Anna's Story
page 9
Anna finally agreed, but only if her mother could come with them. Of course, no question about it. He'd be delighted to have her. He even suggested that her sisters and their husbands and families should all come with them to homestead their own land. He wanted his mother to come, too, but she decided against it and agreed to come later.
When Anna told her mother of their plans, she tried to paint a beautiful picture of their future home and said that Tom would make it so. Her mother was aghast! Why would her daughter want to leave all of this and go to some wild place where the cowboys and Indians were always fighting? And, now that she was with her third child, it wouldn't be safe for her or her children. "Don't go", she cried pleadingly, "you've had enough trips by coming here. Don't expose yourself and your family to all that danger".
Anna was upset by her mother's reaction, and she cried too. She said she didn't really want to move, but Tom was insistent and she wouldn't let him go alone. She so hoped her mother would reconsider - every thing would be more tolerable if she came. The children would miss her and may not even remember her later. That did it! Her mother would not let the babies go without her. In the excitement of packing and parties, she almost looked forward to going. It shouldn't be too bad, she prayed silently.
They sold their house, their farm, and many things they couldn't take with them. Most of the personal things, such as furniture, a few head of cattle, and some chickens, they hauled by train headed towards Saskatchewan. From there, they would go to Montana by horse-drawn wagon.
Her sister, Polly, her husband, Mike, and their two children, Anna and John, decided to head West with them. The younger sister and Tom's mother preferred to wait and go later.
When they boarded the train, they lacked one seat- one person would have to go to the cattle car. No one volunteered, so Anna's mother said that she would. It upset Anna to have her mother there with all the smelly animals; but the men didn't offer to take her place, and Anna had to be with her children. Her mother didn't complain. She huddled in the corner of the car and prayed all night. By day-break, she was cold and sore from sitting up so long, but soon she warmed up and felt better. Soon they would be there.
After a long, crowded train trip, they arrived in Saskatchewan. It was a small town situated in the vast, open prairie; the cold North wind was chilling, the ground covered with snow - not very inviting, it even looked hostile.