{"id":2354,"date":"2008-09-18T09:34:04","date_gmt":"2008-09-18T13:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2354"},"modified":"2026-07-29T12:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:05:39","slug":"making-an-effort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=2354","title":{"rendered":"Making an Effort (by Dodo)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: <\/span>A Joe story for Valentine’s Day<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span> K+\u00a0 Word Count:\u00a0 1797<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\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 \u00a0Making An Effort<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe Cartwright studied his reflection in the mirror.\u00a0 He stared, hard and unblinking at the unshaven, bleary eyed and wretched looking face; his once boyish good looks no longer evident and replaced by the signs of excess whiskey, lack of sleep and too little food.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t like what he saw but he couldn\u2019t be bothered to look after himself these days.<\/p>\n

It was just too much effort.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Joe readily accepted he was no longer the rational, hard working and good humoured man he once was.\u00a0 Now a bad tempered and emotionally unstable individual; his moods were as changeable as the Nevada weather.\u00a0 No wonder on the rare occasions he went into town old friends and acquaintances made a point of crossing over to the other side of the street rather than face one of his dark staring glares of irritability or sullen bursts of uncalled-for anger.\u00a0 But he couldn\u2019t be bothered to be sociable and pleasant to folk these days.<\/p>\n

It was just too much effort.<\/em><\/p>\n

The unmistakable sound of loud raucous laughter filtered through the air and Joe\u2019s silent miserable musings fleetingly ceased as he looked through his bedroom window onto the yard below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

February 14th had dawned cold and wet, but even the bad weather refused to dampen the spirits of the several ranch hands who were making their way out of the bunkhouse. Tonight was the annual Valentine\u2019s Day dance; a much looked forward to gathering for the citizens of Virginia City and Joe could sense the rising excitement and enthusiasm that emanated from the men as their voices grew louder; all of them washed, changed and spruced up for the occasion.<\/p>\n

They were loyal, hard working Ponderosa employees Joe had known for years.\u00a0 They\u2019d even called him friend once.\u00a0 But no more.\u00a0 Nowadays they neither queried nor argued about orders Joe issued in case they\u2019d face one of his lightening fast volatile tempers that could emerge at any hour of the day or night.\u00a0 And there was no feeling of respect or comradeship shown towards him; the ranch hands having learned to their cost to keep both their distance and their opinions to themselves and from their young boss.<\/p>\n

Joe continued to gaze down through the curtains and watched the men mount their horses and then quickly canter out of sight.\u00a0 He sighed deeply as he sank down onto his bed.\u00a0 He missed and longed for their camaraderie once more, but Joe couldn\u2019t be bothered to change his ways and become the Little Joe of old again.<\/p>\n

It was just too much effort.<\/em><\/p>\n

He closed his eyes and his thoughts lingered on his father who\u2019d been forced to watch the son he loved more than life itself slowly disintegrate in front of his eyes and turn into the wretched individual he\u2019d become.\u00a0 But even though Joe had known he was breaking his heart he couldn\u2019t be bothered to mend his ways and return to being the Joseph his father once cherished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was just too much effort.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly a vision of loveliness floated around in Joe\u2019s mind\u2019s eye.\u00a0 It was the face of the woman he loved.\u00a0 He\u2019d been thinking a lot about her lately; feeling guilty because he hadn\u2019t visited her for such a long time.\u00a0 But no amount of pleading or cajoling from his father would persuade Joe to go see her.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t\u2026he wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 It was as if it was just too much of an effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But today was Valentine\u2019s Day\u2026a celebration of love between a man and a woman.\u00a0\u00a0 She would be broken hearted and hurt beyond belief to think he couldn\u2019t make the effort for her sake after all she\u2019d gone through.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t deserve to be treated in such a callous way.\u00a0 Surely he could do something to show her how much he still cared?\u00a0 After all hadn\u2019t he once vowed that nothing would be too much trouble\u2026too much of an effort for the woman he loved?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feeling shame and disgust at the kind of man he\u2019d turned into Joe bit back the tears of depression that had saturated his pillow every night since he\u2019d last seen her smiling face.\u00a0 And it was then as if by a miracle Joe suddenly found an inner strength.\u00a0 In that instant he knew what he could to do\u2026what he would do\u2026.what he had to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He pushed off the bed and rushed downstairs into the wash house, leaving an open mouthed Hop Sing staring after him as he claimed all the hot water his housekeeper could provide.\u00a0 And as he filled up the tin bath and then took a long leisurely soak Joe slowly and meticulously shaved away the untidy stubble that had darkened his jaw then scrubbed away the trail dust and the smell of horses and cattle that seemed to have permanently followed him around for months.\u00a0 It felt good to feel refreshed and human again.\u00a0 He was glad he\u2019d made the effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe returned to his room and looked around for something suitable and appropriate to wear.\u00a0 He immediately noticed a pristine white shirt that had been expertly ironed and folded tidily away in a drawer and his best suit that hung without a crease in the wardrobe.\u00a0 For a moment his resolve weakened as he recalled the last time he\u2019d worn the blue jacket and pants.\u00a0 But this was not the time for sad reflection and gritting his teeth with determination he shook off the mantle of gloom that threatened to overwhelm him.\u00a0 And so with strength of purpose he didn\u2019t realise he still had he quickly dressed then reached over towards an array of various sized bottles on his dressing table and selected one; pouring out a small amount of liquid into the palm of his hands.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As he splashed the Bay Rum cologne around his freshly shaved chin it momentarily stung and Joe grimaced slightly.\u00a0 He was unused to the short sharp pain after so long, but as the pleasant smelling odour permeated he took a deep breath and ran a smoothing hand over his face, nodding with silent approval at the scent.\u00a0 It felt good to be clean shaven again and he was glad he\u2019d made the effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then as he drew a comb through his long curly locks Joe gave a smile of remembrance.\u00a0 Before he was considered old enough to make up his own mind, he\u2019d been forcibly frog-marched and sometimes even carried to the one place he refused to enter peaceably.\u00a0 And the ongoing war of wills between Joe and his father and brothers had been an entertaining and much looked forward to diversion for the citizens of Virginia City on the days the youngest Cartwright was dragged into town to have a haircut.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In fact Joe had raged a running battle with his Pa for as many years as he could remember at his unwillingness to visit the barber on a regular basis and keep his hair short and tidily trimmed.\u00a0 But as he glanced in the mirror Joe noticed his hair was longer and more unruly than it had ever been and he could imagine his father biting back many a retort over the past months about its length; keeping silent rather than incur his son\u2019s wrath.\u00a0 Joe gave a silent chuckle.\u00a0 Maybe a visit to the barbers was in order sooner than later he mused wryly as he wetted and slicked his hair down into place so it looked half way presentable.\u00a0 But until then it would have to do and at least\u00a0 he\u2019d made the effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He glanced down at his boots.\u00a0 They were his favourite pair; old and comfortable and also covered in mud.\u00a0 Joe gave a sigh of vexation as he pulled out a cloth and began to gently wipe away the dirt.\u00a0 But when they eventually gleamed with the polishing Joe nodded with approval.\u00a0 It had been worth the effort.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He was finally ready at last. It had been a long time since he\u2019d studied himself in the full length mirror and Joe hardly recognised the well groomed figure that stared back.\u00a0 Gone was the slovenly dressed, grey faced and bitter man he\u2019d been and Joe smiled softly with satisfaction after making the effort.\u00a0 But still he was unable to stop a nervous trembling, knowing the time had now come to face his father and the woman he loved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So taking a deep calming breath Joe made his way downstairs.\u00a0 And as Ben looked up from his chair his eyes widened in shocked surprise; hardly able to believe what he was seeing.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t remember the last time he\u2019d seen his son dressed so elegantly and looking so well-turned out.\u00a0 \u201cGoing somewhere Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe flashed his father a smile so rarely seen in the past months.\u00a0 \u201cYes Pa, I\u2019ve got a date.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ben furrowed his brow in puzzlement when suddenly the significance of his son\u2019s choice of clothes hit the keen eyed Ben and he instinctively knew.\u00a0 He moved towards him and placed his hand gently around his neck in a loving embrace.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019ve made the effort at last Joseph,\u201d he told him with a quivering voice.\u00a0 \u201cGive her my love.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe nodded.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI will Pa\u2026and everything\u2019s gonna be fine from now on\u2026I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Then as Ben watched with a moistened gaze Joe gave a farewell wave and disappeared through the front door, leaving a relieved father alone to brush away tears and give thanks that the love of a good woman had returned his son back to him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The rain stopped and a full moon shone down brightly, guiding the way as Joe rode from the ranch house; butterflies fluttering uneasily inside his stomach.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eventually he arrived at his destination and after dismounting Joe automatically brushed away dust from his coat.\u00a0 He wanted to impress her\u2026show her that he\u2019d made the effort.\u00a0 He began to walk slowly at first but as the corners of his mouth twitched with remembrance of her loving smile his pace quickened.\u00a0 Then he stopped before her, took a deep breath and reverentially knelt down.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There was still pain in his heart, but as a vision of his lost love flashed across Joe\u2019s mind, for the first time since she\u2019d left him he was able to smile contentedly at what he\u2019d had rather than cry with despondency for what he\u2019d lost.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry I haven\u2019t been to see you lately, but I found it hard to cope once you\u2019d gone,\u201d he whispered as his fingers gently caressed a smooth white head stone.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ve made an effort and even dressed up in my wedding suit for you tonight Alice. I just hope it\u2019s not too late to be your Valentine\u2026forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: A Joe story for Valentine’s Day<\/p>\n

Rated: K+\u00a0 Word Count:\u00a0 1797<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,1007,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","category-romance","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-3-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Heart-01.jpg?fit=370%2C584&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}