Hoss, My Son
Chapter 4
It was near the end of October by the time Hoss got back from Missouri. "Everyone," he said to the crowd of people around the new third corral, "allow me to introduce 'Louie' from St. Louis to ya all." The newest Clydesdale was slightly bigger than Jack but had the same deep red coat and very white feathers on each leg.
October was late in the year for breeding, but Louie was an enthusiastic suitor and Mitchie, who'd been afraid of breeding with Jack nearly two years before seemed to be quite accepting of the new stallion. Polly was also soon to drop the foal from her breeding with Adam's Sport and everyone was waiting to see what kind of temperament it would have.
Gertie was still the person who spent the most time with Andy when Joseph was away from the house. As the weather got chillier, they spent more time inside, which frustrated them both. Try as she might, there just weren't that many things to occupy the boy out of doors now. They would visit with the horses in the corral or collect pine cones until Andy's cheeks turned bright red and his lips turned blue. The chicken coop was good for ten or fifteen minutes of hunting for eggs and then carefully crossing the yard to deliver them undamaged to Hop Sing. If it wasn't too cold, there was a stand of apple trees on the way to Adam and Sally Ann's house and they would collect the fruits that had fallen on the ground, which meant they'd have apple fritters as a snack. But as the season deepened, their activities turned to more indoor pursuits which held much less interest for the active child. Gertie had hoped to find some spare moments while Andy was occupied or napping to study the text book Doc Martin had given her, but she found those moments were few and far between. To compensate, she stayed up at night studying, often not falling asleep until two or three in the morning. Finally, seeing the dark circles forming under her sister's eyes, Sally Ann insisted that she would care for Andy for the next few days so that Gertie could rest. The boy didn't care for the idea much and after an afternoon of complaints, Joe had to sit down with him before bed and discuss the matter.
"But Baba! I wan' Auntie G'rTee!"
"Auntie Gertie needs to rest and study for a few days, Andy. You don't want her to get sick, do you son?"
"No. I love her."
"I know you do. But you also love Auntie Sally Ann. You'll have just as much fun with her, I'm sure."
"But Auntie G'rTee my Mama?"
It almost broke Joe's heart to hear his son. He never spoke badly of his ex-wife, but he hardly spoke of her at all, he realized. And what child didn't deserve a mother?
He had seen what the lack of a mother-figure had done to his brothers. He knew how much the loss of his own mother at age five had impacted his life. So, it was natural that Andy had taken Gertie to his heart as his mother. But she wasn't. He didn't really know how to answer his son's question except to say something obvious.
"Auntie Gertie is your aunt and Auntie Sally Ann is your other aunt. Your real Mama lives far away now."
"Don' care! I wan' Auntie G'rTee!"
XXXXX
Adam was holding Sally Ann in his arms as they snuggled into the warmth of the blankets. They had forgone their usual lovemaking; she had been complaining of an upset stomach for the last few days and she seemed a bit tired. He reasoned that after watching Andy for the past few days, she might have picked up something from him. Children were always coming down with all sorts of little ills, he reasoned. He was jolted from his reverie when Sally Ann suddenly bolted from the bed and grabbed the washbasin and vomited.
"Sweetheart! I think this is more than just a little something. In the morning I'm going to ride and get Doc Martin to come and take a look at you."
"No. That's not necessary, Adam."
"I think it is," he replied hotly. He well knew his wife could play-act reticent, shy and innocent, but she had a strong independent streak that he understood…and usually loved. But not now. "This isn't just a little stomach problem. I don't want this to get out of hand. If somehow you've caught typhoid or diphtheria…." Their water was clean, the outhouses far from the water sources, but still, things happened. And those were deadly diseases.
She lay down again and covered herself. Laying a hand on Adam's chest, she gently told him, "I'm pretty sure I'm with child. That's all it is. Gertie told me today that I have all the earliest symptoms."
"You told Gertie before you told me!"
"Well, she's been studying that textbook. And I didn't want to ask Prudence, because she would tell Hoss and he would tell Pa and then you'd really be the last to know."
Adam's ire was brief. He looked at her, feeling dizziness come over him. A baby! They'd been trying for four months without any luck, and he was getting concerned that with his age and years breaking horses and perhaps even last year's accident, there was something wrong with him and they'd never have a family. But here was his wife telling him she was carrying his child! He pulled her tightly into his arms.
"I'm glad you're happy, husband of my heart."
"Happy?! I'm ecstatic, in awe, dumbstruck, jubilant, elated and so filled with joy!" He caressed her hair over and over. "My darling, my darling," he repeated over and over again until they both fell asleep.
They awoke the next morning to the "All Good" bell from Hoss and Prudence's house. By the time they got there, Pa, Joe and Andy had already arrived. Prudence was with them, holding Inger.
"Is it Polly's foal?" asked Adam.
"Yep," replied Hoss striding from the barn. "It's a colt. Got right up on his hooves, too. Hard to tell what color his coat's gonna be since he's still all wet 'n everything, but he's got dark socks like Buck.
Gertie pulled Sally Ann to the side. She could tell that she had told Adam what they suspected.
"So, what did he say? Are you going to tell everyone yet or wait," she whispered.
"He's over the moon. We want to wait for a while and just enjoy this ourselves, so don't you dare even hint about it, or I will skin you alive. Not even to Prudence!" Sally Ann whispered back.
Months later Adam would be standing with his brother watching the colt dancing and prancing in the corral with all the mares. His coat was still more red than anything else, but there was enough gold hair mixed in that when the light hit him just right, he looked like a copper statue of a horse.
"So, what do you think of his personality?" Adam asked.
"Well, 'Sport's Boy' has a lot of his spunkiness, but he's not nearly as strong-willed as his sire when it comes down to it. He'll let you know he has his reservations about something, but I don't see him as being a horse who would lead a pack," Hoss replied. "Still, I think when the time comes, he should be gelded."
"Well, then do it, if that's what you think would be best."
"Well now, big brother. Pru and I have been discussing this idea; Sport's getting older. You've taken good care of him, but he really shouldn't be doing the long, hard drives much longer. We want to give 'Boy to you. When he's old enough, you train him as a cow pony and leave Sport for the short, slow rides."
Adam looked at his brother. This was pure Hoss. There wasn't much to say, except "Thank you", so he put his hand around Hoss's shoulders and said it quietly.
Gertie had taken full advantage of some time not caring for Andy to study. She was surprised how much she missed the little boy but did her best to put him out of her mind. She was destined to be at least a midwife, not a nanny. The material wasn't difficult for such a good student as she; it was mostly memorization, although since she had never seen actual female anatomy (not even her own), she was surprised at what was actually "down there". One night, when everyone was asleep, she stood awkwardly in her bedroom with a hand mirror wedged between her legs, trying to see herself and identify landmarks. It wasn't easy and she wasn't able to see much. The next morning, after Hoss and Peter Torkelson had left to go do their work and Prudence had taken care of the morning's pots, pans and dishes, Gertie approached her older sister.
"Pru, I need some help, but this is kind of embarrassing for me to ask."
"Why? You know all questions are good, although I don't know what I would be able to add to what you've got in that textbook," she answered.
"No. It's not the facts, at least not per se. You see, there was a drawing of external female genitalia. I'd never seen mine, so I tried to look with the hand mirror, but I didn't see much. Ah…have you ever looked at yourself?" Gertie was blushing deeply.
This was not at all what Prudence was expecting the teenager to ask, and she blushed just as deeply.
"Nooooo…." she drew out the word. "Not even when I was giving birth."
"So then, how do I know if the drawing is accurate if I've never seen it? Are all women the same? Do the genitalia change after birth? As a woman ages? I know I have to stop being squeamish, and I should be able to ask Dr. Martin about this, but I don't even know if he'll answer me. He might think I'm too forward or that my interest is unnatural and then he'll decide that I'm not fit to be a student, or…."
"Stop! There's only one way you'll ever know. Let's go to your room."
"Are you….?"
"Yes. But don't tell anyone!"
A few days later, Gertie sat across the desk from Paul Martin. He had the textbook open in front of him and he flipped back and forth through the pages. Finally, he stopped.
"Please tell me the meaning of the term 'menarche'". Gertie answered with precision.
"Identify and describe the three stages of the birth process". Again, Gertie answered with ease.
"Now, would you please tell me the function of the ovaries and list at least three diseases of the ovaries?"
"The ovaries are situated in the abdomen and are the organ in which immature ovum are stored and where after the onset of menarche usually one ova per month is ripened and then released during ovulation. If the ova is penetrated by a sperm cell, pregnancy is the result. Diseases of the ovaries include ovarian cysts, cancer of the ovaries and ovarian torsion."
"Very good." Dr. Martin pushed a piece of paper and a pencil toward Gertie. "I'd like you to draw the female internal anatomy, identifying the parts please."
After a few minutes, she pushed the paper back to him. He looked it over, nodding. "Well, you've done quite well with this chapter. I'd like you to read the chapter on "Newborn Anatomy" next. Again, when you feel you know it very well, I will evaluate your knowledge."
XXXXX
Thanksgiving found the Ponderosa's main house stuffed to the gills with guests and the table from outside had to be dragged into the dining room to accommodate everyone. The day had put Ben in an introspective mood. It was so good to have his sons, his daughters-in-law, Gertie, their parents and his two grandchildren with him. Last year had been hopeful; looking forward to little Inger's birth, perhaps seeing Andy again and Adam's continuing recovery.
His childhood had been different. Of course, there was no official Thanksgiving celebration back then. There might be a special meal with the extended family after a good harvest had been brought in from the fields, but there was no guarantee from year to year that what they had gathered would be sufficient to see them through the next seasons. His father Joseph had been a tough, unemotional man. He'd defended the colonies in the War of Independence and was very proud of it. He worked without complaint, directed his wife and children with a strong hand and faced what needed to be faced. Ben was the second oldest boy, born somewhere around 1802 or 1804. His brother John had inherited the family bible, but Ben hadn't seen it since he was barely out of childhood. He'd had sisters, too. Those that survived into adulthood had married, had children but often succumbed to child-bed fever. There were aunts, uncles, and cousins, too. Most had been older than him, and the few that still lived had moved hither and yon.
Ben's mother, Anne, had a warm heart and did her best to raise and comfort her children and be a helpmeet to her husband, but with their difficult life, there was little time left over for more than a few sweet words and a hug and kiss at day's end for the children.
The elder Joseph had expected his boys to become farmers like himself. John, as the older boy stood to inherit the majority of the land, as was the custom back then. Ben was neither satisfied with a small amount of the farm he would receive, nor the life of a subsistence farmer. He was ambitious and filled with wanderlust. His father had tried to talk him out of leaving but knew that the youngster was compelled to go. It might have been given with reluctance, but Joseph soon gave Ben his blessing to go and make his own way. He was only fourteen.
Years later, when Adam was an infant, Ben detoured on their trip west to see his parents. There had been occasional letters through the years, but little else. All of his siblings had married. The farm was John's now in all but name. Joseph and Anne lived in a two-room cabin and were quite aged. Anne no longer knew the world around her, couldn't be trusted to cook anymore and only recognized her husband.
"Mother, it's Ben. Do you remember Ben. He's our younger son."
"Who, Joseph?"
"Ben. He's brought his baby son to show us, Anne."
"A baby! Here let me hold him!"
Ben looked at his father, who nodded that it was safe to place the child on Anne's lap.
Anne rocked Adam and cooed to him. Putting him on her shoulder, she smiled at Joseph. "See, husband? Haven't I given you another fine son?"
Adam, placid as usual, snuggled into his grandmother's neck, but both Ben and his father were working to hold back tears.
"Yes, Mother. Another beautiful child. It's time to put him into the cradle and let him sleep."
"What's his name, Joseph?"
"It's 'Adam'. A fine name isn't it?"
Ben never saw his parents again. Anne passed on just a few months later and Joseph followed her three years after.
But now he had his own large and growing family. He marveled at the men his sons had turned out to be, despite all that they had faced. Adam was the most like himself, or was he more like his own father, quiet, determined, hard when he needed to be? There was no question that his other two were temperamentally more like their mothers, but there was also no denying that when Hoss needed to follow through with something, he did so with steely determination. And Joseph, like the grandparent he was named for, had so recently shown that he could face the trials and tribulations of life and continue forward, difficult as it might have been.
So, it was that Ben's introspection lead him to his toast at the Thanksgiving table.
"I'd like to offer this toast to all the guests at this table today; to my sons, who fill my heart with pride and joy, who have taught me strength, gentleness, joy and earned me most of my gray hair. To my daughters-in-law (but really, they are my daughters, too), who have brought such happiness to all of us and to their parents who raised them to be the women who they are, and to Gertie also who has become an integral part of our family, a solid presence who has given so much of herself to Andy. And of course, to the grandchildren, Andrew and Inger Marie. What can I say? I am grateful beyond words for them. So, may each and every one of you enjoy many years in the best of health and may you have no less than the happiness and joy of today and may it only increase every year!"
The room was filled with responses such as, "Hear, hear!" and "To your health as well!" when Adam cleared his throat.
"Sally Ann and I have some to tell you."
Prudence and Hoss exchanged a smile, and she shook her head "no" very subtly to him.
Adam took a breath and looked down at his wife, smiling. "We are going to become parents sometime around out first anniversary."