The Formative years.
Prologue
He was all of 4 years old, he had been quite talkative throughout his first 4 years. He loved his mommy and brought all the wildflowers he could find. He would tell her of his great adventures, the time he fought the pirates at the waterfront, or perhaps when he rescued a princess stuck in a high tower.
She would smile, listen, play, and laugh with Jeremy. He was a sweet little boy, full of hopes, dreams, and love that he received from his mother. Her other two, Jason at 20 and Joshua at 14 had also been full of hopes and dreams, they still were. She loved them all. She had grieved over the others who did not make it but rejoiced in her 3 boys. Her husband Jonathan, also loved all 3 equally, seemed to understand the character traits and differences in the boys. Jason was as open and honest but could come up with some interesting ways at looking at things, whereas Joshua was more bookish, and mathematical in his thinking and actions. Jeremy at 4 was enthralled with nature and his environment. He was reflective and when telling his stories, there was a lot of thought put into the how's and why's of his story.
Knowing that they were well loved and liked by their parents gave them a freedom that perhaps other children may not have had.
Jonathan taught Jason quite a bit about logging especially since he was old enough to work with the other loggers. Joshua at 14 was still in school and his grades were quite impressive, especially in the mathematics department. The school master gave him challenging mathematic exercises that he really enjoyed. He was also the one who helped his friends, what few children there were in this little logging town of Seattle. His father taught him the importance of measuring twice and cutting once. When Saturdays rolled around Joshua was also helping at the camp, and learned how to do the books, as had Jason who learned before him. Since Jeremy was still only 4 but always wanted to help, he was allowed to collect the shavings and cuttings to place them in the recycling to help rebuild what they took. In fact, His father would have all of his boys, plant at least 1 tree for every tree that was cut down.
Chapter 1:
It was dark and cloudy that day. Jason was with his father out on the mountain, Joshua was in class reading from the well-worn book of geography, when Jeremy, full of tears and almost too upset to talk came in the school room. The Teacher, Mr. Trimble looked at him and quietly asked what happened. Jeremy told him that Joshua was needed at home.
Joshua got up and with permission left the school for the day. He ran alongside Jeremy and then picked up his little brother and ran all the way home. Their mother was very sick. Both boys were scared. Joshua, being the older, sent Jeremy to Lottie's.
"Jeremy, go get Miss. Lottie, she will know what to do. And then go find dad and Jason."
Jeremy ran lickety-split out the door to the Saloon. Miss Lottie ran the Saloon and when Jeremy got there, he looked so frightened that she held him for a few seconds and said:
"Jeremy, what's wrong?" Lottie said from behind the bar.
"it's Mommy, she is really sick! I got Joshua and he told me to come to get you and then get Jason and dad!"
Lottie looked at the small boy in front of her. He was shaking and she could see he was very scared.
"She noticed that a couple of Jonathan's loggers were in the saloon and sent them to get Jonathan and Jason.
"Jeremy, you are coming with me, we are going to go back to your mom and see what we can do."
Jeremy nodded and holding Lottie's hand went back to the cabin.
"All right, let's get this tree cut!" Said Jonathan after Jason had topped the tree and was back down. He looked and two loggers were ready to cut. They were almost finished cutting when Thornbush came up to Jonathan and whispered in his ear. Jonathan nodded. He motioned to the men to finish the last cut and yelled "Timberrrrrrr!" as the tree fell with a huge thud.
Jonathan then had the rest of the loggers continue with the operation and left with Jason.
They arrived there some time after Lottie had made Bonnie comfortable. Cleaned her up and set her in the bed. She had another coughing spell. Lottie would not let Jeremy see his mother. She had him and Joshua heating a pan of hot water.
"Miss Lottie, I thank ye! For helping us, what can we do? Jonathan said as he and Jason came in.
Lottie looked at Jonathan and Jason and pulled them aside away from the younger boys.
"Jonathan, I am sorry, I am not a doctor, but I do believe that she is dying. All we can do is make her comfortable now. I will stay with her if there are things you need to have done. Could Jeremy and Joshua go to Mr. Trimble's, his sister Mary will take care of the boys until she passes.
Knowing a lot more about death and dying than he really cared to admit, Jonathan agreed to let her see if the Trimble's could watch younger boys. He would keep Jason with him to help.
"Aye! Thank ye again Miss Lottie. Jason, will you help your brothers pack their things? I am going to see to your mother." Just then another coughing spell happened, Lottie went to help. Also, Jason takes them to the Trimble's. They need to leave now!
"Aye, I will do that father." Said Jason still having that Scottish brogue. He then proceeded to get the boys rounded up and gather their things.
"Jason, I want to take the blanket mommy made for me!" Jeremey said. "I know why we are going, mommy is very sick, but she will get better soon?"
Jason and Joshua looked at Jeremy, He was still so little so Jason said to Jeremy:
"Ah! Jeremy, sometimes things don't always happen the way we like them, but my little brother, we can still pray for her to get better!"
Joshua knew she was never getting better but took his cue from his older brother and said:
"So, Jeremy, what do you think Miss Trimble will have waiting for us at her house? Remember, she bakes the best cookies we have ever had other than mom's that is" Joshua said with an almost real smile.
Being 4 Jeremy was distracted enough to say: "Yes, she does have good cookies, I hope she has baked some for us. Let's go!" he said this as he grabbed the special blanket and walked out through the back door. Jason did not let them see their mom again, Jonathan knew his children well. The oldest would be fine, but the other two, may not take it so well. He had instructed Jason to take them out the back way.
At the Trimble's Jeremy and Joshua were treated well. The cookies they liked best had indeed been baked and Mary had also made a small area for the boys to sleep. She showed them were to put their things and they were well fed.
That night, Joshua could not sleep. Jeremy holding his blanket slept peacefully. He woke up though around midnight crying.
"What's wrong Jeremy?' Joshua said. As he slipped off of the makeshift bed. Jeremy's crying also woke up the Mr. Trimble and his sister. They both came downstairs to find out what it was.
"Joshua, what is the matter with Jeremy? "Mr. Trimble asked
Joshua shrugged and said that he just woke up crying. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. It was Jason.
He looked at the scene and at Jeremy's tears.
"Joshua, Jeremy, mom is gone!"
Joshua had a panicked look but Jeremy, could not stop crying. HE cried even louder. Mary came to pick him up, but he would not be consoled.
"Jason, is there anything we can do to help? We will keep the boys here for a couple of more days if that works out for you?" Mary said.
Jason pursed his lips and said he would ask his father, right now he needed to take Joshua with him to see their mom. He did not take Jeremy but as soon as they had left, Jeremy, stopped crying and ran after them. They arrived at their cabin and went in. Jeremy followed the older boys in. What he saw, as a 4-year-old boy was this:
The room was full of familiar and unfamiliar faces. The bigger people, like his brother Jason, were closer to her bed. Lottie had helped to clean her up and she looked so peaceful. He saw his father and pushed and nudged everyone until he got next to his mother. When his father saw he was close, he helped him up to the bed. Jeremy sat on the edge of the bed and then lay down next to his mother. Holding her face close to his he could feel the cold of her skin. He knew she was gone. But he held her and cried a little more.
About ten minutes passed and his father said that he should go and get some sleep at the Trimble's. Jeremy nodded and left quietly. More quiet than usual he walked out the door and back to the Trimble's it may have been dark, but this was his home, and he knew every inch, every stick and stone and path in the light as well as in the dark.
Walking back, he passed their picnic tree that mom would take him, where he played, and she laughed and smiled. He suddenly stopped and there by the tree, he saw his mother, a big smile on her face. She told him to be a good boy and do what his father and brothers asked. She blew a kiss and held out her arms as if she were going to give him a big hug and disappeared into the tree. He could not cry. But just stood there for a little while and then walked silently back to where he was staying, went in, he did not talk to the Trimble's but just went to where his bed was, crawled under the covers and held his blanket close to him and fell asleep.
The funeral was held, and she was buried at the family gravesite. Bonnie Caitriona McMartin Bolt, B 1815 D 1850. Jonathan stood for the longest time looking at her grave. Remembering the promise, he had made to her family and silently crying in pain and sorrow. Jason stood there just remembering all the love and affection she had shown to him. The songs she sang when he was a wee bairn. The Scottish heritage was still strong in Jason! Joshua stood and he also cried, he remembered how his mother had bandaged his knees when he scraped them and how after she had been so happy to see him when he got lost, she said to him:
"Ach! Ye'll not be running to far again, will ye now!"
He had smiled but knew that she had been very upset because he himself had only been 4 and gotten lost among the trails in the mountain. The search had gone on for two days, when she finally had him, she would not let him go anywhere alone for a long time.
Jeremy sat on a rock, holding the blanket, and remembering his mother the night by the tree. He vowed he would not let them cut that tree down ever!
Jonathan asked each to place a little dirt on the grave and say a little prayer for their mother. Jason and Joshua both did that their speech flowing evenly and quietly. When it came to Jeremy's turn, he opened his mouth and then:
"M-M-M-O-O-O-THER, I-I-I-I- M-M-M-…" He could not finish easily. His father scooped him up and held him. All he could do was stare out looking for her.
Jonathan picked up his youngest, he knew this was traumatic for him. He did not yell or get mad, although one of the ladies who worked as a housekeeper, looked at the boy and said:
"Mr. Bolt! You should teach that child some manners, with his mother gone and you raising them, I should think that you would be sterner with that child. He is just going to run around and be a little heathen if you don't reign him in!" She said that loud and clear.
Jonathan, looked at her and was ready to give her a piece of his mind when Jason spoke up and said:
Miss Crump, do you have any children?"
"No, thankfully not!"
"There you go, you do not know what or how to take care of them, so, I suggest you mind your own business!"
She looked at Jason and then at his father and was about to say something when Joshua also spoke up.
"Miss Crump, thank you for your input but I feel that you need to leave us now!" Although Joshua was technically still a boy, standing up for his father and brothers was not unusual for him.
Miss Crump looked at the three of them and harumphed! And left taking her daughter with her, who also harrumphed!
The boys and their father looked at each other and smiled knowing that they had something that she would never have.