I remember my first summer on the family ranch like it was yesterday, but in reality I was seven that was seven years ago. That's where my great pop and my grandpa taught me everything I know about ranching. I still go there every summer I can.
"Hey, Bud, lookie here, at the sun, she's goin down, " My pop told me as he was sitting in his hickory rocking chair. The squeakieness of that chair always brought me peace, even though it soundesounded like a nail gun shooting into concrete.
"You remember this here moment here, this is your here first day on this ranch that your pa will pass onto you someday. "
"I know Pop, I will. "
"But don't ya worry, she'll treat ya right. "
"I'm not worried Pop, I learned a lot today. "
"Boy, ya ain't learned sqat today, you got a lot to learn before she's yours. Now look at her, she's a beaut ain't she, " Looking towards the field were the sun set every night.
" She sure is, Pop. "
We sat there and watched the sunset, it was the most beautiful sunset you've ever seen, red, orange, yellow, Violet, purple, and blue all clashing together.
My pa Walker out onto the porch.
" Get you behind up, we got thirty four cattle to tag, we got to get er' done before she gets dark on us. " My pa said with an angered voice.
"K Pa, I'll get the tags, " I replied with an attitude.
As my pa walk out off the porch towards the old barn my pop said, "don't take it personally, he just misses your father. I'll give 'im a little talk later on here."
"Ok Pop, but I mi-. "
"No buts go on, help your Pa, he's gettin lame here, not everyone can be as fit as me when they get old, you hear."
"I hear Pop, " I said with a chuckle.
"Good, now go on, I ain't gonna hear no more arguin' tonight. "
"K Pop. "
"Be careful in that barn, she 'bout to collapse on us. "
I went out to the old wooden maple barn, the stairs we're on the far side, about twenty yards in. That ment that I had to go by Pop's old work truck that he tunes up every week. Back then that thing creeped me out. It was an old, 34 Chevy with torn fabric seats, it was all rusted, it sounded like a beast when it ran, and that thing looked like it came straight out of "Jeepers Creepers".
I continued towards the stairs that we were supposed to rebuild the next day. They were old maple stairs with faded and peeling paint. It was black paint, which was hard to see because Pop hadn't changed the light bulb since the 90s.
I went up the lifeless stairs and got the pail of tags when I heard that old Chevy start to puur. For the first time I wasn't scared at all.
I heard my Pa"Hop in. "
"Really? "
"Sure thing, we ain't gettin all these cattle taged walkin now are we?"
"No were not, " I said confused.
There was a complete moment of silence, a whole five minutes. Then my Pa said, "Domie I know I ain't been the best Grandpa I can be. "
"It's fine Pa. "
"No it ain't, I just miss your father so much. "
"I know Pa, I miss him too. "
My Pa started to tear up, " I love you Domie please don't end up were your father ended up. "
"You know I won't Pa. "
"No I don't, anything can happen. " There was another moment of silence.
That's when I realized that we weren't going to put the tags on the cattle, my Pa was taking me out on the field to show me the beauty of a Chevy pickup truck. We put truck in reverse then kicked it back into second then took off, around one patch of trees and then back again. By the end of the hour I was covered in mud. I haven't wanted a different vehicle since.
That was the best summer of my life, until it got cut short. It was September 24th 2012. Me and my pop were sitting on the front porch. My pop was sitting in his rocking chair.
"Come on you, you never leave a job unfinished, we got to get the cattle into the barn before she starts to pour on us, now we wouldn't want that now would we? " My Pop suddenly said getting up from his chair.
"No we wouldn't Pop, I'm gonna go in and get a drink, see ya in a sec. " I walked inside of the old farm house(it was white and the paint was all peeling off, it was older than Pop, in fact his dad built the house and the barn when gee moved from Portland.) I walked into the title kitchen and smelled the warm chocolate cake that my Nana was making for my dad's birthday. It smelled like heaven. We were going to drive down to Bangor to see him but we never made it, instead he came to see us. I continued towards the fridge, then my Nana stopped me.
"Why do you think your doing in the house with your kicks on? "
"Sorry Nana I have to go help pop put the cattle in the barn. "
"Go on then, go help your pop. "
"Ok Nana, love ya." I walked out the door.
September24th, 2012 the day I will carry on my great grandfather's legacy until I pass the mantel onto my children and then them to there's.
My biggest regret in life was, going into that house to get a drink, ever since the second I walked out on to that grim rainy field and saw my pop lying in a puddle of water, dead of a heart attack.
At the time I blamed myself for his death.
His legacy will forever live on and every one in the little town of Presque Isle, Maine will remember his story. I will make sure that he will never be forgotten. Rest in peace Pop rest in peace.
