In My Life

When his wife dies after giving birth, Daniel Bystle struggles to grieve as his children grow up.

 

            Life was never a luxury, in fact, it was far from it. California in the summer was torcher. The date was July 5, 1859. Women walked down the streets with sweat dripping off there face, but they still acted as if the heat wasn’t bothering them. The men on the other hand, still worked hard and seemed used to the heat burning upon.

 

“It just amazes me Rose” A woman said in a general store

“What’s that?” Rose asked.

“That it’s got to be 90 degrees outside, maybe hotter, and your still cheerful, how do you do it?” The woman asked

“Well, I just got back from the doctor Shurtliff” Rose grinned “I’m pregnant”

“Oh that’s wonderful, have you told Daniel yet?”

“No, not yet, I’m looking for him, you know where he is?” Rose asked

“I saw him down at the courthouse, you may check there” Anna shrugged

 

            Anna and Rose parted ways, just after Rose sold some eggs from her chickens, and bought some sewing thread and fabric with it. She crossed the street and entered the brick courthouse.

 

“Hello Mrs.Bystle, how may I help you today?” The woman at the front desk asked

“Hello Miss. Evans, have you seen Daniel? Anna Reading said he came in here” Rose asked.

“Yes, he’s down visiting the sheriff” Miss Evans replied

 

            Rose thanked the woman and made her way down the steep stairs to the jail. She spotted her husband talking with the sheriff about a prisoner.

 

“Rose, what are you doing here?” Daniel asked

“I wanted you to be one of the first ones to know” Rose grinned.

“On of the first to know what?” Daniel asked

“We’re going to have another baby” Rose cried.

 

 Daniel just caught his wife after she ran into his arms; he twirled her around, thanking god for his dear wife. His little 4 year old boy would have a brother or sister. And this one would survive, he was sure of it.

 

“Sam will be so happy” Rose smiled”I can’t wait for him to get out of school so I can tell him.”

“Now don’t you be pulling him out of school like you did last time,” Daniel said.

“Congratulations Rose” Said the Sheriff

“Thanks Sheriff,” Rose blushed “Well Daniel, I think I’m going to head home, see you later?”

“Take the buggy, I’ll get a ride from the Sheriff” Daniel smiled

“Okay, see you at home then” Daniel said.

 

 Rose went back up the steep stairs and found her husbands buggy. She hopped on and whipped the horses; making them walk slowly. As she drove home, she thought about the little babies she lost at the mining camp in Oroville. Now, her little babies were lying comfortably in there coffins at the Shasta Union Cemetery.

            In the months that passed, every day was a different emotion. One day she would be happy, and positive, while the next day she would be depressed and upset at the babies she lost. She talked to the doctor every 2 days, and so far, the baby was as healthy as could be, which made her worry less. Rose continued doing what she had been doing for the rest of the pregnancy, the last check up she had was just hours before giving birth. She had her check up at 4 in the afternoon, and went into labor as she was walking home.

 

“Doctor Help!” Rose cried

 

 Doctor Shurtiff ran out the door and helped Rose into his office. He gave her something for the pain, and then she pushed with ease.

 

“Mrs. Bystle, you can relax now, you’ve just given birth to a healthy, baby girl” The doctor said.

“Oh she’s so precious” Rose said as she took her newborn in her arms.

 

            The doctor sent someone to find Daniel. And with the doctor and her husband, they got Rose laying safely in the wagon.

 

“How come someone didn’t send for me?” Daniel asked

“There wasn’t enough time” Rose explained “And nobody was around at that time”

“I told Sam to go to Ames’s when schools over,” Daniel said.

“Thank you” Rose smiled.

 

            She handed the baby girl to Daniel before taking a deep breath and drifting off into slumber. When she closed her eyes, she saw golden gates and her grandmother in a beautiful white dress extending her hand. Rose took it gladly and they walked through the gates together.

            The Doctor shook and checked Rose’s pulse. Nothing. She died on the way home. What went wrong? He thought. He went Daniel and saw, him smiling down at the pink blanket that carried his daughter. He cleared his throat and gave him the grim news. The coffin maker would now have to make a coffin for his own wife.

            In the days that passed; Daniel had built a beautiful coffin, a simple oak coffin with one single rose carved on the top of it, with her initials: ‘R.L.B’ under it.  He held his sons hand and his daughter as the whole town came to mourn the passing of Rosanna Lawrence Bystle. Age 35. Rose was laid beside her 4 children that never made it passed 4 days old.

 

“May she rest in the hands of God” The preacher said before they lowered her into the ground.

 

Daniel looked at his wife’s coffin one last time before turning his back. He imagined her inside it, dressed in her best dress, and her hair lying over her shoulders. Daniel blinked back a tear as he led the children to the buggy to go home. He chose to name his new daughter Rose after her mother whom she would never meet. Daniel hoped that his new daughter would look just like her mother.

            In the years that passed, Sam got married and had a child of his own on the way, while Rose was a teacher at the schoolhouse in the newly developed town of Redding. Every day Rose reminded Daniel more and more of his passed wife. He could hardly believe that it was almost 19 years to the day his wife passed away. Sometimes at night, when he was all alone in his room, he would talk to Rose because he always felt that she was with him. Somewhere deep down, Daniel could hear Rose’s responses.

 

“I’m telling you Sam, she’s not gone. She’s with us all the time.” Daniel would say.

“But dad, she died. She’s with God now” Sam said.

“You don’t understand” Daniel whispered. “I can see her”

 

            Sam looked at his graying father. Grey hairs were sprinkled into his dark hair, and bags were around his eyes. The poor man was so heartbroken, and in the 19 years it was just getting worse.

 

“Dad, why don’t you rest?” Sam suggested.

“You think I’m crazy don’t you?” Daniel cried “I’m not!”

“I didn’t say that dad” Sam said calmly.

 

            Daniel looked at his son. His hazel eyes were willed with worry and concern.  Still, his own son didn’t believe him, why?

 

“Why don’t you believe me?” Daniel asked “Have I ever lied to you?”

“Dad, please, if you just lie down.” Sam said.

“I will not lie down!” Daniel shouted.

 

            Suddenly, Daniel gasped for air, then fell to the floor, sobbing. Sam’s eyes widened and just as a reaction, he fell to the floor with him and tried sitting his father up.

 

“Dad, please” Sam cried. “You need help dad, please listen!”

 

            A week later, Daniel was checked into the nearest mental facility Rose and Sam could find. They took Daniel down there where he was checked in without a complaint. In his heart, Sam had the gut feeling that his father would never be let out.

 

“Will he be okay Sam?” Rose asked

“He will be now” Sam smiled.

Author's Note

I'm still working on this story, it still needs to be edited and changed, so there will be better versions of this story still to come