A Promise of Happiness

Ben explains what their future will be like.

Two days after their journey started a rain that lasted three days began. It was mid-October but the weather surpassed that of April, typically the rainiest month of the year. On the second day the wagon became stuck in the mud, and the family had to take a break from their travel until the ground dried and Ben could dig the wheels from the dirt. So the family was stranded for three days. Ben spent most of his time hunting prairie hens and squirrels while the girl sewed. Elliot, unfortunately, had no boys his age, and therefore was rather bored during the trip. The quiet male spent much of his time reading several of the books saved from the destroyed apartment. He was an intelligent, calm child who spoke little and would often keep to himself. Ruth thought him queer, but Elliot seemed to not have a care in the world, much less consider what others thought of him.

Shannon, however, was quite the opposite. She was a miniature Ruth, always looking up to her elder sister. She was loud, needy, and talkative. The girl could not be appeased with books or quietness. Sewing hardly tempered the girl’s need for activity, but it would have to do because of current events. “When will we get there?” Shannon asked anxiously. She was already tired of the wait and the severe downpour and wait afterwards had not helped her anticipation.

Ben smiled at the girl from his spot behind the wagon, where he was using a spade to dig the dirt from the wheel. “Patience, girl.” He muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. “We’ll be in Nauvoo soon enough. From there we will join a group headed down the Mormon Trail.” He noticed Shannon and Ruth’s faces twist is disgust and laughed amiably. “Relax, girls. We aren’t going to Salt Lake City to live as Mormons. Those nuts are crazier than a rabid coon. We’ll just travel with them for a while. Safety is in numbers, and perhaps we will have some fellows to talk to for a bit. It will be a month and a half or better ‘fore we make it to the Nebraska Territory. There we will find home.”

“Why the Nebraska Territory, Ben?” Elliot chimed in, managing to pull his head out of the book in his lap.

“Land, my boy. Land.” Benjamin smiled at the four faces looking at him. “The Homestead Act promises 160 acres to any man who can afford it. The fee isn’t nearly as much as it will be elsewhere. So, we’ll find us a nice plot up in Northern Nebraska Territory, I hear that’s the only available area, and make ourselves a nice home out there. We’ll have a farm and plant corn and beans and potatoes and cabbage. We will harvest our own tomatoes and I will build a stable for the horses. I will get us a dog, maybe two, and in time I will open a shop to sell my wares from my carpentry. I will teach Elliot how to properly build a table, and show him what it means to be a real man. Then I will find you a nice husband, Ruth.”

“Benjamin Booth!” Meredith exclaimed in horror. “She is but fifteen!”

“You were but sixteen when I began courting you.” He rebutted, smiling at his pretty wife before turning to Ruth, who was blushing a deep red. “And I will help your husband build his home if need be, and sell him a bit of my land if he has none of his own. It won’t be the city, children. It’ll be better. We will be happy, and free, and living content for the rest of our lives. I promise you all happiness.” He smiled, and in that smile the family felt reassured, hopeful, and knew what Ben said was the truth.

“Can I ask one thing?” Ruth spoke up nervously, biting her lip.

“Of course little sister.” Ben replied enthusiastically.

“Will you make sure my husband is handsome?”

The family laughed loudly. Ruth was a remarkable girl. Vain, but remarkable nonetheless.

Author's Note

What do you think of the characters? Who do you favor at this point, and what improvements does this chapter need?