Reaching Tomorrow: The Legend of Sally Sager

By Jay David King

In the wildlife of the 1850s, life was survival of the fittest, but twelve-year-old Sally has been given an unimaginable challenge. Married to a Canadian fur trapper against her will, she must survive against all odds. She is determined, though, to not settle for just surviving. She will thrive. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Sep 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781648955716

Jay David King

Jay David King (pen name for Gerald Shuler) is a master writer on faithwriters.com. His stories have been published in several anthologies and publications. The most common comment from readers is "Wow! I didn't see that coming!"

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Reaching Tomorrow

The Legend of Sally Sager

Jay David King

REACHING TOMORROW

Copyright © 2021 Jay David King

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Stratton Press Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in the work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-64895-570-9

ISBN (Ebook): 978-1-64895-571-6

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter One. Time to Get Tough

Chapter Two. Losing Tomorrow

Chapter Three. The Walk

Chapter Four. Wilderness Friend?

Chapter Five. Broken Man

Chapter Six. Winter Storm

Chapter Seven. God’s Gift

Chapter Eight. Zedekiah Cruthers: Circuit Preacher

Chapter Nine. City Danger

Chapter Ten. Reunion

Chapter Eleven. Firm Decisions

Chapter Twelve. Birth of a Legend

Chapter Thirteen. A Day in Court

Chapter Fourteen. A New Beginning

Chapter Fifteen. The Me Within

Chapter Sixteen. Yes, It’s Really Me

Chapter Seventeen. The Truth About Lies

Chapter Eighteen. Offers from Giants

Chapter Nineteen. Sally Sager, Wilderness Teacher

Chapter Twenty. Green-Eyed Monster

Chapter Twenty-One. Female Davy Crockett

Chapter Twenty-Two. Becoming Savage Sally

Chapter Twenty-Three. Into Tomorrow

Epilogue

Chapter One

Time to Get Tough

April 7, 1846

Dear Journal: Oh, how I wish I could be somebody else. How could life get any worse for a twelve-year-old girl than mine has become? A gentle breeze cools me as I sit in the wagon that will be my home until we reach California. The weather is beautiful, but it takes more than beautiful weather to have a beautiful life. It takes not having to say goodbye to friends…and I have had to say goodbye to all of mine. Goodbye to school. Goodbye to church. Goodbye to our beautiful home in Boston. Thanks to Father and Mother, all I have left in my life is a sad collection of unwanted goodbyes. Oh, how I wish I could be somebody else.

For the last month, we have been stuck in Independence, Missouri, while Father buys a covered wagon and all the supplies they say we will need for the long journey ahead. The experts here gave Father an entire list of things they say we will need. Some of the items leaves me feeling like they are just selling goods to gullible greenhorns. For example, why do we need to haul an extra wagon axle and extra wheels all that distance? They told us it was because that type of damage was common on the rough wagon train trails. I don’t believe them, though. I think they are just wanting to sell us more things. The wagon is already so loaded with essentials that there isn’t even room for anyone to ride. Can you believe it, Journal, we are actually going to walk all the way to the west coast. I hate walking. At least I have met a few other girls my age that will be walking with their own families. Maybe I will get to know them on the journey. Then, once we get to California, I will have formed more friends to whom I can say goodbye.

Really, I don’t know how to feel about my parents’ insistence that we move to California where there is plenty of gold laying around for anyone willing to go after it. How should I feel? After all, this move is their dream, not mine. Sometimes I think maybe they don’t even know or care what I am going through with this move to California. I wish they understood that I am hurt, angry, sad, and confused. Come to think of it, I guess I do know how to feel. They don’t seem to know, though, that I am the one being left with only those raw emotions about their decision. Like Mother says so often, Sally, this is just one of those things you will understand when you get older. How much older do I have to be? I’m loaded down with those feelings now. All I know for sure right now is that I refuse to hate my parents just because they have a dream that doesn’t happen to be mine. Sometimes I feel like I could lash out at them, but I never would…or could. My brother, Junior, did, though. He hauled off and really gave them a yelling about this move. I wish I was more like him. Then maybe I wouldn’t feel so trapped by my anger. I just have to be satisfied letting my own feelings seethe through his tantrum. At least I know I am not the only one who is unhappy about ripping our lives apart and joining a wagon train. I guess that is all the satisfaction a girl can expect in life. I hope that isn’t true.

But, Journal, today I was given a glimmer of hope. The mules that were supposed to be delivered with the covered wagon died. Both of them. Mysteriously. Personally, I don’t think they died. I think the man who sold us the wagon just decided to sell his mules to a richer customer. It doesn’t matter to me either way…without animals to pull the wagon we can’t leave, and I am certainly in favor of not going to California. Would it be wrong for me to pray for the mules to be dead?

Sally Graves read her just finished entry and closed the cover of the precious journal, placing her pencil in the cover sleeve. She carefully placed journal and pencil in the corner of the wagon with the rest of her things. Mother had given the journal to her the same night it was announced that they were moving to the western frontier. She probably thought it would make the news easier because now Sally could record every exciting detail of the journey. It was true enough…Sally would record the challenges and hardships that they had been warned about. It wouldn’t be, though, something her mother would take pride in reading. This book would be a place to record the rawest of her emotions, in hopes that it would in some way help her understand them. Sally seemed to have developed the same love for writing that her mother had. So the journal and remaining set of three pencils were treated as treasures, wrapped carefully in a scarf after each entry and placed between her two burlap dresses. Other girls on the wagon train wore fancier things, cotton or linen, but Father couldn’t afford those kind of dainties. It was his promise that everyone would have expensive things once they got to California where they would be rich. Could fancy things really made her feel better? she wondered. No, not a chance.

Sally, come help with supper. It was Mother. Her voice had the strange mix of extreme command and equally extreme compassion. So she sounded like she was demanding Sally’s help, but the love still softened the harshness.

Sally had been doing much of the cooking for the family since she was ten years old. She was also fairly good at sewing, canning, gardening, and caring for her two younger brothers, Johnny and Junior, even though she was constantly reminded by them that she was not their mother. They still knew she carried the authority of Mother. It was Mother’s way of teaching Sally the skills required of a young lady so she could someday teach her own children. The thought of her having children of her own brought both dreamy excitement and a total determination to procrastinate ever growing up.

For some reason unknown to Sally, conversation around the campfire that evening was strained. It was clear something was bothering Father.

Children, he said, his voice already quivering from tension. Mr. Donner will be here soon to speak with Mother and me. Mr. Donner was one of the leaders of the wagon train. He was a kind man, but he walked and talked as though his decision would settle any and every problem…no matter what your opinion may be. He had been pressing Father for the last week to get a team of horses, oxen, or mules or the wagon train would be forced to leave without them. That meant his visit tonight could be the answer to Sally’s prayer. Immediately, a flush of guilt swept over her for even thinking that way.

When Mr. Donner finally arrived (well past normal bedtime for the kids) he had no kind demeanor about him. Sally was asked to get herself and the children laid down under the maple tree and get to sleep. The boys dozed off quickly, but Sally was too restless to sleep. She just wrapped herself in the blanket and listened to the conversation at the campfire.

Well, Donner said. What’s your decision? Are you going to be ready for a sunrise departure?

Father’s voice was even more tense than it had been all evening. Even though she was a good distance away, Sally could still hear his deep voice quiver as he said, You know what decision I’m facing. How can I say getting two mules for a trip to California is worth what he is asking me to do?

I have no problem leaving without you. Donner’s voice tried to have the sound of a caring person, but his words proved his total lack of concern. This wagon train is already dangerously late. If we don’t get gone, we are going to be crossing treacherous mountains in the dead of winter. These wagons must get on the trail…time has run out. Personally, I would be willing to do anything…anything to get this wagon train to California. There is no shame in what Sager is asking of you. But, understand, no matter what you decide, we are leaving first thing in the morning, whether you are part of the train or not. Look, Graves, this is how things get done in the West. Donner paused briefly to gather his next words. Then, in what was meant to be a reassuring voice, he said, If you just have doubts about Walter Sager, let me put your mind at ease. I’ve known him for several years, and I have never seen anything in him that would make me question his integrity. If he says he will keep her safe, he will.

But she is so young. How could I ask such a young child to do this?

Brad. It was her mother’s voice. She sounded as though she was choking back tears. You know we are in agreement about this move to California, she said. We have saved every penny we could just to be able to buy a covered wagon and supplies for this trip. The kids have already been uprooted from any kind of stable life they ever knew just to get us from Boston to Independence. But this? You are right. Sally is still just a child. How could you even think of asking her to do this?

Sally’s heart felt like it stopped beating. They are talking about me, she thought. What in the world are they wanting me to do?

It’s up to you, Mitchell. The force was very much back in Donner’s voice. Wait for some future train to take you West, or make the decision that will give you safe passage to California with our party. Mitchell, sometimes life requires tough decisions. It’s time to get tough.

Okay, I’ll go talk to Sager right now. Will you be up later so I can give you my final decision? Father could still be heard, but it was as if all his breath had been taken away. All that was left of his strong voice was a defeated whisper. Can I get with you later?

I have a long trip ahead. I’m getting some undisturbed sleep. If you do what needs to be done, be ready to leave at six. If not… Sally heard the slap of a Stetson hat on a knee, probably Donner’s. If you aren’t ready to go, just stay out of the way of those of us who are ready.

Sally turned over and pulled the wool blanket over her chin. Sleep was a stranger to her as she mulled over the conversation she had just heard. The wagon train is leaving tomorrow…with their family or without. And for some reason, it seemed to all depend on something she was going to be asked to do. What could it be? The words Donner had said rang through her mind all night in a sleepless nightmare. Sometimes life requires tough decisions. It’s time to get tough. Whatever was expected of her, she knew one thing for certain. The time had come for her to get tough.

Chapter Two

Losing Tomorrow

The sun rose the next morning and sparrows chirped in the tree above her. Squirrels chattered and bacon sizzled. But it was another sound that completely captured Sally’s attention. Mules were braying somewhere nearby. She looked around to see if she could spot the mules. All she saw as she looked beyond the underside of the wagon was Father’s feet jumping sideways to avoid being stepped on by a team of mules. They were being hitched to the wagon…their wagon. Father must have found a way to get mules. It looked as if her dreaded trip to California was going to be a reality after all. Mother was already frying bacon, so Sally decided to shelve her feelings until later when she could be honest to her journal. Right now, she would just help Mother with breakfast.

Good morning, Mother. Sally felt good about how believably chipper she sounded. Something was going on with Mother, though, that wasn’t so easily hidden. She looked as though she had been crying for the better part of the night. She looked at Sally and almost burst into tears again. This was not how Sally knew her mother to be.

What’s wrong, Mother? Are you alright?

Mother literally ran from the campground to hide her uncontrollable sobs. Sally looked around to see if she could find what had affected her mother in such a forceful way, but all she saw was Father. He was standing by the mules, and his eyes were looking in the direction of Sally, but she could tell he was looking somewhere into some distance someplace in his mind. Then it dawned on Sally…How can we

Reviews for Reaching Tomorrow

[Cheri crook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read. Inspirational main character. I couldn't put it down. Love this book.