Chapter 2: How It All Started
One night, two months after Baron was born, Becky and Avery had been lying comfortably in the bed where they slept together every night. Avery had been half asleep while Becky had been wanting to write some things in her diary with the oil lamp on beside the bed. At times little Baron would wake up at night crying in need of his diaper changed, or in need of his bottle and would go back to sleep, which both knew was to be expected when raising a baby chick. It may even be a matter of time before he woke up again from his nap, but she would love to cradle and nurture their firstborn.
In her diary, Becky had written her feelings of many things that happened in her life ever since she was married to Avery, having wanted to start a family of their own and hope they would not be shunned or rejected too often for their species, for even buzzards deserved to raise a happy family and make new friends like everyone else. At this rate, she was thinking back to the time when she and Avery had settled in High Wind Gulch, after moving from Buzzard's Spring.
Becky Boone started life as an average pioneer gal, growing up with a family in Buzzard's Spring that had been struggling to escape their harsh treatment in the last town that was destroyed and ambushed, with many buzzards captured or killed by slave traders, sold off to who knows where. Rather than give full details of the town's name, Becky and Avery's parents did not want them to live in worry over what happened there if they had not made their escape into the town they lived in now. Their main concern was doing and wanting what was best for their children and future children, being born and raised in a log cabin, and reared with wagons, with just one dream away from the good life, whether it meant becoming a housewife or a farmer's wife. Her first memory was the cabin in the woods which they had left for other cabins and farms on the plains, in front of the hard times that followed them.
Avery Buzzard and his brothers came from a large family in the city of Buzzard's Chapel, growing up as farm boys, and soon became grown men trying to make their way as real pioneers in the west, no matter how often they knew of their kind being feared and shunned by other folks that believed in superstition or stereotypes. They were ready to someday prove those folks wrong once Avery's older brother Andrew was able to run a general store selling what housewives and farmers needed for their kitchen and barns. Winter times had been risky, with one time the two brothers being snowbound inside the general store and forcing other folks to dig them out once the snowstorm passed.
Although Avery loved the town, his dream was to become a farmer and find land to grow wheat and raise a family to be proud of. All he needed was seeds to grow them, learning how they had to be planted at the right time during the spring. Growing crops was how all farmers made their living. Lucky for him, his family still had enough of those seeds to hand him that was earned from another rancher that saved a whole bunch for spring. Folks would often take risks out in dangerous seasonal weather to avoid everyone facing starvation and famine.
Becky had later met Avery when she and her family were visiting distant relatives in her late teen years, attending a county fair, spotting Avery take part in a horse race, riding on top of a white appaloosa with black spots, a black mane, and black tail. Once the race had started, Becky enjoyed watching the energetic spirit of Avery's horse, which seemed to match her own spirit at the time to be wild and free where fear and oppression were nonexistent. Avery had been lucky to have met Becky after the race was over, coming in second place, which did not bother him one bit as he learned that winning in first place was never as important as true character. At first sight, Becky thought Avery with his rugged, farm boy good looks was quite a handsome man at the time, having country dust all over him, speaking slowly and thoughtfully, like a man who really knew how to court a lady.
Avery felt the same way about Becky, and never stopped thinking about her whenever she came to his hometown to visit relatives or attend special events as years went by, finding ways to make himself a part of her life. And once the time was right, an opportunity came when Becky took a job at a bakery in Buzzard's Chapel to earn money for her mother's medicine to cure her illness and hope there'd be enough for any medical bills that were becoming rather expensive lately and she didn't know why. But at least the hotel she stayed at didn't demand too much pay. Then one day on her way home from the bakery, Becky had come in contact with mutated rat thugs hiding in the alleyway that jumped out and tried to rob her blind, but also that they were wanted pick pockets and racist against buzzards, caring less if Becky was a female, which meant nothing to them.
"Hand over your money bone picker!" The first rat thug had held her arms from behind as the second one attempted to snatch away her purse. "We're talkin' to you!"
"Let me go you creeps!" She screamed, struggling and trying to kick at the other rat tugging at the purse before pulling at her dress.
"Don't make it any harder than it is now!" The second rat taunted, grabbing hold of her face. "Hand over your money and we'll let you live!"
"I said let me go!" Becky cried out in protest. She needed the money to send over to her mother. "Help, somebody help!" She kicked the second rat in the gut, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Come here bone picker!" The rat growled in fury when he grabbed Becky around the waist and body slammed her against the wall.
If not for Avery showing up during one of their personal errands, Becky would have ended up seriously injured or dead once the rats had their way with her, terrified by his horse Checkers and chased away to where the law officers had them cornered and arrested. Becky had sheer joy swept all through her to know that Avery loved and cared enough to save her life when she was in danger. Not to mention she was lucky not to lose the money that was still safe in her purse as Avery gave her a ride back to the hotel where he helped her to check out, inviting her to stay at his ranch where he insisted it would be safer than the streets close to the hotel. Being with Avery helped Becky to feel less lonely in being away from her family for a time.
For the next several weeks, Avery would ride Becky over to the bakery and picked her up when it was time to leave after closing time. Only one thing bothered her. How was she going to tell her family that she may have found the right man when he has yet to show that he has love in his heart for her? Still, the right moment would come eventually, after time went on when she truly began to enjoy the attention that Avery provided. Sure he might have shown to have pride and stubbornness in a few things when it came to a man's work, but in getting to know more about him and his family on the ranch, Avery believed that no matter how hard times may be for the buzzard folk out there in other certain parts across Moo Mesa, they would find ways to give their friends and family the freedom, excitement, independence, and new experiences they needed, even if some things don't always go the way they want it. And little by little, Becky was used to having Avery around so much that she thought of him as someone more than special in her life, and finally said yes to him after he courted her for five years.
There was only one condition Becky asked for…. before they would agree to marry and start a family of their own elsewhere for other opportunities, that whenever they endured hardships with money, neighbors, or family trouble, they will work together at solving it and never let bad times tear them apart. And so, the wedding took place a year later as a simple ceremony for neither of their families could afford a big church wedding in town, not that it mattered to the newlywed couple as long as they were together, before riding off to begin their married life.
Indeed, the first year of marriage was happy and hard, according to the circulating stories that the lands outside their former homes were becoming opened to settlement by homesteaders of all races, one of the towns across them being High Wind Gulch. Becky and Avery then made their decision to leave the homes they grew up in, despite how hard it was to say goodbye to their family and friends. But unless things did not go well as they had hoped, the married couple might consider coming back. Still, Avery had his pride and confidence that there was hope out there for them to make a difference, even if it was from a small family farm, and refused to believe that everybody hated buzzards and vultures. And even before they got married, Avery had often talked about going west and finding land that was unsettled and earned the right to keep it. The two buzzards were pioneers after all, so they made plans to leave and seek whatever opportunities waited for them out west.
Traveling in a covered wagon, Becky couldn't believe that she and Avery were truly traveling west, at first having doubts about it when it came to the stories of bad weather such as tornadoes, blizzards, hard rain, floods, or crossing frozen lakes. The newlywed couple picked a time to avoid the dangerous catastrophes that would have made traveling too dangerous, with winter over in several weeks, crossing a solid, frozen river. And all that time, Becky wondered what would happen if they ended up sleeping in the wagon during the rest of the bitter cold season with not enough to eat in keeping their strength going, because luckily for them, Avery had other relatives that were living in Mallow's Dale being Uncle Braxton, Aunt Bella, and their two teenage sons Artie and Brody, where their large log cabin sat in the big woods a block away from the town, and kind enough to let them stay until winter was truly over. For a time, all of Becky's doubts about going west were cast aside when exploring the shops and the stores in town, with everyday bringing something new and exciting. Whatever money they still had would be needed to get started once the two reached their new homestead in the west. But it never hurt to have a few treats for special occasions, seeing the many friends in Mallow's Dale that Avery's relatives made, if not everybody.
During their stay in the woods, Aunt Bella had helped Becky to see how she made homemade butter and cheese from feral cow's milk, along with bread making and baking cookies, cakes, tarts, and pies. And with her being taught how to make candles, hats, candy, clothes, mittens, quilts, brooms, and toys, she hoped that perhaps she and Avery would never have to worry about buying too much when they could just make it. And other than a skilled farmer, Avery had learned to become a carpenter and build furniture and would sometimes go out and watch his Uncle Braxton hunt whatever game he could find without overhunting or picking the wrong target like a bear or cougar. One wrong move on that and the predator would attack. And as far as Becky was concerned, Avery's joyous spirit and love of adventure had the two sitting by the fireplace listening to Uncle Braxton tell the family stories and playing the banjo, which Avery had revealed his pa had taught him when he was younger. Other than the songs about their adventures in the woods and the prairie lands, one of them had been about the Great War between the vultures and the crows sung as a lesson about how neither side was on the right and the importance to learn from the mistakes of the past and not to repeat them. Freedom was inside all of them, and no politics could take that away, not even when they could just homeschool their future children if they still couldn't be allowed to bring them in the schoolhouse. A lot of the folks in Mallow's Dale were working together at finding a way to give children from all races the right to an education, regardless of their background.
Sadly, by the time winter was over, Avery's relatives had helped to hitch the horses to the wagons again and continue to move out west, but not before saying goodbye and giving thanks for letting them stay, giving the couple a goodbye present, which turned out to be a banjo. Becky was nearly heartbroken to be leaving those that had treated her as part of the family which she was now. But Avery had insisted that once they were settled into their new home, he would find a way to write back as soon as possible. He was itching to move on and find the trail that would lead him and Becky to where the country was wide open and free, and hoped that High Wind Gulch was not overcrowded by the time they got there.
Throughout their journey west, Becky and Avery had acted like each other's best friends in a world of friends left behind, both becoming strong willed and would enjoy their playful teasing and arguing to make the tense moments in life a little lighter.
"Look around you Becky," Avery was pointing over to the sides of the road they took. "If these roads are finally filled with other hard workin' folks, that means we're almost there."
Becky looked around, had noticed the families of ducks, pigeons, robins, sparrows, bluebirds, pheasants, blue jays, magpies, chickadees, geese, hens, hawks, owls, and many other avian species that Becky could see, having settled onto their ranches.
"Why Avery, it's as if the whole bird community has settled here like us in hopin' for a better life without too many troubles on the way," Becky had chuckled.
Avery mumbled to himself. "I can almost hear their singin' about the prairie life all the way where we're at."
He had coached the horses forward, starting on another uphill pull. The avian civilians seemed to be everywhere with their non-mutated cows, goats, sheep, horses, and tiny children trailing behind their wagons. There was plenty of time to plan ahead while they pressed on, remembering their real reasons for marrying the other. Becky did not wish to think too much of poverty finding its way to her and Avery, just as it had somehow seemed to catch up with the rest of the buzzard community out there as she had heard. Avery had also made other discussions with Becky that he would do whatever she wanted him to do if for some reason farming did not become successful, not wanting to his wife to worry so much about things that have yet to happen and not be fully prepared for it.
Soon the buildings and other folks came into view, seeing a sign that said "Welcome to High Wind Gulch" as Avery pointed out. Becky had written everything in her diary ever since their journey out west had started, in how it had been at least 50 days of traveling, seeing the land as rocky, but beautiful and green with many trees, and rolling grassy hills, planted with strawberries, looking to be progressive and fair, if not all perfect. Their wagon had rolled into town, with Becky staring at the store windows and commercial life around them. One young duck had asked them where they were from as Avery answered that bringing up Buzzard's Spring and Buzzard's Chapel, leaving the little one confused as if he never heard of those places.
Their first stop was at the general store and meeting Miles Pronghorn where he had shelves of creamed corn in cans, sacks of sugar, simple fabrics, small toys, dolls, candy, jam, coffee beans, tea bags, cocoa mix, spices, fruits, medicine bottles, and veggies, having welcomed the buzzards in instead of shooing them out to their relief. Becky had almost lost count of how much wonderful merchandise was in the store, not sure if they were able to afford even one, which depended on the price and what Mr. Miles was selling, turning out to be generous, kind, and fair to everyone, never charging too much from those less fortunate. By this time, there was some discussions on voting, going on over in the courthouse regarding Callahan Condor and Edward Nosedive, but he would discuss that to them later, giving instructions on where they can find the one who is selling the house on the other side of town.
It wasn't too far to where this house was, bringing the wagon to a halt on a not very promising piece of land. Unlike the first acres of land, they drove through in town, this land was covered in sassafras, sharp thickets, steep slopes, ledges, and heavy, heavy woods. At first Becky thought it was some kind of mistake, although she spotted the deep, rocky ravine and a clear, spring fed creek meandered around the base of a hill, and half an acre of land for wheat planting. For a time, the newlyweds looked around, staring at the primitive cabin up for sale as it was revealed, hallway between standing up and falling down. It may not have been perfect in every way, but Avery insisted that with a little improvement on the yard and the house, it will start feeling like home in no time. And the one who was selling this property offered a good deal on it. Inside the house, dust and dirt were everywhere, with only one window and a hole on the roof where it would have been leaking if they had stormy weather at the time. The cabin was built by logs and held together by wooden pins, gravity, and luck. A broken-down bed was in the corner along with three chairs that needed fixing.
Still, if they were to live here for as long as possible, the work would have to be done one step at a time. And the land did show some kind of promise with the half acres and the streams flowing by where fish of all sizes swam beneath. So, their final decision was made to take the place and call it home. It was known as the house by the flowing creek.
AN: Finally, an update to this story. I apologize for the long wait for those that were wondering why it was not being updated fast enough, but some things at home caught up to me than I thought. Anyways, I thought it wouldn't hurt for Becky to have a flashback of some kind to how she and Avery had settled in town to begin with. There will be a little more of this in the next chapter titled "A Sick Baby".