A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Kissimee River And Memories

Once Doug and his son finish breakfast they head upstairs. Doug gathers everyone and they head out picking up his mother and they drive on towards Camp Mack stopping at the country store to rent a boat large enough to fit everyone. He pulls it with old Henry to the boat ramp at Camp Mack. Doug launches the boat with help from Katya who parks the truck for him then everyone piles in. Doug says "alright kids I'm fixing to show you the real Florida." They chug along the canal and he speeds up once he's out of the no wake zone headed for the river. Once in the Kissimme he throttles it up full blast tearing down the river passing Air Boats headed the opposite direction. He slows down showing the kids Brahma Island owned by the Lightsey family of Cowboys and Cowgirls. As they pass by Doug points out a few cowboys taking some cattle from the Island on a barge across the river where a truck and trailer are waiting. Doug waves to them and they wave back as he passes behind them. Katya says "I didn't know they did stuff like that." Doug smiles "Lightsey Cattle Company is a unique operation on its own. I've only been on Brahma island a few times back when I was in college. Most people around here will never get to set foot on it." He points out a Bald Eagle sitting on a post that is watching them pass by and a 14 foot alligator rests on the beach making Sasha nervous. Caroline suddenly grabs Sasha making her jump "rawr!" Sasha says "I'm going to beat you!" Doug says "oh relax Big Papa is not going anywhere." Suddenly the gator slides into the river. Sasha says "not going anywhere huh?" Doug laughs out loud and his mother shakes her head as does Ana. Willie gets up and says "I'll wrestle him!" Sasha snaps "sit down!" Willie does as told and Little Doug just sighs leaning on his mother who hugs him kissing his head. Caroline asks Katya what's wrong with Doug and Katya leans in telling her about Little Doug's breakup. Caroline says "time to start planning." Katya says "Oh God." Caroline says "look at him he's shattered inside. He doesn't deserve to feel like that because of some stupid bitch." Katya sighs "I know." Little Doug makes a face seeing Caroline and Katya looking at him and turns his face into his mother's shoulder. Sasha pats his side and starts pointing out things for him to look at trying to distract him. Doug glances at his son leaned up on Sasha and Doug frowns seeing Sasha trying her best to cheer him up but he only makes a half hearted smile before frowning again. Willie begins agrivating Caroline which is a mistake because it turns into an endless war of poking and tickling. Ana finally makes them quit saying they're rocking the boat. Michael just shakes his head and puts his arm around Katya. She leans into him this time instead of pushing him away like she's been doing. Doug continues down the river coming to the channel locks along highway 60 before he turns around and heads back. He smiles seeing at least this part of Florida hasn't seen a plow or bulldozer the land remaining as it did before the Spanish ever came to Florida. They head back to Camp Mack returning the boat then head for Jay Bee's before going back to Doug's old childhood home again. They grab the corner booth that seats a bunch of people on the front right side of the restaurant. The waitress who knew Doug when he was young now much older. She looks at him and recognizes him saying "well we haven't seen you in years." Doug says "yeah I know." He puts his arm around Sasha "this is my wife Sasha, you know Mama, our friend Ana her two kids and my three kids." Stacy the waitress shakes her head "wow now you're making me feel really old." Everyone chuckles and she says "Sweet tea, large cheeseburger just mayonase and fries?" Doug says "you got it." She gets everyone else's orders and heads off. Katya says "come on Daddy no vegetables?" Doug makes a face at his daughter "I haven't changed my order here since I was 15." Katya looks at her grandma and she nods. After dinner they head back to the house in country oaks. Doug sees his son still sulking and Doug says "hey boy." Little Doug looks at him and Doug says "come with me. Get your brother and sister." Doug and his kids get in the truck and head for the Lake Wales cemetary. They pull in and he drives along until he pulls up to the grave site. They get out and Doug walks ahead the kids in tow towards his father's headstone. He stands before it and the kids surround him. "Meet your grandfather." Katya studies the headstone as do the boys seeing the oranges and orange blossoms engraved as well as the words "Hard working and loving husband and father." Little Doug sees the name Douglas Alan Batson Sr and asks "so you were named after him?" Doug nods "and you were named after me." He nods to the left and they walk over Doug showing them their great grandparents Juanita Batson next to his father and next to her William and Doris Mosley. Doug looks at Willie "we named you William Thomas after your great grandfather here. He stepped in as my father figure after Daddy passed." Katya looks in his eyes as he stares at the headstones the pain of death resurfacing once more. He says "I was only 9 years old when my father died. I watched him rot away in the hospital for months on end. I don't know how he stood to deal with it, but he did." He wipes away a tear and says "I brought you kids here to make you understand something. You may think you're going through hell now and I'm not going to tell you that you're not, but understand that you're blessed immensely because life is not a garuntee. The only garuntees we can count on is the love of Christ, death, and taxes." He leaves it at that and walks down further checking his cousin's grave before walking back to them and standing in front of his father's grave. He unlocks the truck letting the boys get in. Katya comes up and hugs his side. "I may have never met him but from everything Granny has told me about him and from what you've said, and reading the words engraved here I'd say you fit the bill as his son and he'd be proud." Doug says "God don't make me cry." Katya says "sorry I didn't mean to." Doug sighs "it's alright baby girl it's just..." He can't find the words to say to his daughter's surprise and he just shakes it off. "Alright let's go." She nods and they get in the truck headed back. When they get back to the old house Katya pulls her mother aside telling her about the cemetary. Sasha just nods knowingly. "Your father is a strong man but even he has his moments of weakness." She kisses her cheek "don't worry about it too much, I will work my magic on him." Eventually they head back to the hotel going back to their rooms. Caroline discovered a game room downstairs and gathers all the kids headed down there. Doug, Sasha, and Ana head to the restaurant on their own giving the kids money for pizza. Doug says "I love the nostalgia of this place." Sasha half smiles "me too." An old Frank Sinatra song from 1945 called I Fall In Love Too Easily plays. Doug looks at Sasha extending his hand "care to dance my love?" Sasha smiles taking his hand and they slow dance on the old wooden floor. Ana smiles then she sighs messing with the red sword pendant. Katya observes them from the game room munching of a slice of pizza. She calls Michael over and he says "yes dearest?" Katya nods Ana's way "go ask your Mom to dance, she looks sad." Michael looks on seeing her play with the pendant. He nods and walks up behind her tapping her shoulder. She turns and he bows putting his hand out "may I have this dance?" She smiles at her boy and says "why yes you may." He pulls her up and they walk out next to Sasha and Doug. Sasha acts jealous "I sure do wish my sons wanted to dance with me you're such a gentleman Mikey." Doug says "so what am I?" Sasha just smirks kissing him. Doug peers into the game room seeing Caroline and her two minions around a pinball machine while Katya is watching them eating most of the pizza. Doug chuckles "look at her eating pizza like it's nothing." Sasha says "I wonder which one of us she takes after concerning pizza." Sasha pokes his belly giggling and Doug says "I wish I had her metabolism." Sasha says "oh don't worry it'll get her one day you see me now." Doug says "for the love of God woman you're not fat!" Sasha says "I'm bigger than I used to be!" Doug says "so?" Michael looks puzzled and asks his Mom "have they always been like this?" Ana laughs and Sasha just smiles while Doug cuts his eyes at Michael. Ana says "for as long as I've known them they'd argue about something then not even 10 minutes later they were making out." Doug shrugs and Sasha says "and you would say uh hello I'm right here!" Ana says "I know like that ever helped. I bought noise canceling headphones because of you two in that apartment." Doug says "alright that's enough information for young ears." Doug says to Michael "don't be like me or I'll kill you." Michael says "you got it."