Letters for Sally

Chapter 12

Chapter 12
Sally bundled up but realized she had a lot of heels, even her winter boots were heels.  As she went outside to explore the ranch she found her heels were not ideal for this terrain.  She sat down on a bench close to the barn and realized if she was there in the spring and summer she would have to have different shoes.  There were many places where the ground would be soft and muddy.  She decided to make a list of items she would need to get to make proper accommodations for this type of landscape. 

She was looking around and Harry drove up with a four wheeler and asked if she might like to take a ride.  She figured it would be better than trying to walk on ice.  He looked down at her shoes and asked her, "Is that the only winter boots you have?" she sheepishly smiled up at him and nodded yes.  He looked at her and tilted his head, "it's ok darlin' we have plenty of stores in town.  We will get you what you need to survive out here.  Hop on and I will show you the full ranch. It is 300 acres and you haven't seen anything yet." She got on the back and held onto his waist.  They drove without much talking. 

Sally took in the scenery and soaked up the bright sunlight on her face.  It was cold but the sun was bright and had a touch of warmth on her face when she turned her head toward it.  She saw wooded areas, animals, streams, and lots of cattle looking for grass in the snowy ground.  She was amazed at the serenity and peace such a place was bringing to her soul.  She never saw the outdoors quite like this and she was impressed and maybe in love with it just a little.  She had to admit it was beautiful and inviting.  Harry stopped beside a bridge and pointed to it.  It was old but sturdy and the water flowing beneath it was rolling over rocks but smooth and steady.  She wondered for a moment how beautiful spring would be here when flowers would start to bloom.  Harry said, "Sally, I want to introduce to you the first place your father kissed your mother and the place he proposed to her.  Of course she said yes and they kissed and then, well now here you are.", he chuckled and patted her knee.  "It was a beautiful spring morning and your daddy was a ball of nerves.  He kept going over what he would say with me and my dad, who used to run this ranch back then before he died.  He was such a mess!  I made fun of him a little but then I would listen and make sure his words were right and my boy didn't make a fool of himself in front of the woman he loved most in the world."  Harry sat for a minute in his memories.  He shook his head a few times and then laughted and wiped a few tears forming in his eyes. "Your dad was almost perfect, he was a good man, a man of honor, respect, loyalty, and his deep love for your mom was rare.  I was lucky to find that same kind of love with Maggie.  He was in love day one as crazy as that sounds.  He even felt it was crazy and didn't tell anyone but me.  I remember that day well.  He changed his shirt three times like a girl!  Of course I did my part as a good best friend and made fun of him for it.  However, when your mother stepped out of her car in the driveway I saw all the nerves leave his body and it was replaced with a confidence I had never seen in any man before.  He was home with her and everyone could see it.  His love for her was deep, and real."  Harry patted her knee again and said, "ok let's move on we have more to see today."

Sally sat back on the four-wheeler and thought about the scene that just played out in her mind from Harry's description.  Her mother hadn't talked as much about her dad and her life before Sally was born.  She seemed to focus on her dad after she was born.  She would tell her about what a great dad he was and how he was always helpful with her as a baby.  She bragged on him about giving her baths and changing diapers and getting up at night with her.  He was a fully involved father and her mother told her about that a lot. But, she had never heard much about their story before she was born. She loved hearing about how in love her father was with her mother.  How much he felt for her and how nervous she made him to make everything perfect and yet was so at home with her that he relaxed and felt confident in her presence.  It was sweet, it was like a romance novel but yet it was part of her story, her family, her parents.

Harry drove around for a little longer showing Sally some cliff faces on the property and a few areas he and her father liked to fish off of the stream on the property.  Apparently, her father was more than just a businessman; he liked the great outdoors, fishing, hunting, and was an avid horseback rider.  She didn't really know that part of him.  Maybe her mother struggled to talk about his past because it was just too much or maybe that wasn't what was on her mind.  Sally felt like she was getting a better picture of who her dad was and she loved it.  She was never exposed to the outdoors much.  Her life was full of school and activities to help her graduate faster.  She was really smart which she has learned was a trait of her mother and father who both loved to learn and grow as people in general.  Harry showed her a side of her dad that was a much different perspective.  She was falling in love with the outdoors quickly.  She had no idea how much she loved it.  She found herself wanting to try all these things her father did as a young man.  She wanted to fish and ride a horse for sure.  She had proposed in her heart she would at least do these two things.  Maybe Harry and Maggie would go with her and teach her.  She figured she would ask later after she was there a little longer.

They finished their ride and then Harry dropped her.off at the house. He had ranch business to attend and wanted her to go ask Maggie to take her into town and get a pair of shoes suitable for the ranch life.  Sally went inside and Maggie already knew.  When Sally asked, "Hey do you think we could go into town and get me some shoes?  I have a clothing allowance on my credit card and.... "  Maggie put her hands on her shoulders and said, "Child I figured we would be doing that soon, I thought it would be best to let you go out in those for a day so when I took you, you would find the value in it. I have the keys and I need a few items from the grocery store as well.  Let's go find you some suitable boots!"  Maggie said with a huge smile, shaking the keys and winking at Sally.  Sally grabbed her purse from her room and off they went.

Sally loved being with Maggie, she was a warm person with a lot of joy.  She missed her mother terribly but she had to admit being with these two people somehow made it less gloomy.  Sometimes she found herself feeling a little guilty about being joyful.  It was as if some part of her didn't find it appropriate to be happy or have a good time without her mother there with her.  She knew these feelings were not rational.  If she was advising a friend she would rebuke that thought but she couldn't help but feel it now.  She felt like she should not move on without her mother, it felt like she was turning her back on her by moving on in any way without her.  This trip is about her staying close to her mother and her father.  She found her thoughts causing her confusion again and she decided to put the thoughts aside and just focus on the task at hand.  Boot shopping a task she had never experienced before.  There were so many to choose from and she wanted a good, sturdy, practical shoe that was suited for the terrain but still looks good with most of her attire.  It would take time and she hoped Maggie was a patient shopper.

Sally was able to get her boots picked out quickly.  Maggie was not only patient but also helpful and knew how to find a good pair.  She helped her by checking her foot size with a foot measuring device and then she pulled boots in that size that Sally liked the look of.  Sally tried them all on and then decided on the fourth pair.  They were black and brown with a little bit of teal blue in the sewing design.  She felt they would match many of her outfits and they actually felt heavenly to walk in. She didn't expect them to be so comfortable.  Sally was starting to wonder if maybe she had been living a lie her whole life.  Maybe this whole farm, ranching life is part of her DNA in some way.  She wondered if her mother loved the ranch like she and her father did.  She remembered the journals and letters and decided she needed to take some time to read them more.