TO SURVIVE

Claire, twelve, quickly entered the grocery store and hastily hid under her jacket the items she wanted, bread, sugar and milk. While she knew stealing was bad, she had no other way to support her family since their mother died of an illness six weeks earlier.

Leaving the store, she returned home where ten-year-old Joseph looked after the little ones. Claire had kept the owner of the small apartment they occupied waiting. Promising that their father would soon return from a long trip, even if he had been killed in a fight in the city saloon three years earlier.

After dinner, consisting of a piece of bread with sugar on top and a glass of milk, she put the little ones to sleep with a story, telling them that everything would be fine.

When she went to bed, Claire put her head in her arms and cried silently.

"God, please protect us and let me find a way out of here. Maybe I could get a job?" She thought.

Famous bounty hunter Ethan Allen Cord was worried. He hadn't heard from his sister Lucy for more than ten weeks despite the fact that he had been sending money regularly for her and her four children. Ever since his brother-in-law, with whom he did not get along, finding him immature and irresponsible, hanging around the saloons and drinking more than reason, had been killed.

Ethan did not stop asking his sister to join him in Paradise, California. It had been in vain. For more than ten weeks no news, no response to his letters! He had decided to join her and bring her back with him, he wouldn't leave her the choice! He would take better care of her and her children if they were near him. If he had to knock it out and wear it, he would!

After a month on horseback, he finally arrived in St. Louis, Missouri.

The city was big and lively, people were running, shouting, children playing in the middle of the street. He went to the small apartment that his sister had rented after the death of her husband and knocked, without answer.

"Ah!? Said a lady behind him, are you the father? It has been as long as three months. You arrived! You have three months late rent!"

"Hello Madam, how much is due?"

"Twenty dollars."

"Good. I have that amount." Ethan paid the lady. "Do you have another key, please? "

"Yes of course, I will open it for you. It's unfortunate,such a young woman .."

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

"Your wife died of tuberculosis more than six weeks ago, sorry sir."

"My wife? No, my sister" he said. "It was ... my sister. And the children? Where are they?"

"I don't know, they usually go out during the day."

The lady opened the door and gave him the key.

"Thank you, Madam, for leaving the children safe in their apartment."

"I was going to leave them here again this week then it was the orphanage!"

"We will stay a few days, take time to settle everything here, then we will leave. Let's say a week."

"You paid until the end of the month, that's fine with me."

"Thank you, Madam, goodbye".

Ethan closed the door, collapsing on a chair.

The only room was simple, tidy, the shelves were almost empty. No food or canned food in reserve.

There was a small table with six chairs opposite, two double beds and a single bed, the blankets were clean,

He guessed the bed for the smallest boys, by their soft toys placed on top. The only toys in the room. He saw a few clothes on a shelf,

There were some swaddling diapers with a pin and a bottle on top of the sink.

Ethan went out, heading for the cemetery. The grave was simple, just a wooden cross with the name of his sister

Lucy Cord Carroll, the date 1803_1838 and some fresh flowers, probably the work of Claire.

He ordered a beautiful gravestone engraved, then went to the sheriff to inform him of the situation with regard to the children. He wanted to sign the temporary guardianship papers to be able to travel legally and have authority over them, pending the official adoption of the judge.

No worries, they had only him.

He went to the bank to collect his money sent over the past two months.

Then Ethan sold his horse for a good price before going to the station and getting five train tickets to Paradise, California for the following Monday.

Before going home to wait for the children, he decided to do some food shopping.

Inside the grocery store, Ethan saw a little girl putting bread, milk and swaddling diapers under her jacket. It was Claire.

The manager had also seen, grabbing her by the arm, screaming.

"You'll see, I'll give you the beating of your life!" He said unbuckling his belt.

"You won't do anything like that!" Ethan said calmly.

The child and the merchant turned around.

"Uncle Ethan?"

"Let her go, sir, please."

"But she stole from me! She deserves a good spanking!"

"I'll take care of it, thank you, I'm her uncle and her guardian. Add what she took to my bill please. I'm also going to take two jars of green beans, meat, coffee, cookies, some candy, and that nice strawberry pie here. I got this for you, Claire."

He had seen Claire looking at the pie with envy.

Ethan paid the seller and left. Claire followed him without saying anything.

"Where are your brothers?" Ethan asked.

"Out fishing, it keeps the little ones busy, and in addition we try not to hang around town too much during the day so as not to attract attention."

"Clever." Ethan answered.

"Uncle Ethan, what are you doing here?"

"I had no news from you and I was worried, Lucy no longer answered my letters. I see coming here was necessary"

"You know?"

"Yes Claire, I just learned from your landlady. She took me for your father, sorry not to have come earlier, you will come with me."

"Uncle Ethan? Are you going to spank me?" She asked looking at her feet.

"We talk about it at home," he said calmly.

"Sit down and look at me, Claire." She looked up.

"Stealing is wrong and against the law, I suppose you have done it often?"

"Yes sir".

Ethan appreciated the respect and honesty in her response.

"I'm not going to spank you Claire, I think you did what it took to survive. But now I'm here, I don't want any more theft or anything illegal,

If you do, I will not hesitate to punish you! Do I make myself clear enough? His voice was severe but calm.

"Yes Uncle Ethan. Thanks for not spanking me!" Claire threw herself on him, squeezing his middle crying.

Ethan felt all the frustration and the load on his thin shoulders fly away at that moment and hugged her.

"I'm here, everything will be fine, I promise you."

Putting away the few purchases quickly, Ethan takes out the baby diapers that Claire had taken from the store.

"Does George still wear diapers and use a bottle, Claire?"

"No Uncle Ethan."

"Do you take in someone's baby to make money?"

"No sir, ... Uncle Ethan, you should sit down, please." Ethan sat down.

Claire stood right in front of him, between his knees, her eyes facing him.

"When you came the last time, when Papa died, Mama was two months pregnant." she stops to see her reaction. Having all his attention, she continues.

"Tess is our little sister, Uncle Ethan, she is three years old."

Ethan thought quickly, that's why Lucy hadn't wanted to go to Paradise! Her tiredness, her dizziness, he had put that on account of her pain of losing her husband.

He was a bad man but he was the father of her children, despite everything. Why didn't Lucy tell him anything?

"When is Tess' birthday?" Ethan asked.

"September seventh."

Claire was wrong, Lucy had been three months pregnant, almost four.

"I beg your pardon Uncle Ethan, a baby was not planned."

"Don't apologize my heart, nothing was planned! I would face whatever comes your way! Do not worry! ... no other children, right? teased Ethan.

"No Uncle Ethan!" Claire smiles.

"Well, Claire, tell me is your ten year old little brother responsible for two young children of five and six years old and a three year old baby by the water!?"

"Well yes, you have to understand, Uncle Ethan, we had no other choice. Sometimes Joseph stays in town and I keep the little ones. He built a playpen with branches for Tess and being on the edge of water every day has its advantages. It tires out the children."

Ben and George can swim not perfectly of course, but they are able to reach the shore easily "

"Come on Claire, let's go get them." Ethan says, his tone of voice soft but firm, leaving no room for discussion.