Day Three
Sarah had worked hard to take care of their ailing mother. Only one thing was left, and that was to finish the division of her mother's estate. The morning was getting out of control. Carolyn and Will had already been harping on Sarah to give them their share of the inheritance. She scurried around, gathering the needed documents for the lawyer. Then her three siblings could be on their merry way.
Liz's voiced droned in the background of Sarah's thoughts. Most of what Liz had to say had nothing to do with their situation. "If I were you, I would have—"
"Liz, it's not your place to fix things you know nothing about. If you knew about them, Mother would've put you in charge. If Mother would have wanted you to know, she would've sent for you." Sarah paced the long room of her cabin. She pursed her lips as she tried to control a loose strand of hair. She wanted to pull it out, while she fought the urge to pull Liz's thick brown hair instead.
Sarah was aware that her brother and sisters would group together. All they ever thought about was their share of the money. They expressed their thoughts at every opportunity of how they wanted to leave the awful place on the prairie where Sarah and their mother made their homes. Not only had they wanted to leave, but they wanted to burn the place to the ground. And they didn't want Sarah stopping them from gathering their evil friends to hold meetings on it.
Liz, Carolyn, and Will kept up their ruse of not wanting the land. She would sell the land to one of her sons, the Indians, or someone in Eagle Glenn before she let her siblings get their hands on it to conduct their evil meetings with the coven friends. Her mind was so frayed at this point all she wanted was for them to be gone. She didn't care where they went as long as she didn't have to listen to them any longer.
On the other hand, Sarah was devastated at the loss and could not care less if there was money, land, or anything else involved. She would give it all away just to have one more night with her mother. Just one more day of "Sarah do this, Sarah do that" would set well with her.
"My neighbor's father was in one of them homes for the old folks. We call them sanatoriums, in the city. Anyway, his estate was complete two days after his funeral. Why don't you have Mother's taken care of yet?" Liz glared at Sarah with cold, dark brown eyes, and her remorseless chin lifted higher. Her youngest sister sounded like a buzzard waiting for an animal to die so that she could feast upon its carcass.
"Her funeral was yesterday, Liz. I'm working on the inventory for the lawyer. Mother had a large estate, and I can't get anything done with you rambling about something that has nothing to do with us." Sarah threw her arms in the air, staring at Liz's judgmental stance.
"There's no need to get hateful, Sarah. We just want to get this over with so we can get on with our lives." Liz said.
Carolyn nodded. Will agreed, sending little knives shooting out of his dark blue eyes at Sarah.
"That's all you ever wanted to do, get on with your own selfish life. You never took Mother's life into consideration if it disrupted yours." Sarah whirled around and stomped out the door.
With hurried steps, she covered the short distance to the gloomy, little one-room log cabin where she had found her mother's lifeless body four days before. Sarah wished her mother would have allowed Sarah to move in with her. Mrs. Burgess had insisted they remain in their own homes. Her mother had said it would be too much of a burden if Sarah had to be around her all the time. Then she had patted Sarah's arm and told her what a caring daughter she was.
Tears slid down her stained cheeks, she lit the kerosene lamp, placed wood in the fireplace and lit it. She resisted the urge to look at the bed, while concentrating on the list was heavy on her mind. If she hadn't insisted her sons return to their own farms, they would have been there to help her. Sarah couldn't bear the thought of subjecting them to the ridicule of their aunts and uncle that she now faced.
Briefly she scanned the vacant bed to make sure this wasn't a nightmare. The numbness she felt faded at the first glance, when the reality of her mother's absence slapped her in the face.
Sarah ran blindly toward the barn as the tears rolled down her cheeks. A blood-curdling scream escaped from her mouth. Sobs convulsed her petite body. She threw herself upon the cold pile of hay stacked near Betsy's stall. Covering her face with her hands, she let the pent up emotions flow.
The need to get away and the need to stay battled furiously for her attention. Sarah tried to stay focused on the task and away from the bed, upon her return to her mother's cabin. She found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions after each little item of the cabin was added to the list.
Her hand shook as she forced herself to continue. It would be best to put this behind her. Once the chore was done, she could cut her ties with the vultures and properly tell her mother good-bye.
Not long after noon, she finally blew out the kerosene lamp. Walking out to the porch with list in hand, she worked the kinks threatening to make her body their permanent home.
With her hand resting on the knob, she paused by the open door. She cocked her head to the side and waited for a call for help that often broke the silence when she stepped out of the cabin. Sadly, the call never came, but a sense of loneliness crept deep within her soul. Shivering at the thought of being alone forever, Sarah crossed her arms at her waist.
Sarah looked at the clearing sky. The bright sun reflected off the wet tan grass as the slight breeze spread across the Kansas plains. She could feel the strong eyes of Shining Moon keeping watch over her from somewhere in the distance. A small amount of relief washed over her.
The chickens at her feet gently clucked to each other to let the others know they were not in any danger. Sarah realized the chickens were more of a family to one another than her family had been to her mother for the last five years. Nausea sprinkled with anger threatened to take over, as she turned and walked to her own cabin.
She was tired of being responsible; after all, she had been responsible for her mother. Now, she had to be responsible for herself and the neglected farm. Her undesirable guests could leave and she would mail their share to them. They had no right to voice their opinions when they opted to stay away during their mother's illness.
Grabbing a milk bucket and a couple of hands full of chicken scratch, Sarah walked to the barn to do her evening chores. Her tense body ached as she milked the cow, fed the horses and chickens, and slopped the hogs. She carried the milk into her kitchen to separate and churn butter. Her siblings sat around complaining, never offering to help, but were willing to consume all the food within grasp of their evil, disrespectful hands.
Tired and lonely, Sarah had collapsed on the bed the night before, leaving her brother and sisters to fend for themselves. Without a doubt, she knew they would scour the place like they always did.
Sarah had stayed in her room, going over the list. Her eyelids grew heavy and she gave in to sleep. The few times she woke in the middle of the night, a voice had warned her to watch out for her brother and sisters. She waved off the thoughts of having to take care of them after she settled everything in town.
****
Day Four
Early that morning she had completed her chores. Excitement coursed through her veins. To be away from her siblings for a few hours was a welcome thought. Hurriedly she hitched the team of horses to the buckboard. After loading the extra milk and eggs to sell to the mercantile, she basked in glory knowing her siblings couldn't cut in on her own profits. With little coaxing on her part, the wagon lurched forward, heading to Eagle Glenn.
Shining Moon caught up with her on the trail. He jumped from his horse's back and into the wagon with her. His rugged face had remained handsome over the years. The pounding in her heart wasn't caused by desperation, only his nearness. The world seemed to come to a standstill as she gazed into his deep brown eyes.
"Hello Sweet Sarah."
A flutter bounced around in her stomach. She loved hearing him call her that. He made her feel special. When his calloused hands rubbed across hers to take the reins of the wagon team, warmth spread throughout her body.
"And a good morning to you."
"How are you holding up?"
"I've seen better days, Shining Moon. When will this unrequited feeling end?"
"I cannot say, Sweet Sarah. I suppose when the mourning period is over."
"I'm not sure that's… I wish my siblings would leave. Is that a mean thing to hope for?"
"In my village, they never leave, so I don't know how to answer. I have never wished for my family to leave. Every life has a destiny we are taken down. You will find your way." He cast a smile her way.
Eagle Glenn came into view. Shining Moon handed her the reins to the team and jumped from the moving wagon. Sarah immediately felt empty inside. "I hope you are right."
"We will talk more upon your return, Sweet Sarah." Shining Moon's horse had followed the wagon. He made a hand signal and it trotted up to him. He jumped to the bareback of his horse and rode away. Sarah sighed. The warmth of his nearness was fading into the cool breeze as Eagle Glenn came into sight.
She stopped the team in front of the bank. Leonard Jones met her as she walked in. The top of his head reflected the light drifting in the window. What little hair that grew around his ears was white as new fallen snow. Not only was he her banker, but he also doubled as the lawyer. He had been at her mother's funeral the day before and had Mrs. Burgess's estate almost settled by the time Sarah had arrived. She handed him the list.
"There really isn't anything of value on the list. If it's all right, I would like to let my sisters and brother take what they want and be done with it." Sarah bit her lip while she waited for his answer.
"That will be fine. Is there anything else I can help you with today?" His green eyes scanned over the paper she had handed him.
"No. That should do it. Thank you Mr. Jones." The banker-lawyer handed her the three envelopes for her brother and sisters. Sarah walked to the door and let herself out.
Sarah headed toward the mercantile a few doors down from the bank. Mr. Jones's son, Hollis stood behind the counter. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Eastin. How may I help you?"
"I have milk and eggs to trade." Sarah handed him her list and he gathered the items for her. The long-legged young man carried her sack to the wagon and retrieved her milk and eggs.
"Thank you. I expect you will be back soon with more? Have a good day Mrs. Eastin." Hollis ran back inside the store before Sarah could answer.
After she took care of her mother's business and traded her milk and eggs, she then turned the team toward home a little after noon. Shining Moon would be waiting a few miles out of town. She never took long to finish her dealings. Her heart jumped with delight as she thought of his warm body sitting next to her.
The sun played hide-and-seek behind the building clouds. A slight breeze whistled in the grass. The air cooled but hadn't turned blistering cold. None of that mattered. She would finally be out from under her siblings' scrutiny and it felt good.
Once again, Shining Moon joined her in the wagon. This time they didn't talk; just enjoying the comfortable silence of knowing he was there for her was enough for Sarah. Why can't life always be like this? The most handsome man in Kansas, sitting beside me. And without a word between us, I know I'm safe. A terrible tightness gripped in her chest when he exited the buckboard. Her house was in view, but she knew there was no possibility that her brother and sisters would see her with him.
They should be happy with everything complete, and they could return to their own lives. Relief washed over her weary soul as she made her way across the muddy plains. She knew she wouldn't hear from her siblings for years, if ever, after they received their share. This thought alone brought a small amount of peace to her life.
The trip from town became a blur as she bounced across the rough-hewn prairie. The need to do her evening chores before a confrontation with her siblings could brew caused her to urge the team into a quicker pace.
Instinctively, she pulled the team to the front of her mother's house. Thuds and bumps came from within the walls of the tiny cabin. In an instant, she knew her brother and sisters were ravishing the belongings inside. She gritted her teeth and prayed. After giving them the envelopes that contained their money, they would leave and she could return to her cabin for some peace of mind.
Entering her mother's house, the stench of alcohol greeted her at the door. Cruel laughter and an unfamiliar smell of smoke rolled in the air. Her mother's belongings scattered across the floor of the tiny cabin, as her three siblings claimed ownership to what they wanted and discarded the rest as junk.
Sarah handed each one an envelope, and then turned and walked out without saying a word. If she opened her mouth, bullets would ensue, and someone was going to jail or die. She didn't need to be behind iron bars while grieving her loss.
Thankful for the solitude, Sarah was happy to be away from the endless bickering next door. Letting out a sigh, she looked forward to the three leaving.
Dark clouds had taken over the sky once again. The soft rain sprinkled the barren ground. The temperature dropped, and Sarah ran to the wagon as she remembered the items she brought from town.
She wrapped her fingers around the flour sack containing her groceries and rushed from the wagon to the shelter of her home. In no time, she set them on the table and started putting them away. When she made her way back to the wagon to unhitch the team, she glanced to the hilltop where Shining Moon gave a hardy wave before disappearing over the opposite side. Hastily she headed to the barn to do her nightly chores.
She ate her tasteless potato soup in complete and total silence. Then, peering out the tiny window, she watched her siblings load and prepared to leave for their own homes. It was late afternoon and the rain had stopped. Tilting her head up, she gave thanks it hadn't prolonged their stay or rained any longer than it had. Sarah sighed as her shoulders released the tightness that held her stiff and sore.
There was no surprise when they didn't come to tell her good-bye. Carolyn's loud voice crept in the window as they pulled away, "Now that we're rid of the crazy old coot and that loathsome Sarah we can get out of here. We need to hurry to catch the train back to Fort Leavenworth."
Liz and Will's evil laughter rang between the two cabins and barn as they left the area. Sarah clenched the material of her apron in her fist. Stomping her foot, she fought the desire to pull the shot gun from above the mantle. How could three people be so mean and cruel to the woman who brought them into this world? They hadn't been taught to be so disrespectful of the dead.
Their mother and father had always been highly respected in the community. Sarah and her siblings were taught to treat everyone with respect. When they were teenagers, Carolyn introduced George Brown and his friend Harvey Johnson to the family, things had changed. Carolyn and Liz had become unruly. Will soon followed in their footsteps and joined the not so nice crowd.
Sarah heard rumors of the group. They were some sort of evil coven that sacrificed any and everything within their power. She couldn't imagine acts being performed to cause pain and torment to another human being. Her mother had told her to ignore the talk and pray for the three rebels. Belonging to the group had taken an evil turn on them. A shiver ran down Sarah's spine.
A strong tug to return to her mother's house to see the effects of her brother and sisters pulled at her heart. Washing her plate and fork, she dried and put them away, then walked next door. A calm, peaceful wisp of air wrapped around her tired, drained body in a comforting way. She lay upon her mother's bed sobbing until she fell into a deep sleep.
Her dreams were disturbed with voices clear as she tossed and turned fitfully on the feather bed. Unable to open her eyes, something bore down on her chest, Sarah was aware her white flour sack blouse and long green skirt were soaked and stuck to her back and legs.
Screaming out in terror, she jumped from the bed, and ran, blinded by tears to her own cabin. Confused and shivering as to what had taken place, she leaned against the door and tried to remember the dream that made her so uneasy.
Sarah paced around the room. The vivid accounts of finding her mother's frail body relived in her mind. So many times they had discussed it; Sarah believed she was prepared. The dream frightened her as she remembered the day and compared it to the nightmare. The only difference was that her brother and sisters had filtered into her sleeping thoughts, bringing with them cackles and hurtful words.