Go for it!
by Barkley Lady

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.

It was one of those few days when the cold rain was pouring down without any stop and everything else seemed very dull as well. As soon as he had been able Nick had gone inside to work with the papers instead of having to be in the chilly barn. Standing by the window he looked at the water coming from the sky and he was happy that he was inside in the warmth of the hearth. He didn’t want to admit it but as he now took another sip of the coffee he realised that this must be a sign of getting older, that his body now said no to work in chilly damp weather. With a small sigh he left the window and went back to the desk and picked up another sales paper. They had done well with the peaches and it looked like the pistachio nuts were going to match that. Who would have thought that? Nuts? Little green nuts and people went over their heads for them. As he put the paper down he reached for the bookkeeping book and started to fill in the numbers. A quick look at the clock had told him that the children should be home from school soon. He looked forward for once to being able to have afternoon tea with them and Megan.

He was so deep into his figures that he didn’t notice when his fifteen year old son Theo came in and quietly waited in front of the desk. When Nick did notice his son he wonder for how long he had been standing there and how long it would take before he said anything. Nick decided to wait until Theo was ready to talk and instead he gleamed now and then towards the boy. The longer it took the more worried did Nick become wondering what could be so bad that it would take so much courage to say that the boy hesitated. Nick tried to remember if it was a report card day or if the boy had had any exams lately but however much he searched for the information he couldn’t find it. Now if it had been his younger brother Adam Nick would have wondered about the trouble the boy might have found himself in, but not Theo. Theo had turned into a copy of his uncle Jarrod when he got a chance to go to school and preferred to sit and study instead of the ranch life. When the boy once again inhaled but didn’t say anything Nick’s patience ended and he growled.

“Son, if you got anything to say, let it out or leave the room so I can finish the books.”

“Father …” Oh boy! this is going to be serious! Nick thought. His children usually only called him Father if there was trouble. “Father, how do you court a lady?” Nick stared at the boy in front of him.

“Perhaps your Mother is the one that could answer that question best.” Nick fixed his gaze on the blushing boy and put down his pen. “Aren’t you too young to even think about this Theodore?”

“I did ask Ma but she said you could help me.” Nick coughed and put the books aside before he stood up and walked over to the door and as he closed it he pointed over to the armchairs and sofa.

“Sit.” Nick went over to the window as he gave the subject some thought while the boy quickly obeyed his father. “You are not in trouble are you Son?”

“No Father. I just … I … There is this girl at school …” Nick went over to an armchair and sat down. He realised that he felt relieved that ‘lady’ meant a young girl and not a lady as in a grown up woman.

“And you fancy her? Pretty?” Theo nodded.

“I think so but I never get a chance to talk to her.”

“How come?”

“She is very popular and I …” Theo looked down in his lap. Nick sat quietly studying the boy. “I’m not like the others.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m crippled and will never be good at games and such, Pa. All I’m good in …”

“Theo I don’t ever want to hear you say that again! We raised you better than that and you know better than to judge by what you see. Your strength is like your Uncle Jarrod’s. It’s your head and how you use that knowledge of yours. Don’t you dare compare yourself with anybody else, you hear me!” Nick reached out and lifted up the boy’s chin so that he would look him in the eyes.

“Yes Pa but what shall I do?

“Do what?”

“How do I court her?” Nick settled back into the chair and tapped his fingers together.

“Well, isn’t there going to be a dance at the school next Friday? Find out if she would like to go with you.”

“How? How did you court Ma before you got married?” Nick blushed at the memory, knowing that he really hadn’t courted her at all, well not anything that would count like courting that is.

“Son, courting is something that doesn’t end just because you get married.” Nick stood up and went over to the trolley and poured himself a brandy. As he rolled the liquor around in its glass he thought of how to help his son. “Do you know where she lives?”

“Yes Pa. Not very far from here.”

“Does she go to school alone?”

“No her younger brothers come too.” Too bad Nick thought to himself.

“Why don’t you take the buggy to school tomorrow and offer them a lift?”

“Can’t Pa. James Gorwin already drive them to school.” Damn Gorwin, Nick cursed the boy. “They live in the same house, you see. She is always talking to him.” Nick turned back to the boy.

“Then we have to think out something else. You could ask your Ma for a picnic basket and ask the girl for lunch.”

“But how, how do I ask her?”

“You walk up to her and do.”

“But I can’t.”

“For heavens sake, why not?”

“She …. I … Can’t.” Nick looked at the distressed boy and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Son, I can’t give you any help if you are not prepared to sacrifice something. Now why can’t you walk up to her and ask her to share lunch with you? Have you said anything to her at all?” The boy shook his head. “Theo, that is the first step to find the courage, to control the trembling knees and walk up to her and talk to her. How on earth do you think you’ll find out otherwise if she is interested in you? Secondly if she now shows some interest in you, that is after she and her girlfriends have looked over you, you offer perhaps to carry her books for her after school, to follow her to the buggy anything to get a chance to be close and talk to her. Now if she lets you do that then you can ask her if she wants to share your lunch and during that lunch you ask her about the dance. If she says yes, you find out what she is going to wear. Your Ma will help you find the suitable flowers to give to her on the evening. I also suggest that on the evening you pick her up early with one of your elder siblings, I suggest you ask Ashley, as company and that you introduce yourself properly to her parents.” A knock on the door stopped Nick’s rambling and his wife entered.

“Theo, there is a young girl called Mary waiting at the door. She says she has been recommended by her teacher to ask you for help in her school work.” The blushing cheeks of her son took her by surprise since it wasn’t the first schoolmate he would have helped. Nick on the other hand understood the situation completely.

“See there are other things than games. Go for it!”

THE END