THE GILTER

PROLOUGE

Russell O’Connell slowed the pace of his horse, his ranch spreading around him, it was quiet at this side of the ranch he thought. Sighing with contentment, he looked around him, he had been born here and he had grew up here. The only time he left the ranch was when he went to college. He loved this ranch so much that he couldn’t imagine a life without living in it. Lita understood that and she had come with him to live here, he could still remember her awe when she first came to the ranch. ‘’It’s so large!’’ she exclaimed smiling proudly ‘’this will be my home now, and I am glad, Russell. We will have all our babies here. ‘’ Russell smiled broadly, Lita is pregnant now with their first baby and she would be due any moment from now, She’s past nine month with two days. Mentally, he thought he should go back to the house. Turning his horse, he heard a noise as if a tractor was moving over a farmland. He turned back and looked farther ahead. He saw a machine moving in a straight line, as if dividing the land and two men directing it puzzled and mad, he kicked his horse into a gallop and raced toward them, when he came nearer to them, he recognized one of the men as Cole Gallagher. What is that bastard doing in our ranch? He thought furiously. Stopping abruptly in front of them, he jumped down from his horse “What the hell are you doing?”Cole Gallagher turned to him sharply, startled by the sudden intrusion “What?”“What do you think you are doing, Gallagher?” Russell said trying to contain his hatred and anger for the man “What gave you the guts to step this land talk less of bringing a machine here to create a…ridge?”“Oh my!” Cole exclaimed, smiling “Don’t be such a stupid boy now, you just wanted me to tell you again. I am sure.”Glaring at him, Russell closed his fist tightly, putting his hands in his pockets to stop himself from hitting the man on the face.Clearing his throat loudly, he continue ‘’I am dividing the ranch, due to our agreement with your lovely father.’’‘’What?’‘ Russell said in disbelieved, his father? With this man, he could not imagine it.‘’I see your father did not tell you, son’’ Cole said still smiling ‘’He owned me a dept and he is paying with half of his ranch.’’‘’You are a liar!’’ Russell said gritting his teeth ‘’ My father will never do such a thing.’’ Laughing loudly, he looked at Russell with narrowed eyes ’’Well, maybe you should ask your father.’’ He said triumphtically ‘’what a coward he is for not telling his son what he did!’’ Russell could not contain his anger and hatred he felt for the man anymore, he gave a sound blow on his face, sending the man backward and landing him on his buttocks. Without a backward glance, he marched to his horse and race home to his father.Russell burst into the study; his father was sitting behind a desk, a large book in front of him and a pen in his aged hands. “Father,……”Richard raised his hand to stop his son saying anything further, he stood up from behind the desk and walked to his son who was breathing heavily.“I know you must be disappointed in your father,” Richard said sadly “I can imagine what you might be feeling right now. Cole Gallagher is taking half the land you love so much.”“Are you serious?” Russell spat “Father, how could you borrow a dept from that bastard!”“Now, mind your language in front of me,” Richard said “I used the money for you!”Stunned, he looked at his father with wide eyes “Me?”“Yes, where do you think I got all that money for your schooling?”Sighing deeply, “Okay father.” He said calculating “The money I spent is not worth three acres of land, but you are giving away five hundred acres?”“That was our agreement.” Richard said quietly “How could you agree to such a thing!” Russell shouted “Were you drunk when you made the deal?”“No, I thought I will be able to pay back the money before the due time, Russell.” Richard said looking hurt “Am so sorry.”“So?” he barked “Is sorry going to solve the problem? I will pay the money, I love this land! Damn it!”“Its too late, you cannot do anything now even if you have three times the amont I borrowed.”“Why didn’t you ever tell me, what happened to the cattle? You should have sold some!”“There was drought, the cows became thin and some even died. I tried to pay him back but I couldn’t.” Richard said irritably “What would you have done if I had told you, would you steal or stop school? Never, I would not have allowed that.”“Is schooling that important?” Russell asked “I am not using my cert for anything, I am working on this ranch!”“Shut up!” Richard shouted “you must go to school whether you like it or not, its one of the rules in this family.”“So is never selling the ranch!”“Did I sell it?”“Yes.”A sharp knock interrupted them “Mr. Russell are you in there?”“Yes, Sarah.” Russell answered “anything amiss? Come in”The door flung open as Sarah rushed in “It’s your wife, it’s her time…….”Without waiting to hear her out, Russell rushed out of the study.Looking panicky at the closed door of their bedroom, Russell cursed and prayed at the same time, he accepted the beer his father offered and drank hungrily, as if thinking twice he handed it back to his father. “Thanks” he said dryly.“Don’t worry too much son,” Richard said sportingly “She’s a strong girl.”Russell winced as they heard her scream again “She’s in pain, father.” Russell said hugging his father “It’s been seven hours.”Richard patted his back slowly “It’s not always easy for them.”They paced the floor for another two hours when finally they heard Lita screams replaced by the soft cries of a baby. The bedroom door busted open, Sarah carried the baby in a wrapped towel and hurried down the hall toward the guest room, following behind her was the midwife.“Sarah would go and bath the baby now,” she said ruefully “It’s a baby girl.”Sighing with relief, he asked “And my wife?”“Am sorry Mr. O’Connell, she died immediately the baby came out of her.”