“Hold on,” her father blared, “Don’t let go!”

Curling up on the couch, Annie snuggled close to her mother. With a blanket draped around them to ward off the chill of the rainy day, Momma read a story to her only daughter.

When she finished the last page, the little girl didn’t want the stories to end. “Mama, tell me a story about when you were growing up on the ranch,” Annie asked.

“One time when I was a little girl,” Momma began. Annie nestled in closer, ready to hear another tale about her mother’s childhood. Sometimes she listened to the same stories repeatedly, but she didn’t mind. Her mother’s tales were always her favorite.

My Mom

On a summer afternoon, while riding along the dusty mesa, Dotty rode her horse Midge on her way home. Suddenly, the horse spooked and bolted for home. Looking around to see what had frightened her, Dotty noticed a red racer chasing them. She remembered her father’s warning about these snakes. This one wasn’t poisonous, but they were aggressive and could take a chunk of flesh if they bit. That was all the information she needed, so Dotty let her horse run home. The snake kept on their trail and wouldn’t give up. She was afraid to give Midge too much slack because of the rocks and loose gravel, so the snake stayed on her heels.

Once she reached the driveway to her home, she spurred her horse on while loosening her grip on the reins. When she came to the house, she started hollering for her dad. He and her mother rushed outside and witnessed their daughter’s predicament.

“Hold on,” her father shouted, “Don’t let go!”

Dotty and her horse raced around the place, and that determined snake would not give up! Her father kept yelling at her to hang on, so she kept riding, but the snake persisted and stayed right behind them.

Finally, Dotty became so frightened that she just wanted the safety of her dad. In that instant, she decided that as soon as she circled back close to him, she would let go of the reins. Before she loosened her grip, she slipped her boots from the stirrups and held her breath before letting go and falling to the side. Tumbling through the air, she hit the ground hard and rolled through the rocks and gravel. Sharp stones pierced her skin through her clothing as she landed on the rough terrain.

In all the commotion, the snake slithered away. Midge came to a stop and pawed the ground. Elva walked up to the horse, led her to the front porch, and tied her reins to a post before racing to her daughter’s side.

Her father immediately ran to her to make sure she was okay. “By God, girl, why didn’t you stay put?” he ranted as he checked her from head to toe. “Where do you hurt?” he yelled.

Her mother fussed nearby and told her husband, “Now is not the time to lecture our daughter!” Turning to Dotty, she asked, “Are you hurting?”

Not wanting to upset her parents any more than she already had, Dotty replied, “I think I’m okay.”

“Does your head hurt? Do you feel dizzy?” Grandpa inquired.

“No. I’m fine.”

Carefully, he helped her to her feet. “What about now? Any dizziness?”

“No.”

“Well, you have plenty of scrapes and scratches. Let’s get you inside so I can take care of you.”

Groaning from her aches and pains and knowing what was to come, Dotty hobbled to the house with her father’s help.

Once inside, the couple guided her to the bedroom. Her mother helped her change into her nightie while her father warmed water on the woodstove. Bringing in a bowl and a fresh rag, he handed them to his wife so she could clean Dotty’s wounds.

“No, not like that,” the gruff but concerned father admonished. “Let me do it.”

His daughter grimaced in pain as he examined and cleaned each wound that needed attention. “Easy girl, it will be over soon. Hang on. Try not to move. It will only hurt worse,” he softly crooned.

At that, the young girl smiled. Her brusque father always lowered his voice and spoke softly when he was spoiling children, breaking horses, or tending to people and animals alike.

“Elvie, you clean the places I can’t see while I grab the whiskey and iodine.”

“Doing a good job, honey,” her mother whispered. “Why did you let go of the reins?”

“I was afraid. Midge and I were both spooked, and that snake wouldn’t stop chasing us. I just wanted Daddy. I knew he would save me.”

Her mother smiled at her daughter. Her little girl had so much faith in her father’s love and knew he would always try to protect her. Tom listened outside the room, choked up by Dotty’s admission. He took a deep breath and asked, “Is it safe to come in?”

“Yes,” Elva answered.

Loaded with his medical supplies, he sat at the edge of his daughter’s bed. “Now you know this will sting, but we don’t want an infection to set in.”

Opening the whiskey bottle, Tom took a clean rag, held it to the mouth of the bottle, and tipped it until the whiskey dampened the cloth. First, he cleaned each wound, explaining each step so Elva could clean the rest of her cuts and scrapes.

Afterward, he dabbed each wound with iodine, which left reddish-pink stains on her skin. Grabbing a clean rag, Tom moistened another cloth with whiskey and handed it to Elva, sternly advising, “Make sure to clean out each cut carefully and then add the iodine. Remember, you can’t use too much whiskey.”

Tom went outside to tend to Midge. After removing the saddle, he checked the mare for any injuries. He stooped and ran his hand down each leg and hoof for gashes or abrasions. Once satisfied that Midge was in good shape, he led her to the trough for water. As she drank, he walked to the porch, grabbed the saddle, and placed it in the barn. Taking his tools, he walked out to the coral and began brushing his daughter’s horse.

The day’s events rushed through his mind. As he cared for Midge, his hand trembled at the thought of what could have happened to his youngest daughter. She had spirit, but when life threw her a curve, she often retreated or ran to him to alleviate her fears. His bashful girl worried him, but more than anything, he fretted that he would not always be able to protect her.

After putting Midge to pasture, the concerned father walked into the cabin. Elva placed a finger to her lips to signal that Dotty had fallen asleep. “I made her some whiskey and tea with honey. After her ordeal, she went to sleep right away,” she told her husband.

“Good. Good,” he replied. “Let her rest. I will do her evening chores and help you milk the cows.”

Dotty slept until supper, when she could smell her mother making her favorite fried chicken in the old cookstove. She knew that meant she would also have mashed potatoes with country gravy. Suddenly, her stomach began to growl, for she had not eaten anything since her ordeal, besides some crackers her mom had made her nibble on before her tea and nap.

“That smells good!” she told her parents as she slipped into the kitchen. Looking up, the couple smiled at their daughter.

“Feeling better?” her mom asked.

“Yep, but I’m starving,” she replied.

Her father chuckled and told her to pull up a seat at the table. Her mom dished up plates for everyone and served her family. In between bites, Dotty recounted her day leading up to her mishap. “Tommy and I rode almost into town, but his horse threw a shoe. It took forever to walk back to his house, and it was hot. I couldn’t wait to get home.”

The couple exchanged relieved smiles, glad to see she seemed back to normal. Dotty chattered away for the rest of the meal. After supper, her mother started heating water for the dishes while her father cleared the table and wiped it clean. Dotty knew what was coming next: the family would listen to the radio and play games late into the night. She loved her family, and playing games was one of their favorite pastimes.

As her dad turned on the radio, Texas Jim Lewis began to croon. Once Tom settled into his chair, his foot began tapping along to “Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry.” Elva brought some coffee and a big bowl of buttered popcorn, and the family laughed together as they shared their evening.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash