Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - All Rights Reserved.

Birth - Chapter 16 - Song of Angels, Book II

Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova

Mindy awoke in the chair. She wondered what time it was. She felt hungry. She did not feel as hungry as last night but she still felt hungry and she felt like she had lost weight no matter how much she ate last night.

It was true. Even Cyrus looked thinner as he sat in the chair asleep. Whatever had happened to their bodies, well Mindy had an accelerated pregnancy that could not have lasted more than five minutes but Cyrus?

Mindy wondered about her baby and decided to look out the door to see what time it was. She opened the door and it was still daylight. She stepped outside and looked up. It was cloudy, like it might snow again. She really could not tell where the sun was in the sky. Snow everywhere, she walked back into the house and bolted the door.

Her Jeep was gone, she thought. She opened the door again and looked. No Jeep could be seen anywhere. She closed the door again and bolted it.

There was some meat left. She decided to warm it up but before she could do so, the ash pan needed to be emptied. So, she unbolted the door, then, she was still very nude, walked outside with the ash pan and dumped it not too far from the door.

“We really need a door knob.” She said to herself as she replaced the ash pan and then fed the fire. She bolted the door again. She set to getting a meal heated up. While cooking fresh biscuits, Mindy saw Cyrus stir.

“Cooking,” he yawned. Cyrus rubbed his eyes. Scratched a few places and said, “I am hungry, how late have we slept?”

“I looked outside and it is cloudy so I can’t tell.” Mindy answered at the stove. “It is light outside though.”

“I bet it is afternoon and I need to get the cattle fed. I get dressed.”

“Do you have to dress, you look so good, Cyrus Dear.” Mindy said admiring him.

“Mindy dear, you look far better than the dream I thought you were, have you lost weight?”

“I think we both have.” Mindy answered. “You have to eat first before you do anything. Do you feel weak?”

“A little but I think food will fix that fast, Mindy. It looks like you have the food covered.”

“I can’t see the Jeep out there anymore, Cyrus.”

“It disappeared along with some soldiers and their cars into 2012 I think.” He answered.

“Breakfast is ready. So, we are all the way in 1856?”

“I think so and that Rephael said we had to stay in 1856 or we would die. Do you remember Mindy?”

“I did not remember that, no.” Mindy gasped, “What else did he say, when is our son supposed to be brought back?”

“He will be back tonight and let’s eat, then get dressed. Everything will be fine.” Cyrus said as he sat at the table waiting to be served.

Mindy filled a plate for Cyrus, “You certain?”

“As certain as anyone can be. Now let’s say grace and eat. Go ahead and sit down.”

They prayed for their health and the return of their baby and then dug into their food like they had never eaten before. They spent a good hour eating, like Cyrus forgot all about the needs of the cattle. They could hear them low from down below.

“Ahhh,” Cyrus said satisfied. “We ate and everyone in the corral has been patient but I don’t think they will be too happy if they have to wait that much longer. I have to get dressed and feed them Mindy.”

“Very well,” Mindy replied.

Cyrus stood and walked over to Mindy and placed a kiss on her lips, “Good breakfast. Thank you for having my baby.”

Mindy grabbed Cyrus in a hug and kissed him feverishly. “Thank you for saving the lives of me and our baby by carrying us in here.”

“You are welcome Mindy but I would appreciate it if you dressed because you are too beautiful to be walking around naked this soon after having a baby.”

“Let’s get dressed and get to it the chores.” Mindy stood.

“Yes, much too beautiful, “Cyrus said and then turned to dress. They dressed.

While they dressed, “I know my parents will worry about me and all my relatives since we can longer go back to my time to tell them what has happened.”

“I know…they will be fine. You told them all that happened to you and that you were married right?”

“Yes, I told them.”

“They are good people, they know what for better or worse means.” Cyrus paused at the door to wait for her response.

“I will be fine. Go feed the cattle, dear.” Cyrus left and tears filled Mindy’s eyes as she closed the door behind him, “My baby…” She said ever so softly so he could not hear.

“There isn’t time to shovel a way to the barn.” Cyrus thought aloud as he grabbed the shovel. He trudged through the deep snow and almost fell walking down the hill to the barn but he made it without any other incidents.

There was maybe an hour of light left and it was impossible to feed the cattle without shoveling the area around the grain bin and the hay pile clear. He did it as fast as he could and all three hundred head stood there just on the other side of the fence waiting intently.

“I know.” Cyrus said as he began to fork hay into the feed troughs, “No food, no water and late to boot.”

Cyrus song prayed while he forked. He actually had about 370 head at the moment. Seventy new calves stood out with their mothers. “Please bring back my son oh Lord…” It was a long song sung low because that many cattle needed about five tons for the day. Not a quick task at all and when done, the horses needed oats and hay. Dark hit but he still had to slap the ice with a long handle wedge. The cattle rushed the pond; those finished eating, with the first crack of the ice.

There was nothing to do but keep swinging to break the ice and hope not to get knocked in the water. Fifteen minutes in, hungry again, Cyrus finished that task and climbed out of the corral to put the wedge away.

Cyrus grabbed the shovel and wished he remembered to bring the buckets with him. His pants were wet and so was his coat on the bottom as he began to shovel a narrow path to the house.

The snow was very powdery. The task took more shoveling when the snow was like this and deep. The shovelfuls of snow were not heavy just hard to keep full long enough to throw the snow aside. Another hour passed while he shoveled. He was well into the night and thought it was about 7:00 pm as he reached the house still cloudy and overcast, so dark but with white everywhere, Cyrus had no trouble seeing.

He stomped the snow from his boots and knocked it off his pants and coat. He set the shovel to the side and opened the door as fresh snow started to fall. Mindy washed dishes.

“No sign of our baby boy yet?” She asked as Cyrus opened the door.

“Not yet but I am watching and I need to fill our buckets. I’ll be right back.” Cyrus answered as he grabbed the buckets and headed out the door. In a few minutes, Cyrus returned with the buckets filled.

“Could you get some more meat for us?” Mindy asked.
“Think we need as much as last night?”

“I do not feel that hungry but half that much?”

“Yes.” Cyrus left to go outside, hacked off the meat a ten pounder and returned to the house. He set the freshly butchered beef on the counter. “Have to restock the wood in here.”

Cyrus left the house and headed toward the ricks. He grabbed ten logs in his arms and headed back into the house. He set them down and then checked the stove. It could use one log more so he put a log in the stove.

With that done, he took off his coat, his pistol, and his knife hanging them where they belonged. Mindy worked on dinner. She sniffed from time to time.

Cyrus could tell Mindy cried. He hugged her tight. “I want my baby boy.” Mindy said in his arms.

“I do too and it is my fault he is gone. I told you to give him up to Rephael.”

“What else could be done? I am not angry with you. A being like Rephael could have taken him from us anyways.”

“Here, I can do that for you, why don’t you sit down and relax.” Cyrus said.
“No, I need to keep busy until my baby is returned to me or I will go mad.” Mindy stated.

Cyrus just nodded and sat in the chair. Then he stood and poured himself some coffee. With the coffee in his hand he hugged Mindy with one arm around her waist.

Mindy finished cubing the meat and had it all in the Dutch oven pan. She poured in water, added some spices, and then set it on the stove. “Let me sit on your lap for awhile before I cut up the vegetables.”

“Yes.” Cyrus sat down in the chair and Mindy sat on his lap.

“You seem to be taking this well.” Mindy sniffled.

“I am not taking this well.” Cyrus retorted.

“I just meant you are so much stronger than me in this situation.”

“Thank you for saying that because my thoughts are the opposite.” Cyrus hugged Mindy close and they kissed. She leaned her head upon him and he stroked her hair while he held her. “So very soft.”

“I had best get the vegetables cut up for the stew.” Mindy said and then stood up. She cut up onions and potatoes and added a can of corn.

Mindy stirred the contents of the pot and sat back into Cyrus’s big lap to wait.

Hours went by and they ate dinner but without any joy. They still ate about half the stew and Mindy took the pot off the stove. She made coffee and they waited for it to perk. They drank the whole pot of coffee and still no Rephael and no baby son.

“You sit in the chair and I’ll sit at the table.” Cyrus said to Mindy. Their stomachs were too full to hold each other. Mindy moved silently to the big chair and sat down, sniffling every so often.

Cyrus fell asleep at the table his head down. Mindy could not sleep but she woke Cyrus and sent him to bed. He stayed clothed for when Rephael came. The hours went by.

Mindy fell asleep in the big chair, she did not know when. Suddenly a bright light at the door, it showed through just like last time woke her from sleep, “Cyrus, Cyrus, Rephael is here!”

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Birth - Chapter 16, Song of Angels, Book II

Birth - Chapter 16 - Song of Angels, Book II