Summary: A Christmas story. Joe and Hoss are heading out to control the herd<\/p>\n
Rating: G\u00a0 Word Count: 3900 <\/p>\n
The Miracle<\/strong><\/p>\n The day was clear<\/strong> and so crisp that it felt like the air I inhaled would hurt my lungs. The pale winter sun provided little warmth and reflected off the snow, making my eyes water and vision difficult. Sighing in exasperation, I rubbed the moisture away before it could freeze to my eyelashes. I couldn’t remember when I had ever experienced a winter this cold. That was why Hoss and I checked the herd today, the day before Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n We were relieved to see the cattle were doing well, but if it kept snowing like this, we would have to start feeding them hay. Although they were in the lower pastures with less deep snow, they would soon have trouble finding food.\u00a0After seeing that the herd was fine, we rode a little higher up, hoping to shoot some game. First, Hoss had been reluctant, but the prospect of a nice piece of roasted wild sheep made him agree.<\/p>\n “What a pity! Not a single animal to be seen. We’ll have to make do with the turkey!” I heard the disappointment in his voice.<\/p>\n “Yeah, but it’s beautiful out here!” Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the sun tickling my face.<\/p>\n An icy wind caught the collar of my sheepskin-lined jacket, and I reached up to pull the scarf tighter around my neck. As we made our way through the mighty pines, the snow squeaked under the horses’ hooves, reminding me of the tone when Hoss tried to play the fiddle.<\/p>\n When I was little, he told me that you could tell the temperature by the sound of the snow when you walked on it. It would crunch, screech, or sound soggy. Adam added something about snowflakes and air bubbles, but of course, Hoss and I didn’t listen and preferred to make snowballs and bomb him with them. Remembering hitting him on the ear and the icy slush running down his collar made me chuckle.<\/p>\n “Come, Hoss, let`s go back. I’m freezing my butt off here!”<\/p>\n “You should have eaten some more fatback for breakfast, Little Brother. Fat will warm you up.”<\/p>\n “It especially warms your horse that has to carry your weight!”<\/p>\n “Why, you little brat …”<\/p>\n With a giggle that echoed off the surrounding mountains, I kicked Cochise in the side. He was nervous and gave a reluctant snort. White clouds of breath rose from his nostrils and froze on the fur of his muzzle, which looked as if covered in powdered sugar.<\/p>\n “Slow down, Joe! Something’s wrong. This slope is steep, and my stomach has a strange feeling.”<\/p>\n “Maybe hunger?”<\/p>\n I giggled again at my joke, but a glance over my shoulder showed me Hoss’ serious expression. He let his gaze wander over the hills, squinting against the brightness.<\/p>\n Of course, we could have sent two ranch hands to check on the herd, but I figured Pa wanted some peace for a while and thought the trip would help me get rid of some of my energy. The blizzard confined us to the house and barn for the last few days, and sitting around made me nervous and restless.<\/p>\n Another gust of frigid wind hit my collar and tugged at my hat. I reached up to pull it tighter and looked around for Hoss. The memory of last night’s talk with Pa made my good mood disappear. Once again, my tongue had been faster than my mind.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It had been a quiet evening.<\/em><\/strong> Pa sat in his favorite red chair with a brandy glass and his Bible on his lap. <\/em><\/p>\n “<\/em>Dadburnit, Joe, you’ve won again!” Hoss yelled, frowning at the checkerboard as I leaned back with a grin. My eyes fell on Pa, who stared into the fire. The spicy smell of his tobacco hung in the air, and he seemed far away.<\/em><\/p>\n “What are you thinking about?” I`d asked.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n “Huh?” he snapped out of his thoughts and took a puff from his pipe. “I’ve just read the Christmas Story and thought about the miracle of Jesus’s birth.”<\/em><\/p>\n “That was a long time ago, Pa. Wonders may have happened in Bible times, but not today.”<\/em><\/p>\n “I disagree with you. Our wealth and the raising of three fine, healthy sons is a miracle to me. You can’t take that for granted with the dangers in the West.”<\/em><\/p>\n “But you’ve lost three wives.” The words came out harsher than I intended, and right after I spoke, I wished I could take them back. When I saw the sadness in Pa’s eyes, I lowered my head and collected the checkers. “Sorry, Pa. I didn’t mean it.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n “You know what, son? This still doesn’t shake my faith in God or my belief in miracles.” Pa stood and left for the night. An awkward silence remained while the guilt stabbed me like a painful knife in the heart. I`d looked intently at the checkers in my hand.<\/em><\/p>\n “I shouldn’t have said that.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Pa knows you didn’t mean it.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Do you believe wonders, Hoss?”<\/em><\/p>\n “Surely there’s more than meets the eye.”<\/em><\/p>\n I didn’t feel like playing any more games. Sighing, I went to the door and looked outside. “Hey, the blizzard has stopped. One can see the sky and the stars! Maybe we can go for a ride tomorrow!”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The ranch house<\/strong> was only a few miles away. I leaned forward and patted Cochise’s tense neck, who carefully placed one hoof before the other so as not to slip. The smaller spruces that lined our path would make a good Christmas tree. We would cut down a fir tonight and decorate it in the morning.<\/p>\n My stomach rumbled at the thought of the cookies Hop Sing had been baking for days. The scent of cinnamon and cloves filled the entire house. Meanwhile, the air outside smelled of nothing at all. It was crisp and clear, and the fine hairs in my nose froze as I inhaled.<\/p>\n The loud bang snapped me out of my reverie. It rang out across the silent landscape, echoing off the mountainsides. Cochise raised his head and snorted, startled.<\/p>\n I turned around in my saddle. Hoss was several dozen feet behind me, still looking at the hillsides.<\/p>\n “Who, you think, fired that shot? A poacher?” I rubbed my facial muscles, which were stiff from the cold and made talking hard.<\/p>\n “Dunno!” Hoss shouted back.<\/p>\n I scowled in annoyance. Somebody else had better luck hunting\u2014<\/em>and on our land! “Shall we have a look?”<\/p>\n I felt the rumble more than I heard it. Irritated, I craned my head to find where the strange sound came from. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and what I saw sent a shiver down my spine. And it wasn’t from the cold. The slope we were about to cross shifted above us.<\/p>\n “Avalanche, Hoss!” I yelled over the moaning and thundering, driving my heels into the sides of Cooch, but he didn’t need my encouragement. Black and white legs plowed through the knee-deep snow, spraying it aside. We glided rather than galloped down the hillside at breathtaking speed, eyes fixed ahead. The only way out was forward. The snow cloud swirled toward us with a furious rumble. It engulfed trees and bushes in its path, snapping them like matches and closing fast. My heart raced, and the cold air I sucked in with my open mouth hurt my throat and lungs and stung my face like needles. I risked a glance over my shoulder. Hoss was a short way behind me. If we were lucky, we would make it and\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Chubb stumbled. They both went down in a tangle of legs, pounding hooves, and a cloud of powdery snow. The horse was back on its feet in no time, unlike my brother.<\/p>\n “Hoss!” I jerked Cochise around. I couldn’t leave him!<\/p>\n “Go, Joe! Get help!” His voice boomed over the thunderous cloud that filled the valley. This one time, I listened to Hoss. It may have saved my life. The avalanche was near now. Like a wall ready to swallow everything, it came at me.<\/p>\n For a brief moment, I thought that Cooch and I might be able to get away, but then the hooves slipped out from under him.<\/p>\n Hitting the ground back first was unexpected and took the wind out of my lungs. I tried to inhale, but my body refused to obey. And then, the white wave was above me, and breathing was only one of my problems. It looked like thick, fluffy, soft cotton and gave no hint of the force ripping me from my feet.<\/p>\n Swim! I had to swim to the surface of the snow stream. But where was up? My hat was gone, my ears clogged, my mouth filled with the cold white mass. The force of nature tore my arms and legs in impossible directions. I was twisted, pushed, squeezed … At some point, I crashed into a solid object and felt a snap as something in my shoulder gave way.<\/p>\n Then, it was all white and still. A coughing spasm shook my body, and I realized I could breathe again. My heart beat fast, and I had a metallic taste of panic in my mouth. I forced myself to lie still and get my bearings. I`d always loved snow, but now it was my enemy and would kill me if I made a mistake.<\/p>\n With tiny movements, I tested my space. Due to the cold, the snow was dry and somewhat loose. Air pockets, as Adam had told me at the time. But Adam was gone. Perhaps he sat in an architect’s office back east, drawing up plans for a new building. It was rare that we received letters from him. Would he work on Christmas or meet friends and celebrate? I knew so little about what Adam did these days. I hoped my oldest brother was happy.<\/p>\n There was no way Adam would come to my rescue. Concentrate. I needed to concentrate. I began digging. It was a stroke of luck that I had yet to lose my gloves. It wasn’t the thin, black leather gloves but the thick, fur-lined ones. My left hand worked well, but my right arm wouldn’t do what I wanted.<\/p>\n I had lost track of time, but at some point, my digging hand stopped hitting the snow and pushed out into the open. Like a swimmer, I fought through the powdery mass to the surface and collapsed. My rapid breaths sounded harsh and greedy.<\/p>\n I lay on my stomach, my cheek pressed into the snow, warm sweat pouring into my eyes. It was strange that one could sweat at all in this cold. I wiped my forehead, looking puzzled at the red streaks on my glove. As I staggered to my feet, the world swayed as if the avalanche still moved like lazy waves in an ocean. The numbness gave way to a throbbing, dull pain in my head and a sharp, pulling pain in my shoulder.<\/p>\n There was something important I had to do, but my brain was as reluctant and sluggish as my body. And the sweat wouldn’t stop running down my face, leaving my vision blurred and red.<\/p>\n The frosty air helped to clear the fog in my head. Hoss! I had to find Hoss. He`d been behind me, which meant the avalanche hit him hard, while I was lucky to be caught in its tail.<\/p>\n My eyes swept over the slope, which looked different now. We had cut a lot of timber here last year and only left the thinner trees, which were now gone. The snow, untouched before, looked like a big abrasion, with rocks and tree stumps sticking out like painful splinters in flesh. Silence hung heavy over the landscape; the only sound was the blood rushing in my ears.<\/p>\n Stumbling and unsteady, I began to make my way back across the hillside. Where should I start searching? It was impossible to find a single person. Annoyed, I wiped my brow, from which sweat still dripped into my eyes, leaving a burning sensation. Where did this red fog come from? Where the hell were our horses? If I were lucky, they would be walking home. It was only five or six miles.<\/p>\n Cold shivers ran over my skin when the snow pressed under my clothes began to melt. My shirt clung to me, damp and chilly like a wet, heavy sheet used to cool a feverish person, sucking what little warmth I had left from my body. Like Hoss said, maybe I should have eaten more of that fatback.<\/p>\n Hoss! I needed to find my brother! How long have I sat on my knees, feeling sorry for myself? A moment ago, I was still on my feet.<\/p>\n ‘Move,’ I commanded my body. How would I explain to Pa that I rested while Hoss was buried and suffocated? With my brother dead, what kind of Christmas would it be? I had Pa’s face before me, staring through tear-filled eyes at another empty chair at the table. It would take a week for Pa and me to eat the turkey Hop Sing prepared. We could never celebrate Christmas without remembering Hoss’ death … No, I wasn’t allowed to think that way. I would find him. Hoss was tough. I was sure he was all right.<\/p>\n How long I`d stumbled across the slope, I didn’t know. A round thing that didn’t belong here caught my eye. Hoss’ hat? It was as if someone had intentionally placed it to shout: “I’m here!”<\/p>\n I was so cold. I couldn’t imagine ever being warm again. My teeth chattering, I pushed the hat aside and began to dig. This was a good place to start since I didn’t know where else to search.<\/p>\n My hands plowed through the soft powder. ‘This wouldn’t make good snowballs,’ I thought. \u00a0Only my left hand worked well. My right shoulder screamed in pain with every move and felt like it wasn’t in the right place.<\/p>\n I hit something soft and pliable. Fabric! A winter coat! Hoss! My movements grew frantic. Where was his head? Would he be alive? If he were unconscious with his mouth full of snow, it would have been the end of him.<\/p>\n A face as pale and bluish as a dull midday sky poked out of the snow. I leaned over so close our noses almost touched and brushed it free. Did he breathe? I used my teeth to pull off my left glove and felt my way under the scarf and the collar of his coat. Hoss’s body heat thawed my cold, stiff fingers enough that I thought I felt a pulse, but my relief didn’t last long. How would I get him home if I dug him out?<\/p>\n One step at a time, Pa used to say.<\/p>\n “Hoss?” I shook my brother’s shoulder and slapped him several times until he stirred. It was the best thing I’d seen in a long time when his face pulled into a grimace, then he squinted in confusion, and his blue eyes met mine.<\/p>\n “Joe? What happened?” He frowned and sat up, grabbing the back of his head and wincing. He must have found a sore spot.<\/p>\n “Avalanche. Can you stand?” I wasn’t sure he understood. Was it because of my rattling teeth or the bump on his head?<\/p>\n Hoss grabbed my face. “Joe, you’re bleeding.”<\/p>\n Puzzled, I looked down at red, frozen globs trickling from my forehead as Hoss wiped. They sank into the glistening snow like rose petals, looking out of place.<\/p>\n “I’m fine,” I stammered, trying to keep from shivering.<\/p>\n My head rested on Hoss’ shoulder, and I felt his breath on my cheek. A deep sense of satisfaction washed over me. I had found my brother. Everything was alright.<\/p>\n I don’t know how long we sat huddled together in the snow, trying to find the energy to move. Finally, it was Hoss who took the first step. He staggered to a standing position, swaying like a tree in a storm, but then steadied himself. His big hand grabbed me and pulled me up with surprising strength.<\/p>\n I put my good arm around Hoss, who hugged me tight. I felt his warmth and smelled the comforting scent of his coat, which reeked of horse and damp wool.<\/p>\n Hoss could walk but grimaced with every step and leaned heavily on me. It was too much trouble to ask, but I assumed he`d hurt his leg. Lifting my feet and putting one boot before the other took all my strength. I was so cold and tired. Hoss leaning on me didn’t help.<\/p>\n The thought of what we would look like almost brought a smile, but my face was stiff and numb. Two staggering, bloody figures stumble aimlessly through the winter landscape, arm in arm, as if drunk. Well, aimless wasn’t quite right. Our destination was the warm home.<\/p>\n A fire would burn in the hearth, the logs crackling, sporadic sparks swirling through the air, the embers glowing in warm shades of orange and red. I could feel its heat right on my skin. The shivering had stopped. In fact, it was so warm I removed my scarf and unbuttoned my coat.<\/p>\n “Joe, what the hell are you doing?” Hoss shook me until my head bobbed like a rag doll. “Are you nuts? Get your clothes back on!”<\/p>\n “Too hot!” I muttered, pushing his hands away.<\/p>\n “Where’s your second glove anyway?”<\/p>\n “Glove?”<\/p>\n “Buddy, you’re freezing!”<\/p>\n I let him close my coat to the collar and wrap the scarf around my neck and head, feeling like a six-year-old boy being dressed by his mother for a winter trip.<\/p>\n “It’s too hot!”<\/p>\n My brother ignored my protests and pulled me along. The snow looked soft and inviting, beckoning me to drop down and sink deep into it, like a quilt filled with goose down.<\/p>\n “Sleep!” I mumbled, sinking to my knees.<\/p>\n “Dadburnit, Joe, you can’t sleep now! Get up and move!”<\/p>\n “Tired.”<\/p>\n My eyelids were so heavy. Why didn’t Hoss leave me alone? I’d get some rest, and then I’d have the strength to keep going. Where were we headed? I forgot, but it seemed important because my brother wasn’t letting go. Why was he in such a hurry, anyway?<\/p>\n “Pa!” Hoss yelled beside me, the volume making me jump. Why did he have to shout like that? I was right beside him.<\/p>\n “Quick! Joe’s cold and dazed! I think he’s got frostbite, too!”<\/p>\n Who was my big brother talking to?<\/p>\n There were hands all over me. A canteen was held to my lips. I could sense the overwhelming smell of coffee. As the hot, bitter liquid sloshed into my mouth, I gulped and blinked, puzzled.<\/p>\n “Pa?” How did Pa get here? He and another man wrapped blankets around me, lifting and pulling until I was in a horse’s saddle. I realized it was Buck and grabbed the horn with both hands to steady myself.<\/p>\n My father climbed into the saddle behind me, reached around me, and held me close to his chest. He was like a warm, solid wall, making me feel safe and secure. I caught a scent of his shaving soap and pipe tobacco, then my eyes closed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I stood in the living room<\/strong> in front of the fireplace, the soles of my feet on the floorboards polished by years of use. Rubbing my eyes, I looked down and saw bare toes, bare calves, and\u2014<\/p>\n “Hey? What …?”<\/p>\n Naked as the day I was born, I was in front of the hearth, a pile of wet clothes at my feet, which Hop Sing picked up, scolding in Chinese. Pa wrapped a blanket around my middle, pushed me into a chair, and handed me a glass of brandy.<\/p>\n “Drink, Joseph!”<\/p>\n The alcohol brought life back into my body. Despite the blazing flames in front of me and the heat in the room\u2014Pa had beads of sweat on his forehead\u2014I was still cold inside. The tips of my fingers and my nose felt numb. Now, the memory returned. The snow. The avalanche.<\/p>\n “Hoss?” I glanced around in search of him, then exhaled in relief. He was seated next to me in the red armchair, also wrapped in a blanket, with a big grin on his face.<\/p>\n “I’m fine, Joe!”<\/p>\n “Cochise?”<\/p>\n “They`re in the barn. Chubb returned first, and Cochise arrived as we were about to leave. His coat and saddle were covered with clumps of frozen snow. He limped, but he’d be all right. When the horses returned without you, I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t hard to follow the tracks.”<\/p>\n With a satisfied sigh, I closed my eyes and leaned back.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Familiar voices woke me.<\/strong> By this time, I was stretched out on the sofa, still wrapped in blankets, and felt wonderful and warm. Someone pushed the covers aside and pressed cold metal against my chest. The smell of arnica tincture wafted toward me. Just above me was the friendly face of our doctor, a stethoscope in his ear.<\/p>\n “Howdy, Paul.”<\/p>\n “Good to see you awake, Little Joe!”<\/p>\n With Pa hovering over me and Hoss watching from his armchair with a cup of coffee, Doc Martin gave me a thorough head-to-toe examination. Nobody seemed to mind me lying half-naked on the settee for all to see. When you’re hurt, modesty doesn’t matter.<\/p>\n Paul took a particular interest in my feet, which I found strange. He’d never had a look at my toes before.<\/p>\n “Little Joe, can you sit up? I have to set your shoulder.”<\/p>\n With a sharp pain and a disgusting crunch, the joint slid back into place, causing me to groan. The stitches he placed in my eyebrow were no less nasty. As the doctor worked on me, I clenched my jaw and took a slow, concentrated breath through my nose.<\/p>\n “Done. You did everything right, Ben. His left hand’s fingertips, nose, and cheeks have a slight frostbite. Blisters may form but should heal in time. There will be no permanent damage. Keep him warm and give him plenty of hot fluids. Now I’ll look at your ankle, Hoss.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The delicious smell of Christmas roast<\/strong> filled the living room. Hop Sing had surpassed himself again, and we would eat the turkey he served us for a few more days.<\/p>\n “Thanks, Hoss!” I accepted my plate of chopped meat from him, my right arm bound close to my body. Hoss ruffled my hair and gave me a broad grin. His bandaged ankle rested on a cushioned stool. We were both banged up, but in a couple of weeks, we would be ‘as good as new,’ as Paul Martin said.<\/p>\n I felt Pa’s eyes on me. When I looked up, he had a warm smile on his face. “You must admit, Joseph, miracles may not be as unlikely as you thought.”<\/p>\n I sipped at the wine, the fruity sweetness filling my mouth. “You’re right, Pa. Yesterday, it felt like someone was looking out for us.”<\/p>\n My gaze rested wistfully on the spot where our Christmas tree used to stand. Pa noticed and put his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t need a tree to celebrate Christmas. My greatest gift is that you’re both alive and well and that we can be together as a family.”<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n (November 2023)<\/p>\n Episodes referenced: Maestro Hoss, written by U.S Anderson<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary: A Christmas story. Joe and Hoss are heading out to control the herd
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