Sounds of the Prairie

Chapter 4 Colorado

Standing outside the Gearrings ranch house with Tucker and Joe we were all laughing from the memories we had been sharing with each other of idiotic things we did when we were young. Back when we were boys being boys.

"At lease I never tried to run away with my own father's horse!" Tucker told me as he slapped his knee with his wide brimmed hat and if I had to admit that was not one of the best decisions I had ever made. My only defense being that I had at least turned myself in. As we were laughing, the screen door behind us creaked, causing us all to rotate and see the Gearrings come out with Esther following behind them. Esther did not look like the girl I had first encountered but so different. Less like an injured girl and more of a grown lady. The three of us boys did our best to regain our composer, hats whipped off to rest against our stomachs and all straightened spines. Richard took Esther's hand and helped her down the porch steps. She held her skirts carefully out of the way and I could not help but notice she had on her old boots with her dress. I smiled, not everything had changed.

"This is Tucker and Joseph," Richard said as he pointed between the boys, "And you of course remember Colorado." All of us gave unsynchronized hellos to acknowledge her.

She gave a quiet, "Pleased to make your acquaintance." I was not the least bit surprised when tucker made a step towards her, always having been a ladies man or tried to be, they didn't always love him in return.

"Do you have anything we can grab for you Miss Esther?" Their interaction was slightly comical, made more so by her visible flinch when he said her name. "If it is all the same to you Mr. Tucker," She said putting heavy emphasis on his name, "I go by Essie, simply Essie." Tucker stayed silent and when I was looking at Joe I could tell from his smile he was already quite impressed by her. Essie slipped on a pair of buckskin riding gloves that highlighted the petite size of her hands before walking right by where we stood. Addressing both Tucker and Joe she asked, "you both are aware why you're helping me?" Both of them faced each other before turning back to her and nodding. I could tell something made her edgy but she masked it well with a tender smile, "Then I guess we best be on our way." We gave her some time alone with the Gearrings as the three of us mounted our horses. I watched her with the older couple, their brief goodbye laced with acquainted affection, longing, and grief all at once. It was when they all began to tear up that I looked away feeling as though I invaded some private moment. I only looked back when out of the corner of my eye Essie lifted herself up to sit upon her horse.

"You ride astride?" Joe said, beating me to my question and making Essie give the cutest of giggles. "Have you ever tried side saddle sir? I assure you it is quite a pain in your ass." All of us burst into laughter as she adjusted to her saddle and grabbed the reigns from Richard who had been holding the mare stable whilst tenderly rubbing the horse's mane. The Gearrings moved onto their porch, Mrs. Gearring still softly crying as she told Essie to return back as soon as she was able and if possible in one piece.

"Don't worry I will be back," Essie paused before continuing, "I love you both."

The older couple, though seeming to be shocked by her words, also seemed to emit so much happiness by it. Before they could say it back Essie clicked at her horse giving it a light spur before breaking into a trot away from the house. The Gearrings waved goodbye as they faced into the distance as we rode away with her. Always having been curious, I couldn't help but ask her why she did not wait for them to say it back, why she just left. "If I let them say it back I know I would have stayed." Her face holding a ghost of a smile making me feel bad for my question. Maybe that's why curiosity kills the cat. For a short-term of time we all rode in silence, Esther and I towards the front with the boys following behind us in suit.

Not astonishingly, Tucker was the first to break the silence, having never much cared for it in the first place, "Who taught you to ride like that?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "Believe it or not it was my Pa. When we moved out west here I didn't much care for riding in the rickety wagon we owned so he taught me how on Millie here." The horse gave responsiveness to the mention of her name but kept at a steady pace.