Appaloosa Truth ( the Ending)

Emily’s body began to take on a cold eerie look which can only come with death. The doctor asked Jonah if it was OK to begin the incisions upon Emily’s corpse. Jonah did not hear the doctor’s question because he was lost within the loneliness that he felt from losing his wife of forty years.

“Masta?” Louise spoke interrupting Jonah’s thoughts, Out of anger, Jonah held his hand up to the side of his slave’s cheek. Louise looked at Jonah with great fear. For the first time in the years she has been a slave to this household, she would be hit. Seeing the cruelty that Louise was about the face. the doctor moved quickly to grab Jonah’s hand. There was no place for violence within the peaceful household doctor. Isaac had known for many years. “There is no time for violence Jonah. We need to try to save the unborn child. I cannot begin the process without your permission. The more time we waste the more chances we risk of losing your baby too.”

Facing his loyal servant with regret in his eyes, Jonah lowered his hand. With an approving nod, he gave Doctor Wells permission to begin the operation. The doctor then began to cut an incision into the womb of the dead corpse. Louise stood with a burlap cloth in her arms ready for the baby. Prepared to face two funerals, Jonah began to walk out of the room and tend to his horse.

“Masta, Look!” Louise called after Jonah.

Tall Jonah turned back through the doorway to look towards the Doctor and his dead wife. There in the candle lit room a tiny strong hand, was holding onto the doctor’s ungloved finger.

Louise cried with joy as Jonah smiled. The doctor however, burst Jonah’s bubble as he mentioned that there could be some problems with the baby. Jonah shook off the negative thoughts and hoped for the best as he watched the doctor put both hands into Emily’s stomach.

After some movement, Isaac Wells pulls out a 6 lb baby boy into the slave’s arms. Emily’s pregnancy according to the size of the fetus was towards the end of the third trimester. With further examinations from the doctor and the cutting of the umbilical cord, the new baby was born.

Concern flashed across Jonah’s face. “I cannot nurse this baby.” Louise smiled as she offered to nurse the baby. Jonah had forgotten one small fact about Louise. Three weeks ago she had given birth to a still born.”Everything happens for a reason.” Jonah said quoting an old saying. With the bundle of bare naked bloody joy in her arms, Louise began her duty of tending to the care of the young boy.

Two years had passed since Emily’s death. Emily has been buried in the garden near the horse stable. Their now 15 year old daughter had spent much time out by the grave yard planting flowers and playing with the rambunctious 2 year old , Emmitt.

From inside the horse stable, Jonah looked out the door’s opening towards his late wife’s grave. There among the sweet tulips, he saw his blossoming daughter dancing in the grass in a very lovely yellow house gown. With realization that she was near the age of marriage he sighed. Under his breath Jonah spoke to himself. “I know most young girls are supposed to marry at 15 but Sarah seems so young.”

“She is also very beautiful too.” Jonah turned around to find that his new ranch hand had come in early for the day. “I thought we were going to ride out into town, and visit the saloon to wet our whistles.”

This young man around 21 years of age had been working with Jonah for two months and every Friday afternoon the two men would ride into town for some liquor, check the mail and buy ranch supplies.

Elijah had a head full of curly black hair that was hidden by his white Stetson hat. His chaps were made of the finest leather men could buy. Jonah took one look at the young man and he knew that Elijah was not just there for money. Jonah could see that Elijah was truly there to help with the horses, but there was some other motive Jonah could see.

Jonah had a second glance at his own thoughts as he figured that Elijah could be interested in his daughter. Shaking the thoughts off, Jonah replied to Elijah. “Not today. It’s the two year anniversary of Emily’s death.”

Elijah just tipped his hat and began work on the horses. He lifted the white stallion’s front legs to check the shoes, then gently Elijah walked around the back of the white stallion coaxing gently with his voice to keep from being kicked. Then Jonah checked its back hoofs. The horse shoes looked fine. Jonah then walked into a stable across from the white stallion, and began brushing his daughter’s appaloosa, watching Elijah haul feed into the stable.

Sarah saw that her dad was getting ready to exercise her appaloosa so she started to walk towards the stable. Sarah had a grace about her that was indescribable. There was gentleness in her spirit that reminded Jonah of his precious Emily. Suddenly an ounce of protection swelled within his heart and he let go of the appaloosa’s reigns. Jonah walked over in front of his daughter Sarah and spoke, “I do not think you should help with the appaloosa today.”

Sarah was confused. She always walked the horse with her father. Now, her father was saying that today was not a day she could join him. Sarah’s feelings were hurt and Jonah was able to see the pain she felt. Because of his own heart breaking, he decided to come up with a reason for not letting her walk the horse other than the one he had in his head.

Jonah pulled his coat off and wrapped his daughter in it. It was almost springtime so the weather was just fine, However, Jonah could feel Elijah’s eyes upon his daughter. They were lustful and angry. He knew it could be very dangerous for Sarah to spend any time near Elijah; Jonah did not want to explain to Sarah that he knew some man could hurt her so he lied. “I need Louise to help me get supplies for the kitchen. Because of this, I will need you to stay here and cook dinner and watch over Emmitt.” Jonah then turned to Elijah and spoke. “I guess we will be riding into town today. Let’s go.”

Jonah had no idea of the surprise he would find once he told his daughter to take the Appaloosa out of the stable for a ride because the appaloosa was freaking out. Sarah decided in her own mind that she would take the horse out to the lake for a drink and watch the sun rise. Jonah had thought everything would be fine because Elijah was not there to know where Sarah was going. Jonah never wanted Sarah to get out of his sight when Elijah was near.

On her way to the lake, Sarah was knocked off her horse. She laid in the dirt with blood coming from the back of her head where she landed on a sharp rock that was lying in the path.

Sarah opened up her green eyes and saw a set of boots beneath the leather chaps she was not familiar with. She felt hands grab her golden hair and drag her into the woods. From the trauma to her head, Sarah drifted off to sleep. She woke up as her body landed on the ground.

A black bandana covered the face of the man that was above her. He had no clothes on but she recognized the white Stetson hat. The man grabbed her dress and pulled it up. The man then removed the under garments she was wearing and forced himself upon her.

Sarah passed out from the pain and when she woke up, she was still lying in the grass under an oak tree. Sarah stood up and looked for her horse; but she was nowhere to be found. The sun was beating down upon her pale skin as Sarah tried to figure out where she was. The lake was nowhere near her and she was further into the forest than she liked to be. Sarah stood up fighting the pain she felt from the violence she received earlier. She dusted the dirt off her dress as she did Sarah discovered she was bleeding between her legs.

Sarah began walking through the dense forest trying to find her way back to the ranch. She passed out just as she got to the trail and fell right onto the dirt path leading away from her home. In the back of her barely conscious mind, Sarah thought she was going to lay in the middle of the road and die. She was wrong. The appaloosa of hers had come back to the ranch without Sarah. The horse would whinny as if she was trying to tell Jonah that Sarah was in danger. Picking up on the urgency in the Appaloosa’s tone, Jonah grabbed her reigns and asked the horse to show him what was wrong.

Once Sarah’s father found her, she was still unconscious. Jonah picked her up and carried her on the horse all the way back to the ranch house. He took Sarah to her room and placed her limp body onto the bed. Noticing her blood, Jonah called the familiar Dr. Isaac Wells to his daughter’s aid. The doctor finished his examinations, and walked out of the bedroom where Jonah was waiting. Isaac explained the bad news to Jonah. Jonah was devastated. At least Sarah did not remember the tragedy that was forced upon her. With hopes, the family went on about their days trying to live a happy life. Elijah was never heard from again.

Two months later, this fifteen year old girl was sicker than she had ever felt. The doctor made a house call and sadly, the rabbit had died again. Sarah was with child. The news struck anger into the heart of Jonah. With sad news and a gun at his side, Jonah took a ride into town.

Jonah was going to find the guy that had hurt his daughter. Once Jonah had entered the Saloon he overheard a conversation between two men. One was describing the encounter he had with a lovely virgin in the woods. The man described the dress and the horrible thing he had done to the young girl to his friend. Jonah turned his head to look at the man talking only to find Elijah staring back at him.

Suddenly, Elijah jumped up from one of the bar stools and took off out into the dirt street. The town grew silent as Jonah ran out to meet Elijah,

“Turn around and face me like a man.” Jonah yelled.

Elijah turned and pulled his gun out but Jonah was quicker. Jonah grabbed his 45 colt Revolver from its holster and shot Elijah right between the eyes. The sheriff of the town came out due to hearing the gun shot.

A witness told the local sheriff that Elijah had pulled his gun first and that Jonah’s reaction was in self defense. The Sheriff nodded tipping his hat to the fastest gun slinger in the west. The local coffin maker began to measure Elijah’s body. A few days later at the funeral service, the whole town had attended. As a final goodbye, Jonah told the story of what had happened to his daughter.

When Jonah returned home to his pregnant daughter, he vowed to never tell her who the man was that raped her. Jonah looked his daughter in her green eyes and explained to her that justice had been done. Instantly, Sarah knew exactly what her father meant that meant by the dead stare in his eyes.

Finally, she could rest easy and know that the baby within her would be safe. However, she knew that the man who raped her had ruined her future. Sarah cried knowing she would never be able to marry a man and have a family because her purity had been taken away from her.

Tears filled her eyes as she put her hands upon the small swelling bump in her womb.

Sarah spoke to the developing fetus within her, “I will not hold what your father has done to me against you. I will be the best mother that I can be to you,”


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *