A newlywed couple, Cage and Arrah Lay travel from Iowa to Missouri on their homesteading journey. Their wagon wheel happens to break in front of the Wilder's home, Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield. ...
This is a story that I am writing. It's kind of like a Little House on the Prairie fanfiction, but in it I am adding incidents of my ancestry. Things that went on in their lives. Even my characters are based on them. I will explain after each chapter. I hope you enjoy this, and I hope it's not lame! lol. Well let's get on with the story! :)
Here are my main characters.
Almanzo "Manly" James Wilder= Age 37
Laura Elizabeth "Beth" Ingalls Wilder= Age 27
Jennifer "Jenny" Celestia Wilder = Age 15 (I couldn't think of a middle name for Jenny, so I used Carrie Ingalls' middle name, I think it's pretty.)
Rose Acacia Wilder= Age 8
Micajah "Cage" Harvey Lay= Age 20
Arrah Franziska Krolick Lay= Age 19 (Franziska is my middle name and Krolick is my last name, I thought it would be cool to use!)
Drew Tilden Lay= Age 16
Graham Nathaniel Lay= Age 9
Leslie Daniel Lay= Age 2
*Lay is actually the last name of one of my ancestors, and I really like that name so I wanted to use it.
There are other characters but for right now they are just mentioned they may be reacurring characters later.
New homesteaders Micajah and Arrah Lay were traveling in a covered wagon for months from Iowa, ready to start their life together as husband and wife. It seemed like only yesterday that the two had married. Arrah, a girl of just 19 years of age, smiled up at her new husband. It was only a few months ago that they were married, and of course everything still seemed new to her. Being a wife, that is. Micajah, or "Cage" as Arrah called him, who was only a year older than she, loved the fact that she was finally his. They only had two years of courting, but to Cage, it seemed like an eternity. He told his new wife the night of their wedding that he felt like Jacob from the Bible. Most of you probably know the story, Jacob working for Laban for 7 years for his wife Rachel, and then working another 7 just to marry her... Except in Cage's case, he wasn't tricked by his future father-in-law into marrying his betrothed's older sister as Jacob was! Cage's thoughts drifted back to their honeymoon until Arrah's voice interrupted him.
"Cage, where exactly are we going?"
"I'll know it when I see it, sweetheart." answered Micajah. He looked at her, and in his eyes shone the love he had for her,... "Besides, as long as I'm with you,...it doesn't matter where I go."
Smiling, Arrah rested her head on Cage's shoulder, and put a small white hand on his arm. Her eyes wandered across the prairie, enjoying the view before them. "What were you thinking about, it seemed to me like you were 1,000 miles away or something?"
Cage looked down at her and smiled his cute half-smile she absolutely loved. "Our honeymoon."
Arrah thought about her honeymoon, like most young girls of her time, she knew that day was, in a sense, the scariest day of her life, but next to the day she married Cage, her happiest. "You still can't take your mind off of it?" She asked, blushing a little.
"Nope." He said as he sweetly smiled at her and gently kissed her soft, pink, lips.
As they release their kiss, they heard a slight cracking sound.
"Oh no!" He exclaimed. "Not that pesky wagon wheel again!... it doesn't seem like it'll hold out much longer." Arrah had a worried look on her face. "It's alright sweetheart, I'll fix it when the time comes, but we'll see how far we can go on it for now." He reassures her. They travel up the dirt wagon trail for a while, but the wheel soon breaks, and the front part of the wagon crashes to the ground.
Cage puts his arms around his young wife's shoulders. " You alright sweetheart?" He checked to see if she had been hurt.
Arrah began to relax as his strong arms enveloped her own body. She felt so safe and secure in them. ... "I'm fine Cage. ...You try and fix the wheel and I'll go check on the boys."
Cage jumps down from the wagon, and put his hands around his wife's tiny waist to help her down.
"Thank you." Arrah said smiling, as Cage's hands were still wrapped around her waist. When he released her, she walked to the back of the wagon. "You boys alright?"
"Yep, Arrah we're fine back here." 16 year old Drew said to his sister-in-law. Smokey, the family German Shepherd nuzzled against him and layed her head on his lap. Drew scratched her behind the ears.
"Yeah, we're tough, we can take it!" Drew's 9 year old brother said.
"We ain't skeered of nuffin'!" 2 year old Leslie piped up, not wanting to be unnoticed.
"Ok then, Mr. Men" Arrah said playfully to young Leslie. "I just wanted to check on you boys. Are you and Drew keeping up with you studies, Graham?" She said with her hands on her hips.
"Yep Arrah, I making sure we do, shoot, I'm like a regular schoolmaster!" Drew said with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"Yeah and I wish he wouldn't,...I don't like school!" Graham said with one hand pressed against his cheek.
"You just wait little mister, all that book-learnin' will come in handy someday."
"I suppose." Graham said with a sigh.
Arrah smiled and laughed to herself as she walked back to where her husband was trying to fix the wheel. She walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "How's the wheel comin' sweetie?"
"It's getting there." He replied. Arrah stands close beside him and he puts his hand on her lower back. A cute little girl in a red calico dress and a cream-colored pinafore comes up to the young married couple.
"Hey mister, do ya need some help with your wagon wheel? My name's Rose Wilder. I'm eight."
Cage gets down on his knees so that his is almost eye-level with Rose. "It's nice to meet you Miss Rose, I'm not sure, but I think I've just about got it... Thank you kindly though." He said as he ran a hand over her little head, and gently tugged on a brown braid. An older girl who looked like she was about 15 years old approached the three of them.
"Rose what in blazes are you up to now?" She said with a laugh.
"Nothin' I'm just introducing myself to the visitors." replied Rose.
"I'm Jenny Wilder, Rose's cousin." Jenny said as she shook Cage's hand.
"Micajah Lay," said Cage. "And this is my wife Arrah."
"It's nice to meet you Jenny," Arrah said, shaking her hand.
"Rose, how about you go in and tell Aunt Laura that we have company." Jenny said to her cousin, who was almost up the front steps.
"That girl!" Jenny said, chuckling. "She's so full of pip and vineagar!"
"That kind of reminds me of another girl." Cage says as he smiles at Arrah with his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Oh Cage stop it!...You're embarrassing me" Arrah said, her cheeks turning a crimson color.
"So where are you two from?" Jenny asked them, curiously.
"Iowa." Arrah replied. "We're looking for just the right place to settle down."
"Well, Mansfield, Missouri is good of a place as any."
"I've noticed. It's beautiful here." Arrah smiled.
Then, Rose and a young woman in her late 20's came up to meet them. "Hello, I'm Laura Ingalls
Wilder." She said as she shook Arrah's hand.
"Arrah Krolick Lay,... and this is my husband Micajah."
"Call me Cage." He said, shaking Laura's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Do you need some help with that wagon wheel?...I'm sure my husband Almanzo wouldn't mind fixing it for you."
Almanzo comes in from the barn, wiping his hands on a small cloth. "You call me Beth?"
"Oh Manly, I just wondered if you could fix this wagon wheel. By the way, this is Cage and Arrah Lay. They've traveled here all the way from Iowa." Almanzo nodded hello to both Cage and Arrah.
A head peaks out from the back of the wagon. "Can we please get out now, Arrah?"
"Sure, Graham." Arrah replied to the boy. "I"ll help Leslie out of the wagon."
Graham jumps out of the wagon, followed by Drew. Arrah grabs Leslie, balances him on her hip, and walks back to where everyone is standing.
"Almanzo, Jenny, Laura, Rose,... these are my three brother-in-laws Drew, Graham, and this is Leslie. He's two."
"Hi boys." Almanzo said, shaking the two older boys' hands. "I'm Almanzo Wilder."
"It's very nice to meet you." Laura says to each of the boys.
"It's hard to think of a two-year-old being your brother-in-law. ...How old are you guys anyway?" Rose asked Arrah curiously.
"Rose!...It isn't polite to ask such things!" Laura scolded.
"Laura, it's fine! She can ask me that." said Arrah, laughing. "Well Rose, I am 19 years old and my husband Cage, he's 20 years old... I guess it would be quite peculiar to you seeing a two-year-old is my brother-in-law... Cage has three older brothers named Mathis, Josef, and John." Arrah laughed at her own little joke, "I guess Cage's parents wanted to have a 'second family' when Drew, Graham, and Leslie came along."
"I guess so!" Laura laughs along with her "Aww...they're such good-looking boys... How old are you Drew?"
"I'm 16, Ma'am." replied Drew.
"And you, Graham?"
"I'm 9 years old, Mrs. Wilder." Graham slips his hand into Arrah's and looks up at her. "Can we have dinner soon, Arrah? I'm hungry!"
"Well, come inside and we'll all have lunch together!" Laura said.
"Oh, Laura we wouldn't want to impose." Arrah said, trying to politely protest to the idea. "Besides, you just met us." She set Leslie down on the ground. He, for once, stood quietly beside her.
"Balderdash!" Almanzo said. "We want you all to, besides I think we all could enjoy the fellowship."
Arrah looked at her husband as to what his decision would be, and he nodded as if to say, yes. "Alright then!" said Arrah, smiling. "But boys, I want you to be on your best behavior, no touching anything in the Wilder home." Her voice was stern, but still kind.
"Oh Arrah, they'll be fine. They seem like good boys to me." Almanzo said.
Well let's come inside and we'll eat later." Laura said to everyone.
Leslie tugged on Arrah's dress. "But what about Smokey girl? If we're all inside, she'll be all alone!"
Arrah bent over and picked Leslie up again. "Les, don't worry about Smokey girl. She likes the outside, she'll be fine.
"You have a dog?" Rose asked.
"Yes, she's a German Shepherd."
"Can we see her?" Rose asked excitedly. "I love dogs!"
"If it's alright with your Ma." Arrah smiled.
"Can we Mama?" Rose asked, her eyes lighting up. Jenny looked interested too.
"All right." Laura smiled. Rose, Jenny, Laura, Arrah and the boys went to the back of the wagon to see Smokey girl.
"Well, let's go tend to that wheel of yours." Almanzo said to Cage while slapping him on the back. Before leaving, Almanzo kissed his wife on the cheek, and told her they'd be in shortly. While the menfolk were fixing the wheel, the women and children went inside to talk in the sitting room.
"So I hope you don't mind me asking, but why are you taking care of your brother-in-law's, Mrs. Lay?" Jenny asked.
"Well Jenny, I knew that question would turn up sooner or later, ..." Arrah said while taking a seat in a chair and settled Leslie on her lap. "Cage's Pa died a while back of a heart attack,... their Ma wasn't quite right after Silas died. She died shortly after he did..."
"Did she die of a broken heart?" Jenny asked.
"I guess you could say that, Jenny. … She loved that man dearly."
"How sad if she died of a broken heart." Laura pensively said.
"Charlotte was a great lady,... she would have made a wonderful mother-in-law."
"You and Cage weren't married before she...passed on?" Laura asked.
"No... I only knew her when Cage and I were courting. We courted for two years and then she... died." Her voice was solemn. "Pa Lay died a month after I first met Cage."
"Can we stop talking about Ma and Pa now?... Please?" Graham asked, quietly.
"Of course Graham, I'm sorry if I've upset you. I never meant to." Arrah told him.
"It's alright Arrah, I just miss 'em,... that's all."
"I understand." Arrah said and smiled at him.
"Well if you will excuse me, I will get lunch ready," Laura said as she turned to the kitchen door. "Rose?"
"Yes Mama?"
"How about getting out your building blocks that Grandpa Ingalls made for you, and let Leslie play with them?"
"Yes Ma'am." Rose said and scurries up to her and Jenny's room.
"Here Laura, let me help you with lunch." Arrah said as she followed her into the kitchen. They began to get ready a chicken pot-pie and other fixings. Laura also had some lemonade ready in advance.
"So you're new homesteaders?" Laura asked as she was kneading some dough for the top of the chicken pot-pie.
"Yes ma'am,...I'm still not sure exactly where we're going,...Cage says he'll know when he sees it."
"I'll know it when I see it." Laura said as a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Sounds just like my Pa,...he always said that whenever we moved somewhere."
"Men,"... Arrah said smiling," You almost wonder if they had it planned out, and they just tell you that to keep you in suspense."
"I know the feeling," said Laura, giggling. "and by the way, Arrah?"
"Yes?" Arrah asked as she was cutting up some vegetables.
"You don't have to call me ma'am..." She said almost laughing. "I not that much older than you."
"Well, I just wanted to be respectful," Arrah said with a smile. "How old are you?"
"I'm 27."
"Same age as my cousin Adam." Arrah said.
"I have a brother-in-law named Adam." Laura said, checking on the chicken. "Oh, I think that chicken's done." She brought the chicken on the cutting board on the table, and the two women started cutting it up. "Adam and my sister Mary live in New York. He's a lawyer up there. ...I really miss them, I haven't seen them since,...oh since I don't know when."
"It must be exciting to live in such a large place like New York City." Arrah shyly smiled.
Laura smiled and said, "We've been writing back and forth to each other. Mary says she's gotten quite tired of city life. ...I don't blame her, it must be quite hard at times, knowing she can't see. You know, being in such a crowded place and all."
"Mary's blind." Arrah stated.
"Yes. So was Adam for the longest time, but as a result of some freak firecracker accident, he regained his sight."
Meanwhile, with the kids playing in the Wilder's sitting room. "No Leslie! You play like this!...You're just knocking them down!" Rose said, trying to build a tower with 2 year old Leslie.
"Rose he's little. He doesn't know how to play," Jenny said to her cousin. "You need to have patience with him and teach him how to do it."
"Yeah, like this Les." Graham takes both of Leslie's hands and a few blocks and helps him build a small tower. "Now you try it with him, Rose."
"Ok." Rose said with a sigh, her patience sort of waring thin with Leslie. She also tries to build a tower with Leslie. "Good job Rose!" Graham says as he gives her a high-five.
"C'mon Les, see if ya can do it by yourself." Leslie builds his own little tower with the building blocks, but then he knocks it down again.
"Well, at least you tried, Les." Graham said.