Waiting
© by Kathy Savige
It was the afternoon of the third day. As she continued doing the multitude of chores usually handled by the riders, Emma Shannon tried to keep the worry under control. Already, two nights of waiting had kept her from going to bed till she could no longer stay awake, just in case they came home late and needed something to eat, or worse, wounds tended. The soup that was always kept on the stove was no longer fresh. Maybe I'd better throw it away and make a new pot for tomorrow. It's getting late and they'll prob'ly find some shelter for the night anyways. Looks like that storm'll get here sooner than I thought.
It wasn't that she didn't know that they could all take care of themselves individually or together; they wouldn't have got the job otherwise. Russell, Majors and Waddell chose its Pony Express riders for more than just their riding ability. They had to be able to shoot, ride, think fast and keep a cool head in dangerous situations, work together with people… Each one was well able to survive, if anyone could. And Sam wouldn't have asked them to go after the Henderson gang if he didn't know they could handle themse'ves, she reassured herself for the umpteenth time. It's just that…
It was just that in the short time they'd all been together, they'd become a family. Not in name, or for that matter, colour or outlook – from the outside, you couldn't have got a more disparate group together if you'd tried. It was just that the trust they'd had to build with each other created a deep bond between them. Yep, they're family all right. But it would only take one bullet to take one of them away from them all. And no matter where they go, bullets seem to start flyin' around like bees round a honeypot.
Lord, keep 'em all safe. I don't want to lose any of 'em. Emma had already lost one baby to smallpox, even having to bury the little one herself when her no-good husband had run away in fear. She didn't want to go through that time again. For a moment, the grief returned, threatening to take her over, but she shook it off. Ain't no good borrowin' trouble, Emma Shannon, she told herself. They'll be just fine! But the nagging doubt remained. It had been a long time before she'd been able to trust again, to let others in lest they leave her too.
The wind increased. The thunderclouds were building and soon the weather was going to turn very bad. Hope they've got their slickers. Don't want any one on'em getting no cold. Cain't keep 'em in bed anyways. All very active people, there wasn't a rider among them who wasn't a bad patient, though some were more vocal about it than others.
Like that time Cody got a bad stomach, he moaned and groaned, making as much noise as possible so's he'd get all the attention. Of course, had he been alone, or danger threatened, he'd have staged a miraculous recovery; at least until it'd been safe to complain again! Emma smiled; every one of the riders was so different, and so close to her heart.
In the distance the sound of many hooves intertwined with the rumble of thunder. She turned and squinted to count the horses coming over the rise. 1, 2, 3, 4, Jimmy's palomino makes 5, Katy's 6, 7…. and 8. All the horses had riders on, and were moving well. Thank the Lord! They're safe! This time her prayers had been answered; the six riders, Teaspoon and Sam were all riding home under their own steam. Time to get cookin'. They'll be hungry, like always. Good thing I didn't throw that soup away after all. It'll hold 'em till I can get supper cooked.
In the way life had of surprising people, Emma Shannon went to tend the family she'd always dreamed of.
©2000 by Kathy Savige
