Disclaimer:\u00a0 I only borrow the boys to play for awhile and I always return them in good condition.\u00a0 They belong to themselves and all who love them.<\/em><\/p>\nIt was New Year\u2019s Eve and Adam was alone at the Ponderosa.\u00a0 He had been fighting a cold since before Christmas and three days earlier, his body had finally given in.\u00a0 He had developed a fever and a full-blown cough that had Hop Sing running to bring his famous \u201ccold tonic.\u201d\u00a0 Adam was feeling better by New Year\u2019s Eve, but not well enough to be let out of the house by Pa.\u00a0 He still had a headache and his chest hurt enough that he didn\u2019t want out of bed except on the principle \u201che was never sick.\u201d\u00a0 Pa and both his brothers had offered to stay home and keep him company, but Adam preferred to be miserable in private. He planned to\u00a0 welcome the New Year quietly instead of with food, music and noise.\u00a0 Besides, Hoss and Joe were going to a barn dance\/social in celebration and Pa generally spent the holiday with Paul Martin and his wife, Sheriff Coffee, and Judge Brown and his wife. Finally, everyone had left except Hop Sing, and he was in his room.<\/p>\n
Adam dozed off and on for a couple of hours after the house got quiet, gathering his strength a bit.\u00a0 About 11:30, he got out of bed, dressed in his oldest, warmest clothes, put on slippers and walked downstairs through the warm, dimly lit house and out the backdoor to one of his favorite \u201cthinking places\u201d.\u00a0 He sat down on the bench, placed his feet on the rail and withdrew into his thoughts.<\/p>\n
In a couple of minutes, he heard Hop Sing open the door, scolding as he walked out of the house.\u00a0 Turning, Adam saw that Hop Sing\u2019s arms were full of blankets and pillows.\u00a0 Fussing away, Hop Sing waved Adam off the bench and proceeded to line the seat with the covers, so when Adam reseated himself, he was in a warm cocoon.\u00a0 Then Hop Sing went back in and brought out a cup of hot tea, prepared just the way Adam liked it, and placed it by Adam\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Shaking his head and muttering \u201ccrazy boy\u201d under his breath, Hop Sing returned to his room.<\/p>\n
Adam rested and gazed at the landscape.\u00a0 It had snowed several times in the past weeks, giving the ground a solid cover, but just an hour or so ago, another inch had gently fallen. There were no tracks at all on the pristine white carpet that led to the tall pines, then to the high mountain vista that bordered the back of the house.\u00a0 He gazed at the view he had known since he was a boy, seeing the darkness of the forest, the grandeur of the mountains, and hearing the night sounds of small creatures scrounging for food.\u00a0 He smiled as he listened to the call of the hunting owl in the distance, and the distant howl of a wolf, calling its mate.<\/p>\n
The moon was a thin crescent on the horizon, and the clear, crisp sky was ablaze with stars.\u00a0 Adam spent some time checking out the constellations and reminding himself of the pattern of the stars by which ships at sea navigated, just like Pa had taught him so many years ago.\u00a0 Then he let his mind drift, not trying to think coherently, but remembering bits and pieces of memories, words read in his favorite books, just letting himself enjoy the state of \u201cbeing\u201d.\u00a0 He was\u2019t asleep, but not quite awake either, when he heard noise so familiar that it didn\u2019t even disturb his thoughts.\u00a0 He felt a gentle hand land on his shoulder and looked up to see his big \u201clittle\u201d brother standing over him.<\/p>\n
What you doin\u2019 out here, Adam?\u201d asked Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re gonna catch more cold if you don\u2019t take care.\u201d\u00a0 He slid his hand from Adam\u2019s shoulder to his forehead, checking for fever.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re still a mite warm, and you know Pa\u2019ll have a fit if he finds you out in this weather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled and slid over a bit on the bench, silently inviting Hoss to take a seat.\u00a0 Hoss sat down and put the blanket over himself and Adam, enjoying the warmth, and waited for the questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow come you\u2019re home, Hoss?\u201d asked Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were going to kiss Sarah Jane at midnight and welcome the New Year at the party.\u00a0 Both you and Joe have talked about nothing else for the past two weeks.\u00a0 You were going to see Sara Jane and Joe was going to get the rest of the girls.\u00a0 What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d drawled Hoss, \u201cSarah Jane was sick and didn\u2019t come; the music was loud, and the food was running low.\u00a0 Besides, reckon this is as good a place as any to welcome a new year.\u201d\u00a0 The two brothers smiled at each other and went back to watching the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdam, do you remember your first New Year?\u201d asked Hoss after a time.<\/p>\n
Adam grinned reminiscently and looked at Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cAs a matter of fact, I do\u201d he responded.\u00a0 \u201cI musta been six or so; it was the first winter after Pa married your, I mean, our Ma.\u00a0 We were wintering in St. Joe, where Pa clerked in a store to earn money for our trip west.\u00a0 We had two rooms back of the store; it was the first place I had ever lived for more than a couple of weeks.\u00a0 I loved it; I was in school and had friends and had Pa and Ma.\u00a0 All a boy could ask for, I reckon.<\/p>\n
Anyway, we had just had our first Christmas together.\u00a0 We actually had a tree and everything, another first for me.\u00a0 Around the tree on Christmas Eve, Pa and Ma told me I was going to be a big brother come summer.\u00a0 I was so excited, but I sure didn\u2019t understand where they were going to find the baby, though Pa tried to explain, I guess.\u00a0 I had heard my friends and the grownups talk about New Year\u2019s Eve and I wanted to stay up to see it in.\u00a0 I really thought something special happened on New Year\u2019s, like I would be different or something.\u00a0 Pa, said \u2018No,\u2019 of course.\u00a0 It was too late for me to be up.<\/p>\n
So, I was put to bed at the usual time and fell asleep, even though I tried hard to stay awake.\u00a0 Then, I heard Ma and Pa talking about getting me up for the New Year.\u00a0 Ma thought I ought to greet the New Year with them, so I would know I was part of the family; Pa thought I was too young.\u00a0 Ma won the argument.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam \u2018s face was tender with his good memories.\u00a0 \u201cShe usually did.\u00a0 So they came in and woke me up and wrapped me in a blanket and we went out to sit and watch the clock reach midnight.\u00a0 Pa had glasses with some special something in them; I got milk, but I had a special glass too, one of Ma\u2019s real crystal ones.\u00a0 I was real careful, didn\u2019t want to break it.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, we sat there and watched and listened and the clock struck 12 times and Ma and Pa cried, \u201cHappy New Year\u201d and hugged and kissed each other and me. I couldn\u2019t figure out what all the excitement was about.\u00a0 Everything looked the same to me.\u00a0 I curled up and put my head on Ma\u2019s lap, cause I was tired by then.\u00a0 Then, I felt something move inside Ma, on my face.\u00a0 It felt almost like a butterfly\u2019s wing, kissing my cheek. I jumped and looked up at Ma\u2019s face and she had the funniest look on it.\u00a0 She whispered,\u00a0 \u201cBen, I felt the baby move\u201d and she reached for Pa\u2019s hand to see if he could feel it too.<\/p>\n
That was when I really knew I was going to be a big brother.\u00a0 I knew where the baby was; still didn\u2019t know how it would get out, but I knew nothing would ever be the same again for us.\u00a0 I remember you moving, Hoss, on that New Year\u2019s Eve.\u201d\u00a0 Adam smiled at his brother and continued.\u00a0 \u201cYou were a gift to all of us that year, one of the best gifts I ever got.\u00a0 Course, there were times that I might\u2019ve given you back if I could\u2019ve, especially when you cried half the night or followed me when I told you not to. Guess you are too big to give back now,\u201d\u00a0 he laughed.<\/p>\n
Hoss looked at Adam with shining eyes, now owning Adam\u2019s memory of that special New Year\u2019s Eve too.\u00a0 He loved it when Adam broke out of his reserve enough to share memories of Inger with him.\u00a0 Hoss had no memories of his mother except for Adam\u2019s, and he treasured quiet times when Adam talked to him like this.\u00a0 The two brothers looked back out into the dark night, each busy with his own thoughts on this New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, both heard a noise in the house and the door flew open.\u00a0 Little Joe darted out the door and almost tripped on his brothers, sitting quietly on the bench.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019re you doin\u2019 out here in the cold?\u00a0 Pa \u2018ll have a conniption\u00a0 if he catches you out here, big brother, and he will tell you that you oughta know better, Hoss, than to let him stay.\u201d\u00a0 Even as he rattled on, Joe wiggled his way between his\u00a0 brothers, and snuggled up with them.\u00a0 He had always claimed the spot in the middle, warm and protected by his older, bigger brothers and saw no reason to stop this night.\u00a0 Besides, it was cold out here on the porch.<\/p>\n
Adam and Hoss laughed, rearranged the blankets so everyone was warm, then Adam asked, \u201cThought you had big plans for tonight, Joe?\u00a0 Didn\u2019t you say you were going to eat, drink and make merry \u2018til the cows came home and kiss all the girls for New Year\u2019s Eve?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that was the plan, big brother, but it didn\u2019t quite work that way.\u00a0 Carrie was there and wanted to be my date for tonight.\u00a0 I forgot I\u2018d invited Suzanne to be my date; and then, to make matters worse, Josie Pruitt was back from school and she sure was pretty.\u00a0\u00a0 No matter who I kissed,\u00a0 everyone else was going to be mad at me.\u00a0 So, I just told them that I had to get home \u2018cause you were sick and needed me and they all thought I was so thoughtful and sweet and nobody got mad.\u00a0 Then I come home and find you two on the back porch.\u00a0 What\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam and Hoss laughed at the typical Joe conversation, run-on and in trouble with girls.\u00a0 Hoss said, \u201cWe was just sitting, talking a little about special New Year\u2019s Eves we remember.\u00a0 Hey, Adam, do you remember the New Year\u2019s Eve parties here at the ranch?\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe looked puzzled. \u201cWe have Christmas parties, not New Year\u2019s Eve parties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam smiled a little and said \u201cI know, but we did have a few New Year\u2019s Eve parties to raise the roof.\u00a0 It started after Pa married Marie.\u00a0 The first Christmas after they got married, Pa wanted to have a big Christmas Eve party to kind of get folks used to Marie, but she had other ideas.\u00a0 Your Mama was Catholic, Joe, and she said that Christmas Eve was a religious holiday, for church and family, not for parties.\u00a0 But, she remembered big New Year\u2019s Eve parties in New Orleans, so that\u2019s what they did.\u00a0 Marie and Pa planned a really big wing-ding, and they sure hoped the weather would cooperate so folks could come.\u00a0 Must have invited half of the Nevada Territory to that first party.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you know, Marie and I had lots of problems after she married Pa and I was being a pain about the party, too.\u00a0 Marie had ordered a real suit for me, with a tie and dress shirt and everything.\u00a0 I\u2019d never had a suit like that before and, while a part of me liked the grown-up look it gave me, the brat in me was angry the suggestion came from Marie and not Pa.\u00a0 Anyway, Hoss was still too young to have to wear a suit, but Marie came into my room to be sure I had the tie right, and everything.\u00a0 I had to admit she looked beautiful in an elegant, green gown, with her blond hair piled up on her head.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t look a bit like the other women of the territory, and I knew they would be jealous of how beautiful she was.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big, fancy party and everybody got there just fine.\u00a0 Marie and Hop Sing had worked hard on the food; Pa had his great punch; the house looked sparkly and me and Hoss both had friends coming, so we\u2019d have company our own age.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know how to dance, but I was only 13 and I really didn\u2019t miss it much.\u00a0 As it got close to midnight, everybody started watching the clock so at the sound of the chimes at 12, they could toast each other and kiss the ladies.\u00a0 I watched Pa and Marie and I couldn\u2019t remember ever seeing Pa any happier than he was that night, hugging and looking at Marie, waiting for the kiss.\u00a0 After that, I couldn\u2019t really be sorry Pa had married Marie; she made him so happy.\u00a0 I was confused about how I did feel after that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had big parties every New Year\u2019s Eve after that until Marie . \u2026Well, anyway, you don\u2019t remember the parties, Joe, because you were still real small when they stopped.\u00a0 When I got home from college, Pa and I decided that we should have a Christmas party every year, but not on Christmas Eve.\u00a0 Marie would have haunted us if we tried that.\u00a0\u00a0 New Year\u2019s is always hard for Pa because of the fun Marie brought to the holiday for him.\u00a0 I wish you could have seen how beautiful she looked at those parties, Joe.\u00a0 She glowed, and sometimes you look just like her, when you are having a really good time.\u201d\u00a0 Adam drew a deep breath, smiled at Joe and Hoss, and before he could catch himself, he began to cough.<\/p>\n
Just as Hoss and Joe started to get up, the door opened again and Ben walked out.\u00a0 Without a word, he helped Adam stand and motioned to the other boys to bring the blankets and pillows.\u00a0 Inside the warm great room, Ben eased Adam down on the settee and propped him up with a couple of pillows, covering him with one of the blankets.\u00a0 Hoss went to the kitchen and brought back a glass of water for Adam and Joe held it so Adam could catch his breath and sip it. Adam waved them all back, but the three of them stood until he was breathing easily again, then they all sat down.\u00a0 Ben looked at his three sons and growled, \u201cJust what do you three think you were doing, sitting out in the cold with Adam coughing his head off?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa, I\u2019m all right; it\u2019s just a little cough.\u00a0 Besides, the question is, what are you doing home?\u00a0 You\u2019re supposed to be at the Martins for New Year\u2019s dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben looked sheepishly at his sons and confessed, \u201cI didn\u2019t think Adam ought to be alone on New Year\u2019s Eve.\u00a0 Looks like I had a little company in that view.\u00a0 How come you two are home so early?\u201d\u00a0 Ben had no intention of admitting he had heard much of the conversation on the porch, having not gone to town at all; instead he had been reading quietly in the great room, unseen by his sons.\u00a0 It always touched him deeply that the three boys, each with a different mother, could care so much for each other and still fight like they did sometimes.<\/p>\n
He looked at the clock, and seeing the approach of midnight, reached into his cabinet to take out the fine crystal shot glasses there and a bottle of his very best brandy.\u00a0 Shouting \u201cHop Sing,\u201d he poured five brandies and offered one to each member of the family, including Hop Sing as he entered.\u00a0 Hop Sing had brought a large tray filled with goodies, some sweet and some salty, to satisfy the big appetite, the slightly sick appetite, and the two in between.<\/p>\n
The clock chimed out 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12, and the men counted down each chime.\u00a0 On the stroke of 12, they raised their glasses to toast each other and the New Year.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t really matter where they were; they were with the people who really mattered and the New Year looked good from there.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Summary:\u00a0 What happens on New Year’s Eve when a Cartwright is sick.