u201d<\/p>\n Scared, Hoss jumped from his bed and watched his big brother. \u201cHoss, what the hell is that rootstock doing in my room?\u201d<\/p>\n The boy swallowed hard.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d Ben arrived in the hallway. \u201cWhat\u2019s all this shouting for in the middle of the night?\u201d<\/p>\n Little Joe came around the corner his nightshirt still covered with ants. \u201cPa it\u2019s itchy. Can you take it away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d Ben knelt in front of his youngest. \u201cAdam!\u201d He glanced at his oldest.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss!\u201d Adam pointed at the middle one.<\/p>\n \u201cSchool project!\u201d Hoss shrugged and portrayed an innocent look.<\/p>\n Ben tried to keep some distance from Joe, who tried on his part to huddle against his father. \u201cAnd what exactly is this school project about Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell Pa it\u2019s a perfect project.\u201d Hoss remarked excitedly. \u201cIt\u2019s perfect for me \u2018cause we live on this huge ranch so I can do a really good job on this project and \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d Ben interrupted his son, \u201cjust what is the topic?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about animals and their home, Pa and I chose \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were choosing ants, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Pa, \u2018cause they are as busy as we are on the ranch and they work as a team like we and our hands do,\u201d Hoss reported still excited and very happy.<\/p>\n The four Cartwrights stood in the hallway, and Adam watched his family from one to the next and back. Well, yes, he would miss them, and some memories they shared, he would remember better than others. He just shook his head and turned to his father. Ben had given in to Joe\u2019s moaning and held the little one in his arms. Now the bugs were everywhere over both of them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s itchy, Pa,\u201d Joe said hugging his father wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Joe,\u201d Ben answered making a face and gazed at Adam. They both rolled their eyes and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy my room Hoss? Why did you have to hide that rootstock in my room?\u201d Adam turned to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, Adam, you told Joe he would not be allowed in your room, so I thought in my own room Joe would discover the rootstock and could destroy my project. I\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t mean any harm.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you didn\u2019t. Well, I think I\u2019ll take that wood where it belongs, out in the yard. And then I\u2019ll clean up my room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can help you Adam. I can take the rootstock outside,\u201d Hoss volunteered.<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d Ben interfered. \u201cYou two are the ones who are still clean of these ants. Joe and I will take that wood outside. After that, the two of us will have to take a bath.\u201d He watched Joe with a smile. The boy, nearly asleep, was suddenly back in the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cBath?\u201d He wrinkled his nose. \u201cMiddle in the night? Do I have to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said it\u2019s itchy. Or isn\u2019t it anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it still is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo then it\u2019s the way we have to do it. But in recompense, you may carry this important school project out.\u201d Ben turned to Adam. \u201cYou can sleep downstairs in the guest room. Hoss will clean out your room tomorrow.\u201d And addressing his middle son he emphasized, \u201call of it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir!\u201d came the sheepish answer.<\/p>\n \u201cNow close all the doors so the ants can\u2019t go anywhere, otherwise the whole house will be infested. Joe and I’ll take care of that rootstock. Good night.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam spent the rest of the night in the large bed of the guest room. But he didn\u2019t spend the night all by himself. At least he didn\u2019t have to share it with some ants. Shortly after the bath, Joe came to cuddle up next to him, and later on it was Hoss, who too, came to apologize once again. His bad conscience didn\u2019t let him rest in his own bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss,\u201d Adam whispered because Joe was already asleep between them, \u201cHoss you will do good at this school project, and I know you will do good on the ranch and helping Pa when I\u2019m away.\u201d<\/p>\n The middle son smiled at his big brother proudly. Life would be different without Adam for sure. But he, Hoss, would do very well with this school project. If Adam was saying that, it just had to be so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright, Ben Cartwright,\u00a0 Hoss Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright<\/p>\n