The Simple Things

Josie went skipping on in,

Up to the counter to ask for Jam pens.

The general store was busy on this,

Day not too far from Christmas.

Jacob grinned as Josie spoke real low,

As if Annie was in the store and would know.

That pens were for her, a secret gift.

Jacob had heard all about it.

Jake had already commissioned,

a pole for fishin,

To be carved by a woodworker in BG.

Set to be picked today,

The results he was anxious to see.

With the way Josie was excited and had prattled,

Jacob should have been rattled.

Because dear little Josie was making plans.

As she pointed to some silk and asked the man,

Behind the counter to cut her some strands.

Jacob sighed and his pockets were getting empty,

As Josie was adding items aplenty.

"Josephine , we came here for jam pens that's all.

Why do we need silk, a china teapot, and a doll?"

Josie sighed, "For pity sake!

I have my reasons, Jake!

The doll is for the orphans, you want them to do without?

The teapot is for Brandy, please don't shout.

I kinda broke hers by mistake.

And the silk is for a pouch for the pens.

Annie will need a place to carry them."

Jacob placed his hands on his hips.

Josie couldn't sew worth a lick.

"Josie, I don't have time to be sewin.

I have places I need to be goin.

I have to see Petra about getting on at the forge.

Annie will be pleased with the pens.

She don't need any fancy trimmings."

Jacob should have known.

No use arguing with a woman, even one only half-grown.

A short time later, Josie skipped out of the store happily,

While he,

Carried parcels and some silk fabric.

And that afternoon he got down to it.

Bea had taught him to sew.

And he sewed well, he did know.

Not a fact he likes to advertise,

Not something usual or manly for guys.

But in came in handy.

Josie smiled and said the pouch was a dandy.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Promised to do the washing without complaining all week.

Later that night, he picked up the fishing pole.

Now Uncle Bubba would have it for the fishing hole.

The workmanship was sturdy and fine.

He paid the man extra, it was Christmas time.

Josie was grinning and quiet as a mouse,

As they headed to Uncle Bubba and Aunt Sue's house.

She had scribbled a small note.

"Merry Christmas. Catch a big one," she wrote.

Jacob watched her prop the fishin rod against a rocking chair.

Uncle Bubba and Aunt Sue were in there.

The smells of food wafted through the door.

And Josie was sure,

To be quiet indeed.

Aunt Sue was laughing about something.

Brother and sister crept away.

Next stop in BG,

To the newspaper office to leave the pouch and pens for Annie.

Jake knew she checked in there from time to time.

She had interviewed him and it went mighty fine.

He felt some regret.

At the time of the interview, he hadn't decided to leave BG yet.

He missed the circus life, but the folks even more.

He vowed to make this Christmas better than ever before.

Josie's first Christmas without their adopted family.

He promised Josie, to get along with Bruce.

At least for Christmas day, anyway.

No promises after that.

Josie had even bought Bruce a new hat.

With Jacob's money of course.

Jacob had been dismayed to find,

He hadn't made it to the general store in time.

To procure enough silk for the dress.

Josie had her heart set on since the day,

She saw Gyn wearing it in the café.

No time to send away.

To get some before Christmas day.

He wouldn't have the time no how,

To find someone to make it now.

And sharing a room with Josie,

Made secrets hard to keep.

Even if he sewed it himself while she did sleep.

He'd gotten her some perfume and a silk parasol.

She no longer was interested in dolls.

That didn't make him feel better at all.

The lip rouge, he refused to buy.

Even if it did catch her eye.

She was far too young to paint her face.

No way. Not today.

They made it back to the hotel to grab something to eat.

Jacob told Josie to go grab them a seat.

He ran up the room.

He had a surprise for Rue.

So technically, he hadn't pulled her name from the hat.

But to hell with that!

He'd never been one to follow the rules anyway.

He reached under the bed and pulled out the box.

Looked around just to be sure, Josie wasn't spying at the door.

He rifled through the box until he found what he was looking for.

He used his knife to whittle the hole.

Grabbed the leather string and threaded it through.

It was the perfect gift for Rue.

He wrapped it in silk and tied it with thread.

Slide the box back under the bed.

Grabbed a pen and some paper instead.

He crept down the hall, waiting until it was clear.

Listened at the door to make sure Rue wasn't near.

He slid the small package and note underneath.

Then he went downstairs to take his seat.

"Why are you grinning? What are you up to now Jake?"

Asked Josie as she put bread on her plate.

"It's a secret Josie. I'll tell ya later on maybe anyway."

Josie sighed, "Your surprises aren't usually good Jake. That's all I'll say."

He laughed, "About this one, you won't feel that way."

Jacob imagined the face of Rue.

As she opened the gift,

Hoped she'd wear it too.

When he had first joined the show,

He'd taken a liking to a carving of a crow.

A master Carver was the father of Joe.

Bea had given him carvings as presents ever since.

Ten years of Birthdays and Christmas.

He had quite the collection of wooden animals indeed.

A wooden tiger was just what Rue would need.

He had seen the way she interacted with them,

On their date that day.

She had healed the big cat, taken its pain away.

A girl like Rue didn't want fancy rings.

But rather the simple things...