THE BARKLEYS’ LIVES FOREVER
Part 1
by Janet
Disclaimer:
The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the
creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without
permission. No copyright infringement
is intended by the author. The ideas
expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.
May 30, 1856 started
out as any normal workday on the Barkley Ranch. Tom Barkley was up before the crack of dawn going over in his
mind what the day’s work schedule would be. He had over three dozen hands that
worked for him, getting top pay and he had to make sure that they were working
where they were most needed. Running a ranch was not an easy job and it took
most of Tom’s time to keep it smoothly running and a success. But he enjoyed the daily grind. He looked
forward to it every morning. And to one day turning it over to his two sons,
Jarrod and Nick. There was also the
worry of the business side. He had to go over and over the books so he wouldn’t
cheat anyone by mistake or get cheated himself. That also took a great deal of his time. Sometimes he would lock himself in the study
and not come out until the wee hours of the morning. But he also enjoyed that
side of the ranch too. In order to keep
the ranch working, Tom had to stay up on everything. And sometimes that meant
being away from his family. He didn’t
much like that but it couldn’t be helped and he hoped that his wife and sons
understood that.
Tom was sure that
Nick would take control of the workings of the ranch but he worried about the
business side. Nick showed no interest
in learning the business end of the ranch and Tom was a little disappointed in
his younger son. But it couldn’t be
helped. After all, Nick didn’t show any interest in his schoolwork. And if he didn’t show any interest in that,
how could he take on the task of running the finances. He hoped in his heart that maybe Jarrod
would be willing to help Nick out.
Jarrod was a very smart boy who thought before he jumped into something.
At least most of the time. Once in a while he would jump into something before thinking
but that wasn’t very often. He prayed
that those two could somehow work together. And that was his dream. But he
wasn’t sure if it would ever become a reality. Nick didn’t like the idea of
Jarrod doing anything for the ranch. He
felt like it was his baby and he wanted to do everything himself. He knew that
he had to somehow change his son’s mind so that his dream could one day become
a reality.
His lovely wife,
Victoria, was planning the meetings she had in Stockton that morning with the women
of the Stockton Social Circle. Victoria was a well liked as well as a well
respected lady in Stockton and enjoyed entertaining guests especially since Tom
had built her the dream home she had always wanted. She loved to show it off to
anyone who dropped by whether invited or not. Victoria loved to entertain and
she and Tom had guests over at least once a week if not more often. Everything
would go fine until they heard that awful sound of their second son rattling
the rafters along with the windows of the house with his unusually loud voice.
They would scold Nick for forgetting and he would stop for a while but then he
would forget and it would start all over again. Victoria knew that Tom was also
concerned about the ranch and the boys.
Would they be willing to work together to continue to make the ranch a
success or would they constantly argue and never reach a compromise? She hoped in her heart that those two could
work together. She knew that it would make Tom happy but she didn’t know if the
boys would feel the same way. Only time
would tell.
The couple’s two
sons, Jarrod, twelve, and Nick, eight, were each getting prepared to head for
school. Jarrod loved school and studied
very hard but Nick tended to let the lessons pass to the aggravation of his
teacher and his parents. But what could they do? They couldn’t beat it into
him. Either he wanted to learn or he
didn’t. It was as simple as that.
As the four of them
sat down at the dinning room table to eat breakfast, Tom looked at his two
sons, smiling. He had already finished his meal and was having his third cup of
coffee before heading out to start his workday.
“What are you boys
going to do after you get finished at school?” he asked as he sipped his
coffee. “I thought maybe you might want to help me out here on the ranch.
There’s a lot that needs doing. And I’m sure I could find jobs for two healthy
boys.”
“We don’t have to
stay today but half a day father,” Jarrod answered looking up at Tom. “Mrs. Needles has to leave to visit her sick
aunt in Modesto so we will have the rest of the week off. I don’t mind helping
out when you need me although I’d rather sit and read. Or better yet study so I
can make something out of myself. I hope one day to attend college and start a
career at something although I haven’t decided what I want to study.”
Jarrod looked at
Nick with a smile on his face. He knew
that his brother could care less about school or studying.
“I’m so glad,” Nick
said smiling. “I hate school with a
passion. I’d rather be helping you here father. I don’t even see why I have to
go to school. It don’t take smarts to
run a ranch in the first place. It just takes talking loud and ordering the men
to do their jobs. That’s all.”
“Now son,” he
replied looking at Nick, “you know that school is very important. And you do
need it to run a ranch. It’s not all working out in the fresh air or making
sure the men do what they are told. You have to know math as well as manners in
dealing with anyone. And sometimes you
are slack on both. Jarrod, I’m proud to hear you say that you want to one day
attend college. I never went myself but
I know that you will do just fine. You have plenty of time to decide what you
want to study. I’m sorry I can’t be of
much help but I’m not real sure what you’re interested in.”
“No it’s not,” Nick
told him. “I’m going to take over
running this ranch. I don’t need to go
to school to learn how. I already have the voice for it. You’ve said that on more than one occasion.
Why are you always telling Jarrod how happy you are for him? He doesn’t do anything but sit around with
his nose stuck in a book. I am trying father.”
“Oh yes you do,”
Jarrod said as he looked over at Nick.
“You have to know how to figure and then how to speak to potential
buyers and sellers. Money doesn’t buy and sell cattle or horses by itself. You have to know what you’re doing. Nick,
nothing in this world is that easy. There are a lot of careers that I can do
and as for sitting around with my nose in a book, I do know some things which
is more than I can say for you.”
“No I don’t,” Nick
replied grinning. “I’ll only run the
ranch. And how do you know so much?
You’re not that smart. You just think you are because you always have
your nose stuck in some book. And for the simple fact that you think you have
father wrapped around your little finger but you don’t. He’s a rancher and not a bookworm.”
“I at least know
what it takes to keep a ranch operating,” Jarrod remarked smiling. “I’ve watched father sit at his desk for
hours trying to get the books to come out right or trying to get bills of sale
ready for potential buyers. It’s a
never ending job. And you had better learn that right now. You think it’s all
peaches and cream. It’s not. It’s very hard work.”
“Son,” he remarked
looking at Nick, “you have a lot to learn.
And I hope you will take the time to let Jarrod help you learn. He’s right about a lot of things but he’s
wrong about others.”
Jarrod looked at Tom
with a questioning look on his face.
“I’m sorry father,”
Jarrod said looking at his plate. “I do
try.”
“I know you do,” he
replied smiling. “I’m still proud of
you. It’s all a part of growing and
learning.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
said nodding. “I will remember that.”
“Nick,” she told him
looking at her younger son, “Jarrod is right.
You will need to know how to add and subtract. You have to know how to figure cost as well as count money out.
And at least act civil to your buyers and sellers. They will not be very willing to buy from you if you talk like
you do now. You have to know how to make it easier for them.”
“Why does everything
have to be so complicated?” Nick said looking disappointed. “What’s wrong with
the way I talk? I do the best I can. After all I’m only a boy.”
“It’s not that
complicated,” Jarrod replied smiling even wider. “You just have to apply yourself to your schoolwork and you’ll be
a success. There’s nothing wrong with the way you talk. It’s your use of the English language that
hurts. And if you would put as much effort into studying as you do working on
your chores or keeping that horse of yours groomed, you wouldn’t have to ask
stupid questions.”
“I hate homework,”
Nick told them shaking his head. “Big deal. What’s with you anyway Jarrod? You love to lord it over me with your proper
English and all your smarts. You think you’re so much better than I am. Well I
ain’t impressed.”
“Nicholas,” she
remarked sternly, “I don’t like to hear you use ain’t. It’s not proper for a Barkley. We have to
hold ourselves up because people look up to us. And then to hear you use that kind of language especially at the
table is appalling.”
“We’ve noticed that
you don’t take any interest in trying to learn,” he said looking at Nick. “Son, if you want to take over the
responsibilities of this ranch, the first thing you need to do is get an
education. I know it’s hard to study when you would rather be outside but it’s
very important to both your mother and me.”
“Your father is
right,” she replied looking at her second son.
“He never went to college but he did finish his education. All you have to do is study and you’ll be as
smart as Jarrod and your father.”
“I’ll never be as
smart as Jarrod,” Nick told them shaking his head at Jarrod. “That’s all I hear at school from Mrs.
Needles. Jarrod done this. Jarrod done that. Sometimes I hate being known as Jarrod’s brother. And the other
kids laugh at me because I’m nothing like Jarrod. It’s so hard living up to someone else.”
“Well,” she said
smiling, “let me tell you it wasn’t easy for Jarrod either. Right after you were born, he did everything
he could to make us angry. For a while we didn’t have any idea why he was doing
it. Then we were able to finally figure
it all out.”
“Why?” Nick asked
curious having never heard this before. “I can’t believe he would ever try to
get in trouble. It’s not like him. He’s
always Mr. Goody Too Shoes. He never ever gets in trouble.”
“I don’t remember
that,” Jarrod replied looking over at his mother shaking his head. “It doesn’t
make any sense. I’ve never tried to
make anyone mad at me in my life. Or at least not if I could help it.”
“You were quite
young,” she told him smiling but she wasn’t smiling then. “And you had been the only child for almost
four years. By the time Nick was born
you didn’t like the idea of sharing us with him. It took some work but we were
able to work it all out until the year Nick was two, he had begun to follow you
around everywhere you went. You couldn’t have a moment to yourself. And you hated that.”
“I still do to some extent,”
Jarrod said looking over at Nick and remembering all the times that Nick had
followed him around or bothered him when he was busy doing something else.
“Although he’s not as bad as he used to be. But I still have to get him out of
messes he gets into or fights. That’s not easy. And I don’t see him ever changing.”
“I’ve noticed,” Nick
replied leering at Jarrod. “You just like to be able to say that you stopped
Nick from making a fool out of himself or you.
You can’t accept the fact that I’m not perfect and neither are you. You
are always telling me that I shouldn’t do this or that I shouldn’t do
that. You’re not my father Jarrod and
you never will be.”
“I never said I
was,” Jarrod remarked with anger in his voice.
“I at least try to act like a Barkley. I don’t know what you are trying
to do. Maybe you think that if you
continue to get into trouble, I’ll always be there to bail you out. But I won’t. I have my own life to lead and I can’t stop every few minutes to
get you out of a jam you’ve gotten yourself into. I don’t mean to be mean to
you but it’s the truth. You’re going to
have to learn how to get yourself out of trouble.”
“What’s that
supposed to mean?” Nick asked hatefully. “I never asked for your help
Jarrod. You sometimes just stick your
nose where its not wanted. Let me tell
you, I am perfectly capable of handling my own battles. And I don’t need you to
save me. I can save myself.”
“Now,” he told them
seeing an argument on the horizon and trying to stop it before it started, “let’s
keep this a calm discussion.”
“Yes sir,” both boys
said at the same time but they still weren’t happy with each other.
“Anyway,” she went
on, “one day you followed Jarrod around the corral. He liked just walking
around and around in the corral. It gave
him something to do to stay out of his father’s way mostly. Tom didn’t want to
have to worry about where you two were while he was working so he tried to keep
you two busy. Jarrod was getting very
angry with you because you kept following him around and around that finally he
ran away thinking you couldn’t find him.”
“What happened?”
Nick asked wanting to know since he couldn’t remember. “Did I find him?”
“You found Jarrod at
his favorite spot on the ranch,” she answered remembering the episode like it
was yesterday. “He, let’s say, was not
very happy when he realized that you were stomping on his private place. He...”
“Yelled at you to go
away,” Jarrod said remembering. “But
you refused to move.”
“So he said that you
were not welcome there or in his life for a time afterward,” she replied
looking at her sons. “And you left.”
“I sort of remember
it,” Nick told them thinking back. “But
he wasn’t nice. That I do remember. He
was very mean to me when I was small. He was always yelling at me.”
“No,” Jarrod said
looking at Nick, “I wasn’t. What did
you expect? You were bothering me in
the first place. And in the second
place you were somewhere where you didn’t belong. I have things I enjoy doing
and people I enjoy doing them with and some of the time I don’t want you
tagging along. Especially when I do
things with Matt and Frank.”
“Jarrod never took
me there again,” Nick replied thinking back.
“He promised but he never kept that promise.”
“What promise?”
Jarrod asked confused. “I don’t remember making any promise to you.”
“You told me that I
could go with you someday to your favorite spot on the whole ranch,” Nick
answered looking at Jarrod. “That was
when you were attacked by that bull.”
“Satan,” Jarrod said
remembering the horror of that day. “I thought I was going to die at the hands
of that bull. But I showed him.”
“Yeah Satan,” Nick
replied also remembering that day. “You
put your life in jeopardy for me. You didn’t have to but you did.”
“I didn’t want you
to die,” Jarrod told him. “I might not
have wanted you tagging after me all the time but I for sure didn’t want you
dead. You are after all my brother.”
“Are you going to
keep your promise?” Nick asked looking at Jarrod.
“About taking you to
my favorite spot?” Jarrod wanted to know.
“Right,” Nick
answered.
“I guess,” Jarrod
said trying to get Nick off his back.
“Sometime.”
“How about today?”
Nick asked.
“Now wait a minute,”
Jarrod answered beginning to get angry with Nick. “That place is my private haven away from the rest of the
world. A place where I can cry if I
feel like the world is being mean to me.
Or write some poetry. Although I can’t spell some of the words that I
want to say. Or go there to get away from you.
And now all of a sudden you want to go there because of some stupid
promise I made a long time ago.”
“See I told you he
wouldn’t do it,” Nick said in spite. “He does hate me. He always has.”
“I never said I
wouldn’t do it,” Jarrod replied leering at Nick. “I just haven’t said whether I will do it today. And I don’t hate
you. Sometimes you just get on my
nerves. Like right this minute with your infernal begging.”
“Well?” Nick asked
continuing to look at Jarrod trying to push him into taking him. “And let me
tell you something Mr. High and Mighty.
You’re not the only Barkley in this house. I’m one too and I have just as much right to beg if I want
to. Besides, there is nothing you can
do about it. Its not like you can fight
me and win. You’re just a cream puff.”
“The heck I can’t,”
Jarrod answered getting even angrier.
“You are a pain in the butt Nick and that’s the truth. I can whip you
and I will if you don’t leave me alone.”
“Mother,” Nick
remarked looking at his mother, “listen to him insulting me. Am I supposed to take that? I don’t think so.”
“I told you two to
keep this civilized,” he commented sternly looking from one boy to the
other. “I don’t want to have to punish
you two for getting out of hand at the table.”
“We’re sorry,”
Jarrod told him. “Aren’t we Nick?”
“Sure,” Nick
remarked.
“Honey,” she said
looking at Jarrod changing the subject back to the favor Nick had asked about,
“it’s up to you. The land belongs to you. We’re not going to tell you one way
or the other.”
“Your mother is
right,” he replied also looking at Jarrod.
“It’s your place. I gave it to
you.”
“All right,” Jarrod
told Nick finally giving in. “I tell
you what.”
“What?” Nick asked
wondering what Jarrod would say.
“We’ll camp out
tonight up there,” Jarrod answered.
“Just the two of us. No one
else. Will that make you happy?”
“Yeah,” Nick said
perking up. “I like camping under the
stars. And it will be fun too.”
“Yes I know,” Jarrod
replied shaking his head. “You would.
Then maybe you’ll leave me alone and let me get on with my life.”
“I don’t know about
that,” she told them not liking the idea in the least. “You two boys are still too young to be
camping out over night all alone. And it still gets cool at night. You could
catch a cold or something even worse.”
“Mother,” Jarrod
said looking at her, “I’m twelve. I
don’t see why we can’t. It’s not like
we’re going on a three-day trip. It’s
just for one night. And it’s not that far from the house.”
“I don’t like the
idea either,” he replied but his concern was for a very different reason. “It’s not that you’re not old enough. But there are wild animals that could be
very harmful to one or both of you.”
“We’ll be perfectly
safe,” Jarrod told them. “I’ll make
sure. We can burn lanterns all night or build a fire to keep them away. And
we’ll only be gone over night.”
“All right,” he said
giving in. “But we want both of you
back here the first thing in the morning.”
“We will,” Jarrod
replied smiling. “Won’t we Nick?”
“Sure,” Nick told
them also smiling. “And thanks for agreeing.
All of you.”
All right,” he said
looking at the time. “Now you two
better get going. You’re going to be
late.”
Jarrod and Nick
finished their breakfast and headed out of the dinning room. Victoria looked at Tom and she was not
happy.
“Are you out of your
mind?” she asked staring a hole through Tom.
“You can’t let them go up there for a whole night alone. It’s too cold
and it’s not here at the house where they will be safe. Sometimes I don’t understand you Tom. You tell them that you don’t want them to go
and then turn right around and agree.”
“It’s the only way
they’ll know we trust them,” he answered trying to calm her fears. “I’m not thrilled about the idea
either. But my concern is because of
the wild animals that have begun to come down here from the mountains because
of the lack of rain. I know it’s only May but this spring has been one of the
driest I’ve seen since we first settled out here. What else could I have done?
They were at each other’s throats.
Maybe if they spend a night together, they will be more civil to each
other. And I know that Jarrod being level-headed will not take any chances.”
“Said no,” she said
trying to change his mind. “Tom,
they’re only boys. They have never been
away from us at night before. And it doesn’t matter if they are angry with each
other. They enjoy that. Arguing is one past time that they relish.
But this is different. What if
something happens to them? What then?”
“Maybe its time they
should,” he replied standing his ground.
“I know you said it was dangerous.
But I believe they will be fine. You are always over protective of those
two. How are they ever going to grow if
we don’t allow them to grow and learn? Nothing is going to happen to them.”
“If anything happens
to them,” she told him still showing her disgust at him, “I’ll hold you
responsible. You know sometimes I don’t understand you. You sit here saying how dangerous it is and
the next minute you’re agreeing with them that they should do it. Are you the least bit worried about them up
there all alone?”
“Yes I am,” he said
as he looked at her. “I’m trying to see
your side, their side and my own side.
And I believe that they will listen to me and be wary of the animals up
there.”
“You always have an
answer,” she replied still angry. “I
still think it’s a mistake.”
“Fine,” he said as
he rose from the table and left the room.
Victoria sat there a
few minutes more and then she rose from the table. Even though she was still
worried abut the boys she knew that Tom was right. She needed to stop being a mother hen to them and start trusting
them to do things on their own.
As Jarrod and Nick
walked down the stairs with their schoolbooks, Nick looked at his brother. He
could tell that Jarrod was still not very happy about this. Of course, Nick couldn’t
blame him either. He knew that if
Jarrod had his druthers he would prefer to spend his time with his nose stuck
in a book. And Nick couldn’t understand
why Jarrod wanted to do that with his time instead of enjoying the outdoors.
“Are you still mad
at me?” he asked as they walked down the stairs. “I think that you are and you
just don’t want to admit it.”
“No,” Jarrod
answered but he didn’t look at Nick.
“I’m not. I just wish you’d stop
getting me into messes.”
“This wasn’t my
mess,” he said stopping on the upper landing to face Jarrod. “It was supposed
to be a promise. A promise that you
never kept. Now if you want to break it again, I understand.”
“I know that,”
Jarrod replied looking Nick right in the face.
“Look, I’ve had a lot on my mind.
And I can’t be expected to remember something from six years ago. Six
years ago Nick. Why did you have to bring it up now? A stupid promise from a
six year old.”
“That’s right,” he
told Jarrod raising his voice. “You
didn’t want to remember. You’ve never
wanted to remember. You still hate my
guts don’t you?”
“No,” Jarrod said
calmly. “I love you as my brother but
you’re not my best friend. And with four years between our ages I don’t like to
do the same things you do. You’re an outdoorsman
and I’m not. You’re an excellent
rider. You see what I’m getting at.”
“Yeah,” he replied
seeing the hurt in Jarrod’s eyes. “If
you don’t want to do this, it’s all right. I understand and I did sort of force
you into this.”
“I do,” Jarrod told
him smiling. “I made a promise and I’ll
keep my word. And who knows maybe we’ll have a great time.”
With that said,
Jarrod headed out the door toward the barn. He was angry but not at Nick. He was more angry with himself. He hadn’t remembered that promise until his
mother brought it up at breakfast. Why
hadn’t he remembered it? It wasn’t like
him to forget something like a promise.
“Why didn’t I
remember it long before now?” he asked himself as he walked. “I should have kept my word. I’ve never broke a promise in my life.”
When Nick finally
caught up with him, he stopped right in front of Jarrod. Jarrod almost bumped
into him because he was not watching where he was going very closely. He was still arguing with himself.
“Jarrod,” he said
looking into Jarrod’s blue eyes, “you’re the only brother I have. I love you and respect you. You’ve been there for me through the good
and the bad. No boy could ask for a
better brother than you.”
Nick smiled showing
Jarrod that he didn’t hold a grudge toward him. Jarrod stood there a few minutes digesting what Nick had just
said. Then he looked over at Nick, his blue eyes sparkling.
“Nick,” he said
smiling, “you’re not so bad yourself.”
The two brothers
smiled as they saddled their horses and rode off toward school.
Tom walked out of
the house a few minutes later. He was
going to the barn but his mind at this moment was not on work. It was on his two sons and the campout
tonight.
“Why did I have to
agree so quickly?” he asked himself becoming angry with himself.
“You talking to me
boss?” a hand wanted to know as he walked by Tom.
Tom looked up. Clearly he hadn’t seen the man. He had to
think for a minute to recall the man’s name.
“No Matthews,” he
said shaking his head. “I was just
talking to myself.”
“Can I be of any
help?” Matthews asked even though he knew what Tom’s answer would be.
“No,” he answered
looking at the man. “It’s something I
have to work out for myself. You better get going.”
“Right,” Matthews
said as he hurried off toward the wagon that was heading for one of the
pastures.
Tom kept
walking. Murphy, his ranch foreman,
stopped to talk to him.
“Tom,” he said as he
caught up to Tom, “I thought you might want to go over where the majority of
the hands are going to be working today.
I wanted to send half of them to the north pasture and the other half to
the south. Is that all right with you?”
Tom didn’t answer.
He hadn’t even heard Murphy speaking to him.
“Tom,” he said
again. “Tom.”
“Huh,” Tom replied finally
hearing Murphy’s voice for the first time.
“I’m sorry Murph. What did you
say?”
“I asked about the
hands,” he told Tom. “You got something
on your mind. You seem preoccupied.”
“I am,” Tom said
looking at him. “My boys want to camp
out at the place where Jarrod goes to have privacy.”
“The parcel you gave
him,” he replied looking at Tom.
James Murphy had
been Tom’s ranch foreman for the past ten years. He was there the day that Tom gave both Jarrod and Nick parcels
of land for them to build their houses on when they were grown and
married. Nick wasn’t as concerned about
his as Jarrod was. He knew that Jarrod
treasured his parcel.
“That’s right,” Tom
told him looking at Murphy. “I don’t
want them to spend the night up there alone.
I’m not worried about the cold.
It’s the wild animals that have me scared. A lot of them have migrated
down here due to lack of water in the higher elevations. And they could also be looking for food
too.”
“If they burn a fire
all night or use lanterns it should be all right,” he said smiling.
“Oh sure,” Tom
replied looking him in the eye, “agree with them. I don’t need that right now.”
“You are worried,”
he told him seeing the worry on Tom’s face. “I’m sorry Tom. I didn’t mean to anger you.”
“You’re darn right
I’m worried,” Tom said really showing his anger. “I don’t want anything to happen to them. But then again you are
right. They need to spread their winds
some. I just wish Victoria could
understand.”
When Jarrod and Nick
walked into the one room schoolhouse, Jarrod didn’t see the two older boys
standing just inside the doorway. But
they saw him and made it a point to stand in the way. They loved to intimidate
the younger students just because they could get away with it. One was the son of the hotel clerk, a real
meany britches and the other one was a telegraph operator’s son, he was even
meaner. Neither one had been disciplined at home as far as the other students
knew. And most of them were scared and stayed away from the two of them. But they also knew that Jarrod was a
favorite of the teacher and that made it so much more aggravating to Jarrod. As
Jarrod tried to go around them, one of them stuck his foot out tripping Jarrod. He sprawled on the floor face down. Nick came up to them.
“What’s the big
idea?” he asked nose to nose with one of the boys even though he was several
inches shorter. “That’s my brother you
tripped. I ought to poke you one for
that.”
“So that’s your
brother,” one of them answered knowing that Jarrod and Nick were brothers. “As different as night and day. If I had a
brother like him I’d be ashamed. Barkley, do you let your brother fight your
battles for you? I tell you I would be ashamed if I let my little brother fight
for me.”
Jarrod had gotten
back to his feet with the help of his best friend, Matt Parker, and dusted
himself off.
“Jarrod,” Matt said
as he helped him to his feet, “I wouldn’t mess with those two. They’re nothing
but trouble. You could get hurt if
you’re not careful.”
“I’m not afraid of
them,” he replied as he looked over at the two boys. “I can take care of
myself.”
They were both a
head taller than Jarrod and both had a mean streak a mile wide. Jarrod tried to
use his gift of reason but it wasn’t helping him feel less angry. He was so mad that he felt like exploding.
And he would love to take it out on these two.
“I can fight my own
battles,” he said standing up to them.
“But I don’t believe I will let you goad me into a fight in the school
house. I don’t want to get into trouble with Mrs. Needles.”
“Listen to that
Willy,” the boy replied looking over at his buddy. “He ain’t going to fight us. The teacher’s pet is going to stay
calm and not fight. He’s acting like such a big man.”
“I heard Phil,”
Willy told him grinning as he said it.
“You are stupid if you go through with it. Don’t you know what we can do
to you? Don’t you know that you are
going to get a whooping at our hands?”
“No I’m not,” he
said raising his voice to Willy. “I am
more prone to reason than to react. And you’re not going to lay a hand on me
because if you do, I’ll take care of the both of you. That’s a promise you can take to the bank.”
“Spouting off those
fancy words ain’t going to save your hide Barkley,” Phil replied sneering at
Jarrod. “You are going to eat those
words. And you are going to regret ever trying to stand up to us.”
“I don’t think so,”
he told the boys continuing to stand his ground. “I am perfectly capable of defending myself.”
“Prove it,” Willy
said mocking him.
Jarrod stood his ground. The two boys started to call him names when
they couldn’t get a physical response out of him.
“Chicken Barkley,”
Phil said laughing and making clucking noises.
“Chicken. Barkley is a chicken.
Barkley is a chicken.”
“I’ll show you whose
chicken,” he replied pulling his fist back to swing at Phil.
Mrs. Needles chose
that moment to enter the schoolhouse.
She was appalled at what she saw. She couldn’t believe that one of her
prized students was trying to start a fight in her school.
“Jarrod Barkley,”
she said very angry when she saw him going to hit a fellow student, “what are
you doing? You know that I don’t allow fighting in my classroom.”
“I...I...” he
stammered trying to tell her what had happened. “I...was...trying...”
“I’m waiting young
man,” she replied looking at him. “I want an explanation and I want it now.”
“I was trying to
defend myself,” he finally told her.
“These two were picking on me.”
“Is that correct
Phil and Willy?” she asked them.
“No Mrs. Needles,”
Phil answered as he looked at her innocently.
“We were minding our own business when Barkley started to call us
names. We didn’t do a thing to him.”
“That’s right,”
Willy said straight-faced also looking innocent. “He just started to bother us for no reason. We were only trying
to defend ourselves.”
The other students
just stood there and wouldn’t help Jarrod.
They were too afraid of Willy and Phil. Jarrod knew that he was in
serious trouble. How would he ever
explain this to his parents?
“I see,” she said
looking even angrier with Jarrod. “I am
very surprised Jarrod. You are not the
type of boy to use violence to solve your problems. If I weren’t leaving this afternoon, I would have a very long
talk with your parents about your behavior. I will have to punish you severely
for this.”
“But I didn’t do
anything,” he replied trying to make her understand. “I was set up by them.
Can’t you understand that? They caused
this to happen.”
“I want to see you
outside this minute,” she told him gesturing toward the door of the
schoolhouse.
Jarrod reluctantly
walked out the door with her. The two
boys grinned at the sight. But Nick
wasn’t smiling.
“You two set him
up,” he said very angry realizing what they had done. “You knew she would walk in and catch Jarrod trying to swing at
you. I ort to punch your lights out.”
“Just try it,” Willy
replied daring him, “and you’ll be in just as much trouble. Of course, in your
case, you’re always getting into fights. It really wouldn’t be worth it.
Barkley should be ashamed to have a brother like you. You two deserve each other.”
But Nick didn’t try
anything. He knew he had to try and hold his temper in check. He could hear his
father now.
“Nicholas,” he asked
looking down at him with that expression Nick knew well, “what am I going to do
with you? It’s the same almost
everyday. You’re trying to pick a fight
with someone. Why don’t you learn to turn the other cheek?”
He had heard it at
least a million times. After a few minutes he turned toward the door and
wondered what was happening to his brother. Nick knew that Jarrod hadn’t really
done anything wrong. He was just the
one that got caught. He felt for his
brother knowing how angry Mrs. Needles could be.
Outside on the front
steps, Mrs. Needles was staring at Jarrod.
He could tell she was very disappointed in him.
“I thought you were
the one boy in my class who didn’t talk with his fists,” she said looking at
him. “You have really disappointed me
Jarrod. You know that your parents will
have to be notified.”
“Please Mrs.
Needles,” he replied looking at her.
“Don’t tell them. I don’t want
to think what my father will say when he is told. I’ve heard how angry he was
at Nick for fighting.”
“You should have
thought of that before you took a swing at Phil,” she told him. “You are to go home Jarrod when class is
dismissed and think about what you’ve done.
I don’t want to see you in my schoolhouse until you can conduct yourself
as a young man. If you have the same attitude on Monday, you will be suspended
for the remainder of the term.”
“But...” he started
to say but she interrupted him.
“Furthermore,” she
said ignoring him, “I want you to write an essay on why I shouldn’t fight in
school. It will be due on Monday. It’s
to be no less than two pages long. Is that clear?”
“Yes ma’am,” he
replied not happy in the least. “But if you would let me explain.”
“Now since I’m
letting everyone go home at lunch,” she told him, “I am going to ask that you
sit down on the front step and stay there until class is dismissed. I don’t need
my class interrupted any further by someone who can not control his
temper. And I believe that this step
will teach you a lesson young man. If I
catch you getting up for any reason, I will have to punish you more severely.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said
as she walked back inside the schoolhouse.
Jarrod sat down on
the bottom step. He was not very happy
right now and as soon as his parents found out, he was going to be in deep
trouble. Everyone that walked by the schoolhouse saw him sitting outside. He knew they knew he was being
punished. He could tell by their
expressions that they felt for his father.
Oh how he hated the idea of having to explain this to his father.
As Mrs. Needles
walked inside, Nick looked for Jarrod.
“Your brother is being
punished for fighting,” she said as she looked at him. “I suggest you take your seat or you might
be joining him.”
Nick had no choice.
He took his seat but his mind was on Jarrod. He knew that his mother and father
would be just as angry as Mrs. Needles was when they found out. His heart went
out to Jarrod having gone through it many times himself.
Tom had ridden into
Stockton to pick up some supplies at the general store. As he rode by the schoolhouse, he saw Jarrod
sitting on the front step. He stopped
the wagon, climbing down. He walked
over to his son.
“What in the world
are you doing out here?” he asked as he walked up to the front of the
schoolhouse. “You sick?”
Jarrod didn’t look
up. He just sat there.
“I asked you a question
Jarrod,” he said looking at his oldest son. “I expect an answer.”
“I got in trouble,”
Jarrod replied still looking at the ground.
“For what?” he asked
not understanding what Jarrod had meant.
“Fighting in class,”
Jarrod answered.
Tom just stood there
looking shocked. Then he finally spoke.
“Are you serious?”
he asked not believing what Jarrod had said. “You of all people. Fighting in class. I can’t believe this. My
levelheaded son was fighting. I can understand Nick doing it but you.”
Tom just shook his
head in disgust.
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
answered. “But I didn’t start it.”
“She caught you?” he
asked shaking his head.
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
answered. “Two older boys were trying
every way they could to get me to fight them. They called...”
“I thought you knew
better than to fight,” he said looking disappointed and not listening to
anymore of Jarrod’s explanation. “I thought we had raised you to turn the other
cheek. Where did I fail in teaching you? How could you have let this happen? I don’t believe this.”
“I tried to reason
with them,” Jarrod replied trying to explain.
“But they kept pushing. Finally,
I couldn’t take it any more.”
“I see,” he told his
son looking very hurt. “You will be
punished when you get home. You of all people.
I just can not believe this.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
said not looking at him. “What about
the campout?”
“I don’t know yet,” he replied shaking his head. “I’ll have to discuss it with your mother.”
“But she’ll say no,”
Jarrod told him looking up.
“I said I would
discuss it with your mother,” he said sternly.
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
replied dropping his head back down in shame.
“I’m sorry for letting you down father.
I know I didn’t think.”
“That’s right son,”
he told him beginning to show his anger.
“You didn’t think. You’re acting
just like Nick. You know better than to
get into a fight. I raised you to walk away from a fight. You have really done
it son. I don’t know what I’m going to
do. I should take away every privilege
you have. But I don’t know if it would
do any good.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
said looking up at his father. “I’ll
take whatever punishment you decide on. I have learned a lesson from this. I mean it.
I have.”
“I’ll render my
decision this afternoon,” he replied and turned to leave. “I just can’t believe
it.”
With that Tom turned
and went to the wagon. Jarrod watched
him ride away. Angry tears fell down
his face. He didn’t wipe them away. He knew he had disappointed his father very
much. Right now he was angrier with
himself than at Phil and Willy. He
should have known better.
When the school bell
rang, the other children ran outside.
Jarrod continued to sit on the bottom step as the boys and girls ran
past him. Then Mrs. Needles walked out.
“Jarrod,” she said looking
down at where he sat, “you can go home.
Remember the essay. I expect it
on my desk Monday morning. And I expect you to conduct yourself accordingly
from now on in my class.”
“Yes ma’am,” he
replied standing up. “Can I get my
books from my desk?”
“Certainly,” she
told him walking back inside.
Jarrod walked inside
the door, over to his desk where he picked up his books and pad. He turned to walk out the door when Mrs.
Needles’ voice stopped him.
“Jarrod,” she said
not as angry as she was before, “I realize now that you were goaded into trying
to strike those boys. But you were
still fighting and I very much frown on that especially inside the
schoolhouse.”
“I know,” he replied
turning toward her. “I’m sorry I let
them get under my skin. I’m sorry for disrupting your class. I’m sorry for everything.”
“Next time,” she
told him, “try talking instead of reacting.”
“I will,” he said
smiling slightly. “You can count on
it.”
Jarrod left the
schoolhouse heading home. Nick had
waited outside to ride home with Jarrod.
“You don’t have to
tell father until tomorrow if you don’t want to,” he said smiling. “That way we can still have our campout.”
“He already knows,”
Jarrod replied looking over at him. “He
saw me sitting on the step and questioned me about it when he rode into town to
get supplies. Although he didn’t listen to all of my explanation. I could see
how angry he was at me. I tell you Nick
I really screwed up. They’ll never
trust me again.”
“What did he say
about the campout?” he asked looking at Jarrod. “This will all blow over
soon. It does for me. I’m sure father has already calmed down.”
“He said he would
have to discuss it with mother,” Jarrod answered. “I’m in big trouble now. I don’t think he’s going to calm
down. I think he’s going to be even
angrier with me when I get home.”
“Those two boys set
you up,” he said getting angry himself.
“I wish I could have helped you so you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble.”
“I’m the one who got
angry,” Jarrod replied raising his voice.
“I’m the one who has to pay in the end.”
Jarrod and Nick
mounted up and rode to the ranch. It
was a very quiet and somber ride home.
Tom had returned two
hours before the boys got out of school.
He was angry and he knew that he had a right to be. But he was a little angry with himself for
not listening to his son’s explanation instead of jumping on him from the
start.
“Tom,” she said as
she met him when he rode up, “I was going to send Rollins after you. You’ve been gone all morning. Is everything all right?”
“I took the long way
home,” he replied looking at her. “I
needed to sort something out in my mind before I deal with it.”
“What are you
talking about?” she asked completely in the dark. “Did something happen while
you were in town?”
“When I rode into
Stockton, I rode by the school,” he answered trying to control his temper as he
told Victoria what he had seen. “I saw
Jarrod sitting on the front steps. So
naturally I stopped to see what was wrong.”
“And?” she pressed.
“He wasn’t sick was he?”
“He was being
punished for fighting,” he said matter of factly. “Can you believe that?”
“Fighting,” she
replied looking totally surprise.
“Jarrod? You must be mistaken.”
“Yes Jarrod,” he
told her nodding his head. “Two boys in
the school picked a fight with him. The
teacher caught him trying to strike one of them. She made him sit outside so the whole town could see him. I was
never so angry in my life as I was when I realized what he had done.”
“Tom,” she said
shocked, “I can’t believe this. Our levelheaded son. I could see Nick doing something like that but not Jarrod. There
has to be a reason for the way he acted.
Did you ask him what exactly had happened to cause this to happen?”
“He asked me about the
camping trip,” he replied looking at her.
“I told him I would have to talk to you first. I think I was too harsh with him. I didn’t give him a chance to explain exactly what had
happened. Oh, he does have to write an
essay on not fighting in class. I could punch myself in the face for not
listening to him. He sat there trying
to tell me what happened and I wouldn’t listen. I just got angrier with him. I guess part of the reason was
because I was embarrassed to see my son being punished but I didn’t really take
his feelings into consideration. I was
too busy feeling sorry for myself that everyone in town would come up to me and
say that they were sorry that my son was in trouble.”
“Oh Tom,” she told
him. “What are we going to do? You
can’t let what other people think or say bother you so much. They don’t have any room to talk. What we have to concentrate on now is
Jarrod.”
“Punish him,” he
said as he walked toward the house.
“I’ll tell him when he gets home. I feel sorry for him though. I’m sure those boys started it. But I wish he could have held his temper in
check instead of reacting first. He acted just like Nick and I don’t like
that.”
“I agree,” she
replied walking beside of him. “He
knows better. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
He’s learned a lesson I believe he won’t soon forget.”
“Yes he does,” he
told her. “And he is very
humiliated. I need to let him explain
before I confine him to his room for the rest of the week.”
“And the camping?”
she asked already knowing the answer.
“He and Nick can
go,” he answered, “but he will return here and serve the remaining time in his
room.”
“Sounds adequate,”
she said nodding as they walked. “I
still can’t believe it.”
Jarrod and Nick rode
home in silence. Jarrod was still angry
but he realized that Mrs. Needles had been right. He shouldn’t have been fighting in class. Nick looked over at him and tried to smile.
“I’m sure it won’t
be too bad,” he said trying to cheer Jarrod up. “Father has had time to calm down. He should know that this is
the first time you’ve ever done anything like this. I don’t think he will be too hard on you.”
“That won’t help,”
Jarrod replied looking over at him.
“You know father when he’s angry.
Nothing can stop him until he’s said his piece. And he’s not the only
one who is angry. I’m very angry with
myself. I shouldn’t have let those two do that to me. But I was already riled up from this morning with you. And now this.”
“I know very well
how father is,” he told Jarrod. “I’ve
heard it enough to last a lifetime.”
“How could I have
been so stupid?” Jarrod asked still angry with himself. “How could I have let those two make me so
mad that I couldn’t think?”
“Jarrod,” Nick
answered, “don’t be so hard on yourself.
You’re only making it worse. You’re being harder on yourself than mother
and father will be.”
“Nick,” Jarrod said
looking at him, “please don’t try to make me feel better. It won’t work. I’m the one who got into trouble and now I have to pay for it.”
Nick didn’t say
anymore. He just felt for what Jarrod
was dealing with. He knew that his
father could be a tough and hard-nosed businessman, but he prayed that he would
at least hear Jarrod out before rendering punishment.
They arrived at the
barn where they dismounted. As they walked
in the front door, both of their parents were waiting on them.
“Nick,” he said
looking at his younger son, “would you excuse us?”
“Sure,” Nick replied
looking over at Jarrod. “I’ll be
upstairs.”
Jarrod nodded at
him. Tom led the way to the study. Once they were inside with the door closed,
he turned to his son.
“I want the
explanation,” he said looking at Jarrod. “I apologize for not letting you
explain this morning but I was angry and didn’t think. I guess I was too
concerned with the way it looked. I
should have just put that out of my mind and paid attention to what caused the
altercation.”
“The minute I walked
into the schoolhouse,” he began relieved to get it off his chest; “Willy and
Phil were picking on me. First, they
tripped me sending me sprawling to the floor face first. None of the other kids
attempted to help me stand up to them. They were all scared I guess. Then they
called me chicken when I refused to fight them. Finally, I took as much as I could and I was going to let them have
it when Mrs. Needles walked in. It was
as if they knew she was going to arrive at that very moment.”
“Jarrod,” she said
looking at him, “we understand what happened.
But do you understand why she was so angry?”
“Yes mother,” Jarrod
replied looking over at her. “She was
very disappointed in my behavior. I’m very disappointed in my behavior. I
should have considered the consequences of my action and maybe I wouldn’t have
drawn my fist back to punch them.”
“You should have turned the other cheek and walked away,” he told his son. “It didn’t matter that you were at the end
of your rope. You know better. Or at
least I hope you know better. I have
tried to instill that in you.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
said knowing what was coming next. “I
do and I’m sorry. I won’t ever do it
again.”
“We know that,” she
replied smiling slightly. “But you will
have to be punished.”
“You will spend the
remaining part of the week off in your room,” he told Jarrod. “The only time you will leave your room is
to eat or do your chores. Furthermore,
you will write your essay, which your mother and I will read. And finally your
books are to remain on the shelf. Do you have any questions?”
“One sir,” Jarrod
answered not happy about doing without his books. “What about the campout? And I can’t touch my books. Father, you can’t take them away from
me. I love to read and it helps me deal
with the bad. This isn’t fair.”
“You may go,” he
said nodding. “But when you return in
the morning, you will be confined to your room. As far as your books go, maybe
this will stick in your head. I’m sorry
that I have to be so hard on you. But I
don’t want you to forget too quickly without learning something first.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
replied looking up to face him. “Father,
I know I’ve disappointed you. I’m
sorry. I wish I could take it all back
but I can’t. I hope that you believe that I am sorry. I promise I won’t do anything this stupid again.”
“I know that son,”
he told him putting an arm around his son’s shoulders. “You better go.”
“Yes sir,” Jarrod
said walking out of the room.
Tom and Victoria
watched him go. They knew what he was
feeling. Jarrod slowly walked up to his
room, closing the door behind him. Once
inside, he went to his desk and sat down.
Then he picked up his writing pad and began to write the essay.
“Father” Nick said
as he walked into the study after he saw Jarrod leave, “it wasn’t Jarrod’s
fault. I just couldn’t sit back and let
him get blamed for all of it. Those two
boys lied to Mrs. Needles. They said
that Jarrod started the altercation. He
didn’t. He tried to talk to them but
they turned his words into anger. An
anger Jarrod couldn’t control. I love my brother and I can’t stand by while he
is blamed for something that wasn’t even his fault.”
“Son,” Tom replied
looking at Nick, “I appreciate you coming to your brother’s defense. But he was wrong. Fighting is not the answer.
You should know that by now.”
“I do father,” Nick
told him. “I only want you to
understand Jarrod’s point. He didn’t start it.
They did and they didn’t even get punished but Jarrod did and it’s not
fair.”
“I do son,” he said
smiling. “You are a good brother. You stood up for Jarrod. He’s lucky to have someone like you.”
“Nick,” she replied
as he turned to look at her, “Jarrod can go on the campout but he will be
confined to his room for the remainder of the week except for meals and
chores. It’s for the best.”
“I understand,” Nick
told her. “I’ll get my things
together.”
Nick left the study
and went to his room. As he walked past
Jarrod’s closed bedroom door, he almost stopped and knocked. But he didn’t. He knew that Jarrod would prefer to be alone and he couldn’t
really blame him. So he went to his own
room, packed up what he would need that night and then went to the barn to do
his chores.
When Jarrod emerged
from his room, several hours later, he was pleased with himself that he had
finished his essay. He had stacked it neatly on his desk for his parents to
read when they had a chance.
“Father,” he said as
he walked into the study where they were, “mother. I finished my essay if you
would like to read it. It’s on my
desk. Actually, it wasn’t that hard to
write when I got started. The words came very easily and I hope that it will
express just how sorry I am for what happened.”
“We’ll read it
tonight,” she replied smiling. “Are you all packed?”
“Not quite,” he told
them. “I still have to put a few things
together and get a couple of lamps.”
“All right,” she
said smiling. “You have a good time.”
“Nick and I are
heading off,” he told them. “I’m really sorry.”
“You be careful,”
she said hugging him. “Take care of
yourself and Nick. Keep your eyes and
ears open.”
“I will,” he replied
finally smiling.
“Son,” Tom told him,
“we’ll see you in the morning. I know you didn’t mean to. But you have to be punished and I want you
to know I believe that you will never do this again.”
“You can count on it
sir,” he said as he left the study.
Jarrod walked out
the door and headed for the barn after he retrieved his small bag with a few
things he thought he would need. Then
he picked up two lanterns from the tack room.
“You ready to go?”
Nick asked as he walked out of the room carrying the lights. “I told mother and
father what really happened. I know it
wasn’t your fault but they said that you still had to serve your punishment.”
“Yeah,” Jarrod
answered. “I just need to get some
kerosene to put in the lamps. I know and thanks for coming to help me. I’m sorry I said all those bad things about
you.”
“Forget it,” he said
smiling.
Jarrod fixed the
lanterns and then he and Nick saddled up riding off.
Jarrod and Nick
arrived at his favorite place on the entire ranch a little while later. It even made him feel better to just be
here. Nick marveled at the beauty of
the water and the reflection of the trees in it.
“Jarrod,” he said
smiling, “I see now why you picked this place.
It’s beautiful. So peaceful and
quiet.”
“Yeah,” Jarrod
replied also smiling. “I love to come
here. It helps me work out my problems
whatever they are. And right now I have to work out my aggressions.”
“Jarrod,” he told
his brother, “you and I are going to have a wonderful time. You just wait and see.”
“I hope so,” Jarrod
said trying to smile but not completely succeeding. “After the day I’ve had, a good night’s sleep is just what the
doctor ordered. And maybe things will look better in the morning.”
“I’m sure they
will,” he replied.
They got everything
set up and before long were relaxing on their blankets beside a rip-roaring
fire. Jarrod had the two lanterns
sitting on each side of their blankets so the area was very well lit.
“Nick,” Jarrod said
as he laid on the blanket, “I just love to come up here. No matter how bad I feel, this place makes
me feel better. I don’t know how to
describe it.”
“Don’t try,” he
replied smiling. “I can see it. You are so lucky Jarrod. My little parcel is all right but it’s not
like here. Your family will be very
lucky to live here.”
“If I have a
family,” Jarrod told him.
“What’s that
supposed to mean?” he asked turning to look at his brother. “Of course you are
going to have a family. That’s what
every boy hopes for when he grows up.
Even me.”
“I don’t know,”
Jarrod answered. “I’m just not sure if
I will settle down with a wife.”
“Of course you
will,” he said smiling. “She’ll be
beautiful and also smart just like you.”
“How would you
know?” Jarrod asked looking at Nick.
“You hate girls of any kind.”
“I know that,” he
answered. “But you don’t. And someday
maybe, I’ll even get to the point where I might even like a girl. I might even
get married.”
“And how would you
know?” Jarrod asked looking over at Nick. “I’ve never said that I like girls.”
“I’ve seen you
looking at several of them in school,” he answered. “You have that dreamy look on your face.”
“I do not,” Jarrod
said shaking his head. “I’ve never
looked at a girl like that.”
“Oh yes you did,” he
replied nodding. “Last week, during
recess. You just about stared a hole
through Angela Peters. And she just
stuck her nose up at you.”
“She did not,”
Jarrod told him loudly. “She just
didn’t feel happy that day.”
“Oh sure,” he said
smiling. “And she didn’t tell all of
the other girls in the class that you were pining away for her.”
“What!” Jarrod
replied not believing what he was hearing.
“Are you sure? How did you find out?”
“Yes,” he told his
brother. “I heard her with my own ears.
You are now on the girls’ list of boys they want.”
“All of them? Jarrod
asked very surprised.
“All of them,” he
answered.
“Great,” Jarrod said
shaking his head. “I can see it
now. All the other boys will kill me
when they find out.”
“They already know,”
he replied.
“How? Jarrod asked
shocked.
“Angela told them,”
he answered.
“Why on earth would she
do that?” he asked not believing any of this.
“Because she said
that you would have to ask her to the spring dance the Cattlemen’s Association
puts on.”
“Not on your life,”
Jarrod replied shaking his head. “I’m
not that stupid. She wants to get me alone
and then who knows what she’ll do. I know her.
One dance and I’m in big trouble.
I’ll stay home that night.”
“That’s what she
told everyone else about you,” he told Jarrod. “If father finds out, you
won’t. You know how he is about keeping
your word.”
“What!” Jarrod cried
clearly upset. “I’m sunk.”
“No you’re not,” he
said smiling. “Just don’t go.”
“Hey,” Jarrod
replied smiling, “now there’s a real good idea. I thought I just said that a
few minutes ago. Sometimes Nick I wonder if you are listening to a word I say.”
“I thought you would
like that one,” he told Jarrod smiling. “Don’t let it worry you. You can get through this. Either take Angela or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me.”
“We better get some
sleep,” Jarrod said deciding to stop this conversation before it could get any
worse.
“Yep,” he replied.
The two boys stoked
up the fire and then went to sleep.
“I had better get a
few more sticks on this fire,” Jarrod said as he added more sticks they had
piled up near his blanket. “We don’t
want it to burn out. This is the last of the wood. If the fire goes out or burns down, I’ll have to get some more
wood.”
“Right,” he replied.
“Jarrod, thanks again for bringing me here. I’m really enjoying it.”
“No problem little
brother,” Jarrod told him. “See you in
the morning.”
“Right,” he said
lying down and closing his eyes.
Jarrod laid down too
but he didn’t go to sleep. He went over
the day’s events in his mind to see how he could have handled it
differently. Before long he was sound
asleep.
At the house, Tom
and Victoria had just finished the evening meal and were relaxing in the
study. Tom had disappeared for several
minutes and when he returned he was carrying Jarrod’s essay in his hand.
“I picked up
Jarrod’s essay,” he said as he walked into the room. “Would you like me to read it out loud?”
“Fine,” she replied
getting comfortable on the couch.
Tom began to read.
By Jarrod T. Barkley
First, let me start by saying how sorry
I am for disappointing my teacher, Mrs. Needles and my parents, Tom and
Victoria Barkley. I know that I have
let them all down. They have always been very proud of me and now I’m not so
sure. I have to somehow earn their
trust and become that boy who thinks before he reacts. I reacted physically to
a problem that I should have been able to handle otherwise. I let my emotions do my talking. My former teacher, Mrs. Moore told me, that
I had a gift inside of me. She said
that I needed to think before I reacted.
I looked at her and knew that she was right. From that moment on, I tried to think about the consequences of
my actions and I was able to stop myself before I did something I would later
regret.
I have to now go on but I also know that
I will have to again earn the respect of Mrs. Needles as well as my
parents. It will take time but
eventually I will succeed.
I have to be a role model for my younger
brother, Nick. He looks up to me for
guidance and understanding. If I
continue to follow this path of destruction, the only thing he will have to
look up to me for is to see me behind bars or worse, dead by someone else’s
hand or my own.
I want to use my gift of reason to
pursue a career that will be beneficial to everyone around me. My father told me that I would be a famous
man someday. Maybe I will or maybe I
won’t. But if he believes in me then I
should believe in myself.
I love and respect my parents. They have tried to teach me right and
wrong. They have stood by me in the
good times as well as the bad. I have
learned a great deal over my lifetime from them. The name Barkley is well respected across this state and I don’t
want to do anything to jeopardize that respect.
I let two classmates push me into
something that should have never happened.
It doesn’t matter that they are both older and both bigger than I
am. They are bullies and they should be
the ones facing punishment. My father
told me that usually the first aggressor doesn’t normally get caught. Most of the time it’s the second one that
gets the blame. I understand that. And
unfortunately as the second aggressor I was the one who got caught. I can’t
change that fact. But there does come a
time when violence is needed.
A schoolroom is to study in and learn
in. It’s not a place to take out one’s aggressions
on others in. The best place for that
is outside where no one else can become injured. I want to finish my education so that I can attend college to
learn a career that will be beneficial to me and to others. But before I can do that I have to learn to
control my violent tendencies.
I have to consider the consequences
before I carry through with the act.
Only that way will I learn from my mistakes. Granted there is sometimes no alternative but to stand up for
what you believe. But make sure that
there isn’t another way before you carry it out. Once an action has been done, it cannot be taken back. I know that now. It took getting into trouble to be shown that.
I want to apologize again to Mrs.
Needles and also to my parents for letting them down. I vow to think before I leap into something to see if there is
another way out. I promise to study
hard so that I can make something good out of myself.
I have a feeling that Phil and Willy
will not make the right choices in life and will probably wind up either in
prison or dead. I wish there was
something I could say or do that would help them. But I can’t think of anything.
I just feel sorry for them and their families. They will have to live with their actions.
Once again let me state the promise that
I have made. I promise to look at a
situation from every angle possible before taking any action that will cause
pain and disappointment to the people around me.
I want my teacher to be proud of me and
my parents to be proud of me. And the
only way I can accomplish that is to consider the consequences of the
action. I will refrain from conducting
myself in a manner that is not suited for where I am.
I’m sorry and I sincerely ask for your
forgiveness so that I can go on with my life.
Thank you for listening.
When Tom finished,
he had tears in his blue eyes. He
looked over at Victoria noting that she had the same in hers.
“What do you say
after that?” he asked shaking his head.
“He put it all down into words. Victoria, he did learn from this after I
embarrassed him worse. I should never
have yelled at him on the steps of that school. It was wrong and I know that
now. I’ll apologize to him when he comes
home in the morning. I need to take his advice to heart myself and think before
I react.”
“And I believe he
means every word,” she said nodding. “I
don’t believe he will ever do something like this again. Will you stop blaming
yourself? He’s learned a valuable lesson and that’s what counts. He’s a good boy
Tom. And he’s our son.”
“So do I,” he
replied. “And I’m very proud of that
boy.”
“I am too,” she told
him.
About two o’clock in
the morning, Nick was awakened by a blood-curdling scream that cut through the
night air like a knife through cutting through butter. He sat up quickly looking around for any
sign of what made that horrible scream. His heart was pounding in his chest and
he was scared. He noticed the fire was almost out.
“Jarrod,” he said
looking over at his brother who was also awake, “did you hear that?”
“Yeah,” Jarrod
replied also noticing the fire. “I
better get some more wood. Whatever that thing is, it’ll attack if we don’t
keep the fire going. I shouldn’t be too
long.”
“You want me to go
with you?” he asked as Jarrod stood up picking up one of the lanterns. “And it
could come after you in the dark. Aren’t you afraid? It sounded like a large animal.
Jarrod, I don’t like the idea of you going alone.”
“No,” Jarrod
answered seeing the terror on Nick’s face.
“It shouldn’t take very long to find enough wood to get it going. I’ll
take one of the lights and watch closely for any movement. You better stay here and if I need you, I’ll
call. Yes to answer your question, I am afraid but I know that if I don’t get
the wood, we’ll stand a even less chance of fending it off.”
“Jarrod,” he said
looking at his older brother, “come back.”
“I will,” Jarrod
replied heading off in search of wood.
Jarrod slowly walked
into some nearby woods that he had walked many times before. But somehow in the
dark and after hearing that cry, those woods looked ominous to him as he walked
looking for small sticks to start the fire up again. As he began to pick them up in his arms, a pair of yellow oval
lights were watching him. The lights followed him from where they were perched
high on a knoll above Jarrod. When he was far enough away from the campsite,
Jarrod heard that awful cry again. His heart pounding in his chest, he realized
that he wasn’t alone. Quickly, looking around him, he then saw the two yellow
points of light above him in on what he thought was a knoll or high bank. He
was too frightened to think clearly.
All he wanted to do was get out of there and back to Nick. Jarrod tried to back away but he tripped on
a root falling backward to the ground.
In the next instant, something was on top of him, clawing him and biting
into his flesh even as he tried to fight back. He couldn’t get a very good look
at what kind of animal it was because the lantern had been knocked from his
hand and had landed several feet away from him on its side. He tried with all
his strength to hold the massive teeth away from his face as he tried to throw
the animal off. But it held firmly. His arms began to weaken as he continued to
try to keep the animal away from him. He knew he was losing the battle with
whatever it was. He finally was able to scream to try to warn Nick that there
was danger lurking close by.
“Nick!” he called as
loudly as he could. “Help me!”
Nick had heard the
scream of whatever it was that was out there somewhere and now he had heard his
own brother calling to him. Nick jumped
to his feet quickly. He grabbed the
other light heading off in the direction his brother had taken earlier. He knew
that something had happened to Jarrod.
But he couldn’t see very clearly even with the light. He thought he should stay where he was but
he couldn’t leave Jarrod out there alone to face whatever it was lurking out
there. Nick carefully looked for any sign of Jarrod. He thought he heard the
leaves rustling to his left, and when he finally stopped to see what the noise
was, he saw Jarrod on the ground being attacked by some kind of large animal.
Nick couldn’t identify the animal because Jarrod’s light was on its side and
the flame was nearly out. But he could tell that Jarrod was hurt because he was
barely moving. He knew he had to act quickly to keep the animal from killing
his brother.
“Get off him,” he
yelled as he picked up a fairly large stick. “Leave him alone. Go on.
Get out of here.”
He forgot about
being scared. All he could think about
was trying to protect his brother from this thing. Nick tried to beat the
animal off of Jarrod but it wouldn’t budge. He could see blood all over the
front of Jarrod’s body. As soon as Jarrod stopped fighting, the animal turned
toward Nick. It knew it could consume the kill at any time but here was more
fresh meat. Instinctively, Nick tried
to run but the animal was much faster.
It was on him in an instant digging its claws into his body. Nick tried to fight back but the animal was
much stronger. Nick knew how Jarrod felt as he was trying to fight back. He
tried to hold the animal off of him but he began to lose the battle just as
Jarrod had. As the time wore on, Nick stopped fighting. Once Jarrod and Nick
were still, the animal disappeared.
There would be time enough to eat its kill.
As the night melted
away to the first rays of light, nothing moved. Both Jarrod and Nick were lying motionless. Were they alive or
dead?
At eight o’clock that
morning, when the boys failed to come home, Tom was becoming very worried. And for that matter so was his wife.
“This is not like
them,” he said looking at her. “They
are usually very prompt. Something has happened. I know it has. I should
never have let them go in the first place. I have a bad feeling in my gut that
tells me that something is very wrong.”
“Tom,” she replied
looking at him, “don’t be so hard on yourself.
They are probably just running late. I’m sure they’re going to walk in
that door at any minute.”
“I think I’ll take
Murphy and ride up there,” he told her standing up. “Maybe we’ll even meet them on the trail. At least I hope so. I can’t sit here and
wait any longer. I have to do
something.”
“I’m sure that’s all
it is,” she said smiling but inside she had a bad feeling.
Tom walked out of
the house carrying a rifle he had picked up. He wasn’t sure what had prompted
him to pick it up but the feeling was very strong. He saw Murphy walking out of the barn. Murphy saw him and walked over.
“Tom,” he asked as
walked up to Tom, “you going hunting?”
“No,” Tom answered;
his tone of voice told Murphy something was wrong. “I’m going to find the boys.
They haven’t come home yet and I’m getting very worried. You want to come with me?”
“Sure,” he said
heading back into the barn. “I’m sure
they have just been delayed and we’ll probably meet them on the trail.
“I hope so,” Tom
replied but he didn’t believe a word of it.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
The two men quickly
saddled two horses and rode out in search of Jarrod and Nick. As Tom rode, he thought about getting so
angry with Jarrod the day before.
Granted, the boy had almost come to blows in the schoolhouse but he was
angry with himself for jumping on Jarrod so hard. If something had happened to either he or Nick, Tom decided that
he would feel even worse.
“Tom,” Murphy said
breaking Tom out of his thoughts, “did you hear that God awful scream some time
during the night? I don’t usually get
frightened but that cry sent a chill all the way down my spine.”
“I didn’t hear it,”
he replied looking at Murphy. “Were you
able to figure out what kind of animal it was from that cry?”
“Maybe a large cat
of some kind,” Murphy told him.
“Possibly a mountain lion or cougar. Could be a bobcat. I’m
just not sure.”
“It doesn’t surprise
me,” he said nodding. “This has been a
very dry spring and a lot of the animals have come down from the higher
elevations looking for water. I just
pray that Jarrod and Nick haven’t run into any.”
The two men arrived
at the campsite. The blankets were
lying on each side of the fire that was now out. The boys’ horses were tied and
their saddles were lying on the blankets.
The only thing missing were the boys and the two lanterns.
“This is odd,” Tom
said as he surveyed the area.
“Everything is here but the boys. I wonder what could have prompted them
to leave the safety of their camp.
Something is very wrong Murphy.
I know it is.”
“And the lanterns,”
he replied noticing they were gone. “Something
must have happened last night.”
“They can’t be too
far away,” Tom told him. “Jarrod! Nick!”
“We need to split up
and search the area for them,” he said looking around. “You head off into the woods over there and
I’ll search on the other side of the lake.
If you find anything, call out and I’ll do the same.”
“Right,” Tom replied
heading off into the woods.
As Tom walked he
kept his eyes open for any sign of his two sons. A short time later, Tom caught sight of something lying on the
ground. Hurrying over to it, he
realized that it was Nick. He kneeled
down next to his youngest son gently rolling him over on his back. He had to look away. When he looked back at Nick, he could see
the blood all over his son’s body.
“Murphy!” he cried
out. “Murphy!”
Without a few
minutes, Murphy was at his side. As he
looked down at Nick, he cringed.
“He definitely
tangled with some kind of cat,” Murphy said looking away for a moment. “Cats can do a lot of damage to a person.”
“Where in the world
is Jarrod,” he asked trying to find his other son. “He can’t be too far away.”
Murphy stood up
surveying the area around where they had found Nick. As he scanned, his eyes came to rest on a gruesome sight.
“Tom,” he said very
slowly, “over there.”
Tom stood up looking
in the direction Murphy was pointing.
He saw what appeared to be a body lying in the dead leaves. Quickly, Tom made his way over to the body
realizing that it was Jarrod. Kneeling
down beside his oldest son, he could see most of Jarrod’s body was covered with
blood and was either cut, scratched or clawed.
He felt to see if Jarrod was alive and was amazed that the boy was still
breathing. Tom quickly eased his arms
under Jarrod, picking him up. Murphy
had Nick up in his arms. They slowly
made their way back to the campsite.
They laid the boys on their blankets while they figured out what to do
next.
Continued…