Chapter 10 - The Wings of Freedom
Years have passed since the night of the ancho chili goose.
The Suncrest Sanctuary is now famous across the state.
We’ve saved thousands of animals.
We’ve helped dozens of people find their way back from the dark.
I sit on the porch every evening,
watching the sunset.
The ranch is thriving.
The hay fields are the most productive in the county.
I never got married again.
I found that my own company was more than sufficient.
I have a new goose now,
a stubborn white gander named Justice.
He follows me everywhere,
just like Barnaby did.
Sometimes,
when the light is just right,
I think I see a white shape near the old mesquite tree.
A flicker of wings.
A shadow of a friend.
I know it’s just my imagination,
but it makes me smile anyway.
Travis and Big Tom died in prison a few years ago.
Evelyn is still there,
a bitter old woman with no one to listen to her lies.
I don't think about them often.
They are part of a past that feels like a bad dream.
The "orphan" they tried to break became the woman who broke them.
The "freeloader" became the provider.
I look at my hands,
scarred from work,
strong and capable.
I am the granddaughter of Suncrest.
I am the keeper of the land.
I am free.
The wind picks up,
carrying the scent of rain.
I stand up and call for Justice.
It’s time to go inside.
The night is coming,
but I’m not afraid of the dark anymore.
I know exactly who I am.
And I know exactly where I belong.
The wings of freedom are steady.
May you like
And the heart of the ranch is beating strong.
The end.
