Heaven's Gate Bridge forty-eight

Heaven’s Gate Bridge forty-eight

The children were under the responsibility of Bobby Lee who was the eldest. He was only fifteen but mature enough that his father entrusted the hunting rifle to him for protection against wild animals. The younger children were instructed to listen and obey him. This gave him a great sense of pride since he had been asking to go out with the gun by himself.

Everyone waved goodbye as they went down the path towards the wooded area where they would look for berries. Helen, the eldest girl, carried a bag to collect some herbs or things for medicinal purposes. She and her mother were considered the family’s medical consultants in most minor health matters.

Penny was to go with the cousin Marie who she seemed to bond with since she arrived. The two girls were about the same age. Penny would tell her about her life in the big city and Marie would tell Penny about how country girls learned to live in a way that could only be considered very simple but harsh. If a stranger looked at the girls from a distance, they would also think that they were sisters. Both had beautiful long hair and shining emerald eyes. They even seemed to walk in step or laugh at the same things.

The children slowly went down the path and then disappeared into the wooded area. It was after breakfast and the boys had awaken earlier to do their chores. Their parents had promised to do the few left because they wanted their children to have a nice time. They knew that the children would be back after the noon time for lunch. The parents also wanted to have time to discuss private adult matters that they knew their children did not need to participate in. The only person missing was Edward, who told the group the other night that he wanted to check up on his home. He still seemed moody and listless. He had been away from the group for about a day’s time.

In the forest, the children observed more damage that the storm had done. The creeks had overflowed their sides. Leaves and branches of beeches and certain maple trees had been pushed to where the waters had risen up to. A few bird nests were in the mess and eggs were cracked or baby birds had drowned. In some of the trees the squirrels were in their nests with their babies. Little rabbits scampered away as the group approached.

The children stopped to watch doe with her beautiful spotted fawn, in some shrubs. The pair lifted their heads and then run deeper into the forest area. If they had not been walking slowly, they might have missed the pair since their coats were a brown that camouflaged their presence. Anthony made a mental note of this area since he might want to go hunting with his father later. The families did hunt but only for necessary food and things to use in the house. They would never kill animals for fun. The other time that they used their guns was for defense. It seemed like a sensible rule because they always had food.

The children went deeper into the forest area which would soon yield the delicious fruit that they came for. The boys would point out a harmless snake that was quickly slithering away. Penny felt a little squeamish but bottled up any response that she felt. Snakes were not her favorite animal. Walter shouted out that he saw a stinkpot turtle. He had a certain fascination for turtles and other reptiles since he was three years old. Sometimes they would hear a knocking that they knew was from a woodpecker. Marie showed Penny what poison ivy looked like and told her that if she wanted to itch until her skin fell off, that she needed to not touch it.

Finally the children were in a clear area and saw some of the bushes that had berries and a few with flowers on them.

“Well it looks as if the storm watered our bushes. I see some nice’uns over there. You girls go get ‘em from the outside and we boys will walk inside. Those bushes have some pretty sharp little thorns. There might also be some snakes there.” said Bobby Lee.

The littlest girl, Mildred, held up her basket. “I want to get some too. Ma said that I could get this much.” Her tongue popped though the area where her missing front two teeth were. She waited for Bobby Lee to nod an approval.

“No pa told me to ‘specially watch you and you know that he told you to mind me.” he replied with his I’m the boss look. She gave little stomp of her foot but knew that was true.

Penny walked up to Mildred. “Will you help me? You can show me which berries to pick. I might get the wrong ones. “

Mildred turned and looked at her brother for approval. He put his hand on his hip and then nodded to both girls that he thought that they had a good idea.

The children began as planned and walked up to their precious berry trove. Plump blackberries hung from some of the bushes. A couple of times someone let out an “ouch” to indicate that the thorns were not being avoided. From time to time a child would pop a berry in his mouth and munch down on the juicy little treat. No sugar was needed to enhance the sweetness that nature had created in this fruit. But each child made sure that the basket got more of the berries than his or her mouth. They did not want to disappoint the adults back home who they knew were at work.

Then one of the children lifted his head. “Did you hear that?” Walter asked.

“What did you hear?” Bobby Lee responded.

“I thought that I heard a horse whinny.”

“Out here? There’s no houses here. Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s over there. Let’s go check it out.”

“Okay but get everyone together. Pa made me responsible and that’s my job.”

The boys got the rest of the children together and quietly walked towards the area where the horse sound came from. There were a few more birch and pine trees in the way so they felt that they could approach the area without being seen easily.

On a horse was a man who seemed to be sitting and getting ready to ride off. It was Uncle Edward. And he had a noose around his neck. He was getting ready to kill himself.

The two oldest boys burst through the bushes and started screaming.

“NO! Uncle Ed. Please don’t.“

“No! No! No!” came from the girls as they followed the boys.

Edward jerked his head up and looked at the children with wide, red eyes in surprise. He looked like he had the same clothes on that he wore at the funeral. His face had stubble and a little dirt on it. His hair looked messed up.

“Go on you kids. This is not for you to see. This is none of your business !” he said in a voice that sounded as if it would crack.

“No Uncle Edward. This is not right. Come home with us.” said one of the girls.

“Home? Home? I have no home. I have no wife. I have no child. I have nothing to live for.”

“Oh yes you do. Don’t you remember in the sermon that your life has been changed but that there are other changes that will come later. Better changes.” pleaded Helen.

“And that we must let God show us what he wants.” added Anthony.

“God wanted the best things in my life,” Edward replied. “And I’m going to be with them.”

“No, Uncle Edward. God is love. We don’t know why Ida and your baby Frances died but you need to be here. Stay.”

“I just can’t stand this. My heart is so torn up. My head is like empty inside. I look at things of Ida’s and just want to die.” he said as a few sobs began.

“Uncle Edward last year our aunt and uncle lost their baby. They are still here.”

Edward seemed to be understanding what the children were saying but he still clenched the reins of the horse. The children were holding their breath. The girls began to hold hands and tears rolled down their cheeks.

“No Uncle Edward. I love you too. I don’t want to lose you.” said Mildred as she slowly walked forward.

Just then she stopped and looked down. She dropped her basket and screamed as a snake raised up to bite her.

As an automatic reflex, Bobby Lee raised his gun and shot the snake before it could come with an inch of his beloved baby sister. The noise of the gun shot scared the horse. It reared up and took off running. Edward had dropped the reins from his grip and tumbled off the horse. He hit his head on a rock. Luckily for him, he forgot to tie the other end of the rope to the tree securely.

Within minutes, there were three adult men riding bareback on their horses coming through the area at full gallop screaming the children’s names. They all had their own guns in their hands ready to shoot anything that meant the least sign of danger. They managed to find the children and dismounted quickly.

They saw the children surrounding someone and pushed forward to see who it was. Bobby Lee and Helen explained the situation. They showed the men the dead snake. Two adults pick up semi-conscious and bloody Edward and put him on a horse with Anthony behind him to keep him from falling off again. The group slowly returned home to take care of a very special family member and neighbor.



Just in case you want the family names, they are from oldest to youngest:
Parents
Isaiah & Christine (Randall) children: George, Harry, Bobby Lee, Anna and Alice
William &Emmaline (Randall)children: twins William Jr and John, Marie and Dorothy
Irene & Jeb (Cox) children: Anthony, Frank, Helen, and Gladys
Edith & Elijah (Hunt)only one child: Penelope or Penny
Charles & Mary (Randall)children: Melanie, Lillian, Walter and Mildred
Wallace & Tina (Randall)only one child: infant Joseph
Those in a red are children of Ruth and Samuel Randall.