{"id":6782,"date":"2012-06-04T21:08:03","date_gmt":"2012-06-05T01:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6782"},"modified":"2026-07-22T08:06:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:06:39","slug":"a-glass-of-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=6782","title":{"rendered":"A Glass of Water (by TracyT)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Little Joe needs a little extra care.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K \u00a0WC \u00a01300
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A Glass of Water\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\u201cWhat is it you need, mon petit fils?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n

\u201cI need a glass of water, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Joseph, you\u2019ve already had two glasses of water!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m firsty, Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, ch\u00e9ri. Here you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drank his third glass of water slowly and Marie was at odds as to whether he was trying to make it last all night long or if he was so full, he was actually ready to burst! He\u2019d been lengthening his night time rituals for almost a week now and neither Marie nor Ben knew the reason why. A good sleeper since the age of one, this new pattern had his parents concerned, especially since his bedtime routine wasn\u2019t all that had changed; he was suffering from frequent nightmares as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cFank you, Mama. I really was firsty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see that you were! Bonne nuit, Little Joe. Sleep well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie Cartwright lovingly placed four kisses on her son\u2019s forehead, another part of their nightly routine. As she stepped into the hallway and reached for the bedroom door, a tiny voice came from the lumps and bumps beneath the blue hand-stitched quilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave the door open, Mama. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Joe. Good night!\u201d<\/p>\n

~~~<\/p>\n

\u201cWell?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree glasses of water tonight. And, the bedroom door is to be left open\u2026again,\u201d Marie answered as she sat next to her husband on the settee.
\n\u201cSomething\u2019s definitely weighing heavily on his mind. Boys? Are you sure he hasn\u2019t said anything to either of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Pa. He ain\u2019t said nothin\u2019 ta me,\u201d Hoss replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe either, Pa. I came right out and asked him yesterday and he got all mad, kicked at the dirt and walked away mumbling,\u201d Adam remarked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMumbling? Could you make out what he said?\u201d Marie asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething about being a stupid four-year-old baby, whatever that means!\u201d Adam said before trying to focus his attention back to his favorite book.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, whatever that means!\u201d Hoss echoed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss!\u201d Adam slammed his book shut. \u201cWill you please stop copying me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t copyin\u2019 ya, I was jist agreein\u2019 with ya! Sometimes, Adam, yer so mean!\u201d Hoss whined.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough, you two!\u201d Ben reprimanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa.\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Sorry, P\u2026I mean\u2026jist\u2026sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie fought to hide a smile as Hoss caught himself before once again repeating Adam\u2019s exact words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll talk to him tomorrow and see what I can find out. Darling, if he has a nightmare tonight, why don\u2019t you let me get up with him. You didn\u2019t get much sleep last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll both tend to him, mon ch\u00e9ri. I am his Mama and I cannot ignore any of my children\u2019s cries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled at his wife knowing that she would do the same for Hoss and Adam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, my darling. I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

~~~<\/p>\n

The next morning Ben and Marie sat yawning at the breakfast table after another sleep-deprived night with their youngest son and his nightmares. Hoss and Adam, both of whom had slept through Joe\u2019s troubles, came thundering down the stairs and joined their parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, I looked in on Little Joe. He\u2019s snoring just like Hoss!\u201d Adam tattled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou take that back, Adam! I do not snore!\u201d Hoss insisted, his chubby fists balled against his hips.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah you do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough, you two! Adam, we\u2019ll let Joe sleep a bit longer. He had another nightmare last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Pa,\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Ben wondered aloud.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I looked in on him, Joe was droolin\u2019, just like Hoss!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI DO NOT DROOL!\u201d Hoss cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you do!\u201d Adam nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cENOUGH!\u201d Ben growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

~~~<\/p>\n

\u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy did ya aks me ta help ya in the barn today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I needed a strong pair of hands to help with these bales of hay\u2026And Adam and Hoss are off at school\u2026And your Mama\u2026she\u2019s just not as strong as you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not?\u201d Joe squeeked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026let\u2019s just say this is man\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Pa.\u201d Joe said as he puffed his little chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Joseph, when men work together, sometimes they talk about things,\u201d Ben said as he tossed a hay bale up into the loft.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you and Adam talk about fings when you work togever?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we do. Is there anything you\u2019d like to talk about while we work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d Joe said as he struggled with the rake.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe word is \u2018no\u2019. Are you sure there isn\u2019t anything bothering you?\u201d Ben continued, hoping his interrogation would reveal the reason for Joe\u2019s bad dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026Timmy n\u2019 me\u2026we was playin\u2019 at his house. He has a new puppy! Didja know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t know. Is that what you wanted to talk about? Timmy\u2019s new puppy?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no, Pa. See, we was playin\u2019 wif the puppy he got for his birfday n\u2019 Timmy telled me he got the puppy \u2018cause he had monsters unner his bed n\u2019 the monsters are gone now \u2018cause he had that birfday n\u2019he ain\u2019t a baby no more,\u201d Joe said, his voice filled with little-boy-fear.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonsters? Joseph, there are no such things as monsters!\u201d Stopping his work, Ben squatted down to Joe\u2019s level.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Timmy said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTimmy is\u2026well\u2026he\u2019s mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, what if he\u2019s right? What if there\u2019s monsters unner my bed too?\u201d Even at his young age, it was obviously difficult for Joe to admit that he was afraid.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph, is that what you\u2019ve been dreaming about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Sir,\u201d Little Joe said, his head hung in shame.<\/p>\n

Ben laid a reassuring hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder. \u201cSon, there\u2019s nothing to be embarrassed about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Timmy said I\u2019m still a baby \u2018cause I ain\u2019t five yet \u2018n\u2019 so I still have monsters!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow calm down, Joseph. Come over here.\u201d Ben sat on the chair in the corner of the barn. \u201cClimb up in my lap. There ya go. First, you are not a baby! You\u2019re a little boy! Why, look at those muscles in your arms!\u201d Ben bragged.<\/p>\n

Joe giggled as his father raised his tiny arms to admire the \u2018muscles\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Joe, I have an idea. Let\u2019s go up in your room and look under your bed. Ya know what? We won\u2019t find any monsters! And we\u2019ll look again when you go to bed tonight, and we won\u2019t find any then either!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan Hoss n\u2019 Adam look too, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure they can!\u201d Ben smiled thinking how wonderful it was that Joe wanted to include his brothers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, not Mama, \u2018cause she\u2019s a girl!\u201d Joe giggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, she is! Now come on. Let\u2019s go take a look!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took the tiny hand in his as Joe skipped as much from the joy of spending this time alone with his father as the effort necessary to keep up with Ben\u2019s long stride.<\/p>\n

~~~<\/p>\n

That night, after all the \u2018men\u2019 of the house had checked under Little Joe\u2019s bed, the entire family gathered to tuck the youngest member under his covers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Little Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need no water tonight.\u201d Joe announced, his little chest once again puffed-up proudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very glad to hear that, mon petit fils!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I won\u2019t be havin\u2019 no nightmares \u2018cause I ain\u2019t a baby \u2018n\u2019 there ain\u2019t no monsters on the Ponderosa! Well, just one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWHAT?!\u201d everyone cried.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s contagious giggle started slowly then went into full force as he wriggled in his bed and tried to speak between gasps for air.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just Hoss!\u201d Joe rolled from side to side with laughter. \u201cWhen he sleeps he snores n\u2019 drools! He looks like\u2026a monster!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee! I told ya!\u201d Adam yelled.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Disclaimer:<\/span>\u00a0All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Little Joe needs a little extra care. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K \u00a0 WC \u00a01300<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":203,"featured_media":1229,"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":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prequels","wpcat-30-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\/04\/bonanza7.jpg?fit=720%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6782","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\/203"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}