Chapter 7
The next few days went by quickly for Amanda. During the day she would cook and clean the house before heading out to the garden to collect the daily harvest. She had unpacked all of her belongings and found an appropriate place for them and she felt she was even starting to make some headway with the cows. Instead of standing back and eyeing her warily, some of them were starting to come up to the fence to allow her to pat them on the head.
It was while she was patting one of the cows on the head that she spotted another one that looked as if it were in distress. She stood there for a few minutes just watching, trying to figure out what was going on when the cow suddenly laid down on the ground, rolled over, and stood up again, giving birth to a brand new calf. Amanda watched in amazement while the mother cow cleaned up the baby and kept nudging it, trying to get it to stand. Amanda thought something was wrong with the baby, but as she stood there the baby slowly found its feet and stood, although somewhat shaky.
Amanda was still standing at the fence staring at the new calf when Ernest walked up behind her. She jumped when he spoke, not expecting him to be this close to the house.
“Ernest, look. There is a new calf. I got to watch the mother give birth to it. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” Amanda exclaimed.
“New life is always amazing,” Ernest said. “No matter how many times you witness it. That baby will depend on her mother for several weeks before it will finally be strong enough to live on its own. You will witness the miracle of birth many times here on the ranch, especially in the spring. It is the time when God renews life and provides hope for the future.”
“What about us, Ernest,” Amanda asked. “Will we ever have children?”
“Well, that is up to God. If He thinks we would make good parents, then He can certainly bless us with children. I will welcome the promise of new life in our home, but it does not come without risks. Some women have an easy birth and others have it difficult. My mother had a difficult birth with me so her and dad decided they would not have any more children. When the time comes we will have to depend on God to help us. Raising children is a huge responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. Just like that mother cow, the child is totally dependent on its parents for survival.”
“I think that you would make a great father,” Amanda said. “You have been very patient and understanding with me.”
“With you it is easy,” he said. “Now, as much as I would like to stay here and watch this new calf with you, I have to get back to work. I had just returned to the barn to get some more fencing. The guys are probably wondering what happened to me.”
Amanda watched as Ernest hitched a horse to the wagon that was filled with new fence wire. She watched the new calf nurse for a few more minutes before she returned to the house. She hadn’t meant to broach the subject of kids just yet, but sometimes she still had trouble with what came out of her mouth. Ernest’s reaction was not what she had expected. She had expected him to want kids someday in the future, but he seemed open to the idea now. This was something she was going to have to pray strongly about. Giving birth was scary, and she had no idea what kind of mother she would make.
Amanda spent the rest of the afternoon working in the garden. She could easily understand why this place was chosen as a garden spot. It was richly abundant with all types of vegetables and plants. Many of the plants did not belong in the garden. She spent as much time pulling weeds as she did picking the vegetables.
Just as she was about to head to the house, Amanda heard a commotion in the distance. She looked up to find the horse and wagon coming in the direction of the house at break-neck speed. Something must be wrong for Ernest to work the horse so hard. But when the dust cleared she saw that is was not Ernest who was driving the wagon. She watched in fear as the driver pulled the wagon up to the front of the house, all of the time yelling for her to come help.
Amanda took off running to the wagon to find out what was wrong. She recognized the man as Paul, one of the ranch hands that helped mostly around the barn. He jumped down and told her that Ernest had been hurt. She looked in the back of the wagon to find Ernest unconscious with a deathly pale look on his face.
“What happened,” Amanda asked.
“We were working to repair some of the fence the cattle had torn down when something spooked the horse. Ernest started running toward the animal to calm it, but the horse reared up on its hind legs and when it came down it struck Ernest on the side of the head. I haven’t been able to wake him since,” Paul said.
“Here, we must get him inside. Do you think you can help me get him up to the bedroom on the second floor,” Amanda asked?
“Yes mam, I sure can,” Paul said. “If you can grab his feet I think I can manage the rest of him. I’ll walk backwards so that you will have it the easiest. Just keep an eye out for me and guide me in the right direction.”
Together the two of them managed to get Ernest to the bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Amanda eyed the knot on the side of his head worriedly, fearing the worst and praying for the best. She ran to the bathroom and filled a bowl with cool water to wash some of the grime away from the wound.
“Paul, can you help me get him out of these boots and jeans? I’m sure that he would be much more comfortable and I want to check to see if he is injured any place else,” Amanda said.
“Yes, I can do that. And if you want me to ride into town and find a doctor I will be glad to do that too,” Paul said.
“I don’t really know what to do, but it would take too long to ride into town. I will watch him tonight, and if he has not improved by morning we might need to take him into town. That way he would get to see a doctor sooner,” Amanda said. “You go on and get some rest now. I will take it from here.”
“If you need me, or any of the other men, you just need to come to the bunkhouse and get us. We will help you with anything we can,” Paul said.
Amanda sat by Ernest for the rest of the night, wiping the cool cloth across his brow in hopes of reviving him. She prayed hard that God would not take him from her. They had only just found each other and they were so happy, it just was not fair for something like this to happen.