-Just outside of Gladstone.

The yellow sun was creeping over the horizon as Ruth hurried down the dusty dirt path. As she walked she began reflecting on the past few weeks.

A certain heaviness came over her as she relived her first day of work.

She had been instructed to cook for the threshing gang. So, she went into action, slaving all morning over a wood-burning stove. Finally, the moment had come to harvest the fruits of her labor. My, the loaves of bread had looked light brown and beautiful as she pulled them from the fire. With a heart bursting with pride at her accomplishment, she had promptly packed the loaves up and then rushed them out to the field. The threshing gang had licked their lips and stared in envy as she presented the first loaf to Simon. He had smiled, wiped a sheen of sweat from his face, and reverently taken the bread from her hands. Then, he bit into that loaf like a man who had been starving for a week. That was when they had all discovered that Ruth’s beautiful loaves were as hard as the many rocks littering the road.

Ruth headed toward her assigned place by a giant stack of straw.

After her disaster with the bread, Simon had assigned her to fieldwork. It was the first time she had ever attempted such work. That first afternoon, Ruth had spent at least half an hour forking at a stack of straw. Simon had wandered by, caught sight of her vigorous efforts, and drew closer. It hadn’t taken him long to discover the reason for her lack of progress. She was using the fork backward. How embarrassed she had been when Simon had taken the fork from her hands and patiently pointed out the correct way to use it. Thank God she had learned a few things since that day.

“Daydreamin again, are ya?”

Ruth looked up to Simon striding across the field toward her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about the past.”

“Ya know, the funny thing about livin in the past is there’s no future in it.”

“That’s true.” Ruth began to attack the stack of straw assigned to her. “Don’t worry. I’ll get this cleaned up right away.”

“No need ta rush. I just came over to tell ya we’re gonna finish harvest today.”

“That is great news!” Ruth stopped her work and softened her tone. “I mean, I’m glad to hear that, it’s been a tough harvest.”

“It sure has, but I’ll hafta say, I’m proud of ya, you caught on real quick.” Simon slammed a powerful hand into her back. Ruth had grown used to these back slaps of congratulation but somehow the force of them never seemed to lessen. “You know, I’m real glad ya decided to work for me.”

“Well, truthfully, Naomi decided it for me,” Ruth gasped as she struggled to catch her breath.

“She sure did, didn’t she? She’s a wise woman. Stubborn as a seized up wheel bearing but she’s wise, I’ll give ya that.”

“Yes. I’ve learned that…that I don’t know as much as I once thought I did.”

“Well, I reckon everybody’s gone through that stage of thinkin they know everythin. You’re one of the smart ones, you grew outta that stage. Some folks never do.” Simon hung his head and paced for a moment. Moving his nervous hands in and out of his overalls. His voice was shy and reserved when he finally summoned up the courage to speak. “Speakin of thinkin, you still thinkin of goin back home to the United States?”

“I don’t know.” Ruth paused, considering the beautiful sunrise that was flooding the sky in the east. Her voice was thoughtful as she continued. “I know I hurt my family and friends by leaving them the way I did. And now…now that I’ve got some money together, I’ve been thinking that maybe I should go back and settle things.”

-On a steam train headed north. Patricia sat on a padded bench as the floor of the train car rocked beneath her feet. This passenger car was a little more upscale than the one that Naomi and Ruth had traveled in. Apparently, a little money can get you first-class treatment. As befitting a woman of class, Patricia still wore her fashionable brown dress and her favorite hat.

The one with the bird perched upon it.

Patricia was alone, mumbling to herself under her breath. “Ruth, I know you’ll be surprised to see me but let’s be honest. I gave birth to you. I raised you. I hate to see you waste your life like this.” She continued to grumble like this even as the beautiful prairie flowed past her window.

-In a field just outside of Gladstone.

Simon moved closer to Ruth. “I know it’s been hard for ya. It’s been hard for all of us with the town goin bankrupt and all. I guess that’s why my men saw ya takin some of my grain home with you.”

“Well…I just saw some sheaves left behind after threshing and…”

Simon yawned, casually raising his hand and then resting it on her shoulders. “Oh, I don’t mind. That’s just how it is. The men get tired later on in the evenin and they start droppin a few sheaves here and there.”

“Funny. I noticed they seemed to drop more whenever I was around.”

“As I told them to do.” Simon caught himself. “I mean, I’m just thankful that ya got some use out of it.”

“We sure did, that bit of grain really helped us get by. I honestly don’t know how we could have survived without you. Thank you.” Ruth indulged a bit of her old impulsiveness and gave Simon a large embrace.

Simon broke away and turned bashful again. “Yeah well. Anyway, seein as harvest is over, I was gonna ask ya if you’d like ta come down to the celebration we’re plannin on havin at the train station tomorrow.”

-On a steam train headed north.

“Ruth, when you married Naomi’s son, Bradley, after knowing him for just two weeks. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of you marrying a Canadian, but I gave it a chance. Now that Bradley has passed on, you have a chance to start over.”

-In a field just outside of Gladstone.

Ruth took a few steps away from her suitor. “Thanks for the offer but…”

Simon followed. “You’ve got a lot on your mind I’m sure.”

“I’m sorry. You’re a good man, but I just need some time.”

“Well, thinkin is good but so is a hoedown to give ya a break from all that thinkin.” Simon grinned as he pulled out his trump card. “The truth is I already asked Naomi and she said you’d both be there.”

Ruth chuckled and shook her head as she realized that she had been beaten. “Alright then, I guess we’ll both be there.”

Simon gave another of his powerful back slaps. “I’m glad ta hear it. Now I gotta go and make sure the men are doin as good a job as you are.” He paused. “I tell ya, Ruth, I’m sure lookin forward ta seein ya tomorrow.” Simon waved and then ambled along the field toward a threshing machine.

His threshing gang was clustered around the contraption. A milling mass of figures enshrouded in straw dust. A human-machine bending, heaving, working as if their wages depended on it.

Strangely enough, they did.

-On a steam train headed north.

“Ruth, I guess what I’m really trying to say is this. You don’t belong with rough prairie men like Naomi’s son, Bradley. You never did. You belong with someone refined, someone more suitable to your station in life.”

-In a field just outside of Gladstone.

Ruth gazed into the morning sky as if searching for God. “Well, if I’ve learned anything over these past few months, it’s that I shouldn’t be so impulsive when I make decisions.”

-On a steam train headed north.

“Ruth, it’s time to be sensible. Patrick is waiting for you to come home. We all are.” Patricia’s face twisted into an expression of extreme puzzlement. “Goodness. I just don’t know what came over that daughter of mine. She turned to face the bewildered passengers sitting across the aisle from her. “I suppose I’ll find out when the train gets in tomorrow.” As if to underscore this point, a train whistle shrieked, warning of civilization ahead.

-In a field just outside of Gladstone.

“What I haven’t learned yet is whether I should stay here or go back home? Well, I guess I’ve got until tomorrow to think about it.” With these thoughts to keep her company, Ruth began to attack the stack of straw she had been ordered to fork onto a nearby cargo wagon.