by Bobby Wenzoski

Created on: November 04, 2008

Beyond the corn field, and past the brook, there stood a tall weather worn pioneer house with only a few remaining shards in the windows. Within the old rickety house, the large beams were still solid and offered shelter from storms to stray people, rodents', and the like.

Joe after tending the cattle, and sheep would lurk off into this shelter and enjoy his lunch, many times the lunch pail was empty; and he hungered. Joe was an orphan at age 9, he was now 10 and not allowed to go to school. He did not recall his father at all; as he had perished from the great influenza outbreak when they were on the boat to the new world, from Poland.

Shutting his eyes tightly; he huddled inside of the house bunched up into a ball hearing the thunder and the rain pound on the rooftop. If he squeezed his eyes tightly enough, the tears would not drop, and he could see his mother, and brothers again when they were happy Drifting off Joe began to remember how it all happened..

*

In 1925 food was scarce in the area, but tenderness was abounding, and dreams were alive and well. Joe, Billy, Tony and their mother planted a huge garden to prepare for winter, and to have some produce to sell. Working hard the boys carried water, weeded, and planted taking direction alongside of their mother.

Every now and then she would hop off and start singing a song, grab the boys and laugh robustly; she; was life. Her name was ELIGIA, she taught the boys to speak English, Polish, and a little Greek.

Spring turned into Summer and a great horrid storm came, a twister. It completely wiped out all of their hard work, there were only potatoes that remained. It was not enough for them to get through the winter with, ELIGIA would now have to find a husband.

Marcel and her married, he was a wood cutter her primary goal was the boys, and now she was pregnant. The boys were thriving in their school work ELIGIA was proud and thrilled dreaming of how they would grow into educated men.

Marcel had different ideas, often he had beaten Billy (who was the eldest) until Billy could not move for days. One by one he picked off the boys with beatings over and over again, ELIGIA intervened when he tried to beat Joe who was the youngest.

ELIGIA eyes were swollen shut, and the boys tended to her; her breathing was not improving, and she could get up. She began to bleed, her breathing slowed, and she fell into a coma.

Early in the spring of 1926, Joe was the first to come home from school. Entering the house his mother called to him, "Joseph, come here." Thrilled beyond belief that is mother had finally awakened he ran to her bedside.

"I love you, and your brothers." Joseph held her hand, one long breath; and she was gone.

*

Waking; sprawled out in the house in the forest; Joe wept, missing her touch and laughter. He swore he would make a better day for his family in the future, and this would be their home; The house in the forest.

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