Lyndy & Jackson

Chapter - 6

'Lyndy & Jackson',

Chapter 6

By: Mike Hurley

'Ty's old truck'

Amy down shifted the 1957 GMC into second gear as she drove Ty's old truck around a sharp corner, then up an immediate steep 1000 foot hill. After being married to Ty for almost 3 years, she and the 1/2 ton truck had gotten to know each other well. With Ty's help Amy had slowly learned how to appreciate and understand the 3 speed manual transmission.
It no longer moaned and complained when Amy pushed in the clutch and moved to another gear. Approaching the hill, Amy pushed her right foot down further and heard the big 283 cubic inch V8 answer. She felt the engine open it's 4 barrel carburetors secondary butterfly; sucking in a massive amount of air and its reserve jets spraying fuel into the mixing chamber. She heard the engine respond to her with a roar from under its hood. Just like asking Spartan for a gallup, the old truck responded. Amy loved the feedback she felt when the secondary carb butterflies opened, sway sensation from the shocks & springs, and road feel of the steering wheel. Years ago when Ty was teaching her how to drive, he insisted she learn how to be 'one with the truck'. She laughed as Ty explained how a good driver can combine feedback from the engine, vehicle sway, and steering wheel to know exactly how the truck was going to respond seconds ahead of time as the driver & vehicle traveled down the road together. She loved how devoted and serious Ty was to his truck; he had that same devotion and more, for her. Amy smiled as the truck reached the top of the hill. She shifted back into third, pulled her right foot back a bit, then placed her hand on Ty's arm.

Amy felt one with Ty's truck, as she asked it to hold 80 KPH as they headed west toward the Millar Ranch. She knew the 1/2 ton truck would comply. The same concept her mother taught her in being 'one with her horse', always aware of what her horse was going to do next. The horse and rider understood and trusted each other. Amy had driven Ty's truck hundreds of miles, and now she and the truck understood each other.

She listened in to bits of Ty's conversations with his clients, as they made their way over to the Millar ranch. Ty was so devoted to his patients, he was currently talking to 10
year old Kathy Jonas about her parakeet 'Blue'. Ty put Blue on antibiotics for an illness several days ago and was going down a check list with Kathy to be certain she and Blue were following all his directions. Kathy's parents were farmers and quite surprised when Dr Ty called their home inquiring not about a sick farm animal, but a tiny parakeet who meant the world to their daughter.

Amy always watched in amazement when she & Ty, and Lyndy entered Maggies for a meal. More than a few of the restaurant patrons would get up and greet her and Dr Ty. She loved how the Hudson community held her husband in such high esteem. He had come a long way since stopping to pick her up in his truck as she walked home from Ashley's party, years ago. Amy was so very proud of her husband, .......Dr Ty.

Her thoughts wandered a bit, to the heated exchange, she, Ty, and Grandpa had when she got out of Ty's truck the night he picked her up, on the side of the dark road, as she walked home. There was some line Grandpa drew in the sand with Ty about staying away from her and Lou. Neither one would ever tell Amy what the big deal was. Just like typical men, they kept many of their feelings hidden away. A year after she married Ty, they had a big fight. An odd, quiet, & aloof man south of Hudson had called Amy, and requested she stop by his ranch and look at a horse who refused to leave the barn. Ty had met the man on vet calls and did not like him. Amy made an appointment for the next day. Ty refused to let her go without himself or Jack accompanying her. Amy raised her voice to Ty & reminded him that she was not a child, and would not take orders from him. She conducted her business as she liked, and advised Ty to mind his own business. He demanded she listen to him, Amy stormed out of the loft, walked over to ‪the ranch house‬, walked past Grandpa washing dishes, entered her old bedroom and slammed the door. A minute later Ty walked past Grandpa, mad and mumbling under his breath. Amy refused to let him in, told him to go find some other woman to hover over and boss around.

Jack suggested to Ty, that he let Amy calm down & said he would talk to her when she came out of the bedroom. Ty went back to the loft; after about an hour Amy came out of the bedroom. Grandpa asked her to visit for a minute. He refused to get involved in their argument, but Jack could tell Amy was furious with Ty telling her what to do. Jack made her some tea and in his typical Grandpa Jack way, had her calmed down in a matter of minutes. He went on to share with Amy a conversation he and Ty had years ago about her. Amy was perfectly quiet as her grandfather described the serious demeanor Ty had right there by the fireplace a few years previous. Amy started to cry a little as Jack told her how Ty politely, but with the determination of a mature, young man, asked Jack for permission to ask Amy to marry him. Amy wiped away tears as Jack told her, how Ty promised Jack he would always take care of Amy. Jack explained to Amy, that for Ty, seeking Jacks permission, Ty had made a solemn oath to take care of her, and to a man, that promise included protecting her. Jack went out on a limb right there for Ty, as he made Amy understand, that Ty protectiveness of her was a fulfillment of the promise he made to Jack. Jack told Amy how confident he was in Ty's promise that night. So confident in her young man, that he gave Ty his blessing in asking for Amy's hand in marriage.

Amy hugged her grandfather, then walked back up to the loft. She apologized to Ty. Ty apologized to Amy for not being more forthcoming in explaining his need to protect her. They talked for over an hour, sharing feelings and building another beam of strength into their marriage. Amy agreed to let Ty go with her the next day. She never mentioned grandpa's conversation with her. But, Amy put that knowledge about Ty, and how he asked Grandpa for her hand in marriage, deep into her heart. It would be a memory she would treasure forever.

Next her thoughts took her to a conversion she had a month ago with Grandpa. Ty had to put down 6 horses at a quarantined barn, who were not responding to treatment. Out of concern for the entire horse community and needing to be being certain the illness would not spread. Ty, one by one, euthanized them. He came home that night shaken, disturbed, and withdrawn. Amy was frustrated in how she had asked Ty to tell her what he was feeling; he refused and just stared out their window. This went on for days, he eventually told Amy some of his feelings from the experience. But she knew Ty was keeping more hid away in his heart; and refused to let Amy in. She explained to her grandfather how Ty had always been sensitive and perceptive with her feelings. Shortly after Ty moved to Heartland he asked Amy about her desire to train and compete in horse jumping. She did not say much, but Ty could tell how she felt. A couple days later, Ty showed her the jumping course he had built for her. She explained how Ty had always been so attentive to her. Even during their fight about a kiss with Blair, he continued to care for her. Jack was there when Ty put up his school savings in a pool game gamble with Chase. Even then Ty put her in front of his own needs. She explained to Jack, through their many fights, and arguments; in the depths of her anger with him, deep down in her heart, she always, -always loved Ty.

She went on to describe how in-adequate she felt when he needed her. During his sadness, & times of withdrawal after having to put down an animal in his duties as a vet and other difficult situations at the clinic, he would bottle his feelings inside, like a typical man. He refused to let her into his heart. That hurt Amy's feelings and caused her to feel inadequate as Ty's wife, and best friend. Amy had always confided in and sought advice from her grandfather. She needed Jack to help her understand what to say to Ty, and more importantly to understand what was in his heart, when he refused to let her in. She desired so deeply to be able to be attentive, loving, sensitive, and perceptive with Ty; the very same way he always knew what to say or do to help her feel better after a difficult experience.

Amy looked into her grandfathers eyes as he advised her to just listen more carefully to Ty, to just be there for him. She knew in her heart, her grandpa was hiding something from her as well. Now, the two most important men in her life were putting up barricades for her to see into their hearts. She felt hurt, and confused. Her grandpa had always been honest with her before, why was he hiding something and what was it. Amy felt so close to Ty, they were a young couple so in love with each other. But she also felt miles away from him sometimes. She desperately needed to understand. She needed to see into their hearts.

To be continued,