{"id":4504,"date":"2009-03-28T18:09:21","date_gmt":"2009-03-28T22:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4504"},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:13:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T17:13:29","slug":"a-gift-of-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4504","title":{"rendered":"A Gift Of Memories (by Storm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Here is my story for the March challenge.\u00a0 A trip taken in secret causes an argument between Ben and Adam.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0WC \u00a01700<\/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 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0A Gift of Memories<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben awoke to a noise coming from downstairs. He knew it was late, very late, so he cautiously made his way down the steps ready to defend his sleeping sons with his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cADAM?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam was startled by his father\u2019s presence. \u201cPa! I\u2026we\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou what Adam? Joe, Hoss get on up to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph go to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss take your brother and go before I make you stay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave his brothers a weak smile. \u201cGo on up I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

As his anger kindled Ben stared into the dying fire while he waited for his youngest sons to get to their room. Once he heard the door close he turned his attention to his eldest son. \u201cI don\u2019t know where to begin Adam. I know you wanted to go to Carson City but I thought I explained to you how I couldn\u2019t miss this meeting in Virginia City. I did try to make it home early and even though I thought I had when I arrived and found the house dark I, wrongfully it appears, assumed you were all in bed. I decided not to disturb you, besides I was exhausted and I had faith in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know pa\u2026\u201d Adam had seen his father like this before. He knew the more he tried to explain the angrier his father would become and the less likely it would be that he would get a word in. The best thing to do was to let his father rant until he\u2019d gotten it all out then calmly try to give a reason for leaving the house at such an hour with his two younger brothers. At least the time his father took in yelling would give him time to come up with a good one.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what?! You gave me your word you\u2019d watch your brothers! I trusted you and you\u2019ve gone on to betray that trust!\u201d<\/p>\n

Those words hurt and despite what Adam knew was the best way to handle this that pain made him defensive and angry. \u201cNo I haven\u2019t! I watched them all night just like I said!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes me feel so much better! Did you take them into the saloon with you!? Dear God I hope it\u2019s the only place you took them!\u201d<\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe sat on the bed listening to the angry words being said between their father and brother. They both knew that if their pa only knew the truth he\u2019d stop yelling. They knew he would understand. So neither could grasp the reason why Adam just didn’t tell him the truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss you don\u2019t think Adam\u2019ll go away again do ya\u2019?\u201d Because despite what Joe may say the thought of his brother leaving again scared him. Especially now that things were finally getting to be like they were before he\u2019d left. It had taken Joe a little while to trust that his brother was really home to stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Joe you know Adam only left to go to school. When he was done he came back just like he promised he would.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah but he and pa yelled a lot at each other then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was only cause pa didn\u2019t want Adam to go.\u201d Hoss could have said it was more because their pa couldn\u2019t stand the thought of one more empty chair bein\u2019 that Joe\u2019s ma had died not that long before Adam was suppose to leave. \u201cYou remember how once pa saw how bad Adam wanted to go he stopped yellin\u2019 about it. Don\u2019t you remember how when Adam left he and pa hugged right in the middle of the street. They wasn\u2019t fightin no more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they ain\u2019t really fought since Adam got back and that\u2019s almost six months ago now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

By now a silence had fallen downstairs and as both Joe and Hoss thought that it frightened them even more then the yelling had they heard that silence broken by the front door slamming shut. They both sat breathlessly waiting to hear whose footsteps would come up the steps. When they recognized them to be their father\u2019s they knew what they had to do.<\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

Ben sat up and waited for his eldest son to return. It made him remember how many times during the four years previous he had spent doing the same. Alright maybe he hadn\u2019t sat up but each night had been filled with the same anxiety, the same question. Would Adam return? Ben closed his eyes and lowered his head. \u2018Lord please bring him home to me once again and I will do whatever you want me to. I promise I will find a way to repent for this sin of mistrusting my own son.\u2019<\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

\u201cPa shouldn\u2019t you be in bed? I thought you said you were exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was.\u201d But the fear of losing you has awakened me as nothing else could.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gather they told you the reason for our trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, why didn\u2019t you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be much of a surprise if I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell it will still be a surprise; they didn\u2019t exactly tell me what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have been hard for them to since they don\u2019t exactly know what it is. Are they still sleeping?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had better be seeing as to how late they got to bed and also seeing how early it still is. Adam why did you leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam wasn\u2019t sure if his father meant tonight or four years ago. He supposed the answer he was about to give could fit either question. \u201cI figured it was better then staying and saying things I would regret. Pa would you like to find out what it is? After all it is after midnight so officially it is your birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I guess it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa I\u2019m sorry for all the trouble but I wanted this gift to be extra special seeing how it\u2019s your first birthday since I\u2019ve come home. I asked grandfather to send it and it should have been here in more then enough time but as so often happens things were delayed. I had planned on picking it up when I was in Carson City last week but it didn\u2019t arrive on the stage it was scheduled to. I left money for them to send me a wire the minute it got in. That\u2019s why Tim was here this afternoon he said he\u2019d gotten that wire and that it had arrived today. I asked Tim to wire them to let them know that I would be in to pick it up and to not close up until I got there. I found a note on the stage line\u2019s office door telling me where to go to pick up my box. I woke the man up and I think I scared his wife. After she had chastised me for having two young boys out at such an hour she gave us all some cookies and milk. And once Joe had confessed as to why we were there she even apologized for scolding me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill Adam you could have told me. I would have preferred a ruined surprise then the regret I now feel at the things I said to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa forget it. I just really wanted this to be a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t forget it. I\u2019m sorry Adam and I promise I will never again doubt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

There fell an awkward silence and where once Ben would have taken his son into his arms without hesitation he now saw that while the man standing before him would always be his son he was no longer his little boy.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa wait here and I\u2019ll go get your gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

Adam laid the box on the table before his father. Unlike the gifts Joe and Hoss had Adam knew his father would more then likely want to open this one in private.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to open it to find out, but before you do I want you to know that I first saw this while I was staying with grandfather and he told me how when we left Boston to start west there were so many things you wanted take but that you left behind knowing that to take them would be too difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI took with me the only thing I needed Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well when I saw these I knew I should bring them to you but in all the excitement of graduation and coming home I forgot. Then when I was trying to think of what I could get you for your birthday I remembered these and I wrote to grandfather asking him to send them. The rest of the story you know. Now I think I\u2019ll go on up to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you even want to see me open it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but I think letting you open it alone is the best gift I can give you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I said I would never doubt you didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes you did pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stared at his son questioningly as he headed up the stairs.<\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

Ben looked at the box before him. It had caused so much trouble and Ben thought that one way to avoid any more was to try to never again question his son\u2019s actions, at least around his birthday. He lifted the lid off of the box and couldn\u2019t believe his eyes. He would have thought they would have been thrown out long ago. He knew that to someone else they would have appeared to be nothing more then a stack of old, worthless papers but he knew what they were without reading a single word. He could still smell the perfume she had scented each letter to him with. He tenderly lifted the pile out of the box and untied the green ribbon that she must have put the bow into with her own hands. He unfolded the top letter in the pile and was drawn to the bottom of the page. He tenderly caressed the words that were there. It was how she had signed every letter to him and it stirred his heart just as much now as it had then.<\/p>\n

\u2018I miss you my love and until we meet again know you have my heart and I will remain forever your faithful Elizabeth\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Here is my story for the March challenge.\u00a0 A trip taken in secret causes an argument between Ben and Adam. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0 K+ \u00a0WC \u00a01700<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":3478,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[39,23,30,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chaps-spurs","category-drama","category-prequels","category-challenges","wpcat-39-id","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1756,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7598,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7598","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":0},"title":"A Blue Plate Special (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"May 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0A chipped blue plate holds memories for Ben and a lesson for his son. Rated:\u00a0 K+\u00a0 Word count:\u00a01317","rel":"","context":"In "Ben \/ Adam"","block_context":{"text":"Ben \/ Adam","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1016"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/blue-plate.jpg?fit=598%2C598&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/blue-plate.jpg?fit=598%2C598&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/blue-plate.jpg?fit=598%2C598&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5436,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5436","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":1},"title":"Forever Ben (by deansgirl)","author":"deansgirl","date":"June 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0As Ben Cartwright lies dying his sons each recall a special moment that they shared with their father.\u00a0 A special Father's Day story, the companion holiday story to A Rose For Marie. \u00a0 Rated:\u00a0K+ (4,290 words) Ben and Marie Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Fathers-Day.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4836,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=4836","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":2},"title":"The Magic Of Christmas (by Storm)","author":"storm","date":"December 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Here is my Christmas story I hope you like it. \u00a0 Rated: K+ \u00a01800","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/4Cartwrights.jpg?fit=849%2C541&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5514,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=5514","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":3},"title":"Great Minds (by deansgirl)","author":"deansgirl","date":"May 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0It's Christmas time on the Ponderosa and the family is ready to exchange gifts. Rated: K+ (2,440 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Drama"","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16257,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=16257","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":4},"title":"Home at Last (by Christy)","author":"Christy","date":"December 9, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: \u00a0Ben has waited anxiously for Adam and Joe to return from the war. Adam comes home carrying a secret that has virtually destroyed him and Joe at the same time. How will the family go on? Rated:\u00a0PG\u00a0 (19,150 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/civilwar.jpg?fit=384%2C348&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7721,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7721","url_meta":{"origin":4504,"position":5},"title":"Happy Birthday, Hoss! (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"May 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: It\u2019s Hoss\u2019s first birthday, and Adam\u2019s determined it will be special. 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