Summary:\u00a0 It’s a special birthday for a very special young man.
\nRating: G, Word Count: 757<\/p>\n
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Little Joe\u2019s Seventh Birthday<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, do ya know what day it is tomorrow\u2026do ya?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell now, let me see\u2026sure, that\u2019d be…er\u2026Friday, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess,\u201d said Little Joe, bitterly disappointed at the reply.<\/span><\/p>\n As far as Little Joe was concerned there were two devastating things going on in his life at this moment in time. Firstly, his Pa had been away for well over a week. He missed him so much it hurt, and nobody seemed to know when he would be home..<\/span><\/p>\n Secondly, no-one realised it was his seventh birthday tomorrow and what\u2019s more, they didn\u2019t even appear to care.<\/span><\/p>\n Although the boy was very young, he knew from listening to grown up conversations that his Pa was worried about something and he had to go somewhere far away to try and sort it out. He\u2019d heard his Pa say that things were \u201cDire\u201d. He didn\u2019t know what that meant but he knew it was something his Pa was very worried about. He hated his Father being away from the ranch. He\u2019d been gone for what seemed to the young boy to be ages, he\u2019d even missed Thanksgiving, that\u2019s what had really upset him. He remembered the dinner last year with the big ole fat turkey that Hop Sing had chased for hours and recalled how he felt a bit sorry for the bird when it finally surrendered due to its extreme turkey fatigue. They\u2019d had a wonderful meal with all the trimmings. Everyone had been happy then, but not so this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Adam had tried to make things the way it was as if his father had been at the head of the table, but it wasn\u2019t the same. The thing that made it special was missing, and that was his Pa, whom he adored. Adam had tried so hard to carry out his Father’s wishes, to keep things normal, to make it nice for his brothers. After \u2018doing a deal \u2018 with Hoss, he\u2019d even let his pain of a little brother get the wish bone so he could make a wish, which he did, but even that hadn\u2019t worked…..not yet anyway!<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdam, when IS Pa comin\u2019 home, it\u2019s not fair. Even if YOU don\u2019t know what day it is tomorrow, Pa does.\u201d said the desperate six year old.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI told ya Shortie it\u2019s Friday. Hey, I know now what you\u2019re meanin’. Sorry little brother, I almost did forget, good job you reminded me. Wouldn\u2019t wanna forget somethin\u2019 as important as that would we?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh Adam . I knew you were only joshin\u2019. I really thought…. \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYep…gotta make sure the hands get their wages tomorrow. Jeesh..how popular would I have been if I\u2019d forgotten pay day. Thanks brother, I owe ya,\u201d said Adam smiling to himself. \u201cHoss is here now, wash up \u2018Joseph\u2019 \u201c said Adam trying unconvincingly to sound like his Father, \u201cthen we\u2019ll eat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHoss, do you know what day it is tomorrow?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSure Buddy, it\u2019s your birthday, ain\u2019t got nothin for ya though. You know how things are with money an\u2019 all. Maybe I could do some of yer chores. What d\u2019ya say to that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI guess so,\u201d said Little Joe, thinking how unfair life was. It was to be his seventh birthday, with no presents, and no Pa. He decided there and then that there was little or no justice in his six, going on seven unfair little world.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSorry little brother, I forgot all about your birthday, with everything else going on. Pa bein\u2019 away an all. I\u2019ll get you someth\u2019n real nice next year,\u201d said Adam. \u201cNow eat your food, before it gets cold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That night Little Joe slept soundly, unaware of the \u2018goings on\u2019 downstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n He woke bright and early as he always did but unlike \u2018always\u2019 he stayed in his bed.. He saw no point in going downstairs yet when today was going to be like any other day – no presents, no nothing – he thought!<\/span><\/p>\n Little Joe heard some movement downstairs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSeven-year-old,\u201d shouted Adam, \u201cget your scrawny butt down here. We got someth\u2019n for ya.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The \u2018seven\u2019 year old leaped out of bed, ran onto the landing and skidded to a halt.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPa!\u201d he yelled. \u201cPa\u2026you\u2019re back. It worked, it worked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat worked son?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe wishbone. I wished you\u2019d come back for my birthday, and you did….it worked!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, I guess it did. You didn\u2019t really think I\u2019d be away from home on your birthday now did you son? Besides, if you made a \u201cThanksgiving Wish\u201d, well they always come true!<\/span><\/p>\n ~The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author’s Note:\u00a0 This is a story I wrote many years ago. Thought you might like to read it. It’s just a bit of a fun birthday story.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Brandsters Note:\u00a0 This story was originally posted on BonanzaTrailRiders.\u00a0 We are happy to provide this story with a new home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n