Deer Clearing Falls

Chapter one John Thomas set his post dinner cup of coffee on the front porch railing, of his two story colonial mansion, and lighted his cigar. What a beautiful day this has been, he thought, while watching the blue-gray smoke drift slowly away on the refreshing breeze. The day’s crystal blue sky had transitioned into a purple heaven filled with the grandeur of faint puf-fy clouds that floated lazily across the western horizon. John took a deep breath and could smell the freshly turned soil in the fields. The enticing aroma intermixed perfectly with the scent of pine from the trees that lined the winding drive that led to his front porch. In the nearby pasture, livestock were grazing across dark green grass, providing the picturesque scene that he had enjoyed his entire life. As the final rays of light burst forward from the setting sun, he felt a smile of satisfaction come across his handsome face. He lifted his mug, of steaming hot coffee, and took in the pleasant smell of the brew before enjoying a drink. After returning the cup to the handrail, he took another long pull from his cigar and ex-haled. As he watched the smoke float away, his mind wondered towards thoughtful consid-erations regarding the full scope of his life. Forty years, forty years and this is all I have to show for it, John reflected while he stretched tall to relieve the painful kinks in his lower back. In spite of his family’s good for-tune, John felt restlessness in his soul that he could neither understand nor explain. Few people, who knew him, would ever imagine that he was unhappy with his life. He had a beautiful wife, four sons, wealth, and considerable political influence in the community. Nevertheless, for John to feel he had created his own legacy, he needed to prove to himself that he could achieve his Grandfather's level of accomplishments based upon his own ef-forts. Every time John felt as if he had successfully removed these thoughts from his mind, they would creep back in, like a fox raiding a henhouse, during the silent hours of dark-ness. He turned his gaze westward when the urge to settle his family in the new United States Federal Territories came over him. John wanted new surroundings for his family that were wild and untainted from the effects of modern civilization. To these new lands, he would move his family, beyond the Mississippi River, to start a new life and experience his own destiny. Ten years ago, John had lost his mother to a case of measles that had decimated the local community. Upon her death, he and his younger brother, Jeremiah, had inherited the Thomasville estate, consisting of five-thousand acres of land, a centerpiece mansion, and greater wealth than a man could dispose of in two lifetimes. Shortly after her passing, this strong desire to move his family westward had been at the forefront of his every thought. “Manifest Destiny,” he whispered while exhaling another long pull from his cigar. “That is what they are calling it.” The recent conclusion of the Mexican-American war, coupled with the Annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory between the years of 1845 and 1846, had forever changed the culture of the United States. The nation had not experienced such a large geo-graphical expansion since the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803, during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. America was evolving and bringing forth-tremendous opportunities for those individuals with the courage to take advantage of them. John remembered vividly, the speculative craze that had swept through the United States following the war of 1812. He would sit silently, with his younger brother Jeremiah, listening intently to his Grandpa Jake debate investment opportunities, within the new ter-ritories, with a group of local plantation owners. During those times, the wave of migration, which had forged westward towards the Mississippi River, had brought with it a lasting impact on the economy and a dynamic shift in the national census data. Like now, those vast regions of rich soil, wildlife, and huge forest had drawn Americans onward with hope-ful dreams of a better life for their families. John engaged in these sessions of private reflection whenever he had to make a hard decision. He understood completely that it would have a significant impact on a multitude of individuals, in the local community, if he chose to leave. As he dwelled on these responsi-bilities, he wondered how he would ever be able to approach his family when it came time for them to go. Following her evening chores, Treecie Adams Thomas walked to the front entrance of the mansion and silently gazed at her husband through the open door. Treecie, who had been John's wife for nearly twenty years, would normally not venture onto the porch in the evening. She respected his need for privacy, which he so rarely received, while he worked through the colossal tasks associated with managing the Thomasville Plantation. During supper that evening, Treecie had sensed a distraction in John that had troubled her. His normal participation in the family conversations and lively discussions with the boys had been missing. As if his mind was in another place, his sky-blue eyes had peered right through her and the children. She knew something was troubling him and was determined to find out what it was. My goodness, how I love that man, Treecie thought, as she stared dreamily at him for a few moments, before stepping onto the porch. She had always been thankful that a man who stood six-feet, five-inches tall, with a physique that appeared to be chiseled from a piece of marble, could possess such a gentle nature. She loved his dark-brown shoulder length hair, which had a natural wave to its texture, and had always melted like butter whenever she peered into his eyes, which were as blue as the sky on a spring day. She con-sidered briefly, the air of confidence that radiated from his perfectly constructed face, with its well-rounded mouth, narrow nose, and white teeth that shined bright when he smiled. Despite all of the blessings, she had enjoyed over the years, John, and her children were the human treasures she locked away in her heart that carried her through life with tremen-dous joy and happiness. John sensed Treecie's presence without turning to face her. Waiting for her to speak, he chased down another long pull from his cigar with a flavorful drink of coffee. “Hey John, what are you thinking about?” She asked, as she stepped onto the front porch. “May I join you?” John’s mind slowly shifted back to reality. “Sure, I ain't doing anything. Are the boys asleep yet?” “No, but it won't be long.” She lifted his cup of coffee and sipped it slowly. “They wore themselves out completely today, working with you in the fields.” “There is a bad storm brewing, Treecie. I need to go and make sure the livestock are settled for the night.” John could sense how restless the animals were becoming when he heard the anxious hammering of hooves, on the hard packed soil in the corral, and the pe-riodic nervous bellow that rolled through the humid thick air of the surrounding darkness. Treecie set the coffee cup back on the handrail. “It isn't the livestock that I am con-cerned about, John,” she said with a chuckle. “You worry too much, woman,” John responded teasingly. Treecie wrapped her arms around John’s waist and gently laid her head upon his broad shoulders. “What would you think about taking the boys into Clearwater tomorrow, if the weather isn't too bad?” John asked. “I need to pick-up supplies and take care of some business.” “I think the boys would enjoy that, John,” Treecie whispered. “It's been several weeks since we took them off as a family. Will you be coming inside soon?” She asked. John pulled Treecie close and stroked an unruly piece of blonde hair from her eyes. “I will be along shortly.” Treecie felt a girlish sense of security coming over her, as she lay nestled in his mas-sive arm