Annie May On The Train | ‘A Cowboy Hero’ Short Story |

 

Annie May On The Train 

| ‘A Cowboy Hero’ Short Story |

Hello, Sweet Friend! 

Today I wanted to share with you a sweet little short story I wrote this month! I’m doing the ‘Heroes Reading Challenge’ hosted by Story Of A Christian Girl! January’s prompt is ‘A Cowboy Hero’ and I decided to, along with reading, write a short story! 

This story is set in the early 1900s in New England during Autumn! It’s about a little girl named Annie May who is waiting on a train for her new foster family. This was so fun to write and made me smile so much! This story was in part inspired by Anne Of Green Gables which was one of my FAVORITE books of 2022! This is a historic fiction and not all facts are completely accurate but I hope it’s still fun to read! 

Now onto the story! 

The Story:

Annie May on the Train  

(A Cowboy Hero)

Once upon an autumn day, sitting in a train car with wood paneling, a basket compartment above the two facing benches with dark forest green velvet, little Annie May sat holding her breath as the autumn trees flashed past. Bright oranges, yellows, reds, and gold flash past the train car window. Eleven year old Annie May always loved autumn and its dazzling colors. Here in New England, the colors were especially bright—almost blinding in their glory. 

   If I was a tree, she mused, people would come to see me all beautiful each year. I would belong to a family of lovely trees and never have to be alone again. Her breath fogged up the window, her face pressed against it to see the trees more clearly. 

   Pulling back, she opened her little carpet bag and looked at the belongings. She sighed, “Oh how I wish I had a pretty dress with lace and puffed sleeves that was the color of the trees and not falling apart to disrepair.” But she had no place to complain, or rather not much. Annie May had no family of her own, an orphan found abandoned as a babe by the gutters screaming and wailing. She grew up in orphanages and a few foster homes across her eleven years, but no one ever kept her. She could be fiery, this one, but she knew how to hold her tongue, and she was as hard a worker as any. Even better, thought she, than five boys put together. For what boys could clean till their hands bleed, cook for fourteen three meals a day, walk a mile to deliver said food to the working boys at the mines, come back and watch the screaming babies and still stay sane? Though possibly, Annie May was not completely sane for she had the tendency to dream in the day and sing songs and talk to herself and make up little stories for the babes. It got her in trouble more times than she’d like to count. She really had tried to stop, honestly, but it was so hard. About anything could set her off. A family of bunnies hops beside her while walking to the mines, the color of the sunsets, going to the well, flowers, the rain, babies crying, foster parents screaming, anything really. The babies and younger children who didn’t have to go to the mines liked Annie May’s stories well enough, they always made the children happy. But no one else did. It was a lonely life to be Annie May. 

   Here again, she was being sent away to live with a new family. A new home. New punishments and work to do. Annie May pulled her braided strawberry blond hair over her shoulder. She liked her hair well enough. It was an interesting shade. Not blond yet not red either. A sort of mix that set Annie May’s mind off into fairyland imagining the grandest of stories and places. 

   She wished she could write. She had so many stories going on in her head it was hard to concentrate, but she would not let herself forget the stories, at least not on purpose. Annie May was a learned girl, she knew her letters and how to read and write. Those were her favorite things, reading and writing though she was never allowed to do either. It was wasteful and took time away from valuable chores, as Mrs. Smith would have said with her thirteen children, five of whom were always screaming. 

   “I hope they let me read,” little Annie May whispered to herself in the small train car compartment all alone. She got a serious look in her sweet blue eyes and shut them tight and folded her hands, making them white with pressure. “Dear God,” she prayed, “please let my new family be nice. Let them be good and nice and not make me do hard chores and let me read…oh and write too. Maybe that's too much to ask. Sister Jane would say I am asking too selfishly and that I am talking too much. I’m sorry about that, though I don’t think you mind all that much. I read in the Bible that you are love and are a father. If that is true then I don’t think you would be angry with my talking. Or at least I hope not. Anyways, I’m getting distracted, aren’t I? I am. Where was I? Oh, yes, let the new family be nice and good. Thank you. In Jesus's name, I pray, amen.”

She opened her eyes and looked out the window. She could see buildings starting to spring up. They must be reaching the station soon. That would mean she would be meeting her new family soon too. Nerves fluttered around her stomach. Something clutched around her heart. Pulling at her braid she closed her eyes again and prayed once more. “Please let them like me and keep me. If they are truly good, don’t send me away again. I know why the others you did for they weren’t all that good…but if they are kind and godly, good like you, will you let them keep me, please? Is that too much to ask for? I know the Bible says nothing is impossible with you, does this count? Will you let them keep me? Please let them like me.” 

   The train slows down and halts to a stop, slightly jerking Annie May. The train whistle blows loudly, making Annie May cover her ears. The conductor yells out “New Haven!” Anxiety grips Annie May’s heart. We are here in New Haven Connecticut, New England. She takes a deep breath and stands up, one hand clutches her carpet bag and the other moves her braid back and brushes down her fading purple dress, almost gray now, a hand-me-down from one of the older girls at the orphanage. She fixes her little straw hat with a green and yellow ribbon fraying at the ends. 

   “Get yourself together Annie May. You mustn’t be late.” With these words she stepped out of her little compartment and went down the aisle of compartments and glass windows, passing other people. Men in suits and bowler hats, women in silk dresses and hats so big she didn't know how they stayed on so well. All of them went to a little redwood door that a man who must be the conductor held open and nodded to the men and women. 

   When Annie May came the conductor smiled, “You’ll be alright miss?”

   “Yes, thank you.” She swallowed a breath, too frightened to move. 

   He knelt down beside her, he quite liked this little girl who reminded him of his daughter. He hoped she found a good family here. “It’s going to be alright, miss. Besides, if it isn’t you come right back to the train station and ask for Rodger Barnes and I’ll come to pick you up, alright?”

   Tears brimmed in the girl’s eyes. She had only met one person as kind as him, Sister Mary who always protected her. She wished she could have stayed with this man and his family, she could only hope her new family was half as nice as him. “Thank you, sir. I will not ever forget you or your kindness to me.” 

   The man coughed and wiped his eyes. “Yes. Well now, over there,” he pointed to some benches sitting in the shade of the train station. “There you can sit and wait for your family, alright?” 

   She nods. “Thank you.”

   The man helped her down and nervously she walked to the bench where he said to wait. She sits, her foot tapping quickly against the wooden planks. She should probably stop but is too nervous to listen to her own reasoning. People bustle and move around, calling out to each other in overlapping voices, the train whistles again and people shout and move all around and away from the train. 

   Soon the people all leave and the train boards and leaves as well. Annie May takes in a shaky breath, her hands are trembling so fiercely and she fears she will start crying. She is alone on the platform, completely alone and the train is gone. Didn’t Sister Jane say she was to come off the train at New Haven? Now she feared she heard wrong. What if she got off at the wrong train station? What if the family changed their minds and decided not to come get her? 

   She closed her eyes and a single tear leaked out, “Please, Jesus, let the family come get me.” 

***

Mason Heart was late. He couldn’t believe it. He was never late a day in his life and here he was late on possibly one of the most important. He urged the two chestnut horses faster. He knew he could have already been there at the train station if he was just going with his horse Conner, but he needed to bring the wagon this time. It felt like everything went wrong this morning. Lizzy woke up feeling sick so he waited to help her before moving on to chores and checking on the horses. He waited too long to get things ready. Even with the hired help things went slow on the Heart Family Ranch. 

   It was only an hour ago he was able to break away and by that time he knew he was going to arrive late. There was just no way to get there on time. Thankfully when he left, Lizzy, his wife, was doing better and he knew why. They were getting a little girl today. They had been waiting so long to have children but it never worked out. Lizzy and Mason were heartbroken for years, they always wanted children, and even before they were married it was something they always talked about. Then when they found out they couldn’t have children, it was devastating. But then pastor James brought up fostering and adoption. One of the families in the congregation had just adopted a little boy and was in the process of getting another. Pastor James connected us to them and that was that. They couldn’t think of anything else. After years of waiting and praying, they could finally have a child of our own. They prayed long and hard for a year about this, then they got a letter saying there was a little girl, eleven years old, who needed a family. It was a bit older than they were searching for but they prayed and when Lizzy saw the picture of the girl she said it was her. There was no question in Lizzy’s mind that that was their daughter. Mason still has some uncertainties about the girl. She is older, she lived a lot of life that they don’t know about, and they don’t even know if she shares the faith. But Lizzy was certain, if she is then so was he. 

   Much too late he arrived at an empty train station. He hitched the horses to a wooden rail and made his way up the platform. He looked around and then his eyes caught on her. A little girl, she looks so small and frail, not eleven but younger. Her dress is baggy and short, and her hat is falling down her back. Her hair is coming undone and is loose around her head. She is a small little thing, too skinny, too frail. His heart aches for her, was she mistreated or hurt? Had she been starving and unloved? He shakes his head, he prayed she was not, but if it was true he and Lizzy were going to take care of her. 

   The little girl’s head is bowed and her hands are pressed together, he thinks she is whispering something but is unsure. “Hello,” he calls softly to not spook her. 

***

Annie May’s head snaps up to the voice. There in the shadows is a man with tall worn boots, jeans, a plaid working shirt, and a wide-brimmed black cowboy hat. He steps away from the shadows and pulls off his hat. He has a kind clean shaven face, dark eyebrows, and kind twinkling blue eyes. He looks good and kind like he would be a good father. Her heart leaps, please let him be good. 

   “Hello,” she whispers. 

   “I’m Mason Heart. Are you Annalease May?” He asks. 

   She nods, “But everyone called me, Annie May.” 

“Do you want me to call you that?” 

“You can call me whatever you like. I don’t mind. You can call me Annaliese, or Annie May, or May, just not Annie by itself, I don’t like it by itself too much. It's too boring, don’t you think? Annaliese is pretty and Annie May sounds good too. I wish I had been named just May or something delightful like Elizabeth or Winona—well maybe not Winona but something like it,” she said in a rush and blushed. “I’m sorry. Everyone says I talk too much and too fast and…oh, here I am still talking. I’m sorry.”

Mason shakes his head and smiles, “Don’t apologize Annaliese. I like hearing you talk.”

“You do?” She says in surprise. 

   “I do.” He knelt down in front of her and brushed her braid back. Hearing her voice and seeing her now, he knows. He has no uncertainties. This is his child. He set down his cowboy hat and took her hands in his. “Would you like to be my daughter, Annaliese?” 

   Her mouth drops. “You want me to be your daughter?”

   “I do.”

   She bursts into tears and throws her arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes, I want to be your daughter! Oh, God, thank you! Thank you Jesus for answering my prayers! Thank you!” 

   Hearing his daughter’s words, Mason cried too. He knew already that he loved this little girl and would love her all his life. He found his daughter and he was never going to let her go. 

   Annie May cried against her new father. God answered her prayer. She couldn’t believe it. She had a father, a good one, she could feel it. She knew he would love and protect her. There was such kindness in his eyes, she could not imagine any bad things about him. He wanted her to be his daughter. It all felt like a dream but Annie May knew it wasn’t, for no imagination or dream could be as wonderful and amazing as this. As being chosen as a daughter. As having a family. 

   Mason took Annie May over to the horses whom she instantly loved and declared would be her best friends, “For animals are lovely friends,” she said. He rode home with his daughter, one hand on the reins and the other around her. He couldn’t wait to see Lizzy’s reaction. He knew Lizzy would love their daughter, for that was who Annie May was. 

   As they drove to the Heart Family Ranch, autumn trees all around them, dancing in the wind and waving at her, Annie May marveled at all that happened. She looked up at the cowboy beside her, the cowboy who was her father, her hero. She praised God. For now, she had a family, now she would never be alone, she would be like the autumn trees, happy with a family in want of nothing. She was perfectly blissfully happy and she prayed this feeling never went away. 

THE END

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More Short Stories…

• BROKEN BALLERINA the story inspiration  

• Christmas Magic (a short story) 

• A week of flash fiction (The Regency Mystery, Peter Pan’s Shadow, ‘If I Had That Day To Live Again…’, The Telephone) 

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Discussion Time

I hope you liked this short story!!! It was so amazing getting to write this story and I’m so excited that I get to share this with all of you! Thank you so much for reading!!! <3 

I want to hear from you! Meet me in the comments and tell me if you liked this story? Who was your favorite character? Do you think you’d be interested in reading more about Annie May? I would love to chat! 

If you have any questions, prayer requests, or want to talk, make sure to comment down below! Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week. ALSO, If you want to hear more about my writing and read snippets from my stories, make sure you are subscribed because I am doing special updates for BLOG SUBSCRIBERS ONLY! 

XOXO Moriyah 🤎