by Arkangel
Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program
"Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and
have been used without permission. No
copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.
Silas Whiting:
houseman. That's my title, but I's much ..... much more. See, I's work for the
Barkley family, and I's proud to say to anyone who's askin'. They's my family,
and I's theirs. Simple as a dew kissed rose on a sunny morning. Completely
unassumin' on it's own, but surround it by beautiful things, and it becomes
whole. Those words of wisdom was spoken by a man I considered a friend. Tom
Barkley.
You wants ta hear
the story? Why sure I's got a little bit o' time, have a set and I'll tell ya.
See, a few years
back, I's was missin' my family somethin' awful, it was a deep down hurt that
steels the soul if'n ya give it time ta grow. I'd been with the Barkley's for
close ta a month and, well, I was feelin' a bit lonely. I done my daily's,
cleanin', cookin', and helpin' ta take care of the youngun' Jarrod, but seein'
this here wonderful family made me miss my own ma, pa and little brother
somethin', I's tellin' ya, it broke my heart ta not be able ta see em',
especially little Marcus, he was nigh on to twelve when I left. Ma and Pa told
me, they's said, "When we can, my son, we'll send Marcus on the same
train as you when he's a little older." I's waited in San Francisco
for close ta four years, he'd a been old enough to travel by then, I'd walk
down ta the station on my way ta market and watch the cars, hopin' and prayin'
to the Lord, God almighty that I'd see his face in one of the jumpers getting
off the train.
I never did.
I's was workin' for
a judge, kind man he was. Knew the pain I was feelin' and did his best to help
me find out what happened. I sure was blessed workin' for such wonderful
people. He'd send wires and letters, but got no replies. I thinks it pained him
as much as me when he'd go ta the post office and find he had nothin' ta tell
me. He done that for ten long, heartbreakin' months.
When I left ta go
with Mr. Tom, The Judge said ta me, "Silas, I won't give up, I'll get your
brother and sends him on to you." Now that is an honorable man and he was
true ta his word. Only thing is, well, the Judge, he found Marcus, seems that
my ma and pa, they put him on the train, and Marcus, well he was a bit nervous
'bout makin' such a long trek by hisself, he ..... well ya see, he got off at the
wrong stop. Wasn't his fault none, I came nigh jumpin' off there too, but
waited til' San Francisco. He didn't wait for the train ta stop completely, see
and, well my little brother fell and was hurt something awful. A young couple
had seen what happened and tried ta nurse him best they could, had the doctor
out there and the like. He died some five days later. They's didn't know his
name or where he was headin', just a picture pinned in his coat of us as a
family and the initials MW written on the back. When the Judge sent a wire ta
that town, 'bout a week after I's left, the young man that found him, he heard
the sheriff asking a few folks if'n they remembered seeing a young colored boy
around 16 that fit the Judge's description, come into town. Coarse the young
man spoke up, fetched the picture and mailed it to the Judge along with a
letter. Sure enough ..... it ..... it was him. They gave him a proper burial,
under a beautiful oak tree next ta a pond, they said they had the prettiest
bunch of wild flower growin' that spring. Twas strange, see Marcus loved ta
pick wild flowers for ma, said ta me, 'sure hope there's flowers like these in
heaven.' guess he's findin' out.
Mr. Tom and me, we
went ta that little town, and met them folk, sweetest couple I ever did meet
next to Mr. Tom and Mrs. Barkley. Treated us real good, Mr. Tom rented a wagon
and him and me, we dug up my little brother and brought him home. Broke my
heart. Mr. Tom said, 'I feel he needs to be home, with you Silas, were he
belongs.' The Barkley's, they did something this ol' man will never forget,
under a weepin' willow next to the pond, they built a small fence and had a
marker made. It said, "Marcus Whiting, Loving Son, and Brother. In God's
hands and never forgotten." The Judge traveled ta Stockton for the
funeral, my ma and pa, they couldn't make it. Mr. Tom then spoke them words
that will stay will me til' the day I's die. He said, "Life is a fragile
thing, blooming like a rose kissed by the dew on a sunny morning, alone, it's
an unassumin' thing, but surround it by beautiful things, and it becomes
whole." Mrs. Barkley planted a rose bush next ta the stone, every year,
one beautiful red rose stands out from the rest, bright and full of life, it
brings all the others ta purpose. Kinda reminds me of Marcus.
So I come to this
here rose bush every spring, when the flowers bloom, I's sit and fish here next
the my brother. Though Mr. Tom has gone to be with our Lord, I thinks of him
often, he helped me through that time and I am forever grateful, I feels him
sittin' right here next ta me sometimes along with my brother, sharin' stories
and laughin' that laugh. I don't feel alone anymore, no, this ol' man is
surrounded by a right beautiful family and I am whole.
THE END