Chapter 18 #2
Tate shook his hand and nobody made him feel different because he was so big.
Abe felt almost normal for the first time in his life.
Travis had him get into a wagon with Caesar tied onto the back.
He threw his saddle bags into the back and lifted Will and Bobby into the back with the bags with Zeus.
Angie rode in the back with the boys. Abe and Travis rode on the wagon seat.
They waved at Tate and Sam and headed out to the cabin.
Abe was thrilled to be leaving the little town, not that he didn’t like it, he did. It looked to be real nice. Not too big, and not too small. But he really didn’t want to live in town. They hadn’t traveled too far when Travis pulled up in front of a small cabin. To Abe, it looked nice.
Mountains were in the background, and it looked like the cabin was built into the side of a hill. Travis helped him down and each of the children and then his wife. He picked up the saddle bags and led the way into the cabin. He carried Zeus but put him down inside the cabin.
He opened the door. “Abe, this is where we thought you might be most comfortable in living. Welcome home.”
“This cabin is for me? Oh, my Lord! It’s perfect!
I love it! Who made the curtains and tablecloth?
Who made it so clean? I have a tub and sink…
and running water…look at the bed…my gosh, it’s big enough for me!
” Abe told them as he looked around at everything he had and they had made ready for him.
He saw the ham and bacon side hanging on the side of one of the shelves.
Angie put two loaves of bread on the counter, and he squeezed her hands in way of saying thank you.
Zeus sniffed all over the house, Travis showed him the fully stuffed cellar and the smoke house.
Then he took them through the tunnel to the barn.
He walked outside and brought in Caesar and turned him loose in the corral with the steer.
Caesar took two laps around just running.
It felt so good to be able to run after being locked up in the baggage car for so long.
Abe noticed the two little piglets and the chickens.
He even saw the eggs lying there ready to be picked up.
Bobby handed him a basket to put the eggs in that he could carry even while walking on crutches.
He and Will picked up the eggs and put them in the basket and carefully carried them back to the kitchen for him.
Abe noticed the ease in which he could take care of all the animals with food and water.
He could even clean up after them with the pitchfork in the corner of the barn.
He loved the clean smell of the barn and realized that everything had been made to make it easy for him on crutches and with one leg.
He almost started crying. Instead, he grabbed Travis’s shoulder and squeezed.
“Thank you, my brother, this is the perfect place for me to stay and begin to heal. I notice the stack of lumber for me to start making furniture again when I am ready. It’s just too much to take in…
I never thought when I stepped off that train that you would have made all of this for me…
I thought I would be close by to where we could see a lot of each other and we could look for a place where I could be by myself, but instead I come to my own little place of heaven on earth.
I may never want to leave.” Abe told him and breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s my plan. I want you and Logan to both find peace here in Angel Falls.
I want my brothers here beside me and to find happiness with me.
I’m glad you’re happy with what we did to make you feel welcome, Abe.
I will be riding out to see the farms and ranches every other day, so I’ll be checking in on you.
Mavis Loewen, who owns the resale store, picked out some very large clothes for you to wear and they’re in your bedroom.
She said to tell you that if they’re not large enough to let her know and she’d make some larger.
Just let her know.” Travis told him. “We’ll let you have some privacy to look around and get your bearings.
If you need us, let us know.” He hugged Abe again and they loaded up and headed back to Angel Falls.
Abe watched them go. He brushed Caesar, made sure all the animals had food and water.
It felt good to be able to do such mundane chores.
He made a sandwich and took Zeus outside to eat it.
He gave a half sandwich to Zeus to eat. He sat at his feet while he ate it.
They took a walk around the cabin, and he found the smoke house and outhouse.
Abe loved the woods behind his house and made plans to go hunting very soon.
Zeus loved to run but came back as soon as Abe called him.
It didn’t take long and Abe was ready to lay down and take a nap.
That large bed called his name, and he couldn’t wait to try it out.
For the first time in his life, he lay on a bed, and his feet didn’t stick over the edge as he fell asleep.
The mattress was so soft that he felt like he was lying on air.
He hadn’t had a good sleep all the while he traveled to Angel Falls, his leg didn’t hurt, and he fell asleep and didn’t dream of cannon fire or of men shooting at each other.