Almanzo can't wait until Laura and Jenny get home from Minneapolis so they can share stories. Loosely based on a statement Almanzo made while Laura traveled to San Francisco in 1915. A one shot. Complete in one chapter.
Once Upon a Time – Almanzo's Story
Almanzo could hardly believe it. Laura and Jenny were finally coming home from Minneapolis, after being gone for close to six weeks. The first letter had explained that they would have to stay for another two weeks, bringing it up to a month. This second letter was better news. Almanzo had to admit that he was a little frightened to open it, but once he had, he couldn't stop smiling.
"Looks like good news," Mrs. Foster asked as she noticed his grin.
"Yes it is, Mrs. Foster," Almanzo said, turning toward her. "Laura and Jenny should arrive in Walnut Grove tomorrow. The stage should drop them off sometime in the afternoon."
He always missed his Beth so much each time they separated from one another. But for some reason, this time he missed her the most. He wanted to hear so much about her experiences in the big city and how she made out with her beautiful story. And he wanted to share all his experiences with her.
That night, Almanzo remembered how he persuaded Laura to take that trip in the first place. Laura had come out of retirement to help out the new teacher, Etta Plum, while she recovered from a broken ankle. As soon as Miss Plum returned, Laura missed teaching. A part of her needed to do something, but she wasn't sure what it was she wanted to do. She wanted to be a teacher for so long; it was all she thought about.
"I need a profession," Laura proclaimed as she stood up from the rocking chair. She headed toward Jenny and Almanzo sitting at the kitchen table.
Almanzo smiled and stood up. "I've been waiting a whole week to find you in this kind of state." I figured that teaching would do it."
Laura frowned. " Manly, what on earth are you talking about?"
"The answer, that's what. The answer to what you ought to be doing." Almanzo picked up a piece of paper that had been lying on the table beside him. He held it up. "You see, there's this contest. It was announced last week and I've been waiting until the right time to bring it up."
Laura looked at the paper; then she looked at him. "Well, what kind of contest?"
"Writing,"
"Well, what kind of writing?"
Almanzo handed her the paper. "Short stories, poetry, and novels. Your remembrance books must be crammed with all kinds of stories".
"Manly," she said, looking up from the newspaper ad,"my remembrance books are just bits and pieces of a farm girl's life. Who would be interested in that?"
"Well," Almanzo answered, "city folks, for one, who don't know anything about how we live. And who knows how many others? Besides, what have you got to lose?"
Laura spent a month writing her manuscript. She read the finished product to the two of them and both were so moved that they encouraged Laura to participate in the contest. When the Wilders heard that the publisher wanted to meet with Laura at their office, Laura jumped at the chance.
And so Laura and Jenny traveled by stage and train to Minneapolis, leaving Almanzo with the little house and baby Rose.
The townspeople would surely notice that Laura would be gone again, but this time Jenny would be missing as well and that would leave tongues wagging, especially Mrs. Oleson. The last time it happened, she spread so many lies that everyone thought they were getting a divorce. Well, it wasn't going to happen this time, not if he could help it.
Nothing happened, not this time. And even if there was, Almanzo hadn't heard a thing. He knew the Oleson's had their hands full with their new adopted daughter, Nancy. There was also Willie, who was growing up and changing right before their very eyes.
The only thing that he should be worried about was taking care of the chores. He had to cook, clean, work his job, come back, work the farm and take care of little Rosie Posey. He would do it, he knew that he could handle everything.
Almanzo smiled to himself, remembering how Beth described how her father handled her mother's chores. But he was sure he could handle it, how hard could it be? Beth always kept the place spotless, sewed and mended his socks and shirts when needed, fed the livestock and the chickens, collected eggs and sold them. He would manage, in fact, he was positive he would manage.
At three in the afternoon he was standing at the stage stop eagerly awaiting his wife and his niece home, little Rosie Posey sleeping, tucked safely in his arms.
Jenny stepped off the stage first, followed by Laura. Jenny took the Rose from her Uncle's arms and Laura ran straight into Almanzo's waiting embrace. Laura took the baby out of Jenny's arms to let her hug her Uncle Manzo.
"Let's go home," Almanzo said, placing one arm around Jenny and the other around Laura who was still holding Rose. "Dinner is waiting and I can't wait to hear the great time you two had in the city."
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"I can't believe you cooked that wonderful dinner, Manly and all by yourself. That baked chicken dish was delicious. And that baked bread. I remember when you and my Pa burned that chicken two years ago." She dried the last dish and placed it in the open cabinet. "And this house is spotless."
Almanzo smiled. "I don't know how you do it, Beth. I admire you. I have to give you women a lot of credit. Any man that thinks that taking care of a house and working at the same time is easy, he should just take on the responsibility. He will see that it is not as easy as it looks." He walked over to her and placed his arms around her shoulders. "I taught myself to cook in order to survive. Six weeks is a long time to go without food."
"You got everything done, Manly, including your own work. I'm so proud of you."
"Well, while you were gone, a few of the kids took our apples and the eggs when I wasn't home. I did burn a loaf of bread and the first chicken I made came out dry. But each time got a little easier."
"Öh, Manly," she smiled. "I don't expect you to be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes."
He smiled back, kissed her lightly on the lips and drew her closer.
"I would never expect you to make a mistake," Almanzo answered, releasing her. "You had a great story there. I know you stayed there an extra two weeks adding to the story, but what happened? I guess it wasn't good enough."
Laura sat down in her rocking chair. She wanted to start on her eighth remembrance book, but she decided it could wait until tomorrow.
"Mr. Broxton, the publisher, decided it needed a little more excitement. They wanted to add more and more to the book. I worked with the editor, Mr. Matthews, but once he got through with the story, I couldn't in good conscience, keep my part of the bargain, no matter how much money that wanted to give me. So I backed out of the contract. They awarded the prize to someone else, at least that what they told me."
Almanzo sat down in his easy chair. "Was it that much different?"
Laura nodded. "Jenny read the revision. She said it wasn't even the same story. She couldn't get interested in it and didn't understand how anyone else could. " She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "It wasn't my story anymore, Manly. It was someone else's."
Almanzo shook his head. "You did the right thing, Beth." He stood up and walked over to her rocking chair. He pulled her up. "It doesn't matter how much you lost, Laura. You want to be able to tell your story in your own words. And you want people to remember it the way you do. And they will, Beth. You'll see. Years from now, everyone will know who you are. They will be able to see everything you want them to see and from your eyes. Children will write to you, begging for sequels. The house that we live in now and have lived in will be popular places to visit. You will be famous, Beth, we will be famous. And no one can take that away from you. Keep writing and keep up your remembrance books. And I will always be right by your side through all of it."
Laura looked into his eyes and saw his smiling face and she knew how lucky she was. She knew how much they loved each other and how their love would last a lifetime. Tears fell down her cheeks as she laid her head on his chest.
"Oh Manly," she said as Almanzo pulled her close. "I love you so much."
"And I love you, Beth. I am so glad you're back here with me."
"Uncle Manzo, Aunt Laura?"'
The two of them broke apart as they heard Jenny call them. They turned around.
"Is everything alright?" Almanzo asked.
Jenny nodded. "I read Rose one of the stories from your remembrance book. The one about how you trained Barnum to walk. She's such a good little girl. She fell asleep so quickly." She smiled. "The story was interesting, Aunt Laura and it was exciting enough to me."
"Thank you for that, Jenny," Laura answered. "And thank you for coming with me to Minneapolis and being there for me when I needed you the most."
Jenny smiled and ran over to hug the both of them. "Anytime, Aunt Laura, that's what families are for."
"We should go check on Rose," Almanzo said, releasing both of them. "Come on, Jenny, you come too, just for a bit."
And the three of them entered the master bedroom and shut the door behind them.
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Fact vs Fiction
This story was based on a statement that Almanzo made when Laura visited her daughter, Rose in San Francisco during the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. While she was gone, Almanzo marveled at the amount of work that Laura had to handle as a housewife. "If any man thinks housekeeping is easy work and not all a woman ought to do," he said when she returned, "just let him roll up his sleeves and tackle the job!"
It was Laura's daughter Rose that encouraged Laura to adapt her remembrance books to the Little House stories that we all know and love today. Rose, as an accomplished writer, edited the books and some say helped her find a publisher for them.
Almanzo and Laura's love for one another did indeed last a lifetime. They worked together and supported one another all their lives.
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