Chapter Eleven, Snippet Two

Kurt and Duke Working on Conifer Trail. October, 2006

New Prairie Woman

Susie Rosso Wolf

Chapter Eleven, con't

That night Robert and April walked over to our newly purchased land to invite us to dinner. We washed up in their bathroom and joined the family for a sit-down of tacos and Mexican rice and refried beans in front of the television. Duke tried and tried to sit next to Kurt on the sofa but Robert yelled at him every time he crept across the carpet to slide up next to Kurt’s leg with a sad look as he pouted and whined a little. “Dukes, go lay down, now,” Robert would yell, and then Duke would run to the living room to hide. Inevitably, Duke would show up again a few minutes later only to be scolded once more, and then again, until finally Robert picked Duke up by the collar and tossed his dog outside. Annoyed by the distraction and embarrassed that his dog did not mind him, Robert’s mood soured and suddenly he became quiet and unsociable. April and Brenda silently busied themselves in the kitchen while I played with baby Bella. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable quietness that hushed the household by singing little songs to Bella as she cooed and drank her bottle of formula that I held for her while I gazed into her fading eyes.

Soon after Bella nodded off to sleep Kurt and I walked home to our three lonely critters across their long back yard and into the paddock. The land was lit up like a Christmas tree on steroids by a moon that was bright and full and enchanting. We sat up for a while, outside staring into the nights sky, just talking and sharing our thoughts about our friends and family back in Los Angeles and in Oregon too. Both of us were a bit homesick for our friends, naturally. And the dining experience we had just encountered brought enhanced sudden longing for those we left behind.

During that night my tired body revolted in rude reminder that I had recently experienced a nasty fall and now added insult to injury by working like a horse all day. Horrible pain shot through my left knee injury from 2004, I could feel the swelling underneath the sheets as it pressed up against the fabric. My back was crying, my hips, arms, calves, thighs, neck and shoulders. I was in dire pain. But the next morning we were up at first light and the sound of our new tractor starting up bellowed over the hillside behind the paddock on Old Town Road and across the prairie towards Highway 287. While Kurt rode the tractor, tearing down anything in his way, I continued to pull on and hack up everything that could be yanked up or cut down by an injured wreck of a woman who had turned fifty years old earlier that year. It didn’t take long for me to feel as though somebody had beaten me with a huge mean stick so I made my way across the road to our trailer to rub myself down with more Aspercream and to start a fresh pot of coffee. Sitting down drinking the brew was a comfort so I sat in peace for a while and had a second cup to boost my energy level a little. I was so out of shape it was embarrassing yet I was determined to let this project catapult me into a new direction. I wanted to be thinner and to feel better. I longed to be healthy and to look pretty again. Working my rear end off was a great way, I thought, to get started. So I spread more cream over my knee and kept rubbing away the pain, hopefully, until there was a knock at the trailer door accompanied by a familiar “you who” in a high pitch sing song sound.

“Come in.”

“Good morning Miss Sue.”

“Good morning Brenda, would you like some fresh coffee?”

“Nope, I brought my own.” I paused while suspending my Aspercream application and I looked over at her with the large travel mug in her hand. “Whatcha doing?”

“I’m rubbing Aspercream onto my swollen knee and leg.”

“I thought I saw you over on your land but I guess I was wrong.”

“No, you wern’t wrong, I was over there pulling up more old growth and cutting down any dead tree limbs that I have the strength for but I’m in so much pain I had to come back to the trailer for a little relief and coffee.”

“Oh come on Sue, don’t start acting like a broken down old mule now. It’s way too early for ya to be calling it quits. That man of yours has his hands full and he needs you every minute of every day.” My blood began to boil and then curdle through my veins.

“Excuse me? Do you honestly think I don’t know that? You must not be aware of the fact that I’m injured from a terrible fall I had recently. My “man” understands that I’m in a lot of pain right now and I’m doing the best I can.”

“I’m just saying, Sis, that you can’t let Kurt down, none of us can. He needs all of us to help him so ya’ll can get out of this trailer and off Rob’s land and live your nice new life over there on your land.”

“It sounds to me as though you’re trying to push us out of here already and we haven’t even been here a month yet.” I lowered my eyes to the ground, shook my head from side to side and braced myself for her answer.

“Now don’t start your jumping to conclusions act that’s not what’s happening I’m just saying that we need to do all we can to get your house and his shop built, that’s all.”

“You’re telling me that you weren’t instructed to come over here and tell me that we’ve got to hurry up with the build because they would rather that we weren’t here any longer?”

 “That’s it Sue I swear it.”

“Thanks a lot Brenda; I can always tell when you’re lying.”

“No I’m not lying Sue, I’m only telling ya that you can’t be pulling this broken down old mule act when there’s so much to be done over there. Now come on and get up so we can get started doing something today because I’m here to help you if you want the help and if I were ya’ll I wouldn’t turn down free help from anybody.”

“Brenda, I don’t know what you’re trip is today, but whatever it is, I think you should just start over and go in another direction because this trip you’re on is really pissing me off.” She glared at me and rolled her eyes. I looked back at her as I placed the cap back on the Aspercream, pulled down my pant leg, got up and began to walk out the door with my coffee cup in hand. I walked right up to her where she was leaning against the little hall closet and then I put my face as close to hers as I could get it without touching her skin and oh so quietly I said in my best mule imitation, “He- haaw, he-haaw, he-haaw…” She was shocked by my behavior but I didn’t care; I was sick to death of their games and now we were here, in Montana, with the best of intentions and the games were already starting, both Kurt and I could feel it. Now I felt disgusted and worried. But what could I do? Absolutely nothing because these two, mother and son, had their weird ways about them that drove them to judge others so deeply that they were willing to reject and abandon them as fast as I could think one single little thought. Their ways frightened me because we had given up so much for this dream.

I walked out of the trailer and headed over to our place. I watched Kurt riding the tractor looking like he was in sheer bliss and I was glad that he missed the little show that I just endured. I wanted to feel the bliss too, to enjoy this new chapter in our lives, but all I could think about now was how I didn’t trust them. Brenda followed me, crossing Conifer trail far enough behind my footsteps to prevent me from getting back up into her face. She worked her tail to the bone that day but I never uttered one word to her. My soul had once again been invaded by their deceit and misconceptions.