America...........The British sold it as the land of freedom, a new beginning and an adventure. This was true and yet it was so false because in truth they needed more men for the British Militia. As well as more settlers to out match the French. To those still living in England, it was a chance to escape the boredom, routine and staleness that their lives had become. Everyone did the same thing and worked the same job so there was no excitement to break the boredom. My grandparents were among these people. In the late 1760's, my grandparents boarded one of the ships heading to the new world. Their names I never knew apart from their surname "Reeves." They had said their farewells to friends and families knowing that they would never see each other again except through their letters. Their journey was long, full of death and despair as many died on the crossing with their bodies being buried at sea. After many months on the Atlantic they finally reached the shores of Massachusetts where they disembarked at the Port of Boston. They stayed in Boston for a few months before continuing on with their journey for freedom. From all of the hatred and violence stemming from the war, Boston had turned into a city of gangs. They wanted to raise their children away from this violence.

One day they packed up their belongings into a wagon then headed west to the open territories. For they had left at the right time cause two days later the revolutionary war had begun. My grandparents did not believe in the war and it was not right for the young men to die for an old man's war.....So they left this world of wars and hate for a world of peace.

My grandparents traveled for many months stopping at each small town or village to rest, resupply their stock and to so some extra work for some money. It took them almost eight months to reach the northern part of the Louisiana Territory. Today this part is now called South Dakota. With all of this traveling their journey came to end at a small town called "Brooks." They stopped at this town for it felt like home to them. Also, there was a great feeling of peace in the area and the people were friendly.

Most would think that the west wasn't the west until the 1800's. This was not true for the west was around long before any of this had happened. The west was already established before the British settled in the area. Brooks was the idealistic western town for it had everything. From the outlaws to the lawmen right down to the farmers who were all looking for a fresh start.

My grandparents staked a claim on a piece of land near a great forest and a freshwater stream, making the land both rich and fertile one that was excellent for farming. My grandfather built a beautiful four room log cottage for my grandmother and hopefully one day their children – when the time was right. With what little money they had left grandfather bought a head of fifteen cattle, chickens and seed to start growing fields and vegetables. Life was simple and relaxing, each day he would tend to the farm while she traded with neighbors and a few local friendly indigenous people. Life was good for them much more than it was back in England.

After a few years living in their home and in this new land their first child was born in 1772. A boy Joshua and five years later two more were born – twins a boy Jeremy and a girl Lara.

My mother.

All grew up strong and healthy in a time when most did not as the land was rough on people as was the weather, for it was bitterly cold. Apart from being strong all grew up to be intelligent because my grandmother valued education above all else teaching her children to read and write in a time when most could do neither since working was more important than reading to most. Joshua left the farm in 1790 leaving to fulfill a dream of being a lawman like he read in his books; he made his way to Daedalus ‑ a small farming town in the Oregon Territory. Eventually he became a deputy to the local sheriff Wyatt, five years later Jeremy left to follow in his brother’s footsteps joining him in Daedalus. While both men left Lara stayed home with their parents to help on the farm, thou this was only part of the reason to stay. The other was because her heart was there in the way of a farmhand – Daniel Scully.

The brothers made good lives for themselves in Daedalus with Joshua becoming the sheriff after Wyatt retired and Jeremy becoming his deputy and second in command. Both also met two young women who quickly became their wives. Joshua ended up having five children while Jeremy had four but unlike his brother being a twin he also had two sets of twins – three girls and a boy. Like them all their children survived and were well educated staying with them until it was time for them to move on with their lives and having families of their own.

For Lara her life would remain on the farm, because two months after her twin left their parents died in a wagon rollover. Being the last on the farm she inherited the entire property one that she worked on equally with Daniel. Eventually the two begun to court each other and after a time Daniel sought and received Joshua’s permission to marry Lara. Being the oldest it was his choice to marry off his sister and whom to let join their family. He gave his permission even though Daniel was eight years older, he saw that Daniel truly loved Lara and therefore would make a good husband for her. They married on May 30, 1797, after six months of courtship and a two-month engagement. The wedding was small as Daniel had no family leaving only Joshua and Jeremy and the priest to witness the wedding. After a month of married life Lara found that she was with child. This was a blessing for them as Daniel would finally have a family of his own something he had always wanted. Once she found out, Lara made sure to write to the brothers of the good news since it was the first to be born as neither brother would have theirs for another two years.

The pregnancy would be an easy one as she had little to no symptoms not even the morning sickness. Daniel, he worked hard on the farm during the day so that in the evening he would have time to spend with his wife while he made the basinet for their baby. When she got bigger and had to stop assisting in the farm/house duties, she took to making blankets and clothing for the baby, so that they would be prepared for anything. On a cold snowy night, December 24 to be exact, she went into labor despite being only eight months along. The labor was tough, painful and long one that she might die of. But she survived after twelve long hours on December 25, 1797, their son was born, he was not met with smiles or tears of joy. Instead, he was met with sorrow and disappointment as he was smaller than the average newborn and sickly looking. 

Daniel swallowed his pride and cut the cord then wrapped the silent newborn up and handed it to Lara who looked at her baby with wonder and happiness. Yet she wondered why he was not crying but after a minute he began to cry which brought a small side smile to her face but only to hers. Soon her smile faded to pain once again as she felt more contractions something she was not expecting. She handed the baby to Daniel who put him in the basinet in order to help his wife. While the baby laid in the basinet, they welcomed two more babies into this world one after another. Another boy who was much larger and healthier came out screaming while a girl came out last, she was to large, healthy and screaming. This was completely unexpected for them as they were only expecting one which left them unprepared for the last two. All they could do to make their healthy babies comfortable was to take out two of the drawers from their vanity.  Daniel put down two down pillows and some blankets placing the boy in one and the girl in the other. Soon Lara fell asleep; she had given Daniel her permission to name their children. He named the two healthy ones Daniel Jr, and Elizabeth after her mother. But he did not name the first born apart from call him ‘it’. He placed the children near the fireplace so that they would be kept warm throughout the cold night.

In the morning Lara woke up an hour before Daniel so that she could feed her babies. Once she was done feeding the healthy babies, she had none left for the first one. All she could do was warm up some cow’s milk; she picked up the baby saying ‘Daniel, come here’ knowing that as the first born his name would be his fathers.”

Daniel heard her say this “It has no name; Daniel is over there.” pointing to the healthy boy.

“He was born first so why did you not call him Daniel. Let along give him a name.” Lara asked feeding the unnamed baby.

“He’s not going to live long. So why should we name it. Let alone love it. We have to focus on our son and our daughter.” Daniel said looking disgusted at the small baby.

Lara couldn’t bring herself to reply but she looked at the boy as he fed. She saw that he was weak just as Daniel saw it. This put her into a deep depression on that she couldn’t get out of living in this home. She was able to take care of her children but nothing more. She had no will do anything anymore. After about two weeks of this depression, Daniel had enough and decided to move the family to Daedalus. Where her family was and to start a new life hoping this would bring life back to her. The decision was not only made because of her but also due to freed families settling in the area. He did not feel safe with them around, so he packed up the wagon. Taking only their memories, heirlooms, and what baggage they could fit in. Once that was all loaded, he hooked up the horses then went to get his children and his wife. Once they were all on the wagon, Daniel went to the door nailed an envelope to the door. Then got onto the wagon and took off with his family heading for their new life in Daedalus never once looking back on his former home and life.

When they arrived there in Daedalus, they were all greeted warmly and with open arms by her brothers and their new wives. They settled down on a small farm which they worked and loved. Daniel, Lara and their two children all lived in happiness for their next thirty years, until their past came around again.