Even If They Don't Ride Horses Anymore

July 4th, 1900. Episode 2

July 4, 1900

It was a beautiful rural Kansas sunset with yellow and orange and red and purple brushes of color as the day’s bright blue sky was lazily disappearing into the hush of twilight. It had been a hot Kansas day, a special Independence Day, the first of the new century! It had been filled with a town fair, plenty of food, and so many games for the little ones, with fireworks still to come.

“Grampa! Will you come to town with us? The fireworks will be startin’ soon. Daddy wanted me to fetch you and Betty Lou.”

“Jake, catch your breath now son. You ran all this way! My, you sure are getting to be a sturdy young man.”

“I’ll be turnin’ seven years old right around Christmas. I’m not a little boy anymore Grampa. Are you comin’? We don’t wanna be late Grampa.”

Jacob smiled at his namesake, his first grandchild, and Betty Lou reached out to hug his little man. “You run along now Jake. Your grampa and I will watch from here. We want you all to take the good seats right there in town.”

“Oh boy! This is so exciting!” And off he went, running back across the field to the old main house. Jacob and Betty Lou watched as Jake reached Willie and Sue who were trying to round up Jake’s brother and sister, Jesse soon to be five years old and Maddie already three last month.

“Willie and Sue are good parents to those children. Though I don’t reckon I know where they get the energy to keep up with them,” Jacob said.

Betty Lou looked at Jacob and smiled. “Well, they have to, don’t they Jacob?”

“I suppose they do. Glad I don’t. I just want to stay here and watch how pretty you look with the setting sun on your face and shining in your eyes. I believe you do get prettier every day Betty Lou.”

“Well, aren’t you the sweetest thing! I suppose you’re rather handsome yourself, even when the sun’s not settin’.”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m real grateful that you think so.”

They smiled and sat quietly for a while, the breeze playing softly in the trees as they sat together on the front porch.

Jacob broke the silence. “I should tell Jake how it was when we were young’uns. He’s been asking Willie about the days before the War and all. It would be good to pass our family history down to the next generations so as to not have it forgotten.”

Betty Lou nodded, and then spoke after a bit. “Jason’s been gone 37 years ago yesterday. I still remember so vividly getting the news he was killed at Gettysburg. But you know, I’ve nearly forgotten what he looked like and I can’t recall his voice at all anymore. I miss him, I don’t feel sad, I just miss him.” She sighed then, deep in thought of days gone by.

Jacob simply said, “I know.” And the fireworks began to light up the summer sky on another Fourth of July, six decades of them now for them both.

Previous Episodes. Even If They Don’t Ride Horses Anymore
Aunt Daisy & Caleb. Episode 1