Sweetness

16 year old Adam was sitting on the bench outside the mercantile while he waited for his father, trying to study for his entrance exams but he was finding it hard to concentrate. A pig-tailed girl, about seven or eight was skipping up and down the sidewalk and quietly singing a little song of her own composition to herself. He was tempted to tell her to sit down and be quiet. Her mother had left her outside the store with explicit instructions.

"Now, Zoe, wait out here for me and don't leave the front of the store. Understand?"

Adam had looked up to see who spoke.

"Can I have some candy?" the little girl asked her mother.

"It's 'may I have some candy' but no, you don't need any—it would just spoil your dinner. Just wait out here and don't cause me worry."

Adam went back to the history book; he used all his spare time now to study for his entrance exam in two months. He felt, more than saw, the girl standing next to him and he looked up into her open sweet face.

"What are you reading, Mister?" she asked.

"A history book."

"A school book?"

"Of sorts." Adam hoped that if he ignored her, she'd leave him alone so he went back to his book.

"I'm in grade 3. What grade are you in?" Zoe stepped lightly from side to side, landing on alternate feet and giving a little hop when she did.

Adam sighed. "I'm out of grammar school but I'm going to another school far away and I have to learn more things for that school. Now, I don't mean to be rude but I need to study. Okay?"

The girl nodded but she continued to stand by him. "My name's Zoe Bartlett. What's yours?"

Adam sighed. He decided to indulge the girl but intentionally made his voice have an edge of irritation. "Adam Cartwright."

"There's a boy in school and his name is Hoss Cartwright—well, it's really Erick and the teacher, she calls him Erick but everyone else calls him Hoss and I call him Hoss too. He's in grade 4. Do you know him?"

"He's my brother."

"He doesn't look like you. Are you telling me the truth?" Zoe furrowed her brow, her small head cocked to one side.

"Yes, I'm telling you the truth. Now look Zoe Bartlett, it was really nice to meet you but I'm busy reading, okay?" Adam looked at the child who still stood and looked at him; she had the oddest look in her eyes—as if she could see into his soul and it made him a little uncomfortable.

"Hoss is nice. I help him so he doesn't have to stay in at recess and do his numbers again."

Adam looked at her, a small grin on his face. So this little Zoe was responsible for Hoss' better math grades. Hoss had told his father at dinner one night that a friend at school had been helping him but he had neglected to say that it was a girl and such a pretty one at that. Adam considered how the next time Hoss bothered him, he could use this bit of ammunition against him.

"Well, Zoe, that's really nice of you. Now I can't talk to you anymore because I need to study the things in this book for my new school."

Zoe stood a few more moments and then she put out her arms and spun around on the wooden sidewalk. She almost spun into a man who was walking by and he said, "Watch it, girl. Stop playing on the sidewalk." And then the man gave her a slight push and went on his way. Adam had the urge to grab the man by his shirt front and tell him not to be so rough with the little girl but he didn't. He went back to the history of the Protestant Reformation but he couldn't concentrate.

Zoe began to skip up and down the sidewalk, singing a little song that she was making up as she went along. It had no definite tune and was about the store and candy and school and Adam swore he heard his name mentioned in a verse. He watched her as she skipped and sang and her face was so pure and innocent that he smiled; she would be a little beauty when she grew up—he could see that even at her young age. It was odd, he thought, that sometimes he could look at a person and see what they must have looked like as a child but her, he could almost visualize what a lovely woman she would be, how the roundness would leave her cheeks and her glossy hair would be piled on her head and not worn in braids tied with ribbons.

She skipped by him again and Adam noticed that a ribbon slid off her braid and fell on the boards. He leaned over and picked it up.

"Zoe, your ribbon."

The child stopped and then held out both her braids so that she could see them, confirming to herself that it indeed was one of hers. She smiled at Adam and hurried over.

"Thank you," she said. "My mom would have been mad if I lost one of my ribbons." She took it from him. "Can you tie it on for me?"

Adam shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I guess so. Now I've never tied a ribbon in a girl's hair before so have patience with me. Now stand still for a minute."

Zoe handed Adam the ribbon and stood in front of him as still she could while Adam tied the ribbon, undid it—not pleased with the result—and tied it again. And even though it still looked a little mismatched with the other ribbon, it would do.

"All done."

Zoe smiled at him and thanked him, feeling the ribbons on both braids. Then she sat on the bench beside him, swinging her legs in and out to the side and clicking her boots together. Adam sighed again and closed his book.

"Are you through with your book?" Zoe asked.

"For the time being, yes." Adam turned at the sound of the door opening and his father walked out of the mercantile, scanning a list in his hand.

"Adam, the order will be ready in a half hour. Let's go to the feed store. And here's a bag of sweetnin' for Hoss and Joe." Ben tossed it to Adam.

Adam stood up and turned to Zoe. "Oh, Pa, allow me to introduce you to a friend of Hoss'. Zoe Bartlett, this is our father, Mr. Cartwright."

"How do you do," Zoe politely said, standing up and giving a little curtsy.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Zoe. I know your father very well but I didn't know he had such a pretty little girl."

Zoe blushed and looked down coyly.

"Zoe is Hoss' friend who's helping him with his numbers so he won't have to miss recess to do his math problems again and if I know their teacher, again and again, until he does them correctly."

"Oh, is that so?" Ben said bending down to be on eye-level with the girl. "Well, Hoss is very lucky to have a friend like you." Ben stood up again and gave Adam his attention. "You take the buckboard around to the back of the feed store, Adam, and I'll meet you there." Ben tipped his hat to Zoe and strode off.

Adam went to climb onto the seat of the buckboard and Zoe stood still on the sidewalk watching him, her hands behind her back. He paused; her innocent youthful beauty made him want to cry and he was shocked at his emotional reaction to her. One day, she would probably suffer heartbreak and pain and miseries that a being as ethereal as she should never have to endure and Adam felt a need to protect her.

"Zoe, go ask your mom if it's okay if I give you some of Hoss' candy."

Zoe grinned and ran into the store. Adam could see her through the window and see her mother's scowl. Zoe pointed and Mrs. Bartlett looked out the window at Adam. He tipped his hat to her. Then Mrs. Bartlett seemed to sigh in resignation and nodded and said something to her daughter. Zoe came running out.

"She said yes, but only two pieces," Zoe said practically dancing on the sidewalk.

"Well, here." Adam bent down and held the open bag in front of her. "Pick any two you want."

Zoe stared into the bag and then, with her delicate fingers, she picked out a peppermint and a caramel.

"Thank you, Adam," Zoe said.

"You're welcome," he answered smiling. "Thank you for helping Hoss."And as he watched, Zoe put the peppermint in her mouth and continued skipping up and down the sidewalk. Adam chuckled to himself. One day a man would give Zoe, the woman, flowers and jewelry, anything to win her affections and he could understand why. Zoe Bartlett was going to be one beauty when she grew up. Some man would be very lucky.

TBC