A LOVE STORY

This is a love story from a small ranching community out west where there lived a man

and his wife and four children. Not much different that their neighbors, they raised cows, built

fences and did the best they could to keep the little town alive.

The children went to the local school where there were less than a hundred students.

The remoteness of their location gave them strong interdependence among themselves, the

ranchers and townies.

The man and his wife lived in the old family home on the ranch which they had plans to

remodel some day but the whimsical cattle business , routine ranch improvements and the

kids appetite prevented such.

When the youngest son started high school he dared to dream, dream the his wife could quit

her town job and they could spend more time together. For the last 20 years they never tired

for each others company.

Then, the assassin, cancer, drew down and shot out the light of his life.

His grief was deep, the neighbors did what neighbors are supposed to do, they put their arms

around the proud man and his family. They were there, looking after the kids, and him as

grief and loneliness ground away at his broken heart.

The fall his youngest was a high school senior he sold the cow herd since the market was

good and the interest on the ranch needed a payment.

One day Baxter Black got a phone call from his friend asking him to speak at his sons

graduation. Forget the name of the town but there were six in the graduating class.

All of the arrangement were made, the afternoon before the graduation ceremony he has a

a big barbecue , four hundred showed up, and to them he expressed his appreciation to his

friends and neighbors. He never mentioned his loss and heartbreak, everyone already knew.

After the day was over, a few friends, his four kids, him and me, Baxter Black gathered in

the living room. It was comfortable. Never was it asked about his plans now that the last one was out of school, but one could hear the pages of his life turning.

The hand lettered sign hanging on the gate post out front said it all.

“YAHOO ! THE LAST ONE GRADUATED. THANKS TO ALL. RANCH FOR SALE”

Source: The Delmarva Farmer, 3 April, 2018, “On the Edge of Common Sense” Baxter Black