RAWHIDE- Ch. 3: Church Bells

I watched Mama walk around the house in a daze. It was the evening after Father had hung himself. It was also the evening after Mama sent a bullet through his chest.

“Are we going to have a burial at the church?” I asked her, not taking my eyes off my untouched dinner plate.

Her back was turned towards me. She stood there as still as a statue, back towards me as she stirred the beef stew on the stove.

“Mama?”

“Mae, no more questions. Eat your dinner.”

I looked down at my plate and couldn’t muster up any hunger. I felt empty and nothing could fill this lonely canyon taking place inside of me. I pushed the plate to the side. Mama finally turned to look at me. It felt like the first time she heard me since Father died. She came to the table, sat across from me and grabbed my hands.

“Don’t you worry,” she whispered as she gripped my hands tighter. “We will bury Father first thing tomorrow. We don’t need a big gathering. Father wouldn’t want all the attention, anyway.”

I looked back at her dandelion eyes. Why didn’t she have tears?

“Okay, mama.”

Father may have been a quiet man, but there was something telling me this was a moment he didn’t want to keep quiet.

“Wake up! Wake up!”

The next morning a rattle of door knocks jolted Mama and me awake. Someone was knocking fervently.

“Margeret! Maurice! Come out quick!”

Once the sleep cleared from my eyes, I realized the person at the door was Elizabeth. She lived closest to us, a few acres to the west. I shook Mama awake.

“Mae, what!”

“Elizabeth, Mama. She’s knocking.”

“For God’s sake, the sun is barely up!” Mama exclaimed as grabbed her coat to answer the door. “Elizabeth, just hold on a moment!”

Mama walked toward the door to let Elizabeth in and froze suddenly before opening. She turned to look at me and started to fumble around in her pockets.

She then whispered, “Mae, did you lock the barn?” Panic traced her forehead and landed in her eyes. She was awake now.

I shook my head no. Mama muttered as she continued to search her pockets. She was looking for the key.

“Margeret, I hear you. Open up!” Elizabeth impatiently shouted.

The key was by the stove. I grabbed it and handed it to Mama. She kissed me on the forehead and put the key in her pocket.

Mama opened the door, “Holy high heavens, Elizabeth. What could be the problem this early in the morning?”

Elizabeth walked in and let out an exhale of exhaustion. She had blood and dirt all over hands. Was she in the barn? Did she see Father’s dead body?

“Oh, lord,” Mama said as she realized the blood and the dirt. I knew she wanted to say more, she bit her tongue.

“Margeret, I can’t believe it,” Elizabeth said as she grabbed a towel to dry off.

I looked at Mama, my heart beating a pace quicker now.

“I just delivered your baby calf! Did you know your cow out in the west pasture was due?!”

Mama took a gulp of a breath, and her shoulders lowered to rest.

Mama quickly gave her another towel, “No, no we didn’t know. Thank you Elizabeth.”

“Come on out, let’s welcome the baby properly!”

Elizabeth reached her hand out to me. Elizabeth didn’t have children, and she always took to me. I grabbed her hand.

“Well, let’s get a move on. Just in time for the sunrise,” Mama said, hand still in her pocket as we headed to the pasture.

We walked past the barn as the sun peeked over the pasture. It was a picturesque moment.

“Elizabeth, you two go ahead. I have to check the barn,” Mama said as she grabbed the barn door handle. I wanted to go with her and make sure Father’s body was okay.

“Come along, Mae. Your mother will meet us there.”

I looked at Elizabeth, wanting to tell her everything as we got farther from the barn.

“Where’s your Father, anyway?”

A few crows made themselves known as they flew across the pasture. I looked ahead and could see the cattle around the cow.

“Father?”

“Yes, Maurice said he would help me harvest today. I know your Mother hates when he helps me out, but you know after Edward left me for Lora…” her words melted into the colors of the sky.

I glanced back at the barn. Mama was coming out and I could see her latching it and using the key to lock the door.

“Mae?”

“Father is…”

Before I could finish, I caught sight of the newborn calf nestled up by her mama. I ran over to get a closer look. I kneeled down to touch the fresh fur. The calf nuzzled me as her mama continued to lick her clean. Mama finally joined us.

“You’re going to take her into the barn before the freeze, right?” Elizabeth asked Mama.

“We will do that, don’t worry. Thanks, again Elizabeth. Sometimes the wolves snatch the babies before they even land on the dirt.”

I laid next to the calf, feeling the warmth from her new heartbeat. The sun rose to blanket us. Off in the distance, the sound of bells rang.

Elizabeth glanced back towards town upon hearing the sound.

“That’s right, church bells. It’s Sunday.”