The Cowboy's Scars

November 20, 2010

It was in the wee hours of the morning, the sky was still dark with no trace of sunlight. The croaking of toads could still be heard and in a nearby farm, a cock crowed signifying the approaching sunrise. Connor Mcjunkin was awakened by the barking of his guard dog, Buddy beside the front door. He stood up, stretched his body while walking to the front door to open it for Buddy to go out and relieve himself.

Walking out the door dressed in cotton pants and a shirt, Connor sat down on a wooden chair on the front porch and gazed out at his ranch. His chest felt tight with happiness and pride when he saw his small acres of land which he toiled day and night on. Getting a loan from the local bank had proven to be a test of his confidence. It had taken time and lots of paperworks were signed but in the end, the loan was approved and disbursed to him. He had no idea what he would have done if the loan had been denied.

Being abandoned at the orphanage when he was a baby didn't really set him up for life. He was adopted at the age of seven by farmer Armstrong, a local farmer who brought him home to his farm where he along with a couple of older kids tilled the land, planted and took care of the animals while attending the nearby school. He was clothed, fed and housed by the farmer which he paid for by doing menial work on the farm and around the house. As he grew, so did the burden of work he did. Keeping the animals clean and well-fed, leading a small group of people in tilling the land, planting the seeds, tending to the plants, working with the farmer to make scarecrows, harvesting, repairing broken fences and links in the farm and fixing leaky roofs were just a few of his daily chores. The farmer was kind to him but very distant while his wife, a stout lady with a sharp mouth and fast hands didn't hesitate to land a few knocks on his head when she felt he was being playful and slow to do his tasks. He generally kept out of her way and just did his work.

Owing to Connor's frequent absence from school due to farm work, he had failed in 8th grade and had been mandated to repeat the grade which resulted in him graduating from high school at the age of 19. As farmer Armstrong took care of all his primary needs, he only started getting paid when he turned 16 and the money was vastly reduced compared to what other farm workers were paid. As a result of this, he was barely able to save enough money to move out. He just needed enough money to be able to pay for a few weeks of rent in the town boarding house till he could find a way to get funds and buy his own ranch which had been a lifelong dream of his.

It took him an additional year and some months to save enough money to afford a few months of rent and move out of the Armstrong farm. He was extremely grateful for what the Armstrongs had done for him but he knew without a doubt that they wouldn't do another thing for him and farmer Armstrong had told him it was high time he moved out and got his own life. They didn't give him a dime as he was leaving and Connor didn't bother begging for any. While the farmer shook his hand and said " good luck Connor, you'll do well" which to be honest meant a lot to Connor, his wife said" finally, he's out of here" with a relieved smile on her face. Connor didn't bother deigning that comment with a reply and just left.

He moved to the boarding house and started applying for a bank loan. As he had never had a bank account, the loan process was long and ardous and only got approved after two months. He got a few acres of land, bought some livestock, and lots of wood for construction. He got to work immediately and built a little wooden cabin where he kept the only property he had, an old bed he had gotten for a very fair price in town. He also constructed a small but sturdy barn where the animals and building tools were kept.

It had taken him about four months of unwavering hard work to turn his empty acres of land into a promising sight and now, sitting on the porch in the still dark-grey morning sky, Connor felt a deep sense of satisfaction when he saw his land that was blooming with hay and grass, his locked barn with his animals inside and a place that he could call his own, to lay his head down and sleep at night. He was turning 21 in a month's time and couldn't be more proud of how far he had come in life.

He sat there with his dog by his side till the sun came up in various hues of calming colours and the sky brightened up. He stood up and the dog ran across the short distance to the barn door and waited expectantly with his tongue out. Connor closed the door to his cabin with a smile on his face and crossed the yard to open the barn door wide, going in to loosen the animals from their posts and let them out for the day.