Firefly Night

Chapter 5

|LEMON ODELL|

    The name Odell means everything within the state of Wyoming.

Everyone here knows us for a variety of things: Tex's legacy of bull riding, a tale as tragic as it was legendary, Evelyn's culinary skills, her blackberry pies and jams once seen through even the distant Cheyenne hostels. But in recent years, our family had become known for one thing above all: our ranch nestled in the rugged beauty of the Absaroka Range, and the Windwalker Cattle Co. that came with it.

It wasn't just a business; it was our legacy.
Back when the land was nothing but a patch of wilderness, Tex saw its potential. He secured over 1,500 acres at a jaw-dropping bargain of $150 per acre, a steal considering its current worth of $2,500 per acre, a good twenty years later. Back then, it seemed like a gamble, but Tex had a vision.

He saw the potential in the rolling hills and winding river, envisioning a place where we could raise cattle, sheep, and chickens, and grow crops to sustain ourselves and much of our community in Cody. And for a time, his vision worked.

The ranch had been a thriving hub of activity, with cattle grazing freely under the expansive sky and the sound of sheep bleating in the distance. The fields were alive with the vibrant colors of alfalfa, oats, corn, and soybeans, and mama had even created a small bakery business where she delivered baked goods in the locality every Sunday.

Now all that was left was the memory of what had once been.

All that remained untouched throughout the years was the farmhouse. It was a two-story clapboard with a rambling porch, sitting on a half of an acre with a neatly-mowed yard. There were three bedrooms, one on the main floor and two on the second. In it's prime, Tex and mama stayed on the first floor, throwing late night gatherings for their friends and dancing on the wooden floorboards.
Stella and I would perch ourselves at the top of the staircase, hidden from view and watch as Daddy's arms encircled Mama's waist, pulling her close as they moved in harmony to the rhythm of old country songs playing on the radio.

We were enamored by their love for one another. And I still remember the way daddy would smile, truly smile when Mama entered the room, dressed in her favorite sundress. It was a soft shade of lavender, the color complementing Mama's sun-kissed skin and accentuating the gentle curve of her waist.

And Daddy, oh how his eyes shined when he looked at her. He would stand at the foot of the stairs, his gaze fixed on Mama as if she were the only thing in the world that mattered. I can still hear his voice, low and husky, as he whispered those sweet words that only lovers share, wrapping Mama in his arms as she washed the dishes, the sound of her laughter filling the house like music.

They were so happy together.

There were many times that they caught us, and with a hushed giggle mamma would hurry us off to bed.
I wish, more than anything sometimes, that I could go back to those days.

I wish, more than anything sometimes, that I could go back to those days.

Stella and I were on the second floor, rooms right beside each other. Stella's room remained a mix of old music posters and vibrant hues of green and pink flowers that swirled around her bed. Just as she had left it. But my room, once a sanctuary adorned with sketches of the animals we nurtured on the farm and twinkling fairy lights that cast a magical glow, had morphed into a stark reflection of my altered reality. It had become an office, cluttered with scattered papers and cardboard boxes brimming with memories, each one a shard of the past that I couldn't quite bear to part with.

I had claimed the master bedroom on the main floor as my own, a feeble attempt to distance myself from the memories that haunted me. Yet even with the few changes I had made, I couldn't bring myself to erase the remnants of Mama's presence by taking down her artwork. I couldn't erase Tex's presence either, and so had pulled together clippings of articles he'd kept over the years. Among those clippings, one stood out to me amongst the rest.