Beyond the Sunset: Guy's Extraordinary Journey

By Sheena Mai

Dive into the captivating world of Guy, an adventurous boy with a heart full of wonder. Set against the backdrop of a new beginning, Guy's journey with his family in their quaint wagons across the plains is more than just a story of relocation. It's a testament to friendship, family bonds, and the simple joys of life.

 

While the vibrant meadows and serene forests offer endless play and exploration for Guy and the Harwood children, daily life isn't without its challenges. Guy's tasks might seem mundane, but with his spirited resolve and a loving family, he finds ways to inject magic into every moment.

 

From assisting his mother to spinning tales under the stars with George, Gus, and the endearing Aggie, Guy's life is an enchanting blend of hard work and heartwarming moments. "Beyond the Sunset" is a delightful read for young adventurers aged 7-10, painting a picture of the beauty in both the extraordinary and the everyday.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheena Mai
• Release date: Aug 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223275015

Book preview

Chapter 1

In the small town of Wardsville, in the far side of Missouri, there lived a lady named Mrs. Loring and her ten-year-old son, Guy. They didn't have much money. You see, when Mr. Loring was alive, they had a lot. But after he passed away when Guy was eight, they discovered he owed a lot of money to other people. Once they paid all those debts, they were left with nearly nothing.

Usually, friends could help in such tough times. But sadly, most of their so-called friends disappeared when the money did. It's a sad truth, but that's sometimes how the world works.

When Mrs. Loring became a widow, not only was she poor and without friends, but she was also not in the best health. She had never worked before, and when she tried to support herself and Guy, she found it very hard to make enough money just for food. She tried to run a little school, but she got only a few students, and they didn't pay her much. She even had to sew clothes for people for some extra money. But when the other parents found out, they took their kids out of her school, saying she couldn't teach and sew at the same time.

Winter was the worst time for them because they needed money more than ever. Despite sewing a lot, Mrs. Loring wasn't paid enough, and she and Guy often felt cold and hungry. She could have asked for help from the villagers, but she was too proud to beg. She did allow Guy to work, but there wasn't much a ten-year-old could do during winter.

Despite trying hard, Guy couldn't find much work. Their clothes and furniture were wearing out, and they were getting poorer every day.

Still, throughout that long, hard winter, Mrs. Loring didn't give up. She believed that they were going through these tough times for a reason, and things would get better eventually. She used to cheer up Guy with these words when he felt down. Guy would always respond, I know it'll get better, Mom. You're so kind, I'm sure things will improve. When spring comes, I'll find work in the fields. Then you won't have to sew so much and hurt your chest.

But when spring came, finding work wasn't as easy as Guy had thought. There were many older and stronger boys who could do more work than him, so they got hired instead. Poor Guy started to lose hope, and Mrs. Loring, worn out and worried, became very sick.

Even though she was sick and scared she might not get better, Mrs. Loring didn't want any of the town's people to see her because she felt they hadn't been nice to her, and she didn't want them to see how poor she was. However, she told Guy he could fetch a doctor, so he found a nice man named Dr. Langley, who often helped people who didn't have money for free.

Dr. Langley was really kind. He gave Mrs. Loring medicine and food, even though it was tough for her to accept them because she didn't like taking things for free. He also gave Guy some work to do. For a moment, Guy started thinking maybe things were looking up.

But one evening, after coming back from work, he found his mom crying a lot. He was really worried and begged her to tell him what had happened. After some convincing, she told him.

She explained that Dr. Langley had visited that afternoon and had given her some tough news. He told her she was really sick and wouldn't get better unless she could go to a different place with different air and food. But they both knew that it was impossible for them. The idea of leaving Guy alone in a world that hadn't been kind to them made Mrs. Loring very sad.

Both Guy and his mom cried together. It seemed really unfair to Guy that his mom couldn't get better just because they couldn't move somewhere else. For many days, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Even though his mom looked a bit better with the warm days of summer and even tried to sew a bit, he knew she wasn't going to be okay, because the doctor had told him so.

One day, while walking around with his thoughts, he overheard two gentlemen talking about a family, the Harwoods, who were planning to move to California by crossing the plains. The Harwoods had a delicate daughter, Aggie, and they needed a house nurse for their baby since Mrs. Harwood would be taking care of Aggie. They were finding it hard to find someone they could trust and who could also keep Mrs. Harwood company during the long journey.

Suddenly, Guy had an idea. What if his mom could go as the Harwoods' nurse? It would give her the change of place that the doctor said she needed, and it wasn't as hard as sewing. And Guy could help her. He quickly found out where the Harwoods lived and decided to ask Mrs. Harwood if his mom could come with them.

On his way, he remembered how proud his mom was. She was a rich lady once, and she might not like the idea of being a servant. Guy himself felt a bit uncomfortable with the idea. But then he thought, it's better to be a servant than to not get better at all. He wondered if he should go back and talk to his mom about it, but he was worried she might get upset and say no. So, he decided to make this decision on his own and went up to Mrs. Harwood's door.

When he knocked, someone called him to come in. There was a lady in the room and four kids—two older boys, a little girl who looked like she was five, and a baby boy playing on the floor. The baby stopped playing to look at Guy. All the kids did, and Guy started to feel shy and nervous until the lady asked who he wanted to see.

He told her he wanted to see Mrs. Harwood, and one of the boys said, That's my mom's name! What do you want from my mom, huh?

Ignoring the boy's rudeness, Guy told Mrs. Harwood what he had overheard on the street.

That's true, she said kindly, I am looking for a house nurse. Did someone send you here to apply for the job?

No, Mrs. Harwood, Guy replied, Nobody sent me. I came on my own because I thought maybe my mom would be the right fit for the job.

That's pretty unusual for a little guy like you! Mrs. Harwood said, sounding surprised.

Check this out, Gus, the older boy chimed in, This kid must be some super-hero or something!

George, zip it, his mom scolded him. She turned back to Guy. Now, kiddo, tell me how you came up with this crazy idea to find a job for your mom. Did she ask you to do it? Is she not treating you right? Do you want her to leave you?

No way, she's super nice to me, Guy said quickly. And I couldn't live without her. He then spilled his heart out, explaining his mom's sickness, his belief that the journey could heal her, and how amazingly caring and kind his mom was.