New Beginnings: Life Changes

Ch. 9

Tempers and Trials

The day after the final injection to treat the possibility of rabies, Dr. Amy has come to check her patient. Finding him awake and sitting propped up in bed, she gives the boy a hug. "Thank you, Joseph, for not fighting the injections. I know this has been very difficult for you. I want you to stay inside another two days and rest your body. If you feel up to it, you can move to the sitting room but don't try to do much yet. Your stomach needs to heal from the treatment. You will not have much energy for a few more days so nap if you feel you need it. I brought you something as a gift for finishing the treatment."

"A gift? That's very kind. I tried to be a good patient and not cause problems for you. I couldn't help yelling when I got the shots though. Mama and Pa sent the boys out to the barn so I wouldn't scare them. I didn't think I could be quiet during them even though I did try."

"Not many people are able to take injections to the stomach without yelling as you call it. Your little brothers know of what has been going on and removed themselves. Now, would you like to open your gift?"

Untying the string and removing the white paper, Joseph finds a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Holding the hardback book and marveling over the gold lettering, Joseph exclaims, "Thank you so much. This is an elegant book. Look how fancy the title looks and the pages are crisp paper. This is brand new, isn't it? No one else has ever read this book, have they? I don't get many brand new books. I usually only get to borrow used ones from the lending table at the General Store. Even when we go to the city, I often have to buy used copies. The new ones are so expensive being four dollars or more each. That's why I like the yellow books about the outlaws. They are paper covers and only cost five to ten cents. Pa frowns on me reading those so I have to sneak them." Shocked at what he just disclosed, Joseph looks up to see if his new aunt is upset. Seeing only a smile and twinkling eyes he smiles back.

"Could you pretend you didn't hear that last sentence, please?"

"No worries, Joseph. I once knew a boy who liked to read forbidden books as well and would spend hours in a hayloft away from his Da to do so. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow and I hope to see you feeling up to leaving this room. A week of confinement is difficult and you've done well. Is there anything you'd like to ask or need before I leave?"

"Am I cured now? I won't suddenly start foaming at the mouth or something else will I? Is it safe for me to be around people now?"

"You aren't cured because you don't have the disease. Luckily you were not bitten, only scratched but we wanted to be extremely cautious and give the treatment anyway. This is what we call preventive medicine. It's a treatment to stop a disease before it even begins. I would advise you stay away from wild animals though. I don't believe you'd want to have to have these injections over again would you?"

"No, Ma'am! Once is enough forever. If I see any more raccoons, I'll go the other way from now on."

"Good idea. I'll see you tomorrow, enjoy your book."

Later that afternoon, Joseph sees his bedroom door slowly open. Frowning at not seeing anyone there, Joseph calls "Come on in."

Peeking around the door, George whispers "Can I really come in?"

"Come, sit with me. I'm so tired of not seeing you and Ben. Why haven't you been to see me?"

"Papa said to leave you alone as you needed quiet and rest. He'd spank me if he knew I came in here when he said not to so don't tell him. Mama is outside hanging clothes so I sneaked in. Are you all better now? I'm really sorry for wanting to pet the raccoon. It's all my fault you had to take the shots. Ben said I caused all this trouble and should get a whipping. I'm the one who told Pa about the raccoon. Are you mad at me? Do you want to tell Pa to whip me?" George says so quickly all the sentences seem to run together.

"Slow down, it's hard to keep up when you talk like a runaway locomotive, George. No, I'm not mad and I don't think you deserve a spanking or worse. You love animals and want to be kind. Neither of us knew the coon was sick. I couldn't tell until I looked at it closely. I'm just so glad neither of us was bitten. If one of us had to be scratched, I'm happy it was me, not you. You did the right thing telling Pa as I couldn't. I was so sick from getting an infection from the nip from the stallion and in the scratches. I shouldn't have been so dumb as to go in the pond with the open wounds but I didn't think."

"I forgot about the stallion. I thought it didn't hurt you. It didn't tear your dungarees. We looked."

"He didn't tear them but he must have bitten through them. He still somehow broke the skin and I didn't know then. I realized it only when I got in trouble for being on the ladder after Mama said not to. When Pa walloped me a few times, that's when I knew. I didn't say anything because then I'd be in worse trouble for going in with the stallion alone. I think the fever and the injections are punishment for how I acted. At least I hope that's all the punishment I have."

"I have to go, I hear Mama on the porch! I'll see you later." George whispers as he quickly moves to the door.

"Bye, thanks for the short visit, George." Joseph tells the now closed door.

Waking to the smell of something cooking, Joseph eases himself up to a sitting position to read a little more in the book. Not having been able to read much before falling asleep, he tries again. Just getting into the part where Tom is beginning his punishment from his aunt for skipping school, his bedroom door opens to allow Ethan to enter with a tray.

"Hello son, it's good to see you feel like sitting up. How is your stomach?"

"It's hungry. Did you bring whatever is cooking? It smells so good."

"You asked for beef stew when your fever was attacking you. Delphie let this stew simmer all afternoon so it should be very tender. Dr. Amy said you could try something other than soup and toast today. Are you ready to eat? I'll help you sit in the chair and we'll put the tray on your bedside table."

"I need to go and also to wash, Pa." Joseph says reddening at still having to have help to the water closet. Even after a week, he still finds it embarrassing.

"Up you get, then. Lean on me and we'll travel slowly."

"Umm, Pa? Not too slowly, alright? I haven't been since Rob took me at lunch. I didn't want to bother Mama as she was so busy."

Holding the boy around his waist, Ethan guides his son out of the room while saying "You and I are going to talk about this habit you have. This keeping quiet about your needs is not good. Here, go do what you need to and I'll help you back to your room."

Waiting until Joseph has eaten his fill, Ethan helps him back into bed.

"How is your stomach feeling today? It's only been one day since your last injection so I assume it's pretty sore still."

"It's easing off but it aches some still. Dr. Amy came and checked me over. She said I was doing very well."

"Joseph, I've been putting off this talk for a week due to your illness but now we need to get something clear. You are not a little boy George's age. You are more than old enough to discuss illness instead of covering it up as you did. Everyone needs help at times and it is not a sign of weakness to admit it. If you had come to me or your Mama and then stayed out of the water, we could have prevented the infection. You would not have been so ill, son. Your hiding the fact that the horse broke the skin and the raccoon attacked you led to some serious consequences but they could have been much worse. This behavior stops here. No longer will you hide the fact that you need help or are sick or injured. Your Mama is a nurse, I'm trained in healing and your sister is learning to be a nurse! There is absolutely no excuse for you to hide illness or injury. Do you hear what I am telling you? Never again, young man!"

"Yes, but I still would have had the awful treatment, though. Whether or not I said something early." Joseph answers quietly.

"True, but your youngest brother had to be the one to tell me about the attack. You should have told me yourself, immediately. No one can predict what a wild animal will do and you acted courageously getting yourself and George to safety. However, you did not do the same while working with the horse did you? What is our rule about the wild horses?"

When the boy doesn't answer and continues to stare at his feet, Ethan reprimands with "Joseph!"

"No sir, I didn't. We aren't to work with the horses alone." Joseph answers not meeting his Pa's eyes as he knows from the tone of his voice, they are glaring right now.

"When I speak to you, you look at me and reply to my questions! You are bordering on punishment for disrespect. Eyes up NOW!" Ethan commands waiting until the boy is looking at him before continuing his lecture.

"This is the second time you have disobeyed that rule and both times have wound up injured because of it! I will not have this defiance! You are confined to the ranch and restricted from working with the horses for two weeks. You are to rest and stay inside most of next week. I don't want you to even attend church this week. Your body needs to heal. I will draw up a list of extra chores for you to do the following week while Rob and I train the horses. It's a good thing for you that you are recuperating from illness. If you weren't we'd be having a different type of discussion out in the barn, young man! I'm very tempted to turn you over and apply a hairbrush to your backside right here and now! This better not ever happen again! You do not go into that corral with the horses unless Rob or myself is with you, am I understood?"

"Yes Sir, I understand. I won't let it happen again. I give my word." Joseph answers as tears threaten from the stern scolding and knowledge of being restricted from the horses.

By the time Joseph has endured nearly two weeks of being unable to go to town or have visitors, he's actually looking forward to going to church Sunday morning.

Sitting on the back of the pony cart he's practicing his use of a lasso. Just tossing it to rope a post of the fence. In twenty tries he's hit the post ten times by the time Rob walks out of the house.

"What're you doing? Aren't you supposed to be doing extra chores?"

"Practicing my roping skills. I can't do much else confined to the ranch. I've finished straightening the tack room, done all the weeding, raked the chicken coop so I'm done with all the punishment chores I am to do today. You look cleaned up, are you going somewhere?"

"It's Friday, Claire and I are going to town. I'm taking Cecily out for a buggy ride by the lake. I'll be home late as I've an invitation to dinner with her family as well. Claire and Alex are also going so you'll be the oldest at home tonight."

"Lucky you! I'm ready to see something besides my room and the ranch yard. I don't think I should be on punishment, after all, those shots were punishment enough!" Joseph complains as he readies the rope for another throw.

"Personally, I think you should be grateful you needed the shots. If you didn't and Pa found out about the stallion, you would have been wanting a pillow to sit for at least a day. I happened to overhear him talking to Delphie of you going into the corral alone. He was pretty mad. If it weren't for you recovering from being ill, he would have taken the strap out! He said as much. Delphie calmed him down."

"You were eavesdropping, Rob? You crawl all over Ben when he does it and you did it!" Joseph exclaims wide-eyed.

"Don't give me that look, it's not eavesdropping when I'm right in the room with them. Be glad you were too sick to be punished! Word to the wise, DO NOT even think of complaining to Pa about punishment. He's not in the best of moods lately and his temper is short. Also never go in with the wild horses alone again. He doesn't forget, you know that as well as I do. One more time and your ability to ever sit again will be in jeopardy."

"Yes, I know he's still mad about it. He had a talk with me and threatened to spank me with a hairbrush! Can you believe he said that when I'm fourteen?!"

"I don't think our ages bothers his swinging hand one bit. I've got to get the buggy ready, come help and we'll talk more."

That evening at supper, Ben shares news the boys learned from their visit to town.

"Everybody, we found out the rodeo is coming to Paradise. There was a paper in the window at the Mercantile about it. We saw it didn't we, George? When is it again?"

"July 11th and 12th. That's a Friday and Saturday but it's not this week. The flyer had the events on it. There's competition for boys ages 9 to 12 and 13 to 17 as well. Joseph, you and Rob could be in the competition and so could Ben and me." George shares his news happily.

"What would these competitions be?" Ethan asks.

"I don't remember all of them, Papa. One of them is what Joseph did before, that barrel racing and one for us would be something called a calf scramble. The flyer said we could meet a man next Friday to sign up though. I saw some more writing about it but didn't read all of it. Can we go?"

"We may be able to go to the rodeo but let's not get too excited, George. It's two weeks from now."

"May we enter the competitions?" Joseph asks.

"I need more information first before I answer, son. Let's finish supper so we can have the good Irish shortbread your Mama spent the afternoon baking."

"Rob and Claire are not here so we can have their share, George. I'll split it with you."

"Hey, I might want an extra share! What makes you two think you are entitled to have both?" Joseph asks playfully.

"Simple, I said it first so I get more! So there, Joseph!" Ben answers sticking his tongue out at his brother.

"Ben. That is rude. I know you have better manners than that. Now, no more bickering. Rob and Claire will have their share when they come home. No one will have their shares." Delphie scolds before Ethan can say anything.

Scowling at his Mama scolding him and denying his extra treat, Ben drums his heels on his chair.

"Ben, stop kicking the chair. The chair didn't do anything to you so be kind to it." Delphie tells the pouting child.

Now scowling at George for giggling, Ben tries again. "I want extra shortbread! I really need it, Mama! You can let Claire and Rob make their own shortbread. They can cook, I can't. No one lets me do anything! I want extra!"

"Benjamin, you heard your Mama. She said she was saving your sister and brother some of it. Now, you have a choice. You can straighten yourself up and act as an eleven-year-old with no pouting, whining, kicking the chair or you can go to the corner and skip dessert. Which will it be?"

"I'm too old for corner time, you should know that Papa!" he answers saucily before adding "Everybody else fusses about things too. Why can't I complain if I want to?"

"Watch yourself, young man. I don't tolerate backtalk. Explain what you mean about complaining."

"You fussed just this afternoon. You told Mama that Uncle Matt was spending too much time with the new switchboard and not running his store. You told her he needed to hire someone to run the switchboard because then he'd be available for customers like you. Mama said things would work out and give him time."

"We had that conversation in our bedroom with the door closed. Did you suddenly develop super hearing?" Ethan asks firmly, eyes holding Ben in place in his chair.

Not sure what to say, Ben shoots a quick glance for help to Joseph who only shakes his head in response. "Umm, I ... uhh... No?" Ben finally answers.

"No would be the correct answer. Now, I have another question. What is it called when you deliberately listen in on private conversations?"

"I didn't mean to, it just happened." Ben tries, beginning to squirm in place.

"What is the answer to my question, Benjamin?"

"Eavesdropping," Ben answers eyes going wide as Ethan motions him to come with a crooked finger. "I'm sorry!" Ben tries as he reaches Ethan's chair. From his Pa's expression, he has a good idea of what's to come.

"Sorry isn't going to work. You know you are forbidden from this behavior and it doesn't 'just happen'. We've talked at length about this. I warned you the last time, what would happen if I heard of you eavesdropping. You continue to do it and now you will pay the consequences. Go get the spatula from the drawer."

Bottom lip trembling, Ben hands the horrid wooden object to his Pa. "Papa! Papa, please don't! I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

"You have been warned repeatedly. Eavesdropping is rude and disrespectful. You seem to have forgotten how to behave tonight. Perhaps this will serve as a reminder." Ethan says as he bends the boy over his knees applying the small object rapidly to the upturned bottom.

"Now, let this lesson sink in because if I hear of you eavesdropping again, even once, it will be something more than this you feel on your behind. Go sit down."

"I don't want dessert anymore. I want to go to bed. You spanked me in front of everyone that's not fair!" Ben says, lips poked out and trying to sniff back the tears.

"I told you to do something. Unless you want a repeat of what just went on, you'd best do as told, now. You have been disrespecting your family's privacy so you lost your own."

"Ethan, maybe bed is what he needs. Perhaps he's tired and that's why he's acting this way."

"He only wants to go sulk, Delphie. He's not going to get away with that. Respecting other people is going to include being polite enough to share family time together." Ethan answers watching Ben slowly sit on his chair.

In bed that night, George sends a silent message to his brother. "Ben? Are you still sore? Are you still mad at Papa?"

"It stopped stinging a while ago and yes I'm still mad. He didn't have to wallop me or do it in front of everybody!"

"He usually doesn't spank us in front of others. I wonder why he didn't take you somewhere? I'm sleepy. I'll see you in the morning." George answers rolling back over to face the wall.

After breakfast and chores the next day, George goes to play with the kittens in the barn, Joseph is busy helping with the laundry and the older two are in town. Ben takes that opportunity to also go to town.

Approaching the General Store, the boy checks in the window for signs of his brother or sister. Not seeing anyone, he enters and walks back to the corner where the new switchboard is located.

"Hi, Elisha. Can I watch?" he asks the girl sitting in front of a board of holes and wires.

"Yes, but I don't get many calls yet. So far today, I've had two. Dr. Amy and a Marshal's office from Colorado Springs. The Marshal wanted to talk to your Pa. If I need someone to go get a person to talk, you can be the runner, okay?"

"What's a runner?"

"Someone who goes running to get the person they are calling if that person doesn't have a telephone."

"Oh. I can watch the board and you can get the person. I don't know what to say."

"Oh, well... all right. Ahh, it's buzzing, that's a call." she explains as she lifts a wire with a tube on the end and puts it in a hole. "Hello? Paradise, may I help you?" Ben hears her say into a thing that looks like something he's seen on a wall telephone.

"Yes, sir. I will go tell Reverend Davis you called. He doesn't have a telephone in the church. Yes, sir. I will ask him to call you back at 4-535. Yes, I will remember."

"Ben, I need Reverend Davis. Will you go get him please?"

"Umm, I want to stay here. I'll tell Uncle Matt where you went."

"Alright but don't touch the board. If it buzzes, get Papa from the storeroom."

"Right, I will."

To Ben, it seems to begin buzzing as soon as the store doors swing closed. Two different holes are buzzing at the same time. Going over to the stockroom door, Ben opens it to find the room empty.

"UNCLE MATT?" Ben calls out over the noise of the buzzing.

"UNCLE MATT, THE HOLES ARE BUZZING! THE HOLES WANT TO TALK!"

Coming in the side door, carrying a barrel, Matt hears the boy shout.

"I'm coming," he calls putting the barrel down and hurrying to the corner.

Putting a wire into a hole he echos his daughter, "Hello? Paradise, may I help you?"

"Yes, certainly. I will get the message to the Doctor. Yes, sir. Thank you for calling."

Ending that call and answering the persistent buzzing from the second one, he repeats his greeting and waits.

"No, I'm sorry. This is not the Denver exchange. This is the Paradise exchange. Yes, let me look at my list. You want 716, not 761. Yes, you are welcome. Thank you, you as well." Ben hears before watching his uncle hang up the mouthpiece on the hook.

"Well, hello to you, Ben. Where is my daughter?"

"She had to do a runner."

"She had to do a what?" Matt asks eyebrows going up questioningly.

"A runner. She had to go run for Reverend Davis. The board wanted to talk to him. Uncle Matt? How does the board know how to talk? Who taught it to talk?"

Laughing to himself, Matt explains the idea behind the switchboard. "So, you see, it's not the board doing the talking, it's other people. We are just connecting telephones from where they are to here in town. If someone doesn't have a telephone we have them call the person back on our store phone. Does that help you understand a little, Ben?"

"Yes, sir. Can I talk to someone?"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now. Maybe another day. Are you here to shop?"

"I just came to visit. I have to go now, bye."

"Thank you for the visit, say hello to the family for me."

"Yessir."

"Uncle Matt?" Ben calls back from the front of the store.

"Yes?"

"May I take a flyer about the rodeo? Papa wants to know about it."

"Go ahead. That's what we have the flyers for, Ben." Matt answers just as the board buzzes once again.

"Hello, Paradise, May I help you?" Hearing a woman shout "EMILY? IS THAT YOU?", he takes the earpiece away from his ear for a second before replying. "No, I'm sorry this is 761 in Paradise, Colorado and you want a different number. Oh, this is Mrs. Tanner. Good afternoon, Mrs. Tanner, it's Matt Carroll from the General Store. You are at the Boarding House you say? No, I don't know the number for Emily in St. Joseph, Missouri. Yes, you as well." Matt replies while wondering why the lady would think he knew the number she was trying to reach.

Back at the ranch, Delphie realizes Ben has disappeared. Asking the other boys if they've seen him results in answers of "No, Ma'am" and "No, Mama."

"Joseph, would he go fishing alone?"

"I don't think he would. We aren't allowed to go to the pond without permission. Most times I have to go along with them. I'll check the haylofts. He might be up there asleep. George, go check the treehouse, just in case."

"He's not in the treehouse, Mama. I haven't seen him since I went in the barn. Mama, can you ask Pa if we can keep the calico kitten? I love her. She sits on my shoulder and purrs in my ear. Please, Mama?"

"George, I ..." Delphie begins before looking into the beseeching deep blue eyes. "I'll talk to him but you know your Pa. He's not easy to talk into things."

"Thanks, Mama. I'm going to name her Cally. She's so smart, she can climb up the ladder just like me."

"Did you go up into the second loft? You know your Papa doesn't want you to do that."

"No, Mama, just the first one. Cally has already caught her first mouse. She was not much bigger than that mouse either when she did it." George answers as Joseph walks up.

"He's nowhere in the barn. Do you want me to check the house? He might be upstairs somewhere."

"He may be. Let's look together. I'll take Claire's room, Joseph, check Rob's room and George, you look in the attic. If he isn't there then I want you to go check the pond, Joseph."

"I'm housebound to the ranch, remember? Pa won't allow me to go to the pond." Joseph reminds his Mama.

"This is an emergency, I'll explain it to your Pa if necessary. Now, let's go check upstairs. Perhaps he fell asleep and didn't hear me call him earlier."

"He's nowhere upstairs. Joseph, go on and check the pond. If he isn't there, go for your Pa. Something has happened to Ben!' Delphie exclaims near tears in her worry.

"He's just wandered off somewhere, Mama. This isn't the first time he's disappeared this way. Pa will have a lot to say if I have to fetch him from town because of Ben. I hope for his sake, he's at the pond. If he is, do I have permission to spank him?" Joseph asks.

"No, you do not. You bring him back to me. I need to have a long talk with a certain eleven-year-old mischief maker. I would have thought going over his Pa's knee last night would have caused better behavior."

"Ben doesn't dwell on yesterday, he's all about right now. It wouldn't matter what happened last night if he wants to do something, he just does it and then thinks. It gets him in trouble often." Joseph replies.

While his new mother is frantically searching for him, Ben is enjoying his trip to town. After leaving the General Store, he has stopped to visit Jackson at the Boarding House.

"Did you see we are going to have a rodeo soon? It has prizes for doing events. What event would you like to enter? I want to be in the calf scramble and I want to know what mutton busting is. Mutton is sheep so maybe it's roping sheep. Joseph is good with a rope, he could teach me."

"I don't want to be in any event. I just want to watch. I don't know how to ride a horse or throw a rope so I'll watch you. Where's George today?"

"At home, I came by myself this time. Say, can you go find the time for me? I need to know. Don't tell your Ma I'm here though."

"Okay, I'll check the Grandfather clock in the front entry. Wait here."

"It's ten to twelve, Ben."

"I have to go. I'll see you, Jack." Ben says suddenly deciding he needs to hurry home as his Mama will miss him at lunch.

"Bye."

"Joseph, go for your Pa. I can't find Ben! He could have fallen in the pond or be stuck in a tall tree. Something could have dragged him off!"

"Any animal that tried to drag him off would find out he fights back and drop him. I don't believe he's in danger. George would know. They have a connection through some way and they can tell if each other is in danger, sick, frightened or hurt. George, you haven't felt any of those feelings have you?" Joseph asks his younger brother.

"No, I haven't. He's okay, Mama. He just came into the yard." George says now looking out the front window.

"Hi, what's for lunch? I'm really hungry." Ben calls walking in the front door. Seeing his Mama with her arms folded over each other and Joseph standing the same way, he asks "Are you two cold?"

"Benjamin Ethan Cord! Where have you been? We have been looking all over for you!" Delphie scolds loudly.

The tone of her voice making all three boys stare at her in surprise. None have heard that sternness before.

"I went to town. I was just in town, not a big deal."

"Wrong. I didn't give you permission to leave home. Sneaking away and not telling anyone where you are is a big deal as you call it. You know you aren't to go anywhere off the ranch without permission! You disobeyed me and your Pa as well! I was about to send for him, as I was very worried! Put yourself in the corner until I say you may leave." Delphie snaps, pointing to the corner by the kitchen stove.

"Mama, look, I only went to town. I didn't climb the roof of the barn or something else dangerous. I'm fine."

"I can see you are fine. What I can also see is a boy about to be punished again. MOVE!" Delphie says firmly, once again pointing to the corner.

"Mama, no! I don't want to stand... YOWCH!" Ben exclaims as he receives a sharp smack from her hand on the seat of his pants. "Mama! You smacked me! Mama? NO, don't get it out! I'm going, see?" Ben says as he quickly moves towards the corner having seen her reaching for the hated spatula.

"George? I think we need to go check for eggs. The hens might have laid more since we gathered earlier." Joseph tells his gaping little brother as their Mama pulls a struggling Ben over her lap.