A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Family Legends

Doug is up at 5 in the morning sitting downstairs in the kitchen drinking his coffee and looking out the window as the moon still shines over the barn. He hears soft footsteps coming down the stairs and into the kitchen. He looks seeing Sasha stroll in pouring her self some coffee. She adds sugar and cream to it then turns and sits down across from her husband. He looks up and smirks at her. Sasha says "why are you wearing that damn black hat inside?" He chuckles and takes it off setting it on the table. Sasha grabs it and puts it in the chair next to her. "No dirty hats on the table." Doug rolls his eyes "woman you're something else." She kicks his leg under the table making him grin. Doug says "you've known me 20 years and you still let me irritate you." Sasha says "because I haven't killed you yet." Doug says "that'll be the day." He sighs "Sasha I'm in my 40s but I feel like I'm in my 70s." Sasha says "you did choose this life." Doug says "oh I know, but a man is gonna bitch once in a great while about something." Sasha makes a scraggly voice "oh my back is shot! Sasha! Come rub my back! Sasha! Sasha what's for dinner?!" Doug says "that ain't complaining that's normal." She giggles and Doug makes a high pitched voice "no dirty hats on my table! Put your boots outside! Get your dirty boots off my table!" Sasha facepalms and smiles behind her hand. Doug says "I bust my ass for you and these kids everyday and I will until the day I die." Sasha smirks "no retirement plans, 401k or anything huh?" Doug shakes his head "nope." Sasha says "it's ok, I'll force you to retire." Doug says "save that argument for then let's not argue now." Sasha says "you have to realize Little Dougie is going to want full control one day." Doug says "and he'll have it, when I die." Sasha sighs and says "stubborn ass." Doug smirks "nah, I'll turn over control of this place and you and I will do something and go somewhere. Take an extended vacation." Sasha says "really?" Doug nods and half smiles "of course, wherever you want to go." Sasha says "we could do something sooner you know." Doug thinks for a moment and sighs, then looks in his wife's blue eyes and nods "alright, we'll do something when the kids get out of school." She reaches across and takes his hand "thank you." Doug says "you mean to tell me it gets old being a farmers wife?" Sasha says "honey I am old. I look like I'm in my 60s." Doug kisses her hand "no you don't." She smiles "I love you." Doug says "I love you too." Sasha says "I suppose you want breakfast." Doug says "that would be nice." She gets up and starts cooking. Doug says "I guess I need to get them boys up." Willie and Little Doug enter the kitchen and Little Doug says "no you don't either." Doug says "well alright then." Sasha snaps her fingers at her sons "come help me." They both walk over standing on each side of her and she has them help her make breakfast to get it finished faster. Once they finish they set everything on the table and Sasha kisses each of them on their foreheads. Doug says "cut the umbilical cord." He promptly gets a knife pointed at him "you shut up." The boys shake their heads and eat their breakfast quietly. Sasha sits down with them and Little Doug stares at the bottle of orange juice on the table as Doug sets it back down. He takes it and looks it over reading the label seeing the fresh from Florida seal on it. Little Doug says "how come you like orange juice so much?" Doug says "do you want a short story or the long one?" Little Doug says "long story." Doug nods "alright." Sasha smirks having heard it before and Doug says "Number one, it's the product of an industry my Father devoted his work life to. The Batsons were famous in all the juice plants in Florida for all the work they did in those plants for many reasons good, bad, and tragic. My Father gained the knowledge to build those plants in their entirety working closely with his Uncle's, one who managed and ran those plants for many years. Our family shed a lot of blood and sweat in those places, some even died tragically while on the job. My Father saw two guys get killed when a tank exploded at one of those plants. A few years after my Father had died a relative was crushed underneath a cooling tower when the chain broke off the crane. When my Father became ill and couldn't weld anymore he was forced to reinvent him self so he became a mechanical engineer and there hasn't been another like him since those days. The plant he was working at had to hire two people to do his job after he died. So to pay homage to all of that I buy Florida orange juice and drink it everyday." Willie asks "how come you're not apart of it?" Doug shrugs "I guess it just wasn't in the Lord's plans for this life of mine." Doug half smiles "but we do still have some relatives involved in that industry today as mechanical contractors." He finishes his breakfast then stands up. He puts his hand out to Sasha "my hat please?" She picks it up from beside her and hands it to him. He leans down and kisses her then heads towards the door. His sons follow him outside to saddle up and work their cows today. Little Doug has his own black hat and Willie wears a white straw cowboy hat. Sasha sets everything in the sink then she looks out the window watching the three of them walking just alike. She half smiles then sighs "Lord keep them safe." Katya slips into the kitchen next to her Mother and hugs her. "Morning Mama." Sasha half smiles "good morning darling." Katya says "I guess Daddy didn't want my help." Sasha says "nope you're my helper today." They watch the boys and Doug ride out and Sasha smirks "God your Dad thinks he's John Wayne." She giggles and Katya half smiles. "Farming and Ranching is rough on a person." Sasha says "so is war and your Father has done both." Katya asks "why is Daddy into everything? Most people around here do one or two things." Sasha says "your Father and I believe in having a diverse source of income. Depending on what makes more money is whether your Dad calls him self a Farmer or Rancher. So far he's been a Farmer. He's a self taught cowboy though." They can hear Doug yelling orders at his boys and yelling at the cattle. Sasha says "and your Father won't come in until near dark tonight." Katya says "that's normal." She asks "so what are we doing?" Sasha says "office work and chores." Katya nods and Sasha says "your Daddy may never retire, but I will one day." Katya smirks "then what?" Sasha says "your Father can find someone else to do his books and office work." Katya giggles and Sasha says "oh I'll still cook something and do a few things around the house." Katya says "like play with grandchildren?" Sasha says "mhm." She turns and looks at Katya "just don't make me a Babushka too soon now." Katya says "no need to worry."