From Mourning to Joy

pulled the ribbon free of the wrapping. If Bernie never lived to see happiness again, he saw it today in the Janelle’s face. Her expression of joy was full payment for every hard-earned coin he’d spent.
“Material – you were watching to see my favorite and here it is. Complete with delicate lace and pearl buttons. Livvy, the color in the pattern matches the hat perfectly.”
“Put it all together last time you were in town.”
“That boy of yours is persistent. Mighty fine whistle he brought in,” said Henry.
“But,” she looked at Davey and knew his whistle would not fetch the price of this outfit. She bit her lip and looked toward the man seated at the head of her table. “Bernie – it’s too much.”
“Not nearly enough. Pretty girl like you should have a wardrobe full of dresses.”
“Thank you, both.” Janelle stood to hug Davey and he ate it up like a hungry puppy.
“What about Mr. B, Ma? He paid for most of it. Don’t he get a hug?”
Shyly Janelle moved to the far end of the table. “Once again, I find myself at a loss to understand your kindness. Thank you, Bernie.” She moved in close and welcomed the touch of his arms around her.
Bernie embraced her, wondering if she felt the depth of intimacy it held. He held her to arm’s length and seized the opportunity to ask her out.
“Fixings for a new dress comes in the nick of time. Hear there’s an event planned at that splashy hotel next Saturday night. Do you think that’ll give you enough time to get it sewn? I’d be mighty proud to see you wear it when I escort you to the sweetheart dance.”
“The sweetheart dance, you say?”
“It is February – that’s what they call it,” Bernie said thinking he had to explain the romance part of it away.
“Can we go, Ma?” Davey said jumping up and down. ‘There’s going to be a playtime at the schoolhouse and half a sleepover, leastways ‘til you come and fetch me.”
“I see you’ve been planning a lot behind my back,” said Janelle.
“Secrets are fun when they light up your face like Christmas,” said Bernie his gaze intense and searching. “What do you say, Janelle? You’d make both Davey and me happy men.”
“You have yourself a dance partner, Mr. Drysdale,” she grinned mischievously.
“About the dancing part,” he said nervously.
She laughed. “Just what I figured. Davey is an expert and can teach you the steps.”
“Or you could teach me,” said Bernie. “Music might drown out the pig-grunts and you’ll definitely provide a better aroma.”
Henry cleared his voice. “Which leads us to your final present, Janelle. You ladies need to dress warm and meet us in the barn, pronto.”
“Another present. How can I stand it?”
Bernie leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Dreams do come true, Janelle. And it’s my privilege to be a part of yours. Happy Birthday.”
He turned and the three boys changed into their outside gear and left the house. Janelle turned to face her guest. “Now what do you suppose those fellas are up to?”
“Reckon we’ll never know without braving the cold and the stink of those horrid pigs. Did your husband have a fetish with the creatures? Dragging them all the way across the country. They’d be last on my wish list for the farm, although I am partial to ham.”
“Knowing we were leaving to farm in the West, my father gave them as a parting gift. He disapproved of the move and showed his displeasure by tying big red bows around the animal’s necks and marching them through the reception hall for all the guests to see. He strutted in victory when the chaos created a mockery of our whole adventure west. I was appalled but Jacob held his chin high and took the lead lines and led them out of the room. I used the time to give my father a piece of my mind – all hush-hush, of course. He could embarrass us but it was not my place to call him out in front of his friends.”
“Oh, my, that must have been quite the going-away party,” said Livvy.
Janelle laughed. “But it made me love my husband all the more for showing his support. I misinterpreted it as him finally loving the dream of farming in the frontier. But he was just being Jacob. A wonderful, supportive man.”
“Do you still miss him?”
“Forever. You just can’t erase a spouse from your past, especially when you see him shining through your son every day.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“At any rate, we could not leave the beasts behind, so we dragged them West with us. Our symbol of leaving the past behind and starting anew.”
“They’re overweight and disgusting creatures. I’m sure I would have been among your guests gasping in horror.”
“Maybe so, but when Bernie is done, they’ll be headed for new lodging – far from the milk supply.” Janelle slipped on her boots. “But I’m hoping, part of Madam Piggy’s size is because she’s pregnant. The way Bernie and Davey gobble up bacon we’ll need to house generations of them just to keep up the meat supply.”
A few minutes later they stood ready to go. “I’m so excited. Whatever could be in the barn? I’ve been so busy I haven’t been out in over a week. And Bernie works so hard. Maybe the buildings are finished and the pigs are moving out.”
“Well, let’s stop guessing and get trekking,” said Livvy as she led the way outside.
Wyoming was experiencing a sudden temperate change and the sun felt warm on Janelle’s cheeks. Water trickled from under the snowdrifts and she welcomed the lowering of the white mounds in her yard. She realized this was just a teaser. But the real spring thaw was just around the corner. That fact