Rebekah Lyn

Go West~Chapter 54

Go West

by DiVoran Lites

Chapter Fifty Four

Aldon

“Where’s Enrico,” asked Molly as Aldon entered the kitchen? “He’s been going to the saloon every night and missing supper. Sure’n a growing boy needs to eat.”

Aldon began to think about Enrico’s whereabouts and how he might be connected with the kidnapping of Ellie and Lia. If he’d been going to the saloon, then he’d been talking. If the squatter brothers also went to the saloon, then all Enrico had to do was tell them when round-up was scheduled and the boys could make their plans to rustle cattle. He could also have given them ideas of where to look for the women. Enrico probably didn’t know anything about the rustling attempt, nor the kidnapping, but Aldon didn’t think he’d be too worried about either one. Aldon could only see one solution. The sooner Enrico left the ranch, the better off everyone would be. The kindly Mr. Solano would be sad, but Aldon thought it might be better even for him. He seemed to have lately gained a new vitality and love of life. It looked as if he would fully recover, after all. Surely no one wanted him set back in his healing by discovering his grandson’s betrayals.

“I’m going to check on the kid.” Aldon excused himself and climbed the stairs. There, Lastus lay spread-eagled and sound asleep with his wrist cuffed to the iron bedstead. He might have a chance at a decent existence if he could get away from his brother and mother for a while. Maybe the law would go send him somewhere and give him a real job. No use to send him to prison where he could learn how to be a real criminal. All he needed was the Lord and a bit of education and he could probably become a productive member of the community. Maybe he’d talk it over with Ellie. Aldon lay down on the floor next to the bed and went to sleep for what seemed like minutes, but the next thing he knew, the rooster crowed.

Ellie was flipping pancakes when he took Lastus downstairs. “I figured you’d want an early start.” Ellie sounded subdued. “Would I be in the way if I rode along? I’ve got a hankering to get out of here for a while.”

“A hankering? You’re talking like a Westerner.” His eyes filled with the sight of her golden hair and peachy skin.

“Yes, I think of myself as a Westerner. I’ve enjoyed my time here.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she turned her back and brushed them away. Aldon saw that Lastus was watching Ellie closely. He had probably never seen anything like her. The lad kept his mouth shut, though, which was the first smart thing Aldon had seen him do yet.

“Do you still plan to leave here?” He asked Ellie, pushing down the dart of fear that lodged in his throat.

“Granddad wants to move on to California.” She turned toward him as she spoke. “It’s warmer there for Grandmother’s arthritis and you know how he has always talked about going west.” She set the stack of pancakes on the table.

Aldon said. “My brother tells me California can be cold and damp.” He didn’t know why he was arguing with her. She’d made her mind up as far as he could see. It just made him feel so sad to think of her leaving.

“How did your prisoner do during the night?” She changed the subject, a clever ploy to avoid another argument. Aldon played along by motioning toward Lastus. “He’s okay.”
***

When Aldon put Lastus in the backseat of the old flivver he handcuffed him to the steel post that supported the roof. Over the summer the road had developed so many potholes that everything rattled as they motored along. Ellie looked back then mimed to Aldon that the boy slept.

The minute the car stopped in front of the sheriff’s office, Ellie jumped out, but then she stood waiting for him to unlock Lastus’s cuff. Sudden chaos broke out as the young man bolted away from Aldon and around the automobile to grab Ellie. Rage washed over Aldon like a forest fire, but he gritted his teeth and held his ground knowing the big child could snap her neck in a second.

“Throw that there sidearm in the motor car,” Lastus demanded. Aldon obeyed.

Meditation Musing~Your Needs

Your Needs by DiVoran Lites

A word from the Lord

Beloved child,

I have called you by name. You are my name-sake. I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Can a real mother neglect the needs of her baby? No, she can’t, and I can’t neglect the needs of my children.

You need shelter from the storm. I will hide you in the cleft of the rock.

You need love and friends. I will supply all your needs according to my riches in glory.

You need sustenance. I own a thousand cattle on a 1000 hills. I’ll see that are taken care of.

You need to be strengthened. I have equipped you to do everything I ask you to do.

You need reassurance. I am inside your spirit praying for you at all times.

You need to know that your loved ones are safe with me. I, personally, teach all your children of every kind

You need to be heard. Call to me. I will reason with you.

You need peace. Peace I give unto to you, tamped down and overflowing.

You need forgiveness. That has already been accomplished for you. Access it by forgiving others.

Isaiah 43:1/Isaiah 49:15/Isaiah 25:4/Philippians 4:19/Psalm 50:10/Philippians 4:13/Romans 8:26/Isaiah 54:15/John 14:27/1 John 2:2

Come Let Us Reason Together, song by Ken Medema

Go West~Chapter 53

Go West

by DiVoran Lites

Chapter Fifty Three

Aldon

That evening, at home, Lia insisted everyone eat together at the long table in the kitchen, except Lastus. Aldon took him to a storage room on the second floor and handcuffed him to the iron frame of a bed. After the meal, the sheriff and Aldon went out to the barn to finalize their plans. Oates wanted to go back to the mountain after Furtus, and Aldon was ready to go too, but his friend insisted that he stay and make sure Lastus didn’t pull any funny stuff.

“We’ll meet in Artesia, can you get the train tickets and let the office reimburse you later?” Oates asked.

“Sure, Lastus and I will see you at the jail house in the morning,” Aldon agreed.

“He won’t give you no trouble,” Oates told Aldon. “Without his brother, he’s just an overgrown kid. I expect he’ll get a tongue-lashing from his Ma, though. She won’t care what he done, but she’ll get mad that he got caught.” Oates, now well-fed was able to see the humor in the situation. He left with a laugh and a wave.

Under strict orders not to uncuff Lastus unless it was absolutely necessary, Aldon fed him his supper. Neither of them had a word to say. As Aldon was placing the empty tray outside the door, Lia appeared at the top of the stairs. When Aldon saw her, he looked around for an escape route, but it was too late, he was trapped.

“This Lastus,” Lia pulled a small sheaf of folded papers from the pocket of her dress. “I think he was the one that carried me home the first Sunday Ellie was here. I wait until everybody goes to church then I go to the pond to paint. I hear a noise and jump up. My ankle goes scrunch and I faint from pain. Next thing I am laid out in the coat porch with these papers in my hand. That man must have been the one who wrote them.” She unfolded the papers.”

“Let me hear it,” Aldon motioned impatiently for her to read and get it over so he could leave. He closed the door to the room so Lastus couldn’t eavesdrop.

“Dear Miss Lady, Ma says me and Furstus needs to find some women. Ma says she is getting old and we need somebody to render bear fat, scrape skins, and tend the fire.

Now, Ma don’t care if the women we bring home are ugly or pretty, she wants them to help with the work and give her some granchilren to spoil. But to my way of thinking I’d just as soon have somebody with looks and that is you.

You never seen me before, but I live above Spruce Crick Ranch in the mountains. Today I seen you painting by the waterfall and dipping your pretty little fingers in the water. You are one fine figger of a woman. You would do for me; Furstus has got to find his own. I’m staking my claim on you.

You might wonder how it is I am able to write so good. Well the answer is Ma taught me to read and write. She was smart, but pa wasn’t. Ma says I take after him and I’m proud to know it. We never did go to school much except for that one day when Ma left us standing outside the schoolhouse door and the teacher come out and fetched us in. We was already full-growed. At recess the other kids called us Stinky and Fatty so we wrung the skin on their arms and made it burn. We then got beat with a rubber hose by the principal and chucked out of school and had to walk all the way home, which is a real far piece.

We never got such a beating from Ma because she’s an itty-bitty thing, but she has other ways of torturing us, like no food, so I’d rather take a thrashing from a real man. I don’t know why we didn’t gang up and fight back. Furstus has been after me about that, but I just didn’t feel like hurting the man when it was his school and we didn’t belong there. Them folks was too good for the likes of us. You are too, Miss Lady, but I got such a hankering to hold you in my arms, that I’m overlooking that to get you in my camp as fast as I can.

Meditation Musing~A Note From Jesus

A Note From Jesus by DiVoran Lites

Beloved,

Keep on trusting Our Father, and Me. We are the real motivation, inspiration, and power in your life. Keep on doing your best to stay healthy, wealthy, and wise. We hear your prayers and we answer.

My child, just as you enjoy homes and rooms and beautiful interiors. We enjoy homes in our children. They are exquisitely decorated. Think of a visit to a coral reef with all its color and natural glories your interior is more beautiful than that to us.

Know too that when your job on earth is finished, we have a beautiful place for you. In that place you have perfect freedom in every way. You have dear friends, Us among them, you have initiative and talent. You are more joyful, yet more peaceful than you have ever been in your life.

Here and now, you taste of these qualities, but sometimes the gravity of anxiety pulls you down. You are like a SCUBA diver whose weights are so heavy that they keep pulling you onto the beautiful, but sharp coral.

We must say, Dear, you were never equipped to carry such heavy weights. Give them to us and we will carry them. We will buoy you up and see that you get the oxygen you need.

When you do come to us for your fabulous eternity you will have no weights on you at all. It is even is possible for you to live in a light-filled, lightly weighted world here and now. Think of all the good things you have and that we have already done for you. Know that there are things you cannot change. Turn them over to us and find the treasure chest of jewels we have in store for you.