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The Greatest Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n Anna Sullivan paused as she strolled along the boardwalk. Up ahead of her was Ben Cartwright\u2019s youngest boy and his face was pushed up against the mercantile window. She wondered just what on earth he could be doing outside the store as it was far too cold for his father to have left him there. Curiosity got the better of her and she began to walk towards him once more.<\/p>\n Joe heard the footsteps approaching and he looked up to see who it was. Anna was shocked to see the stricken look on his face and she hurried forward and crouched down in front of the child. Joe gulped as she stopped and before he could stop himself, his bottom lip began to wobble.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Joe, is something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head and chewed on his lip to hold it still.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s traitorous lip gave him away and tears began to trail silently down his cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just about to head into the mercantile to see if my order has come in. Is your father inside? Or one of your brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head again as he scrubbed his free hand across his face.<\/p>\n \u201cThen what are you doing out here alone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not. I\u2019m \u2026 I\u2019m s\u2019posed to \u2026\u201d Joe sucked in a sharp breath and the tears welled up once again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, my mama always says a problem shared is a problem halved. I\u2019m sure that whatever it is can be sorted out if you would just tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe began to shake his head once more.<\/p>\n \u201cCould you tell your pa what\u2019s wrong? Or Adam maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNuh uh! I can\u2019t tell neither of them!\u201d<\/p>\n Anna barely withheld a smile as she could not imagine what terrible crime the child could not confess.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why don\u2019t you tell me? I\u2019m usually pretty good at solving problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Anna moved over to sit on the bench under the window and she patted at the spot next to her. Joe reluctantly shuffled over to sit next to her and hung his head as if he was facing execution.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s goin\u2019 away.\u201d The words were so soft that Anna wasn\u2019t sure she had heard correctly. \u201cNext week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I heard. I suppose you will miss him dreadfully.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s gonna be mad at me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMad at you? Whatever for?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe kicked his boots against the leg of the bench and twisted his fingers together.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s got presents for Adam. To say goodbye and to \u2026 to help him remember us. Everyone \u2018cept me.\u201d Joe sniffed as he tried to stop the tears from starting again. \u201cI lost the money that I had. I told Pa I was big enough to come buy Adam\u2019s gift myself but I lost the money on the way! Now Adam won\u2019t have nothin\u2019 to remember me by and \u2026 and he\u2019ll forget all about me!\u201d<\/p>\n Anna reached an arm around Joe\u2019s skinny little shoulders and gave him a squeeze.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think Adam needs something to remember you by?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh.\u201d Joe nodded solemnly. \u201cHoss whittled him a horse that looks just like his real one and Pa has something he had all wrapped up and said it\u2019s a surprise. Even Hop Sing says he\u2019s gonna bake Adam a whole wagonload of cookies to take with him.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe rubbed his hands across his face once again and frowned at his boots.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s gonna be gone forever and he ain\u2019t gonna have nothin\u2019 to remember me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you do know that Adam is coming back from college, don\u2019t you? I know it will be a long time, but he will come home again. And when he does, he can\u2019t possibly have forgotten you. \u201c Anna watched as Joe\u2019s shoulders shrugged in response and she tried a different tack. \u201cBut do you know what might help him remember better?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared at her as he shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if you make some memories for him to take with him? That could be your gift that would be very special to your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do I do that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the value of a gift is not always in the monetary value. It\u2019s in the love behind it. Why don\u2019t you find some ways to show Adam how much you love him before he goes away? You don\u2019t need one penny to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n For the first time since she\u2019d spotted him, Joe didn\u2019t look completely forlorn. A few minutes later she watched as the boy trotted across the street towards where he was supposed to meet his father. She shook her head and smiled as she stepped into the mercantile.<\/p>\n \u201cNobody could possibly forget you, Little Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n It seemed like such a good idea and Joe had spent the ride home deep in thought of just how he could show Adam he loved him. Ben had wondered if his son was sickening for something with the change in the weather as he was so quiet. The weather was certainly turning as the last fall leaf dropped to the ground and the days grew shorter. He hated the idea that Adam would miss Christmas, but it couldn\u2019t be helped if he was going to travel safely to Boston for the start of the school year.<\/p>\n Joe had barely said ten words and Ben reached a hand to check his son\u2019s forehead. Joe shook him off as if surprised by the action and Ben watched closely as Joe tugged at his satchel before he began to remove his horse\u2019s tack. He certainly didn\u2019t feel warm or look unwell, but something was definitely going on. Before he could say anything further, Hoss came and called for his father and the moment was forgotten.<\/p>\n Joe brushed down his horse and as he worked, he noted that Adam\u2019s horse was tethered at the rail and still wearing his saddle and bridle. It was unusual for Adam not to tend to his horse straight away and Joe grinned to himself as he decided he\u2019d help Adam by putting his horse up for the night. He was half way through the job of brushing down Adam\u2019s horse when he heard footsteps coming through the door.<\/p>\n \u201cJust what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe spun around to see Adam glaring at him with his hands on his hips.<\/p>\n \u201cPutting your horse up for you. I figured that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou figured wrong! I only just saddled him as I need to go over to the Morrison\u2019s before dark.\u201d Adam looked irritated as he pulled his saddle and blanket from the rail and began to redo the job that Joe had just undone.<\/p>\n \u201cBut, I \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you really felt that eager to brush down an extra horse, how about Buck? He\u2019s still standing there and Pa isn\u2019t needing him to go anywhere in a hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Joe could respond, Adam climbed up into the saddle and headed for the barn door. Joe stared after him for a few minutes before he kicked at the bottom railing on the stall.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Joe watched carefully all day as he tried to find something else he could do for his brother. Adam was pretty efficient at taking care of his own needs and Joe followed him from a distance trying to see what he could manage. The overnight sleet had turned the yard into a muddy sludge and Adam stopped on the porch to pull his boots off before heading into the house. Joe saw his chance and climbed up onto the porch and lifted up a boot in each hand. With his hands full, he headed for the washhouse. He laid the boots on a bench and then managed to fill an enamel basin with water. He\u2019d forgotten that his own boots were just as muddy as his brother’s and he yelped in surprise when he heard Hop Sing complaining about the mud all over the floor of the washhouse. The boot he held in his hand slipped out of his grasp and plopped into the bowl of water. As Joe tried to fish it out, he heard Hop Sing slip into his native tongue. He didn\u2019t need to understand the words to know he was in trouble and he grasped at the boot once more. The mud was sliding off, but the boot was now full of dirty water.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat naughty boy doing with brother\u2019s boots?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing snatched the offending boot from his hand as he shooed Joe towards the door.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave mud all over! Make big mess! Not have time for foolishment!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe retreated from the washhouse and scarpered towards the house. He was about to open the door when it swung open from within.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are my boots?\u201d Adam stared at him and Joe pointed towards where he could still hear Hop Sing\u2019s rant.<\/p>\n Without thinking, he ducked under Adam\u2019s arm and ran for the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe! Get your boots off!\u201d<\/p>\n By the time he made it to his room, Joe was expecting to hear Adam\u2019s voice thundering after him. After all, boots took forever to dry in front of the fire and the leather became stiff if it wasn\u2019t then softened with salve. Instead of helping, he\u2019d just made a bigger job and Adam was gonna be mad at him all over again.<\/p>\n As he sat on his bed and shivered in the chill air, he decided it was time to stoke up the fire in the grate. Except he\u2019d forgotten to fill the wood boxes. Again. Joe hauled himself off the bed and tried to work out how to get to the woodpile outside without Adam seeing him. He crept down the stairs and cringed as he heard Adam and Hop Sing still in the washhouse. As he gathered an armload of wood, he saw Hop Sing heading for the kitchen and he noted the frown on the man\u2019s face. He\u2019d just have to come up with something else to help Adam that would make a happy memory and not an angry one. He had enough of those already!<\/p>\n As Joe hauled the second load of wood upstairs it struck him that Adam would lay his boots in front of his own fireplace to dry. So that meant he needed a good fire. The fireplace still had glowing coals, but he quickly fed smaller bits of kindling in until they caught alight. He pushed a couple of heavier logs behind the flames and propped them so they would catch from underneath. Suddenly he heard footsteps on the stairs and he gathered the last of the logs and shoved them into the wood box against the wall. He wasn\u2019t watching as the prop underneath the log gave way and the two logs rolled on top of the small flames, quickly smothering them. He raced for the door and pulled it shut behind him as he raced for his own room.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice held a tone of accusation and Joe slowly turned to face him.<\/p>\n \u201cFilling the woodboxes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh huh. Then why are you running out of my room?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked down as he tried to think of a suitable answer.<\/p>\n \u201cMy room\u2019s real cold and \u2026 and I just wanted to get some more wood real fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wood is that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and slowly moved towards the stairs as he tried to skirt around Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n Once he reached the top of the stairs, he bolted. He was almost at the front door when he heard Adam bellow his name.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe! What were you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing came out of the kitchen to see what was going on and he frowned at Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat little boy do now?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s face fell as he saw the front door open. His father and brother had arrived home just in time to hear the commotion.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph.\u201d Ben\u2019s unspoken question hung in the air and Joe eyed the open door as some kind of escape. Before he could make a run for it, Adam appeared at the top of the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cWere you trying to send smoke signals again? My room is full of smoke!\u201d<\/p>\n As all eyes landed on him, Joe burst into tears and ran for the front door, but Hoss grasped his shoulder as he tried to escape.<\/p>\n \u201cLemme go!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot until you tell me what\u2019s going on, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben waited as Joe stopped pulling against Hoss. The child looked up as Adam appeared in front of him and he swiped a hand across his face, desperately trying to stop crying.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam\u2019s gonna forget me, \u2018cause I can\u2019t do nothin\u2019 right!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d Ben\u2019s tone softened as he heard the distress in his son\u2019s comment.<\/p>\n When Joe refused to answer, Ben hooked a finger under his son\u2019s chin and tried again.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, what is going on?<\/p>\n Tears dribbled down Joe\u2019s face as he looked at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cI lost the money to buy Adam\u2019s gift and \u2026 Miss Anna said I could \u2026 she said I could make some memories for Adam instead so\u2019s he\u2019d remember me \u2026 \u2018cept I just keep messin\u2019 them up and now Adam\u2019s gonna forget me!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head as he knelt down in front of Joe. \u201cSo that\u2019s what all this was about. I though you were mad at me and trying to cause trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you to forget me!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chuckled as he squeezed Joe\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no way I could ever forget you, little buddy. You are a one of a kind! Wanna know a secret?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded tentatively as Adam didn\u2019t often share secrets with him anymore.<\/p>\n \u201cI was scared that you\u2019d forget me. It\u2019s a long time for a little kid and I wasn\u2019t sure if you would remember me.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe flung his arms around his brother\u2019s neck as Adam wrapped his arms around Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cCouldn\u2019t never forget you!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n That evening, Joe lay stretched out asleep on Adam\u2019s bed as his brother sat at his desk. There were two pieces of paper laid out before him. He felt his chest constrict as he considered the lists. How different would they look when he returned from college? What would he miss while he was gone? The little boy who had drowned his boots and smoked out his room would be gone. Who would his brothers be when he came home?<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Christmas morning had felt somewhat diminished as each of them looked for the one who was not with them, but Ben knew his son was still travelling towards his own dream in Boston. As he looked around the room at the roaring fire and the huge pine, he knew it was time to share Adam\u2019s last gift.<\/p>\n He called his sons to come and sit by him as he pulled out an envelope from inside his bible.<\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, Adam wrote this because you were worried he could forget you.\u201d<\/p>\n Dear Little Joe and Hoss,<\/p>\n I know I will be gone for a long time and Joe was right that a lot will change in that time. I decided we could help each other to remember and to keep track of those changes so it won\u2019t be a huge shock when I come back. You can keep me updated in your letters.<\/p>\n Love always,<\/p>\n your brother Adam<\/p>\n Ben smiled as he pulled out the sheets of paper behind the letter. There was one for each of his brothers. Adam had written down things such as their height and their favourite food as well as what books they were reading and who their best friend was. There were some categories that almost made him laugh out loud.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam asked that you both write a similar list for him of all the things you remember about him. That way, nothing will be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe jumped to his feet and raced towards his father\u2019s desk. \u201cPa, do you have a pencil here?\u201d<\/p>\n Soon, both boys were sitting at the table as Hoss wrote down the things they remembered about Adam. Ben leaned back in his chair and watched the flames dancing in the fireplace. Whatever gift Little Joe had planned to buy for his brother had nothing on the gift his sons had given each other.<\/p>\n Click here for the 2018 Advent Calendar – Day 6 – Hidden Star by BakerJ<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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