Prologue
His father’s words kept replaying over and over again in his head, ‘you have responsibilities as a member of this family…stop trying to avoid them.’ Avoid them was hardly the word, Jared Morrison wanted nothing to do with the life his father had chosen for their family. Jared despised the small country life he lived in Blue Hill. Nothing exciting ever happened there.
Jared in anger and frustration got up from his bed and started to pace the floor in contemplation of his rebuttal. He and his father were always at odds and it seemed the odds had increased in the last couple months. Jared had no idea why his father picked on him almost un-relentlessly throughout the day. It seemed Jared could do nothing right unlike his older brother Caleb who did everything their father wanted him to.
Sometimes Jared felt as though Caleb and his father shared a secret and didn’t find it important enough to tell him about it. Each time in the past couple months when Jared walked into a room the two were in they would stop their conversation and start up another. Jared knew the awkward conversation starter was in an attempt to hide something he just had no idea what. The way things were going between Jared and his father, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know…he wasn’t sure he cared anymore.
Jared now sixteen felt as though the world held a greater gift for him than Blue Hill on the Morrison family farm. The only one that kept Jared from leaving Blue Hill was his mother. She was the only person in the world who understood him.
Caleb, Jared’s older brother only by a year was favored it seemed to Jared more by his father.
Jared considered his mother a gem…a precious stone worthy to be adored. He couldn’t imagine anything good in his world without her. He could always count on his mother to come to his defense.
As Jared paced the floor still feeling the anger from the argument with his father a half hour earlier he stopped at his window. The window from his bedroom overlooked the old Cassels farm next door which had been vacant for months. The Cassels left Blue Hill when Mr. Cassels received a management position. Jimmy Cassels, the Cassels youngest son had been Jared’s best friend since grade school. He had written Jared everyday almost telling him all about the big city life. The more Jared read the letters, the more he was sure he wanted to leave Blue Hill. Jared stood at the window and watched as the new tenants of the Cassels farm unpacked their car and loaded boxes and bags into the house. Jared was just about to turn away when long wavy dark locks caught his attention. He leaned in closer to get a better a glimpse of the seemed beauty. The woman near the car called out the name ‘Jennifer’ and long, wavy, dark locks turned full face towards Jared’s window.
Jared stood mesmerized by the beauty as she walked to the woman and grabbed a small box from her hand. Jennifer he thought to himself, wow, she’s gorgeous. Jared had never seen anyone so beautiful. She looked about his age or maybe a year younger. He couldn’t be sure he was pretty far away.
Jared’s thoughts were interrupted when his brother Caleb burst into his room. Jared turned around annoyed until he saw fear etched across Caleb’s face.
“What’s wrong?!” Jared asked
Out of breath and hesitant, “It’s mom, you’ve gotta come quick.” Caleb breathed out.
“What do you mean, it’s mom, what’s going on?” Jared asked already at Caleb’s side at the mention of his mother.
“Just come…there’s not much time.” Caleb said as he put his head down and started down the stairs. Jared rushed down the stairs practically on Caleb’s heels. Jared could hear voices coming from his parent’s bedroom. He recognized Dr. Simms voice. What was going on? Jared walked up behind Caleb who stopped at the door. Jared couldn’t see much except for his father holding onto the headboard of the bed as Dr. Simms hovered over his mother. Jared looked at Caleb to see tears flowing uninhibitedly down his face.
“Caleb…Caleb…what’s going on? Why is Dr. Simms here?” Jared asked as fear crept up into his soul his eyes back on Dr. Simms who still hovered over his mother.
“Mom’s…mom’s…” Caleb tried to get out.
“Mom’s what?” demanded Jared which made his father look in his direction. Jared could see the tired and hopeless look that rested on his father’s face and without Caleb explaining anything to him he knew something was horribly wrong with his mother and both Caleb and his father knew about it.
Jared pushed past Caleb and ran to the other side of his mother’s bed. She laid lifeless on the peach pillowcases etched with soft green leaves she’d made only two months before. Dr. Simms reached for his stethoscope and placed it near his mother’s heart, after about a minute or so he removed it and looked up at Jared’s father and shook his head. Jared’s father closed his eyes and the tears streamed down his face.
“What’s going on?” asked Jared with cautioned fear.
Dr. Simms looked at Jared and then back at his father, “I’ll leave you alone, I’ll be right outside.”
Jared watched as Dr. Simms gathered together his belongings placed them in his leather bag and exited the room. Caleb still stood at the doorway.
Jared turned to his mother and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
“Mom, it’s Jared…are you alright?” Jared asked as he peered closely at his mother’s lifeless frame.
Jared’s father placed his hand on Jared’s hand. Jared closed his eyes not wanting anything except to see his mother’s eyes open again.
“Jared…I’m sorry son, she’s gone.” Jared’s father said with a painful tremble in his voice.
Jared squeezed his eyes so tight the tears that welled up inside were painfully pushed back. Jared jerked his hand from underneath his father’s grasp. He opened his eyes and stared back at his father with contempt as though he had been betrayed. Jared rose from the bed in intense anger, pushed past Caleb and jolted out the back door.
Jared ran into the barn and began to kick around tools and throw hay and yelled at the walls. He was so angry he had no idea how to handle what just happened. His mother was gone and it seemed to him as though Caleb and his father were not surprised. They knew something about his mother and didn’t tell him. How could they do something so awful?
Jared fell to his knees in hopeless surrender to a life that made no sense all of a sudden. How could someone so beautiful inside and out be taken from this world so suddenly. He didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.
Jared could hear his horse Lunar neighing above him as he sat on the ground of the barn. He got up saddled Lunar and nudged him flying out of the barn at stellar speed. He didn’t care where he wound up as long as it was far away from his home where his mother no longer graced.
As much as he wanted he was too angry to let the tears flow. He was angry at his brother Caleb and his father but more so his father for not telling him something was wrong with his mother. Lunar stopped at a large tree and Jared didn’t urge him on instead he dismounted Lunar and sat down in the grass. He laid there and watched the sun set and the stars rise as his eyelids became heavy with sleep.
***
Jared hated this scene. He’d only been to two funerals in his life, his mother’s would make the third and the most difficult. Jared stood in-between his father and Caleb neither of which he’d spoken to since his mother’s death. Caleb tried explaining to him that they had planned on telling him but their mother didn’t want Jared to be worried so she asked them to keep it from him. Jared was hurt by the fact that his mother didn’t want him to know. Had he known he would have helped out more around the farm instead of watching her pick up his slack and stand in his defense.
He hated what he’d done. He wished he’d known. Jared couldn’t blame his mother nor did he want to so he settled on his father.
It seemed as though the entire population of Blue Hill was there at his mother’s funeral. His mother was an amazing woman there was no one who spoke a bad word about her. She was loved not only by her family but by many in Blue Hill.
She was there too, Jennifer. She stood directly across from Jared in between who he assumed to be her parents. She was wore a dark navy blue dress and he could see tears streaming down her face. A strange reaction he thought since she didn’t even know his mother. The pain in her face was so real that he had to look away. He didn’t want to feel anything but anger.
After everyone had left the Morrison Farm, Jared wandered back to his mother’s grave. His hands caressed the words etched into the headstone as memories of his mother’s love and smile floated through his head.
Hannah Morrison
Beloved daughter, Faithful wife, Loving mother and true friend
Jared knew then he would never again be able to stand living another day in Blue Hill without his mother. He got up without so much as turning back to tell his father and brother goodbye and headed down the road that took him away from Blue Hill.
His father’s words kept replaying over and over again in his head, ‘you have responsibilities as a member of this family…stop trying to avoid them.’ Avoid them was hardly the word, Jared Morrison wanted nothing to do with the life his father had chosen for their family. Jared despised the small country life he lived in Blue Hill. Nothing exciting ever happened there.
Jared in anger and frustration got up from his bed and started to pace the floor in contemplation of his rebuttal. He and his father were always at odds and it seemed the odds had increased in the last couple months. Jared had no idea why his father picked on him almost un-relentlessly throughout the day. It seemed Jared could do nothing right unlike his older brother Caleb who did everything their father wanted him to.
Sometimes Jared felt as though Caleb and his father shared a secret and didn’t find it important enough to tell him about it. Each time in the past couple months when Jared walked into a room the two were in they would stop their conversation and start up another. Jared knew the awkward conversation starter was in an attempt to hide something he just had no idea what. The way things were going between Jared and his father, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know…he wasn’t sure he cared anymore.
Jared now sixteen felt as though the world held a greater gift for him than Blue Hill on the Morrison family farm. The only one that kept Jared from leaving Blue Hill was his mother. She was the only person in the world who understood him.
Caleb, Jared’s older brother only by a year was favored it seemed to Jared more by his father.
Jared considered his mother a gem…a precious stone worthy to be adored. He couldn’t imagine anything good in his world without her. He could always count on his mother to come to his defense.
As Jared paced the floor still feeling the anger from the argument with his father a half hour earlier he stopped at his window. The window from his bedroom overlooked the old Cassels farm next door which had been vacant for months. The Cassels left Blue Hill when Mr. Cassels received a management position. Jimmy Cassels, the Cassels youngest son had been Jared’s best friend since grade school. He had written Jared everyday almost telling him all about the big city life. The more Jared read the letters, the more he was sure he wanted to leave Blue Hill. Jared stood at the window and watched as the new tenants of the Cassels farm unpacked their car and loaded boxes and bags into the house. Jared was just about to turn away when long wavy dark locks caught his attention. He leaned in closer to get a better a glimpse of the seemed beauty. The woman near the car called out the name ‘Jennifer’ and long, wavy, dark locks turned full face towards Jared’s window.
Jared stood mesmerized by the beauty as she walked to the woman and grabbed a small box from her hand. Jennifer he thought to himself, wow, she’s gorgeous. Jared had never seen anyone so beautiful. She looked about his age or maybe a year younger. He couldn’t be sure he was pretty far away.
Jared’s thoughts were interrupted when his brother Caleb burst into his room. Jared turned around annoyed until he saw fear etched across Caleb’s face.
“What’s wrong?!” Jared asked
Out of breath and hesitant, “It’s mom, you’ve gotta come quick.” Caleb breathed out.
“What do you mean, it’s mom, what’s going on?” Jared asked already at Caleb’s side at the mention of his mother.
“Just come…there’s not much time.” Caleb said as he put his head down and started down the stairs. Jared rushed down the stairs practically on Caleb’s heels. Jared could hear voices coming from his parent’s bedroom. He recognized Dr. Simms voice. What was going on? Jared walked up behind Caleb who stopped at the door. Jared couldn’t see much except for his father holding onto the headboard of the bed as Dr. Simms hovered over his mother. Jared looked at Caleb to see tears flowing uninhibitedly down his face.
“Caleb…Caleb…what’s going on? Why is Dr. Simms here?” Jared asked as fear crept up into his soul his eyes back on Dr. Simms who still hovered over his mother.
“Mom’s…mom’s…” Caleb tried to get out.
“Mom’s what?” demanded Jared which made his father look in his direction. Jared could see the tired and hopeless look that rested on his father’s face and without Caleb explaining anything to him he knew something was horribly wrong with his mother and both Caleb and his father knew about it.
Jared pushed past Caleb and ran to the other side of his mother’s bed. She laid lifeless on the peach pillowcases etched with soft green leaves she’d made only two months before. Dr. Simms reached for his stethoscope and placed it near his mother’s heart, after about a minute or so he removed it and looked up at Jared’s father and shook his head. Jared’s father closed his eyes and the tears streamed down his face.
“What’s going on?” asked Jared with cautioned fear.
Dr. Simms looked at Jared and then back at his father, “I’ll leave you alone, I’ll be right outside.”
Jared watched as Dr. Simms gathered together his belongings placed them in his leather bag and exited the room. Caleb still stood at the doorway.
Jared turned to his mother and placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
“Mom, it’s Jared…are you alright?” Jared asked as he peered closely at his mother’s lifeless frame.
Jared’s father placed his hand on Jared’s hand. Jared closed his eyes not wanting anything except to see his mother’s eyes open again.
“Jared…I’m sorry son, she’s gone.” Jared’s father said with a painful tremble in his voice.
Jared squeezed his eyes so tight the tears that welled up inside were painfully pushed back. Jared jerked his hand from underneath his father’s grasp. He opened his eyes and stared back at his father with contempt as though he had been betrayed. Jared rose from the bed in intense anger, pushed past Caleb and jolted out the back door.
Jared ran into the barn and began to kick around tools and throw hay and yelled at the walls. He was so angry he had no idea how to handle what just happened. His mother was gone and it seemed to him as though Caleb and his father were not surprised. They knew something about his mother and didn’t tell him. How could they do something so awful?
Jared fell to his knees in hopeless surrender to a life that made no sense all of a sudden. How could someone so beautiful inside and out be taken from this world so suddenly. He didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye.
Jared could hear his horse Lunar neighing above him as he sat on the ground of the barn. He got up saddled Lunar and nudged him flying out of the barn at stellar speed. He didn’t care where he wound up as long as it was far away from his home where his mother no longer graced.
As much as he wanted he was too angry to let the tears flow. He was angry at his brother Caleb and his father but more so his father for not telling him something was wrong with his mother. Lunar stopped at a large tree and Jared didn’t urge him on instead he dismounted Lunar and sat down in the grass. He laid there and watched the sun set and the stars rise as his eyelids became heavy with sleep.
***
Jared hated this scene. He’d only been to two funerals in his life, his mother’s would make the third and the most difficult. Jared stood in-between his father and Caleb neither of which he’d spoken to since his mother’s death. Caleb tried explaining to him that they had planned on telling him but their mother didn’t want Jared to be worried so she asked them to keep it from him. Jared was hurt by the fact that his mother didn’t want him to know. Had he known he would have helped out more around the farm instead of watching her pick up his slack and stand in his defense.
He hated what he’d done. He wished he’d known. Jared couldn’t blame his mother nor did he want to so he settled on his father.
It seemed as though the entire population of Blue Hill was there at his mother’s funeral. His mother was an amazing woman there was no one who spoke a bad word about her. She was loved not only by her family but by many in Blue Hill.
She was there too, Jennifer. She stood directly across from Jared in between who he assumed to be her parents. She was wore a dark navy blue dress and he could see tears streaming down her face. A strange reaction he thought since she didn’t even know his mother. The pain in her face was so real that he had to look away. He didn’t want to feel anything but anger.
After everyone had left the Morrison Farm, Jared wandered back to his mother’s grave. His hands caressed the words etched into the headstone as memories of his mother’s love and smile floated through his head.
Hannah Morrison
Beloved daughter, Faithful wife, Loving mother and true friend
Jared knew then he would never again be able to stand living another day in Blue Hill without his mother. He got up without so much as turning back to tell his father and brother goodbye and headed down the road that took him away from Blue Hill.