Allie Decides To Sell The Ranch

 Allie felt as low as a human could get. "At least at my old apartment I had a spider to talk to. She never talked back and left me alone. People around here are pushy and mean spirited. Plus I have a haunted house. I have come to the conclusion that there must be a zillion ghosts roaming around this ranch. I wonder if I'm losing my mind some days. One thing I do know is that I have a lot of money. All my bills are paid, my ranch hands are paid and my cupboards are full of food. Everything should be coming up roses for me, but that just isn't the case. It is Christmas Eve and here I am all by myself. Boy do I miss you, Mom. You always made the Christmas season so special for us even if we didn't have much money. We had a little tree, I made ornaments for it when I was in school, we made Christmas cookies together, sent out Christmas cards; the whole ball of wax." She looked at the picture on the television and asked, " Why oh why didn't you tell me about your family? Well, I guess I will get myself a snack and watch Rudolf on my old faithful television. Josh said I should buy a new one, but I like this old one. It's like part of my past. Oh boy, I am getting goofy. Time for a sandwich." While Allie was in the kitchen fixing herself a sandwich and some chips her phone rang. It was a family in town. They were inviting her to their house for Christmas Eve. She was welcome to spend the night and have Christmas Day dinner with them. 

Allie was shocked. She didn't even know these people. Why would they be inviting her to their home? They probably found out she had money. She thanked the lady and told her that she was comfortable where she was and wished them Merry Christmas.

She took her food into the living room all set to watch her favorite Christmas movie. "Crazy town, crazy people around here, that's for sure."

When she took her first bite she glanced up at the television and said, "No! Not again. This is nuts!" There she was on the television screen. She was all dressed up in Christmas pajamas with a family and a dog! "It looks like a Christmas card for crying out loud. I don't want to move, but if that's what it takes maybe I just will move back to Illinois and get myself a job and a place to live. I've just had it. Uncle Bill? You win. As soon as I can, I'm moving. You and all the other ghosts around here can have it. I have a feeling that's what you ghosts have done for years. You all just gang up on new owners and run them off. Happy now? Great. Can you leave me alone long enough so that I can eat and get a good night's sleep? I'll start calling realtors tomorrow. I'm done."

Allie heard the phone ring out in the kitchen. "What's it going to be this time? A circus maybe? Okay, I'll join the circus and be a clown. Do you hear that, Uncle Bill? I'll make people laugh and travel the country. Maybe I'll get a pet like Laura said to do. I'll get a trained monkey that can play tunes. There you go. Happy? Yes an organ grinder monkey. I can just see it now. We will live on peanuts and scraps that people throw at us. I already feel sorry for the poor thing. He'd probably run away too. Why not? Everyone leaves me. I have lots of money. Boy money sure makes me happy. I'll have more thank you; not! Money is just great, but it can't buy friends and family. I'd get rid of all of it just to have some friends, even one."

Tears were running down her cheeks in both sadness and anger at her new life and loneliness. It was Christmas and here she was all by herself.

Josh said, "Allie, what's going on? Are you sick? I'm on my way back to Texas. I'll be back by tomorrow. I think you need to rest. Maybe take an aspirin and try to get some sleep. Why are you joining a circus? You have a ranch to run and money to spend.  Have you been working too hard? Allie, answer me! I can hear you! Answer me please. I'm on my way! You are my very best friend, Allie. Answer me! Allie pick up your phone!"

The phone remained unanswered. Allie had gone to the living room and took her food upstairs. She had some major thinking and planning to do. She wasn't a quitter, but this was getting too much for even a stronger person than her. "Yup, I've got enough money now. I can move back to my hometown and get a job where people are real people. I don't know anything about ranches, horses, or sage brush." She smiled as she was falling asleep. "Sage brush, that's probably all that was here years ago when Maggie was a little girl...."

                                                                              *****

Maggie was sitting at the table eating stew that her ma had made for her yesterday. It seemed that they were lucky to have stew. It had some potatoes in it and some rabbit meat that the neighbor man had given them a few days ago. It was about gone. Ma was making it stretch with water and some carrots that she had been able to grow last year. They were root vegetables like potatoes. They were easier to grow because Ma would water them carefully with what little water they had left over from doing the dishes and the laundry. Sometimes it was so hot and dry that the vegetables dried up, but usually the potatoes and carrots survived. Ma always had a worried look on her face. She seldom smiled except when Pa would eventually come home which wasn't very often."

 One time she overheard him tell her ma that someday he was going to build her a big house and that would all have beautiful clothes to wear. He would be home all the time counting their money. She heard them laugh and plan the future, but then he would leave and be gone for weeks at a time. "I think they are silly. I think Whitlee and I have more sense than Ma and Pa. Ma keeps writing in a book that Whitlee gave her for Christmas. I gave her a dried flower I had saved from summer. She seemed happy with it and put it in the book that she writes words in. Ma used to say that the flower tree and Whit and I were the only things that were pretty in Texas. Maybe Ma doesn't like where we live. I think Ma is beautiful. Three plus one is four. Ma says I'm doin' good with my sums. Three plus one is four..."

"Allie for goodness sakes wake up! Allie! It's four o'clock in the morning! What are you doing with that old journal? Allie, Wake up!"