Chapter 6 - Page 72 - Rhasha's Bed

   Jim flipped the calendar to the next page. The February picture was a cowboy sitting on a beautiful white horse. Rhasha’s eyes brightened when she saw this picture. “See this? The cowboy is waving at everyone, and he’s yelling, ‘Howdy partner.’ That means the same thing as hello.”

   Jim flipped the calendar to the month of March. A young girl, about five years old, sat astride a small pony. She was dressed in children’s western clothes, complete with vest and cowgirl hat. “See what she’s saying, Rhasha?” Jim pointed to the caption. “She’s saying, ‘Let’s go, little horsey.’” The picture made it obvious that the little girl was gently kicking the pony’s sides with her heels.

   In the April picture, a horse reared at the sight of a rattlesnake on the ground, and the cowboy had his pistol drawn. “In this picture,” Jim explained, “the cowboy is getting ready to shoot the snake.” He knew Rhasha probably didn’t know what a gun was, so he explained that when the cowboy shot his gun, a bullet would come out the end of the barrel and kill whatever it hit. Jim formed his hand into the shape of a gun and cocked his thumb back as if it were the hammer. “Sometimes,” he continued, “when a cowboy shoots his gun, he blows the smoke off the end of the barrel.” Jim demonstrated by blowing on the end of his finger. “See this?” He pointed at the caption. “The cowboy’s yelling, ‘I’m gonna shoot the varmint.’”

   Just as Jim flipped the calendar to the month of May, he heard a commotion outside the hospital entrance. He looked up to see if someone was coming in. He waited, but the door didn’t open, even though he could see movement through the glass. Whoever it was, couldn’t get in.