The Unexpected Request - Part 60

Good Morning Western Wednesday Readers,
I should give you a heads up. Western Wednesday won't be here much longer. No, the book is not about to end, I just won't be posting the last of it here. So, (I know, I know, you all think I'm terribly mean) if you want to read the end of the book, now is you chance to buy it for the lowest price you will probably ever get! Yep, if you are a blog reader fan of The Unexpected Request you can now reserve you own copy of it for only $8.50! (The cover price is $14.95.) To pre-order your copy, you can do one of two things: you can leave a comment requesting a copy (if I don't have your e-mail address, please leave that as well. I will be sure to delete it.) or you can send me an e-mail requesting your copy. You will have to pay shipping if I have to mail it to you. If you want it signed, let me know that as well. I don't have any copies right now to ship out, so I will continue posting Western Wednesday until I do.


I've been rather busy since I posted on Friday. Saturday we babysat 9 kids ages 6 and under for about four hours.:) Now that was fun. We had a 6-y-o, a just-turned-5, a 4 1/2, two 3 1/2-y-olds, three nearly 2-y-olds, and a seven month old. Talk about busy.
Yesterday we babysat my niece and two of my nephews for about 5 1/2 hours.
Last night we had some visitors. Three small, furry, black and white creatures with floofy (fluffy + poofy) tails.:) The same kind of animal that Orlena saw in the Triple Creek Ranch on Friday. Only, we didn't throw rocks at these cute, little things. :) We just watched them. I think they are all three young ones because they were rather small and all the same size. One was almost all white, another was mostly black and the third was a more balanced mixture of the two colors.


Okay, okay, I must stop this rambling. You'll forget all about requesting your copy of The Unexpected Request if I fill your mind with other things. Maybe I'll ramble on Friday. (If I have anything to ramble about.)

Part 60

    Standing a few feet from the edge of the bluff with folded arms, Ty remained still as Sally approached.
    “Ty,” she ventured softly seeing that he didn’t turn to look at her, “you can’t give up now. We will find her.”
    Ty didn’t move or even seem to be listening.
    Uncertain of what to do or say next, Sally, too, remained silent and looked out across the river. Only the rushing of the waters below, the restful chirps of a lone bird and the rustle of wind through the colored leaves disturbed the stillness of the evening. As Sally glanced down into the waters far below, the sudden remembrance of that dreaded cliff over which they had passed on their way to Fort Laramie swept over her and she caught her breath, grasping Ty’s arm fiercely and backing away from the edge.
    Startled by her actions, Ty looked down at her. “Sally!” he exclaimed, “what’s happened?”
    She shuddered, still hanging on to his arm. “That cliff. It reminded me of--” A shiver ran over her before she could finish.
    Ty finished the sentence for her. “Of the cliff where that there mountain lion were?”
    She nodded.
    “Well, we ain’t going ta have ta walk ‘long this side a the cliff. Ya jest can’t be thinkin’ ‘bout that other place,” Ty added pulling his sister back towards the cliffs where he had been standing, but she hung back. “Come on,” he coaxed, “ya didn’t use ta be scared a cliffs.”
    “Can I sit down?” she ventured, timidly moving forward once again.
    For answer, Ty led her to a large rock which made a pleasant seat. There the two remained in silence, watching the river for several minutes.
    At last, Sally, glancing at her brother and noticing the grim look begin to steal across his face, asked softly, “You aren’t giving up, Ty, are you?”
    “Givin’ up?” Ty repeated almost fiercely. “No! It’s jest that I ain’t sure what ta do now. I can’t stop till I got the trail ‘gain. An’ that,” he sighed, “seems utterly hopeless.”
    “We can pray about it,”
    Ty grunted. “It ain’t helped.”
    “But it can,” Sally persisted. “Ty,” she began again after a moment, “when you were so sick at the Fields, I didn’t know what to do. I tried to pray, but it didn’t seem to work because I wanted God to make you better right away and He didn’t. Then one night, it was the night you began to grow better, I had gone outside and Joe came and talked to me. He explained everything to me and then I knew.”
    “Knew what?” Ty asked gently, for Sally’s face wore a look of such love and peace that Ty was awed.
    “Knew that sometimes God says yes right away and sometimes He says no because he has a better plan, and other times he says just to wait and trust Him.” Sally had been watching the reflection of the setting sun on the river and now turned her eyes to her brother’s face. “Ty, I don’t think God has said no to finding our sister, I think he has just said wait.”
    “Hump,” Ty frowned, “then why did we come this way anyway?”
    “Why Ty!” exclaimed Sally. “If we hadn’t come then ‘they’ would still be free to try to kill you instead of behind bars where they can do no harm. And if Starlight hadn’t thrown that shoe, we wouldn’t have stayed in Dead Horse anyway and--.”
    “Okay,” Ty cut her short. “So this here trip weren’t a complete waste a time. I jest don’t see what we’re ta do next!”
    “You could try praying. Pa always did, and it helps me. It helps Carson too. He said so.” Ty didn’t reply and so, after a few more minutes of quiet, Sally rose softly and slowly made her way back to the fire where Carson was waiting.
    Alone on the cliff, Ty sat in thought. Was Sally right? Did praying help? From a child his father had taught him from the Bible. He knew in his mind what was promised in it, but never had he tested and proved it. Why not? Honestly he didn’t know. He just never had gotten around to it he supposed. Didn’t he have time? Plenty of time, but never before did he feel the need of some help outside of his own strength and ability. “I can’t find her on my own, Pa,” he muttered to himself. “I need help.” But still Ty waited, his thoughts in turmoil. Was he wanting to come to God just because he had a problem he couldn’t solve? If that were so, would he, once help had been received, not turn his back on the One who had helped him? Such a sudden great longing for a talk with his father came over Ty that he sank down on the rock where Sally had sat and buried his face in his hands while great, silent sobs shook his strong frame. In all his life, never had he remembered feeling so alone and helpless. His father was gone! Never could he go to him in trouble, never would he tramp the woods with him, never hear his voice!
    “Oh, God of my father! God of my mother, do not forsake me!” In the darkness of the night no one saw Ty slip to his knees beside that rock, no one but the loving Father who had been tenderly seeking His lost sheep over mountains and plains, leading, drawing and now bringing him home safely on His shoulders. The wrestling was over and Ty knelt, feeling a closeness to God that he had never experienced before. The moon rose, but still Ty remained on his knees unmindful of the fog that rose up around him. At last a great longing which he had once thought was the desire to find his sister, was gone. He felt satisfied. He knew he would someday fulfill his vow to his father, but he was no longer discouraged.

Leave your comments if you have any.