New Beginnings & Cherished Memories
New Beginnings & Cherished Memories
The fourth series in the Dusty Town sequence.
That Betty Lou. Episode 18
The afternoon sun was dancing through the fields as the horses pulled the wagon up the dirt road toward the main farmhouse. Aunt Daisy’s eyes opened wide as she exclaimed, “Oh Jacob, it’s just how I imagined it! I’m so glad I came!” And with that, out of the house ran the little ones and Sue trailing behind, apologizing for having lost control of them. Somehow the children knew Aunt Daisy would love them and they circled all around her and hugged her as Willie helped her down from the wagon.
Jacob jumped down off the wagon, helped Betty Lou down, and then helped the Morgan lady down. Miss Morgan was absolutely horrified as one of the pigs got loose and ran right toward her. She screamed very unladylike and impolitely and ran to the front porch to escape the attack. She got one of her city shoes caught in the boards on the porch and landed in a heap after ripping the bottom of her dress.
As Jacob and Willie quickly ran to help her, she dismissed them and said, “It’s alright really, I’m not hurt, just a bit out of my element I suppose.” The children ran over to the Morgan lady and gave her kisses upon kisses, as young Jake explained, “Betty Lou says that when someone doesn’t feel well or gets hurt, kisses always help heal it faster. We want you all better ma’am so you can have fun here.”
“Aren’t you children the dearest things! My, my, my! Betty Lou must be a very wise person indeed.”
“Oh yes, she is! Grampa says she’s always been smarter than him and he’s pretty smart himself seems to me. And since they are very old, always has to be a real long time that she’s smarter than Grampa. She’s a great cook and you’ll like Mama’s cookin’ too. It’s country cookin’ they call it in the city Grampa says but we just call it yummy!
“I think you’ll be alright now ma’am, you got a lot of kisses. We have to go back to Aunt Daisy now or she will miss us too much. We are glad to meet you ma’am and hope you will like us.” At that the little man smiled at the Morgan lady and turned to go but looked back when he heard, “Thank you, Jake.” And the Morgan lady was smiling too.
The afternoon was spent visiting. The children kept bringing out toy after toy to show Aunt Daisy and the Morgan lady. The slam of the screen door announced the arrival of another toy and that noise of the screen door reminded Jacob of a special day long ago.
“Betty Lou, it’s funny that old screen door slammin’ makes thirty years ago seem like yesterday, the day I was gonna take the stage back to the city to Maddie and the boys ‘cause they wouldn’t come here. And I get to town and they were on the stage comin’ in.”
Jacob looked at Betty Lou and they smiled. “Lotta years, Jacob, lotta years. I will always be glad they came, Jacob, always.”
“Yes,” Jacob replied, deep in thought. “This always was home, and reckon it always will be.” The sun began to sink low in the sky then, painting Kansas orange, pink, and yellow, all at once. Aunt Daisy and the Morgan lady gasped at the beauty of Jacob’s Kansas and he smiled, and was proud.
Read Prior Episodes of New Beginnings & Cherished Memories
Starting Over Again in Kansas. Episode 1
Nothing’s Changes. Everything’s Changes. Episode 2
Knowing What to Do When the Time Comes. Episode 3
Still Plenty of Sweet Living Left for Them. Episode 4
Morning Light. Episode 5
”You can’t count how much we all love you.” Episode 6
A Spare Room in the Back of the Store. Episode 7
The Stars at Night. Episode 8
Aunt Daisy! Episode 9
Sometimes Dreams Do Come True. Episode 10
A Sweet Sunset. Episode 11
Aunt Daisy is Coming! Episode 12
A Most Special Day. Episode 13
Just Two Days to Wait. Episode 14
Every Now and Then. Episode 15
Aunt Daisy Has Arrived. Episode 16
And the Morgan Lady. Episode 17
That Betty Lou. Episode(This one)
