“David! David!” Abner yelled as he led a group of horsemen coming down the trail to the farm.
“Uncle David!” William waved with merry abandon, pulling his horse up in front of the cabin.
David pulled away from Elizabeth to grin and salute the oncoming party. He was relieved he did not have to respond to her question about why he had to leave.
“Hello, Aunt Elizabeth!” William said, dismounting.
“Doin’ fine, Elizabeth?” Abner asked.
“William, Abner,” she said without emotion as she stood. “How’s my sister?” Before Abner could reply, she turned toward the cabin and called out in a stolid voice, “Children, your father’s about to leave.”
They came from the kitchen. Robert stopped short when he when he saw William and nodded to him. Sissy stood back, held her left elbow with her right hand and smiled. Matilda came right down the steps and hugged David.
“Oh, Papa, I’m goin’ to miss you so much.”
“Now, let’s be honest, girl,” he reproved her with gentle humor. “You got Mister Tyson to watch over you. And you got to take care of him, too. Then there’s your ma, brother and sister to fuss with. You won’t have time to think about me.”
Matilda pulled away, her eyes widened in full realization of what was happening. Her hand went to her cheek, and her lips quivered. “I mean it, Papa. I’m really sad.” She looked at him and whispered, “I’m never goin’ to see you again, am I?”
“Of course, you will, Matilda,” he replied with a promptness that belied his sincerity. “Why, by this time next year, we’ll all be back together in Texas. We’ll have a ranch with plenty of hands to work it, and, who knows, maybe I’ll be president of the new nation of Texas.”
“Of course, Papa.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll be the daughter of the president. And Thomas’ll run the best store in Texas.” No more could come out of her.
Sissy stepped forward as Matilda retreated to Elizabeth’s side. “I’ll miss you, too, Pa. But I want you to go ‘cause I know it’ll make you happy, and how can I be happy if my pa ain’t happy?”
“And you be happy too, promise?” David reached for her, and she let him hug her.
“I promise, Pa. Don’t worry.” She smiled and looked back at her sister. “I’m goin’ to git Matilda to give me lessons on how to be more sociable.”
“That’s good.”
Sissy walked up the steps to hug Matilda who had dissolved into tears. Robert stuck his hand. “Good luck, Pa.”
David grabbed him and held him. When Robert pulled away he smiled.
“It’s all right, Pa. I understand.”
“Understand what?” David wanted him to explain it so he could understand too.
“Why you have to leave.”
“I really meant to stay. I changed my mind when I came home to say good-bye,” David explained to him. He stared intently at Robert. “I didn’t lie about changin’ my mind. I meant it when I said it.”
“You got me confused,” William said who had been listening in on the conversation. He wrinkled his brow and shook his head.
“He’s goin’ with you,” Robert replied. “And it’s all right.” He looked back at his father. “Some folks can’t sit still, and some of us can. That’s all there is to it.”
It had to be more than that, David thought, but this was neither the time nor place to figure out why he had to keep moving from place to place and person to person. Perhaps, one night as he lay on the Texas prairie staring up at the stars, he might at last understand. Maybe it was just a habit he did not want to break.
“Now, remember what I told Matilda. Next year, you’re bringin’ your ma and sisters to Texas.” He could not resist one last lie to his family.
“Yes, Pa,” Robert said. “You can take me huntin’ and fishin’. We’ll make up for all the times we missed together.”
Elizabeth came down the steps and hugged him, burying her head in his shoulder. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“Don’t feel bad,” he replied, kissing her cheek. “Remember, I’m jest that scairt li’l runaway boy.”
She pulled back, put on a brave, perky smile and said in a quavering voice, “Then run away.”
“We need to git on the road, David,” Abner said. “We want to git at least halfway to Memphis by night fall.”
Robert picked up David’s rifle and bag to hand to him. After tying them to his saddle, David mounted the chestnut and with forced bravado let out a yell and took off up the road, and the other men hollered and followed. They had not gone far, just to the clump of trees where Davy stopped when he came home. A monarch butterfly flitted by, alighting on the branch of a mulberry bush.