Wilson's Hard Lesson (73 page)

Just then a young girl about 10 years old came bounding out
of the house. Her reddish brown hair laid in ragged curls down her back. She
had on trousers and a shirt that was stained brown with dirt and mud. Her face
was covered in a frown among the dark smudges of dirt.

“Hello Lexi. I’m Clara.”

The little girl crept behind her father’s leg without saying
a word. Before anyone could say anything else to her she bounded off towards
the woods. 

Craig watched his daughter run and then turned to look at
Clara again. “I’m sorry. She really is a good girl she just doesn’t get to be
around many people with us being way out here. If you give me a minute I’ll go
fetch her.

“Please, Mr. Sterling that’s really unnecessary. I am sure
she will come around when she is up to it.” She gave him a smile of
reassurance.

He nodded at her. “I’m sure you’re right. I cleared out the
bedroom for you. I will stay in the loft with Lexi. Please come in. It’s not
much, but its home.”

She smiled at him and started to follow him in when his
hands lifted the suitcases up. “I’m sure it’s lovely.” She looked around the
home as she walked through the door. With a good scrubbing of the place, it
really would be a lovely home. There were only a few furnishings in the small
room including a couple rocking chairs and a table with chairs where she
assumed they ate. She had seen a couple rocking chairs on the front porch as
well. There was a ladder on one side that led up to the loft and then there was
a door that must have led into the bedroom where he carried her luggage. She
looked around at the home. This was where she would be living for a while. She
didn’t know what life had in store for her but as she looked around she became
excited about her new life.

“Well, that’s all of it. I hate to just up and leave you
when you just got here, but I need to get to the fields. Please make yourself
at home Ms. Sterling and get settled.”

“Thank you but please call me Clara.”

He smiled briefly as he looked at her. “If you will call me
Craig.”

Smiling back she nodded. “Deal.”

Clara watched him walk from the house and then turned back
around to look at the house again. First she needed some water.

It had taken her all day long, but she looked around at the
home she now lived in. The place looked entirely different now that it was
scrubbed clean. She looked down at herself and groaned. Making her way to the
back of the house, she pumped water into the bowl there and began to rinse her
hands and arms before wiping down her neck and over her face. She immediately
felt better. Turning she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight she saw. There
was Craig in the fields. He had removed his shirt and wore nothing but his
trousers. She could see his muscles straining as he stood up and put his hands
on his back and stretched. He must have felt her eyes on him because he turned
at that second and his eyes met hers. Embarrassed she had been caught staring
at him she quickly ducked inside the home.

She began to look around the kitchen for something she could
make for dinner and she found some vegetables and a small hunk of meat.
Rummaging through the stuff she had just stacked up neat, she grabbed out a pot
and had vegetable beef soup on in a matter of minutes. Finding the flour, she
began to prepare the dough for biscuits. Soon the house began to simmer with
the aroma of food. Smiling, she quickly ran into the bedroom to gather her
spices she had brought. What she saw made her gasp out loud. The room was small
but elegant and pretty. There was a large vanity on one side and a large bed in
one corner.

She came back into the kitchen humming as she finished up on
dinner. She heard the door open behind her and spun around. It was Craig, but
he had replaced his shirt. Lexi was on his heels as well.

“It smells good in here.” He smiled at her. She ducked her
head in embarrassment with the compliment. Her husband had been so sick and she
had been alone most of the time that she rarely heard any compliments anymore.

“Thanks. I filled the basin outside with fresh water so you
two could clean up for dinner.” She looked at him pointedly. Ducking his head a
little he nodded and grabbed Lexi’s hand.

Clara smiled as she heard their conversation.

“But daddy do we have to clean up? We never did before she
came.”

“We did with your momma. You mind your manners. You wouldn’t
have second guessed what your momma told you to do.”

“I just don’t see why we have to be so clean. And did you
see the house? What she go and do something like that for? I mean it was fine
just the way we had it wasn’t it Pa?”

“It may have been before but not anymore. I kind of like
having real food don’t you? It smells like vegetable soup in there. Isn’t that
better than cold meat and bread that we get from town already made?”

“I don’t know. I kinda like it being us two. Like two peas
in a pod you always say.”

“Yes, but some pods have three peas, Lexi.”

“Seems crowded to me in that pod.” The girl’s voice was gruff.

“Stop your fussing. You don’t cause her no trouble, Lexi
Marie. Do you hear me? She came a long way to help us out. Understand?”

“Yes, Pa. I promise not even no frogs or snakes in her bed
and I promise I won’t try and scare her away.”

“You’re a good girl Lexi and you need a woman around to help
you fix your hair and stuff.”

“What’s wrong with my hair? And she’ll just make me wash it
like Ma used to. I mean I liked it when ma did it. She was different wasn’t she
Pa?”

“Yes she was honey. Now come on. Let’s go give Clara the
gratitude she deserves.”

“Yes sir.”

Clara looked up when they came through the doorway. “The
place looks amazing Clara thank you. Did you get settled in alright?”

“Yes I did. Thank you.” She acknowledged but she hadn’t even
stepped into the bedroom except to grab the spices. It would be something she
would have to tackle tomorrow. She watched as they both sat down at the table.

Clara began to eat the soup in front of her and looked over
at Lexi. She took a small bite and the girl’s eyes widened with delight. “This
soup is really good uh Pa. Wow.”

“I’m glad you like it. I used some spice that I brought with
me from back home.”

“It is amazing Clara thank you. We will have to get more of
those spices sent in.” He smiled at her as he tore a piece of his biscuit off
to dip into the bowl. After filling his bowl twice and Lexi’s once she began to
clean up the dishes. They both carried their dishes to the sink. He stood
behind her and she could feel the heat radiate off of his body onto her own.
“We normally go outside and sit after dinner. Lexi’s tries to catch lightning
flies and I use my pipe. We would like it if you would join us.”

She turned to smile at him and almost ran right into him.
She sucked in a breath. “I would like that a lot. Thank you.”

They sat in the two rocking chairs and watched Lexi play in
the yard. Clara saw herself on that porch rocking when she was older. The life
in the west may be hard but it was peaceful. It was simple and less stressful.
She didn’t need to compare herself to other women or try to outdo them. She
simply had to be herself and enjoy life. Not to mention it was absolutely
breathtaking out there. She was amazed at how different it was from the city.
The air smelled so clean and fresh. She took a big whiff and caught on the
scent of the pipe in the man’s mouth next to her. She remembered Liam and how
he smoked his pipe in the foyer at night while she curled up with a good book
in front of the fire. It had been so peaceful and comfortable to just share the
silence together.

“I’m sorry does the pipe bother you. I can put it out.”

She looked over to see his worried look. “No. To tell you
the truth I have missed the smell. My husband used to smoke his after dinner as
well.”

“James told me about your husband. I am sorry for your
loss.”

“Yes. It was hard. Still is. I am sorry for yours as well. I
always think that people don’t really understand. I guess you do, though.” She
looked over at him sadly.

He sighed deeply as he looked out at the yard where Lexi was
hopping around trying to catch lightning bugs inside her hands. Her laughter
could be heard across the yard and Clara watched him. “It is definitely harder
than people think. And yes unfortunately I understand all too well. I would say
that you will eventually get over it but you won’t. I miss Sierra every day but
it does get easier with time. You will see that you will remember the little
things. The small things you took for granted. Her laughter, her smile, the way
she said good morning and the way she looked sitting just as you are now. That
is the memories you remember and miss the most. The little things such as your
husband smoking a pipe every evening.”

She smiled sadly as she thought of what he said and realized
that he was right. It was the small things in their marriage that she
remembered the most. His smile and the way he used to call her his precious
before he left every morning. It all came back to her and a smile spread across
her face.

“I see you agree.” She turned to see him smiling in her direction.

“I have to say you are right. It is sad but it is also good
to remember as well.”

“Yeah it is.”

“Look daddy I got one. Look. Look.” Lexi came bounding up
the stairs to show off her treasure. “Look Clara.”

Coming over to peek in between her little hands she smiled
when she saw the little light coming from inside. “Wow. Look at that.” She
laughed as she looked at the tiny bug in wonder. She had never in her life seen
such a thing. Her reddish blond hair fell in front of her face and she
impatiently swept it behind her ear. “I have never seen such a bug.”

“You ain’t never seen a fire fly before?”

She laughed at the shocked look on the little girls face.
“No, I can’t really say that I have. We don’t have them in Ireland.”

“Where’s Ireland?” The little girl tried the name out on her
tongue.

“It is a beautiful land across the big ocean. That is where
I came from originally. It is beautiful. With dark green grass and sheep
everywhere.”

“Wow. I would like to visit this place one day. But no
lightning bugs. Guess there are some things that you

“Yes Lexi there are.”

“Ok. Let him go, Lexi, then it’s off to bed with you.”

“Oh Pa. Do I have to go to bed?”

“Yes. Off with you young lady. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Clara laid in the bed inside the bedroom some time later and
smiled before she drifted off. That night she slept better than she had in over
a year.

It had been weeks since she had come to the ranch and Clara
began to feel herself fitting in. She was sitting on the porch one day when she
saw Lexi come up behind her. She felt the small of her hand caress her braid
slowly. It now reached to her waist and she found it easier to just braid it
out here.

“I like your hair.”

“Thank you, Lexi.”

“My momma used to braid my hair, but I never learned how she
did it. I liked it, though. She would let me sit in her chair in the bedroom
when she did it.”

“If you want Lexi, I can braid your hair.”

 “Really?”

“But you have to do something for me.”

The little girl stepped back so that she could look at her.
There was a frown on her face as she looked at the older woman sceptically.
“What’s that?”

“You have to take a bath.”

“Oh man. I knew it. You’re like momma. You want me to be
clean first. She used to help me with my bath, though. Would you help me?”

“I would love to. Come on. We’ll heat up some water and get
out that old tub I saw in the corner of the living room.”

“Really? A hot bath?”

“Yes. And if you would like I have some lavender oil I can
put into it.”

“Wow. Ok. You got a deal.” The little girl stuck out her
hand and smiling Clara took it and shook it.

It was some time later that Lexi wondered if she had made
the right decision. It had taken them a long time to fill the tub and then even
longer for Clara to scrub her clean and scrub her she did. It seemed like she
had layers of dust and dirt. Finally Lexi sat in the small chair in front of
the mirror. She looked through the mirror at the woman he tried to get a comb
through the knots in her hair. It took a couple hours but she finally had her
hair clean and combed through. Taking up the ends she looked through the mirror
and smiled at the young girl before she began to braid her hair. The long braid
laid against Lexi’s back.

“Wow. It is great. It looks like how momma did it.”

“You are a beautiful young girl Lexi. You should show it off
more. You will be a young lady soon and then you will want to marry a nice
young man. How about a nice dress?”

“No way. I’m not wearing no frilly and foo foo dress. No
way, no how.”

“Ok. We will take one step at a time.”

Later on Lexi was standing beside her kneading dough when
Craig came through the door. “Clara, have you seen Lexi? I haven’t seen her all
day. Oh.” His eyes widened when he looked over at the table where Lexi was
kneading the dough. “Wow. Lexi, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you Pa. And you know what? Clara said she will do my
hair every day. It’s just like how momma used to do it.” As she heard Clara
clear her voice she made a face and went on. “That is she said if I keep it
clean. Every day Pa. She said I have to take a bath every day. Don’t know how
I’m gonna do it but we made a deal and she made me shake on it.” Flour puffed
out as the little girl folded her arms in despair.

“That’s good. You need to.” His laughter died when Clara
went on.

“Good. You will show a good example by doing the same
thing.” Clara’s word cut through.

“You mean Pa is going to take a bath everyday too. Like when
momma was here. She made him take one before he ate.”

“That is perfect Lexi.” Clara smiled as Craig scowled down
at his daughter. He had come in happy and it seemed that the tables had turned
on him. “I can warm you a bath or you can go to the river whichever you prefer.
We can start tonight.”

“Fine.” It was the only word he said before stomping from
the house.

It became a routine every day. That day, however, Craig came
in earlier with a visitor. The man was about their age and smiled over at her.

“You must be Clara. I have heard so much about you from the
folks in town.” The man had long light brown hair and wore a cowboy hat upon
his head. “You are however prettier than they said. Words cannot express your
beauty.” He took her hand and grazed it with his lips.

“Thank you. Mr….”

“Oh yeah sorry. Jack. I’m Jack from the ranch next door. I
was just coming over to invite y'all to the party.”

“The party?”

“Yes. We’re having a barn party tomorrow night and we are
all going out to invite everyone. Everyone brings a dish. There will be music
and dancing and lots and lots of good food too.” His smile was wide as he looked
at her.

She looked over at Craig in question. “It’s up to you.”

“That sounds like fun. How about it Lexi? You wanna go to
the party?”

“Yes, ma’am. Can we take one of those apple pies that you
bake with the cinnamon?”

“Sure. Can you help me make it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”