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The “paper” was on the
drive usually as early as four in the morning. Something about the neatly
rolled up newspaper waiting for the people in the house to pick it up gave
Dee a good feeling. Sam enjoyed reading it. Dee did not. Still, the
effort of the many people involved bringing it to them was what she
appreciated. This was the pleasure of seeing it there on the front patio
so early. There were others who were up far earlier than she was and that
was encouraging.
This morning as she went
out to retrieve it she noticed some of the plants looked to have been
blown about. Everything was always anchored fairly well because they
normally had some kinds of wind. This was more than the usual amount. As
she glanced down the winding drive she noticed branches across it.
“Oh my! The wind got the
old apple tree. Well, we knew it was dying.” Dee was in a way glad the
wind had toppled it in the middle of the night. Sam had been watering it
in hopes it would recover from its sad state. Dee knew it wouldn't. She
worried about it falling on someone as they came down the drive. The Good
Lord in his mercy had taken the thing during the night while she was
asleep. Once that night she awoke to see Sam sitting in front of the
weather channel. She was too tired to care and went back to sleep. If
there was noise from the tree's fall it was never heard or even dreamed.
As Sam came sauntering
through the kitchen Dee told him to go look out the front patio. “Oh my!
Did you see this? The wind got the old apple tree?”
Dee wanted to say, “Yes, I
saw it. As a matter of fact, called it to your attention.” However, her
knowledge of men and their ego made her keep silent. She was just thankful
it was down.
Both duties touching into
her mother's culture as to their heavy traditions, and her own Christian
responsibilities were just half way done she felt. Now, as they were
turning back to the lost visions of her ancestors in their quest to bring
civilization to the middle of the nation Dee couldn't exactly explain her
feelings.
“It seems like a wonderful
dream coming true, Sam. I know we will only be able to do a bit at a time
but if we start the idea. The thought of creating a museum there on the
prairie along with a genealogist's library so the great numbers of Jones's
and people branching off from them can come to study and find their own
ancestors wouldn't it be a wonderful thing?”
“Just the drive through the
Tallgrass Buffalo Preserve is an experience never to be forgotten. It is
like a glimpse of a lost and gone era one can never see again. The
movement of the buffalo as a herd can be seen on television, but it isn't
the same as actually seeing it first hand. I know at our age we will
probably, never see the completion of our work but if we can just bring
the wonder of the dream to our children and grandchildren. There are many
of them on all branches. Maybe one of them will see the beauty of
providing a refuge, a hope, a spark of desire for those of our own blood
to continue feeding this great dream of freedom through truth.”
Sam always shared in Dee's
dreams with no questions asked. Together they had always worked through
things in order to achieve a goal.
“We need to ask everyone of
our friends and family to pray to Great Creator for his guidance and
help in this. I believe if we treat it as a pleasurable project rather
than all work, while reverently asking our God's help at every step we may
just have a chance of a degree of success. Faith in the “rightness” of
the project is necessary.” |
