The Return of Abel McKay
By Raindrops8
As Caroline Ingalls walked to Olesen's Mercantile one bright and sunny Tuesday morning, she thought about herself and Harriet Oleson. They had never gotten along very well. Caroline had resented Harriet ever since she had refused to buy her brown eggs. Of course, Harriet Oleson was hardly an easy person to get along with. There was the time Caroline had been filling in for Ms. Beadle at school, and she had tried to teach Abel McKay to read. Abel had been making so much progress, and then Mrs. Oleson had interrupted, shattering everything she had been trying to do.
But thankfully, Caroline reminded herself, things had worked out with Abel in the end. She had convinced him to go back to school, and he quickly became one of the best pupils. Caroline wondered how he was doing; he and his father had moved from away Walnut Grove a few years ago and no one had heard from them since.
"Good morning, Caroline!" Nels Oleson greeted her as she walked into the mercantile, carrying a basketful of eggs.
"Morning, Nels. Eighteen eggs this morning," Caroline replied with a smile.
"Wonderful," Nels said, mirroring her happy expression. He counted the eggs and paid her.
When Caroline returned home, she was surprised to find Charles there. He usually worked for Mr. Hansen at the mill on weekday mornings.
"Charles," she said, with a puzzled look on her face.
"Hi! I have to make a delivery for Mr. Hansen," Charles said, seeing her puzzled expression, "I'll be gone for about three days."
"That long?" She replied, looking forlorn. She knew that Charles was a hard worker, but she missed him so when he was away.
"Yeah," Charles paused, seeing the sad expression on his wife's face. "Hey," He said, putting his arms around her in a loving embrace, "I'll be back soon, I promise."
Caroline smiled, "I know."
He kissed her, "Tell the girls I said good bye. I love you."
"Love you, too."
"Bye Pa!" Carrie called out.
"Bye, Carrie," Charles waved to his youngest daughter.
Charles set off for Springfield, and Caroline began her household chores.
It was the middle of the night. Rain was pounding on the roof of the Ingalls' house. Caroline stirred in her bed, sleepy. She wondered momentarily the effects of the harsh rain on the wheat crops that she and Charles had worked so hard on. In her drowsy state of mind, she decided that the wheat would be okay; no harm would befall it.
Little did Caroline know how wrong she was.
Caroline got up the next morning and started breakfast for herself and the girls. While the pancakes were cooking, she went outside to gather the eggs, as she always did.
She glanced over the hen house over to the field where the wheat was growing, or rather, where it hadbeen growing. It was there no more; the ruthless rain of the previous night did indeed have an effect on the wheat crop. The wheat was no more; Caroline felt like crying.
"Oh, no," she said sadly, "Oh no."
"What's wrong, Ma?" asked Mary, who had just came out of the house.
"The wheat, the rain ruined the wheat crop."
Later that morning, Caroline walking gloomily towards Olesen's Mercantile. She tried hard to be optimistic; they would still be able to get some money from the eggs.
"Mrs. Ingalls! Mrs. Ingalls!" a familiar voice called out from behind her.
Caroline turned around. "Abel McKay!" She exclaimed, brightening considerably.
"...And the entire wheat crop was ruined," Caroline told Abel, as they walked back from the Mercantile, "But enough about my troubles. Tell me about you."
"Well, a couple of months after we left Walnut Grove, I decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working with bricks. I got a scholarship to go to college in Winoka. One day I'd like to be a writer."
"Abel, that's wonderful!" Caroline replied.
"I came back to thank you for everything you taught me. If it weren't for you, well, none of this would have ever happened."
"You're welcome, Abel. But you have to give yourself some recognition."
"Mrs. Ingalls, do me a favor."
"Sure."
"Let me replant the wheat for you. There's still time for it to grow, the harvest isn't for another three months," Abel said.
"Well...Abel..." Caroline hemmed and hawed.
"Please, Mrs. Ingalls. I feel like I ought to repay you for all your help somehow."
"Alright," Caroline replied, smiling.
Abel plowed and planted. Eventually, the Ingalls' wheat crop was as good as new. Abel left for his college in Winoka shortly after he finished the wheat crop. He would go on to become the author of many books.