RANCHO REYES Chapter 21 Life is Good

Today is the final chapter of Ranch Reyes but a new story will follow soon!  You might also enjoy my other blog where you will find musings.

Life is Good on the Ranch
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Their place at Santa Fe was small by New Mexico standards for it was only fifty acres. A big house two barns and several out buildings and oh yes a corral.

John had a couple of ranch hands to care for his few horses which he kept for riding purposes.  

He also managed to talk Senior out of the mustang he had rode when last at the Hacienda.  He quickly fell in love with that pony.  The horse had taken to him also and would whinny to him every time he saw John.

When he went riding he always rode that pony he called Good Boy.  After a bit the pony started answering to that name.  He was only about three years old and John expected to have him for a long time.  

Jane had taken to Mae like she was her mother and with Mae’s permission she called her mom.  John wanted some kids of his own but so far none had arrived.

Mae had caught Jane up to her age level schooling.  Actually she was a little ahead of her grade level.  Arrangements were made for Jane to go to live with one of Mae’s friends she went to school with.  Jane was going to attend the same school as Mae and her friend went to.  Their first visit, Mae went with Jane and got her settled in at her friend’s house.  

Mae wasn’t feeling well so she went to the doctor who attended her when she lived and went to school there.  The news she heard wasn’t what she expected, she was pregnant.

She shared the news with Jane and Mae’s friend and then headed home. When she arrived home she didn’t know how to break the news to John so she waited until she was showing.  

 

One day John jokingly said, honey something is coming between us referring to her increasing waist line.

She figured now is as good a time as any.  She said, “You’re going to be a father… John.”  He almost fell out of bed and then he shouted, “Yippee” a few times.

The next few months passed slowly with John constantly asking, how much longer?

Eventually the day came and she delivered a fine strong boy and named him John Jr. Then in succession she had two more boys and then left off bearing.  

John was the proudest of fathers.  His three boys were his pride and joy. They learned to ride sitting the saddle with him.  By the time the youngest was five they would go to the Hacienda and ride with Senior and call him Grand Pa.

Senior took to them like his own grand children which he loved dearly.

Then one day Senior passed away.  It was indeed a sorrowful time at the Hacienda.  

Senior passing was so sad for John that he vowed he would never return.  The ranch was divided into four parts one part for each son.  Senior wanted John to have part of the ranch but John told Senior, “No it should go to your sons.”

After the funeral it was the last John ever saw of the Hacienda though he would see one of the sons from time to time.

He watched his boys grow up into strong young men, and Mae saw to it they were well educated.

Jane never returned to Santa Fe but married into a well to do family.  Mae and Jane still write and she still calls her mom but they rarely ever see each other.

John saw to it that the boys learned to cowboy and worked some of the roundups in the area.  At their insistence he taught them how to shoot straight and draw fast and moreover to avoid circumstances that could escalate into where there would be a need for gun play.

The time came when Mae and John were no more but to those who knew them they were heroes.

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The End