Only A Mother's Love
The day had been horrendous. Adam was now in college, Hoss was 16 and had been fussing for a while now, thus far unsuccessfully, to be allowed to quit school, Joseph was 10 and had not had all that good a day, and the 4 year old Twins had seemed determined to kill one another since sunup. Ben had been run ragged throughout the day as heavy rains washed out sections of fence, all of which required repair even while trying to recover cattle now escaped from their proper pastures.
The cold unrelenting rain had kept the Twins housebound all day, and they'd done nothing but fuss constantly. Benjamin, Jr. and Michelle had fought over the last pieces of bacon at breakfast, then over how to spend the morning, then over what books they wanted to read. They argued over who got bigger cookies after lunch, then they didn't want to take naps at naptime. Marie had nearly run out of patience with them, by the time she got them both down for their naps.
When they awoke in the afternoon, just before the boys got home from school to do their chores, it all started up again. Now the fights were over who had what toy to play with, and whose colors and paper were whose. When Joseph came in to do his homework, the fussing and noise upstairs were so distracting he asked to do his work at the Dining Table. When Marie granted his request, the Twins decided they wanted to "help Little Joe" with his homework. for a 10 year old boy who'd had his own tough day, he showed remarkable restraint, and Marie made sure he knew how proud she was and how much she appreciated his patience, even though he had eventually ordered the Twins to leave him alone and play elsewhere so he could get his work done. This angered his younger siblings, giving them their first common goal for the day, to get even with him when they got the chance.
By the time Ben got home, cold, wet, frustrated, and exhausted, Marie had resorted to prayer in her efforts to have a peaceful home life through bedtime. Joseph had gotten his homework finished eventually, and was now reading quietly in the Great Room, while Marie had coaxed the Twins to play upstairs in their room without screaming at one another. Thus, she could let Ben clean up a bit and relax in his comfortable red chair while she had Hop Sing brew his favorite relaxing tea as supper preparations finished up.
As she went to get the children for supper and be sure they washed up, she made it unmistakably clear that they needed to behave properly at the table. Papa did not accept bad table manners, and after the day he'd had, this was no time to try his patience. Both Junior and Michelle nodded soberly at her warning, seeming to take it to heart. She could only hope they did, because as things had been going for the day, she could only see disaster looming in the immediate future.
Ben managed to relax a bit before supper, and the rain stopped which brightened the mood a bit. Papa said grace, over one of Hop Sing's best ever meals, pot roast with rich gravy and vegetables, mashed potatoes, and fresh baked rolls. Hoss couldn't have been happier, as Hop Sing always cooked this in generous portions as everyone would do seconds, and often third helpings. There would be apple cobbler for dessert.
As everyone got served, Pa engaged in his traditional dinner conversation, asking everyone how their day went.
Hoss, seated at Pa's right hand, unfortunately went first and chose this opportunity to point out how much help he could have been with the fences and cattle, and how wasted his day was cooped up in a stuffy old classroom.
Ben tried to move on, "Joseph, what about you? Did you learn anything new or interesting today in school?"
"Heck no, Pa. We're doing the Journals of Lewis and Clark for Reading combined with Geography? and even a little Math. I mean, what a waste of time. Who needs that? Who cares? Just a bunch of maps and distances, and drawings and reports. Nothing about cattle, or horses, or anything important. I mean, what's any of that got to do with real life, I ask you. It's just dumb."
At this, Jurnior saw his opportunity. "But Joe, Pa's told us stories about when he was on ships. Maps and navigation, distances and trade... all that stuff isn't dumb, is it, Pa? I mean, Joe... that's what Pa used to do for a living, right Pa? So... are you callin' our Pa dumb? 'Cause I don't think he's dumb, do you Michelle?"
"No, Junior. I don't think our Pa's dumb, even if he does know about maps and stuff," she turned to Ben, who sat at her right hand, to pat his hand comfortingly. "I think our Pa's smart, even if Little Joe thinks he's dumb."
Marie could see that dinner conversation had taken a disastrous turn, and Ben was just fatigued enough not quite to have seen how the congregate train of thought had been derailed.
Joseph knew he was being set up, and hastened to rectify the situation, "Hey! Cut it OUT, you two. I said Geography's dumb, not Pa! You're putting words in my mouth, so CUT IT OUT!" as his voice grew a bit more shrill than acceptable levels.
"Hey! YOU'RE the one who SAID IT, not ME!" Junior shrilled back at him.
At which point Joseph kicked Junior sitting across the table from him, in the knee. Unfortunately, Junior had a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy ascending to his mouth at the time, and when startled, his arm jerked sideways splashing his food onto Michelle's face.
"Oh YEAH!?" she yelled. "You've been messin' with me ALL DAY! I've HAD IT!" and she grabbed a mass of potato and gravy with her spoon, drawing back to fling it at Junior... but miscalculated either her angle or her strength, or both, and managed to splay it violently... all over Ben's face.
It was like a tableau... where in one instant all was loud raucous action... and then in less than a heartbeat all motion and sound simply stopped in place. It was as if TIME stopped, quite suddenly.
Marie had watched this all transpire with the fascination of watching a slow-motion train wreck.
Everyone... EVERYONE... just froze in place staring at Ben Cartwright, Master of the Ponderosa, sitting at the head of his family dinner table, as mashed potatoes and gravy slowly dripped from his face into his plate.
Marie knew, with that wonderful clarity of consciousness that can envelop the mind in a deadly emergency, that she had mere seconds to save the lives of their children, all of which hinged on her ability to keep the laugh that was cramping her diaphragm, from escaping her lips.
Instantly, she rose to her feet and issued orders.
"Michelle, and Junior... go to your rooms and dress for bed, this instant. Leave your plates right there. You are excused, simply go without a word... NOW!" she said, as she put her napkin down and walked towards Ben, watching the Twins hasten to obey her. ANYTHING... to put distance between them and Papa right this minute.
"Joseph, go upstairs and get a clean warm shirt for Papa from his dresser, and bring it to us outside. Go! Move!" she commanded, bringing the boy from his frozen state of paralysis to some semblence of motion.
She then took Ben's napkin and carefully used it to wipe some of the goo off his face, as she said, "Come, dear, let's head outside a moment and you can wash. Don't worry about the shirt, let's just go wash and everything will be fine."
Ben stood up and took the napkin from her, using it to clear his eyes and nose at least, while they headed out through the Kitchen to the washstand on that side of the house. He had removed his shirt and was just about clean by the time Joseph reached them with his gray flannel long sleeved shirt. The boy turned quickly away from them to dissuade any possible giggle as he watched Pa wash, knowing such a giggle could possibly be the last sound he would ever hear in this life.
"Joseph?" his mother asked gently, nodding her head to cue his next response, "aren't you finished eating?"
Joe's pained look showed that he certainly hadn't THOUGHT he was finished eating, but apparently - bright lad that he was - he indeed WAS finished. "Yes, Maman, I'm finished."
"Good, then you, too are excused. I think it would be well for you to go upstairs and change for bed. You may read, or do anything quiet for the time being. We'll see you in a little bit."
By the time Marie helped Ben on with his shirt, his hands had stopped trembling in his rage. His face was still a bit flushed, but he had almost recovered his temper.
"Come, dear," she said gently, "let's return to the table. I'll get you a new plate." So saying, she got a new plate for Ben as they passed back through the kitchen, and she cleared his old dripped-upon plate away to the sink.
Hoss was trying to finish up while they were outside, knowing he did NOT want to be eating next to Pa upon their return. As they came in he asked to be excused, and Marie granted his request gratefully.
So, together, alone, Ben and Marie sat at the table while all the children were upstairs in their rooms.
Marie waited as Ben served his portion again, then said, "Now, is everything all right?"
The glare she got from Ben would have frozen flames. "Everything is most decidedly NOT all right! I've never, EVER, seen such a display of ill manners at the Dinner Table! When I'm finished, I'm going up there to tan their..."
"No, Ben. Pardon me for interrupting, but you'd be breaking your word. And you've specifically asked me to help you remember this. But you still feel the little ones are too small for a tanning, unless and until they do something that puts them, or someone else, in danger. We've agreed on that. Playing with guns... going off without permission... disobedient riding... playing with matches... any of that, yes. Lying, stealing, cheating, or defiance... yes. We've agreed.
"THIS, was none of those things. It was atrocious, surely... but my darling, the only casualty of this meal was your dignity. And for THAT, you have said, you do NOT want to tan them. Now, I think some punishment is certainly called for. Absolutely. But frankly, for the Twins at least, the punishment they hate worse than anything is to be sent to bed early. Or... banning Michelle from the barn. Or... making Junior do chores that get him dirty. He just HATES getting dirty, and Michelle HATES to be cooped up inside. Either of them would sooner take a spanking than that.
"Your unfortunate potato bath was an accident, my love. You know that! Now, it was caused by misbehavior and carelessness? No doubt. And that deserves appropriate punishment, no doubt. But Michelle did not mean the disrespect or discourtesy of firing that shot off at you." At this, Marie actually DID giggle just a touch. "Ben? I know you couldn't see it at the time, but if you'd seen her face when she saw that hit you? Mon Dieu, I thought she was going to die of shock right where she sat."
"Well..." Ben growled, "I suppose you're right! But what about Junior? And Joseph?"
"Junior's missile was ENTIRELY accident. He was only trying to eat, and flinched when Joseph kicked him here under the table. HOWEVER, it must be said in Joseph's defense, that they had tormented him all afternoon and I know he was short with them when he told them to leave him alone so he could get his homework done. They'd planned revenge ever since, and were using you to do it. They were trying to get him in trouble with you, twisting his words, and he lashed out... wrongly, I'll admit... but lashed out simply in his frustration. Again, him simply kicking Junior in the knee does't come under any of our spanking rules without considerably more misbehavior than that. What do you think?"
"Well..." Ben mused, pushing some of his dinner around on his plate, "those are all good points you bring up. I suppose, when I think about it objectively, this wasn't really so serious. But they deserve for sure a damn good talking to... and I plan to do that!"
"Oh, I more than agree, beloved. I think Michelle and Junior deserve some serious punishment to learn not to abuse our Dinner Table that way. I don't even think a couple swats would go amiss. I'm just saying nothing here rises to the level of a trip to the barn. At least I don't think you'd see it that way, once you'd calmed down. And by the way, Ben? I have a TERRIBLE confession to make."
"Oh?" Ben chuckled as he raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"I about died as I sat here and watched gravy drip off your face. It was the funniest thing I think I've ever seen in my life. And I could NOT laugh. Had I laughed, I don't know WHAT would have happened. But I would not disrespect you so... But seriously, I wish you could have seen what I saw."
Ben sat back a moment to reflect, and then he, too, saw the humor in the entire situation! Ben put down his fork and knife, simply to sit there and laugh at himself a moment.
"I see your point, mon chere. I'll bet it was funny... So... the children are all in their rooms, changed for bed by now?"
"I believe so. I doubt they'd have dared disobey me, considering the circumstances. What would you like to do?"
"I think, for the Twins, I'll let them sweat a bit. I'll have them return to finish their dinners here, then put them to bed and tell them I'll think about their punishment tonight, and we'll take care of that in the morning. As to Joseph, I think together we can give him a good talking to, perhaps an early bedtime for a day or two, just to encourage him to keep his temper when provoked... but nothing more serious than that. How does that sound?"
"Perfect, my dear. Once you finish, I'll have them come down."
"Thank you, Marie. I don't know how you do it, but you may have saved a life here this evening."
"Oh, I don't know, beloved. You're a pretty reasonable man. You'd have figured it out."
"Not with mashed potato dripping off my nose, I'm not. My anger would have superseded justice, I fear."
"Well, if it's any consolation, you're the most handsome man I've ever seen wearing his dinner."
"Thank you, my darling. Thank you so much!"
"Any time, Beloved, just say the word!"